The Morning After...

...Has already turned into afternoon! It took me so long to read and reply to all your beautiful Blogland wishes, that the morning is long gone. I have to smile to myself, though, as the 'UG' or 'GU' language problem I blogged about much earlier, is obviously still in force. For every person who realised my Monday (birthday) post was mostly all about the happenings of Sunday, there was another who believed the glue gun episode was a birthday party game. I wonder, did I write in 'Gu' so the 'Uggers' got it wrong, or did I write in 'Ug', and it was the 'Guers' who ended up with the wrong end of the stick? Maybe, the problem was the glue stick? One day got stuck to the other. I did think, the little word 'yesterday' would have been enough to separate them, but there, days do flow into each other in Blogland.

But it's going to make it seem as if I had a specially long birthday, once I tell you what the rest of the day held! I'd hardly clicked the mouse to publish my daily blog waffle, when my Super Neighbour came bearing gifts. We had a lovely gossipy catch up on our respective grandchildren's exploits over the last week or so. Hardly had the front door closed behind her, when I had to open it wide again for long time Singing Buddy, who arrived bearing hot, fish and chips lunch, ready to be eaten straight from the paper with the fingers (for me) or from a plate with knife and fork for my Oh, so ladylike pal! She'd offered to take me out for lunch, but when the choice was left with me, fingers, paper and fish and chips were top of the list! I am a hopeless case. I blame it on spending five years as an art student and uncouth youth, then never growing up.

Once tummies were full, lips licked and in my case, fingers washed, we had time to play computers. Singing Buddy is not one of us, but loves hearing the stories of Blogland doings. At last, she was able to make a whistle stop tour round Blogland to visit those of you I'd mentioned, and she could see for herself what a clever, arty bunch you are. Eventually she had to wend her merry way home, to prepare for her Monday evening choral meeting.

Within half an hour, during which the phone worked overtime, the doorbell clanged again (I have a small, black cast iron, old fashioned bell with clapper and rope) and another of my Pisces Pals was on the doorstep with a bagful of goodies.

So the entire day was a sociable whirl of 'phone calls and visits; I felt I was definitely on a Happy Birthday merry-go-round. What better introduction, then, do I need for this?

Dragon Ride

Fun Fairs are fantastically full of surprises,
with Ghost Trains and Dodgems,
Stalls to win prizes
if you can hit targets that go whizzing by.
'Roll up!' the man says. 'Come, give us a try!'

Ferris Wheel on its journey of slow revolution
locks riders in harnesses,
limits the motion
of bucket seats, swinging and straining to fly,
'til folk fervently wish they were not up so high!

Carousel Horses stride out, three abreast,
flaring red nostrils;
no time for a rest
as they prance to the Steam Organ's bellowing cry
which spurs them to silently neigh in reply.

'Whoosh!' goes the Switchback. It can't be ignored
by neck-craning viewers
who loudly applaud
its serpentine carriages, saucy and spry -
a Silhouette Dragon, alive, in the sky.