Friday 23 May 2014

Typical Bank Holiday Weather.

Today, as yesterday, is typical Bank Holiday weather.   It is cold, very wet (and inch of rain yesterday), a strong North Easterly wind blowing - nothing to commend it really.

The farmer went off in happy mood for his operation, says he never felt a thing and has come home with a VERY black eye.   As he has a perforated ear drum on the same side of his face he is now telling everyone that I have attacked him.

After our meeting for Friday coffee and an early lunch for the farmer before he went off to hospital, I went along to sit and chat to friend M for the afternoon.   Isn't that what friends are for - nice long afternoon chats when the weather is pretty awful.   Where would we be without such soul mates?

Friend M talked about the overuse these days of exclamation marks - so I am trying hard to do the whole of this post without using one, as I feel this is one of my failings.  (sorry M for bringing it up, but I am finding it hard to think of anything to write about tonight).  Actually, on the subject of punctuation, I do feel it is largely down to personal preference these days.   We have discussions on this at our Writers' Group - whether to use a colon or a full stop, how often to end one sentence and begin another.   I know that the exclamation mark and the dash are overused in my writing, but thinking about it I think I metaphorically overuse both in my speech too. (there would have been an exclamation mark there had I not made a vow not to use one tonight.)

I had intended to change my header photograph today for one showing a whole hedge of May blossom (hawthorn), but sadly the day is too wet and dull to get a good photograph and I rather think the wind is so strong that a lot of the blossom will have been blown off by the time the sun returns.  The farmer feels that this may lead to poor berries in the Autumn because although there is a profusion of blossom the bees are not about today because it is so cold and wet.

Anyone who listened to the News this evening will, I am sure, be totally and completely sick of hearing about the election results and seeing those giant maps of the British Isles projected onto the floor of the studio so that some announcer can prance about jumping from one colour (red for Labour) to another (blue for Conservative)
in what to me at any rate is a totally meaningless manner.   I am off to make myself of soothing cup of really good coffee.

13 comments:

Sue in Suffolk said...

I had better whisper this but we've had a beautiful sunny day here today. Not a spot of rain since last night. Sorry. I would have put an exclamation mark there but better not, and I would have probably put another one there too and I use too many dashes and always get apostrophes in the wrong place.
Hopeless! Ooops an exclamation mark slipped out somehow.

Tom Stephenson said...

Exclamation marks?! Overused?! Not by me they aren't! I think the weather is due to improve (!).

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Have never used one in my life!
Glad the Farmer's operation went well.

Jan said...

This is a long weekend for us too; they are predicting buckets of rain!

angryparsnip said...

I write like I talk..... and with exclamation points !
I am so bad.

cheers, parsnip

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Well, let me say this about exclamation marks. !!!!! I love them - and dashes too - - -. Great post - it had me chuckling in parts. Glad the farmer's surgery was successful and your afternoon chat sounds fabulous! Ooops - there's another couple! (We are so bad today - all of us, but we are glad you put up with our joking)

Cloudia said...

Coffee is a consolation
*Exclamation Point*




ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=

Heather said...

I feel largely responsible for our awful weather as we bought a new garden table and chairs on Thursday which seemed to prompt an immediate thunderstorm. It has been very cool and wet ever since. I agree with you about punctuation and feel it is a bit like seasoning in cooking. I do try not to oversalt my remarks and blog posts!
Pleased to hear that The Farmer's op. went so smoothly and painlessly for him.

The Broad said...

What!?! Blog without exclamation marks???!!! Surely one jests?

ArtPropelled said...

I will have to twang an elastic band on my wrist every time I use exclamation marks. It's so difficult not to use them. Glad the farmer is home after his op.

!!!! Sorry justcouldn't help myself.

Pondside said...

It's good to read that The Farmer's surgery went well. I hope the black eye disappears soon.
Re punctuation; I think I write as I speak - lots of exclamation marks, dashes and dots. Blogging isn't writing a novel, nor it is writing an essay. Don't give up your unique punctuation - it gives me a sense of your voice.

MorningAJ said...

I suffer from exclamation marks too!