H is Where the Heart is.

My last name starts with an H.

When I was a kid there was a big "H" right on the middle of the storm door at the front of our house. 

One of my earliest memories is walking up to the front porch with my father and he pointed at the door and said "H is for Home."

For years, I wondered why everyone else didn't have an "H" for "Home" on their front door.

I was much older before I realized that no matter what your last name might be, Home is where your Heart is.

Won't you share something from your Heart and Home with us today?

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G is for GARDENS

I often take the time to replenish my soul by seeing through my camera lens into the glory and beauty of God's creation. Then today, while I was thinking over what I wanted to post for this introduction, I looked up some quotes about gardens. Much to my surprise, I discovered that I recognized myself in some of these quotes:

The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for Him there. (George Bernard Shaw)

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt. (Author Unknown)

I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day. (F. Frankfort Moore, A Garden of Peace)

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. (The Koran)

We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between we garden.

I genuinely enjoy gardening, or I must say "used to" enjoy gardening, but now because of the ghastly onslaught of aging along with its various complaints like bad back and knees, I glory in my ability to stroll around various gardens to capture the glamour and grace of their rich colours among the greenery.  Never without a camera, be it a Canon or a cellphone, I'm always on the lookout for an opportunity to grasp the moment for posterity.

It's the middle of February now, and everyone is getting very tired of the gradual transition into Spring.  When we spy some snowdrops or crocus bulbs pushing through the earth still laden in some places with soggy snow, we become giddy with excitement that soon we will be glad to see the glowing sunshine.

Therefore, for those of you who are feeling like I am - cold, depressed, tired all the time from the grey skies, take comfort that it won't be long until you'll be griping about the heat, the galling chores of mowing the lawn and weeding the gardens, and longing for the crispness of Autumn. But beware, the seasons flow into each other with the greatness of ease and as we age, we must always be grateful for God's gift of gardens.  I know I certainly felt His presence while gallivanting around the many gardens I visited last summer in Wales, and I look forward to many more great trips to see even more.  I'll be the old lady with the cane the tour leader is guiding into the coach!

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Another Birthday-girl to congratulate is

 

Hi all members of our ABC-Wednesday-family. 

On Februa the 19th, we all can and may congratulate DI with her birthday!

Congratulating you DI and wishing you all the best of Luck, Love & Happiness!!

Not only a participant but also a teammember in this version
but also in the new version of ABC-Wednesday in the new setting. 

If someone wants his/her date to be added to our Birthday-Calendar, just let me know!

♫ M e l d y ♫ (abc-w-team)

happy.....to congratulate....

 

Hi all members of our ABC-Wednesday-family. 

On Februa the 9th, we all can and may congratulate VONNIE-B with her birthday!

Congratulating you VONNIE and wishing you all the best of Luck, Love & Happiness!!

Not only a participant but also a teammember at the start of round 21 and the designer of the first logo for ABC-Wednesday in the new setting. 

If someone wants his/her date to be added to our Birthday-Calendar, just let me know!

♫ M e l d y ♫ (abc-w-team)

F for Ferry.

Where I live in Liverpool, a city built on the edge of The River Mersey, This is the river that the Famous Merseybeat band called Gerry and the Pacemakers sang about The Ferry 'cross the Mersey, 'cos this land's the land I love'.

This was in the in the 'Swinging  Sixties' when Liverpool was churning out many talented singers and bands.

 Not Forgetting,  of course, The Fabulous Beatles.

The Royal Daffodil  FERRY.

 This a picture of one of the Famous,  River Mersey Ferries chugging home; Full of happy day trippers after a Fun packed day out in New Brighton, where the children can enjoy all the 'Fun of the Fair,' eating  Frankfurter sausages stuffed into a big squashy, soft bread rolls, with translucent onions layered in a line underneath the sausages then tomato ketchup and mustard slathered over the top.....heaven in a roll....

 (picture from iStock)

Hot Dog... .Heaven !

The most famous of the Mersey Ferries was the Royal Iris. It is a twin screw diesel-electric Ferryboat and was built in 1950 and commissioned in 1951. It had a maximum speed of 12 knots and could carry 2296 passengers on normal ferry duties and 1000 for cruising. On board amenities included, a dancefloor  and stage, cocktail bar and a fish and chip saloon, hence it was nick named 'the fish and chip boat.In June 1957 the Liverpool's Cavern Club created the Legendary Riverboat Shuffles. I think a guy called Ray McFall was the instigator of these fab cruises.

The Royal Iris was a beautiful Art Deco -style ship and the cruises wre very popular with Jazz Bands such as Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. The Beatles played 4 times with Acker Bilk just as they were on the cusp of fame.

the Royal Iris in it's hey day

Thanks to Denise Roger Leslie and the team of helpers, without you ABCW would not have lasted for ten years...here's to the next ten years.
Best regards to you all
from
Di.
xxx

***

We congratulate Shilpa

 

Hi all members of our ABC-Wednesday-family. 

On Februa the 9th, we all can and may congratulate SHILPA with her birthday!

Congratulating you SHILPA and wishing you all the best of Luck, Love & Happiness!!

If someone wants his/her date to be added to our Birthday-Calendar, just let me know!

♫ M e l d y ♫ (abc-w-team)

E if for EXIT and ENTRANCE

You probably hadn't heard about this, but in the United States, one President (44) EXITED the White House after eight years, while another (45) ENTERED in January 2017.

In 2016, in the United Kingdom, which agreed to EXIT (or Brexit, if you will) the European Union, one Prime Minister EXITED #10 Downing Street after a little more than six years, while another, UK's second woman PM, ENTERED it.

In fact, if you look at this April 2016 picture of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, US President Barack Obama, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and British Prime Minister David Cameron, taken at the G20 summit, you'll note that only one of them, Merkel, is still in power.

And so it goes in our personal lives, with people ENTERING and EXITING. I've noticed, though, that social media, has allowed me to stay in touch with some people who have moved away with whom I might otherwise have lost touch. AND I have "met" people online that I've never seen in person at all, including on this blog.

I had written last year of ABC Wednesday EXITING the scene. But then Melody ENTERED the picture and decided to sustain it. So as we have ENTERED the 20th round, know that discussions of our EXIT are apparently premature.
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