Context

Because of where they are located, these words are highly amusing.

Context can put a new slant on our words. Images found on fancy.

Take what you need

From here

Fair ride

This sign made me laugh while traveling on a Melbourne train. I love that this copy was considered and approved. We all need more humour in our lives.

Reassuring words

Survival

The creative adult is the child who has survived. - Ursula Le Guin

Happy people

Image from here thanks.

Lunch fees

Photographed at Robe Marina SA.

Double meaning

I am a big fan of words that can mean more than one thing. These double agent words offer up all kinds of creative uses. Double agent words are good at engaging readers, making them wonder, smile and even remember the clever encounter these words offer.

This sign outside Kmart gave me much delight.

Bicycle

Photographed in a Norwood carpark, SA.

But animals cant read?

Photographed in the Adelaide Zoo

Rocks alive

Photographed Southern Australia

Mountain high

Great application of words in our environment for the 'be active' campaign

Location makeover

Do as I say, not as I do...apparently.

Invisible

How do you tell a child that their Grandma has gone?

You wont see her again, hold her hand or hear her song.

Laughter wont be shared and milestones will be missed,

By the woman who loved you so much, who you rushed to kiss.

Grandma isn't here to spoil you, she has taken her lollies too.

She wont be here to brush your hair or be interested in you.

But where is she? you ask and I don't know what to say.

I don't have an answer, please just turn back to your play.

Do I say she is in heaven looking down on you?

Watching out and caring about everything you do?

Do I say her spirit lives on around us or up in the stars?

How do I explain that death is final, only ashes left in jars.

A child's pain is their mother's and so I bear it twice.

Not only loosing my mum, but your Grandma who was so nice.

My only comfort is that she made me and then I made you.

A legacy that lives breathing, life going forward and through.

No bad weather

Chicken

I cant help feel there is something wrong with this?

Wait

Faith began to fiddle. Her foot started tapping then her hand reached up and smoothed down her hair. She had tied her hair back today, as she didnt have the time to wash it. But brushing and pulling it neatly into a ponytail cost her the time she could have eaten breakfast. She opened her handbag, rummaging around hoping to find some forgotten chocolate bar or other food source. An orange boiled lolly missing some of its wrapper looked appealing, even though some hair and bit of tissue accompanied it. She looked up and about her. No one else was around so Faith carefully unwrapped it, picked off the debris and put it in her mouth.

The sweetness was a shock, overpowering her senses. She rolled the lolly around, its furry surface offering a texture for her tongue to examine. It crashed into her teeth and bulged out her cheek. The lolly became a good distraction. She sucked it for a while before crunching down hard and breaking it into tiny pieces. She had never been able to suck lollies into thin slithers.

Faith looked at her watch. The second hand hardly seemed to be moving. Did it just go backwards? She shook her wrist then brought the watch up to her ear. 

"Tick tick tick' she heard the regular steady sound of a watch in working order. She flopped her hand back into her lap and sighed.

"Why is it taking so long?"

Earlier she had been in such a flurry, rushing to get here. Yet now she waited. And waited.

Faith smoothed out her skirt. It was the one she wore yesterday. No one would remember. She had to quickly pick up and wear the clothes she found on the floor to get here on time. But now she wished she had not rushed. She could have used this time to shower and select clean clothes.
'How long is it going to take?"

She stood up, walked forward, and longingly looked. Nothing.

As she sat down she saw another person walking to join her. His footsteps grew louder as he approached. He chose to stand to her left positioned slightly in front. She examined him from behind. He wore a dark red coat, had a scarf on and his hair was wet. She could see his white scalp through the tracks of combed hair. But then he looked at her and she had to quickly turn away.

A woman came into view. Faith recognised her as a regular. She was rushing, her whole body seemed to move up and then fall down with each of her hurried steps. Her hair flying out behind despite the still morning. This woman always wrote notes in a ring bound notebook. She scribbled away in pencil, occasionally stopping to collect her thoughts. The woman sat down next to her on the bench and offered a fresh perfumed scent with her presence.

Faith sat up straight and then slumped back down.

The three of them waited. Joined together in their common longing. There was silence, except for the shifting of their bodies as they adjusted position.

In the distance a mobile phone rang, they all looked in the direction of the offending noise. A female came into view and her voice surrounded them as it approached. Her shoes clopped along the pavement. She stood off to the side talking out aloud to no one.

"Yeah, I've just arrived, it looks like I'm in time" She glanced at the three of them, then turned away.
"So I'll see you soon"
"Yeah at the usual"
"Yes me too, can't wait"
"OK then"
"See you soon"
"Bye"

Silence filled the space.

The four of them waited together all wanting for the same thing.

Eventually the train arrived and broke their bond.

Sensible parking

It frustrates me to see so many disabled parking spots empty. They are always in the prime places and seldom used to their capacity. Don't get me wrong I know disabled people really need them. However this seemed like a sensible solution to the issue when parking places are very limited. Photographed at a service station.

Magnetic board letters

My new favourite iPad application is Magnetic board ABC. You have the alphabet in upper and lower case, symbols and some shapes. There are 5 colour choices and you simply drag and drop them into the play space. You can also rotate pieces using a two fingered pinch. It is meant for kids, but mine haven't seen it yet.

Here's why...

I am me

Through brown eyes I see the world
My feet move slowly forward

Sister compares then pinches hard
Big brother leaves, as he could

I idolise the sister
yet hate to be the same

You know I love you, mother said
but I wait for my father's train

My hair is dyed blonde
and my eyebrows are black

I wonder what I feel
but I never turn back

I learn more about the world
Its places I see and feel

I grow up and fall in love
then children make it real

Around me shadows shine and fade
friendships along the way

The present is the best place
It's here now, this moment today.



For Sunday Scribblings

Healthy words

I love the context of these words for a be active advertising campaign.

Mess

I opened the door and couldn't believe my eyes.

I'd only been gone one hour.

The kids had made a total mess of the house.

Their Dad looked up guiltily from his new iPad.

Rest centre

Back in the good old days you went to the rest centre to relieve yourself. Photographed in Tanunda, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

Feed

Originally this sign said - DO NOT FEED THE SEA GULLS. Photographed in the Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria.

Dragon

Derek the Dragon was sad.

Derek the Dragon could not make smoke.

And we all know there's no smoke without fire.

And this was Derek's problem. He was a dragon with no fire.

He asked a passing bird what she thought.

But she just talked about herself, as that is what birds do.
"Tweet twitter tweet."

He asked his neighbour the Bear what he thought.

But as it was nearly winter, Bear was sleepy, almost hibernating. So Derek didn't understand Bear's muffled words,
"Meed mood, met mat."

Derek was upset. He needed some help.
"I want fire, I need fire in my life. I am a dragon!" he said. But no one was listening.

Derek looked up into the sky. And what did he see? He saw smoke far away in the distance!

And we all know there's no smoke without fire.

Derek decided to go to the smoke.

Derek flew over hills, through valleys and across streams.

When he was close he could smell the smoke. Derek's mouth curved up a little at the corners.

Derek sped the last few miles towards the smoke.

And he found a wizard.

The wizard had a black pot of soup cooking on a big roaring fire.

"Hello" said the wizard pointing a crooked finger at Derek, "Would you like some soup?"

Derek starred at the fire, it crackled and glowed, smoke was billowing up into the air. Derek had a big smile on his face.

"Um, no thank you" said Derek, "I am here to ask you why I don't make smoke and fire?"

"Ahhh" said the wizard, "Let me see." and he paused for a while.








 "Are you happy?" the wizard finally asked

"No, I'm not" said Derek

"Once you are happy then you will make smoke and fire." the wizard wisely stated and went back to stirring his soup.

"But how do I become happy?" Derek asked the wizard

The wizard stopped stirring the soup and looked at Derek,
"Well, you will need three things. Someone to love,  something to do and something to hope for."

"Oh" said Derek and then added "Thank you" Derek then took off back for his home thinking hard about what the wizard said.

I have something to hope for - I hope one day soon I will make smoke and fire.

I have something to do - I must get happy to make smoke and fire.

But I need to find someone to love - I don't have anyone to love.

At home Derek wondered who he could love. The closest person to him was Bear. So he thought he would love Bear. He went to Bear and said,
"I have decided to love you Bear."

But Bear was asleep.

Derek wondered what to do next. He thought about bear. Whenever he saw Bear he was either sleeping or eating. Derek decided to go and get something for Bear to eat. Derek had to think hard about Bear again, what did bear like to eat? Derek remembered seeing Bear fishing in the river. So Derek caught some fish for Bear using his long spikey dragon's tail.

Derek put the fish next to sleeping Bear.
Bear stirred and woke up.
"Grrrr "said Bear "I mell mish"

"Pardon" said Derek
"I smell fish" said Bear more clearly this time.
"Yes I have caught you some, I remembered you like eating and I also remembered you like eating fish."
"Thats very nice of you." said Bear a little suspiciously.
"Well, l've decided to love you." said Derek
"What? Haa haa hah ha ha ha." Bear laughed out loud, a big hearty beary laugh.

Derek was taken aback, but then started very slowly to smile. Bear continued to laugh and his laughter became hysterical.
And do you know what happened

As Derek started to giggle, smoke started to smolder out of his lips.
Then as Derek's giggle turned into fun, full, proper laughter the smoke turned into fire.
"Whooosh" came the fire out of Derek's mouth.
"Whoosh" it went again.

And Bear and Derek enjoyed some barbeque fish for dinner.