Well, how blooming marvellous it was to wake up this morning and discover that “Mrs Tipton’s Tulips” had received an Honourable Mention in this fantastic Kids Lit competition.
#50preciouswords, created by children’s writer, Vivian Kirkfield, is an annual competition which requires each entrant to tell a complete story, with a beginning, middle and end in 50 words or under. Harder than it sounds, believe me!
This contest reminds the writer (especially Picture Book writers) that every word should matter! With a target of 50 or less, you have to consider your words very carefully and not waste a single one! What a great way to practice being succinct!
Anyway, hope you enjoy my little story about a mistake that led to a whole community coming together, inspired by my love of Tulips!
Mrs Tipton’s Tulips
“Thirty-three boxes of tulip bulbs?” says Mrs Tipton, “I only ordered three!
Growing up as a child in South London, where it’s often a few degrees warmer than the rest of the country, often meant that we’d be the hard-done by kids that didn’t get any snow. When the news and weather came on, we could only look on in envy at all the videos of children all around the UK flying down hills on sledges because school was cancelled!
In memory of this, I wrote this rhyming story about a group of Primary School kids in just this situation. : I hope you enjoy reading it. Alternatively, you can listen to me reading it here: https://dirigibleballoon.org/poem/The-Day-It-Didnt-Snow.
We trudged into school feeling terribly glum, We’d been hoping for snow, but that snow didn’t come. Instead, it was raining, and grey, grey, grey, grey, And then it got worse, When Miss Gibbs said: “Wet play.” While other kids sledged up and down, having fun, We sat, with our heads in our hands, having none.
Miss Gibbs gave us paper and glitter and glue, She told us: ‘Stop moping! Find something to do.” Then up piped the voice of a new kid, called Trevor: “I’m making the world’s longest paper-chain ever!”
And we watched him make rings. Out of strips of bright paper, He looped them, And linked them, And glued them together.
And the whole class joined in, It was something to do, And we all added loops Til that paper-chain G-R-E-W!
Silver and crimson, And glittering green, Our chain was fantastic, The best EVER seen! It stretched round the room, And then out through the door, But it still wasn’t finished, We all wanted more!
Then the kids in year Two Saw our paper-chain fun, And the kids in Year Three Told the kids in year One. And before very long, The whole school seemed to know, And everyone helped Make our paper-chain grow! And even the teachers, Miss Gibbs and Miss Baker, Began cutting strips out of colourful paper.
And our lessons got cancelled, We were: ‘learning through play,’ We were trying new things, It was paper-chain day!
And when it was finished, We all oohed and aahed, At our fabulous chain, Made of paper and card.
It was draped down the corridor, And all through the school, Once round the classrooms, And twice round the hall. Even the staffroom Was brightly festooned, “Ooh, it looks lovely!” Miss Hunniford swooned.
And the newspapers came With their camera crews, And suddenly in strolled A bloke from the news!
And we didn’t get snow, But we got on TV, Miss Gibbs and some other kids, Trevor and me, And our marvelous paper-chain Shiny and bright, Got a five-minute feature, on London Tonight!
We’d done it! We’d made the best paper-chain ever, Our brilliant school, And the new kid called Trevor.
Summers end, Gone in a blaze of glory, As though the trees soaked up the last of the sun, Then, full-to-bursting Came twirling down, Lining the streets with ribbons of gold What a breathtaking sight to behold!
Season's change, In a never-ending-age-old story, Reminding us all that God knows what's best Adorning the holly hedge With a graceful ochre crown, And beautifying the streets around this old familiar town.
Crimson, vermillion How many? A million? Carpeting the forest floor, With leaves and treasures galore, How I adore This Autumn.
The course content is not only helpful, but wonderfully inspiring and at the end of every session, there is an exercise to try. The most recent was to read the classic ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll – writer of the Alice in Wonderland books – and use it as a basis for writing your own story or poem.
In case you haven’t read it, ‘Jabberwocky’ is a poem which intersperses plain English with totally nonsensical, made-up words resulting in a totally brilliant bit of balderdash which the reader can still understand!
For the sake of time, I decided to stick largely to the original text, but try to come up with my own nonsensical words in place of Carroll’s! And here is the result.
T’was flinkle, and the smurky glurg, Did chire and chunder in the floom, All boggy were the swampaleeze, And the qualm fligs downrume.
‘Beware the Gringlecrunch, my son, His knees go creak, his knuckles crack. Beware the Howling Jowl and run From terrifying Bladdersmack!’
He took his runsome sword in hand, Longtime the vexious foe he sought, So rested he by the Plickadee And stood a while in thought.
And as in flonder thought he stood The Gringlecrunch with breath most foul, Came hortling through the greeping wood Skarooming with a howl!
One two! One two! And through and through, The runsome blade went Bammleboff! He left it dead, and with its head He went marading off!
‘”And hast thou slain the Gringlecrunch? Come to my arms my lubbish lad, Oh vumshious night, Skooreeh! Skoorite! My heart is minsely glad.
T’was flinkle, and the smurky glurg, Did chire and chunder in the floom, All boggy were the swampaleeze, And the qualm fligs downrume.
I found this exercise heaps of fun, but also challenging. Believe it or not, it’s trickier than you might think to to come up with a word that sounds vaguely recognisable, whilst at the same time being utter nonsense – especially whilst sticking to a rhyming scheme.
So in honour of National Poetry Day, (which is tomorrow by the way) why not have a go at writing your own rendition of ‘Jabberwocky?’ I’d love to hear how you get on!
There once was a lad who did dare, Tease a red-head regarding her hair, How that lass got irate, On his head, smashed her slate, Then she dyed her hair green in despair.
Here’s a tribute to one of my favourite set of books (and films) growing up.
The Anne of Green Gables series, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, follows the childhood adventures of an extremely imaginative and chatty orphan girl, named Anne Shirley (that’s Anne spelt with an ‘e’ of course!) who comes to live – by way of a mistake – with straight-laced elderly siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.
I can’t help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It’s as glorious as soaring through a sunset. Almost pays for the thud!”
Interestingly, I watched the 1985 film adaptation, produced by Kevin Sullivan, before reading the books! And I’m pleased to say, this didn’t ruin the stories for me, but only made me want to read them even more!
I was absolutely spell-bound by the characters, the cinematography and the film-score, and got very quickly swept up into the wonderful world of Anne, her ‘bosom friend’ Diana Barry, Gilbert Blythe, and all the other characters from Avonlea.
As a fellow red-head, I too had been called Carrots a time or two! (And ‘Gingernut’ and ‘Duracell’). So I instantly empathised with Anne, and felt like something of a kindred spirit.. I also shared her love for reading, writing, poetry and flowers – and having a somewhat fanciful imagination!. Fortunately, though, I happened to be a lot less hot-headed! I’m not sure I would have had the guts to walk the ridge-pole of a roof if Josie Pie had ever dared me. And I’m pretty sure I would have forgiven the handsome Gilbert Blythe in a heart-beat if he’d called me Carrots.
I will never forgive Gilbert Blythe, Diana. The iron has entered my soul…
After watching the films, I raced out and bought the first few books, eager to find out more about the mishaps and antics of Anne, who was constantly ‘getting into scrapes,.’ a few of my favourites being:
Accidentally setting Diana drunk because she mistook Rachel Lynde’s redcurrant wine for Raspberry Cordial;
Getting rescued by Gilbert Blythe when she fell into the ‘Lake of Shining Waters’ after re-enacting a scene from Tennyson’s ‘Lady of Shallot’;
Falling into the mud after trying to prevent an errant cow from entering a crotchety neighbour’s field….
…to mention just a few….But you’ll have to read the books for yourself!
Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
I was delighted to discover that the stories took Anne into adulthood! As a kid there was nothing better than a book series, which followed a beloved cast of characters through all their ups and downs as they grew up.
Even as an adult, I still have the full set on my book case and occasionally re-read them. They are wonderfully comforting and a bit like old friends to me. My youngest daughter recently listened to an audio version of the first book at bedtime and she absolutely loved it – which just goes to show their enduring appeal. Admittedly, they are quite wordy compared to many children’s books nowadays, but they are wonderfully descriptive, especially about the natural beauty of Prince Edward Island, where the books are set. There are one or two sentences in them that really sing… and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself reading them twice, because they’re just so lovely.
A September day on Prince Edward Island Hills, a crisp wind blowing up over the sand dunes from the sea; a long red road, winding through fields and woods…now basking in open sunshine between ribbons of Goldenrod and smoke blue Asters…
Photo by Beata Kamiu0144ska on Pexels.comPhoto by Sebastian Velandia on Pexels.comPhoto by Sebastian Velandia on Pexels.com
The stories are funny, quite poignant at times – and they have a wonderful wholesome feel about them.
I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it?
What books did you enjoy growing up? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
You’d probably assume that one full-grown Labrador plus a litter of seven would be enough chaos for one family. But there is yet another Furball that resides in our house. Meet Moses, my daughter’s three-year-old Rag Doll Cat.
Moses and Amber are firm friends. But it wasn’t always this way.
When Moses first arrived on the scene (a sweet little innocent-looking kitty) he didn’t take too kindly to a large bouncy Labrador bounding over to him.
Whenever Amber came anywhere close, he would scarper up to the nearest available lofty surface, and snarl down at her with a hiss and a bat of his clawed paw.
Amber, big wuss that she is, thought Moses was terrifying. This feisty ball of fluff really gave her the collywobbles.
She would cower away in her crate and hide.
At least for a few weeks.
But over time, as Moses got more confident, Amber grew more confident about how to approach him. She learned that some friendships can’t be rushed. Respect is the key.
What a clever girl she was! Eventually, she began to edge closer. Softly. Slowly. Inch by inch. Until her gentle kindness began to win him over and she was able to give him a little sniff. Then give his ears a little motherly lick.
Then one magic day, something amazing happened. Moses clambered into Amber’s crate and snuggled up beside her! And from then on, they were firm friends!
So now, we wondered how Moses would respond to Amber’s pregnancy? Would he somehow sense that she was a mum-to-be? Would he show her (and the puppies) the same respect?
I am pleased to report that he did! Most of the time anyway…
Hopefully these pictures and videos will speak for themselves! And make you chuckle, just a bit!
Somehow, we always knew that Moses would end up being the weird uncle!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Join us next time for more puppy adventures!
On 10th December, 2024, Amber, our wonderful Fox Red Labrador, gave birth to a litter of seven – four boys & three girls. We kept one gorgeous pup, and named her Honey. These posts document this incredible experience.
There comes a point in every young pup’s life where he or she must venture outdoors for the first time.
That day came on 20th January. The pups had been suitably wormed and were growing more and more daring by the day. Their need for fun and adventure was becoming increasingly evident. There was a world outside the whelping box and these pups wanted out!
Some of them by now had even mastered the art of escaping over the top of the guardrails, much to our dismay at three o’clock in the morning!
The garden was in a state of dormancy – grey, dull, and in need of a spring-spruce up. But the pup’s didn’t seem to mind too much. They didn’t take much egging on – but tumbled out of the back door, bright-eyed, bushy tailed and eager to explore. Tails up, noses down, they sniffed and investigated every corner, crevice, and new item they could find.
We’d decided that the enclosed patio, right by the back door, would be the only part of the garden they were allowed in and so the rest had to be cordoned off somehow. The three steps and the low garden wall that lead up to our terraced lawn were suitably blocked with various plant pots and upturned buckets that acted as barricades. Even though our fences were pretty sound, there were a few breaches here and there. The thought of a precious pup disappearing through a gap in the fence didn’t bear thinking about!
We were also worried about what they might try to eat or lick or consume – including snails or plants or cross-contamination from foxes and cats. Of course, even after all our precautionary measures, they still had to go and lick the broom and the hosepipe and wriggle their way underneath the barbeque!
We were constantly pup-counting – making sure all seven collars were present and correct. Seven! Phew!
A scattering of balls and toys, rattles and squeakers were tipped out onto the patio, to try and keep these inquisitive pups entertained and contained.
The puppies scampered, waddled and romped around for a good ten minutes. It’s a well known fact that when a Labrador wags its tail, it’s whole back end seems to follow! This was the scene on that patio. Seven joyous pups having a whale of a time and doing what puppies do best – PLAY!
And once they had tasted this freedom, it became a daily event! The pup’s seemed to grow more agile and confident with every passing day.
Everything became a game – even the garden ladder became a Pup’s Agility Class.
There was certainly never a dull moment, with these seven rambunctious explorers!
We’d been forewarned. “Puppies don’t grow – they explode!”
Slightly dramatic, granted, but still, not a million miles from the truth!
A week’s growth!
With each passing week, the puppies seemed to be doubling in size. And energy. Gone were the quiet, mole-like creatures that rooted around for milk. Now the whelping box was jumping like a house party.
Every time the pups woke up (which happened every few hours), we were greeted by a pack of shrieking, whirling dervishes, demanding to be let loose.
One opened the whelping box gate at their own peril. Because the moment you did, a sea of billowing, tumbling fluff would come sweeping over the edge of that box, faster than a cork from a bottle. And then, you’d better be handy with the kitchen towel – as the pups were gradually figuring out that it was best not to do their business in the same place they slept!
The pups would explore for a bit, mainly trying to get into places they weren’t meant to be, and ultimately following Amber around like a little gaggle of geese. Actually – that’s putting it politely. Sometimes they’d even try to suckle while she was standing up!
It was then a chaotic race – trying to help Amber hot-foot it to the whelping box and lie down comfortably before the swarm descended on her! Sometimes she didn’t even make it that far. The feed would just take place any-old-where.
Amber proved to be the most patient and accommodating of mumma’ dogs, often voluntarily lying down to feed her babies with no coercion needed. But after a month of round the clock care, she was getting tired. And the pups were getting bigger – and more hungry! Their manners left much to be desired. They would tug and jostle one another and literally clamber all over her!
It was time to start weaning. Kibble is like a cereal for dogs. Biscuity-pellets that can be softened in hot water and then mashed to a gruel-like pulp. We prepared the first batch in a communal circular feeding tray.
The kibble seemed to take forever to soften. Emily was appointed chief masher. It was pretty hard work. That was before Nathan decided to try whizzing it up in the Nutri Bullet. Enough to put you off smoothies forever. Then the fun started. We set up a little feeding station in the kitchen, and brought in the puppies two by two, beginning by feeding them from a teaspoon.
Some of them took to it quickly. Others needed more persuasion. But it was a start at least.
The Newspaper Caper
A few days into this new phase – we had a new problem to solve. With the increase in food, there was an increase in…well…poop.
We were constantly clearing up little puddles and deposits! And going through packets of puppy pads like there was no tomorrow.
My thrifty husband began doing the sums. “Do you know, we’re practically going through a whole pack of puppy pads per day!” he groaned. “Can you stop changing them as much?”
“Well…not really.” we said.
He found the biggest, cheapest bundle of puppy pads on Amazon. They were gone within 2-3 days.
“This is crazy!” Nathan said calculating the potential price per month in puppy pads.
That afternoon, he came back from the local supermarket with a very proud look on his face and a bundle of local newspapers under his arm.
“Got these for free!” he said. “No more puppy pads!”
Suddenly, our lounge resembled a fish ‘n’ chip shop. The pups were let loose. The newspaper, which had absolutely no grip whatsoever, went skidaddling everywhere. The pups grabbed it in their mouths and dragged it around. It was mayhem!
The multi-coloured ink seemed to act as a slight veneer, which meant that any puddles took a while to be absorbed. If you tried to clear up immediately, the puddle would run down your arm!
“Uuugh! This is gross!” I cried.
The ink also seemed to be getting onto everything and disguised any deposits, making them harder to spot. In short, this was a low point!
We argued back and forth about this for a few hours. It was clear we needed to find a cost-effective solution.
Fortunately, we soon discovered a compromise. Washable fabric puppy pads! Phew! What a life saver! I purchased two sets of three, washing one pack every day and then rotating them! Bingo. Crisis averted.
Accommodating a litter of puppies in a family home is certainly an interesting experience, that’s for sure!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Find out about our next challenge (Help, we need a bigger pen!) in the next post!
Somewhere between week two and week three, the magic happened.
The puppies’ eyes began to open – changing from small stitched-together slits to inky pools of personality. The transformation was gradual, but as profound as if each pup was suddenly coming to life – becoming a real pup! Eyes really are the windows to the soul.
With the awakening of this new sense, came an increasing independence. Suddenly, these pups were noticing us. (By the way, being noticed by a puppy is a most endearing experience). And actually noticing there was a world beyond the whelping box. And it wasn’t long before their tottering legs began to follow.
First they would edge to the front of the box and squeal like a flock of seagulls. Then, if the gate was open, they learned to sort of dangle over the edge and then belly-flop out.
At first, their wobbly legs prevented them from getting anywhere too fast. Their eyes were still widening and getting used to focusing.
But that stage didn’t last for long. Soon, every nook and cranny in the lounge became a new place to explore. Or wee in.
Nathan often bemoans the amount of cushions that we have in our house (buying new cushions is the next best thing to redecorating, in my book) – but let it be said here, that those superfluous cushions were about to become jolly handy. Suddenly, they were blockades. The perfect ‘scrunchable’ tool for stuffing into any puppy-sized holes that were out of bounds. Like underneath the armchairs. Or down the side of the bookcase. Or over by the plug sockets.
By this time, each of the puppies had a forever home too. It was a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but somehow, each new home seemed to be the perfect match.
Playful Holly, with her peachy hue, was going to a wonderful, family with two young boys and a baby on the way!
Red collar – Holly
Handsome Ralph, with his smart coffee-coloured collar, would be going to live by the sea with his sweet, doting pup-parents.
Brown Collar – Ralph
Cute little Lottie, our smallest darkest girl, (aka Sassy P) was going to a lovely family of Labrador lovers, to grow up with 11-yr-old twin girls.
Pink Collar – Lottie
Sweet, comical Steve, with his Andrex Pup Face, was going to a fun-loving family with three growing children. They had recently lost a beloved Labrador.
Blue Collar – Steve (official name tbc)
Cuddly, chilled out Leo was going to live with an incredibly calm lady who was looking for a hiking buddy.
Green Collar – Leo (official name tbc)
And adorable Rudi, our smallest, darkest boy was going to a wonderful couple who had recently lost a 17 year-old family dog.
Purple Collar – Rudi
Which left one sweet, teddy-bear faced girl for us to keep!
Meet Honey!
Lime Green Collar…Honey! Sweeter than mum’s apple pie! Teddy-face Honey, (top)
But there was still a lot of growing to do before they would be ready to venture off into the big wide world….
Until then, enjoy a video of Steve, auditioning for the cutest pup in the world awards.
Angela Jelf 