And we've got 'em bad!! Never thought I’d be the one to say it – or have it, for that matter – but yes, allergies have hit me like many other sufferers – especially
now that full-blown autumn is upon us. My nose seems to run constantly. The
telltale, unequivocal sign is having a roll of TP – not just a mere tissue –
handy by your side, to grab the moment you need it – which is often throughout
the day, when I’m in. And I NEVER do that – have toilet paper nearby – unless I
have a really bad cold. Not to mention
that I go through a good deal of it besides – my bin (trash) will attest to
that! You can see just how serious this is. I’d never had allergies much before
this, but I guess I do now, because I notice on a day when it rains a lot, I am
less drippy. I always gauge my ‘disease’ by querying Martin, who I know has
rampant hay fever, “how’ve yours been this week?” Then I know if that’s the
thing, or if I have some latent, mysterious cold bug or something – of which I
have had several. Sometimes I even wonder if they weren’t really crazy allergy
flair ups, as they were nothing like I’ve had in the cold department before. Now I often take an over-the-counter allergy
medicine – unheard of for me. (the amazing thing is that it was the first one I found - in fact, the ONLY one of the non-drowsy type I ever could find - and that it fills the bill, perfectly!) Anyway, another new experience _
Since about the time I said the leaves were NOT following
suit – cooperating by donning their autumnal splendor – they have been doing
just that. It is just a slower, more gradual course than what we see back home.
The change is less dramatic and is happening at a lesser pace. (See photo 1 below.)
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the majority of the leaves don’t just
eventually turn directly to brown and meander their way down to the ground – seems
to be the pattern I’ve noticed so far. (For an example, check out a page from a children's book I recently acquired. Whereas in America autumn would be illustrated in a varying degree of of a warm tones on the color wheel, notice here how the artist portrays them as ordinary, old brown. Boring! See below.) But it IS happening, at a steady pace –
let me tell you!
Also affiliated with these seasonal changes has
been a marked difference in the hour of the rising and setting of the sun since
I first arrived three months ago. It is getting darker earlier in the evening
and light later in the hours of the morning, just as I’m sure it is there as well, ever since the autumnal equinox that took place on September 22.
As for the temperature, it is definitely snappy. I keep thinking it’s going to
be TOO much, over the top – and then it’s NOT. Fooled ya! So far, so good –
quite delightful, really. (In case you didn’t know, autumn is my very favorite
season of the year, so I’m pretty excited, due to the fact that this year it
has been classic autumn – everything you would associate with the season. The
metamorphosis of the trees, the feel and smell of the air, the change in the
clothing you wear, the migrating birds – it is all here! I have also discovered,
quite happily, that this
does NOT necessarily translate to a guaranteed
downpour, as it most certainly would back home.
For those with an interest in politics, today
began the three-day Conservative Party Conference – held in Birmingham. For an
invitation to become involved politically from current Prime Minister, David
Cameron, of the Conservative Party – historically known as Tories or the Tory
party – take a look at: www.conservatives.com/Get_involved/Conference.aspx. I’ve
been listening to a lot of coverage on BBC 4 radio first thing in the morning
to get my daily hit of current events, and I’m quite certain that if I were a
voting British citizen, the Conservative view would be the one for me: www.conservatives.com/, a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom, the largest in the House of Commons,
that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. I
understand the next election is in a couple more years – probably a good thing
that American and British elections do not overlap!
Here’s a fun related
thing: I was reading the Birmingham Mail
a couple days later and there on the front page, in just a small picture and brief,
was THE very David Cameron himself, and his wife, Samantha, out for some local
cuisine – ‘Birthday Balti for Cameron,’ the headline read. (Discovered just how much Myfanwy does NOT appreciate Cameron, by the slamming of her fist down on top of this photo on the fron page of the newspaper, as it lay on the table beside me. {She said she thought it was all a publicity front. Pesonally, I don't think so or it would have been a much more professional shot.} Yes, I think there are some strong feelings going on here . . .) It seems that today had been Cameron’s
birthday, and his wife had promised him a Balti meal out to celebrate the
occasion. (A Balti is a type of curry served in a thin, pressed steel
wok-like "balti bowl". It
is found in many restaurants in the United Kingdom. The precise origins of the
Balti style of cooking are uncertain; some believe it to have been invented in
Birmingham. Balti cuisine became
known throughout the UK during the 1990s, after initial growth in Birmingham
since the 1980s. One school of thought states that the name 'Balti' for food
may reflect the fact that an ethnic group living in that area of north Pakistan
are called Balti.) The even more interesting fact is that the restaurant they
chose (or which was chosen for them) was in little old Moseley - you know,
where I was just a couple days ago. That’s like Barak Obama showing up for a little
Sammy’s in Provo, Utah – in blue jeans, to boot.
The Camerons in Moseley_
News from outside the Conservative Party Conference bubble:
a) Ever heard of Stoptober? I hadn’t. Maybe
there’s someone you know who could benefit from this pertinent information: (http://smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober/
b) Seen the ads with the GoCompare guy, Gio
Compario? Oh, man, they really make me laugh! Watch out – it’s been known to
become addictive! (www.youtube.com/whosgio) 'It’s
all about saving the nation!’ you know.
Photos_
1- creeping changes in the garden as seen from my
bedroom window
2- out the box room window, same day
2- out the box room window, same day
3- common-place brown
To the contrary:
4- divine vine-covered home, several doors down
To the contrary:
4- divine vine-covered home, several doors down
5- inflamed oak trees, University of Birmingham
campus
6- dazzling fall splendor in someone’s front lawn
7- nature’s palette (collected in my neighborhood)
7- nature’s palette (collected in my neighborhood)
