TTS:thistle of scotland/badge of scotland

hootin--anni has a new meme.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MY NEW MEME THAT I HOPE SOME WILL FEEL LIKE JOINING IN ON THE CHALLENGE AND THE FUN [at least I hope the weekly challenge will be fun!]. It's loosely based on song lyrics [recorded songs since the beginning of time to today] and associating them with photos of yours...as I've done in the past...If you click on the link above, it'll take you to the Meme's Homepage for rules and buttons. There will be a Mr. Linky Widget for each individual week also. Do consider joining me sometime. Hope to see it flourish in time.
http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/
In the Summer, I go hiking a lot. When I see the Thistle, I think of my Scottish friends.

Even weeds can be beautiful when you try to appreciate them. Some of them grow in the fringe of my garden, and the prickles make it too difficult to weed. The Thistle is the symbols of Scotland -

Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the plant family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant - on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation to protect the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant. Typically, an involucre with a clasping shape of a cup or urn subtends each of a thistle's flowerheads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thistle

The thistle ranks next to the rose in British heraldic importance. Although of ancient origin, as the rose, the reason for its importance remains largely a matter of mystery. The thistle grew wild upon the mountain sides and in the valleys of the British Isles, thriving in the cool, damp climate. Noted for its prickly beauty and tenacity through all adversity, it has long been a Scottish ethnic symbol, commonly known as

"The Flower Of Scotland."

According to ancient legend, the adoption of the thistle as a national symbol dates from the battle of Largs. In this battle one of the Danish invaders disclosed an attempted surprise attack on a Scottish clan by his cry of agony caused by stepping barefooted upon a thistle.

The earliest recorded appearance of the thistle was on silver coinage in 1474. At that time badges were most popular and largely used, particularly by the noble. Shortly after 1474 the reigning Scottish King, James III, chose the thistle for his own badge. By 1540 the thistle had become recognized as the national emblem of the kingdom. Also in that year a the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle was founded.



THE THISTLE O' SCOTLAND
SUAICHEANTAS NA H-ALBA
(As sung by Willie Main)

O, the Thistle o' Scotland was famous of auld,
Wi' its toorie sae snod and its bristles sae bauld;
Tis the Badge o' my Country, it's aye dear tae me,
and thocht o' them baith brings the licht tae ma e'e.

Its strength and its beauty the storm never harms;
It stan's on its guard like a warrior in arms;
Yet its down is as saft as the gull's on the sea,
And its tassle as bricht as my Jeanie's blue e'e. [Chorus]

O, my country, what wonder yer fame's gane afar;
For yer sons hae been great baith in peace and in war;
While the sang and the tale live they'll aye win respect,
The lads neath the bonnets wi' thistles bedeckt. [Chorus]

Lang syne the invaders cam owre to our shore,
And fiercely our Thistle they scutched and they tore;
When they maist thocht it deid, twas then it up bore,
And it bloomed on their graves quite as strong as before. [Chorus]

My blessings be yours. Is there Scotcsman ava
Wad stan' by and see ony harm on ye fa' ?
Is there gentle or semple wha lives in our land
Wad refuse to drink health to the Thistle sae grand. [Chorus]

Ruby Red Tuesday: Awnings

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

I was driving to my local open market when my radio released this news. "Because of the last six weeks of cold overcast weather, cucumbers are at a shortage.
Subway forced to ration scarce cucumbers"


I saw cucumbers for sale, admittedly at a higher price. Then I went to my Asian Grocery, and saw these telegraph cucumbers. There were plenty, at $4.25 which is quite expensive. The short ones were $3.45.

It makes me think of business men making their cock and bull story. They just didn't want to make less profit by using a product that is now costing more. When the price goes down, they don't use more or cut the price.

****************************************

A nationwide shortage of cucumber is impacting on Subway diners' meals.By Geoffrey Bell

A shortage of cucumber, lamb and turkey has hit Subway stores from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

A sign at Auckland's Queen St store said: "Due to the critical supply issue with cucumber we need to reduce the amount of cucumber on sandwiches for a limited time."

At Subway Eden Quarter in Mt Eden, a notice said: "We are currently out of stock of our turkey and roast lamb products due to unforseen circumstances until further notice."

Subway marketing manager David Herrick said there was a seasonal shortage of cucumbers because of cold growing conditions, which led Subway to look at sourcing them from Australia.

"But what's happened in Australia is that all the growing fields there were hit by serious flooding a couple of months ago. Therefore they can't supply us," said Mr Herrick.

Subway management has told stores nationwide to use less cucumber until supplies are restored.

Six-inch subs will now get two slices of cucumber instead of three, and foot-longs will get four instead of six.

Subway Britomart acting store manager Uma Nam said: "We order cucumbers from one place and we are not getting stock from them."

Mr Herrick added: "We expect it to be resolved next week."

Sally Shen, duty manager of Subway Eden Quarter, said although she had a small amount of cucumber, there was no turkey or lamb in stock.

Subway management did not return the Herald's calls regarding the "unforseen circumstances".

Weekend Reflection: North Borneo Orchid

http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

This beautiful white orchid is the orchid of my youth. My dad received a baby plant from friends who got it from North Borneo, now known as Sabah, a state in East Malaysia. This is the state where Mt Kinabalu is.

It was a very difficult plant to grow, and for a long time, it wouldn't bloom. Mum frequenly told dad to give it up. She rationed that Mt Kinabalu was quite high, and the weather was cooler than Sibu. Dad didn't give it up. Together, they would use a toothbrush to remove the aphids.

When it did show signs of blooming, with a spray of buds, we kids and our visiting cousins got ourselves into mischief. We broke off the spray of buds accidentally and even to this day almost 45 years on, we still talk about this incident with great passion.

North Borneo is prized for it's rarity and it's bloom for more than 3 months. Dad so loved our eldest sister Rose, that he presented the florist his North Borneo orchid for her wedding bouquet.

These days, I think you can get hybrids. Even then, at Dad's funeral, for nostalgic reasons, Margaret ordered North Borneo orchids. The florist scoured the whole of Kuching City. Sadly, she couldn't find a single bloom.

Yellow Mellow: Golden Shower Tree

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Cassia fistula or Golden shower tree. This is a flowering tree of my youth.

When I was five, we moved down from a small town to Sibu. We lived in the Government quarters off Race Course Road. In the section across the road, there was this big tree. When it bloomed, it had big flowing sprays of yellow flowers. When the wind blew, the petals will drop to the ground. Sometimes, a whole spray will fall. This is why it is called a Golden Shower tree.

In Sarawak, the tropical weather meant an afternoon shower. People did their laundry everyday and we didn't have driers or washing machines. My sweet memories of this tree was my sister Margaret and I would jump across the creek when the wind blew so we could retrieve those sprays. We played brides using them as wedding bouquets. My mum would scream at us to help her bring the washing in before the rains came. We didn't listen, playing was more important to us.

I took this photo when I revisited Singapore last July. When I saw the tree in full bloom, I was so happy.

scenic sunday: save the cats

Cat photo courtesy appeal group.
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-899-CzXQWItUfFyjSFOjxOGTEkQROWseDRIH7E7c9vaS4cU9uY0dAvNwmXzEF3utxzHVq1OPmL1XKT3YtWP1_Y3xCVsYQlOtJdAYWoaTaJ-tSZW375nF4eqFVAr-h783_IcGshSyI0Bu/s1600-h/scenic+sunday.jpg">
http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/
Singapore is a nice and clean and orderly country. Yes, the word orderly is the right word. They even tell you how many children to have.

They don't tolerate disorder. When American teenager Michael Fay was caught tagging graffiti, he was jailed and caned.

I, who had lived in Canada and New Zealand, speak my mind. There fore the bureaucrats in Singapore do not like me when I was there as an expatriate wife. I stirred too much trouble.

The authorities wanted to cull stray cats. My friend J invited me to be a founding member of Cat Cafe. We rescued and continued to feed these stray cats. This week, I heard from J this news,
Received this urgent appeal from a contact.

13 kittens/cats at St. John's Island will be put down by AVA, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (who has an office there) in a week's time. Such is the strong handed manner using a sledge hammer over a little nut.
Need urgent help for fosters and adoptors.

If you know of any individual/group/ society who can help these cats, or organise a spay program to end the breeding problem at the island,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shieldkitten/sets/72157623947112686/

St. John's Island
41ha, mangroves, coral reefs, rocky shores and natural sandy shores. Swimming, camping and chalets.
Uniquely Singapore! The reefs of St. John's Island are only 15 minutes from the city centre by fast boat! More about our city reefs.

St. John's Island houses several government facilities, but there are still portions of the island accessible to the public. There are also short stretches of natural shores that have some of the most exquisite corals and other reef life. These shores are rather delicate so please be gentle when visiting them. There is also a small patch of mangroves.

History of St. John's Island
A former quarantine station for leprosy cases and a penal settlement for political prisoners and ringleaders of secret societies.

St. John's island today
In recent times, the western end of the island hosts a $30million Marine Aquaculture Centre. This large hilly island also has swimming lagoons, beaches, picnic grounds, trekking routes and soccer fields.

Watery Wednesday: Anthurium

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

This afternoon, I revisited Mt Albert memorial park and took this photo from an ANZAC day wreath . It has been been raining and I have always wanted to take photos of water droplets on flowers. This is not only droplets but big blobs of water on the Anthurium. The rain and gloomy and cold added to the solemness of that day when we remember all those soldier who had died. Nobody had a dry eye when we heard of the death of 3 soldiers. They died from a helicopter crash on Anzac day . It was a tragic day for the whole country. The soldiers were on their way to Wellinton to attend the ANZAC day commemeration.

Anthurium has a personal sentiment, tinged with sadness. Mum used to grow this plant. No matter how she nursed it, it was to no avail. The plant would not give her the pleasure of blooming a single bloom. She refused to give it up. Mum died prematurely in an accident. Everytime I see a giant Anthurium flower here in Auckland New Zealand, and there are plenty here especially in the Winter garden greenhouse at the Domain, I think of Mum and want to ask the plant why it denied Mum even of one tiny flower.

Mellow Yellow: statue among the flowers

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

The gardener has flowers all round the statue. It looks like the statue is watching over the flowers.

photohunt: Covered

Here is a building that is covered.

Early Autumn in April. I took this photo this week. The seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are reversed from the Nothern Hemisphere.

Spring has sprung in October.
The Northern Club

This ivy clad building is situated just off the Auckland University, and thirty years ago, I see it often as I go to my prefered location, the Albert park. The floral clock is just a floral dsiplay. The mechanical hands have gone. My second daughter G is now a law student in the university. Law school is located nearer to this building. Sometimes I drop her off and I see this building which fascinates me. It is like a seasonal calender.

In Spring you see less dark green leaves, in Summer you see dark leaves, in Fall/Autumn, you see reddish brown leaves and in Winter, you see the veins. The building becomes naked without the leaves.

The Northern Club, 19 Princes Street, Auckland, New Zealand
Telephone : +64-9-379-4755

The Northern Club provides companionship and a sense of belonging in a dignified atmosphere where old traditions have meaning and value because they have been tested and retained. The members are drawn from Auckland's well-respected professional and business community and it is on those criteria - not wealth or ancestry - that they are admitted.

Although members are businessmen and women, they know that they are a part of a social club where briefcases are left closed and business talk is confined to private rooms.

From its inception, The Northern Club has laid down certain rules of dress and behaviour for members and their guests, and these codes continue into the 21st century.

Our History

The Northern Club was founded by a group of prominent professional and business men in 1869 when the popularity of a gentleman's club was at its peak throughout the British Empire.

The club's founders, with remarkable daring and foresight, agreed to purchase a handsome quarrystone building overlooking Albert Barracks in Princes Street.

The four storey building, a high-rise in its own time, was originally designed as a hotel and built on the first section sold at Auckland's inaugural land sale in 1841. Following the purchase, architect Edward Ramsey was commissioned to rearrange the hotel's internal rooms for use by the 120 founding members.

In 1991 the Club voted to admit women and today has a thriving membership of men and women. Membership of the Northern Club attracted many leaders of the Auckland community, and the Club has played an active and sometimes pivotal role in the history of New Zealand's largest city.


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Weekend reflection: Native bush in stagnant water

http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

The water at this creek in Mt Albert was cloudy and stagnant. I was surprised that there was still reflection of the native cabbage tree.

Photohunt: Fresh: beans from the garden

http://tnchick.com/

Where can you get these wing or square beans (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus),as fresh as this? I just picked it from my sister in law's bean vine growing on her fence in her garden in Johor Malaysia. It is so fresh you can eat it straight away, and have a mouthful of vitamin.

My parents used to grow them in Borneo. It is a good plant to grow because it is very tough and no insect will attack them. So it is a good plant for an organic farmer. The pod is highly nutritious, some people eat the leaves. I guess the leaves are edible as my parents used to serve the leaves of the long or string or snake beans.

To cook the pods, you can blanch them quickly and eat with a belachan sauce, or the traditional way, just slice them diagonally and a quick stir fry with some garlic pieces. Remember, a quick fry, don’t overcook. Your pods should be crunchy, slightly sweet and very tasty. If you overcook, they turn a dull black colour.

Wing beans are popular in all South East Asian countries. You can get them in Hawaii. I don't remember seeing them in New Zealand.

Under the spreading of the old oak tree

Your comments on my "Old Oak Tree" got me curious. I asked my colleague if she has heard of this song, and she sang with me. In New Zealand,we sing it as under the chest nut tree. Fellow blogger Ngao and I went to school in Sarawak and our teachers taught us to sing "The Old Oak tree."


I did a further search and found this interesting piece from Brunswick. The song must have originated from this story.

http://www.n-georgia.com/brunswick-lovers-oak.html

According to local legend, Native American braves and their maidens would meet under the majestic spreading limbs of this enormous oak. This 900-year-old oak has served as a meeting place for lovers since Indian times. They would meet and kiss their true love under the branches of the tree, hence earning its moniker. It is thought to date from the 12th century. The tree trunk is 13 feet in diameter, and 3 feet from the ground it branches into 10 limbs measuring 12 to 30 inches in diameter.

The region of Southern Coastal Georgia that is home to Brunswick and the Golden Isles has long been rich in trees, notably the mighty live oak tree. Many trees from this area were used in the building of famous battleships.

Self-guided Tours
Driving tour maps of Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island are available at the Golden Isles Welcome Center on I-95 off the southbound lanes between exits 42 and 38, at the area's visitor center on US 17 at the Torras Causeway to St. Simons Island and on St. Simons Island in the village area.

Of course, who could forget the Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. My pastor used to base his sermon on that.

The photos show my sister Elizabeth and I picking chestnuts under the chest nut tree.


http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/u005.htmlUnder the Spreading Chestnut Tree
Words and Music By: Unknown
Adapted By: Terry Kluytmans
Copyright © 1999 KIDiddles.com
Verse 1:
Under the spreading chestnut tree,
Where I knelt upon my knee,
We were as happy as could be,
Under the spreading chestnut tree.


Verse 2:
Under the spreading chestnut ____,
(Replace 'tree' with action:
Place arms close to side, bent upward
from the elbow, hands spread, with palms up)

Where I knelt upon my knee,
We were as happy as could be,
Under the spreading chestnut ____.
(Replace 'tree' with action as above)


Verse 3:
Under the spreading chest___ _____
(Replace 'nut' and 'tree' with actions:
For 'nut', pat head with hands.
For 'tree', do action as above)

Where I knelt upon my knee,
We were as happy as could be,
Under the spreading chest___ _____
(Replace 'nut' and 'tree' with actions as above.)


Verse 4:
Under the spreading ________ _____
(Replace 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree' with actions:
For 'chest', tap chest with both hands.
For 'nut' and 'tree', do actions as above.)

Where I knelt upon my knee,
We were as happy as could be,
Under the spreading ________ _____
(Replace 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree' with actions as above.)


Verse 5:
Under the _________ ________ _____
(Replace 'spreading', 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree'
with actions: For 'spreading', spread arms wide.
For 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree', do actions as above.)

Where I knelt upon my knee,
We were as happy as could be,
Under the _________ ________ _____
(Replace 'spreading', 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree'
with actions as above.)


Verse 6:
Under the _________ ________ _____
(Replace 'spreading', 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree'
with actions as above.)

Where I knelt upon my knee,
(Replace 'knee' with action: strike knee with hand)

We were as happy as could be,
Under the _________ ________ _____
(Replace 'spreading', 'chest', 'nut' and 'tree'
with actions as above.)

Scenic Sunday: under the spreading of the old oak tree,song

http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Does anyone remember this song that we teach to children, "Under the spreading of the old oak tree?" I looked up the google search but can't find it.

It goes like this:
Under the spreading of the old oak tree,
There we sat just you and me,
Oh! How happy we could be,
under the spreading of the old oak tree.

Of course, when I am not in a romantic mood, I teach the children," Help the sky if falling, I am going to tell the king."

Scenic Sunday: Duck weeds, sea lettuces and other aquatic plants

http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

When I was in my early teens, it was my sister Margaret aged three and half years younger than me and my responsibility to go to the near by creek aka longan by the main road to collect sea weeds and lettuces to feed the ducks.

I don't know about Margaret. Boy! did I hate the job because we always collected them at the time when Dad's friends came home from work. When they asked what we were doing, I lied that it was for our fish tank. At that time, it wasn't fashionable to keep organic or free range chicken or ducks, and I was embarrassed.

Margaret has since become a Professor in plant Pathology and is more equipped than me to write about this post. I am a hobby environmentalist writing my cause with passion.

When I saw this lake choked with duck weed, I lament that there was no one like my mother who have seen this as a useful food for her ducks. By collecting the weeds, we give life to the lake as duck weed is a pest that comes in as contaminants. Duckweed can become a serious weed in nutrient rich, shallow ponds.

ABC Wednesday: Letter T :Phoenix Palm Tree

http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/

Phoenix canariensis
Everywhere you look around in Auckland, you see the giant Phoenix palms. These palms are kingpins in the booming subtropical style of gardening and feature in parks and expensive housing developments.

Introduced to Auckland a century ago, their recent surge in popularity for landscaping projects is alarming native tree advocates. They argue that it is evading the native nikau palm. New Zealand's Landcare Research has classified the palm as a 'sleeper weed' - "a plant that spreads slowly and goes unnoticed until it becomes widespread"

It is hardy, adaptable and spines can inflict poisonous wounds. The average height that the Phoenix canariensis palm grows is between 50 to 60 feet. The Pineapple palm flowers late spring early summer and has numerous orange seeds which ensure its population.

These trees are found at a central city park, Meyrs park.

Mellow yellow: Marigold

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

The Marigold flower is a revered flower for the Hindus. My Hindu neighbour planted a whole row by her foot path.

I see in Singapore garlands made of Mango and Marigold. The garland is tied to the frame of the main door of the house. This garland is changed on every festive occasion -

One day, at the Walker Park Beach, I saw garlands at the beach. I had no one to tell me what the significance they were. Were they similar to flowers placed at the bridges, roadsides where some one had died? I don't know.

Ruby Tuesday: Water melon

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Sam's favourite fruit is water melon. He doesn't care if it is full of lycopene. He just loves it. The season just started, and I bought a big 6 and hald kilos melon for him.

Dr. Steven Pratt recommends that water melon is even better for your prostate than tomatoes.

Think Green Thursday: Bamboo

Think Green Thursday

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Michelle of Rambling Woods hosts this important meme.

The Perfect Non-Timber Alternative
All Green Things

Bamboo truly is a remarkable renewable resource. It is a centuries old material that has been and continues to be used by over half the world's population for applications as varied as food, shelter, fuel and clothing. These applications make bamboo a vital non-timber, non-petroleum resource. With a tensile strength superior to steel, it is one of the most versatile and durable natural resources in the world.

My ancestors in China and Borneo had bamboo farms, we ate the bamboo shoots, used them as medicine, wrapped our food, cooked our food in them, cut sticks to make joss sticks, to make satay kebabs, we weaved baskets, chicken coops, made poles, fences, walls, gates, blinds, and before toilet paper was available, used bamboo sticks as substitutes. The list goes on and on and is not exhaustive.

In Borneo, the Malay boys make their own fire crackers in the form of a bamboo canon. The boom sounds like the real McCoy.

When I went to the Mulu caves in Borneo this July, the welcome drink was served in a bamboo tumbler. The luxurious resort had a tropical theme. The head board, the chairs, tables were bamboo. The tribesman showed off his skill in hunting with a bamboo blowpipe, and the dancers danced a scary dance clapping long bamboo poles between your legs.

Now, I watch on TV that there is even eco friendly bamboo nappies or diapers.

Senduduk Flower aka Straits or Singapore Rhododendron

TARANAKI RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL October 30 – November 2, 2009

This plant is a plant of my youth. When I went to live in Singapore as a faculty wife in NTU, the Nanyang Technological University, we were very lucky we were given residences on campus, and NTU was located on what was once a jungle. There was still a jungle next to the campus. I had a blast from the past when I saw some of the plants I had seen and used when I was a child growing up in Borneo, especially with my Grand Dad in the village.

This plant is called by the white man as the Singapore Rhododendron. I LOL to myself. In the mid 1950s, Dad had a scholarship to study in London, Mum took us from Sibu town to live in the village at Lanang Road. There were no dairies, 7/11 convenient shop, and no hawker to sell us tit bits. We made our own tit bits from raiding Grand Dad's pineapple garden to dipping in his soya bean paste while it was being made.

As for this Singapore Rhododendron, my older siblings found that the black fruits of the Rhododendron was sweet. It had a funny gluey sweetness. You won't eat it today, but then, we didn't have much choice. We also peeled off the bark of the tiny twigs and ate them. The taste was a little sour. Mum didn't have to be Agatha Christie to find out we ate the fruit. You see, the dark fruits stained our lips and teeth. She would scream," You native kids, what if you kids died from the poisonous herbs? How am I going to explain to your Dad in London?"

If you read http://sarawakianaii.blogspot.com/2009/11/come-see-my-black-teeth.htmlpost, you will learn that it is a medicinal plant.

When I saw the advertisement for the Taranaki Rhododendron festival, I have a pang of nostalgia. I wanted to post this for all the rhododendron fans.

Fertilizer Friday, sanderiana ribbon-plant. aka Goddess of Mercy Bamboo

http://www.tootsietime.com/
The Chinese call this bamboo, Goddess of Mercy Bamboo. Worhippers do what you do, leave them in a vase, and the bamboo will be a permanent fixture. The worshippers believe that she is a vegetarian, so they offer plants and flowers and fruits as an offering. (I should post a photo taken from my sister in law's house.)

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/12/sanderianaribbon-plant.html

When I was in Singapore, it was very artistic to use just cuttings without leaves and put them in a vase as a decor. In time, the new shoot grow. I experimented with this and the photo is the result. I also grew a lot of then in the gardening club allotment. I plant them for fun.

http://queenmothermamaw.blogspot.com/2009/11/sausage-balls-with-lemon-pepper-jelly.html

I was chatting with queenmothermamaw when I saw she has the same bamboo in Kentucky.