Washington

                                          

The White House

Hello Everyone,

Last week I gave you facts about Canberra, the capital of Australia. This week I'm popping across the pond to the USA and looking at WASHINGTON.

1. Washington DC is the capital of the USA.

2. DC stands for District of Columbia.

3. Columbia is not a State but an administrative district created specifically to avoid having the capital city in any one State.

4. Like the States it has a 'State Bird' which is Wood Thrush.

5. And like the States it has a 'State Flower' which is the American Beauty Rose.

6. The Senate approval date of the federal city was July 1st 1790.

7. It is a city of green parks, wide tree-lined streets and white marble buildings.

8. It was named after George Washington, the first President of the USA.

9. The city was designed by Major Pierre Charles, a French engineer.

10. In 1793, the cornerstone of the Capitol (the US houses of Parliament) was laid.

11. It is the city where the Penatagon and White House can be found.

12. The White House on Pennsylvania Avenue has been the official home of every US President since 1800.

13. On September 11th, 2001 The Pentagon was under terrorist attack simultaneously with the Twin Towers in New York.

14. Washington DC is situated between the States of Maryland and Virginia.

15. It is situated on the Potomac River.

16. The Arlington National Cemetery is near the Pentagon and contains the graves of US soldiers who have fought in wars from the American Revolution onwards.

17. The National Mall contains the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials; also the Washington Monument.

18. The total area of Washington DC is 68.3 square miles.

19. The estimated population in 2016 was 681,000-plus residents.

20. If you are a resident you are known as a Washingtonian!

So, if you are in America and having a look at its capital city these are twenty facts to kindle your interest.

Whatever you are doing during this month, don't forget to keep a good book with you!

Next week I am going to investigate Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Did you know that you can actually see the Pyramids from the centre of Cairo? Isn't the world a fascinating place.

Thought for the week: Father, I cannot tell a lie (attrib to George Washington!)

Yours, Lady M xxxx

It's quiz time 1... Brush up your Shakespeare

The Shakespeare Room at the Birmingham Library

Hello Everyone,

At the beginning of my poetry blogs last month I mentioned William Shakespeare and his sonnets, also the Shakespeare room in the new Birmingham Library. Born on 26th April 1564; died 23rd April 1616, age 52 (just!). As it is April, what better time for a Shakespeare quiz?  Last year was the 400th anniversary of his death. He is known as the 'Bard of Avon' and lived at Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway to whom he bequeathed his 'second best bed'! The bulk of his estate was left to his eldest daughter, Susanna but he stipulated that she was to leave it to her first born son. Sadly, she and her husband John Hall had only one child, a daughter. Consequently, the Shakespeare line died out. He did, however, leave a legacy of 38 play as well as his famous 154  sonnets. His work is taught in schools worldwide but how many of his plays are YOU familiar with? This week, I am giving you 12 questions; each one has two characters from a specific play.

 Can you name the play?

 Answers next week.

I will start with a really, really, really easy one:

1. Romeo and Juliet? ROMEO AND JULIET

2.Desdemona and Iago?OTHELLO

3.Miranda and Prospero? THE TEMPEST

4.Don Pedro and Don John?MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

5.Duke of Gloster and Duke of Bedford? HENRY V

6.Marcus Brutus and Cassius?  JULIUS CAESAR

7.Claudius and Hamlet? HAMLET

8.The Ghost of Banquo and Duncan, King of Scotland?MACBETH

9.Goneril and Regan? KING LEAR

10.Bottom and Puck? A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

11.Frederick and Rosalind?AS YOU LIKE IT

 12.Portia and Shylock?THE MERCHANT OF VENICE


 I will leave you with a well-known Skakespearean quote. . . Thought for the week: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

Love you all, Lady M xxxx

Sofia's Selection 6... Inspirational Characters

   
Howde Folks,

It is the beginning of December where you are but for us time does not exist. We do enjoy watching you move through 'seasons' and prepare for annual events. Right now wherever Donald and I travel we are aware of Christmas, happiness by many, sadness for some. So, for my sixth selection, I'm thinking of those who may be experiencing sadness, bereavement or despair at this time and have selected her blog on 'Inspirational Characters' published in May this year in the hope that it will help you through the month.

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Hello Everyone,

After being philosophical and educational throughout the month of May I am going to finish the theme with some inspirational characters.


Cliff Richard, originally, Harry Webb, the pop singer was knighted in 1996 and has had a string of number one hits. He has also acted in numerous teenage movies in the 50's and 60's, like Summer Holiday. He is a devout Christian and an inspiration to many.

John Lennon, one of the Beatles, or the Fab Four as many of us will remember them in the Swinging Sixties. He was assassinated in 1980. Remembered not only for his music but for his 'lie-in' in 1970 as his way of making a 'peace' protest. Inspirational for his placid way of life as well as his music and particularly the immortal, Imagine.

From music, on to the world of sport and football. Players like David Beckham, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney have become idols to many fans and as such inspirational figures.

Rosa Parks, a negro woman refused to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 when local laws dictated that a negro must always give up a seat if a white person was standing. She became an inspiration to many as a result of one simple deed of defiance and eventually the law was changed.

Martin Luther King, assassinated in Memphis in 1968. But an inspiration to all as a non-violent protester for racial equality. He used methods of protest mastered by Mahatma Gandhi in India. Tragically, both men, like John Lennon were assassinated. People who are prepared to make their mark on life, try to change things for the better, make themselves targets and become even more inspirational for their contribution while alive, after their untimely death.

Neil Armstrong,  no body who was around in July 1969 could forget that moment when Neil walked on the Moon. He made history and completed John F Kennedy's promise to America, when the USSR placed the first capsule into space, that the Americans would have a man on the Moon before 1970. The world rejoiced at this remarkable achievement and the astronauts returned but it could have been a different story. The one thing they were not sure about was if they could launch off from the Moon and return safely; if that had failed President Nixon had a different speech ready as the astronauts were to be left on the Moon. Knowing that, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin still made the epic journey.

Then there are the numerous explorers who venture out on voyages of discovery or climb mountains knowing that they may not return. What makes these individuals take on such challenges? I once asked a friend whose hobby was mountain climbing why and the reply, because it's there! Edmund Hillary was the first person to reach the summit of Everest. Personally, I would not have made it to Base Camp! James Cook set sail on the high seas in Endeavour on his voyage of discovery in the 18th century; at that time one in three who set out on a ship was destined to die. Christopher Columbus set sail at a time when it was thought that the world was flat.

How many people have spent their lives inventing things which we now take for granted? Nothing was ever created on a first attempt. Inventors will have spent hours thinking, planning and experimenting unsuccessfully before their final achievement. Alexander Graham Bell must have been overjoyed when he discovered he could talk to someone in another room by using two instruments and wire. Bill Gates has given us Microsoft and now we cannot imagine a world without it. How many lives have been saved by Christiaan Barnard's idea of transplants? What a challenge!

In the world of entertainment there are numerous stars who become legends in their live time and more so in death: Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, John Mills, James Dean, Buddy Holly, Laurence Olivier. . .

In the field of politics, some leaders leave their mark on the world: Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. . .

Naturally, as a writer I would have to include a few literary names on this list. These are the people who I aspire to be like. My editor commented that my dialogue in Stay in Touch crackled and was so realistic. I was flattered as my hero, Ernest Hemingway was considered to be the master of dialogue; it made me think that maybe I was going in the right direction. Other eminent writers are Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Gustave Flaubert. . . Sometimes it is the characters in novels which leave a lasting impression on the mind. Or poets and artists, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso.

Finally, after a run through of inspirational people I want to finish with one man who has truly inspired me with his attitude to life and ability to endure hardship and come through it as a strong and smiling person before making changes for the better. Who could forget the day Nelson Mandela walked out of prison after 26 years of imprisonment?

With that I leave you with the thought for the week: What does not kill you makes you stronger!

Lady M
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Love Sofia and Donald xxxx

                                                  

Cinders you shall go to the Ball!

Well it is September and in just over three months time the tree will be decorated, the house looking festive, presents almost ready and cards adorning the home. Christmas is just round the corner! We are two thirds of the way through another year. Have you completed two thirds of the tasks you set yourself for 2015? If not don't panic just start a new list for 2016!

Thinking back to my New Year post I wrote it in purple, the colour of optimism, and wanted to make it the year to achieve dreams. The year when dreams come true. Well, I'm still waiting... how about you? But, I'm also still positive. I still like to make every moment count and try new things. I guess this year, so far, my 'first's' have been using my concessionary travel pass, travelling on the tram, visiting The New Library of Birmingham, visiting the Avebury Stone Circle, and  travelling on the Steam Train at Exbury Gardens.

Thinking ahead to the party season, if you were Cinders going to the Fancy Dress Ball, which of the following characters would you choose to be and why, or maybe you would like to add a character of your own?

William Shakespeare
Queen Victoria
David Livingstone
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
John Lennon
George Eliot
Winston Churchill
Margot Fonteyn
Charles Darwin
Amelia Earhart
Vincent van Gogh
Cleopatra
John F Kennedy
Florence Nightingale
Elvis Presley
Dusty Springfield
Oscar Wilde
Mae West
Christopher Columbus

Personally, I would choose Florence Nightingale or The Lady with the Lamp as she was known. I admire her tremendously for all that she did and achieved which was difficult for a woman in her day. I find her an inspirational and caring character.

Until next week, have fun, make every moment count and never give up on your dreams!

Lady M

A Capital City... PARIS

Hello Everyone,

Lady M still here and for one more week before she hands you back to Sofia and Donald for the summer holidays. She's been through the archives and thinking back to three years ago when she hopped into her private jet and took you on a tour of some of the world's capital cities and has chosen to recapture Paris, that city of romance and the home of dear Edith who sang 'No Regrets'. Lady M certainly agrees with her on that one. When it's done it's done and regrets are a waste of time. It cannot be undone. Anyway, here are a few facts about Paris.

1. Paris is the capital of France; the largest country in Europe and a member of the EU (European Union).

2. It is on the River Seine.

3. You will find such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Louvre.

4. The national language is French.

5. The religion is mainly Roman Catholic (Christian), Protestant are in the minority.

6. The currency used to be Francs; it is now the Euro.

7. The Underground transport system is known as the Metro.

8. The Opera House is the one which Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical 'The Phantom of the Opera' is based on.

9. It is the city where in its surrounding area you will find the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

10. Paris is also renowned for its fashion houses - Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, Chanel, Givenchy, Nina Ricci and Yves Saint Laurent.

11. It is famous for its food and gastronomic treats - bread and cakes, chocolates, cheeses, snails, truffles, smoked salmon, foie gras. . .

12. One of the most famous worldwide nightclubs is Paris' Moulin Rouge and the birthplace of the cancan.

13.Paris is also the home of Europe's Disneyland.

14. Its Left Bank has numerous cafes where eminent artists and writers have met including the American writers Hemingway and Fitzgerald.

15. For art lovers Paris has around 200 art galleries and more than 80 museums.

16. Queen Marie-Antoinette was brought to the guillotine in Paris and beheaded in 1793.

17. Voltaire, the eminent philosopher was born in Paris in 1694.

18. Bastille Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the storming of the prison on July 14th 1789. This was the start of the French Revolution.

19. More recently, in 1997, Paris was the place where Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car accident.

20. Paris is associated with music and romance. Edith Piaf was born in Paris in 1915.

Ah, Lady M visited Paris twenty years ago... such memories of the city of romance!

Back to the present and tomorrow, Saturday 13th July, she will be at the Gedling Book Festival, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 6LU. Free parking and admission and lots of excitement so if you're in the Nottingham area do pop along and say Hello! http://www.newwritersuk.co.uk/gedling.html  
There will be pretty pics on next week's blog.

Until then I leave you with a Edith Piaf's thought for the week: Non, je ne regrette rien. (Have no regrets)

Lady M