ABSTRACT EXTRA-ORDINARY

For once in my life - well maybe twice - I looked at the theme of the challenge first thing this morning!  Many of you will know that I am not good at doing that, but today was an exception.

There was a very heavy frost again overnight, and I had taken a couple of shots from the bedroom window - see extra for one of them - and these lights stay on all year round in the evenings for our friend, Gill, who is a carer and knows when she sees them that she is almost home!  However, when I came downstairs, Mr. HCB told me to look at the frost patterns on one of the conservatory windows, which I did.  I then took a shot looking towards our blue fence and the blue pots, which sets this off very well, I think so decided on this one for my Abstract today.

Even at my age, I still have an insatiable desire to know why things are like they are, so looked up about frost patterns and Mr. Google told me this:

“When frost crystals form on a smooth cold surface like glass, they often make beautiful patterns. Some people think that these look like leaves, some that they resemble ferns and others that they have the appearance of feathers. These patterns are the result of changes in the surface of the glass; tiny scratches, specks of dust or a faint smear of liquid soap can all affect the way that the crystals form and interlink.”

So this is my contribution to the theme for today, “Abstract Extra-Ordinary”.  We have a friend coming for lunch today so we shall be having homemade Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup, with some added ginger and horseradish sauce to give it a kick, with freshly baked rolls - I hope she likes it!

Thinking especially today of Mr. HCB’s cousin’s Mary, and her family;  Mary’s husband died suddenly when they got home from a cruise to celebrate their Golden Wedding, and his funeral is today.  We were due to go to Weymouth for the service, but because of the weather conditions decided that it may be better not to venture that far.  Sad not to be with them, but we will be thinking and praying for them all.

“Live the wonderful life
     that is in you.”
Oscar Wilde

P.S.  I read in an article the other day and learned that Oscar Wilde’s full names were Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde - something I didn’t know, but it might come in useful if ever we are in a pub quiz!