Tuesday, 27 December 2011

A Dragonfly and The Hatch

A dragonfly landed into the palm of my hand. It was beautiful, with wings that glistened a web of silver and a body of jewelled emerald and aquamarine, all the colours of a tropical sea. Ever so slowly I tried to pull my hand out and take a closer look. But then I scared it off. I'm not sure if it flew away from me or it came with me out of the screen, it was all too quick.

I saw something at the back of the plane. Then I saw it again, something glistening only now and then. I went to go and have a look as there  wasn't anything else to do anyway. There were five doors at the back of the plane, which didn’t include the two large exits. Four of them were toilets which left one to the rear left. I stood exactly at the very spot where I thought I saw the light. The light I thought I saw that glistened from the dragonfly's wing. I tried the door and to my surprise it opened onto a spiral staircase. I ran up closing the door behind me hoping that no one saw.



At the top I came into a room which looked like it belonged to the cabin of a boat. It was a small room with low ceiling, bare except for four bunk beds that surround the walls. I looked at each of the beds, they were so inviting I just wanted to lie down, I was so tired. I sneaked into the closest bottom bunk, someone had left a blanket hanging down to keep out the dull light from over head. I lay down and slowly drifted in and out of sleep, tossing and turning, but I couldn’t quite get comfortable. Fed up I pulled the blankets and pillow away. I try again but it's a 100 times worse. I look again to check under the mattress and to my surprise I found a hatch, how about that. I wondered what could be on the other side. Maybe my wonderland. That would be too weird, because there is no such thing.

Without thinking, sensibly I mean, I pulled the latch of the hatch. Then I was sucked into a tremendous gust of wind. Oh no, how stupid, I felt so scared. All I could do was shut my eyes, - how silly of me. I was sure this would be the end of me. I thought that I had opened an exit door and had got sucked right out of the plane. How could I have been so careless, so stupid! I waited for what felt like infinity, over and over for what I thought was to be, my untimely death. – I held my breath, as if that would help. Then I fall, literally out of the sky, I couldn't hold it anymore. And.... then I gasped, so I was breathing. I had landed on a pavement. I pinched myself. I must be alive or maybe even worse, I had fallen out of heaven and gone straight to hell.


I took a deep breath, opened my eyes and slowly picked myself up. I was at a crossroads, I could see tramlines crossing the other side, I felt heavy and dazed, there was something memorable  about this place. I saw a white picket fence. I sat there and reached forward and without realising I had traced the letters just above my head. Nobelsgate – Of coarse, it was familiar. I stood up and ran pass one house and stopped at the next. I stood in front of the white gate. On the post was the number 13, again without being aware I traced my fingers over it. Then the strangest thing happened, the gate opened. It looked like Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house it had red roses creeping up the white walls, or maybe it's sweets, it was hard to tell.  I felt happy, I could smile, I was safe. I know exactly where I was. This was my great grandparents house in Norway, my mum's Momo and Mofa's home in Norway, where her mum and brother were brought up, I've seen it in old photos. I was  in  Oslo -Nobelsgate 13 to be more precise. I ran up the stairs to the front door at the side of the house.


Saturday, 24 December 2011

Christmas Eve

Everyone always asks me, have I written letter to Father Christmas. I write and ask for the same every year, a surprise please! And this year, that is exactly what  my sister and I got. We got on a plane and we didn't know where we were going. My sister thought we were going to Lapland to see Father Christmas, I wasn't so sure. I thought we could be going to the other side of the world. This is because the aeroplane took forever, for infinity. I watched Alice in Wonderland twice, I was very tired and wanted to go to sleep, but somehow I just couldn't even though everyone else had.



The more I kept staring into the video screen, I wished I could fall asleep, but it only got harder. Eventually the screen went fuzzy like pixel snow. The more I looked the more I could see things, like when you can see the shape of a cat or dog in the clouds. 

But then something happened.

 When I watched the pixel squares, they turned into dots, and then they slowly turned into tiny bubble spheres. It looked magical how the light caught and reflected so many colours off it. When the bubble sphere caught a colour, it kept it while darting in and out of others across the screen. It looked like a game of space invaders.

I kept looking at my screen. It's amazing as the little dot - sphere- bubble things are arranging themselves into something. Soon it made a wonderland. Wow, how could that have happened? I wonder where Alice is? It looked so beautiful and magical, I found it hard to believe let alone imagine. I then touched the screen and to my amazement the screen seemed to dissolve and my hand slipped through.

Oh Oh what was happening. In shock I pulled my hand back.
This wasn’t Alice’s Wonderland, It's mine!

Not somewhere in a film or a book but somewhere real, right in front of my eyes. I turned around and I could see that my family were fast asleep.  Everyone else was also asleep, except for the crew walking down the isle with juice and water. I waited for the air hostess to pass by and then I touched the screen again. My finger and then my hand followed through the screen. I felt a bit braver this time and stretched my whole arm in. Fiddle sticks. I couldn't go any further. I could get as far as my arm pit, but my neck gets in the way. I couldn't tuck my head in either. It's no use, my arm is dangling inside the screen, but what about the rest of me? I felt hot, but I knew there was a breeze, because I could feel it tickle every strand of my hair as it stuck up on my arm. If only I could go there, actually get in there I mean. If I pulled my arm out ever so slightly I could see a little more. I've got to try and Think!

On the 24th Day of Advent the Itchycoo House gave Mimi a Carousel.


Riding on a Carousel, face towards the wind
 going 'round in circles, coming back again.
Grabbing for the brass ring, just when it's in sight
 lights are shinning all around ... maybe some too bright. 
Sometimes as you feel in life , going 'round and 'round
 for like this happy carousel it has it's ups and downs. 
The music plays so gaily, sometimes it's way too loud 
enjoying the excitement... you're caught up in the crowd.
 You've come again full circle, you think you have returned
 now in search another ticket ....more lessons to be learned.
You hope this ride will last forever, you know it never will 
too soon your time is over ... the motion ever still.
The music quickly ceases, so silent as the night
 your vision slowly dims .....the lights are not so bright.
 You look with in your pocket, no ticket to be found
 with sadness, slowly walk away .. as quiet as it's sound.
 In life just like the carousel..... there's not another ride 
never is in black and white, real life and dreams collide.
 You turn to take, just one last look ...... to ride it one last time 
the lights are on for others now....... you understand this rhyme?
 You had your fun, you rode it well ..... you know it's now their turn 
the music comes alive again ....... the lights now brightly burn 
You thought you had the brass ring ..... held tightly in your hand 
but it no longer glimmers ...... will never shine again
. It now is realized what you've learned .... the lessons you have found 
in life there's many ups and downs ....... but only one go round. (Unknown)

Friday, 23 December 2011

On the 23rd Day of Advent the Itchycoo House gave Mimi a Ship in a Bottle.



A ship in a bottle a-sailing away,

In flying-fish weather through rainbows of spray,
Over oceans of wonder, by headlands a-gleam,
To the harbours of youth, on the wind of a dream!

By Cicely Fox Smith

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

On the 21st Day of Advent the Itchycoo House gave Mimi a Ladybird

Ladybugs, or Ladybirds as the names suggest, are not actually bugs or birds but belong to the family of beetles. Not all ladybugs are "ladies." There are both male and female ladybugs. The ladybug scientific name Coccinellidae literally means a small red sphere in Latin, although ladybugs are found in a variety of colors, ranging from yellow, orange, maroon, and scarlet. Some ladybugs are completely black, with bright red spots on their wings.
Another name for ladybugs is coleoptera, that means sheath winged. So how did the ladybugs get their name?
In the Middle Ages, these insects were named after the Virgin Mary, who was often shown wearing a red cloak in many paintings and were popularly known as the 'Beetle of Our Lady'. The seven black spots on the wings of the ladybugs were said to represent the seven joys and seven sorrows of Mother Mary. The name 'Beetle of Our Lady' was eventually shortened to 'ladybug'. Other names by which the ladybugs are known are 'ladybird beetles' or 'lady beetles', 'lady cow' and 'lady fly'.

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

On the 20th Day of Advent the Itchycoo House gave Mimi a Cupcake

Cupcakes

Cupcakes in the morning
Cupcakes in the sun
Cupcakes in the evening
I want to let the cupcakes run

A cupcake for your worries
A cupcake for your cold
A cupcake for your sorrow
The cupcakes always do as they've been told

A cupcake is so soft
A cupcake is so sweet
A cupcake is so yummy
I have a cupcake for you to meet

Cupcakes are the best dessert
Cupcakes are the best reward
Cupcakes are the best creation
Yes, cupcakes are the best of all!

EAT ME!!