Has the earth's mantle turned into a bed of ants? Cobblers talk Cobblers. A toddler and his floating car ...

These and other stories amuse me and amuse my mother, bringing a smile to her face and often an involuntary laugh before I’ve finished reading them to her, and shocked amazement sometimes .... She loves short stories, not too long and ones with some life in them, amusement, ‘tall orders’ and so on.

A few people in this world like creepy crawlies, a few more of us realise their importance, most of us just want them kept well away: it’s a bug’s life. I subscribe to The Week, which has provided me with fun and amusing stories to read to my mother. This unique digest covers ‘the week’; the content is completely mixed and suits my taste, especially as I have found that shortened or highlighted articles supply me with insights I would simply never have seen, let alone find.

A Bug's Life: Theatrical poster, from the Creators of Toy Story

I still like to read paper, we do enough reading on line, and I love getting a letter or card through the mail, though most are now to my mother! She loves them too, hearing the news of that person or family and I rotate peoples’ letters re reading from long ago, adding my own notations to bring the letter to life again.

Mum has been down here nearly two years now and when she arrived I put Christmas card ‘strings’ up and have attached letters, postcards etc on them, theoretically so I could take them down and re-read them and swap them over: it is a labour of love, that has waned. I now swap a few around as she can only really see one corner of the room and I keep that relatively updated – but it takes time, and I am afraid that’s one thing that has also gone by the board.

I have cheated and put a poster up instead – a wonderful idyllic looking ‘Cornish style harbour and cove’, which everyone seems to love and in particular my mother is very happy to share with her carers and nurses. We also have posters on the ceiling .. into which she can daydream. – and cards around her wall poster.

Back to “The Global March of the Argentine Ant”, a summary of an already short article appearing in a recent copy of The Week: “Are ants taking over the world? Actually, yes, says BBC Online. A team of Japanese scientists has discovered that a single species of ant has established vast colonies in Japan and California, and one in Europe stretching 6,000 km along the coast of the Mediterranean. Moreover, it now appears these major colonies may themselves merely be components of one “mega-colony” stretching across the entire globe.

As a rule, ants from different colonies attack one another, even if they are of the same species. Yet when Argentine ants from the above three super-colonies were brought into contact, they rubbed antennae (a sign of friendliness among ants).Further tests at Tokyo University found striking similarities in the chemical profiles of the hydrocarbons on the ants’ outer shells, suggesting they were all originally from the same family. “The enormous extent of this population is paralleled only by human society,” the researchers noted in their study, published in the journal Insectes Sociaux (Switzerland).”

I do reply to each and every letter friends and relatives have sent us, as well as send a ‘round robin’ of up to date news, and where we are at, which will have a personal note on it. The thought of how many that is over two and half years is somewhat daunting! To make my letters interesting I would let everyone know the things we laughed at, the subjects my mother was interested in and amused her – these snippets of life, amongst the gloom of the Acute Brain Injury Unit, or hospital, or Nursing Centre as now seemed to cheer everyone up and encouraged more post.

I just thought I’d transition those letters across to this blog, and extrapolate the concept a little: my mother enjoys the blog stories, though we do not read them all – her powers of concentration or ability are not as they were – but she will still amaze with her perceptive comments or sudden remembrances, often some days later, if I have asked her something.

6 Cast Iron Cobbler Shoe Boot Makers Repair Last Forms

She laughed at this story: From Martyn Hopwood of Devon, written to The Daily Telegraph, reproduced in The Week: Cobblers talk cobblers .... “When living in Bermuda some years ago I need a pair of shoes repaired. One Saturday afternoon I went in search of the local cobbler and found his shop displaying a large sign above the door: “Shoes repaired while you wait.” I handed my pair over. “They will be ready next Saturday, OK?” “But your sign says, ‘Shoes repaired while you wait,’” I protested. He smiled from ear to ear and replied: “You can wait if you like”.

The Gods were smiling on Demetrius, aged 3, this day: he was camping with his family in British Columbia, when he slipped out of the tent for a morning drive, wearing just his nappy and a T-shirt ... as we all would do .. can you imagine the picture .. they look so great at that age .. puppy fat, glowing with health... proud as punch ... driving away. Well he did drive away straight into a stream, now he had a boat – excellent and less power was required by his little legs – he was found safe and well (fortunately!) downstream three hours later. The police spokesman said “I don’t think he realised the gravity of the situation” ... would you at that age?!

Demetrius Jones and his truck!

Don’t you just love a hand written letter dropped through the letter box – it seems to lighten the day and absolutely brings my mother to life, which is so good. Communication for the very young – Demetrius will no doubt soon enjoy his post – and the sick or elderly seems to have become something we should strive for, put more effort into .. a handwritten letter shows a little love, a little thought – I know it helps us.

It’s a bug’s life ... and anyone else you can have a laugh with .. lets find joy in our hearts today .. thank you Mr Postman .. I hope you realise you're walking across a bed of ants!

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories