Halloa Halloween … Memento Mori …

These photos came to light when I was sorting my Ma’s stuff out … and thought as she’d have been 99 now – they were appropriate to show … 

Too late for me - but what about you?

... they’re from about 40 years ago … and there’s a young one of me … pink shirt + more hair!!

Side view ... 

I must have been in South Africa, as I don’t remember seeing her in these outfits … 

Reverse ... bones and ... 

... my Ma was a great fund raiser for the west Cornwall community … fairly obvious when you see these photos … and somewhere there’s some of her as a rhubarb plant!

Stepping out ... 

Then to change the tone of this post I found a brochure on this collection with an anonymous photo, taken in 1942, which appeared in an exhibition I went to see in 2012/13 … ‘Death: The Richard Harris Collection’ …

From the brochure - 1942
the photo for Room 5, titled
 'Commemoration'

… as the brochure describes: ‘at the heart of the exhibition are questions about the value of art in communicating ideas about death and the body’ ...

'Vanitas Still Life with a Bouquet and a Skull' (detail)
Adriaen van Utrecht (1599 - 1652)

... while the note at the end of the introduction advises about the exhibition: ‘Sometimes disturbing, occasionally macabre and often moving, the images on display provide a singular insight into the history of our eternal desire to make peace with death’.

A young me in pink ...  with Care Home staff ...

… perhaps after all – it is 101 years since the end of World War 1 – I will draft something up from the above exhibition … 

... some art work, with some quotes … for November 11^th … I can’t really omit Remembrance Day this year.

Heralding Happy Halloween

On a lighter note – I leave you with one or two more amusing photos of my Mama …

Happy Halloween … just don’t get tempted by the sweets, or should I say candy, that will no doubt abound …

Mum working in the garden at
the Care Home she ran

Wellcome Collection – press release for Death: ASelf-Portrait  (Richard Harris is a former antique print dealer from Chicago)

PS Memento Mori – is Latin for ‘remember you will die’ …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 30: Invisible Women, Chhanv Foundation and Project Why …

Invisible Women – how often do we (the females of this world) feel that way … rather more often than we should … while here in the west … we can at least speak out, and reasonably often get heard.

#WATWB

 The book about Fifty Percent of human beings of the world shows how imperfect research, algorithms, scientific papers – all are based on the 50% standard man (who is that?!) …

Invisible Women - exposing data bias in
a world designed for men ... 

… much of life has been designed by and for ‘the man’ – so often no comparisons are done for the women of this world … this goes right down to our cells … we are different (so different) to the other half of the world. 

All I can say is – please read this book … order it into your local library … and encourage other readers to read it.  It is extraordinary … AI is coming along – who is it designed by?  who is it designed for … half the world’s population, or are we expected to believe it’s applicable to us all …

A victim showing her bravery ...
c/o Chhanv Foundation

Moving right along – but under the ‘banner’ of invisible … people who have had acid thrown into their faces … yes it can happen to both men and women, though usually females.

Chhanv is a non-profit organisation in India working for the rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. 

A youngster, who's been offered the chance to
learn and help himself and others
via Project Why (image c/o Project Why)

Project Why, also a non-profit organisation, working to educate, support and encourage underprivileged children, who have to scavenge to help each other live … the organisation offers spaces for them to dream, learn and transform their young lives – a place of hope …

Damyanti’s book ‘You Beneath Your Skin’ is supporting both charities … and any small or large donation you could give them (preferably both charities, but either) would be wonderful … these people didn’t ask to live their lives as they do … but as you can see – they have a life … they can smile and they will help others, who suffer similarly …

Please support her

I highly recommend you read her book (it is very well written) … especially if you like thrillers … and like to learn – you’ll be taken to the underbelly of Delhi life … a place for us to know more about – however much you might not want to know … the situations occur here in the UK, as they will do in all countries … and any purchases of the book will support both charities.

Project Why has just lost a major donor – Cook’s Travel - and so could really do with extra support.

All proceeds from Damyanti’s book (via Amazon) will go towards Project Why and Chhanv … so please buy, and/or please order from your library … my request is ‘under review’ … 

Damyanti Biswas had the excellent idea of the #WATWB posting format - on the last Friday of the month ... encouraging us bloggers, authors, writers to promote positive stories ... a necessity in this troubled world of ours … we aim to shine a light on positive projects that draw us in …

Let us flood social media with peace and love, and “In Darkness, Be Light.”

Belinda was one of the founders of this amazing idea – to challenge us all to let the world know about a human news story that lights our world … here’s her guidelines … please join us – we’d love to see more #WATWB articles …

Here's hers .... Art for Recovery ... using it to help heal

Project Why link ... 

Chhanv Foundation link ...

PS - I didn't explain myself too well here ... Invisible Women ... refers to the data collected, the fact that most things are designed by men for men - i.e. the seat belt ... set for the 'standard man' - no differences taken into account for women.  

Or eg only talking to men for research into something new ... presumably we feature as 50% of users as well ... 

or ... all the unpaid work that is done: caring, housework, taking care of house and home - is usually not factored into what constitutes being paid for ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher 

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Write ... Edit ... Publish ... Bloghop: Horrible Harvest ...

I had all kinds of ideas for Hilary’s Horrribile Harrrvesting Horrorrr … but haplessness held her in hostile hubris of being pickled …

… life intervened – too much going on, needed to make time for meetings … and then the dreaded happened – my network went down … there’s now’t to be done … but be patient: I was.

Potato Blight

Horrible Harvest went west … I gave up worrying and here I am with a brief update … I’ll be around to read all the WEP entries – this one is out of bounds!

The Emigrants Farewell  - from an
engraving by Henry Doyle (1827 - 1893)

I have a good #WATWB post for Friday … and then a fun one for Halloween … I’ll be taking November off – I have to sort life out here … but will make appearances, no posts though … and then #WATWB for November will kick-start my postings.

Harvest is usually the most wonderful time of year … especially with the generosity our marvellous plants offer us … which we too need to share ... 

Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home!

All is safely gathered in,

‘Ere the winter storms begin;

Link for the above English Harvest Festival Hymn ... 

See you all soon …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

How to Handle Books – circa 1937 …

A very small exhibit at University of London’s Senate House Library drew my attention … the instructions are dated 27 September 1937 …

Senate House Library
looking up 

Having got waylaid with my ‘Heads in the City’, and now this small display case of instructions … I’ll get to the main reason for visiting the Library shortly!

Bumblebee carrying pollen -
its sweets ... 

I love the quote: 

“We should make the same use of a Book that the Bee does of a Flower; she steals sweets from it, but does not injure it.”

The instructions - sorry slightly
out of focus ... 

There were a few books in the display case – showing what happens when we mistreat our ‘tomes’ …

… while here are the instructions (1937) to library readers (which I hope you’ll also read fully from the photo) for ensuring a new book, or any book is not damaged:

First – how to open a new book … so the spine will not be damaged – i.e. will be bent evenly at all points; handle it gently, do not force it …

Spine damage

Second – on turning pages: do not wet fingers …

Third – suitable book marks are slips of paper: corners should not be turned down, nor should books be laid face down …

Fourth – if there are pages still bound together … use a thin paper knife working in a zig-zag motion.  Do not use fingers, pocket knife, or other unsuitable substitutes …

Antigone and Creon
(I can see what the Librarian thinks of this -
it's in the display!)

Fifth – books must not be disfigured by readers’ annotations or underscoring.  Also do not lay paper on book to write your notes.

Sixth – it is a reader’s duty to protect the books he uses: the next user will then also enjoy the clean, fresh copy.

Highlighting and thus
defacing McCarthyism

Then comes the quote – it’s a delight isn’t it … 

... while the instructions haven’t changed much, and still will apply to vintage or ancient books usually found in libraries, though some of us will have a few at home too –

Books with library's call numbers
on the spine

- protect our books, they are treasures of the mind, as well as for the future.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories