A-Z Challenge 2025 - E is for Eyewash

Well I'm on a bit of a roll for words that mean nonsense or are related to waffling which I'm very good at.  I seem to have found a theme without really trying.

Anyway apparently Eyewash is a synonym for nonsense.  Who knew?  Not me.  Eyewash for me conjures up images of Optrex and eyebaths for when my eyes are sore, usually because I've rubbed them too much.  I often find myself rubbing my eyes - not a good move when wearing mascara of course.  Although I don't do that often so Panda eyes are not usually a problem.  Panda eyes are usually present the morning after the night before when I've worn mascara and not cleaned it off.  I suppose that nonsense could be called Eyewash.  Hmm....anyway

On to the E countries

• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia

Although I don't officially have a theme but to have something linking my posts I thought I'd see how many countries in the World I've visited or might visit.) This was before I realised I could spout a lot of nonsense!  

Sadly I haven't visited any of the E countries.  Thankfully I did know that Eswatini used to be Swaziland but I still haven't been there.  I think if might be interesting to visit the Pyramids in Egypt and Estonia might be another small possibility but sadly I don't think I'll be visiting the others.

So I'm still at 5 out of 197 countries - the list I'm working from can be found here.

And 5 out of 26 letters done.

Friday's Fave Fives 4/4/25

Well it's Friday - just!  Time to look back on the week and list the five things I'm grateful for.  And then link up with like-minded bloggers here.  Thanks to Susanne for hosting and reminding us each week.

1) Family time - we spent Sunday afternoon at my daughter's for an afternoon tea.  It was Mother's Day here in the UK.  Then on Monday we were back there for a roast chicken dinner and birthday cake - Grandson Nathan turned 8.  How did that happen?

2)  Summer time!  Our clocks went forward last weekend and, although I don't like losing the hour of sleep I do love having the longer daylight hours.  It's even begun to feel a bit summerlike with lots of sunshine this week and it's warming up.

3)  Following on from that I was able to get washing dry outside this week too.  I do like drying it outside when I can and the forecast was for dry weather all week.  Nothing worse than getting it all hung out and then seeing rain clouds gathering.

4)  The Egyptian goslings seem to be doing well despite the swan attach and the female parent's wing is looking better.  I took a walk around the lake this afternoon and spotted them.

5)  We had a visit from some children from one of the local schools at the Foodbank this week.  They had been collecting food on our behalf and brought it with them.  They had labelled everything before they brought it and then helped to put the food which was mainly canned items away in our stockroom.  I'm grateful that local schools are collecting for the Foodbank as funding from the local authority that started during Covid has now ended.  Sadly the need for the Foodbank continues but we have been fortunate to source some alternative donation points but it will be hard to cover the donations we used to get from the local authority.

Have a good weekend all.

A-Z Challenge 2025 - D is for Drivel

D is for drivel - another synonym for nonsense.  While I can quite happily waffle on about a lot of things I would hope that I don't use too much drivel.

Reminds me of the word dribble, something that babies are excellent at doing but sadly something that we can slip back into as we age.  I don't like getting old aging. But of course it's something we all do.  Some better than others.

My hubby is providing me with a dilemma.  He will be 70 this month and is not looking forward to that and certainly doesn't want a fuss made about it.  Well that's a shame because I've ordered a cake which has 70th birthday on it and I'm probably going to get some big balloons.  4 or our 6 young grandchildren will be here to celebrate with him and they will expect cake and balloons, and presents.

But that's my dilemma. What do I get him for his birthday?  We're at the stage in life where we're fortunate enough that if we want or need something we will most likely just get it.  For example for Christmas he treated himself to a new electric pick up on his guitar.  It was actually quite expensive but playing guitar and taking part in local open mics gives him a great deal of pleasure.  He will of course tell me not to worry about presents but it's hard not to.

I will ponder on that.

Now onto the D countries.

Although I don't officially have a theme but to have something linking my posts I thought I'd see how many countries in the World I've visited or might visit.) 

These are the D countries:

• Denmark
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• 
  

Of those I have only been to Denmark and only because we set off from there on a cruise along the coast of Norway.  We flew to Copenhagen and then transferred to the port to board the ship.  I don't think we even saw much of Copenhagen but I'm still happy to say I've been to Denmark, albeit briefly.

Of the others visiting Dominica would be good.  I have a good friend who comes from there and I'm sure she would make an excellent guide and probably still have family there we could stay with.  I can dream.

That's 5 out of 197 countries then - the list I'm working from can be found here.

And 4 out of 26 letters done.

A-Z Challenge 2025 - C is for Codswallop

Codswallop is another word for nonsense or drivel that you will often find here on my blog.  The nonsense and drivel that is - I don't often use the word codswallop but I have been known to.

I think it often applies to the words politicians spout.  There are quite a few prominent examples I could quote but between some of them I fear we could already be approaching WW3 and I don't want to add fuel to the fire.  

Interestingly codswallop doesn't seem to be such an archaic word that I thought it would be.  There is an interesting article here from the Oxford English Dictionary that talks about its origins.  It wasn't added to the dictionary until 1972 having been around since the 1960s.  I feel it sounds like a much older word, the sort of thing Shakespeare might have used but I'm sure they have scoured all his works and come up with a blank.  I wonder what AI would make of it but as I have no intention of going down that road you'll have to try that one yourself.

I'm very wary of AI.  I'm sure in some instances it's a useful tool but I'm also sure at times it can generate a load of codswallop!

Now onto the C countries.

• Cabo Verde
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Comoros
• Congo, Democratic Republic of the
• Congo, Republic of the
• Costa Rica
• Cote d'Ivoire
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czechia

Although I don't officially have a theme but to have something linking my posts I thought I'd see how many countries in the World I've visited or might visit.) 

From the Cs I have only been to Canada.  We did a trip there back in 2018 on our way to celebrate Thanksgiving with my younger son and his American in-laws.  We stayed with former uni friends of my Hubby in Montreal for a few nights before travelling on to Vermont.  I blogged about it here.

Realistically Cyprus is probably the only other C that we might visit.  

That's 4 out of 197 countries then - the list I'm working from can be found here.

And 3 out of 26 letters done. 

Despite having no theme I'm beginning to wonder how many alternative words I can come up with for waffle!