Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Q IS FOR...

...  THE QUEEN

Well that is a pretty obvious choice, but I chose this as one of my "Q"s because she is dressed in yellow -- for the wedding of course.  I was quite surprised because I don't think I have ever seen her dressed in yellow before.
Queen Elizabeth Ii
(The Huffington Post  Dean Praetorius  First Posted: 04/29/11 08:47 AM ET Updated: 04/29/11 08:47 AM )

I could have saved this post for "y", but "y" is easier to do than "q".  She certainly added a splash of color to a very splashy affair.  I'm happy enough with the royal family, and I would not agree to do away with them.  They do add to the charm of England (except during those gossipy papparazzi affairs), so although I don't go overboard  I'm truly happy for William and Catherine ( I like to say her full name because it does make them sound so royal) and I pray for happy days ahead for all of 
them.

Next is....                A   QUINQIREME


I had no idea what one of these was 'tho I have sung about them many, many times.  Do you UK friends remember when we used to have Singing Classes at least once a week in High School?  They don't do that over here. (May be they used to).  But that was where I first heard the word "quinquireme", and the picture above is the first one I ever saw. I looked it up on Google. So I have learned something new today.  The song we used to sing all the time, and we girls loved it, was the poem "Cargoes" by John Masefield:

Cargoes

by John Masefield


Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,

Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.


Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,

Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,

With a cargo of diamonds,

Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.


How we loved to spit out the words of the last stanza - encouraged by the teacher, to show the contrast  to the other verses.  Maybe she should have also taught us what a quinquireme was.


And last but not least we have.....QUACKERS!!!


This photo was taken by my friend Brenda, a few weeks ago. It is rather strange because the nearest water is about a mile away, but Mom Quacker led her 12 little quackers across the deck and down the steps, each little duckling struggling down each riser, then waddling across the lawn and out through the fence to who knows where.  I read somewhere that ducks have so  many ducklings because so few of them survive.  Sad!  So glad Brenda had her camera ready for this  photo.
 

17 comments:

snafu said...

I always like that poem, having 'butted through the Channel', myself more than once, I can relate to that image of the sea.

EG CameraGirl said...

Doesn't the queen look lovely in yellow. She should wear that colour more often. :)

Meryl said...

Wow. Your post is chock-full of wonderful tidbits. Great poem and I think the Queen looks rather lovely in yellow!

Roger Owen Green said...

did not know that middle word at all! used to sing at school, but don't recognize that.
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

claude said...

Hello Cris ! Forgive me, I am very late on your blog but I have stille some ptoblems with my mother.
I watched on the Tv the wedding off Willian and Kate. The qeen Elisabeth was very elegant in yellow.
The painting of the boat is very beautiful and the duck family great.
I saw your new blender. Over here Mother's days is on May 29.

claude said...

Ups ! CHRIS !

Autumn Leaves said...

And you've taught me something new too! I did have music at least once a week all through grade school. Art too. In high school, those were elective classes and I never did take any of them. (I was worried I wasn't good enough so avoided both.) I'm not sure the schools still have music, though I know of at least one that still has it at the grade school level. Art too. Not so common these days though.

kaybee said...

Oh my goodness, I remember having to learn that poem by heart in school -- and I remember failing miserably with my inadequate memory. But for some reason I was aways able to remember the last verse.

Lovely Qs, Chris. I enjoyed the royal wedding for all its pomp and tradition, and I do have admiration for the Queen. She has held up well under many difficult circumstances.

Gattina said...

I think I have seen the Queen in yellow already, she likes bright colors. She actually looks very nice for her age !

Kate said...

All of your photos fit the bill for "Q", but I quickly decided that the photo of the queen was the winner entry.

Carver said...

Great post for Q. When I saw the Queen in her yellow outfit on TV it made me smile. She looks great!

Morning's Minion said...

What fun to learn a new word.
[Rather a difficult one to work into a conversation.]
Our last years in Wyoming gave us a pond and several families of Mallards with ducklings. I always tried not to count them.

Wanda said...

Yes, I think Yellow is really a nice color for the Queen. She wore it so brightly and nicely.

Love the boat and verse, and that little family of "Quackers" is adorable.

Good job, Chris!

Chubskulit Rose said...

Lovely Queen.

Please find out what my Q is at Nostalgic Marveling

Jane and Chris said...

My Dad would quote that poem at EVERY opportunity.
Thanks for the memory.
Jane x

Elizabeth said...

A lovely set of 'q's, Chris. x

Rowan said...

I remember quite clearly learning John Masefield's poem by heart at school - it's only in recent years that I discovered what a quinquireme is though:)