A-Z Challenge 2025 ~ H

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. I post every day at 6 pm. my time (GMT +2. Dang you DST!)

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

H is for HAZEL and HERBS.  I was so in doubt which one to chose, and only my telling of the revenge plant/wool dyeing had HAZEL win by a whisker.
Hazel is another one of those bushes or trees showering us with pollen and making me sneezy and itchy. But the leaves and the catkins are great dyers. I have even planted a red leaved variety in my garden, and every spring I bribe somebody, most often the Writer, to pick me all the catkins in a big pot and place them on a big flagstone outside. Then I pour boiling water over them, grinning evilly, and freeze the resulting mash until the time is right for dyeing of my revenge hanks. Red hazel catkins give a beautiful, durable bottle-green colour.
Herbs -- well I use herbs for cooking, dying, soaping, salves, and much more. I grow 2 types of parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, savory, tarragon, chives, lovage -- loads of lovage -- oregano, dill, fennel, mint, basil, laurel, lemon balm and lemon verbena.  But no cilantro. I cannot make it grow, and I find the taste nauseating. Sometimes I grow ginger, shiso, lemongrass, and anise. This year I'm trying my hand at caper berries. I also dream of growing juniper and turmeric. I tried wintergreen, but did not like the taste.

Wordle was a big tease yesterday, as the solution was HAZEL! Today's starter word. I opened Wordle in another browser and made this for showing off today:

Yes it is cheating, but I was sorely tempted. And for the real one today ... I got Great again

Yes, I know that SWANS could not be the solution, as E was missing. Thinking smarter migth have given me the solution in 3 or 4 tries.

As I have a very short memory for words, I thought it could be fun to try once more - only this time using my other H-word: HERBS:

And explaining how I solve a Wordle, just thinking aloud here:

HERBS - Yay. All of three letters: E, R, S, none of them in the right place.
STAIR - S, A placed rigth - good, lucky word.
Now I have 4 letters S, A, R, S.
R can only be in the 4th place, as there's no word I know starting in SRA.
E could be 2nd or 5th.
SEAR_ could be the solution with SEARS, but I do not like repeating letters -- a weakness, I know.
S_ARE looks better. And I try the as yet un-tried letters one by one, as I always do:
SQARE, SWARE, SYARE, SUARE, SOARE, SPARE 
Oh, SPARE is a word. And actually the solution. If it had not been so, P had been grey, and I had continued and found SCARE and SNARE.
Or in case of SEARS actually being the solution, E would have been yellow in the word SPARE as well as P being grey.

A-Z Challenge 2025 ~ G

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. I post every day at 6 pm. my time (GMT +2. Dang you DST!)

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

G is for Grape  which I am actually trying to grow. The last two years I have gotten two small bunches of grapes. I have been too impatient, they have been on the sour side, but somthing had begun eating them. Maybe a mouse, maybe birds, I do not know.

Today's Wordle is teasing me big time! The solution for today is the exact word, I chose for a starter ... tomorrow!
I might just open Wordle in another browser and type in the word, and save it for bragging rights tomorrow ;)

HAZEL - earning me a Phew today!

Poetry Monday :: Road

Eww, I suppose I was more than a bit bleary-eyed when doing this. I wrote - totally correct - in the title, that today's prompt was Road. And then I copy/pasted my normal starter and explainer in ... and forgot to correct the prompt, and forgot that we did Turn last week, and did a poem on Turn ... I'll leave the Turn-poem, as it fits the idea perfectly. I might just add a Road-poem later on. So sorry all!

 -- 😬 -- 😵 -- 😴 -- 😳 -- 🙃 - -

Every Monday is Poetry Monday.

Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I have taken over the hosting duties, mostly the supplying of the prompts - only temporarily we hope - while Diane at On the Border is taking a break for health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.
 
We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

  I have something to ask of you: If you read this and the poetry of others via the links, would you please leave a comment.
  Half - if not more - the fun of these challenges is receiving the responses of others.

  -- 🥞 --

Those of you having followed this blog for some time, know that I love limited poems, like Haiku, and Elfje. Now, because of the A-Z Challenge, I found new ones The ladyleemanila seems to have chosen as her theme a new form of poem beginning with a new letter for each day. For E she had Epulaeryu - strange name with a strange explanation. She tells us:

The Epulaeryu poem is all about delicious food. It consists of seven lines and thirty-three syllables. The first line has seven syllables, the second line five, the third line seven, the fourth line five, the fifth line five, the sixth line three, and the seventh line has only one syllable which ends with an exclamation mark.
The form is 7/5/7/5/5/3/1. Each line has one thought which is about the main course. Therefore, this poetic form, the Epulaeryu, which has corresponding lines built around the main course and ending with an exclamation point, concludes with the ending line expressing the writer’s excitement and feelings about the poem.
The poem may be rhymed or unrhymed.
The Epulaeryu poem was developed by Joseph Spence, Sr. The name of the poetic form was selected as a result of experiencing the Mediterranean and Far East cultures, and enjoying many succulent and nourishing meals and food during those memorable travels.

I had to try this out. I won't travel to far away cultures for this one, though. I'm going to stay in my own kitchen. And with today's propt being Turn ... there's only one solution.

Pancakes
First you beat the batter smooth;
Eggs and milk and flour
Add some sugar, lemon zest.
Let the butter melt
Pour the batter on
Mind the heat.
Turn!

  -- 🥞 --  -- 🥞 --  -- 🥞 --  -- 🥞 --  -- 🥞 --

Up and coming:
 March 31: Turn (today) NOPE!
April 7: Road ... THIS is today!
April 14: Bring
April 21: Free
April 28: Jam
May 5: Competition
May 12: Shape
May 19: Stem
May 26: Lead

Sunday Selections :: April ~ Missing Green

The colour for April is Missing Green.

I have been a bit productive this week but I am not sure I caught this colour very often. Let's have a look.

We tried Coca-cola Oreos. We're not convinced.

We met these two wax monsters:

Some of the wax monsters ended up in these coffee soaps:

The rest were made into these small ones to be stored for coming projects.

The coffee soap still in the mould - Blogger mixing up the order of the photos.

We saw a small tuft of moss groving on a roof tile - surely the ends are Missing Green.

And finally a wagtail

A-Z Challenge 2025 ~ F

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. I post every day at 6 pm. my time (GMT +2. Dang you DST!)

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

F is for Flora - what else. Today I solved it in 4 tries - meaning I did Splendid. It was more luck and guesswork this time, than knowing what I did. DUSTY is one of my standard starter words, and ANGLE was the solution on March 24, when I did my test run.

I am posting Sundays as well because the month of April contains Easter, and there I'm going offline for a few days. Better to be ahead now, and have some day's slack when I need it.

A-Z Challenge 2025 ~ E

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. I post every day at 6 pm. my time (GMT +2. Dang you DST!)

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

E is for Eruca.  Eruca is also known as Rocket, arugula, colewort, roquette, ruchetta or rucola; Here I'll maltreat Shakespeare and say that an Eruca by any other name would taste just as bitter. It does not grow in my garden.
Well, and as Wordle does not accept Eruca. I went for my second word, Erica also known as heather.

5 tries used = Great.

A-Z Challenge 2025 ~ D

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. I post every day at 6 pm. my time (GMT +2. Dang you DST!)

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

D is for Daisy.  And as I do not think Daisies are in need of an explanation, I'll explain how I solve a Wordle - or in this case not.

How to play: It's like MasterMind, only with words. I can't explain it better than Wordle does:

And one rule, they do not tell here: A letter CAN be used more than once!

Of course my first guess is DAISY. the word for today.
I am told that I is in the right place, and that none of the letters D, A, S, or Y are in the solution.

There's many words with I as the middle letter. I go look for some more letters. TRITE may not have been that smart, it repeats I and R, and have two T's. PRIME is even more stupid, repeating I, R, and E. All I know now is that the solution is of this shape _RI_ _ and not containing T, E, P, or M either.

Then I test the two missing vowels O and U and also a couple of consonants. No luck. I is the sole vowel, and neither C, G, or H are parts of the solution either.

I do not know very many words of this build.  _RI_ _  and not containing any of the excluded letters. I think I know only WRING, FRILL and FRIZZ (that last one I'm not even sure is a word). And as I have only two guesses left, those two are what I'm going to try.

Well as can be seen, none of those were the solution. KRILL was. I know what this is (it's even the same in Danish), but it's not a part of my active vocabulary.

Better luck tomorrow.

A-Z Challenge 2025 ~ C

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. I post every day at 6 pm. my time (GMT +2. Dang you DST!)

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

Today a new blogroll has joined my right sidebar. It is called A-Z fund - meaning A-Z finds - and here I list the blogs I have found during the A-Z Challenge. Not all are participating in the A-Z as some are serendipitous finds via links in others' blogposts or searches for the A-Z posts. It is sure to grow during April, and as certainly it will shrink and most probably be merged with my "Bloggere fra den store, vide verden" (Bloggers from all over the world) blogroll once A-Z is done.

C is for Chive. 
Normally we meet Chive in its plural form, Chives. My guess is that this happens because one chive is fairly useless. You need a whole bunch. At least I do, and in my garden I have more clusters of chives growing around. Just now they are about five centimetres tall, and I am considering an omelet with bacon and chives tonight.

Today's Wordle earned me the Splendid epithet once again. I do not really agree with the titles:

Genius
Magnificent
Impressive
Splendid
Great
Phew

That is to say, I do not agree with two of them:

• That first one ... If you hit the right answer in your first guess, you're not Genius, you're Lucky. I did once. Only because one of my normal starter words was that day's solution.
• Four: Are four guesses really Splendid? Is Splendid more or less than Impressive? I don't know, it might just be me. And as a non-native, I actually think it's just me.

What do you think?

Månedens farve April Colour of the Month April

Thanks to River who reminded me of my lack, here is the colour of April:

This time I took the photo myslf on April first. Normally the fountain in Helsinge is "dressed up" for this day, but not this year. Hence the name - Missing Green.

A-Z Challenge 2025 :: Wordle ~ B

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve the Wordle of the day, using as starter a word beginning with the letter of the day. a

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containng the same letter more than once.

I'll maybe add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not solve it.

B is for Birch.
Another one of those spring trees with nasty pollens. Into the dye pot they go to dye my Revenge-hank!

I think maybe Wordle is a bit over the top calling a solve of 4/6 splendid - but they do.

Words for Wednesday ~ Updated & IWSG

In April,  Elephant's Child is supplying the prompts for Words for Wednesday.

Word for Wednesday is a challenge that was started a long time ago. Now it has turned into a movable event with Elephant's Child as our coordinator; and the Words provided by a number of people.

The general idea of this challenge is to make us write. Poems, stories, subtitles, tales, jokes, haiku, crosswords, puns, ... you're the boss.
Use all Words, some Words, one Word, or even none of them if that makes your creative juices flow. Anything goes, only please nothing rude or vulgar.

 It is also a challenge, where the old saying "The more the merrier" holds true.

So Please, remember to follow the links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.

- - A - - B - - C - - 

This Wednesday's prompts:
Bookseller
Solve
Shore
Lied
Buy
     And/or
Folly
Tales
Love
Curious
Practical

I will update when if I get to tell a tale using those words. And I succeeded in adding yet another chapter to Sue and Bill's strange adventure.

"Now I have some questions for you," Bill said. "And again honesty is your sole salvation."
The stranger nodded.
"What was your former occupation before you took to sailing?" Bill asked.
"Bookseller," the stranger answered.
"And why did you ned to solve riddles to get to the shore of that island?"
"I don't know," he said. "I think my father maybe lied to me. He made me buy that bookstore. It was possibly a folly, as I always wanted to become a sailor. I loved the tales of high adventure, piracy, treasures ... everything. I filled up my bookstore with such books, earning more than one curious glance from potential customers."

"Not very practical. I agree," Bill said. "Why would your father be so intent of keeping you off the sea?"
"He once told me a high tale of me being the seventh son of a seventh son, and thus able to see what others cannot. But I have only four elder brothers, and a sister ... that's not making me a seventh son."
"But you do see ghosts?" Bill asked. The man nodded, and Bill said: "Please write anything you know of you and your parents, marriage dates, children, where they lived and so on. It's time for some sleuthing."

He rose and turned on the computer, while Sue served yet another beer for everybody.
The man, Fred Thompson, according to what he wrote, handed Bill a paper filled with names, dates,  and places, then he laid back down on the couch near the fire and fell asleep.

"That sleeping draught sure came in handy," Sue said. "Now we have some time, undisturbed, to do the sleuthing. I'll get the dogs."

... to be continued, word allowing.

- - A - - B - - C - - 

  The monthly question from the Insecure Writers' Support Group is due today, April 2nd.
  I'd like to thank the crew for their never ceasing inspiration and quirky questions.

April 2 question - What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?

My answer - I have to answer this in a trifold manner:

  I'd like a swordfight with either Farfdh or The Grey Mouser from Fritz Leiber's stories.
  And let's save this for last, as I probably would not survive.

  I'd like to go on a Quest with Paksenarrion of The Deed of Paksenarrion written by Elizabeth Moon. She is one for experiencing the unexpected and surviving against all odds.

As for having a glass of wine with - and I suppose also swapping some tales with -  I'd like to seek out Radagast from The Lord of the Rings. I am very curious to hear more about the Istari and their mysterious past.
  I am not sure I would be able to withstand the temptation to write down his tales and publish those under some Hobbit-themed pen-name later on. For instance I could be Floriluna Sackgirdle. How do you like this for a Hobbit name? It comes from an idea by Hamlette at The Edge of the Precipe for one of her wonderful Tolkien/Hobbit blog Parties.

A-Z Challenge 2025 :: Wordle ~ A

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve a Wordle, maybe one of those I made in preparation for this challenge, maybe the Wordle of the day, maybe even both, using as starter word one beginning with the relevant letter.

As the alternative badge, as supplied by Lissa seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible, I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

I'll probably add a few words about my chosen starter word, or just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not succeed in solving it.

A is for Alder.
Alder catkins are letting go of their loads of pollen just now, making me sneeze and itch all over. I am planning a hank of yarn called Revenge dyed in all the spring catkins that is making me sneeze. Alder is first on my list.

And I only just made it today - PHEW

A-Z ~ I signed up

I did it. I signed up to the A-Z Challenge. This year I choose an easy way out. Each day I'm going to solve a Wordle, using as starter word a word beginning with the letter of the day.

If it is the Wordle of the day - which will maybe happen - the post will have this warning at the top:

 ⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

I began planning this challenge, and solving Wordles with the A-Z on March 19th. Maybe I will not use today's Wordle ... maybe I'll add it. Time will tell.

As the alternative badge, supplied by Lissa, seems to suggest growing things I'll prefer those as starter words, and if at all possible I'll avoid words containing the same letter more than once.

Maybe I'll add a few words about my chosen starter word if fancy takes me, else I'll just post the solution - or not in the case that I did not succeed in solving it.

As this April - as almost always - contains Easter with holidays, masses and family, my schedule looks a bit different from what is suggested by the A-Z crew. I'll be posting Sunday 6, and I might post on Sunday 13 as well to give myself some leeway. Sunday 20 is Easter Sunday meaning no post, same as April 17, Maundy Thursday, and April 18, Good Friday. All assuming I make it that far.

Also I am going to visit other blogs this year, but I'll be quite stern this time around. Last year I spent far too much time trying to comment on blogs that required a log in, wading through posts not touching on the A-Z at all or where I had to "fight" to get to the posts ... to the detriment of my visiting blogs that were interesting and/or relevant. Blogs that does not speak to me from a graphical point of view or from a contents view I won't revisit. (Graphical: white-on-black or with moving/dancing objects. Contents: pure self promotions, economics/business, mental health, cosmetics, most animals ...)

Furthermore I solemnly swear to delete comments on my blog saying only. "Nice blog, please visit mine" or words to that account.

Poetry Monday :: Turn

Every Monday is Poetry Monday.

Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I have taken over the hosting duties, mostly the supplying of the prompts - only temporarily we hope - while Diane at On the Border is taking a break for health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.
 
We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

  I have something to ask of you: If you read this and the poetry of others via the links, would you please leave a comment.
  Half - if not more - the fun of these challenges is receiving the responses of others.

This Monday we've been given Turn. The only rhyme I found was burn .. not very poductive.

Looking to RhymeZone I found a lot of rhyming words. I only copied those, I knew the meaning of, and thought somewhat useful for a poem, disqualifying "durn", "byrne" and a few others:
burn, churn, earn, fern, journ, learn, quern, spurn, stern, urn, yearn.
Having just read a periodical on archaeology, this is what happened:

The wisdom of a stone age parent
Now is my turn
to wash and churn
to cook and burn
and man the quern.
Now is your turn
to watch and learn.
I know you yearn
To get your turn.

I know my words of wit you spurn.
When I grow old, sleep in an urn
for youth and playtime you will yearn.

- - - - - -

Up and coming:
 March 31: Turn (today)
April 7: Road
April 14: Bring
April 21: Free
April 28: Jam

Sunday Selections :: Driftwood Art and More

 Yesterday we were eating out with a good friend to celebrate her birthday. While waiting for the restaurant to open, we visited a nearby shop selling imports and driftwood art.

For once heavily Photoshopped, as the imports were not so nice.

-- 🎞 --

     I går fejrede vi en af vore gode venners fødselsdag med at gå ud og spise. Mens vi ventede på at de åbnede, osede vi i en butik med importerede ting og sager og med ting fremstillet af drivtømmer og lignende.
     For en gangs skyld er billederne voldsomt redigerede. Det importerede tingel-tangel faldt ikke i min smag

A planter made of large pieces of driftwood. -- en plantekasse lavet af store stykker drivtømmer.

The very best, a starfish made from driftwood and blue sea glass. I do not think they were made in Denmark
--
Det sejeste først. Søstjerner lavet af drivtømmer og blåt drivglas. Jeg tror ikke de er lavet herhjemme.

Giant mushrooms made out of driftwood -- Kæmpe svampe lavet af drivtømmer

Havfruekugler -- Glass floats. In Danish they're called: Mermaids' baubles.

Plant pots studded with polished stones -- Potter tæt besat med blankslebne sten

A heart made from driftwood and blue sea glass -- Et hjerte af drivtømmer og blåt drivglas.

Even driftwood horses - Og endog heste lavet af drivtømmer

We ate at a seafood place - very good. Vi spiste buffet med alt godt fra havet - rigtigt godt.

013

And on our way there we met a 013, faster now, but still a slim chance of ever completing. Just one car a week makes for 1000 months ... almost 20 years.

På vej derhen så jeg en 013, det går stærkere nu, men med kun en ny om ugen, vil det tage tæt på 20 år endnu.