Monday 16 April 2012

Drink Je Melk En Fluit

I like quirky things. Like this vase. I bought it about thirty years ago very cheap and it remains my favourite to this day. Imogen got me the pink flowers while she was staying in Yorkshire – I was incredibly touched that she’d insisted on bringing them all the way home for me.


This is something from my childhood which sits on the chest of drawers in my bedroom. I use it to store empty pens, useless emery boards, old eye shadow brushes, dead batteries, a broken door stop… not to mention a cushion of dust and fluff in the bottom.

Hm, well it occurred to me that I shouldn’t use it just as a dumping vessel for stuff. I used to have my bedtime drink in it when I was very small and despite it being glued back together after an earlier accident, the whistle still works – I know because Isabel tried it.

It isn’t the classiest of things, but I am extremely fond of it. It is full of happy memories – I can still hear my grandad urging me to drink my milk and whistle! I’m going to stop storing junk in it forthwith and start treating it with the respect it deserves.

It used to encourage me to drink milk – which I hated. When they gave out free milk at school, I always declined. When we went on a school trip round Lord Raleigh’s farm he handed out milk to everyone (well I think it was him - I was only 9 at the time) and I told him I didn’t like milk, so he went off and found me a carton of orange juice. Cartons were a peculiar shape in those days. I didn’t like orange juice either, but I appreciated the gesture, thanked him and drank it.

Of course my mum got milk into me in other ways, in puddings, tea and on cereal. But for many years I haven’t had milk. Finding out I was lactose intolerant gave me the push I needed to switch to soya, but I think it’s a step I would have taken anyway, given what has to happen to put milk on our cereal and now you can buy lactose free cow’s milk – no thanks, I’ll stick to soya.

Sorry – didn’t mean to get on my soapbox there, but while I’m up here, I can’t imagine that anyone isn’t appalled by the deaths at the Grand National. Not just this year, but every year. There’s a petition on the government website to ban it – I know that isn’t likely to happen, but if enough people sign it, things might change. The link is here if you’d like to sign.

There is another petition here on the petition site which seems to be doing rather better and it includes a few facts about the racing industry that may surprise you.

And finally a brilliant piece by Brian May on his Save Me page on Facebook. He says it all so much better than I could. You can read it here.

24 comments:

  1. I love your vase and cup. I think it's wonderful to link memories to objects and have stories to pass on to our children.

    Like you I live on Soya milk and now can't imagine going back to drinking cows milk.

    Very sad about the horses....:-(

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  2. I like the vase and cup too, Teresa.

    One of my sons has soya milk. We found out that cows milk was responsible for his constant poor digestion when he was very small,and he's okay now and a teenager.

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  3. Love the vase and the cup and the related stories.

    I bet they'd soon put a stop to the Grand National and other horse racing if more jockeys died after falling off.

    xxPat

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  4. Love the pics, Teresa. Memories are what makes junk mean something to us and therefore what gives it personal value. I still have a small glass dog that I queued up at a jumble sale for when I was seven. I still remember the breathless anticipation: would it still be there when the doors opened or would someone else get there first?It's completely worthless in monetary terms but I wouldn't part with it for anything!
    Agree with you about horse racing and Pat is right: they'd do something if it were the jockeys who died. x
    www.lydiajones.co.uk

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  5. That's a really unusual mug, Teresa. And, the fact it has a whistle makes it even more charming. Take care when dusting!

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  6. Love your quirky vase and mug - and what lovely flowers. Pat is right - bet they would stop the G.N. for humans!

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  7. Thank you, Jarmara :-)
    I think once you are used to soya milk, you never want to go back x

    It has been the case with two of my little granddaughters, too, Carol. Lactose intolerance seems to be on the increase doesn't it x

    Thanks, Pat. You are absolutely right - it is exactly what we've been saying. If it were the jockeys dying, there'd be no question about it x

    How lovely you got the little dog, Lydia and that you still have it :-) Yes, you and Pat are right about it being a different story if a jockey was killed x

    Dusting, Martin? Me? Not much danger of that ;-) x

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  8. Thanks, Rosemary - you must have popped in while I wasn't looking :-) The flowers are very pretty x

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  9. I think that's a simply lovely little mug, just the kind of thing a child would like and remember. I have never seen anything like it.

    I think the racing industry like the dog breeding industry, is just getting out of control. I'll take a look at the sites.

    By the way I'm enjoying your stories, which I bought recently on Kindle!

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  10. Thank you Jenny - and thank you for buying the Kindle stories :-) x

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  11. Ah...school milk. Happy (for me)memories! I once received a disobedience mark for collecting the cream from the top of evetuone's milk and making it into butter. This seemed terribly unfair, as there was no rule against it (probably because no-one had thought of it).

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  12. What lovely quirky mugs, and with a history too. I wonder what the Antiques Road Show would have to say?

    Horse owners say that their horses love racing, but there is something abusive about pushing these beautiful animals over massive fences for the entertainment of people, when so many horses have died. Lower the fences.

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  13. I think that was very resourceful of you, Frances :-) x

    They'd probably laugh on the AR, Maggie!
    Lowering the fences would be a good start wouldn't it x

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  14. Hi Teresa,
    I have a fascination with vases and mugs. Looking at your photos and your recollections, made me realise I have no idea what happened to my Toby jug.
    And when it comes to horse racing, I have a problem with the whole 'sport' and find the 'sport of kings, most distasteful.
    With respect, Gary x

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  15. What a lovely vase.

    I too am surprised there hasn't been more reaction to the deaths of those horses. Seems there's a general 'it always happens' reaction - but the fact that it's almost expected makes it worse, not better.

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  16. My mum loved Toby Jugs, Gary. I have a couple that belonged to her somewhere.
    Horse racing is a horrible business isn't it x

    Thanks, Patsy - I found out today that one of my best friends has the same vase :-)
    Yes that does seem to be the general reaction doesn't it, an acceptable risk except the poor horses have no choice x

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  17. They're beautiful objects, Teresa. I've got a lot of that sort of thing around my house too - not necessarily 'works of art' or worth any money at all, really, but very precious to me.

    And I totally agree about the Grand National - it should be banned. I've never previously realised, though, how cruel it is to horses.

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  18. I think it's brilliant to keep old quirky things - especially if they have a story to them...

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  19. They certainly are previous, Biddy x

    Me too, Pat x

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  20. I do like unusual things Teresa. Ohh you reminded me of milk at school..ewww..we were not allowed to decline. Warm milk left outside the shed... those awful, awful nuns. LOL.. thanks for the memory. x

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  21. They're lovely.

    I have all sorts of jugs, vases and compacts that I've collected over the years. I never seem to have enough of them. Although my husband would probably disagree!

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  22. It was horrible wasn't it, Diane! x

    Sounds lovely, Debs. The compacts sound interesting too x

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  23. I had a cup just like this when I was little!

    I can still remember what the writing said:

    "Whistle, whistle on my cup
    When I blow Mum fills me up"

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  24. It's funny how things like that stay in your mind isn't it, Zimzamzim! x

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