Seeds and leaves

G has returned bearing many gifts, two of which were this little acorn and oak leaf from the tree that the Lodge sits under. Apparently the path to the washing machine was full of acorns and leaves! I am thrilled with these gifts as I love the unique shape of an oak leaf and acorns are fascinating...

But there is more to today's blip than just these two items. It's what they symbolise. I wanted to call my journal life and death - for obvious reasons - the acorn a seed that could produce I-don't-know-how-many more oak trees and the fallen leaf telling us autumn has started and winter is on it's way... deep thoughts because had my mum been alive, we would be celebrating her 76th birthday today!

G has also got herself a new passport as her 4 year old one had just two pages left but was still valid for another 6. It desperately needed replaced, so a trip up to Newport passport office, a four hour wait and £138 lighter, she has got a brand new, chunkier passport, ready for a few more visa runs.

I am truly impressed with the service, but the passport itself is a work of art, I mean really. Each page shows off an aspect of British topography/rural life, a little weather icon and the e-gate is built into the passport, not an extra you have to pay for, but a really interesting thing is on the last page where the owner writes in the name of their next of kin, the clever designer has put a little acorn and an oak tree... Symbolism if there ever was...

Stayed indoors through the heat of the day and ventured out in the evening. G has not had spicy food for over a month and wanted an Indian meal, so we set out to check a branch of Moti Mahal in Business Bay - an area I am not very familiar with. The GPS got us so far, then to locate the actual venue (on foot) took a while but we got there in the end. Business Bay is close to Burj Khalifa and I am pleased to have found a relatively quiet place where you can park your car and get unhindered views of our iconic building (see extra). There seemed to be a GT car club meet in the car park. Most interesting. And there was a little fountain as well which I bet the kids in the neighbourhood absolutely love to play in!

And now, I am falling asleep once again over my keyboard so hope the above makes sense and conveys my train of thought...