100 ABSTRACTS - NUMBER 43

I went for a wander around the garden quite early this morning, looking for something to take for my next abstract and found quite a lot of beautiful flowers.  

These Bluebells are past their best really, but now they have been abstracticised, they don’t look too bad.  Sadly, they aren’t native Bluebells, but the Spanish variety, Hyacinthoides Hispanica, but even so, they are still very pretty and this shot is SOOC.  

Until we wandered round the garden together a couple of days ago, I didn’t realise these weren’t the pure English variety until Mr. HCB told me how to recognise the Spanish ones.  I also realised that these have upright stems, unlike the English ones that “droop”, and they have no scent, whereas the English ones have the most beautiful sweet perfume.  The Spanish ones also have conical shaped flowers whereas the English ones have narrow bell-shaped ones and the Spanish ones have blue pollen rather than white pollen - so quite different, but when seen apart, one could think these Spanish ones were the “real deal”.  However, they have brightened up our garden and got me a good Blip, so I’m happy!

This is number 43 of my 100 Abstracts Challenge for the Mamie Martin Fund, which as you all know by now enables many young women and girls to complete their secondary education in North Malawi.  Here is another story about one of the girls:

ABIKANILE - her parents were in such a huge financial lack that led to her difficulties in payment of fees at school. She was a student at Elangeni CCAP Secondary School from 2013-2014 that is, she was there only through her senior classes at secondary school level.  The Mamie Martin Fund paid her fees through the senior level until she completed her studies at secondary level.

From 2015 until 2018, Abikanile was at Luke de Young College pursuing Bachelors in Nursing. She is so grateful for the fund that saw her through her last years in secondary school.  

Another success story for the Fund and another wonderful role model for younger girls.  I have put a photograph of Abikanile in as an extra.

So far this morning, the sun is still shining so we are hopeful that it will be a better day today and Mr. HCB is itching to get out into the garden and the greenhouse - he has promised me he will be very careful!

“Role models set goals for you 
     and try to make you 
          as good as they are. 
Role models are important.” 
Kasey Zacharias

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MaureenIles