Tying shoe laces

I love the morphs

Gransnet's good at morphs like that

amazing how shoe laces turned into absinthe !!

I repeat - absinthe is now perfectly safe! Horrible, though!

Thinks! If you can have the word "debauched" is there such a word as "bauched".

absent Thanks I thought it was one of those debauched artists from that group."

Nelliemoser I think that was Toulouse Lautrec.

Because my son can only use one hand with any dexterity, he uses shoe laces that look like corkscrews. I must check out exactly how they work (I imagine they twist together) but it was a big thing for him to be able to have shoes with laces rather than velcro.

There are (or used to be fifty years ago when I studied a very modest bit of anthropology) so-called "primitive" tribes where no-one could read or write, but tiny children used sharp knives and knew exactly what term of respect to use toward their many and complicated relatives and the elders of their society. Children learn what it is important to know in their lives (and what interests them) If Velcro and elastic laces had never been invented, then tieing laces would be an essential skill.

Oh has the BEEB nothing better to do than repeat the studies about the germs on chopping boards. I think that when there is nothing else to write about they dig out the bit about how many germs are on x y z surface and keep changing the type of surface so we will think its new news.

Oh NellieM stop being such a cynic and go and do some work!

Isn't Absinthe what all the parisienne artists used to rot there brains with? I think it could be be hallucinogenic. Didn't Van Gogh do a painting of Absinth drinkers.

The poisonous ingredient has been removed from absinthe - Juragran lives in the centre of production and is full of knowledge of the history of the drink.

I think I have posted before about a TV programme I saw about nomadic people in Mongolia. They follow the reindeer herds and these supply almost all they need. A boy of four was using a very sharp knife to clean skins and his father was surprised when the reporter commented on this - it is just accepted that everybody will learn the skills needed to survive from a very early age. I think we infantilize our children in the West. They could probably do much more for themselves if we gave them the chance.

To return to shoe laces. The reason they come undone is because people are tying granny bows and not reef bows. My husband was 40 before I discovered he was tying granny bows-no wonder his laces were always coming undone. Another skill that has vanished because no one seems to need it anymore ,is tying a bow behind your back-for an apron or a sash.

Same here, re cleaning chopping boards. Have you seen today's Beeb article about germs on chopping boards?

I wonder if it's real absinthe. I thought wormwood and alcohol was a brain-damaging combination and so banned. Perhaps that was bad science and it's allowed again now. I prefer hot soapy water – for chopping boards, not to drink.

You could clean your chopping boards with it quite successfully, I imagine.

Seems you can buy it online, so apparently not.

I've no idea, absinthe!

Nanadog What are you doing to my screen identity today? That's the second time.

Bags Isn't absinthe illegal?

Love the way you nearly called her absinthe

Oops. That was a reply to ansinthe not you bags

Rubbish.

I would have blown my top and complained to the "management" if any nursery/pre-school 'teacher' had said anything so stupid to me. DD3 was able to write her name at nursery school without being 'taught' – she just copied and repeated. As children do when they're interested in something.

Joan A friend's child was told off for writing his name on his drawing at pre-school because "he's not supposed to learn that for another year".

One of my pairs of trainers (from 'Lands End' )has elastic laces.Putting on and off is so much quicker and easier.