dispatches [poo,wee and love]

We set up a run on the grass so Callie can get some sun, next door provided a sunshade, all very lovely.  Like a toddler [very] Callie is only happy in company, eating or asleep. 
Today it is cold wet and grey, I may put her outside while I clean the conservatory tiles before mother arrives.
 It can feel irritating at times to suddenly be tied to a small shouty demanding creature that just has to look at you to make you feel guilty for even having a negative thought.It is another month I think before she is allowed out and about and has the opportunity to discover the wide world as her potty. 
Think of the troubles that will bring. 
The cat basket finally finds a fan.

ecco femina

This is the winning painting of the BP portrait award this year. It makes me flinch, but if there were more such around I think we would all have a more realistic and happy idea of what people look like .  She has a lovely face and is agreeing with me I think.
I didn't do Latin.  We had to chose between Art and Latin at my school, probably wise choice in my case as I am hopeless at languages, so do correct me if you wish.

sewing instructions

 On Friday we went to Colchester to the new oddly shaped, bronze roofed gallery, to see an exhibition of South American stitching.  Only half a dozen pieces, bold and slightly intimidating, rather like the gallery, which otherwise was largely empty. Had the requisite Roman Mural under glass and some contemporary sculpture.  Most disturbing a grey pile splodged on the floor, which proved to be the atomised remains of an aircraft engine. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
The walls all slope outwards, very tall and white,  of course nothing can sensibly be displayed on them.  Also a cafe, bit bleak in it's middle class understatement.  Point one to the S Americans.  The loo was interesting in that the sinks were merely a communal slop[e]ing, plastic, flat surface,  tap water slides away down to a grill at the far edge.  Not seen the like before, but maybe they are already last years sensation in London.........

 The Embroidery Posse relaxes replete with culture.

The Vanity of Small Differences: Victoria Miro's fourth solo exhibition with Grayson Perry opens

The Vanity of Small Differences: Victoria Miro's fourth solo exhibition with Grayson Perry opens

better angels

Mother is 91

Well a while back in May, but we were away, so finally took her out to lunch in Grundisburgh where she polished off a huge pork chop with rhubarb and apple mash, then sticky toffee pudding.

We wandered over to the village church afterwards, where mother gathered detailed information as usual.  The 14th century wall painting is of St Christopher carrying Christ across the river.  Old guy told us that is where the name came from, "Christ over" but even he admitted it was possibly a dodgy derivation. The hammer beam roof has angels if you look carefully.

Best news is we have found our next puppy.  It is over a year since Hattie died.  Gert and Daisy are well settled so in 2 weeks we hope to add this little black pudding.  She is in Norfolk with her mum and 7 brothers and sisters. We had to go to Norfolk to find Hatters so this is a good omen.  Mother a collieX and father a drug sniffer labrador.  Mum is called Tiber, and as we have been on the Med. trip we are looking for a Italian name; Hattie was named after Hathor the Egyptian goddess to remember our Nile trip. 

So far we have thought of Florence and Rubicon............

This lady is our sole evidence of the Jubilee, as apart from watching the Flotilla and not watching the Concert, we didn't take part.  Very un-English, chose to watch Andy Murray instead of going to the village fete and scarecrows. Found this posh bird still waiting for us as we walked through the woods.

 Lots and lots of foxgloves in the woods, birdsong, Spring smells -  very English.

 "They" are going to resurface the Main Road through the village, so "we" were informed that they will do it over night and redirect the traffic down our lane, with the aid of traffic lights. Never before!  "We" that's the royal "we" and doesn't include us, rose to their middle class heights and pointed out that the young people are doing their exams and there is no way they can be kept awake at nights with noisy mechanicals.  The event has now been postponed to October. Hopefully by then we will have persuaded the cats to don their tin hats and remain behind the barricades.

story time

We got back from the trains from Barcelona at 11pm and then stayed up till 2 watching the Eastenders omnibus which was on for some strange reason on a Saturday morning. Sometimes I do think my life is just in my head, why should an hour and a half of Eastenders be on just when I couldn't sleep.


The Cruise was an experience.

We went with Gre*t Railw*y Journeys - and they weren't;  first class, but cramped and long, with no luxuries. Our Tour "manager" was fun, she had no sense of direction, organisation or basically - brains. But she was very sweet. There were 16 Brits in the party, quite an experience in itself, and they named her Walter Mitty. She certainly believed she knew all these foreign languages, but didn't, and any situation was met with confidence collapsing into confusion, but she was very  friendly.

 Chewing gum mosaic in Livorno [presumably tourists visiting Juliet balcony- wasn't she fictional?]

The ship was huge, mostly Americans. We didn't dress up and eat with the Brits each night, or anyone else, as there were many restaurants and we just went to the relaxed one. Several different menus available each nigh served by very smiley crew, easy to put on weight. Two swimming pools, hot tubs, library, and the blessed relief of a cabin with a balcony so we could sit out in the sunshine and marvel at the blueness of the waters.

Rained in Dubrovnik, who thought we would ever go to Croatia, Venice was as gorgeous as ever, Greek island variable [500steps up a cliff on a mule on Santorini was a highlight -came down on cable car, can't make up my mind which was more frightening] mount Etna was -interesting, mostly black cinders and Pompeii was as ever.

Read so many books and went to the movies once on the boat [My w/e with Marilyn] spent evenings watching films on TV, much like home really. Only Fox news, CNN or BBC world news [which isn't].

Thought I would never sleep with noisy air-con and waves and engine………….but after initial hysterics and Kwells I settled down.

Quite a lark really, very tiring [poor old girl] and now I am home and hit the Jubilee, oh dear.