trains and boats, no planes

 Long corridors on ship were very scary, I kept imagining them filling with sea water.

 Hours on trains actually makes me appreciate planes.

We were on 4th deck, Crows Nest deck was on 11th level.  Fortunately lots of lifts, they changed the carpet in the lifts every day, they reminded you which day it was, like a tufted calendar.

cruise views

Scarlet woman

I have painted my toe nails, so it is definite we are going on holiday................shame to leave the garden behind, but I am hoping to see Pompeii and Etna and lots of sun...............

Video 47

write this

tigger

An exciting day as I had to go and see if the aches in my boobs meant the cancer had come back.  Hint - cancer doesn't usually ache. Anyway as you can understand it was a tense time until it was pronounced that I have instead - Costochondritis.  They are not sure what this means, it seems maybe just inflammation of the rib cage, which affects the nerve ending right along the breast.
Nothing to be done, just wait for it to go away, and maybe get him indoors to lift the coal scuttle in future.
Now I am bouncing around with stray adrenaline. A
Already told the Open University to shove their degree, as their tutors are always MIA.  Mine claims her Broadband keeps going down.  I think she is trying to avoid my story.
I wasn't going to carry on after I have finished this course anyway, just wanted to learn how to tell a  story, which maybe I have, a bit.  This last assignment, if tutor doesn't set fire to it is the start of my first novel, 4000+ words
 I have no intention of trying to get it published, as if I could, I just like writing.  Which is why i do this blog.

riots in the countryside

This is the best our fritillaries have ever been. We first saw some in a farmers field and thought they were so lovely, we bought some seeds some years back. The farmer was having an Open Day to show them off, more exciting than we expected as it was a wet year and most of the visitors cars had to be towed out of his yard with a tractor because of the mud. All the plants and trees seem to be doing exceptionally well, unless this is their last hurrah. We saw a cotoneaster [I think] hedge today up the lane that was a total riot of acid yellow flowers, the magnolia has been wonderful, mother's cherry tree is covered in blossom and the all the gardens look gorgeous, can we please use our hose now? when it stops raining of course.

Altho it is quite dry here, it certainly isn't the drought they claim, and we have had rain every day since then any way.

When it does rain we have been playing magnetic scrabble, not very well but it does take some of the boredom out of the kitchen work.

to remember

may the long time sun shine upon you


all love surround you


and the pure light within you


guide you all the way on.

Daunting Daughter and the Glorious Grandson

Saving up to go and see them in the Autumn.

M&Ms

This is my stitched self portrait required by next exhibition. I can't decide whether to add all the angry thoughts that are obviously whizzing round my mind!

probably I was thinking about my "novel" have to submit the first 1000 words by Thursday [to the OU, not an agent]. The story hasn't been too painful but writing the "commentary " as to why and how is a real pain.Only 1 more assignment to go [another 3000 words] and then I am free to spend as long as I like whittling about them, and never actually finishing, but it keeps me out of the kitchen and the cleaning cupboard and other useless activities so it has its value..

I guess I did know about Margaret MacDonald but I was quite bowled over when I saw her work on the gog on a programme about Art Nouveau. Much derided at the time apparently, critics called it spooky, which was not a good thing it seems. I guess it has been taken up and diminished by fantasy illustrators, but they would have to go some to match her draughts-womanship.

I am toying with ideas about Minerva and Medusa who had a moment, I hadn't realised. I like the Minerva mask lots of potential [but not the Victorian pushed back on back of her head]and of course the Medusa snakes, must be something in there for a series......................

Went to Kent.

Had a lovely week in Cranbrook, very gorgeous, didn't realise so many people owned such beautiful big old houses, many white clapboarded. Little sign of Credit crunch in this neighbourhood.

Gardens were all in Spring flower, daffies, forsythia, primulas and all the trees with delicate green buds. Sissinghurst wasn't covered in blooms as it will be later but neither was it deep in coach parties, so we enjoyed it.

Vita did her writing in the tower in the garden, I sneaked a pic. It was glorious sunshine all week, amazing.

Our cottage address was 2 Horse Entry, reached down a little passage way between shops leading to a mish mash collection of cottages and houses built every which way. Tiny old place, 3 floors, attic bedroom reached by a ladder, fortunately there was no falling out - [or off] requiring a separate bed.

Would have liked to visit Great Dixter too, but it didn't open until 1st April, totally ignoring our anniversary requirements.

Did make the trip to Hastings, [Retired Person again refused to let us move to the Old Town, so unreasonable] but we did get to see the new Art Gallery opened this week [better timing]. The fishermen still have their posters up agitating about losing their fresh fish trade on the Stade. One told me all he saw was people with cameras, not bags of money. The gallery fits well next to the tall black net huts and the views of the sea from the windows are even better than the work on display. they have a local artist Rose Wylie, and a general exhibition of paintings, including an Augustus John and Stanley Spencer so I was happy, even if the fishermen weren't.

code

I suspect those weird slanty letters codes we have to copy to sign into the computer to prove we are not one, are really to weed out the old and crumblies who can't quite see any more, one day soon that will be me.

Woodbridge library

TAGS one of the textile art groups I belong to put a small exhibition at Woodbridge library for this month.

These are some of the Artists directories we made, each page being for each artist in the group 20+ women, stitching away.
We had to make 4 books each. They didn't go too well at the summer show, so we are giving them another outing at the library, seemed appropriate, but at £15 each I think we may be pushing it a bit.

I put Shadow Dance up, and Sea horses, plus In the Night Garden, of which I have omitted to take a picture, and Hollyhocks , which I do not like - so I do hope somebody else does.

It was along afternoon, stretching and teetering putting the stuff up above the library shelves, of course the librarians moved some of it afterwards. Wish they had just put it all up in the first place.

We put up Lizzie's tea bag coat, which looks magnificent. She dyed and painted and stitched the tea bags onto a sacking coat after studying African designs. It truly is strange and wonderful.

It is also a very light and lovely little library so everything looks fresh and artistic in the main.

fortunate

Can avoid my short story this morning for reason no. 567, there are men in the garden.........putting in a new pipe for the water. Much noise and disruption and lots to look at through my window behind this computer.
The buildings here are originally Victorian and so are the pipes I guess. When they put the water meter in some years back, [which we refuse to have connected just cos we want to make a stand for expensive self defeating individualism], they showed me the connecting pipe, two thirds full of gunge. Yuk, explains our dribble of water pressure.
Some years later after losing continuous arguments with Water People, we have ganged up with the 2 neighbours and are paying for same Water Board sub-contractors to put in a new pipe privately.
Police, NHS, Education - private enterprise is all the rage.
Just fortunate that we can afford it.
Quite funny yesterday tho, we had agreed with church that it will be OK to dig pipe line across church yard. Yup, they checked, no funerals, christenings, weddings [no income at all] so we had the go ahead.
Sadly they had forgotten the Women's Day of Prayer.
Irate woman berating bemused pipe men as they drilled and dug right outside.
Just fortunate I was out.

work shop

Have been working on the flowery dell for some time. every Sunday mother comes to tea [but doesn't have a cup, "I'll wait till I get home"] and I sit and stitch another flower, as long as I am doing something I can keep my hands to myself.

This somewhat nightmarish scene involving the dancing ladies perhaps should speak for itself, goodness knows what it is saying.

The woodland scene is quieter and I am enjoying the seemingly endless task of hand stitching and whiffling around it. It came out of a workshop I led using gesso splodged on the calico and then scrim dragged across which gave me the trees. very enjoyable.

I am hoping to try a companion piece of the sea.

We were at Aldeburgh last week picking up the in-laws after their w/e away. sadly pa-in-law fell and the paramedic had to be called. Good old NHS, still functioning, hope it lasts till i start tripping.

It may seem I am working hard, but I suspect I am working hard at avoiding writing the 2,500 words my tutor is expecting in a couple of weeks.

It was interesting to see this embroidery by Boetti [or rather the Afghan women].

It was done in 1986 but I think Gavin Turk must have seen it recently as he is turning out many versions of the above, don't know if the Afghan women are accessible at the mo tho.

Very fuzzy head this morning, sun is shining ...................all I can see is dust and detritus; things that need doing, have to make a list. That might be scary. All lists are scary today, have a list of good books waiting to be read that just makes me feel over whelmed and under pressure, obviously I am over feeling all this.
Cape violet thingies are dying for need of repotting, obviously have to sort priorities, no good, every thing is jostling to be top.
Guilt most of all. I could be in Syria with real problems. Now I am really frozen.............

swimming against the tide

Meet my new friend ! Decided I haven't got time to delay..........downloaded the Brushes app for £5.99 [I think] - memory is hazy in these Last Few Days.........thinking in the 1000s! Just so few compared to what has gone before. And forgotten. Not fair.

Mother came up with a postcard my nana had written to a friend [Alf ] adding a note that I was away in a school camping trip on Isle of Man. 1959.

All I remember was the force 8 gale crossing and the TT riders face embedded in the telegraph pole [well the imprint if you see what I mean]. Can't remember anything about the 2 weeks camping at all.

Snow has gone, cold and sunny yesterday, the rowing boat was bobbing around, but firmly anchored.

If I wasn't so frightened by my OU tutor I might have tried a poem. She is very brisk. My last draft was dismissed as confusing, in fact she said the reader may feel sea=sick reading it. We were supposed to be splicing dialogue and I was obviously blowing at least a Force 8 in words.

Went to W*aterstones today and invested in several paper backs and Angela Carter's postcards book, I can't read magical realism but this little notebook looks very realistic. However she never allowed herself to become becalmed, so I shall keep paddling too.

Hockers

Still got the same snow, no more no less. Gets very boring tramping across the church yard to the car at the top of the hill. Had to move it from outside the house as the Lane is icy and ungritted. Unlike my teeth, it is so cold.


Heating keeps cutting out; drains blocked and had to pay the man and his rods £126 to free us.



Went up to London on Thursday to see the Hockney exhibition. Strange smell of candle wax throughout. Many many pictures of trees, painted "en plein air" at least three huge rooms full, Yorkshire trees, like looking out of a car window and seeing the trees go by.

The smaller water colours of farm land were quite good, nice light and sense of tranquility, maybe 20 or 30 of them; easy to see, exhibition wasn't crowded which was a surprise.

Lots of oil paintings, thick rather ugly daubs in lots of cases, wouldn't have passed muster at the local art group exhibition. Horrible glaring green.

Then there were the iPad pics, 52 of them, all beautifully blown up and mounted around one complete room, the changing seasons. Sunshine seems to suit him best, the shadows bought the pictures alive, the rest were ugly.

Then he retreated to a huge studio and did some from his imagination [based on years of study] these are the huge ones you see on the posters in California colours. Really much more attractive than i thought they would be

So - a varied response, plus an irresistible urge to get an iPad and have a go!

Up up & away

Snow arrived last night, should get wellies on and crunch out for a walk but can't bring myself to do it.

Have five jumpers on, in various thicknesses - and that's indoors, plus woolly tights and socks and the felt bootees daughter made me.

Daisy remains dressed as always and quite relaxed.

Finally bought tickets for the Hockney. R.A. suddenly opened the box office again and everyone piled in, mostly getting the dates and times they asked for, so they must have kept plenty back.

Ha, Pakistan finally all out for 3 million or something close. Doubtless England will score at least 3 in reply.

Led a good workshop [which I read in a magazine] where we take a source pic, place it below bondaweb and draw through, then turn over, paint pic on gluey side and then iron onto fabric. Worked pretty well, means I can transfer sketches quite simply, maybe.

Have lots of 10 min "gesture" sketches from the dreaded Life Drawing classes so am hoping to play with some of those..............actually have about 4 pieces of stitching work started plus proposal forming for my OU chapters and a 4,500 word short story.................feel quite unusually positive about it all, so obviously beginning to wonder if I am becoming bi-polar.

I am reading Pure by ? [won the Costa], about Paris in the 17th century when it was decided to empty les Invalides cemetery in the city [which over the years had grown and engulfed it] and having sorted the bones and bodies of the centuries, which were polluting the air, move them away. Weird flat story telling quite mesmeric but perhaps I shouldn't read it at night.I am hoping to get the new Leonard Cohen, but in the meantime got his "I'm your man" CD as only had it on cassette. The man is a genius.