tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76541359298330557412024-03-14T05:22:59.060+00:00stuff and nonsensecloth, yarn, dye - and a few other thingsblue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-75557661067552602662018-01-07T17:18:00.000+00:002018-01-07T17:18:36.781+00:00little moments
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u_cDSCWTdmx_vRDwHs1jrHPp1AdnJo7-kHawhG4ia_hOHxTKKR6U5MR_2oJtAwAtS8kwO6XyKhLCv-1Ldw_sxQBqLKUDFS1yA3eyY80qeUXbxUWUTim9__DWWSKBOut23KQ7_A7Vmg4/s1600/tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2u_cDSCWTdmx_vRDwHs1jrHPp1AdnJo7-kHawhG4ia_hOHxTKKR6U5MR_2oJtAwAtS8kwO6XyKhLCv-1Ldw_sxQBqLKUDFS1yA3eyY80qeUXbxUWUTim9__DWWSKBOut23KQ7_A7Vmg4/s320/tulips.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A funny thing happened when I was walking from home to the
local shops on Friday morning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As I
turned a corner I saw a woman on the opposite side of the road walking towards
me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I didn’t know her, but she was a
similar age to me and carrying a bunch of tulips.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As she saw me, she called out with pleasure
and started to cross the road towards me, speaking as she did so.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I was struck by a moment of doubt as I
wondered if she was someone I SHOULD recognise and I checked over my shoulder
to see whether she was actually greeting someone behind me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This made her realise that she had taken me
for someone else and as she reached my side she apologised.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We both laughed and agreed it was a case of
mistaken identity, patted each other’s arm reassuringly and carried on our way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What could have been an awkward moment turned
into a little jewel of connection in the middle of an ordinary day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m trying to pay more attention to these little moments.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-69250922162262277082018-01-04T16:10:00.000+00:002018-01-04T16:10:52.957+00:00the long haul<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Steve and I have been married for 45 years. (No I can’t
believe it either – surely we’re still in our carefree twenties).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5EXrtrzpQ2ci2kpPEGtrQWf6SUwHMx3TM4f0o5kD9pbGAktl2yznL6IzT1qf6qr8iRb0dIF_cdlloBcsB2sTuj7sdCwDWqfzpvad5JaoYqtAWLpPmM57YVeGvvNj3PgOoZREiSd9qtA/s1600/wedding+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1104" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5EXrtrzpQ2ci2kpPEGtrQWf6SUwHMx3TM4f0o5kD9pbGAktl2yznL6IzT1qf6qr8iRb0dIF_cdlloBcsB2sTuj7sdCwDWqfzpvad5JaoYqtAWLpPmM57YVeGvvNj3PgOoZREiSd9qtA/s320/wedding+1.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ve been intrigued over the past few weeks to start
noticing the artefacts (many of them wedding presents) that have made the journey
with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It’s probably no surprise that stainless steel flatware
would survive (and no doubt outlast us) just as my parents’ silverware survived
them and came into our possession.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We
love this Norwegian “Maya” cutlery and have six place settings, which we use
mainly for special occasions.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There was
a period when it came into everyday use, but the teaspoons vanished one by one,
as teaspoons mysteriously do, and proved difficult (scarce and prohibitively
expensive) to replace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-6F0DdQHFq6j7-0y4bBb-RPuqg-6s6D2c_IuvyUGxFyOn6ozkkJ0QjkTuRbcxCryykoxg7v1o6vvePF-30fqS7fK95yxHPhzxpJCwSIDZ6yXifURGcxrET1i2hDGoBePygRzHXU-k28/s1600/maya+flatware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-6F0DdQHFq6j7-0y4bBb-RPuqg-6s6D2c_IuvyUGxFyOn6ozkkJ0QjkTuRbcxCryykoxg7v1o6vvePF-30fqS7fK95yxHPhzxpJCwSIDZ6yXifURGcxrET1i2hDGoBePygRzHXU-k28/s320/maya+flatware.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We were amused
and gratified a few years ago when visiting an exhibition of twentieth century
Scandinavian design in Glasgow to discover that our knives and forks were
featured as design classics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There are also quite a number of kitchen items, still in
regular use, that date from 1972:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This well-used yellow canister contains porridge oats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvEvl8RkP2_t3pZw8GbEcacILVZKCRfxAJgI5MKngz0AHQZ2LPJ1n_NTOGp6w4oWK8wCJeabKAo5eaNvRNL9el4XLLCYefdGdgvo0woPq-Qatd5_gA5wy-CbWwaq12MOxqpsikFyogl8/s1600/yellow+cannister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvEvl8RkP2_t3pZw8GbEcacILVZKCRfxAJgI5MKngz0AHQZ2LPJ1n_NTOGp6w4oWK8wCJeabKAo5eaNvRNL9el4XLLCYefdGdgvo0woPq-Qatd5_gA5wy-CbWwaq12MOxqpsikFyogl8/s320/yellow+cannister.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This bright yellow lemon squeezer shows no signs of age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9z6gLGVguY0dF-P9Q6CliKLXUv8bElQYbykrkCTPlYfJvvpCAC4aGXJQ6Z6y4Res5DU-E2X24LfZgOSiVfCbKD4YQAgfDDaFVyPzzdh9uiURe5MFBhLASp9ZDutUB_lO6Hby6SkH0Joc/s1600/lemon+squeezer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="902" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9z6gLGVguY0dF-P9Q6CliKLXUv8bElQYbykrkCTPlYfJvvpCAC4aGXJQ6Z6y4Res5DU-E2X24LfZgOSiVfCbKD4YQAgfDDaFVyPzzdh9uiURe5MFBhLASp9ZDutUB_lO6Hby6SkH0Joc/s320/lemon+squeezer.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But this enamelled roasting dish has a more venerable
appearance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn2T7DXyh28i9B6qT1lb2Y5mAUNVV8f7z8ozcMhtTWcsbbfHJQtMCVWiLjUMOGM2k3_WZLol7vONGBpgGgzm-tL4_2QI1hQ136tcod0Yw4nxzkZNPKmn-qmhKy-pWIr5v6lvYUEEa0IE/s1600/enamel+roaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn2T7DXyh28i9B6qT1lb2Y5mAUNVV8f7z8ozcMhtTWcsbbfHJQtMCVWiLjUMOGM2k3_WZLol7vONGBpgGgzm-tL4_2QI1hQ136tcod0Yw4nxzkZNPKmn-qmhKy-pWIr5v6lvYUEEa0IE/s320/enamel+roaster.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And these sundry utensils have lost their paint, but are
still perfectly serviceable.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4V3DQngvcuC0622eKBOv1N2Xhhx0YH6iCaKPwsbVswAvQ_kmVnlotp3vzNKCaEtW4ZI6JYkWGFZ5AkyIQw58wlcqtRbQDxfChIb6oJ4ravNb6x0nlpJgPnnfj0Fps-4UnoYKWR-fFj8k/s1600/kitchen+utensils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="902" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4V3DQngvcuC0622eKBOv1N2Xhhx0YH6iCaKPwsbVswAvQ_kmVnlotp3vzNKCaEtW4ZI6JYkWGFZ5AkyIQw58wlcqtRbQDxfChIb6oJ4ravNb6x0nlpJgPnnfj0Fps-4UnoYKWR-fFj8k/s320/kitchen+utensils.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Who knew that pyrex is so long-lasting? These all came as part of a set (some have been broken).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnRw5LSv9DqC2hbyePkrX92gWA2Hhng5I04SbcXJrIKFUjR6Au7UE7JmEYYns6Lrtet_-7oePyziN6rn8KmHtNxaafly9oDDXU7VBL62f9s73B60JZLGLRf8ipX_UhpnkwIyqghteIDM/s1600/pyrex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnRw5LSv9DqC2hbyePkrX92gWA2Hhng5I04SbcXJrIKFUjR6Au7UE7JmEYYns6Lrtet_-7oePyziN6rn8KmHtNxaafly9oDDXU7VBL62f9s73B60JZLGLRf8ipX_UhpnkwIyqghteIDM/s320/pyrex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also have pyrex measuring jugs so well used that the measurement details have worn away. They have been demoted to my studio for dyeing and felt making.</div>
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This glass decanter is sadly marred by limescale, but I love its fat bellied shape and the gorgeous heavy stopper.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQltSs2oqFe0Wse-qDPHciCUXuKCiuJJh1h001MRVCu2cH6H4jUz2v_oNnL3gtJCVa3DfkhO9j-bJ3VADfv0lOV4MZ-E0tND_VQ48TR2RKkE0w_t6sw7DYfPb69kmnrg_YdwW6ZqizMbg/s1600/decanter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQltSs2oqFe0Wse-qDPHciCUXuKCiuJJh1h001MRVCu2cH6H4jUz2v_oNnL3gtJCVa3DfkhO9j-bJ3VADfv0lOV4MZ-E0tND_VQ48TR2RKkE0w_t6sw7DYfPb69kmnrg_YdwW6ZqizMbg/s320/decanter.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We’re book hoarders, so many of our books predate our
marriage, but there are three that were actually wedding presents or given to
us at that time.</div>
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Perfect Cooking by the marvellous Marguerite Patten</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2co5ce1VynI0EJSXDN6s3FRNCz6L6ZgyWzekMDRFA3pJ1E1N271OZ3w5JXUIq_o425p3_n_hodP4Xn8HYG9eYGDO4Javk7xT6RjmILwIMYOfBSNMg7iwsmGDCA7azsGXstKcIcCf3Ijk/s1600/perfect+cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2co5ce1VynI0EJSXDN6s3FRNCz6L6ZgyWzekMDRFA3pJ1E1N271OZ3w5JXUIq_o425p3_n_hodP4Xn8HYG9eYGDO4Javk7xT6RjmILwIMYOfBSNMg7iwsmGDCA7azsGXstKcIcCf3Ijk/s320/perfect+cooking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Future Shock by Alvin Toffler</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOw6YdPcquuBo199ISP7ukBKQzpf8sekhyphenhyphen6glHTl1abXA9OdErQ-Ym2DHu_jiN1FxZwxKDZAjATtOtm4A7OLo4NZyNsQHgfhFWas81tyMWzII9XxxOIFmrK8MQ5BsOEOaAEb5becosV0/s1600/future+shock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOw6YdPcquuBo199ISP7ukBKQzpf8sekhyphenhyphen6glHTl1abXA9OdErQ-Ym2DHu_jiN1FxZwxKDZAjATtOtm4A7OLo4NZyNsQHgfhFWas81tyMWzII9XxxOIFmrK8MQ5BsOEOaAEb5becosV0/s320/future+shock.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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And the Oxford Book of English Verse</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUOINOyKQ7fXPZJnzgt148S5GpOkvplvUl30Lfp2NNwLCwL1dZauxHydF-eRpPjFpUXZC81w1x8CgKvlocyse4WLKWbVG2Q7AwDSUB1eH6kgCp9yeRAOXxcT6iTuGapohhMgynHUy4ok/s1600/english+verse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUOINOyKQ7fXPZJnzgt148S5GpOkvplvUl30Lfp2NNwLCwL1dZauxHydF-eRpPjFpUXZC81w1x8CgKvlocyse4WLKWbVG2Q7AwDSUB1eH6kgCp9yeRAOXxcT6iTuGapohhMgynHUy4ok/s320/english+verse.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Textiles are not renowned for their longevity, but this
Irish linen double damask tablecloth (impossible to photograph) has made the
journey.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It really only comes out for
Christmas and family celebrations, but is special to me because it was a gift
from my Irish uncle and is covered in symbols of Irish history – a double bonus
of Irish heritage and mind-boggling textile skill.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOZQ8bWZ1Qek1WNGWlVPMaOQr7UyfdYXjxCizBcOKQOiz0BfcmZYwSoIaTYZvdZF-KacpB1vMi5GD7K7wVXRoVJle-A6siM9KrtuJFC7AT2w6w7Gr3PmG9NA14M_nNCOyBvaOJ_15Kss/s1600/doubledamask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOZQ8bWZ1Qek1WNGWlVPMaOQr7UyfdYXjxCizBcOKQOiz0BfcmZYwSoIaTYZvdZF-KacpB1vMi5GD7K7wVXRoVJle-A6siM9KrtuJFC7AT2w6w7Gr3PmG9NA14M_nNCOyBvaOJ_15Kss/s320/doubledamask.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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My make-do-and-mend personality is demonstrated by the backing fabric of this quilt. Once upon a time it was a yellow bed-sheet. Back in the day Habitat had fantastic deep-dyed bedlinen and we had two duvet and sheet sets in bright yellow and royal blue. Over time they wore out and went out of fashion (not necessarily in that order), but I still had a yellow sheet available for the dye-bath when I wanted to finish this quilt about ten years ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPqDzzY4pSmGzeveCp393kpvIv5kkbuSSO4aGxlxTilMAeq8SFzH3LNnfBiBOJt2ehJbncT7EiVlD5MMw3IITV-x8wnxU92ut0iOx2mzueoeKkYKeXqLla00Yskv-U1w2H0rLeeFo_6g/s1600/quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPqDzzY4pSmGzeveCp393kpvIv5kkbuSSO4aGxlxTilMAeq8SFzH3LNnfBiBOJt2ehJbncT7EiVlD5MMw3IITV-x8wnxU92ut0iOx2mzueoeKkYKeXqLla00Yskv-U1w2H0rLeeFo_6g/s320/quilt.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Clearly many things that started out on the journey with us have worn out or been discarded en route. We are looking a little careworn ourselves. (I really can't do selfies and I hate having my photo taken, so this is true love). But somehow or another we're both still here, still married, still friends, not thrown away. If you know me well, you know that I'm not a great one for sentimental language or expressions of love, but I am grateful for our mutual perseverance and loyalty and the love that has fuelled them. We're also really grateful for the things that have been added to us over the years - notably three lovely daughters, their husbands and six grandchildren, plus dozens of wonderful friends.</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-47323415349153336132015-08-07T17:56:00.000+01:002015-08-07T18:32:11.913+01:00Crystal clear*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had breakfast in the bath this morning, which is something I haven’t done very often since moving to our current home twelve years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is partly because we now have an adequate shower and partly because we no longer live in a house with bathroom and kitchen on the same level, which made the process of making breakfast while the bath was running a less risky affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, whatever; it triggered memories of that former house and former times and, as I lowered my head under the surface and my ears filled up with water it triggered another reminder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been a hearing-aid user for fifteen years.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgqQNH3hw8HOlRO1dtpXfmJzeZMrNOEVu4G2YJ1BwnFf2oWH2ErbLEIatT7FfLfYAjro33QJI4KXkqMnu3BBEx2va3KJKUGwyJYxgAq_6JPWxufRx6YW2Btfmx_QI5GSF3JJ79FNPu10/s1600/sound.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgqQNH3hw8HOlRO1dtpXfmJzeZMrNOEVu4G2YJ1BwnFf2oWH2ErbLEIatT7FfLfYAjro33QJI4KXkqMnu3BBEx2va3KJKUGwyJYxgAq_6JPWxufRx6YW2Btfmx_QI5GSF3JJ79FNPu10/s1600/sound.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is probably not an anniversary I expect to celebrate,
but it is worthy of some thought and reflection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fifty when I acquired my first analogue
hearing aid having requested a hearing check earlier that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unusually (I think) I was one of those people
who became aware of my hearing loss before other people started insisting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father gradually lost his hearing as he
got older and I had strong memories of the period before he succumbed to
testing while he insisted that we had all started mumbling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A lot of people are familiar with the process of having
spectacles prescribed and the process of the optician flipping lenses asking
which one is better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sight correction is
a careful and precise art – hearing correction is less so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process has been improved by digital
hearing aids which can be adjusted to some extent to accommodate the type of
hearing loss, but basically a hearing aid is a small loudspeaker positioned behind
the ear with a plastic ear-mould inside the ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can take a very long time to get used to a
first hearing aid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To start with the
sensation of having a large foreign object in the ear is very pronounced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels like having a bad head cold and can
make you feel as if your nose is blocked as well as your ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the sounds it amplifies are unfiltered
by the brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going out from the hushed
hearing aid clinic into a busy street feels like a sensory assault and flushing
the loo sounds like a waterfall being unleashed from a dam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the first year of having my hearing aid I
frequently felt so desperate that I took it out and felt it wasn’t
helping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a talking-to from one
of the audiologists at the clinic to make me persevere with wearing the aid all
the time and really start to get the benefit from it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I now have two digital hearing aids which are programmed to
my particular hearing loss, which also have special settings to cope with noisy
environments and for listening via loop systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am well used to wearing them from the time
I get up until I settle down to sleep at night, but they are not without their
problems and difficulties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Batteries
don’t last very long and frequently give up the ghost at inconvenient
moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plastic tubing pops out of
place and is difficult to realign. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
enthusiastic hug from a friend can cause shrill feedback if my ear is covered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try not to think about the time I sleepily
removed my hearing aids at night and carefully dropped them into my water glass
– not realising until the morning that they had been immersed in water all
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The simple fact is that hearing aids don’t replace normal
hearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with the amplification of
my aids I need the television louder than other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clarity is lost and I frequently mishear or
fail to understand what people say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can’t join in desultory chat amongst a group of people making conversation
across a room; I can’t “earwig” on conversations in buses and cafes; I have
more or less given up trying to listen to my beloved Radio 4 and hardly ever
click on video or music links on the computer because the effort of setting up
the earphones and taking out the hearing aids to listen rarely seems worth the
effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certain voices are more
difficult to catch than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Children’s voices, for example, are very light and not always clear, so
I sometimes miss out on conversation with my grand-children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other people’s
attitudes to deafness are very interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not stone deaf, so on the whole I haven’t encountered rudeness or
exasperation from people outside the family. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never been embarrassed by wearing hearing
aids and always make people aware that I have hearing difficulty so that they
don’t think I’m being rude or ignoring them if I don’t respond appropriately to
something they say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Family and friends are good at asking me where
I would prefer to sit in cafes and restaurants and at relaying instructions to
me in public places when I can’t hear the speaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In domestic situations with my nearest and
dearest it’s not always the same story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know that it’s not easy communicating with someone who’s hard of
hearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had years of trying to make
myself understood by my Dad, who could be pretty haphazard in his use of
hearing aids and there were definitely times when I gave up and decided the
effort of repeating myself just wasn’t worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand as the deafened person one
soon becomes aware of the tutting and rolled eyes of an impatient family member
being asked to repeat themself, of the exaggerated raised voice and slow
enunciation as if talking to an idiot. I have been known to become upset and
angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So have they.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apart from these irritations I think these days that I’m
pretty well adjusted to using my aids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
certainly couldn’t manage without them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, though hearing loss isn’t “normalised”
in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s still a problem and an
irritation, something I would prefer not to have to think about and deal with</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">.</span></div>
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*Apparently a fifteenth anniversary is a crystal anniversary</span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-70023373050181427632015-06-03T15:14:00.000+01:002015-06-03T15:14:46.466+01:00slow stitch<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm working on an enjoyable piece of stitching at the moment.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDI7As0fv26sIm_JfX4j58EwHJsv3Enwd1MQfi9wNqrNaxhwSv9Mkh0s7xdDNll1a8rSjzV2F_GqmIN6QVJjJJEgTCEP8DfPWRdrhyQV6HVq1XW2Umo0QY5Gj33U483klf_0DAxx5e3U/s1600/WP_20150603_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDI7As0fv26sIm_JfX4j58EwHJsv3Enwd1MQfi9wNqrNaxhwSv9Mkh0s7xdDNll1a8rSjzV2F_GqmIN6QVJjJJEgTCEP8DfPWRdrhyQV6HVq1XW2Umo0QY5Gj33U483klf_0DAxx5e3U/s320/WP_20150603_007.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just working organically, grabbing a scrap of fabric and butting it up against another...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyaYk7kp6VJdf8S5UsKLAdfecs3O2B1EZX0xpPaZy3oSeWuqTJzZaoc2t9CW_AyzG_xOjzXy0ro6Z7rmJE4P8zLkvwVzJX5Uu9FSr5m4Sa30HgAIvQYgTTREI31H06zGsB2MdP6e795c/s1600/WP_20150603_008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyaYk7kp6VJdf8S5UsKLAdfecs3O2B1EZX0xpPaZy3oSeWuqTJzZaoc2t9CW_AyzG_xOjzXy0ro6Z7rmJE4P8zLkvwVzJX5Uu9FSr5m4Sa30HgAIvQYgTTREI31H06zGsB2MdP6e795c/s320/WP_20150603_008.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and rhythmically stitching them together.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtjacG9pCCnMDbB4BPkbCfC2iKlJ9rTqtnpCzSrzUBe3n6CCIER4IQPl51ifgaei45CdqBA0Ouhqmgha_LzOdlY-nv5YBjjCqLAA4Eleb5MLorJ950GPv2lVjmJTI3PDsyq76pTGW_Ps/s1600/WP_20150603_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtjacG9pCCnMDbB4BPkbCfC2iKlJ9rTqtnpCzSrzUBe3n6CCIER4IQPl51ifgaei45CdqBA0Ouhqmgha_LzOdlY-nv5YBjjCqLAA4Eleb5MLorJ950GPv2lVjmJTI3PDsyq76pTGW_Ps/s320/WP_20150603_009.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the backing is made a scraps of quilt wadding that I'm cobbling together as I go along.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GWojfOGQUnges3u8QElFOff3aBAGa9gn37A5CEWZ_v5nHu1HR7KHKEcRivmwIULlk0Yx4SflH3oRqwfKnphUXsRVbCi7tIbCxyNLsKdHOjpu7EvY0Tjs8p21pHq9ajD8H8C9docqGHA/s1600/WP_20150603_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GWojfOGQUnges3u8QElFOff3aBAGa9gn37A5CEWZ_v5nHu1HR7KHKEcRivmwIULlk0Yx4SflH3oRqwfKnphUXsRVbCi7tIbCxyNLsKdHOjpu7EvY0Tjs8p21pHq9ajD8H8C9docqGHA/s320/WP_20150603_003.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really don't know where this is going to end up, I'm just enjoying making it happen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMZeCzVH2Pg867qXysYCedgBfQwBnPQx6t1HucRnp9OUAsKrP9bP3UvNj05f2_oM67pOns2-OI22uUhswiVZd0GnPDjKE2NqkoCey3t8fXz-XpRDrlQcFItn7tXsw4tZcrFJQqnaRTt0/s1600/WP_20150603_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMZeCzVH2Pg867qXysYCedgBfQwBnPQx6t1HucRnp9OUAsKrP9bP3UvNj05f2_oM67pOns2-OI22uUhswiVZd0GnPDjKE2NqkoCey3t8fXz-XpRDrlQcFItn7tXsw4tZcrFJQqnaRTt0/s320/WP_20150603_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-69160464308150002502014-07-10T21:44:00.000+01:002014-07-10T21:44:56.244+01:00a sideways look<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always enjoy the joke of the signs on these shutter garage doors at Spike Island studios.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From one direction it reads:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdJSiRp4x1TOZNsOYmiyA4aBecw3jvB1LfOxkAIgEzOr_ksy57OuYoZB2si8bn4JFpsMCYOR5TW1ojdTYqN4uZAonwbhQpSx-_BEVWhYbfq-u-BAzR49IEqclpbVx03X-cqTzDgrYkg8/s1600/WP_20140709_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdJSiRp4x1TOZNsOYmiyA4aBecw3jvB1LfOxkAIgEzOr_ksy57OuYoZB2si8bn4JFpsMCYOR5TW1ojdTYqN4uZAonwbhQpSx-_BEVWhYbfq-u-BAzR49IEqclpbVx03X-cqTzDgrYkg8/s1600/WP_20140709_001.jpg" height="107" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you walk in the opposite direction, you are instructed:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr_-t1-EL-K4hU5A94X2ZePpLYOHpzrB2itJn4YSDEdIrSSR8r9G2lrnTGof9FUOzS7selyReSsWmkbTfBCilf24pa3ZVU-QJkbu6EF7gOsAMzJBbBUOvlWjD7szQtFokhOr9x3YZq-o/s1600/WP_20140709_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr_-t1-EL-K4hU5A94X2ZePpLYOHpzrB2itJn4YSDEdIrSSR8r9G2lrnTGof9FUOzS7selyReSsWmkbTfBCilf24pa3ZVU-QJkbu6EF7gOsAMzJBbBUOvlWjD7szQtFokhOr9x3YZq-o/s1600/WP_20140709_003.jpg" height="123" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But if you look at the doors face-on the message is not so clear:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHduobHOYue0YTSobQXlTgyOddVqdosvqqkQuUjXBG4l20SF0BrYiBy8p5GJr1LBliAvik-ivAyoY0hp3025UISaeoMRrm2FRJnZJ0cxPOBjQ32rHiWj4-j4xUGc37HH6bMbn1r53amf8/s1600/WP_20140709_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHduobHOYue0YTSobQXlTgyOddVqdosvqqkQuUjXBG4l20SF0BrYiBy8p5GJr1LBliAvik-ivAyoY0hp3025UISaeoMRrm2FRJnZJ0cxPOBjQ32rHiWj4-j4xUGc37HH6bMbn1r53amf8/s1600/WP_20140709_002.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which just goes to show that facing things head-on may not always be the best strategy. Some things only make sense with a sideways look.</span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-18028502424424732522014-06-20T11:54:00.000+01:002014-06-20T11:54:18.653+01:00a quilt for a little girl<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">J has just had her fourth birthday. She is moving house this summer. A joyful quilt for her bed seemed in order.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what I made.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqE97glKbJiMcUB_ogjBPfElxCgVxR1DOA7WdclzMQ9Y_XIV3dnww3pNci9kpO6Tko_S9IBV4Cy-AhfXxwkPVBjApFRxCBC7BQoRuk7_kSDN9IbdXSNAl0Vi3vf2_A7jSuKsOOrM9xIXI/s1600/quilt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqE97glKbJiMcUB_ogjBPfElxCgVxR1DOA7WdclzMQ9Y_XIV3dnww3pNci9kpO6Tko_S9IBV4Cy-AhfXxwkPVBjApFRxCBC7BQoRuk7_kSDN9IbdXSNAl0Vi3vf2_A7jSuKsOOrM9xIXI/s1600/quilt3.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She seems to like it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZvFO27dQmHHe5nNBSEtHimXhvAODaErfzY9mXgiqaw4XXuoJ6vQKC6JRZphIKRagfUtU25AaYkikEnIvv0hMLW5eSrf_Zc6HchssdYqmLAhoz10IbLbpwWe3iIHwC9oROx90qidMWEY/s1600/jemandquilthoz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZvFO27dQmHHe5nNBSEtHimXhvAODaErfzY9mXgiqaw4XXuoJ6vQKC6JRZphIKRagfUtU25AaYkikEnIvv0hMLW5eSrf_Zc6HchssdYqmLAhoz10IbLbpwWe3iIHwC9oROx90qidMWEY/s1600/jemandquilthoz.jpg" height="320" width="286" /></a></div>
blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-26952143630944405802014-03-09T17:43:00.001+00:002014-03-09T17:43:31.409+00:00uxorious
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Uxorious is a strange and rather ugly word to describe a
man who loves his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its root is the
Latin word 'uxor' (wife). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where it is
used at all in modern English it may take a slightly pejorative tone, implying
a slightly cringe-worthy devoted love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or it may be misused entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his book <em>Levels of Life</em> Julian Barnes says “I
bridle at the misuse of the adjective ’uxorious’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we don’t look out, it will come to
describe ‘a man who has many wives’, or even (that dubious phrase) ‘a lover of
women’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t mean this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It describes – and always will, whatever
future dictionaries may permit – a man who loves his wife.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My father was an uxorious man, devoted to my mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He delighted in buying her clothes and was
quite dapper on his own account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
therefore follows that when, in his later years, he gave me a sum of money for
my birthday or Christmas present, I generally spent it on clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since his death I have missed the ritual of
the birthday card with a cheque and the self indulgent shopping spree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I have a new birthday ritual, which is to
go out on that shopping spree anyway with my own money to buy something that I
think of as being from him.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am lucky to have an uxorious husband who takes pleasure
in buying me clothes for my birthday too, so this year I have indulged in two
lovely pieces of fair-trade clothing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From my Pa, a block-printed tunic dress by Accacia from Chandni Chowk,
which pleases the natural dye geek in me by having a swing ticket enumerating
the dyes used (alizarin, indigo, madder, cassis, iron, pomegranate, turmeric)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvEZ4qrwHpgL34cgxEV3xU7yLNP0xoVQfB7CJsNBELL4_GV7hmFWS9coSJplm4gMi40yDA4BGSeLwGYNRleNjcsCMrNFsx5evp9xjZ_lqEfokH6-qzt-68AW9JiRNiNmS1edAR5LGdPA/s1600/dye+tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvEZ4qrwHpgL34cgxEV3xU7yLNP0xoVQfB7CJsNBELL4_GV7hmFWS9coSJplm4gMi40yDA4BGSeLwGYNRleNjcsCMrNFsx5evp9xjZ_lqEfokH6-qzt-68AW9JiRNiNmS1edAR5LGdPA/s1600/dye+tag.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And from Steve this rather lovely summery retro-styled number from
People Tree.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDe2-EtaHpzDiPs266CWYH0xoddk1TRg4G_3MfdZRlzHhyphenhyphenEORaUklpBRGfErtgonMDQIK0-4Vp79ceZBiaLpqisRomaTHiqUWlQyxtJec9W-Cd9CZjFHqWxVAh5EQG5tn-oJhrTPb7EsI/s1600/people+tree+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDe2-EtaHpzDiPs266CWYH0xoddk1TRg4G_3MfdZRlzHhyphenhyphenEORaUklpBRGfErtgonMDQIK0-4Vp79ceZBiaLpqisRomaTHiqUWlQyxtJec9W-Cd9CZjFHqWxVAh5EQG5tn-oJhrTPb7EsI/s1600/people+tree+dress.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not even my birthday yet, but the current sunny weather is making me look forward to venturing out in my new threads. <strong>Thanks,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>chaps</strong>!</span></div>
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-47039973592206094292013-04-16T19:54:00.001+01:002013-04-16T19:54:47.202+01:00there must be a better way!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have spent the day crawling around on the dining room
floor trying to pin together the three layers of my quilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffmqiGPso1tHAYeo2cY7DZCrjwxdt4hkC707hd0MvimUkagcaaaUVr5ef8y5zv4UguIkof6t5ZT3jRSoNm_KBGV2wrpFmHALpSKIplJMmh2Be77kL0-Rz5SlSHpf3Cds_NAfSerzFaDA/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffmqiGPso1tHAYeo2cY7DZCrjwxdt4hkC707hd0MvimUkagcaaaUVr5ef8y5zv4UguIkof6t5ZT3jRSoNm_KBGV2wrpFmHALpSKIplJMmh2Be77kL0-Rz5SlSHpf3Cds_NAfSerzFaDA/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is my least favourite stage of quilt
making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To start with it is always
difficult to find a large enough space to spread out the whole fabric. Then
getting the fabric completely flat and wrinkle-free on each successive layer is
a difficult and deeply frustrating process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several times I had to completely lift the top fabric and start again
because as I spread it out I found that it was extending past the edge of the
backing fabric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once satisfied with the
layering I then needed to pin the three layers together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall it is a very physical and actually
quite painful process – despite the use of that cushion, my knees will take a while to recover!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzErv9XNEUM0UoVB4H0z8vMlECwf_AR3aWivjPem8UzPjz-sPSneRjwfwFA3RktmsUBMuVZ0w9iP94p04S0i8SKsbqUuAPGazj4nLKe92jTRZ5SkEHgw6JLatZz4B68mEE7Z8Zb7Zdizo/s1600/lucy+boston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzErv9XNEUM0UoVB4H0z8vMlECwf_AR3aWivjPem8UzPjz-sPSneRjwfwFA3RktmsUBMuVZ0w9iP94p04S0i8SKsbqUuAPGazj4nLKe92jTRZ5SkEHgw6JLatZz4B68mEE7Z8Zb7Zdizo/s320/lucy+boston.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The remarkable <a href="http://www.quiltersthreads.co.uk/sample-page/the-manor-hemingford-grey-huntingdon/" target="_blank">Lucy Boston</a> (who wrote the Green Knowe children's books) was still making quilts into
her eighties, hand-quilting them at ten stitches per inch, so how did she
manage the layering process?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t
imagine many octogenarians being able to scramble around on their knees as I
was today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If there are a</span>ny quilt-makers out there
who can give me some advice, I shall be glad to hear it.</span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-13748701960823226572013-03-25T19:48:00.000+00:002013-03-25T19:48:32.846+00:00two exhibitions<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday we took our weekend visitors to two local exhibitions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up: <a href="http://www.rwa.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2013/03/drawn/" target="_blank">Drawn at the RWA</a>. The added frisson here was that my <a href="http://onedaylikethistoday.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">talented husband</a> had had a piece of work selected!</span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0S2t9NOTY4FmwEVLENpB4vp3_ecJrhQsDpz30v1SOf8TkzckEldKuYvfMT-zzqjfNuIUr1_8FDWPiWjyUCq-dYmCXiFK9S-D96e7l0XgoMsKuYf5oTKMw0l7XN4ZuYBTjXEq-a99rkI/s1600/RWA3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0S2t9NOTY4FmwEVLENpB4vp3_ecJrhQsDpz30v1SOf8TkzckEldKuYvfMT-zzqjfNuIUr1_8FDWPiWjyUCq-dYmCXiFK9S-D96e7l0XgoMsKuYf5oTKMw0l7XN4ZuYBTjXEq-a99rkI/s320/RWA3.jpg" ssa="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes that is a red dot! (picture credit Steve Broadway)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a really lovely exhibition showcasing the skill which is the foundation of artistic practice. For me the striking thing about the show is the sheer diversity of artistic expression. I was intrigued by the contrast between artists who employ a few spare lines and those whose pleasure is to render what they see in minute detail. To quote the RWA’s press release: “Far from being a traditional drawing show, works included vary hugely in materials, subject, and style. From iPad life drawings to chalk drawn directly on the RWA gallery floors, from embroidered drawings to flocked screenprints, the works push boundaries, taking drawing to new heights.” Drawn runs until 2 June and I recommend a visit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a civilised break for coffee, we made our way just down the road to Bristol City Museum where, tucked away on the top floor at the back of the building, is a small but delightful exhibition entitled <a href="http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/stitching-and-thinking-exhibition" target="_blank">“Stitching and Thinking”.</a> Starting with samplers of darning and mending from the museum collection, this show then moves on to examine ideas of mending and repair – from the straightforward repair of stitched artefacts to the more costly business of repairing broken hearts.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnWPqPWcUqVRiT8GlQ-JsipCP_VKJE13C1CaHbNqI62exkIat3B80J-p7ZOvnkfXOiPCkn_hzyT5zkx42MDHj23HoHW04LcCNTajsnATxZy3d8EQfWUlhIfbLVDmhLUhAPtIGcs9qmto/s1600/stitch%2520and%2520think%2520instagramed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnWPqPWcUqVRiT8GlQ-JsipCP_VKJE13C1CaHbNqI62exkIat3B80J-p7ZOvnkfXOiPCkn_hzyT5zkx42MDHj23HoHW04LcCNTajsnATxZy3d8EQfWUlhIfbLVDmhLUhAPtIGcs9qmto/s320/stitch%2520and%2520think%2520instagramed.jpg" ssa="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Picture credit: Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The discipline of limiting the colour palette to white cloth and red stitching creates a simple and poignant overall effect, which makes it a very appropriate companion to the largely monochrome exhibition of drawing at RWA. There are only a couple more weeks of this lovely exhibition and I’m hoping to get to the final gallery talk on 3 April.</span> blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-88399514173075811302013-03-25T15:46:00.002+00:002013-03-25T15:46:58.852+00:00lucky me!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Receiving this bundle of tea-time goodies in the post on Friday morning got the weekend off to a very good start! I was lucky enough to win <a href="http://lovethosecupcakes.typepad.com/love_those_cupcakes/2013/03/my-entry-1.html#comments" target="_blank">Liz's giveaway</a> to celebrate her blog's fifth birthday. When I first came across the concept of blogging I thought that it seemed a bit egotistical like writing a personal diary with publication in mind. But I've come to see it in quite a different light. My own tentative steps into the blogging world were also about five years ago and although I'm by no means prolific and haven't got a vast throng of readers, I've discovered a lovely world of shared interests, supportive online communities, plenty of fun and masses of information and inspiration. Thanks, Liz!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J_xiB1dGV2FY7EqBgnaeUS4BSAJ-o4VRSb4ducDevmsDc1I-Ks99uzIWRTGR1RvRusQRuFZRH-8AAFMCl_jhNf44AtxAbP5AdYF0jmuBB8tnQXZZJNnlqTMUJwPLzFfkXqYFMqQPSVo/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J_xiB1dGV2FY7EqBgnaeUS4BSAJ-o4VRSb4ducDevmsDc1I-Ks99uzIWRTGR1RvRusQRuFZRH-8AAFMCl_jhNf44AtxAbP5AdYF0jmuBB8tnQXZZJNnlqTMUJwPLzFfkXqYFMqQPSVo/s320/007.JPG" ssa="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly the light wasn't good enough to make a decent photograph. No snow here to intensify the light; just wall-to-wall grey. That didn't stop us from having an excellent weekend with visiting friends - food, natter, mooching around galleries and shops, reminiscing, laughing, a brisk cold walk round the harbourside, more food; the best kind of weekend.</span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-10857991316622712662013-03-07T14:41:00.000+00:002013-03-07T14:41:25.126+00:00getting shirty (work in progress)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the back end of last year I had an idea for a quilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was inspired by Morwhenna Woolcock’s<a href="http://madeinbristol.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/featured-maker-morwhenna-woolcock.html" target="_blank"> lovely screen-printed bags</a> made from recycled men’s shirts and by the memory of a quilt I had seen in a book many years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I put out a call to the men in my family for their cast off shirts and I also went hunting in charity shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charity shop shirts are surprisingly expensive when all you’re planning to do with them is chop them up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked a couple of times whether they had a stash of shirts that weren’t good enough to go out on the racks, but I always seemed to have turned up the day after the ragman had been!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s ironic that buying brand new fabric might have been less expensive, but the important point about this project is to re-use and at least my money was ending up with a charity.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXA34d9EEzRYwoBYEx3iWV_9vMp9RgmKwcSeQiDFrxZazObojDn9BXtRlITzKXNcSbOqDfuM61sboIEQKZ84QzET5stEKlcOfch2ePgvaWL5V8aSNsOEzD__fdv8TQ9Xw6m6-AltBj00/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXA34d9EEzRYwoBYEx3iWV_9vMp9RgmKwcSeQiDFrxZazObojDn9BXtRlITzKXNcSbOqDfuM61sboIEQKZ84QzET5stEKlcOfch2ePgvaWL5V8aSNsOEzD__fdv8TQ9Xw6m6-AltBj00/s320/008.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week it seemed like time to make some progress, so I set about cutting up my pile of old shirts (“pre-loved” as the saying goes!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt almost sacrilegious; men’s shirts – even the cheap and cheerful brands – are amazingly well-made and constructed to last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chopped off cuffs, collars, yokes, button bands and ended up with rectangles of cotton, polycotton and linen from backs, fronts and sleeves and a whole tangle of discarded pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely there’s something I can still do with those!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little bit of play with my harvested fabrics made me realise that the lovely blues and greys of my chosen shirts were a little bit pale and bland when viewed en masse, so I had another shopping session and came back with a couple of shirts that had red in the pattern. This was better, but still worryingly dull. I like borders on quilts, they provide a sort of frame for the patchwork within, but I had been hoping that this could be a really simple quilt just pieced together in large pieces, with maybe a bit of contrast colour in the binding. However, as I laid out the pieces and looked at them it came to me that one of the reasons that traditional quilts often have a contrasting inner border is that if a quilt is draped over a bed the binding is largely invisible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately this was design on the hoof and I pieced together an inner square and <a href="http://rubyandthepaperparade.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ruth’s fabric stash</a> yielded some plain red fabric. It’s fantastic what a splash of contrasting colour can do to bring the whole thing together and give it a bit of excitement. I'll try to bring some decent photos to the blog when I've finished it. I've left some pockets in place (for little notes or treasures) and it's going to have quite a few buttons added as the quilt "ties".</span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-49987213369602380052013-02-21T17:36:00.000+00:002013-02-21T17:36:02.944+00:00are handkerchiefs disgusting?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a recent bedroom clear-out I came across a pile of my Mum and Dad’s old handkerchiefs (yes, I know, weird what we keep!) and they got me thinking.</span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuoqoAIBDBqQFsS1bb_L2udn2zGx9lQeZM_6cGhJnAVDQ-FyIDFBKQQBU7p9jxB7hvtqunQdNU6NorNH6VtaMo3PqiygFGw8Yu0lPvlyUDEtZpBPXKbbG_pDs4WrRqJOGzRNsgYLAjV0/s1600/2013-02-21+08.52.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuoqoAIBDBqQFsS1bb_L2udn2zGx9lQeZM_6cGhJnAVDQ-FyIDFBKQQBU7p9jxB7hvtqunQdNU6NorNH6VtaMo3PqiygFGw8Yu0lPvlyUDEtZpBPXKbbG_pDs4WrRqJOGzRNsgYLAjV0/s320/2013-02-21+08.52.39.jpg" width="315" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some time ago I read a post on a message board decrying what the writer considered the disgusting habit of using a tissue to blow one’s nose and then putting it back in a pocket, or even (horror!) re-using it. There is a current infection control campaign to “Catch it. Bin it. Kill it”, which is encouraging us to carry tissues so that we can catch a sneeze in a tissue and then dispose of it. But where? If you’re on a bus or out in the street, where is the vile object to be deposited? I also find that carrying a number of tissues in a bag results in a horrible papery mess that’s no use for anything. Googling the slogan “coughs and sneezes spread diseases” led to some funny public information films from the 1940s encouraging that generation to catch their sneezes in a handkerchief.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As someone who grew up in a less wasteful and possibly less hygiene-obsessed age, I was taught to use my cotton handkerchief at one corner first, so that it could be used more than once. And (unless I actually had a cold) it was expected to last all day. “Have you got a clean hankie?” was my mother’s invariable farewell call as I left the house. Since those days I have, like most of the rest of the population, taken to using tissues and my mother would be ashamed of me because I often forget to supply myself with one before going out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrmV7rwSyPfhnZCsLTiHE6hcqepM0Sk0Im2xfMrprYUOeIUK96-GQR2UBzHUyGkOgmKgISzW0Z6-Iv5IpS5RmLBBkZkB4KNXd9MYYorMGW5dYR7ngWKd8Kp4FoZg55W8ADqLFcDMm2O4/s1600/gingham_hankies-600-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrmV7rwSyPfhnZCsLTiHE6hcqepM0Sk0Im2xfMrprYUOeIUK96-GQR2UBzHUyGkOgmKgISzW0Z6-Iv5IpS5RmLBBkZkB4KNXd9MYYorMGW5dYR7ngWKd8Kp4FoZg55W8ADqLFcDMm2O4/s320/gingham_hankies-600-1-2.jpg" width="232" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was really interested, therefore, to find a </span><a href="http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2013/2/14/lauras-loop-roll-and-dash-hankies.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tutorial for hand-hemmed hankies</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> on a craft blog and comments which make it clear that some people do still use them, either for preference or on “green” anti-waste grounds. Since then I’ve been going out with a cotton hankie in my pocket. Whether I’ll be organised enough to keep on top of the laundry is another matter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Handkerchiefs: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>disgusting or green?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Before someone else suggests it I realise that green and disgusting is also an option!)</span></div>
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-40370001824834939282013-02-20T13:53:00.000+00:002013-02-20T13:53:59.994+00:00happy soup<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some left over roasted beetroot and butternut squash made the basis of a lovely colourful soup to brighten a grey day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just added chicken stock and a couple of chopped potatoes, bubbled it for twenty minutes and whizzed with the hand blender. The addition of a dollop of creme fraiche and some bread and cheese made a cheering lunch for three</span>.<br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-19307625209010341012013-02-18T17:35:00.001+00:002013-02-18T17:35:29.971+00:00weekend<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, at the weekend my sister finally made her twice-postponed Christmas/New Year Visit. I was beginning to think it was going to be the subject of perpetual rearrangement until next Christmas. January/February also had other postponed visits because of bad weather and illness, so I was beginning to feel a bit jinxed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately we were able to assemble the local family for an evening gathering on Friday when we all ate together early enough to accommodate small children’s bedtimes. We also exchanged some belated Christmas presents, which felt very strange! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday we went shopping! Not a particularly favourite activity for either of us, but Sheila needed some office clothes and a second opinion, so off we went. We got that sorted reasonably painlessly and met up with Steve for a snack lunch at the lovely refurbished Bristol Guild Cafe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next stop was a bit of culture at the <a href="http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery" target="_blank">Museum</a> where it was the last weekend of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Footsore by now, we trudged home for tea, cake and quantities more food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday with visitors always means some kind of walk. So we headed off to <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/leigh-woods/" target="_blank">Leigh Woods</a> for a wander and even saw a bit of sunshine and blue sky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a very good weekend, so I woke this morning feeling a little more optimistic about the eventual arrival of Spring and the prospect of more trips and visits.</span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-12301604116415280732013-02-13T12:14:00.000+00:002013-02-13T12:14:35.743+00:00marmalade (again)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s that time of year again; the internet is awash with marmalade posts. So here’s my annual update on the marmalade ritual. In fact I am a little late to the party – largely because the <a href="http://twobluehands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/amo-amas-amat.html" target="_blank">28 jars I made last year</a> did, in fact, last a full year and we’re only just on the last one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn’t have the energy for another marathon session, so bought a modest bag of Seville oranges from our local greengrocer. We had a similar number in the freezer from 12 months ago and they combined to produce about 1500g. I also had quite a number of lemon “shells” in the freezer, <a href="http://twobluehands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/squeeze-them-till-pips-squeak.html" target="_blank">which I save after squeezing as described in this post last year</a>, so they were included in the mix as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I noticed that a friend had used <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/marmalade-1256" target="_blank">Nigella Lawson’s recipe</a>*, which involves boiling the fruit whole. As I had frozen fruit which would certainly be rather soft and squashy by the time it thawed out, this seemed to be a method that would embrace that characteristic rather than make a problem of it. I found that it worked pretty well. Once the oranges have been cooked and sliced open, it’s very easy to scoop the flesh and pips out leaving softened peel which is easy to chop finely for inclusion in the marmalade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used “jam sugar” with added pectin rather than the usual granulated and it reached setting point quite quickly. (The sugar also has added citric acid, so the remainder was delicious on our Shrove Tuesday pancakes!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ta dah! Another lovely addition to the store cupboard. <strong>Whoever invented marmalade was a genius.</strong> I know that my husband will be quietly twitching about the skew-whiffy labels, but hey – he gets to eat the gorgeous stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>*(Having just gone back to that recipe to put the link in, I discover that it's not actually a Nigella recipe, but one posted on her community boards by someone under the alias "chocolate nemesis" so the credit should go to him/her). </em></span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-83628725374237579022013-01-20T12:58:00.000+00:002013-01-20T12:58:14.562+00:00snow motion<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hurrah! I can get around in the snow again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve never been a huge lover of the snow. As a child obviously I found it quite exciting and did my fair share of snowman building, snowball throwing and tobogganing if there was the opportunity. Equally, I had never had any special dread of snow, until I had a fall three years ago which led to a twisted ankle and badly bruised ribs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That experience left me feeling fearful of going out if there was snow or ice underfoot. I wasn’t happy with the sense of being housebound and dependent on other people for supplies. It felt like old age a little bit too soon. So when I saw a headline back in early December about the “coldest week for decades” (which turned out to be nonsense) we decided to buy some shoe spikes. This weekend has been our first opportunity to try them out and I’m very pleased indeed. Confidence returned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently they’re among “the top ten gifts for older people”, but I’m happy to see that <a href="http://charlottesplot.com/2013/01/19/snow-2/" target="_blank">Charlotte</a> who is perfectly young and fit was looking for her "yaktrax" before going for a walk with the dog.</span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-85888598248854701502012-12-26T11:12:00.001+00:002012-12-26T14:00:59.549+00:00christmas dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, for the first time in our married lives, there were just the two of us for Christmas Dinner as all the daughters were committed to visiting their other families on The Day and my sister is not arriving until the weekend when there will be more of the extended family around. In the past I sometimes used to feel the victim of other people's expectations of Christmas, so we've never insisted that our family <strong>have</strong> to be around to fulfil particular rituals and we were happy with that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact daughter no. 1 invited us over for Christmas breakfast, so we were able spend time with them and exchange some presents early in the day and then we went off for a walk in the woods. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had bought a venison fillet for our Christmas dinner and was a little bit anxious about cooking it, as it only needed ten minutes in the oven and I didn't want to spoil it. Step forward one of my trusty spreadsheets, proof (if any were needed) that I am a control freak at heart!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm glad to say that it was delicious and we very much enjoyed our day. I hope you did too.</span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-91405474116164912232012-11-02T22:01:00.001+00:002012-11-02T22:01:41.047+00:00odyssey<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have just come back from seeing an amazing show at the <a href="http://tobaccofactorytheatre.com/" target="_blank">Tobacco Factory</a> Theatre - <a href="http://thepapercinema.com/" target="_blank">Paper Cinema's</a> Odyssey.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGwMq2pQXPPDdFiSmxS1-iI2HvbXpNjIhGzY1q_vUvp_Rl0lLvB2E_PxU-kaPRVzBYlRfZWLRuMPMkU-6BfXS3tophWrlMQ28BQeXjV_Bs8lm2110428DoKhKX5K7hXvJvkbralm5_XU/s1600/odyssey_image1_WEB-535x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGwMq2pQXPPDdFiSmxS1-iI2HvbXpNjIhGzY1q_vUvp_Rl0lLvB2E_PxU-kaPRVzBYlRfZWLRuMPMkU-6BfXS3tophWrlMQ28BQeXjV_Bs8lm2110428DoKhKX5K7hXvJvkbralm5_XU/s320/odyssey_image1_WEB-535x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went on the recommendation of our great friend <a href="http://standingstillinamovingplace.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Si</a>, not knowing what to expect, but knowing that he rarely comes up with a duff tipoff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The publicity describes it thus: “Homer’s Odyssey, a cornerstone of literature, [is] vividly told through beautiful illustration and masterful puppetry. Cinematic projection and cunning tricks transform a suitcase full of cut-out paper puppets into an array of living characters and striking landscapes. A silent film is created before your eyes, set to a captivating live score from exceptional musicians.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was quite astonishing and a total delight – a strange fusion of illustration/animation, puppetry and magic lantern show all performed before our very eyes with wit and charm.</span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-49507244862258039402012-10-14T15:20:00.001+01:002012-10-14T15:20:24.705+01:00peacock feathers<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometime in the late eighties I bought a 120cm square of Liberty fine wool in William Morris’s peacock feather design. I fringed the edges and gave it to my mother for Christmas as a shawl. When my mother died in February 1992 it came back to me along with her snow-grey wool coat. I wore them together and they warmed and comforted me through the rest of that sad, cold winter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeEx9oskfI0psVu9-rNAy0XmRyEGcHlphbGwiFS47-9tfvMpCV-ZfURWlcqjTswndtSwtnSSwT8rEoNi9NyPPUwsHvQIjN662flwlEOfyJBEDHZtQ1aqJwP-2yKxmFRkPLiPpBDZ9mVw/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeEx9oskfI0psVu9-rNAy0XmRyEGcHlphbGwiFS47-9tfvMpCV-ZfURWlcqjTswndtSwtnSSwT8rEoNi9NyPPUwsHvQIjN662flwlEOfyJBEDHZtQ1aqJwP-2yKxmFRkPLiPpBDZ9mVw/s320/004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The years passed and the coat went to a charity shop and the shawl into a drawer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of years ago I visited the <a href="http://www.welshquilts.com/" target="_blank">Welsh Quilt Centre in Lampeter</a>, where there was an exhibition showcasing Victorian quilts made from Indian Paisley shawls. I came home inspired and rooted around to find whether I still had that shawl. After a few disappointing experiments of adding other fabrics to the Liberty square I eventually decided just to use the one piece of fabric, but to make it into a scarf that I could wear again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDPVx6bmlSaZxkXUXt7lcdjDYscS8nlvUizZCKWK2wmki7zznbrTXIKMBrNqsAGEedOZwy8OTj1_-e9a1e4QuYS-fsYPdAqdl49eHvfIQgKj_-hWQjVqAol9t9kEOojYCcWEkF-TqSnw/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDPVx6bmlSaZxkXUXt7lcdjDYscS8nlvUizZCKWK2wmki7zznbrTXIKMBrNqsAGEedOZwy8OTj1_-e9a1e4QuYS-fsYPdAqdl49eHvfIQgKj_-hWQjVqAol9t9kEOojYCcWEkF-TqSnw/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cut it in half and rejoined it to make a longer shape, then folded and seamed that long piece. I could have stopped there with a long scarf, but I still had the quilting idea in mind so decided simply to stitch the entire surface kantha-style. I used a variety of different hand embroidery threads in shades of blue and grey. It took a long time, but I am finally done – and wearing it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not sure what my mother would have thought of the process - she was an elegant woman and quite particular about the way clothes should be worn. I'm happy, though, to have another turn at wearing something to remind me of her as she was before illness robbed her of speech and personality.</span>
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<br />blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-35412791397035290292012-10-12T09:08:00.001+01:002012-10-12T09:08:45.488+01:00squeeze them till the pips squeak<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I noticed recently that Carluccio's were heavily promoting their own brand </span><a href="http://www.carluccios.com/shop-online/item/lemon-oil" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lemon oil</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (made by crushing whole lemons with the oil) and it reminded me that I hadn't made any lemon and rosemary flavoured oil for a while. The version I make comes from a Good Housekeeping recipe from a few years back and is very simply made.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGnZREcbLsoNV7K41dVIA771mkwa9s7CeI3lkfaigr-a4WshhWuUISdXQJow5kGrIGMp6rXu4IzQmktixsqRL7HNN-lclrWQfe0hmqBm_z3p8a7iZ6SwdsVlG5doHgWEutMcGd5CtdAc/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGnZREcbLsoNV7K41dVIA771mkwa9s7CeI3lkfaigr-a4WshhWuUISdXQJow5kGrIGMp6rXu4IzQmktixsqRL7HNN-lclrWQfe0hmqBm_z3p8a7iZ6SwdsVlG5doHgWEutMcGd5CtdAc/s320/002.JPG" width="294" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Wednesday I assembled the ingredients: 2 litres of extra virgin olive oil, four sturdy sprigs of rosemary from the garden, the finely peeled outer skin of two lemons and a few juniper berries. (Plus a few sterilised bottles). Ideally the lemon peel should be a single long curl that can be wrapped spirally around the sprig of rosemary and inserted into the bottle, but this is easier said than done; the lemon peel sometimes breaks off before you want it to and even when you do get a long strip and wrap it carefully inserting it into the bottle then causes a collapse! I have, in the past, achieved a couple of specimens with the perfect appearance, but not on this occasion. They still look pretty though and after a week or two for the flavours to develop this oil will be delicious for dipping and drizzling (at a fraction of the cost of commercially prepared flavoured oil).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having bottled up my oil I was left with two juicy lemons in the fridge shivering in their underwear. I know, from sad experience, that they won't last very long in that condition; mould will soon attack. So yesterday, inspired by my </span><a href="http://justgai.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/harvest-thanksgiving.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">friend G</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I decided that lemon curd had to be made. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lemon_curd_68499" target="_blank">recipe I found on the BBC website</a> specified four lemons (juice and zest). I decided that three and a half lemons, two of which had already been plundered for their zest, would have to do.
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I hadn't made lemon curd for years and it really is remarkably easy. The whole process probably only took just over half an hour. Unless you are making it as gifts this really isn't worth making in huge batches as the presence of eggs and butter mean that it won't keep for more than a month or two.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not content with two uses for my lemons, I bagged up the squeezed shells and popped them in the freezer. I will thaw out a few next time I'm roasting a chicken. They still retain enough juiciness to anoint the chicken flesh and I tuck one into the body cavity and leave another to roast in the tin, giving a delicious lemony tang to the finished chicken. (Or maybe try Sara's lovely idea for </span><a href="http://foodolution.com/anyone-for-gt-marmalade/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gin and Tonic Marmalade.</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-29329857988500759602012-10-03T11:54:00.000+01:002012-10-03T11:54:29.913+01:00jewel quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For several years I have been planning to make a silk quilt, using all the bits and pieces of fabric I had gathered over the years. Some were pieces of clothing, others scraps of sari silk or just pretty fabrics that had taken my fancy and most were acquired during the years when I was doing the City & Guilds Creative Embroidery courses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The original idea was for an exotic, voluptuous bed quilt made from quite large squares. In the event it turned out quite a bit smaller. Cutting silk is a tricky, inexact process - even with a ruler and a rotary cutter. The flimsier fabrics needed to be mounted on fine iron-on interfacing, partly to stabilise them and partly to render them opaque; the prospect of being able to see the details of the quilt wadding through the top fabric was not attractive. In the end the squares were much smaller than originally envisaged because when it came to cutting up old skirts and finding large enough areas on pieces of fabric that had already been cut for other uses that was what was practical. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time I’d cut and assembled enough for this modest 135cm x 66cm quilt I’d had quite enough and just decided to go for it. The finished squares are 9cm x 9cm. It was pieced together by machine and I quilted it by hand with a slightly sparkly machine embroidery thread. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjJcsfziruI6GHALR1vNBReg1OU0F26ssKpjYalxeYmkZuCSeN6rAPq1lE7GRWsJYiTrE37u7yc0iA-QusdLJ79t68jS_8xtaNJ1xeVUK4ERzhPUrJRyG1gXBfZaoVJjOGyFdDxK4Yn8/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjJcsfziruI6GHALR1vNBReg1OU0F26ssKpjYalxeYmkZuCSeN6rAPq1lE7GRWsJYiTrE37u7yc0iA-QusdLJ79t68jS_8xtaNJ1xeVUK4ERzhPUrJRyG1gXBfZaoVJjOGyFdDxK4Yn8/s320/010.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a slightly eccentric size means that I have no immediate use or function for it; something that makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. I imagine it could be used as a decorative runner at the end of a bed (though it doesn’t fit my decorative style) or as a wall hanging. Maybe the colours will appeal to one of our magpie grand-daughters.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7DOqLVomMP-vYIir6-lAnmDV4dWtbOLIU1Pe_SFAy6OOfsXRoRMqXsX5Q-42nDY3oYQ9C4sBpYnMI8RXu5H17SXqVH8YqSle-XVI-fhXlHOGpdbIV-OLo5u9fZaCvhO9eOTE6leruYU/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7DOqLVomMP-vYIir6-lAnmDV4dWtbOLIU1Pe_SFAy6OOfsXRoRMqXsX5Q-42nDY3oYQ9C4sBpYnMI8RXu5H17SXqVH8YqSle-XVI-fhXlHOGpdbIV-OLo5u9fZaCvhO9eOTE6leruYU/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was planning and making this I thought of it as my “silk quilt”, but while it was in progress the people who saw it unfailingly used the words “jewel colours” so the “jewel quilt” is what it has become.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">NOTE: the colours of my photographs are quite annoyingly inaccurate, particularly for the fabric of the outer border and backing, which is in reality a deep purple colour, rather than navy blue.</span><br />
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<br />blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-10985379097402187352012-09-29T11:53:00.000+01:002012-09-29T16:44:00.694+01:00i've got a little list<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp_6zDKYsTTDV_qe2noV9NJkxCDZimZEl_YrwStyycUhhzl5SztZZdueULTHNT9pFIl0KXIq8Nk5RcCIg3qmiasu7-xYdd1vUcxNY7ta2NVDvHwrWWngNtQXRglBfpna6sAKJmSMYCf8/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp_6zDKYsTTDV_qe2noV9NJkxCDZimZEl_YrwStyycUhhzl5SztZZdueULTHNT9pFIl0KXIq8Nk5RcCIg3qmiasu7-xYdd1vUcxNY7ta2NVDvHwrWWngNtQXRglBfpna6sAKJmSMYCf8/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not one of those people who live by lists, making them every day and obsessively ticking things off, (though I live with and admire the productivity of someone who does). But neither could I live a completely list-free life. They definitely have their uses for efficient shopping, planning for events such as Christmas and generally making sure that things get done. When I was still working I had a daily to-do list to keep me on track and more recently I have discovered the beauty of what I can only call an aspirational list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three or so years ago I made a list of fifty things to do before I was sixty. You can see it <a href="http://twobluehands.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/birthday-list.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It was a mixture of things to do, things to do more of, one off special activities, regular commitments and plans for the future. It wasn’t too prescriptive. It was fun to make and it was fun to do the stuff and interesting to revisit and see how I had got on. Clearly life has moved on; I am now retired and so is Steve, so the shape of our days and weeks has changed significantly. Spending eight weeks “home alone” in the summer while S was off volunteering on Iona made it reassuringly clear to me that I enjoy my quiet domestic existence with its gentle routine of one or two regular activities, friends and family within easy reach, sewing and knitting projects to keep me busy and creative. I am generally content to take things as they come and make it up as I go along, but there is always the danger of drifting, of frittering, of getting to the end of a day, or week and thinking “what have I achieved?” or “why did I spend the day on household tasks instead of something I enjoy?”</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I thought it was time to revisit the List and make some plans. I started by going back to the 50before60 list and merrily crossing off the things that were done and dusted, or that time had told me I was never going to do. Then I added in new plans; nothing huge, nothing too difficult, but little things to make the future look inviting and to help keep me a bit more focused.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time it seemed helpful to divide the list into general headings.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>PLACES TO VISIT OR REVISIT</strong></span>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cambridge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St Ives</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Penzance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roseland Peninsula</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exeter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cardiff</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rye</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amsterdam/Utrecht</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ireland</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vancouver</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>HEALTH/EXERCISE/SPIRITUAL</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More walking – including more of what I did recently and which I would describe as a sort of prayer walk; spending the best part of a day walking in the city, stopping off from time to time to read a passage or a prayer from a book on pilgrimage.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reduce weight by 5% - yep, still working on this one!</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>REGULAR ACTIVITIES</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Singing with a community choir</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Knit and Natter</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>CREATIVE</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finish “jewel” quilt (more on this soon)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More indigo prep: (I love the dyeing, but stitching and preparing fabrics for the dye vat takes ages)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finish my mother’s canvas-work rug</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finish my Kantha quilted scarf</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complete green cardigan currently on the needles</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chart and stitch some needlepoint cushions from a design by my daughter to go with some newly re-upholstered chairs which belonged to my grandmother</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>CULTURE</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More theatre.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regular cinema</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read at least two books a month</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exhibitions and galleries</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>COMMUNITY/FAMILY/FRIENDSHIP</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spending time with family and friends: one of the most pleasurable activities in life</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ithaca (our weekly get-together with friends to eat, talk, discuss a spiritual/philosophical theme)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Share veg garden with H+F</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Support for local initiatives like the Bristol Pound</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Malago WI</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>DOMESTIC/CULINARY</strong></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make another sourdough bread starter. I binned the last one when we went on holiday and never got round to starting another</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Batch cooking for freezer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making more interesting meals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small chunks of house clearing on a regular basis</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Egg custard!! No, I still haven’t got this one under my belt</span></li>
</ul>
blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-79372388328683317172012-09-24T18:00:00.000+01:002012-09-24T18:00:39.214+01:00when life gives you raspberries...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYb3JXOLpvmcZkRsE-r17nbXJEqm6xPou1EaMnii6-GU6sbhpeVRaQSSdX4mxscT1fUUi1SQev3SRcUTZ7f9xdKAyZZ7eaUAVUBf3E5qmvti8D7Tz8cIdRX16soYbmhrHD7jjLQFGhcI/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYb3JXOLpvmcZkRsE-r17nbXJEqm6xPou1EaMnii6-GU6sbhpeVRaQSSdX4mxscT1fUUi1SQev3SRcUTZ7f9xdKAyZZ7eaUAVUBf3E5qmvti8D7Tz8cIdRX16soYbmhrHD7jjLQFGhcI/s320/009.JPG" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went to Stratford again at the weekend. Not to see a play this time, but to look after a little grand-daughter so Hannah could go to a wedding and Felix could work.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had fun looking after the little lady and Stratford upon Avon had laid on a food festival for us! I stocked up with some spices and we bought lovely fat olives and sinus-busting wasabi peanuts as well as good breads and posh pork pies. In the regular farmers’ market Felix bought fabulous mushrooms for a risotto and I found “jamming raspberries” on special offer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this morning, back in Bristol, I got out the maslin pan and bubbled up a load of raspberry jam. Scrumptious!</span><br />
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blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-41253424768533821122012-08-31T13:16:00.000+01:002012-08-31T13:16:34.167+01:00the summer in brief<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to break a long silence? A quick catch up.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I provided the admin and housekeeping support for our annual Arts Trail weekend.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQtMdg4WB3oPQRIgisZCFILWwkcM5qSO6KEL53SjFKv3T9eYpXEC2JpnblU9XFAsDsDdfejtLbeHXabO-3hLL3qMZJL0QdDKe0ukcb8q_N1IG7ntsAx1SNNbp1qLAXPHpJ2NWJw5dxyM/s1600/ruth's+prints+and+drawings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQtMdg4WB3oPQRIgisZCFILWwkcM5qSO6KEL53SjFKv3T9eYpXEC2JpnblU9XFAsDsDdfejtLbeHXabO-3hLL3qMZJL0QdDKe0ukcb8q_N1IG7ntsAx1SNNbp1qLAXPHpJ2NWJw5dxyM/s320/ruth's+prints+and+drawings.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mister was away volunteering with the Iona community and my photos were not as good as his would have been.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I did a bit of solo travel:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sTNhofxZFX4k6hWENF4cyYSMjJKFPsDIIQD7VbjIk17YDeJ4ku_xa7onlN3_5rlEa_9_ORSYpRa0Z6WhWpwmJDbwNHN6KBPTQ4-5A5RoL_ojvsfdnMKYf9mJwLvpfIgO9qJBVIMSL-Y/s1600/2012-06-13+13.29.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sTNhofxZFX4k6hWENF4cyYSMjJKFPsDIIQD7VbjIk17YDeJ4ku_xa7onlN3_5rlEa_9_ORSYpRa0Z6WhWpwmJDbwNHN6KBPTQ4-5A5RoL_ojvsfdnMKYf9mJwLvpfIgO9qJBVIMSL-Y/s320/2012-06-13+13.29.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By car to visit my sister and see the Lichfield Mystery Plays </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By train to Stratford to visit daughter, s-i-l and granddaughter and to see an understudy performance of Twelfth Night (brilliant!) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By train to Glasgow to visit my cousin </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By train and ferries and coach to Iona for a week’s visit and catch up with the Mister </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And back home again by ferries, coach and trains visiting daughter no. 3 and all of her family in Lancashire en route.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found that journeys completed successfully alone leave me with a real buzz of achievement. There’s something about it that makes me feel capable and alive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did the usual amount of knitting and stitching</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlvfISkHYvCfcpggqtXrOctCfgfZ_wzm7JUXzTtNwzjTPyabWHAwiX0FDh0T2oIX93_oiN1T5c2mRo4VMFRFSTq31qpVMF5jL7jZEwpUjaccLoMs4irV9P6l8RfpU9pnNJWL0Z4FkpfA/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlvfISkHYvCfcpggqtXrOctCfgfZ_wzm7JUXzTtNwzjTPyabWHAwiX0FDh0T2oIX93_oiN1T5c2mRo4VMFRFSTq31qpVMF5jL7jZEwpUjaccLoMs4irV9P6l8RfpU9pnNJWL0Z4FkpfA/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had visitors:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Devon </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>From Holland </li>
<li>From the Czech Republic</li>
<li>From Leeds</li>
<li>From South Africa</li>
<li>Daughter no. 3 and two of her littlies</li>
<li>And currently an actor friend who is rehearsing and performing <a href="http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/wildoats.html" target="_blank">in Bristol</a></li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hat’s a lot of bedlinen!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have celebrated some birthdays</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have had a reunion of college friends some forty years on</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBe40tMDPkucrwHsgAPhepG99EuAhDkR70QDzGiaKuuj7a6W2djOPEgDGBnGEtuNjeRdmNt1oZuDkIlCtz7_tmw9WUaTNmkjyMrPZcPC_0pPo0HK94wusACh9GwSJ2X95c3kyo4UCnNk/s1600/reunion.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBe40tMDPkucrwHsgAPhepG99EuAhDkR70QDzGiaKuuj7a6W2djOPEgDGBnGEtuNjeRdmNt1oZuDkIlCtz7_tmw9WUaTNmkjyMrPZcPC_0pPo0HK94wusACh9GwSJ2X95c3kyo4UCnNk/s320/reunion.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have visited Devon for the Preview of an exhibition by friends</span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have been to a “secret” gig</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seen a couple of films</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visited Stratford again to see the Comedy of Errors</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have watched the Olympics on the telly (and now the Paralympics)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have watched these sunflowers grow painfully slowly to (finally) produce a tiny flower!</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyoX4zfRK1YAicqHON4enEr-gnWMGjCcw1ldKJ8X2ahoE_3yEH2C5BTZ-NlYLbNUrSJJ9_yYSuGxWMw76R8vhNOu0ZYu9F33cie-53aWrY9ND7XY9-21xZtBBxIUyJvsU6LRNw-qXPhQ/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyoX4zfRK1YAicqHON4enEr-gnWMGjCcw1ldKJ8X2ahoE_3yEH2C5BTZ-NlYLbNUrSJJ9_yYSuGxWMw76R8vhNOu0ZYu9F33cie-53aWrY9ND7XY9-21xZtBBxIUyJvsU6LRNw-qXPhQ/s320/020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7654135929833055741.post-57023161680002892752012-04-24T18:53:00.001+01:002012-04-24T18:53:05.611+01:00stage struck <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY9WhyphenhyphenBSkvSgQRfbpolFD8GlUJNMM5AR3Cvo78TlnYv0gPC_Qc2gvpp6gBrOHDZSyBMKpTwrNy9EFoMu2lxhgIPNMDWLkluVc13zcSoq16OMVi0_qdK4dCWti7vdr_9L_FSjm627Cia8/s1600/Comedy-2012-21-360x451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY9WhyphenhyphenBSkvSgQRfbpolFD8GlUJNMM5AR3Cvo78TlnYv0gPC_Qc2gvpp6gBrOHDZSyBMKpTwrNy9EFoMu2lxhgIPNMDWLkluVc13zcSoq16OMVi0_qdK4dCWti7vdr_9L_FSjm627Cia8/s400/Comedy-2012-21-360x451.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Felix Hayes as Dromio of Ephesus and Bruce Mackinnon as Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors. Photograph by Keith Pattison</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love that moment in the theatre when the lights go down. The tingle of anticipation never fails. I am eight years old again - in London with my parents waiting to watch Peter Pan (at the Scala with Julia Lockwood and Juliet Mills).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were taken regularly from school to see Shakespeare plays in Stratford upon Avon and during my teens I saw a lot of plays at the Birmingham Rep and Stoke’s Victoria Theatre, most of which I have forgotten, but including Pinter, Orton, Synge, Ibsen and Goldsmith which are just a random selection that come to mind. I revelled in all things theatrical when our children were members of the remarkable <a href="http://www.thameyouththeatre.co.uk/" target="_blank">Thame Youth Theatre</a>, serving on the committee and helping out with productions and watching one or two individuals hone their juvenile talent and go on to creative careers. Once the girls were old enough not to need babysitters we were able to get to theatre regularly again and as friends of <a href="http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/" target="_blank">Oxford Playhouse</a> enjoyed half price seats for first nights, which made us much more assiduous at getting tickets booked in advance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are lucky in Bristol to live within easy reach of <a href="http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/" target="_blank">Bristol Old Vic</a> and the <a href="http://tobaccofactorytheatre.com/" target="_blank">Tobacco Factory</a> Theatre and have seen great shows at both of them. We don’t go nearly as often as I would like – partly because I’m rubbish at forward planning. I’m slightly surprised that I haven’t done more blog posts about theatre, but I’m not really a reviewer or theatre critic; I tend to suck things up and enjoy them and move on to the next thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it won’t be a surprise to learn that I’m simply loving the opportunity to see plays at the RSC and spend time in Stratford with Hannah and Felix, where our lovely son-in-law F has a second season appearing in <a href="http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/the-comedy-of-errors/" target="_blank">What Country Friends Is This?</a> Shakespeare’s trilogy of Shipwreck Plays. So far we have seen and loved <em>Twelfth Night</em> and <em>The Tempest</em> and have <em>Comedy of Errors</em> booked for August. In the normal scheme of things Stratford is just a little bit too far away to go to an evening show and drive back the same night – falling asleep at the wheel is never a good plan. So staying overnight at their temporary home opposite the theatre is just great. I know that living in a cute cottage opposite the RSC in historic Stratford upon Avon can feel like being part of a living heritage museum (especially last weekend during Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations), but it’s also a huge privilege and quite brilliant for us as visitors. I noticed that later in the year the RSC are staging an Indian-based version of <em>Much Ado About Nothing</em>, which appeals to me very much – may have to ask if we can have bed and breakfast again for that!</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>blue handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641583999123384078noreply@blogger.com1