Tag: travel

Passing time

In not very original ways

Walking by the sea and over the downs, travel (pictures from Vienna, Paris, Sussex and Scotland), reading by the fire (currently a book in French called Boussole – much more exotic travelling East than I have ever managed!), visiting National Trust places and pretty churches and – these days – sorting out china from the attic spaces. For many years I collected art deco and 1930s hand painted china. I still love it – but it raises the same issues as the old photographs – what is the point of stashing it away in the roof? I’m happy to use it exclusively and ditch the modern stuff and I’m not too precious about it getting smashed – but it can’t go in the dishwasher (comes out plain white!) etc etc. Same problems with the stash of hand embroidered linens I have also picked up – because I couldn’t cope with the fact that nobody loves this domestic art any more – but I am not about to iron it every day!

So, fairly traditional ways of passing the time. Maybe not exciting (apart from the travel) but a satisfying way to fill the (ever diminishing!) time slots between family, Etsy and almost full time work. And there is always the spinning and associated fibre processes which are a little unusual – I count this as half way between work and hobby but it will always remain a passion.

Blogvember day 2

And already not that much to add…bit of a lazy day, shivering and full of a cold. Been watching TF1 clips of storm Cieran over Brest (wind gusts of 207kph) and further North near Wimereux (waves as high as a 7 storey building). Funny this has hardly been mentioned on the UK news, you’d think the whole thing started in Cornwall…. Oh, and there was footage of a couple of surfers, making the most of the ‘exceptional conditions’ – unbelievable, wonder if they even gave a thought about who might have to rescue them?

Couple of pictures of Vic-sur-Aisne, taken a couple of days ago. A pretty little town, and very authentically old France. So it seems to be (rightly) popular with English tourists – no doubt helped by the superb pâtisserie just down the road (ah, that millefeuille….)

There is a connection with the storm. The weather is already looking grim in those pictures, but it got a lot worse in Picardy yesterday and sadly a lorry driver was killed by a falling tree near here. I can never get my head round the devastating randomness of such a death. Life can seem very fragile.

On that note, à demain!

Well, that didn’t last….

No excuses, just too much else going on. And I’m sure I’ll struggle with WP even more now – it used to be dead straightforward, before it got clever and sophisticated, with so many options…

But I’ve been enjoying Blogtober, following a couple of people I admire who have posted on a daily basis all through the month. And then I thought, what about Blogvember? Typically late to the party….but it might be a fun challenge! And easier now I’m just back from France, from the fourth trip this year. Fighting the internet with a severely outdated laptop and no wifi.

Some slightly gloomy pictures of Beaune on the way back on Sunday. We mostly avoided motorways this time – takes forever but so much more interesting.

Next stop, Troyes, where many (many!) years ago I was a research assistant, ploughing through information about the Bibliothèque Bleue – hunting for mediaeval woodcuts reused in early 17th century peasants’ chapbooks printed in the town.

No work this time – just strolling along these extraordinary streets that seem to go on for ever (and eating rather well, still definitely possible in France!)

Well, that is Blogvember Day 1. Chances of keeping this going?

No particular reason – but SpinningStreak is back.

Unlike the dodos.

Back from holidays, from spending more time in France (of course) – and back to spinning (today) and work (tomorrow!)

Almost a year – wow. I’m sure I’m also back to discovering WordPress has ‘improved’ everything I used to be able to manage. We’ll see.

The blossom in the pictures (plum and quince) is somewhat misleading – absolutely no fruit this year, probably a late frost in May.

Back also to sorting stock – took this photo in front of me right now, but daren’t even turn round to show the rest – or the other rooms….!!

October in France (again!)

But this time with The Small Persons.

Mishmash of seasons – spectacular light, weirdly blue skies, lizards, temperatures around 27 degrees, ripe quinces…..warmest October since 1945, when records began. (And the second warmest October was last year…)

A magic slice of summer, no frosts yet at all. But of course there is a downside – there are daffodils with leaves a foot high, and lilac bushes with not only leaf buds but four actual flowers….in NOVEMBER?? This has got to be bad news for next spring. Rather scary. We’ll see.