"It's like driving at night in the fog. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
Edgar Lawrence Doctorow
American Author
Where happiness is lurking
1 week ago
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Ducks on the doorstep
I was eating my cornflakes this morning and heard a noise, louder than the tree surgeon's chainsaw next door - it was a very INSISTENT quacking - here's who was at the front door ...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Starting the day with Radio 2 ....
..... meant that, this morning, I was able to listen to the delightful Eric Bibb being interviewed and to hear him singing "Connected"
... AND to discover that he lives in Wiltshire!!!!!!!!!!
Here is a little video clip I made of him performing that song last year at the Village Pump Festival ...
... AND to discover that he lives in Wiltshire!!!!!!!!!!
Here is a little video clip I made of him performing that song last year at the Village Pump Festival ...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tagged!
I've been “tagged” by Raspberry Grace AND Shabby Angel (apparently it's a blogworld thing), so..
The rules: Answer 5 questions about myself. At the end of the post tag 5 people and post their names, go to their blog and leave them a comment letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read my blog for the rules. Let the person who tagged me know when I've posted my answers.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Well – who knows? BUT I can tell you that around that time I spent a month in Wyoming. I have just found a diary entry from then:
“It's another hot day here in Wyoming - daytime temperatures have been 90 - 100 although yesterday was cooler at 88. Today we are having a lazy time - yesterday Carol drove us down to Fort Laramie which was a fascinating place - on the way we stopped off for a picnic lunch at Natural Bridge, which is a secret place in the mountain - there is a huge natural stone arch eroded away over the river - very pretty. We also stopped off at Register Cliff to see the hundreds of inscriptions made by those pioneers on the Oregon Trail - and saw the ruts made in the rock by the wagons as they made their way west.“
5 Things on My To Do List Today
Reply to a wedding invitation
Catch up on e-mails
Find a poster frame
Go for a walk by the river
Try to remember what the fifth thing might be.
Snacks I enjoy
Winegums (have to be the ones in a tube) – is that a snack?
Things I would do if I were a millionaire
I’d rather not be a millionaire – I prefer the riches not linked to money - but if I were to be given £1m, I would give £150K to each of our 4 children, I would give £100K to the RNLI, £100K to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. So now, that leaves £200K. I’d treat everyone to a holiday – another £20K? So – I’ve still got loads left over. I’d spend about £15K on a trip to Australia, flying first-class in one of those comfy looking beds! I’d put the other £165K in the bank whilst I decided what to do with it. (You can tell I’m an MSE devotee)
Places I’ve lived
Bedfordshire, North Devon, South Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire
Bloggers tagged: All Things Shabby Chic, Rose&Bird, Shabby Homemaking, Dolly Dollop, Mumsee
The rules: Answer 5 questions about myself. At the end of the post tag 5 people and post their names, go to their blog and leave them a comment letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read my blog for the rules. Let the person who tagged me know when I've posted my answers.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Well – who knows? BUT I can tell you that around that time I spent a month in Wyoming. I have just found a diary entry from then:
“It's another hot day here in Wyoming - daytime temperatures have been 90 - 100 although yesterday was cooler at 88. Today we are having a lazy time - yesterday Carol drove us down to Fort Laramie which was a fascinating place - on the way we stopped off for a picnic lunch at Natural Bridge, which is a secret place in the mountain - there is a huge natural stone arch eroded away over the river - very pretty. We also stopped off at Register Cliff to see the hundreds of inscriptions made by those pioneers on the Oregon Trail - and saw the ruts made in the rock by the wagons as they made their way west.“
5 Things on My To Do List Today
Reply to a wedding invitation
Catch up on e-mails
Find a poster frame
Go for a walk by the river
Try to remember what the fifth thing might be.
Snacks I enjoy
Winegums (have to be the ones in a tube) – is that a snack?
Things I would do if I were a millionaire
I’d rather not be a millionaire – I prefer the riches not linked to money - but if I were to be given £1m, I would give £150K to each of our 4 children, I would give £100K to the RNLI, £100K to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. So now, that leaves £200K. I’d treat everyone to a holiday – another £20K? So – I’ve still got loads left over. I’d spend about £15K on a trip to Australia, flying first-class in one of those comfy looking beds! I’d put the other £165K in the bank whilst I decided what to do with it. (You can tell I’m an MSE devotee)
Places I’ve lived
Bedfordshire, North Devon, South Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire
Bloggers tagged: All Things Shabby Chic, Rose&Bird, Shabby Homemaking, Dolly Dollop, Mumsee
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Keep Calm and Carry On
Well, my new poster arrived today. Now I need to find a frame.
I’ve seen this on a couple of blogs and decided to get one myself as I love it.
Accompanying the poster was this information leaflet from Barter Books, Northumberland
“In the spring of 1939, the British Government’s Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters ... intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.
“At the end of August 1939, 3 designs went into production with an overall print budget of £20,600 for 5 million posters. 2 of the designs were issued and, of the third design, 2.5 million posters were printed which simply read “Keep Calm and Carry On” and were kept in reserve, intended for use only in times of crisis or invasion. The poster was never officially issued and remained virtually unseen by the public until a rare copy turned up more than 50 years later in a box of old books bought at auction by Barter Books in Alnwick. The shop owners liked the poster so much that they had it framed and placed by the till in the shop. It proved so popular that they decided to commission a facsimile edition which has become a best seller. The individuals responsible for the poster are unknown but it’s a credit to those nameless artists that, long after the war was won, people everywhere are still finding reassurance in their distinctive and handsome design, and the very special “attitude of mind” they managed to convey.
I’ve seen this on a couple of blogs and decided to get one myself as I love it.Accompanying the poster was this information leaflet from Barter Books, Northumberland
“In the spring of 1939, the British Government’s Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters ... intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.
“At the end of August 1939, 3 designs went into production with an overall print budget of £20,600 for 5 million posters. 2 of the designs were issued and, of the third design, 2.5 million posters were printed which simply read “Keep Calm and Carry On” and were kept in reserve, intended for use only in times of crisis or invasion. The poster was never officially issued and remained virtually unseen by the public until a rare copy turned up more than 50 years later in a box of old books bought at auction by Barter Books in Alnwick. The shop owners liked the poster so much that they had it framed and placed by the till in the shop. It proved so popular that they decided to commission a facsimile edition which has become a best seller. The individuals responsible for the poster are unknown but it’s a credit to those nameless artists that, long after the war was won, people everywhere are still finding reassurance in their distinctive and handsome design, and the very special “attitude of mind” they managed to convey.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
In the summerhouse
Having rather a lazy Sunday - youngest son and fiancé here overnight after attending a wedding reception just around the corner, so it was good to share breakfast with them both. Bedding now washed and on the line, drying for our next guest tomorrow night - one of Clive’s sisters is staying over. (We have one brother and six sisters between us - must think of a way of referring to them individually yet preserve their anonymity!).
Anyhow – just had a wander in the garden and opened up the summerhouse – it’s a summerhouse kind of day – very breezy and sunny/cloudy - with, as my grandmother would put it, “enough blue in the sky to make a sailor’s pair of trousers”. (As a child I always did wonder just how big the sailor had to be to warrant a fine day).
I bought a roll of pink stripey material from my favourite shop in town – a tenner for metres and metres of the stuff! I’ve made a table cloth, napkins and a roll-up blind for the summerhouse but still have loads left – I did consider a tented ceiling but think that would have been rather OTT – so will probably make cushions for outdoors.......
Anyhow – just had a wander in the garden and opened up the summerhouse – it’s a summerhouse kind of day – very breezy and sunny/cloudy - with, as my grandmother would put it, “enough blue in the sky to make a sailor’s pair of trousers”. (As a child I always did wonder just how big the sailor had to be to warrant a fine day).
I bought a roll of pink stripey material from my favourite shop in town – a tenner for metres and metres of the stuff! I’ve made a table cloth, napkins and a roll-up blind for the summerhouse but still have loads left – I did consider a tented ceiling but think that would have been rather OTT – so will probably make cushions for outdoors.......
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Dresser
No, not the film with Albert Finney, this is the dresser that was my first furniture updating project.
The dresser was orangey pine with scratched varnish and water marks on the top. It fitted perfectly into its allocated space but I hated how it looked. Surely if I painted it, there was nothing to lose? If it looked hideous I could chuck it out (Freecycle) and get something else – much better though to try and recycle it.
This was the result – unfortunately no “before” photo but here it is being painted (3 coats Farrow and Ball Ringwold Ground) and another of it in situ and in use – photo’s a bit dark. That’s bread in the bags – not a chicken de-frosting!
The dresser was orangey pine with scratched varnish and water marks on the top. It fitted perfectly into its allocated space but I hated how it looked. Surely if I painted it, there was nothing to lose? If it looked hideous I could chuck it out (Freecycle) and get something else – much better though to try and recycle it.
This was the result – unfortunately no “before” photo but here it is being painted (3 coats Farrow and Ball Ringwold Ground) and another of it in situ and in use – photo’s a bit dark. That’s bread in the bags – not a chicken de-frosting!
Friday, May 16, 2008
In the garden today
It's a very overcast day but the garden looks cheerful, under the gaze of the Green Man in the lime tree - can you spot the little mouse in his leafy hair?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wiltshire Wailers
Last weekend was the Festival of Song at Stourhead. Clive has been practising the songs for weeks and it was lovely to hear all the doo doos and random lyrics (that I have heard) come to life in the actual songs. His sister arrived back from France the night before so she was roped in to attending the event. He went on ahead and we (aforementioned sister and I) were due to arrive promptly for the performance at 11am.
Of course it didn’t work out that way as, due to the pressures of serious chatting, we missed the correct exit from one of a succession of very confusing roundabouts (okay so I am meant to know the route fairly well). We got there AT 11am, with tickets to buy and loos to visit – after which it takes about 10 minutes to get to the Palladian Bridge from the top car park - we hurtled down at breakneck speed and got there flushed and breathless, but in time to enjoy most of the first performance.
My favourite song was a Croation love song with a title sounding suspiciously like Blobby Barcode. The 3 of us met up later with 2 sons, 2 fiances, another sister, brother-in-law and 2 nieces and nephew and a grand time was had by all with a picnic in front of the Pantheon.
Of course it didn’t work out that way as, due to the pressures of serious chatting, we missed the correct exit from one of a succession of very confusing roundabouts (okay so I am meant to know the route fairly well). We got there AT 11am, with tickets to buy and loos to visit – after which it takes about 10 minutes to get to the Palladian Bridge from the top car park - we hurtled down at breakneck speed and got there flushed and breathless, but in time to enjoy most of the first performance.
My favourite song was a Croation love song with a title sounding suspiciously like Blobby Barcode. The 3 of us met up later with 2 sons, 2 fiances, another sister, brother-in-law and 2 nieces and nephew and a grand time was had by all with a picnic in front of the Pantheon.
Blog Wrestling
It’s taken me quite some time to find out how to arrange elements on this blog, let alone think of any content. I think I’ve got it arranged pretty much how I want it, but no doubt will change it frequently. I’ve managed to install the hit counter and customise that. The YouTube video is still working although it took Clive to discover that there are actually about a dozen JT related videos on the menu at the very end. I’ve also learnt that it will be a good idea to type the blog on Word before cutting and pasting into the real thing. I’ve lost quite a few attempted posts so far. Never mind, it’s all good fun.
James Taylor - September Grass
Well I searched everywhere for September Grass on the Internet and came up with this rather odd video on YouTube which detracts a bit from the lyrics - so scroll up or down to enjoy the song on its own - listen out for the reference to those ants dancing on a blade of grass!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Cannibalism in Devizes
I was strolling along today in Devizes and couldn't help smiling at this board outside a pub
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Very First Post
Well, here I am, ho hum - what to say? This is my very first Blog post!
Why Dancing on a Blade of Grass ?
The words are from a song I love - called "September Grass" written by John Sheldon, sung by James Taylor and played at our wedding - sadly not by JT himself!
Do you see those ants dancing on a blade of grass?
Do you know what I know?
That's you and me, baby. We're so small and the world's so vast"
Why Dancing on a Blade of Grass ?
The words are from a song I love - called "September Grass" written by John Sheldon, sung by James Taylor and played at our wedding - sadly not by JT himself!
Do you see those ants dancing on a blade of grass?
Do you know what I know?
That's you and me, baby. We're so small and the world's so vast"
I like to think that the ants represent us - tiny beings in a great big world.
According to John Sheldon:-
Sandie, Thank you for your message. In my version of "September Grass", those ants were merely "crawling" on that blade. James made them "dance". They're still crawling in my version...oh well. The main thing is, I'm glad you noticed those ants...I think they are the heroes of the song. Cheers, and thanks again...JIS
Not sure now whether this is clear, but no doubt you will tell me!
I took the photo at West Woods near Marlborough last week - not certain if you will be able to see a blade of grass - but - one thing IS for sure - the scent of the bluebells was intoxicating.
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