Sunday 28th April - Cup-of-tea-challenge

This is how you can tell that term has started;

The dining room table has become a sea of papers and all sorts of stuff.

Depressing.
Time for the cup-of-tea-challenge. It's not that I actually wanted a cup of tea, I wanted the dining room table cleared. But a cup of tea is easier to achieve.

Step 1; fill and switch in the kettle, and then see how much difference I could make to the table while it boiled (the kettle, not the table)

Are you impressed? So am I!

Step 2; fill the teapot and let it brew; meanwhile sort out some more stuff; books to the bottom of the stairs ready to be taken up, another book shoved into a bookshelf, sort through a box of stationery oddments (chuck, keep, put into school bag, put into 'that will make a little present for someone' drawer)

Pour the tea because the job is done.

(Almost done; there is a stack of music books and paperwork on the chair at the end, but what the 'eye doesn't see, the heart won't grieve over' holds true in this situation)

And my tea is ready to drink.

PS No post-it notes required, be they ever so cute, for the forseeable future....

Saturday 20th April - Farnham Sculpture Park

This was a bit of a treat in many ways. We collected a ready-made picnic (thank you, Waitrose, for making our sandwiches) and set off.
'Have we been here before'
'No, never, at least I don't recognise these roads... er, or maybe I do?'

Yes, we had tried to visit the Sculpture Park last year, but found the place was mobbed by visitors and we couldn't park within half a mile. This time we were much more fortunate.

This griffin looks s though he means business - I'm not sure he is really as fierce as he is pretending to be...

This little bear, made by a 6-year old, is not for sale!

These sculptures are harder to spot - a number of highly polished pyramids set in a clearing.

There were a number of skeletons around the place - this one is actually doing some work, others were just messing around, riding penny farthings as so on.

I look quite stylish, wearing a hat... 

This was perhaps the highlight of the whole trip...

let me zoom in...

A lizard, about 9 inches long, looking like a fully articulated Faberge creation, beautifully iridescent, slipping across the log and in and out of the bits and pieces on the woodland floor. We looked it up - an incredibly rare sand lizard, and the heathlands on the Surrey Hills is one of the few places it can be found. The sculptures will be there tomorrow and next year, but I don't expect I'll ever see a sand lizard again.



This picture above is from https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/reptiles/sand-lizard - it looked Exactly Like This. That's a Huge Big Wow.

Good Friday - 19th April 2019

I find 'doing' Good Friday close to unbearable

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary
Rocky escarpment resembling a skull, located northwest of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, near the Garden Tomb with cira 1900s picture posted on pole for comparison.

There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall
Where our dear Lord was crucified;
Who died to save us all.

We may not know, We cannot tell,
What pains he had to bear,
But we believe it was for us;
He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forg'ven,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to hea'en;
Save by his precious blood.

There was no other good enough,
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate,
Of hea'en and let us in.

Ohh dearly dearly has he loved,
And we must love him too;
And trust in his redeeming blood,

And try his work to do.

 we used to sing this more frequently in years gone by - nowadays we tend to sing newer songs in church. I used to enjoy the new songs - catchy tunes, modern words - but now that I've grown up a bit more, I turn back to the old favourites in 'The English Hymnal' (or even 'Hymns for Church and School').

So, number 1 son represented the family at the Open Air Church Service in Town. Husband went in to town too, but was sidetracked by the sight of a score or more of Minis parading through the town. Daughter had a well-deserved lie-in, and I decided that Today was The Day for tackling The Jumper....

I finished knitting it last year sometime, but it has been waiting for the stars to align in a perfect row before I dared begin sewing it together.

I needed space on the table, and good lighting, and at least 90% of my brain cells functioning, and the possibility of several hours uninterrupted concentration. Today was that day. It took several hours to sew, unpick, re-sew and complete setting in the first sleeve, at which point I paused for refreshments  and to clear a few other tasks.

Then I pegged together the second sleeve and shoulder together and spent another couple of hours sewing and unsewing and resewing them together.

  Finally I sewed the first sleeve seam - you can see it pegged out ready close to the next cup of tea -  and decided to call it a day. The sleeve and side seams are much easier than setting in the shoulder parts.

It has been a Summer day today. Three days ago I noticed tiny red buds on the apple tree - today it is a mass of blossom. The lilac flowers are nearly out too.

I imagine it was hot on the first Good Friday too.

Wednesday 17th April - And another thing

Steak and frites

foremangrill

with maybe a tarte tatin to follow

bbcgoodfood

or perhaps a creme caramel

deliaonline

(while looking for pictures I found a coconut creme caramel and even a chocolate creme caramel - quel horreur)

do make a good day even better.

Tuesday 16th April - Random Observations

As yesterday and today progressed, I can inform you that

Deep cleaning someone else's house is somehow a more acceptable occupation than deep cleaning your own. But once you start, it's hard to stop. I'll need to go back to finish off half the kitchen and scrub the floor; and with any luck the threat of my return will be enough to persuade the householder to get a cleaner and save me from myself. However there is still a lot of outstanding cleaning and hoovering and washing down of surfaces and floors and dusting to be done in our hose - but it lacks the same sense of satisfaction.


There is an unexplained door in a wall in Bramley, half-hidden behind ivy, and several feet above the road level.

more practice for the projected holiday sketchbook later this year

Crochet makes time pass pleasantly when waiting for someone. Or something.

Taking knitting along to the book club 'film evening' (apparently we watch films! I've only recently joined this book club) makes it easily possible to look away during distasteful scenes - I'm thinking of the bit when Fermin is demonstrating his martial arts skills to his girlfriend Cleo, but unfortunately without wearing any clothes - Not a pretty sight. We were watching 'Roma'; a black-and-white film set in 1971 Mexico. I don't think I am giving too much away to say it's a bit like a Barabara Pym novel, updated from 1930s London; at the end, most of the same characters are still living in mostly the same place and mostly the same way in spite of everything. 'Someone remind me why we wanted to watch this film', said one of us (not me). 'Well, that was a good film', remarked another (not me).

Ripping out rows and rows of knitting and then picking up the stitches is a real hassle when one discovers a mistake about ten rows back. (About the time of the martial arts demo, I reckon).

Too much housework, and too many late nights are making me a bit grumpy. Let's see what tomorrow brings. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_Me_Sunshine

Thursday 12th April - Compton

We actually went for a day out...

The Watts Gallery and Studio in Compton, Surrey, has been on my list for years. It is famously the home of George and Mary Watts; eminent Victorian artists. He was The Great Portrait Painter, and she was The Great Arts and Crafts Designer and also started the Arts and Crafts Pottery in the village.

Oh, rather than me going on, look it up; google 'Watts Studio' or, 'Watts' Gallery' or 'Watts' Chapel' and you'll be able to find out all about it.

We had mixed feelings; it is All So Very Arts And Crafts, especially the Memorial Chapel, that we were a bit overwhelmed. Everything seemed to be in Capital Letters, if you know what I mean. Odd to think that this was exactly the era that my Grandmother grew up in - that transition between Victorian Art and Edwardian Socialism. I have an Arts and Crafts bedroom candlestick which used to belong to her.

On the whole I prefer the National Trust's Standen house, also Arts and Crafts but not so Conscious.

Anyway, I took my paintingy things along. We are going on holday later this year, and I'd love to be able to create a travel journal/sketchbook, but that's not going to happen unless I start getting my eye in now.

Lunch took forever to arrive - a combination of kitchen technology failure and a coach party of Dutch tourists was proabably the fatal combination. I amused myself copying part of the site map into my diary; 

After we had walked round The Studio and The Chapel we had tea and cake. They serve it on mis-matched vintage china cups, saucers and plates; most attractive. The jugs tend to be less delicate, and as for the teapot - well, I couldn't bring myself to include it. A plain round white teapot with 'TEA' printed round the belly. 'TEA'. What else would one expect to find in a teapot? Apart from maybe a gold watch or a dormouse. But there wasn't much room for frivolity here.

I had a go at copying a painting that caught my eye in the gallery;

It was in shades of a pearly greenish bluish grey, and depicted a moment when they were sailing around near Venice in the fog. Maybe I liked it so much because there was no deep symbolism, wracking emotion, moral message...


Today is actually Sunday 14th April; I said the posts might be out of date order. I've finished the first crochet square, and also sewn a bag to keep the ball of wool and crochet hook and next-square-in-progress. I'm ridiculously proud of setting in the zip - as I sewed it all by hand it was much easier than roaring along with the sewing machine and then unpicking at all afterwards. 

Sunday 14th April - Palm Sunday Catchup

This is probably the first of a series of posts today in random date order as I try to recall what we've been up to this week.

Both the orchids, which seemed so unpromising when I first received them, have really come up trumps. The little yellow one came from a pupil last year, with a couple of miniscule and unprepossessing flowers, has turned into a thing of delicate beauty. And see below; a couple of leafy stalks are now a feast of white flowers with pale greenish centres and a faint tinge of pink around the edges. 

It is a bit saddening to think that my Easter Holidays are halfway through - but gladdening to think that there is still next week and a bonus Easter Monday still to come, although all the Bank Holiday Mondays coming up are a bit of a headache when I'm trying to plan the teaching schedule for next term and make sure that the children will be ready for their music exams in June. Hey ho - que sera and all that. I'll take comfort from the fact that the child doing her Grade 1 at the end of last term has passed - hurrah! - and hope that this will be a good omen for the next batch.

We made it to church this morning - hence the palm crosses stuck into the flower pots - I must have a dozen scattered around the house.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Entry_of_Jesus_Christ_into_Jerusalem.jpg

The vicar used this icon of Jesus entering Jerusalem as an illustration in the sermon today; the picture on the screen in church was a bit small so I hunted it down when I got back. I love the stylised landscapes, the man in the tree (Nicodemus? probably) and the child with the very small bit of palm, which the donkey might be about to eat.

The weather has been bright and sunny, but very, very cold. T stayed in yesterday, doing a Christmas jigsaw - so seasonal, in a weird way, don't you think?

I was stuck for a while at this stage

  

Until I realised that the bottom left corner should be the bottom right corner (and the bottom right corner the bottom left, obvs) and then progress became quite rapid.

Not a very Christian subject, but definitely Christmas. We gave this as a Christmas present to my Godmother, and, as usual, she gave it back to us - every time we visit she clears some more from her house. This time it was two jigsaws and a canteen of silver cutlery. She's not very well at the moment; if you are a praying person, say one or three for her. We went on Friday, and are going to see her again tomorrow.

The crochet is going well;

I've decided that I shall make up a number of squares each using an entire ball, and then sew or crochet them together at some stage. I might choose different colourways - why not indeed! They are named after various artists and composers, and somehow Maria Callas is included. I've had to look up Gericault and Boccioni; I hadn't heard of them.

I think it will be a perfect 'portable project'. \Knitting is tougher to carry around because of the needles.

Wednesday 10th April - Several small wins

This morning was dealing with small and time-consuming errands - queuing for a routine blood test,  banking a cheque, depositing some cash, collecting prescriptions. The weather today has looked marvellous, but there is a bitter cold wind which has caused me to change my mind several times about sitting outside.  

It took me most of Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday but I have finally cracked the Granny Square. It is a mildly soporific way of passing time; sort of meditative. I was glad to have taken it with me when I wen for the blood test.

I've unravelled a cowl I knit a while back as I want the yarn for that mitred square blanket I am knitting. The wool is 'out of print' or whatever they call it when you can't buy it any more, so I reckoned that I'd rather have a bigger blanket than the cowl.

Then it was time for tea; so, while the kettle was boiling I managed to get the dining room table from this; 

to this;

then, while the tea was brewing I cleared some more;

and finally, while I was waiting for it to be cool enough to drink I tackled the books piled up on the piano stool.

Ta-da!

There's still a heap of papers and stuff at the end of the table, ready for the next cup-of-tea-challenge.

My medium-term challenge is to consider taking a harpsichord exam at the end of the Summer Term - shall it be Grade 4 or Grade 5? That's the highest grade I can do on an electric harpsichord. Himself was blithely agreeing that it might be a plan until I pointed out we would have to transport the instrument to the exam centre. "Ah. I'll need to do some measuring." All things can be solved by careful measuring, I have found.

I don't have a harpsichord teacher at the moment, so I am having to use my initiative when working out how to play the pieces. Grade 4 might be simple, but the phrasing and interpretation is quite counter-intuitive for someone who has spent the last 55 years learning to play the piano. No more can I bring out a melody or shape a phrase by using 'loud' and 'soft'; it is all choosing which notes should be played smoothly or detached. I'm finding this takes a lot of concentration to play 'harpsichordally' and not 'pianistically'. 

And having had a good look at the harpsichord, I reckon it will take several cup-of-tea-challenges to sort that lot out.

To the left, paperwork, to the bags of wool and knitting projects and so on. I'm quite grateful for the heavy shadows concealing the worst excesses.

Saturday 6th April - Havant and Bosham

I promised a post about Havant and Bosham;

On Saturday we went to Havant for a complicated reason involving a prior appointment made by one of the offspring. I was up for the trip anyway because of a shop called 'My Yarnery'. Oh Wow. That was fun, and not toooo expensive.

Adriafil Kimera

Who could resist a yarn that knits up like this;

Adriafil Knitcol

 

I couldn't.

                          Or this?

             



Exactly. So I bought a couple of balls of each.

 


I've no idea what the rest of the family did in Havant - it looks a pleasant enough place. I just stayed in the wool shop.

The question was what to do with the afternoon - a quick look at the map made it clear that Bosham, and more importantly, The Anchor Bleu for lunch - was a Good Idea.

The tide was high when we got there; there is a road that runs below the wall right round to the far end of the harbour - park there at your own risk!

I was standing at the bottom of the slip way on the double yellow lines, in the dry, when I took the picture above, but hastily stepped back before my shoes were salted. If you look at the front doors along the road you can see that high tides have always been something for the householders to keep an eye on.

Himself and I ordered whitebait - they don't cover them in batter at The Anchor Bleu so what you get is a plate of little fishes. Daughter ordered them too, not exactly sure what to expect - her face was a picture of bland as she looked at the fishies and they looked at her. There are good there - boneless and fishy and delicious... not to mention sticky toffee pudding and custard afterwards...

I spent an hour in a cafe having a cup of tea and trying to work out how to crochet a granny square while the others walked about, visited the church (King Canute's daughter is buried there, and the church appears on the Bayeau Tapestry)

wikipedia

 
My first attempts at crochet reminded me of those diagrams of what happens when you give spiders caffeine before they spin their webs

wikipedia

 I didn't progress much beyond this stage for several days. A proper Granny Square like this

instructibles.com

remains a dream...