Frittering and Faffing

Well today the 'Stages Rally' has our road closed to traffic. The Hub and Sos left early to get out for her friend's funeral, and won't be able to get home until pretty late. B came down earlier, filled a bowl with cornflakes, grunted and disappeared again. Ben and Bertie are hoping to be let run off and chase cars as the racket is bothering them. I'm listening to all my Shostakovich recordings and faffing about.
The Hub was called into work at 7.11 am for a repair job and came back with a story about a Wyeth competition concerning music to celebrate the Workplace. I don't think this is what they had in mind, but once I started I couldn't stop:

Inspirational music for the Work-place:

Top of the list has to be-

Abba’s ‘I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay…’

Then, in no particular order-

‘Entrance of the Gladiators’ by Khachaturian for girding your loins to get out of the car/ bus/ train and face work in the morning

‘Tea for Two’ from Breakfast at Tiffany’s for your morning break, followed by
‘The Golliwog’s Cakewalk’ by Debussy for a little indulgence

‘Pastoral Symphony’ by Beethoven for where you’d rather be (or where your products end up if you work for an animal vaccine facility)

‘Nessun Dorma’ by Puccini for when you’re bored out of your mind with the tedium-or

‘The Hours’ by Einaudi ditto

‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ by Ennio Morriconi as you look around at your work mates

‘I Walk the Line’ by Johnny Cash for those yes-men or Company stalwarts amongst you

‘O Fortuna’ by Orff when sticking your neck out or other risk- taking incidents

‘Mars’ from the’ Planets Suite’ by Holst for when you are on the warpath

‘Send in the Clowns’ by Sondheim for when you are sent for by the Boss

‘Pomp and Circumstance March’ by Elgar for when the Big Bananas do their tour of inspection

‘Moonlight Sonata’ by Beethoven whilst you are doing overtime

Handel’s’ Hallelujah Chorus’ as the weekend finally approaches

‘Bat out of Hell’ by Meatloaf at the end of work on Friday

I could go on, but won’t!

I emailed it to my sibs for a laugh.
Today's Epistle is Ephesians Ch 1 v3-14. When Paul writes about how we were chosen by God and all His plans for us, I know many people revel in that knowledge and promise, but readings on this subject 'jellify' me. How could GOD have ever chosen ME on PURPOSE? I want to hide somewhere from Him, as if that were possible, I certainly don't leap up and shout 'Oh goodie!' As you can tell, I have a hard time being 'visible' in real life. Today's Psalm was easier to accept- Psalm 24:
'The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.'
On opening my eyes every day I can thank God that the earth is His, no problem at all! And I do my best to care for the part of it in my reach because that's His will too.

Now I think I'll go and quilt some more of the little quilt while some more ideas for 'teenies' bubble round my mind, and I'd better check last week's list and sort out this weeks. And if I get bored I'll be back presently...

Inspiration, Totem-poles, and a walk in the woods.

Today was a creative mish-mash. Lying in bed this morning (the Hub is on early shift so gone to work by 5.30 am, good opportunity for thinking) I had an idea from an article I was reading in 'Quilting Arts Magazine' yesterday, so jumped out of bed to try it. You can't see very well but I was adding thread embellishments to patches on postcard-sized fabric. To be continued...

I then went over to the folks to persuade Dad to come out to Hazlewood and play with the (his!) camera. I want to do a piece of work based on totem-poles so printed out this photo from his computer, taken in Vancover a few years back. I love totem-poles, the scale, carving, colours, myths connected to the animals and birds portrayed...When I was very little we visited this same place and Dad bought me a tiny totem pole which, believe it or not has travelled with me and now sits on our mantlepiece here! (pack-rat? me?)

Oops!

Dad and I then spent about an hour and a half out at Hazlewood, on the shores of Lough Gill, 'playing' with his camera. I brought the book of the words along and we had great fun. I think I took most of these, but it was easier to see errors once they were loaded onto the computer, so many were subsequently deleted. I only fell in the lake once, but luckily brought a spare pair of shoes. We used to say of B that she would either fall into any available liquid, or spill it on herself. I wonder where she got that tendancy from?

Aren't these ducks funny? They look like miniature speed boats with the wake they are leaving!

This afternoon Sos and B had things to do in Sligo so I went into my favourite bookshop, Book Mart on the Mall to see whether they had anything on Gaudi or Klimt, both of whom I want to study. (The Library was closed) They had no books but Donal found several old postcards of Barcelona which he let me have! Sorted! I've been doodling and studying them as these photos were loading and it looks promising.

Sos very kindly made supper this evening, and then I discovered that B has chewed my drawing pencil all the way along. Honestly she's worse than a puppy! Had some texts from Dilly last night to say she was in the middle of a load of errands around Dublin center for work yesterday when one sandal disintegrated. She 'limphopped' (her word) to the nearest Penney's to buy another pair so she could continue! Later she bought a packet of red hair dye, and a cheap beanie hat in case it turns out badly! Honestly!

Teacup Tuesday and Small Quilt

This was my new cup from last week's visit to the Thrift Shop! Its lovely greenish pottery.

This evening during supper Ben -dog decided that the loaf of bread needed guarding! Anyone who wanted a slice with their soup had to push him aside to get to it which turned supper into a bit of a game. Ben always hopes that the bread will accidentally fall off the counter into his mouth!

I made really easy soup from a sweet potato and a cup of lentils, and seasoning. It was tasty.

I finished the squares of the little quilt and sewed it all together this afternoon, with a border. It is about 22 inches by 30 inches. I’ve begun quilting it, just outlines and straight lines along the borders.

Colm Wilkinson and Enniskillen.

It was an odd weekend, warm, but incredibly wet. There was no doing anything in the garden but everything is growing apace. Sos was called to work on Friday night, and B was out at a sleep-over with a school-friend, which made the place startlingly quiet for a few hours.
Sos works in a florist shop in town when things get busy or they need a runner or a gofer. She fell into it by accident as she did her school work-experience there in 4th year, and because she was willing they’ve been calling on her ever since. It’s a great blessing for us as it means she can earn her own money for big things and we don’t have to either tell her ‘no’ or frantically try to dredge up extra. On Friday evening they were having a flower demonstration and needed an extra pair of hands, she had fun too!

Saturday I sewed, and did some indoor chores, like the ironing, well part of the ironing: I got bored and finished the Jill Mansell book (‘Sheer Mischief’) instead, then returned to the patchwork. The book was very entertaining, I’d recommend it. In the evening I went to a Concert by Colm Wilkinson. He sang in ‘Les Mis’ when it opened on Broadway, and for some time afterwards I think. We’ve several of his recordings. He was pretty entertaining, talk about the ultimate mad Irishman, and has quite the voice. I took a few photos but they didn’t come out very well.

Sunday was one of my ‘couldn’t wake up days’. Lucky it was Sunday as when they occur there is nothing I can do except sleep it off. An expenditure of too much nervous energy I think, but at least the girls are old enough for it to not be the inconvenience it once was. The Hub said I missed a good sermon on 2 Corinthians 12 v2-10: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ The Rector was in fine form, mind you, he is a good speaker and his sermons are always worth noting and considering. I got out the passage this evening and though Paul wrote those words as being applicable to himself, they are still so relevant, perhaps even more in present times of uncertainty. Paul says he can only boast about his own weakness because it is then that God’s power is most visible to others through him. Today, as I unfortunately started to slide again down into my own black pit (the Slough of Despond) I’m holding tight to the same words- ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’ It better be, Lord!

This morning Sos, B and I went to Enniskillen with Mum and Dad for a bit of an outing. There are always some things you can’t buy in the south, but can in the north, and Enniskillen is our nearest town across the border. It poured on and off all day there too. The girls had a lovely time pottering, and B got some unusual stickers for her card- making, as well as three books in the Bargain Bookshop. Sos got a smart top, she doesn’t ‘do’ books, I think she must be a changeling. Dad and I were finished first so we sat by the main door in the Erneside and watched the rain. He started the cryptic crossword in today’s paper (1. across: ‘a pop festival’….Fathers’ Day) and I supervised! He asked to borrow a pen, then told me it was no good because it would only knew the answers to four letter clues… There’s a quote from ‘Friends’ the girls love to use at me, I think it was said by Rachel: ‘I tried so hard not to turn into my Mother that I’ve turned into my Father!’ The girls say they only have to look at my Dad to know exactly the way I’ll be in another thirty years! Hmmm…

The Hub’s Mother is supposed to be coming to visit in October and our spare-room is still in the same condition that the builders left it three years ago. The Hub is getting a bit ansty so has been pricing sheds- well yes, I thought lawn-mower, garden equipment, camping stuff, and tools etc belonged in a spare room too, but he has this funny idea that they should be in a shed. It must be a Kenyan notion I suppose. Anyhow, after some discussion with various timber-merchants, and shed-sellers, he’s decided to build a shed and then clear the spare room. Well good luck to him, he’s about three months to do it: I’ll make the curtains nearer to October, I’m not getting excited just yet! I’ll not even measure the windows just yet!! I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist!

I was playing with the camera and the panorama program, this is the view around the north and east of our house, as you can tell its a very built up area! I'm wondering if its come out inside out though as that blobby hill shouldn't be to the east. Ah well! It was fun!

Country Stinks and Patchwork Progress!

Today inside the house looks like a mad Midsummer Hallowe’en party. The farmer down the road is spreading slurry and as our land is plonk in the middle of his fields we are surrounded by spread upon-ed fields. One of the hazards of country living but the stink is AMAZING! Not that it’s new to us, but it must be extra-ordinarily potent this season. All the windows are open, since there’s no point in trying to keep it out, and I’ve lit candles here and there to try and speed up the deponkification.

We seem to have some random potatoes growing in amongst the carrots, not to mention some weeds. Guess it was peelings which hadn’t rotted properly when we used the next batch of compost. The carrots, spring onions and onions have shot up this week; I hope there is just as much going on underground!

Yesterday evening I planted out a tray of tomato seedlings, two trays of rocket which were too shallow, and transplanted those bolshy beans. It seemed everything was twice the height this morning. I’ve a problem with what to plant in the middle as I won’t be able to reach to pick veg once everything gets big. Actually I’m thinking of just putting a row of sunflowers in the middle for decoration!

Returning from town earlier there was a traffic jam on the lane, a tractor filling his slurry tank (in front of the blue barn), then a tractor and trailer, then me. It was a bit of a wait but there was a lovely section of old stone wall beside me so…

My Asiatic Lily has just begun flowering and it’s lovely. It’s actually got more of a black sheen to the petals, but I couldn’t get that on the camera.

This is the little quilt I’m working on at present. I’ve got the blocks from an old Better Homes and Gardens book-‘ 501 Quilt Blocks’ , which I’ve had for donkey’s years and used a lot. These are the first nine blocks, and another which needs a brighter border but I haven’t found the right shade yet. Two more blocks: a snowdrop and a Church. Then we’ll see how it should go together. I’m particularly impressed that I put the daffodil together without any ripping or swearing as I haven’t done such fiddly appliqué before. The snowdrop will be an equal ‘challenge’…please be keeping your hands over your ears!

I’ve seen photos of other folk’s work- spaces so here is mine, if you can make it out, complete with Ben-dog. It’s in the kitchen, like almost everything belonging to this family, including the animals, which is why we so often have to eat meals from our knees in the sitting room!! If I’ve a big project on, or trying to get something finished to a deadline, I’ve even served the girls friends’ by spreading a tablecloth on the sitting room floor and laying it like a table. Whilst Sos was studying for and doing her Leaving Cert this last few months she’s had a table covered in books in the kitchen too!
I’ve got used now to having the house and particularly the kitchen to ourselves, but in Kenya only cooking was done in the kitchen. Just about everyone has indoor and outdoor workers and a kitchen is as much their space as the family’s. In my Father-in-law’s kitchen particularly there was always some sort of hooley happening, and it was more like a Club really, especially when he was entertaining and all hands were called in to help. One time I walked in before a Dinner to see the Cook at the stove, the syce and house-man making pasta with strings churning out of the pasta machine in all directions, the ayah chopping vegetables and the gardener having hysterics in between doing something else, setting the table I think. Anyhow it was pandemonium, but not unusual. Sometimes I miss that here.

This morning I was changing all the bath towels, but despite having folded the clean ones off the drying rack earlier in the week I couldn’t find them anywhere. After hunting through the linen press and various possible places, I started on the irregular places…They were in with the Hub’s jeans…Hmm…in what way exactly do the bath towels resemble his jeans I wonder? I noticed (while going through the press) that a number of the hand towels are very grey looking although with plenty of wear yet, and I wondered whether I should dye them bright colours- like yellow maybe?

Photos!! At Last Long!!

Ladies and gentlemen,
Umbrellas and walking sticks-
I'd like to show you something
I've been learning about!

(to paraphrase the old doggerel)

I've managed to upload photos, but they're in the wrong order and I can't figure how to re-arrange them.



Meet our nearest neighbours: Mary Horse and Foaly. Foaly was three weeks old yesterday and has learned to leap in the air this week, he makes us smile just to watch him! They belong to a farmer down the lane but the girls have carrots for them on our shopping list. Before we were married the Hub's Dad always had horses, and the Hub worked as Assistant Trainer in a Racing Stables in Nairobi. He and B are horse- mad even yet!

These three photos are of the hedgerows along the road outside our gate, are't they lovely? I don't think I got the exposure right but haven't figured how to do it. Also Dad said I can change the number of pixels used in a photo for greater clarity, but I haven't figured how to do that either! I'm used to an old SLR Minolta camera with extra lenses and huge variety of exposure options and shutter speeds to get the effect I want, I'm really starting from scratch here! And the third photo is the right way up although it looks sideways, the little ferns are growing at a funny angle.

Here is the wall hanging I finished last week. Its about 9" x 27", and this photo IS sideways! I can't figure how to rotate it!

The veg bed which is mostly behaving itself, except for the french beans, but they're behind the broad beans. If they won't co-operate and grow, then I'm not taking their photos.


And her is the deep bed the Hub built last week, which was meant to be at the top of the post. Oh well! The tomatoes will be taking up residence there this afternoon, and possibly the stubborn beans, if they ask nicely. Its awfully tempting to just fill it with folwers and shrubs but I can grow them anywhere, its the veg which needs shelter.

I was out most of yesterday as the girls wanted to go to the cinema, and we needed to go round to the folks and see their visitors who are family friends. Dad was watching Wimbledon, with Mum running in and out between kitchen and living room whenever there was a roar from the crowd. It was too tense for her to sit and watch!

And just to amuse you I had two mishaps yesterday: in the morning the loo seat abruptly came apart and threw me off, most startling! Later, when I was out my jean zip broke, luckily up, and I was stuck not able to go to the loo until I got home. I wondered if there would be a third thing but there wasn't!

Anyhow, hope you enjoy the photos, Dad finally found the camera instruction booklet last night so I am reading it now which should help a bit. B has been very patient with all my ignorance and very kind too. Sos managed to drop her camera yet again in Spain, and although it still works, the zoom doesn't. Huh. I'm working on the fourth and fifth squares of the next little quilt, I was cutting out Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Sam applique bits whilst waiting for the photos to upload, now I'm going to sign off and sew them all together. I was very good and raced through most of the chores before breakfast so I could do my own things this afternoon...oh no, tomato seedlings first!

A camera borrowed and Sos arrives home!

Guess what! I‘ve managed to borrow Dad’s old camera and am working out how to use it, so soon there will be photos! B is my advisor and doing a great job! So…watch this space!!

Yesterday the Hub took the carpet designated for the spare bedroom outside to measure it and work out how to lay it. When the postman arrived he wondered whether we were going to carpet the drive instead of paving it. Our postman is one gas man, always good for a quick chat and a laugh; people like him are a gift to the day.

B chose a little wire storage box in Homebase yesterday for her card resources and spent this morning carefully sorting them into an order. She is enjoying herself so much. She also hung up the wet laundry for me without being asked and got supper for Sos. She so missed her sister this last week.

Sos arrived back on the Dublin bus late this afternoon having had a great time in Spain. She spent last night in Dublin with Dilly and they talked themselves to a standstill! From what she has told us so far they made the most of every day, visiting both cultural places, and the Warner Bros. Park which they loved. She was pick-pocketed twice, but both times gave chase and got her money back no problem…an advantage of having Kick-boxing as a hobby! One of the boys had his camera taken but another chased after the thief and retrieved. They found an Irish bar run by a hilarious guy from Donegal so their evenings were very staid- NOT! All in all, the entire trip has done her a power of good. She brought me back a brilliant pencil topper which I’m going to post as my profile picture when I figure how!

I spent much of today with the folks. They are expecting visitors so were doing a tidy and clean- Mom is much tidier than me, so her ‘spaces’ didn’t need so much, but Dad is a disaster, even compared to me, and THAT’s saying something! We were looking at a slide show of his photos, some of which he took in Switzerland and the scenery was amazing. In the dresser he found some old photos of his parents before he was born so we were looking at them too, its fun tracing likenesses down the generations!
I’ve been thinking recently how lucky I am that the opportunity to return to live from overseas came whilst my folks are still in good health and strength. I know they enjoy living close to their grand-daughters, but I’m also very glad to have these years with them as through circumstances beyond anyone’s control I had to leave home part way through school, and never again lived near them until we returned from Kenya. I lived with close relatives so am fortunate to have two sets of family really! But still…not everyone gets to make up for lost time and I know I’m lucky.