Moments that make you think...

This week has been a bit mad. In addition to the usual manic work stuff, a few 'old house issues' becoming apparent (leaking drain, damp, condensation...) and the general day to day stuff of living, I've had 2 trips to London. Work related rather than pleasure exclusively, as a result of which I've decided a 2 hour plus each way commute is really not for me! I love going to London, but really, I think, because I like to be able to soak up the atmosphere and people watch. Running on and off the tube and negotiating crowds of people when you actually have to be somewhere at a given time not so much fun.

But I did sneak in a few little bonus 'moments'... On Friday evening after a full days meeting, we took in the Royal Ballet's Manon at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. This did not disappoint - the music was beautiful and the dancing defied what you think a human body can do. How those dancers manage to make something so physically demanding look so graceful and effortless is beyond me. Although in many respects the lead character doesn't exactly encourage your empathy (she's a bit shallow, flirts between love and riches with giddying fickle-mindedness) the story was told with such emotion that by the end of the second act I was reaching for a tissue... not that it takes a whole lot to reduce me to tears these days! 

Obviously, couldn't take pictures in there so this is copied from the ROH site. The sets and the costumes were stunning and the setting of the opera house beautiful (another first for me, had never been in there before). Several ballet 'newbies' in our group, who had come along with a healthy degree of scepticism, were completely converted - if you are not sure if you like ballet, this is one to see. Lovely way to spend the evening.

Then before heading home on the Saturday, I made the effort to go and see the poppies installation at the Tower of London. Over the summer this stunning sea of poppies, each representing service personnel that died during the First World War, has spread across the moat around the Tower. Lots more about the installation here - I was keen to see it before it is dismantled in November.

It was heaving with people, but even so, no less impressive to see this flow of red that certainly focuses the mind in terms of the scale of wasted lives. Very powerful image.

Something of a reminder of the value of life.

There have been a number of sobering things this week, most not for mention on here, but this little waif touched my heart too...

My middle son's girlfriend is a vet nurse and found this poor little lost soul curled up in the road, cold, blue and very nearly history. He is about 6 weeks old and, she is pretty sure, dumped. I don't understand how anyone can do that. I had said I wouldn't have cats in this house - no garden, too near a busy road, out all day...  but was seriously tested here!! Fortunately, within a day a kind home had been found for him so I'm sure he'll have a happy life now.

So, enough dallying, back to the tedious business of 'day off' activities - chasing the water authority re the drains, washing, ironing, cleaning... though have to confess to a degree of obsession with what has become something of a scientific exercise monitoring the relative humidity and checking the dehumidifier. Should this house ever resemble something less than tropical levels of humidity (without the warmth!) I shall be putting flags out!!! 

Sx

brightening my life...

Life feels a little like a long haul of work, painting, gardening and clearing at the moment in an effort to make things ready to get my home of 20 years on the market and dismantle my old life. In some ways it feels like essential 'life laundry' stuff, but it's heartbreaking at each step of the way and fraught with difficulties. And exhausting. Hence my inability to sum up the energy to post anything on here of late. But there are always things that brighten up the days and just occasionally I remember to take a few photos!

Literally brightening in the case of the post-Lord Mayor's Procession fireworks! The procession is an annual event in Norwich that sees a long procession of music, dancers and floats (some very wacky!) wind its way through the streets and culminates in a spectacular display from the castle...

Little things...like this rose hedge bordering a city house front garden which I thought was just lovely...

Hollyhocks in my 'old' garden, have always loved these towering traditional flowers...

I haven't managed much crochet or knitting but did finish this project in time for my sister's birthday...

The dark colours look terribly dark on here, but actually navy and purple and (don't tell anyone!) the lining was made from cotton tea-towels! In the absence of finding anything else suitable and balking at the price of the flimsy cottons that didn't really look up to the job... In my defence, they were new ones and a much better weight for the purpose...

This friendly neighbourhood moggie that just came and plonked itself down on my feet in the garden yesterday, no idea who it belongs to but it made me smile...

I'm not a big fan of hydrangeas and my tiny rented garden is a bit over-run with the monsters, in my opinion, but up close in the sunshine yesterday I was quite taken with the intricacy of the flowerheads...

And finally, though I don't often post pics of them, these two lovely boys definitely brighten my days and keep me going, way more than they can possibly know...

Here's to bright spots in all our days...

S x

random things...

A week or so ago a new piece of 'art' arrived where I work...

We have a visitor from Southwark...

If I'm completely underwhelmed by Wenlock, however famous he (she? it?!) is. But I think there must be a fundraising purpose of some sort so... 'whatever'... And I quite like our elephant, and really love the beautiful tree sculpture (which looks great on the days when we get some sun through it) so there could be worse things to greet you on your way in and out of work.

The other interesting (well I thought so...) thing was this moggie that appeared over my garden wall one weekend...

Is that not the most unusual coloured cat?? As Tom said, looks like a ginger tom thats been badly dip-dyed! No doubting its confidence though, as it boldly headed for my open back door!

It has been lovely to have a few days to sit outside for a bit, makes me feel a zillion times better. And although today has been cold and grey again, I can put up with it better for having had some recent sunshine. At the weekend we actually had some proper 'warm enough to eat ice-cream at the beach' sunshine. Bliss. When I get my act together with my camera (instead of my lazy phone photos!) I'll share my sunny seaside pics.

And I'm feeding my crochet habit with a bit of 'selfless' hooking (is there really such a thing? its all a bit self indulgent I suppose) - inspired by Lucy's plea for bunting for Yarndale...

Terrible photo, hastily snapped on my bedside table by the light of my bedside lamp, unblocked, unfinished but I'm a bit over excited by these. I love the idea of lots of people contributing to a colour fest and as I've not attempted granny triangles before I'm quite enjoying whipping these up. I don't know how many I'll manage but I figure any extras are an addition to the total.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to work out if I can figure out a way to justify going to Yarndale, so very tempting!

Maybe just squeeze in another triangle before sleep...

Sx

Oh dear...

Jemima 1/9/97 - 29/12/12

Since we lost her brother earlier this year Jemima had definitely looked a bit of an old lady. Bit wobbly on her legs, couldn't manage to jump onto the window sill anymore, hunting days just a dream...

But she has been ok, generally pretty content, eating and sleeping and doing what lazy cats do.

Then, yesterday, I had a call from Tom to say she didn't look right and did I want to go and see her...

Apparently, she'd been pottering about pretty much as usual but had fallen over a couple of times and hadn't eaten. When I got there she was asleep under a chair (not that unusual, she often slept in funny places!) but when she tried to stand up to say hello, she couldn't manage it. She was breathing very fast and just looked such a tiny frail little thing. 

So, vet the only option, with the inevitable consequence...

Now I know she's 'only' a cat, and I know it was the right thing to do, but I was a bit unprepared for how bowled over I felt/feel. Is it completely ridiculous to think that, after years of doing all the looking after, by moving away last year, I kind of abandoned everything, even the cats?! I know thats not really the case and I know that the demise of two elderly cats was inevitable at some point... But I feel sadder than I thought possible - this year has seen so many 'ends'... And both Basil and Jemima were such lovely cats, not independent, aloof felines - can't quite believe they've both gone. I'm hope they are chasing mice together, wherever cats go...

So, time to pull myself together and think positive thoughts for the New Year, roll on 2013...not usually one to wish the time away, but you can't come soon enough...

Basil

Jemima

end of an era...

I was going to try to write 7 interesting things about myself tonight in the spirit of the blog awards that I have been very kindly given of late...

Then this evening, I had a call from my biggest boy to say that one special cat is no more...

I have had a few cats over the years and this one really was something else. Particularly with Ben (top left) with whom he seemed to have a connection that was at times a bit bizarre - they would look for each other, talk to each other and he would allow Ben to play with him like no-one else.

I suppose he was getting on a bit, he would have been 15 in September (geriatric in cat years apparently) but he hadn't really been ill, then just suddenly faded in the last few days. On the plus side, he hadn't been in any pain and didn't have a miserable time at the end. But its very surreal to think that he won't be around anymore.

I'm glad I saw him yesterday, because, of course, I've hardly seen him in the last few weeks. And my heart goes out to Ben, who is going to miss his buddy more than anyone. Doesn't matter how grown up you are, very hard to say goodbye to a well-loved pet.

catching up...

I seem to have loads I wanted to post about - there has been no time in the last few weeks. But... yesterday I handed in my dissertation, so hurrah! Might actually begin to catch up with myself now! It was a lovely feeling to pile up all the books and journal articles which were beginning to make a take over bid - now I just have to wait for the results with fingers crossed...!

This is a glance back at some of the university buildings as I walked back to work after dropping off my work - am hoping that, with the exception of graduation day next year, I might be done with this campus!

It was a strangely surreal feeling - there is such a lot of effort that goes into studying and then the actual 'hand-in' moment is something of an anti-climax! I really didn't feel like going in to work but enjoyed the wander back across the park; This little stream looked so tranquil...

Other things I've been enjoying this week:

...crab apple preserving from the garden. These are waiting to be turned into crab apple & chilli jelly...

And the finished article...

This year the little apples seemed particularly rosy and the jelly came out a lovely colour - yummy too!

As was the juice drink - the easiest recipe that just involved steeping the apples in a mixture if cream of tartar and boiling water then straining...

Bit like a cross between apple juice and cranberry juice drink - very refreshing and polished off before I could freeze any!

 ...sunflowers...

This is a little strip of field at the bottom of our garden which usually has oil seed rape, barley, wheat or sugar beet with the odd fallow year in between. In 18 years living here this is the first time I've seen sunflowers - what a feast for the eyes!

They are taller than me!

...gorgeous summer evening skies...

...dozy, chilled moggy...

...and son 3's 18th birthday...

Not quite sure how it can be possible that all my boys are now officially grown men!!! Seems no time since they were filling my time with lego, frantic 'little boy' activity and bedtime stories! 

Wishing you all a lovely bank holiday weekend!

Sx

garden in August...

I have been trying to take a photo of the garden on the 15th of each month, just for comparison through the year. If I'm honest, I've kind of fallen out of love with this idea and am slightly bored with it - they've just made me realise from a distance, with the exception of the trees, my garden looks pretty same-ey all year!

However, I am a creature of slightly obsessive habits and I can't not finish the year now I've started - especially now we are over half way (actually, that's a bit of a scary thought - at risk of sounding like my mother, where on earth is this year going???!!). So here goes, my back garden in August...

Up close there is a bit more colour again now, having gone through a bit of a 'green' phase last month. Lots of 'shouty' flowers in the pots... 

The window box, R planted earlier in the year but most of the others are rejects he has collected; he works at a private school and, can you believe, they plant up loads of tubs for the school open day then they are neglected afterwards! The pots will go back at the end of the season but in the mean time we are 'looking after' the plants! 

I'm loving this bright lobelia...

And these pretty pale-edged sweet peas...

And in the flower beds, dwarf sunflowers...

...I'm taking the au naturelle approach to gardening this year - hence the weeds and slug damage! But still enjoying these aptly named flowers.

Clashing colours...

My Mum's always been one for 'themed' flower beds - you know the kind of thing, a 'hot' bed, a 'cool' bed, one with 'pinks' etc etc... Don't get me wrong, her garden looks fab with drifts of coordinated colour but mine's a bit more random than that! Lots of it has put itself where it wants to be - I may have planted things over the last 18 years but most of it has upped sticks and shifted to a different bit of the bed or even the garden! (quite a few have just 'left home' altogether but we won't dwell on those, I'm guessing some plants can't manage my level of neglect combined with R's passion for hefty pruning...). R grew the Coleus plants with the pink centres to the leaves from seed in the greenhouse and ended up with loads so planted them randomly all over the place and the orange crocosmia have just grown through them. I know orange and pink is a bit 'ouch' but actually I quite like it!

Can't remember what this pale pink flower is..?

Yarrow, maybe? (think the proper name is achillea?) Anyway, even though its flopping all over the place, I think its pretty.

My little apple tree is covered in fruit...

...even after trying to shake a fair number off to reduce the crowding a bit. They are not the biggest apples but very crisp and tasty.

There are shiny berries that the birds love on the honeysuckle...

Tomatoes in the greenhouse...

I haven't bought tomatoes in weeks - fantastic!

And loads of crab apples on the tree...

I'm amazed that this tree has done as well as it has this year, given that it clearly has some kind of lurgy (these were the leaves earlier in the year...). There are still quite a few dead looking branches and several leaves with odd looking red patches on them but there is masses of fruit and most of it looks pretty unblemished.

I'm not at work today, and meant to be studying, but it is son 3's A level results day today and I can't quite settle to anything so am going to faff about with crab apples instead... so far, thinking crab apple and chilli jelly (prompted by several people out there in blogland who say its delish), crab apple schnapps (I wouldn't want anyone to think there is a booze thing going on in this house but just was very tempted by the recipe!) and crab apple juice... will update another day!

Thought I'd just show you another view of the garden...

I don't know if you can just about see a bench in the far corner in the first photo? Well, there is a sheltered sun-trap in that corner first thing in the morning and I love to just sit with a cup of tea when I get the chance. And sometimes I get joined by one of these...

Ok, need to stop prevaricating now and get on with something useful...

Til next time

Sx