Friday, September 12, 2008

Oh: so true

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
- e e cummings

Monday, September 08, 2008

Food Festival

 

This last weekend Bristol hosted The Soil Association's Festival of Organic Food, which took place on the Harbourside.

 

There were many visitors. Apparently on Saturday, there were more visitors despite the rain, but it seemed busy enough to me. There were many stalls providing tasting samples: everything from chilli chocolate to green tea. Dove's Farm had run out of wares to sell in all but a few of their lines, and most vendors were doing a roaring trade. I had the excitement of being able to buy a burger in a bap for my lunch - because these were no ordinary baps, but made from spelt flour, and totally delicious.

As well as food products, there were textiles, too. There were glorious tweed and woollen products from the Isle of Mull, Fair Trade clothing, organic knitting wools... Even an opportunity to do some knitting.

 

I have to say that this knitting required great determination, and a certain amount of upper limb strength. It felt rather like rowing, so provided a workout as well as an output. These were no ordinary knitting needles, but Guinness World Record Knitting Needles. I was proud of my achievement of completing a whole row of knitting on them!

 


It's not surprising, in retrospect, that I awoke with painful shoulder joints this morning. Perhaps using these needles should be incorporated into the Olympic Team's training for 2012!

Friday, September 05, 2008

Village

Yesterday, between showers, I popped in for a chat with my friend.

 


She has been here for 18 months now, but I like to keep in touch. It's also an opportunity to revisit the memories of others I have known within our community but who are no longer with us in the flesh. There is a wooden bench situated under the oak tree, where I sat for a while and communed. It seemed fitting that I could hear the children from the village primary school enjoying their lunchtime play on their first day back, separated from the graveyard by just one little field of grass. All of life was there.

 


On the grass, pearled by the last shower, was this small twig of oak with turning leaves, presumably pruned from the tree by the winds of the previous night. I thought it lovely. Clare would have appreciated it, so I left it on her grave.

 


Back towards the church and my car, I passed the memorial stone to another friend's parents, who died a year apart, and spent a moment remembering them.

 


The church itself bore witness to happier celebrations, with this lovely floral arch decorating the doorway (somewhat buffeted by the wind, but still glorious).
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Heavenly Drama

 


We're not getting the best weather this summer, and now the days are growing noticably shorter and the walnut leaves are browning and beginning to fall. I am always nostalgic for summer, especially when we've not had much of one, as this year. However, this sky reminded me of one of the benefits of autumn, which is a tendency for dramatic sunset skies to appear. I love the contrast of the peachy day-glo pink with the deep,rich blue grey of the clouds and the paleness of the bare sky beyond, and the wispy cloud forms layered textile-like into a collage of colour and texture.
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