but don't brave the weather very well.
Thankfully, others are more ambitious and hardy; or perhaps they pay someone else to do the work.
In any case, I went for a wander in a nearby village, Tynemouth,
and took some pretty pictures to share.
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Spring Gardens
With respect to gardening, I have great intentions
but don't brave the weather very well.
Thankfully, others are more ambitious and hardy; or perhaps they pay someone else to do the work.
In any case, I went for a wander in a nearby village, Tynemouth,
and took some pretty pictures to share.
but don't brave the weather very well.
Thankfully, others are more ambitious and hardy; or perhaps they pay someone else to do the work.
In any case, I went for a wander in a nearby village, Tynemouth,
and took some pretty pictures to share.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
G-Whiz!
Since I'm not currently attending any classes, when The Happiness Project suggested I should ask a question in class, I fished out the first question that came to mind and Googled it.
The US president -- not to mention his wife -- has been in the news here lately as he came to London to attend the G-20; last I knew anything about G numbers there were only 8 so I was, as per usual, a little confused.
I found this article which includes a number of numbers not relevant to the question, but we got there eventually. Don't miss the side bar item on G-20 WAGS. [Has WAGS made it over to the States? It stands for Wives And Girlfriends and originally referred to the partners of footballers (soccer players) with ££multi-million contracts.]
I can see a pub quiz question in our future, asking "What is the significance of the hyphen in G-20?"
The US president -- not to mention his wife -- has been in the news here lately as he came to London to attend the G-20; last I knew anything about G numbers there were only 8 so I was, as per usual, a little confused.
I found this article which includes a number of numbers not relevant to the question, but we got there eventually. Don't miss the side bar item on G-20 WAGS. [Has WAGS made it over to the States? It stands for Wives And Girlfriends and originally referred to the partners of footballers (soccer players) with ££multi-million contracts.]
I can see a pub quiz question in our future, asking "What is the significance of the hyphen in G-20?"
Monday, 6 April 2009
Brother to the Ox
I just finished reading a really good book. It was one of Bill's old paperbacks I'd started at some time in the past but it hadn't grabbed me at the time. This time I went sailing past the bookmark and finished it in one day. I'm sorry to say that as I turned the pages a few came loose from the binding. Especially sorry when I went to look at its availability on Amazon and found it listed for £21 - 82! I'm guessing that's not for the paperback version and I found more reasonably priced copies elsewhere.
Fred Kitchen was born in 1891. He describes his life working at many of the various jobs on farms in South Yorkshire in the early part of the 1900's. His father, a cowman for a large country estate, died when he was 12. He was the only son with 3 sisters and his formal education ended at the age of 13. He married at age 24, having worked his way up the farm workers' career ladder to his father's job on a number of different farms. His first wife died from influenza after only 5 years, leaving 2 children. He did short stints on the railway and for the coal mines -- though not in the pits -- but always returned to farm work.
His many skills included trimming hedgerows, ploughing a field that sounds like a precision made patchwork quilt, building corn stacks, breaking horses, milking cows and the observation and diplomacy apparently required for a successful milk delivery round. This is not mentioning his wonderful plain-spoken style of writing, his ability to paint the characters he worked with and under, or his amusing bits of poetry.
His six-day week started at 5:30 am and ended at 6pm, unless the farm was short handed and the work didn't finish until 7 or 7:30. Kitchen talks about his love of farm work and of the animals in his care. Of his troubles and disappointments he writes very briefly, without a hint of self-pity, though I was reminded that ones major life experiences do tend to change the way we look at things when he said he no longer tried to make sense of life.
That said, he went on to become a lay preacher in the Methodist church and to be a public speaker about his book and his life in the country. He joined the Workers Education Association, something in which Bill's grandfather Matthew -- who lived about the same time -- was deeply interested, in 1933. He wrote his book from his diaries and later became a journalist and radio broadcaster.
He sounds like an altogether remarkable man and reading his book was both entertaining and a reminder of how soft I am.
Fred Kitchen was born in 1891. He describes his life working at many of the various jobs on farms in South Yorkshire in the early part of the 1900's. His father, a cowman for a large country estate, died when he was 12. He was the only son with 3 sisters and his formal education ended at the age of 13. He married at age 24, having worked his way up the farm workers' career ladder to his father's job on a number of different farms. His first wife died from influenza after only 5 years, leaving 2 children. He did short stints on the railway and for the coal mines -- though not in the pits -- but always returned to farm work.
His many skills included trimming hedgerows, ploughing a field that sounds like a precision made patchwork quilt, building corn stacks, breaking horses, milking cows and the observation and diplomacy apparently required for a successful milk delivery round. This is not mentioning his wonderful plain-spoken style of writing, his ability to paint the characters he worked with and under, or his amusing bits of poetry.
His six-day week started at 5:30 am and ended at 6pm, unless the farm was short handed and the work didn't finish until 7 or 7:30. Kitchen talks about his love of farm work and of the animals in his care. Of his troubles and disappointments he writes very briefly, without a hint of self-pity, though I was reminded that ones major life experiences do tend to change the way we look at things when he said he no longer tried to make sense of life.
That said, he went on to become a lay preacher in the Methodist church and to be a public speaker about his book and his life in the country. He joined the Workers Education Association, something in which Bill's grandfather Matthew -- who lived about the same time -- was deeply interested, in 1933. He wrote his book from his diaries and later became a journalist and radio broadcaster.
He sounds like an altogether remarkable man and reading his book was both entertaining and a reminder of how soft I am.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
The Coffin Company
Yes, I know it's rather macabre, particularly in light of recent events. However I'm not the only one to notice this place and I figure if Jane could laugh about it, well it couldn't be completely tasteless to share it with you. It just worked out that I went past it on my way between several locations in a massive food shopping expedition and finally remembered to take my camera along to capture these pictures.
When I first saw this corner shop it was an antique shop. The angel was in its place and somehow fit in with the antique theme. I gathered the business had been there for some time, as when it shut the gentleman indicated he was retiring. Then it become a photography studio that specialised in Victorian costumed photos. This didn't last more than a couple of years and I quit seeing the angel, as you do sometimes with familiar sights.
Then this shop opened and was often remarked upon, particularly the choice of black and white stripes (colours of Newcastle United Football Club - the immediate area's predominant religion)
or red and white stripes (colours of Sunderland Football Club -- to which I didn't link because it crashed my computer, not because of other loyalties). I think we know a few people would would opt for the black and white stripes -- or for the running club colours were they available. One can also be intensely patriotic.
Closer observation (frustrated by the reflections on the glass) indicate choices of the wicker type
or something that looks like a Hawaiian holiday.
No, we didn't use this company, though they do offer more sedate options similar to the one we selected from the funeral home's brochure.
It just always struck me as a funny business to have as a corner shop, though the angel does seem to finally be the perfect touch. I wonder if that is why they chose the location?
When I first saw this corner shop it was an antique shop. The angel was in its place and somehow fit in with the antique theme. I gathered the business had been there for some time, as when it shut the gentleman indicated he was retiring. Then it become a photography studio that specialised in Victorian costumed photos. This didn't last more than a couple of years and I quit seeing the angel, as you do sometimes with familiar sights.
Then this shop opened and was often remarked upon, particularly the choice of black and white stripes (colours of Newcastle United Football Club - the immediate area's predominant religion)
or red and white stripes (colours of Sunderland Football Club -- to which I didn't link because it crashed my computer, not because of other loyalties). I think we know a few people would would opt for the black and white stripes -- or for the running club colours were they available. One can also be intensely patriotic.
Closer observation (frustrated by the reflections on the glass) indicate choices of the wicker type
or something that looks like a Hawaiian holiday.
No, we didn't use this company, though they do offer more sedate options similar to the one we selected from the funeral home's brochure.
It just always struck me as a funny business to have as a corner shop, though the angel does seem to finally be the perfect touch. I wonder if that is why they chose the location?
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Go There Now
I don't care if you don't wear dresses or sew, if you love to laugh and/or you appreciate seriously imaginative writing, visit the Dress A Day blog and read her pattern stories. When you finish those, look on the right hand column for her 14 stories about the Secret Lives of Dresses. You'll thank me for this, I know you will.
I'm not big on dresses and for the most part I only dream about sewing, but I love this lady's blog.
I'm not big on dresses and for the most part I only dream about sewing, but I love this lady's blog.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Curious about Quakers
In the days leading up to Ella's funeral, both Bill and Jane were interested in learning more about the Quaker religion. They seemed to have a mixed variety of sources and quoted some peculiar ideas that made me more interested in knowing about the Society of Religious Friends, as they call themselves.
Their own website is of course a good place to look.
Wikipedia has an entry that is intriguing and the discussion page led me to search a bit further for famous Quakers. Looks as though they were big in the areas of chocolate and china, banking and shoes; at least during Victorian times. I was interested to learn that James Dean was raised and buried as a Quaker. Other entertainers who are Friends include Joan Baez and my very favourite Bonnie Raitt.
The founder is possibly a man named George Fox, an early dissenter (against the Roman Catholic and the Anglican Churches) and he was acquainted with William Penn, who of course founded Pennsylvania as a safe haven for religious dissenters.
The most detailed information I found about the history and the faith itself was from the BBC: nine pages of fascinating stuff.
Their own website is of course a good place to look.
Wikipedia has an entry that is intriguing and the discussion page led me to search a bit further for famous Quakers. Looks as though they were big in the areas of chocolate and china, banking and shoes; at least during Victorian times. I was interested to learn that James Dean was raised and buried as a Quaker. Other entertainers who are Friends include Joan Baez and my very favourite Bonnie Raitt.
The founder is possibly a man named George Fox, an early dissenter (against the Roman Catholic and the Anglican Churches) and he was acquainted with William Penn, who of course founded Pennsylvania as a safe haven for religious dissenters.
The most detailed information I found about the history and the faith itself was from the BBC: nine pages of fascinating stuff.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Barter Books
Simon had asked if we could stop by Barter Books in Alnwick on the way home. Also in Alnwick is another castle, but it's not a ruin and in any case we had all visited the gardens on one of Jane's previous visits.
Barter Books is always worth dropping in. In a former Victorian train station, it's one of the coziest places in the world. Across from the station is a park with the Percy Lion on a column. Percy is the surname of the Duke of Northumberland and it is a family with a long and amazing history.
On the benches outside were quotes from 2 members of a Moore family from Charleston, Missouri:
This made me curious about these people as they apparently had an interesting mother. I looked them up and found only that the Moore family was prominent in Charleston, MO. Margaret may have written children's books and Paul was Mayor of Charleston at some time.
If the outside of Barter Books is wonderful, the inside is even better. A person is invited to sip coffee and lounge in front of the coal fire
or at the back of the shop
or in the old waiting room.
Jane was more awake than I and took these pictures of the Writers Mural. This interactive link is definitely worth looking at.
She also noticed that the poem on the archway over the aisle.
Chris and I were worn out by walking in the wind and sun and so we waited until the others were ready to go.
I slept a good bit on the drive home. Later in the evening Bill shared his research on the family tree with Jane and I took the rare opportunity to snap a lovely brother and sister photo.
Later on, we all went for a meal at the Gate of India in Tynemouth.
Barter Books is always worth dropping in. In a former Victorian train station, it's one of the coziest places in the world. Across from the station is a park with the Percy Lion on a column. Percy is the surname of the Duke of Northumberland and it is a family with a long and amazing history.
On the benches outside were quotes from 2 members of a Moore family from Charleston, Missouri:
This made me curious about these people as they apparently had an interesting mother. I looked them up and found only that the Moore family was prominent in Charleston, MO. Margaret may have written children's books and Paul was Mayor of Charleston at some time.
If the outside of Barter Books is wonderful, the inside is even better. A person is invited to sip coffee and lounge in front of the coal fire
or at the back of the shop
or in the old waiting room.
Jane was more awake than I and took these pictures of the Writers Mural. This interactive link is definitely worth looking at.
She also noticed that the poem on the archway over the aisle.
Chris and I were worn out by walking in the wind and sun and so we waited until the others were ready to go.
I slept a good bit on the drive home. Later in the evening Bill shared his research on the family tree with Jane and I took the rare opportunity to snap a lovely brother and sister photo.
Later on, we all went for a meal at the Gate of India in Tynemouth.
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