On being all spontaneous and creative...

Creative inspiration at work.

 

Each morning I try to spend a few minutes with my journal and I also pick an oracle card from one of my packs to give me something to think about during the day.

Last week I got ‘Creative Project’ which I thought was quite apt as I have been trying to fit something creative into my life each week (and usually failing miserably as more important household chores take over)

But this card coincided with the call to the new AugustBreak project – a photo prompt a day for the whole month of August – and 30 Days of Writing, a new project for me which you can find out more about here.

 

It looks a bit like a Panda.

I had also ordered a new camera which duly arrived at the end of the week. Some of you may recall that I had been trying my hand at Polaroid photography with mixed results. Polaroid stopped making their iconic film some years ago and a company called The Impossible Project decided to bring out their version of instant film instead. It’s been a huge hit but as it’s still experimental there are mixed results. I have been using the film and loving it but the main issue is just the sheer cost of it.

I was delighted, then, to discover that Fuji make an Instax camera which creates credit card sized instant prints with Fuji film that seems to not be as temperamental as the IP stuff (it’s also a lot cheaper!) Cue lots of excuses to take pictures over the weekend.

 

Some of the better test shots

Some were ok, had a few under/over exposure practice shots too!

To round off a wonderful weekend, we decided to have an impromptu family BBQ. A good excuse for bunting and picnic mats! During the evening we were musing upon the artistic qualities of the ‘selfie’ and my brother wondered if anyone had ever taken a circle selfie where the background would show other people all taking selfies at the same time! We decided it was worth a try although the circle was more of a square with only four of us doing it! It took a few goes to ensure everyone clicked at the same moment but created some interesting results! Here are the best set of four.

DS#1 plays it cool.

My turn to look my best after a few glasses of bubbly....

Little bro chose a groovy effect on his picture.

DD and her BBQ hat.

 

 

Creativity and spontaneity – and Fun!!

Le Tour in London.

Apparently there was an 'Event' happening in London!

It’s been almost a week since we attended the greatest cycling show on Earth. Between then and now there have been thrills and spills, big names are out, places are being fought out and last Monday seems a bit like a distant dream!

So, Le Tour was always part of my childhood Summer family viewing – the only sporting event that we ever followed. I kind of lost touch a bit in the early 1990’s but regained the passion and have been faithfully following it each year from the armchair! Every year we would say ‘we MUST go and actually see it in real life!’

Free yellow caps? Check!

Well, you can hardly have failed to notice that this year the Grand Depart was in the UK, starting in Yorkshire and finishing Day Three in London. No excuse not to join in this time then! DS#1, DD and I decided we would do it.... cue lots of studying of the route, checking out tips and hints. Should we find a less busy place to view en route? Should we brave the very centre of London itself? Fan Park (with giant screen and added entertainment but not seeing the actual action itself) or roadside viewpoint in the capital (lots of waiting for 30 seconds of action)? In the end we decided to go with the flow – make our way to London on the morning and scope out the possibilities.

We left Oxford at a most unsociable hour but it meant we beat most of the rush hour traffic into the capital and managed to have time for a cooked breakfast to set us up for the day. We followed the route until we reached The Mall where the finish line was to be. I have never been so excited! All the lorries and TV equipment was there in place, the gantry over the finish line which they were busy painting onto the road (the actual TdF finish line!!) and the podium was set up.... people were beginning to bag spots and so we had decisions to make. The podium had TV screens which were to show the day’s action and it was placed just along from the finish line. We figured from this point we would see everything... so we settled in for the day. Hiring a couple of deckchairs from the Park Keeper was the best decision ever. Comfort and a way to keep the crowds from squishing us. There were even portaloos and stalls close by.

 

Yes, the actual finish line!

Any worries that 6 hours would drag by were soon dispelled. There was plenty to keep us entertained. Greg Lemond and Chris Boardman wandering past, freebies from the sponsors, cheers for the different vehicles and people going past. At last the famed Publicity Caravan rolled through. This is a colourful parade of floats and decorated cars from the sponsors. To be fair most of them looked pretty tired by this point but they gamely waved and grimaced at our excited cheers!

Not sure if the Skoda creature has a name - we cheered anyway.

Miffy! On a car! My favourite of the Caravan.

You can't quite see them - but the cyclists are coming!

Then – the TV announced there was 10km to go – the whole atmosphere changed. The deckchairs had to go and it all got a little bit close and squished. The excitement was building, the riders were getting closer, the squishing got more....squishy. Cameras were out, no one could see what they were photographing but it was all very thrilling.... the riders rounded the last corner and into the straight for the chase to the line..... it couldn’t have been more squished or exhilarating... who would win? It was all so fast I didn’t even hear! Then they flashed past us, close enough to touch, 30 seconds and it was over!

Being where we were meant we got to see everything after that flash too. Marcel Kittel (the stage winner) walked back past, as did the other jersey winners. Vincenzo Nibali in yellow, Peter Sagan in green got huge cheers, not least for his Wolverine hair. We stayed to see the jersey presentations, cheered the winners and watched in amazement as the stage was literally dismantled while the cyclists were just leaving it.

 

Then they zoomed through....

I was this close to Marcel Kittel :)

Vincenzo Nibali gets yellow

Peter Sagan in green. Hair hidden in cap!

We gently headed back to the bus stop, while all around us the barriers and roadblocks came down and the capital returned to normal life. The excitement was over....... Maybe next time we'll go and do it again but in France.... now that WOULD be a road trip!

And it's all over.....

It's all about The Good Life (and raspberries)

Gooseberry and Mint Jam.

Well, so far so good with my ‘half hour allotmenting’ plan! I have been up there every night – I have even managed to drag a variety of family members up with the promise of “It’ll only be half an hour-tops”.

My useful book divides the half hour up into a list of jobs in descending order of importance. Picking, planting, weeding, watering then digging. In fairness I have struggled to get much beyond ‘picking’ as the raspberries and gooseberries have gone mad. Now, I like a raspberry or two but this is getting blooming ridiculous. I have made raspberry jam galore, raspberry jelly (that didn’t turn out so well), raspberry ice cream and raspberry crumble. Not to mention raspberry muffins and raspberry eton  mess. I am now scouring books for other interesting raspberry recipes to ring the changes a bit!

My raspberry collection device - proving most handy!

I tackled the gooseberries today. They aren’t my favourite fruit either to eat or to harvest (my poor arms) but I figured that as we had inherited a few bushes on the plot it was the least I could do to try and put some to good use. I have made a batch of gooseberry and mint jam and the rest we are turning into alcohol J I’m assured that gooseberry wine is very lovely indeed.....

DH wields the uncapping fork!

With all the picking and making it does all seem a little ‘Good Life’ round here but I am loving it! We managed to extract about 15lbs of honey from one of our hives which was an added bonus as we didn’t expect any. Fingers crossed there might even be a little more before the end of the season.  The garden is also producing well – broad beans are coming in and the ruby chard looks almost too beautiful to eat! Some things are struggling though – all the squashes are very behind and I don’t think we will see much from them this year. The courgettes are tiny (which isn’t a bad thing!) and the runner beans are only just making their way up the poles. I have even picked some sweet peas to enjoy in the house after I read somewhere that they produce far more flowers if you pick them regularly.

Well, off to create more exciting things with a raspberry – I’ve just seen something called a ‘miniature raspberry and basil financier’......I’m assuming it is for eating and not offering sound financial advice but I will let you know!

Balancing my Life

Had a quick visit to Sidmouth before the retreat.

It’s been a lovely couple of weeks for me here – must be something to do with all that cosmic energy that I keep hearing about!

I finally got to go on my Yoga Retreat and absolutely loved it.. My yoga teacher, Jane, hired out a whole holiday complex for us near Honiton in Devon. It consisted of a barn converted into 4 beautiful cottages and then further barns which housed dining/yoga space and a small fitness room plus outdoor hot tub. The hot tub and gardens had spectacular views over the Blackdown Hills. Now, I was a little nervous leading up to the retreat – I don’t always find it easy to meet new people and before the event I knew a grand total of one person. But, I was brave and tried not to worry about the thought of sharing my room with someone I didn’t know. (We discussed this concern at work and decided that no one could be weirder than me so it should rightfully be the other person who should be worrying!)

A view of the yoga barn

However, this concern proved unfounded and everyone I spoke to was very friendly indeed. My roommate happened to also be called Karen which made things nice and easy and the other ladies in our cottage were lovely (they even brought sneaky alcohol).

A beautiful view for journaling and relaxing!

The yoga was awesome – I had lots of chance to deepen my practice and really try new things and push myself a little bit further. Added to the yoga was opportunities to meditate, enjoy some wonderful healthy food and in between the classes we were free to do what we wanted. For me this meant trying the hot tub, having a massage and mostly reading. I brought along some deep and meaningful self improvement stuff but actually ended up reading from the Game of Thrones tome. Most of all I got the chance to RELAX and think and just be. It was truly blissful!

More Sidmouth

However, the downside of all this blissed out peace was that the new week back at work hit me like a ton of bricks.... Part of my deep thinking was to make some changes to my own routine – more yoga, better diet (ie less snacking), more time in the garden/allotment, less time on mindless TV and computers. However, after a couple of days I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the new changes I was asking of myself. So I decided to slow down and make smaller adjustments but all heading in the right direction. In a moment of pure synchronicity I found this book in a charity shop. We have been struggling a bit with keeping on top of our allotment recently and DH came home a couple of weeks ago in a major downer because all our hard graft had simply provided the world’s best picnic for the slugs. Not a single pea remained, not a carrot to be seen, even the onions had been nibbled! So I decided to do a sneaky thing and not tell him that I have been doing half an hour at the ‘lotty every night after work. So far there is not much of an improvement but I can see the onions again through the weeds and I have been picking copious amounts of raspberries. I have also dug a patch (the size of a postage stamp – but small steps, remember) This method is suiting me perfectly as I have a short attention span and it means I still have time to fit in all the other self improvements. Healthy eating? Oh yes. Snacking? Not a single thing has passed my lips (well, apart from an oat cracker the other night). Yoga practice? Most mornings, even just a cat/cow stretch is better than nothing! Technology? Yes, I have neglected my blog and mostly ignored Facebook.... I just have to get the balance right!

Exploring the Trenches.

An impressive tree.

 

I have mentioned before that we have a really exciting set of World War 1 practice trenches very close to my workplace in Wytham woods.

This Saturday saw a big festival take place at work, part of which was a guided tour of this area of woodland. I managed to sneak onto the tour as a ‘Joe Public’ person so I could relax and enjoy the experience!

 

A view across towards Wytham village.

The woodlands at Wytham are world famous for all manner of really important scientific studies. From badger populations to the calcium spots on Blue Tit eggs – from climate change to bats, Wytham has it all.

However, my real interest was in seeing the trenches and I was totally amazed at how much remained and how deep they still were considering they have been slowly filling in for the last 100 years.

 

Our land manager has been strimming the trenches and says they go on for miles – much further than anyone had previously thought.

 

When the trenches were first dug, the area would have been heathland – the trees have grown up since. They were created to give the new recruits some experience of trench warfare. I wonder how it compared to the actual horrors they would have faced?

These trenches were linked to the Oxford University Training Corps, attached to No. 4 Officer Cadet Battalion. Our Hill End founder, Raymond ffennell was a Major and there is speculation that CS Lewis (of The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe fame) was an active member at this time and so may well have spent time in these very trenches.
 

 

Our plan is to eventually recreate a section of the trenches and build an education programme around it so that children can get a taste of what it may have been like. Anything that brings history to life like this is so valuable and I think it is also important to remember what was happening around us. I will keep you updated as we continue with the project!

Garden inspiration

Clematis in my garden.

The last couple of weeks have seen an explosion of exciting things happening in the garden. Not only in my garden but also elsewhere.

Here are some pictures I have taken - Enjoy!

The strangest garden sculpture!

These hostas looked like they'd been painted.

I just love the texture and shape of these alliums

A more grown up version of a cress head I guess!

I think I took a similar picture last year but I love black and white :)

Decorative garden features on a grand scale!

Things I Have Seen This Week

I've had a pretty busy week at work – lots of training and off site visits. Being out and about has allowed me to witness some very interesting people- I do like to people watch when I get the chance (not in a weird stalkery way you understand!)

Here’s my Top 5 interesting sightings of the week :) 

5. Possibly the world’s oldest paper-boy. I'm sure there are plenty of older people out there delivering papers each and every morning with cheer and enthusiasm but this particular gentleman appeared to be taking the label of ‘paper-boy’ a bit too seriously. He was dressed as a 10 year old boy, shorts and all, cap at a jaunty angle, trainers, bag slung at a nonchalant, knee knocking height. Sadly he wasn't riding a Chopper bike but it looked like he might have been saving up his paper round money for one!

4. A monk with the best beard in town. Apparently monks are not a rare sight in this particular area of Oxford but being a mere village girl I had not come across one before! He looked very cool and flowing in long grey robes (or whatever the technical term is for monks clothing) but most fascinatingly he had a splendid beard, truly, wonderfully splendid! It was long and bushy and really quite huge. I wanted to stop the minibus and stroke it. I'm not sure what beard etiquette would say about that?

3. Where’s Wally x2. I did have to look twice at these ladies. I assume they were raising money for some worthy cause. They were walking alongside a main road, seemingly miles from the nearest inhabited area both dressed as Where’s Wally and doing it three legged. In the rain. With a bucket. They didn't look particularly happy about the whole thing. I'm not sure if they were lost or just on an epic journey. I wondered what might happen if they had an argument – would they see it through, stomping three legged and ignoring each other or would they call it a day and untie the bonds, leaving their sponsors to ask “Where’s the other Wally?”

2. It did rain a lot this week and I felt very sorry for the young lad who was out on his bike in a torrential downpour. I'm sure he was a lot happier to ride in the rain that I would have been but his face didn't reflect it. Still, he was bravely peddling on with water streaming down his face, hair plastered and clothes dripping and looking like he could not get any wetter - and then some total git in a 4x4 drove straight through a puddle...... I would have cried at this point. Instead, and all due respect to the lad, he did manage a magnificent hand gesture towards said driver. I cheered!

1. My favourite sighting of the week may have been a mirage. I did pass by on the opposite side of the road at a reasonable pace. But what I think I saw was an old lady on a bike in a long black wig dressed as a pink fairy. I mean complete with wings, tutu, crown and everything! Was she heading to a fancy dress party? Was this just a normal days clothing choice for her? Was she, in fact, a real fairy? I choose to believe the last one...fairies are real!