I went to this at the Botanical Gardens tonight - feels a little crazy when I'm going to London tomorrow and haven't packed or charged mobile or found the essential A-Z.
It was spectacular and we made origami lillies and floated them on the pond. Afterwards we went and had Dim Sum. I hope my friends pictures come out ok as I only took the lomo.
For the blanket recipe
see picture below a few entries
Cast on 89 stitches.
Next row knit two together, then knit 19, knit 3 together repeat until end of row and then knit two stitches together.
Knit next row.
Knit two together, then knit 17, knit 3 together repeat until end of row then knit two stitche together
knit next row.
Change colour
Same as above but knit 15 along.
All the time each second row reduce the knitting by 2 stitches, soon you will see the 'corners' of the square develop. Change colour every 4 rows. Once you are knitting only one stitch inbetween the 3 stitches knitted together, knit three stitches together x 3 and then knit the last 3 together and cast off. Sew up the seam with the tail from casting on.
I have decided that once my first baby blanket is finished to graduate to bigger needles so my next blanket is quicker.
Heaney meets Joyce in a carpark, after a fast and pilgrimage to St. Patrick’s Purgatory in Lough Derg. The tall, older man on his ashplant, holding Heaney’s hand with his boney own, gives him this parting advice that ends the poem:
…
and suddenly he hit a litter basket
with his stick, saying, “Your obligationis not discharged by any common rite.What you do you must do on your own.
The main thing is to writefor the joy of it. Cultivate a work-lust
that imagines its haven like your hands at night
dreaming the sun in the sunspot of a breast.You are fasted now, light-headed, dangerous.Take off from here. And don’t be so earnest,
so ready for the sackcloth and the ashes.Let go, let fly, forget.You’ve listened long enough. Now strike your note.
…
You lose more of yourself than you redeemdoing the decent thing. Keep at a tangent.When they make the circle wide, it’s time to swim
out on your own and fill the elementwith signatures on your own frequency,echo-soundings, searches, probes, allurements,
elver-gleams in the dark of the whole sea.”The shower broke in a cloudburst. The tarmacfumed and sizzled. As he moved off quickly
the downpour loosed its screens round his straight walk.
Seamus Heaney, Station Island (1984)
from Do Buddists watch telly
Just been past HK handknit on Bruntsfield and its closing down - last day of sale this Saturday.
Also a knitting conference on the history and art of knitting in Edinburgh.
Oh the joy of cancelled plans and everyday miracles!
Server down at work so at home being paid until 11.30 when I have to go back. So am making an orange/almond/pinenut cake for a trip to the turkish baths tonight at Portobello. Thats the miracle my friend H is venturing out of the house for a seaside adventure.
Despite this being a made by me cake it smells so delicious I'm going to have to restrain myself from having a go at it before tonight.
You don’t have to work so hard at this. You don’t have to do so much. You don’t have to endeavor to be natural, normal, and good. It happens by itself when you least expect it. If you are confused about what you should be doing, try this. Stop what you are doing. Take care of what is in front of you, when it is in front of you, and the confusion will pass. This is called the effort of no effort. No effort is what powers the universe.
With time, your roots grow deep and your branches long. You lean a little less backward in fear and a little less forward in doubt, resting solidly right where you are. When the wind blows, you bend. When it stops, you straighten. Your boughs provide shelter and shade. Your strength supports the sky. Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself.
Karen Maezen Miller
via Jen Lemen
I was supposed to be meeting some friends to go to an exhibition this afternoon followed by Dim Sum. One friend cancelled due to being ill so we put the outing on hold.
Instead I sauntered across to the supermarket walking along the park and admired the spring crocuses which are blooming. I bought a kitchen timer at Woolworths and then browsed in a clothes shop. Finally I did some food shopping bought a sunday paper as I had an article on my filmmaker hero Derek Jarman.
Back home I got out the timer set it for 15 mins and did some of the washing up and cleaned the grill. Then I hung out the washing in the cold clean February air. I sat for a bit and sewed up squares, drank coffee and read the newspaper. Then I went outside and planted the snow drops and foxgloves I'd brought back from the country last weekend. Finally I started a batch of bagels. I haven't made any for at least 6 months.
I would have thought this a very unproductive day about 5 years ago but I'm slowly learning that I need time, time to mull over things, time for creativity to grow slow roots underground, time to center myself, time for noticing. I think more of the pleasures of slow than I used to. I'm less admiring of people who perhaps 'achieve' a lot but skate past on the surface of life. I have to re-learn the pleasures of slow over and over again. Occasionally I start thinking I'm too 'slow' I 'should' be doing this or that but as soon as I get onto a timetable that is not right for me I can feel that giddly out of control unconnectedness that dominated my life for far too long.
On a related note we never give ourselves the leaway for processing life changes - a student will appologise for not writing in many months, then will elaborate on a job change, a family situation and a third stressful event. Regaining our equilibrium takes time.
On a related note slow & idle parenting by Tom Hodgkinson
I'm off to check on the status of my bagels.
article at the Independent.
Though I hardly ever use recipies myself. Usually when I try something for the first time though often from the first go I'm experimenting or changing stuff depending on what I have to hand. Lamb shoulder in the oven with garlic stuffed in crevaces, sweet potatoe, potatoe, and butternut squash cut up around it - a mixture of chili oil and olive oil sprikled on a afew garlic cloves still in the papery covering to roast.
Yum.. can't wait retreating to sofa with magazine while I wait.
May I direct you towards the link on the side bar? In previous years I've organised mass outings to the Turkish Baths for friends and massages. This year its been too hectic to do so but I will be at the Baths next week. However in celebration of Love Yourself Day tomorrow I'm going to buy TWO bars of Green & Blacks Dark Cherry Chocolate and have lunch out.
words of wisdom by the Rolling Stones
Today I went swimming 2nd time for a few weeks and before that it was a year or so since I dipped my toes in water. My swimming friend stormed up and down and did 45 mins of lenghts I did about 35 mins. Left and went off to my afternoon shift feeling somewhat tired. When I arrived I couldn't find my name up on any of the job boards. So I asked. It turned out that I was only scheduled to work this evening. They offered me the option of signing up for an afternoon sift but I decided it was a sign ! left went home napped for an hour (Frida the cat enjoys co-napping). Slowly made coffee, knitted a bit and then actually made a small in road into the washing up. I felt so refreshed - was just what I needed. Sometimes life does conspire to send what you need.
I'm currently desperately knitting squares for a blanket same as above but all squares will have some black in them. I have 3 babies to knit for - one arrived and two on their way. I feel like a belegured worker on a collective farm with my 5 year plan of productivity doubled. I take knitting to work and everywhere I go incase I can do a few more rows.
Edinburgh was wreathed in mist when I got back on Sunday - it hung about on Monday. I went for a walk at the beach and it was strange not being able to see the far shore - but I saw a seal ! only the second in 8 years of going there.
Went to a women & business networking event - much much more interesting than I thought it would be tonight. Thank you H!
Got a good idea for marketing my classes from a woman I spoke to afterwards - thank you unknown lady !
Just shows its really good to push out of those comfortable ruts we line with duvets.
quote from Sparkletopia
Right I'm back from my 3 1/2 day trip to the country. BAFTA awards going on the background - cat sleeping on a shelf beside me. Feel I've been away for about 3 weeks.
Just before I left I heard that the Planning Application I'd written 22 letters and emails to politicians about had passed. So I left the city pretty downheartened. Its very easy to see life as a slide towards things getting worse.
But it was wonderful to connect with family friends who live in Dumfries & Galloway. I realised that I'd last seen some of them last May ! too long ago... The trip down through the Borders was beautiful, snow drops out, the Devils Beef Tub as dramatic as ever. Our friends had a new addition to the family a black labrador puppy called Jock (after Jock of the Bushvelt) but I renamed The Hound of Pipercoft. SIMPLY ENORMOUS PAWS and the 5 cats of the house cowering in their porch after being bounced upon. I walked the 'policies' seeing the hens (who are a drain on the rural economy producing no eggs for months and necessitating their masters to 'buy' eggs!) and the new 'bothy' which as its being designed by a South African architect has its own stoep.
On Sat we went into Castle Douglas for shopping and I went to Hazel's a secondhand sort of shed. A great favourite of my hosts. I wasn't planning to buy anything but got seduced by a Millers Cine Camera which might be useful for a rather distant project for a documentary. I thought it was a 16mm film cine but I'm not so sure after doing a bit of googling I think it might be 9.5 mm - not sure if I can get film for it but a beautiful leather case and clockwork mechanism.
I'm delighted to be returning with a recipe for babobtie and yellow rice which I will try out on friends soon.
The two most beautiful things about this weekend were spending time with people and having those conversations which are missed by phone calls but arise out of time. The second was our last walk into the village this morning a soft mist across the landscape - ghost trees on the horizon - cows in the mid horizon - 3 pairs of geese flying over and then grazing in the field.
I didn't have a camera with me but I didn't need it.
Went out for brunch today as I was up early to take the cat for a check up. She is fine but not happy about the cat carrier and my slekit ways of getting her into it.
As I sat in the cafe I looked out on Broughton St and saw the snow coming down. Its been doing this over the past 3 days but not lying - we are too near the sea here.
I had to go to the post office to stock up on stamps - I'm about to settle down and write to all the councillors on the Edinburgh City Council Planning Committe. On Wednesday they meet to consider a plan to demolish a swathe of the High St of Edinburgh to replace the serviceable buildings with horrible modern offices, flats and a 5 star hotel in a World Heritage Site. Even Prince Charles has condemend this development. The planning department of Edinburgh Council has recommended this development but it will not necessarily be passed by the committee. They don't always go with the recommendations. PLEASE write to the concillors and ask them to vote against the proposals. You don't have to live in Edinburgh to do this - as this is a designated World Heritage Site anyone has a vested interest in these plans.
If you live in the UK please write letters to the concillors at City Chambers High St,Ediburgh. If further abroad then write emails but some councillors are known not to read emails so letters are better (hence stocking up on stamps today!)
People in Ediburgh have been fighting these proposals for 2 1/2 years please give them your support - the last round of proposals generated 1800 letters to the Head of Planning in Edinburgh. For more information go to www.eh8.org.uk
They are also looking for a civic minded Advocate to bring a legal case. If you know of one please get in touch with them!
WRITE/EMAIL YOUR Local or even all 58 AllCECcouncillorsemails
AND ALL ON THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL LEADER JENNY DAWE jenny.dawe@edinburgh.gov.uk
Find your councillors by your ward at this link http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Council/Council_Business/councillor_database/CEC_search_by_ward
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
jim.lowrie@edinburgh.gov.uk (Sld) Planning Committee Leader
charles.dundas@edinburgh.gov.uk (Sld) (Caltongate is in his ward)
elaine.morris@edinburgh.gov.uk (SLD)
gary.peacock@edinburgh.gov.uk (SLD)
marjorie.thomas@edinburgh.gov.uk (SLD)
colin.keir@edinburgh.gov.uk (SNP)
stuart.mcivor@edinburgh.gov.uk (SNP)
tom.buchanan@edinburgh.gov.uk (SNP)
lesley.hinds@edinburgh.gov.uk (Labour)
norma.hart@edinburgh.gov.uk (Labour)
eric.milligan@edinburgh.gov.uk (Labour)
joanna.mowat@edinburgh.gov.uk (Con) City Central (Caltongate in her ward)
cameron.rose@edinburgh.gov.uk (Con)
alastair.paisley@edinburgh.gov.uk (Con)
steve.burgess@edinburgh.gov.uk (Green)
Also write/email your Msp regional and List ones, you can find their details by this link http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/msplocator.htm You can find details of Mps and Meps here http://www.writetothem.com/ (Scottish ones are listed even although it doesn’t say on home page, you just enter your postcode and they will appear) Points that you can include in letter along with your own views on The Caltongate Proposals -
ask them to oppose the sale of Common Good Land – which could provide some of the community facilities deficient in the Old Town
ask for protection of the existing community and the World Heritage Site from insensitive and inappropriate development
ask what their commitment (or not) is to the Edinburgh Community Plan, which promotes a cleaner, greener Edinburgh
ask what is their commitment to World Heritage Management Plan
And WRITE to
Head of Planning Division,
Development Department,
Scottish Executive,
Victoria Quay
The Director of Historic Scotland,
Longmore House,
Salisbury Place, EH9 1SH
requesting refusal of the demolition of buildings in the World Heritage Site and Old Town Conservation Area as proposed in the Mountgrange Masterplan
requesting the masterplan be referred to the Scottish Executive as it involves a significant departure from the Development Plan and the Council have a financial interest in the proposed development.
Write a letter to John Swinney
Who is Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
We all need to write to Scottish Government Minister John Swinney, as it will be him who will have the power to call in Mountgrange`s Planning Applications. We should all do this as soon as we can. It is on the 6th February 2008 that they are to go before the council in a special hearing. He should be made aware of the importance of calling in the applications.
Points you could include
· Many in Scotland feel that, under the previous administration, HS was "leant on" not to put the conservation case too strongly (i.e. to oppose demolitions of listed buildings) if that could stand in the way of economic development - such as the jobs and tourist boost promised by Mountgrange for example. Many believe a similar view was taken by the previous Edinburgh planning committee (especially the convenor, Trevor Davies).
· It is hoped that the Scottish Government can review this policy and strike a better balance between economic development and the conservation and celebration of Scotland's built heritage. It is therefore hoped that if the Caltongate applications are called in by the Government (as the City Council has a financial interest in the development, and has appeared to have mis-handled the application process) the Minister will not devolve the decision to HS but will take advice from a wider range of sources, and will listen to the well-argued opposition from heritage bodies, conservation experts and the local community.
· The development is of strategic, national and historic importance. A World Heritage site is a national responsibility - WH sites are submitted for designation to UNESCO by the national government of the country concerned, and UNESCO expects that government to take responsibility for the protection and care of designated sites.
It’s would mark a significant change in conservation planning policy and set a dangerous precedent
Write to
John Swinney MSP
St Andrew`s House
Regent Road
Edinburgh EH1 3DG
or email him marked for his attention to -
scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
I walked across the park in the dry and light and felt so much better.
I did one of my resolutions last night for this year. I emailed all my friends and asked when their birthdays were and wrote the replies down in my diary. We don't do nearly enough celebrating. I forget these things very easily. Though one friend very kindy said that I was good at the 'random present' thoughout the year!
Meeting tonight to try and save the old town of Edinburgh from hideous development - 7pm Old St Pauls Church Jeffrey St.
Forgot to mention this wonderful house on Lincolns Inn Fields in London. Packed to the gunnels with Hogarths, Roman & Greek Statutory, a fantastic OTT memorial to Fanny his favourite dog etc. Well worth seeing and free!
Saw a friend on Sunday. I've done my back in so hobbled there and I lay on her sofa. She was telling me about her alternative Burns Suppers she does with a friend. Instead of the traditional meal, haggis, neaps & tatties they do fusion. This year it was Moroccan. A tagine of haggis meatballs in a prune spiced base... couscous, neeps and carrot salad, baklava with a whisky syrup. I'm hopelessly in rut as far as cooking goes time to make some effort to get out of it.
Went swimming to try and help the back - first time in 1 1/2 years - nice once the hurting stopped. Time to try new things again.
Just back last night I had a wonderful time. Highlights include the Denis Severs House in Spitalfields. £12 entry but worth it. I'd hoped to make my acquaintance with Verde again but I arrived too late and they were shutting up shop.
I met my friend R in London on Tuesday - she was at a photography conference in the big smoke at the same time as me. We met at the Photographers Gallery - 2 really interesting FREE exhibitions there. The Harry Price photies are really weird. Afterwards I marched her to Foyles to have lunch and we nipped to their photography book section. Then to Chinatown to take photos, nipped up to Libertys for old timesake, then back down towards Foyles and she went off to her friends place at Watford and I went to the Hari Krishna restaurant in Soho St just off Soho Square to meet a friend - the small Thali is a very reasonable £4.95 for dinner and vegie/vegan. Then friend insisted on a trip to Top Shop in Oxford St to find jeans. If going to London with a youngish person this flagship store is a must - includes dog fashions and vintage but hell mend you if you are over size 14.
Other highlights include Meade St - pretty 18th C houses in Soho with ominous plaques bolted to door 'There are no Prostitutes here'. A bench dedicated to Kirsty Macoll in Soho Square. Oh and I saw Peter Davidson outside Cambridge and Julian Barrett of The Mighty Boosh in Swaines Lane - he seemed to have been playing tennis on Parliament Hill - how bourgeois...
Also went to Berwick Silks to get proper silk velvet for a scarf.
Creativity is like a water table under the earth. It's not limited to writing or to painting; it's everywhere. It's a life force: You tap it with energy and effort, and it wells up through you. No matter what you do, the first step to tapping creativity is showing up. If you're a writer, you tell yourself that you're going to write for 10 minutes, and then physically move your hand across the page for that amount of time. Maybe you'll produce only one good line, but that's a lot more than you would accomplish by just sitting there. When you're pursuing a particular objective, you have a mind like a pistol. But the harder you chase something, the faster you go -- and the less you're able to let life meet life. If you're having difficulty coming up with new ideas, then slow down. For me, slowing down has been a tremendous source of creativity. It has allowed me to open up -- to know that there's life under the earth and that I have to let it come through me in a new way. Creativity exists in the present moment. You can't find it anywhere else.
Natalie Goldberg
" I no longer wanted to see radical change dictated from the top — even if that top claimed to be the bottom, the 'voice of the people'. I lost faith in the idea that there were quick solutions, that everyone would simultaneously see the light and things would suddenly flip over into a wonderful new reality. I started to believe it was always going to be slow, messy, compromised, unglamorous, bureaucratic, endlessly negotiated — or else extremely dangerous, chaotic and capricious. In fact I've lost faith in the idea of ideological politics altogether: I want instead to see politics as the articulation and management of a changing society in a changing world, trying to do a half-decent job for as many people as possible, trying to set things up a little better for the future."
Brian Eno in World Changing
Bits & Bobs
A friend called me from London on her way to view the refurbish St Pancras Station - she's going to have coffee there and then go to the British Library. Isn't it weird that we are able to have these conversations across time and space...
Making Happy has some great photos from a holiday in Cuba.
I've got today off meeting a friend for coffee then to see Lust Caution at the Cameo.
I should do some housework before I go but suspect that all I'll manage is some journalling with a cup of coffee... I'm addicted to coffee.
'Eye Shopping' is what my grandmother's maid Rosie called it. A friend of mine was regailing me with a 1 million pound shopping trip she organised before christmas. The aim was to spend a million pounds in one day on things that could be taken away on the day (no multiples allowed). She set off with a photographer, model and journalist - this was of course for an article not for real - and set out to spend spend spend. They splashed out on a £5000 Christian Dior outfit. £95,000 Raeburn bust, a ferrari, a £25,000 sailing boat, a mere £15,000 on hiring this hotel in its entirely for friends to stay over for dinner for one night (peacocks and highland cows thrown in gratis). My friend was begging them to increase the bill by putting more expensive wine on it.... in the end they only managed £920,000 in a day. They missed out she said by failing to get a motorbike. When she told us this story of the million pound day over Christmas lunch we of course leapt in with what we would have bought first class round the world ticket, Anne Redpath paintings by the dozen, a vast order at Raeburn Fine Wines. This kept us amused for simply ages.
I do think that the pleasure of thinking about what we would spend the money on theoretically was probably near equal to having actually having spent the money on it. The pleasure of having bought something evaporates quite quickly but the pleasures for example of ending up with an experince last longer.
I did spend £9.37 on wool today to go towards making a blanket for a knocked up cousin. I'm aiming for something like a wooly heirloom which will do the infant into adulthood. I have to do some serious knitting in the next few months.
a great blog by Lance Arthur of the wit and wisdom of his friend Lesley Harpold.
A correspondent thinks my Leith Walk graffitist has quoted some P.IL. lyrics.
Meanwhile I move from bed to steaming my sinuses as I'm on day two of a cold. Housework is neglected...
Things to be happy about - cool website via 52projects.
Article about green travel at the Independent
This is a Christmas tree outside the Conran Shop in London. I don't get a tree as I don't have a bay window which seems to me the essential component for a tree or a separate living room. There just isn't the right spot for it though I suspect Frida cat would love it and attempt to climb it. Second last present purchased today- the one other person who needs something lives abroad and as I won't be able to get to a post office before January I might as well leave off the buying of the present until then as well.
I have also failed so far on the to me from me present - H will be horrified to read that I have indeed purchased an alarm clock at the princely sum of £2.50 and awfuly pleased, I did make a special trip to buy sheeps milk yoghurt as a treat and will consider the conumdrum of the to me from me present in the New Year when hopefully there will be more funds.
I've written the last of my cards while listening to Kings College Cambridge and will in a while work up the energy to wrap things. I'm ahead of myself anyway as I don't have to give any presents over until the new year when my brother comes up. More truffle making on hold as Lidles failed to provide any double cream. I shall make some more biscuits instead.
'When it's over, I want to say I have been a bride married to amazement, I've been a bridegroom taking the world into my arms.’
Mary Oliver
from 37 days
Normally by now I've decided on my Christmas card design even if I send them after christmas, decided my 'to me from me' present. But due to starting a job last week I've (gasp) bought cards ... I'm behind with my shopping and have no idea what I'm going to buy myself. It might be new cashmere gloves (though I'm desperate for a new alarm clock !), or even process a few films out of the hundreds knocking about the place. A friend is passing through Edinburgh so I'm meeting her for brunch tomorrow and hoping to get on with things.
I did make truffles though - I'm a newbie at truffles and they seem quite successful so a few more might be made before the new year.
66 ways to find more courage from Christine Kane.
I just need to find the strength to go up town and face the post office!
David Morley has a really interesting blog. I heard him at a poetry reading in London last week.
Writers are often asked: “How do you write? With a word processor? an electric typewriter? a quill? longhand?” But the essential question is: “Have you found a space, that empty space, which should surround you when you write? Into that space, which is like a form of listening, of attention, will come the words, the words your characters will speak, ideas - inspiration.” If a writer cannot find this space, then poems and stories may be stillborn. When writers talk to each other, what they discuss is always to do with this imaginative space, this other time. “Have you found it? Are you holding it fast?”
from Doris Lessing's Nobel Prize speech.
Read Living Small's commentary here
My friend Sarah Gillam has a site specific exhibition on in the Women's Library London.
'Clear' is composed of site-specific, temporary drawing installation celebrating the history of The Women’s Library building on the site of a Victorian washhouse. Original architectural plans and archival photos inspire drawings made directly onto walls around the building by the artist.
Its free admission and closes on the 21st of Dec. I saw the opening but it was great to see it again on Friday. It was a less hurried viewing and I was able to appreciate the history behind it more.
We went for a curry off Brick Lane afterwards passing the Whitechapel Bell Foundary - 500 years old and a sign on the door welcoming browsers 'no obiligation to buy' I wonder how much a bell costs to commission?
We also saw a video art exhbition which had some quite interesting pieces in it but can't for the life of me remember the gallery name.
South Bridge in the fog. This was a really weird afternoon when I took it. Balmoral Hotel, Post Office Building, St Andrews House and the Castle all blanketed out by the white. Very disorientating. So much of the time when creating we are in the same position blindly ploughing on with no idea of the path or vista before ourselves.
"My advice to writers anywhere, published or not, is to love what you do, and forget about the rest. Writing is always hard work, always difficult, there are days of despair, that are times when the thing really isn’t working, but you have to be able look underneath all of that, and find the place of private commitment that is yours and yours alone. If that is there, and if it is real, you will be able to carry on. If it isn’t there, then you will be vulnerable to whatever other people have to say about your work – good or bad, and that is not right. For anyone who works alone, creativity is not about consensus. This isn’t to say that you behave like an arrogant shit – it doesn’t matter whether your gift is great or small, it matters that you care about what you do, and find enough satisfaction in it, through good times and bad. And remember, experiment is important, and the right to fail is important. "
Jeanette Winterson
Muswell Hill : Blonde curly headed toddler kisses the window of a shop as it has a display of ginormous fake gingerbread people in the window.
Moorgate to Fenchurch St Station: I scurry along consulting my A-Z and one of the churches has a peel of bells at 6pm which floats out over the city workers leaving for home.
100 g of flakes almods ground in liquidiser but so there are still some big flakes. Mix with 3 eggs, some sugar, a dash of veg oil and fairtrade coca. Put into oven about gas mark 6. Await friend and make pot of coffee.
~~~
Its so DARK!
We agree that we are letting out our inner pagans, lights etc are needed to chase away this dark.
My friend Rhiannon has updated her website.
Very driech day here again and have run out of coffee... I might have to leave the house. Here is a link to the completed Haunted Photograph Project done by The Photographers Gallery.
sort of.
I was supposed to be in London on Tuesday... but I misread my ticket - the train wasn't at 3 but 11am ! So I'm still in Edinburgh and in posession of a bus ticket now for Sunday. This trip to London has cost me £130 before I've even got there. However as I now have unexpected time at home I've been renewing my job hunt and things look a bit more hopeful. So this unexpected parcel of time has had good results. It would be wonderful if I got a yen to so housework at the same time ... but that feeling hasn't overcome me yet.
One of the things I have done is put a link to the Amazon book and video sale I've got going on in the side of my blog - do hop over and see if anything is of interest.
Its the season of casseroles and tea. Yesterday went here for tea. After a brisk walk around the policies to admire the Highland Cows and the peacocks we went in. We had afternoon tea beside a roaring fire and chatted and discussed and debated. When we left it was dark and Arthur's Seat loomed above us and the most wonderful full moon hung over the city.
"It's not about making art, it's about living a life that makes art inevitable."
Robert Henri via Andrea Scher.
Went to see elderly rellie today - wet, windy, grey, cold and miserable. Dark by 4pm. Want to get christmas lights by the mile to cheer the place up. Hotwater bottle MIA but found this local crafty blogger while wasting time.
I had to go up town to the post office - Amazon booksales. Stocked up on stamps, then went and had breakfast out. What a treat! Free reading of newspapers and free postcards to pick up at a cafe. Then dashed to library and changed books. Got the bus home and saw the amateur football going on in the park. It must have been half time as serious strategising meetings were being held at either end of the field with the teams.
It was just lovely being out on a dry autumn morning.
Last week I had a stimulating email exchange with H. I went for a job interview for a job I really wanted but didn't get. H emailed me to say it was the universe pushing me to do what I do. And I replied 'What is it that I'm supposed to be doing?'
She replied 'You are supposed to be telling stories, Just like I am'
and went on
'I haven’t been out of the apartment for nearly three weeks! That bit I didn’t realise until F pointed it out to me. Now you go out of the apartment. You have your artist dates and your meetings with friends but so much of that time is spent for others M? How much time do you actually spend on you? Thinking about what you want? Doing what you want to do? (sorry M this really is a bottle and a half of wine sort of email!). It just struck me though. The two of us are really good at advising other people as to what they should be doing with their lives. And our advice is good. It’s really good. But we never ever take it ourselves. Maybe because its too hard. Maybe because taking that advice means that we have to stand up and be counted. And we can justify not writing our books (me) or not making our films (you) because we need to pay the bills, because we need to be sensible and responsible and (at our age) debt free…'
And I really thought about it. About what I really want to do and have I given up on some of the things I wanted to do because really that last few years have been really hard. I don't write about it/didn't write about it but some times getting up, going to work, producing a meal is heroic and then doing it the next day and the next day. I also thought about the fact I've not admitted to myself I'm scared. I've had so many disappointments the last 5 years I don't want to put myself in the way of anymore. I'm not ashamed of that fact. We have our limits and there is no shame in protecting ourselves. But I wonder have I taken it too far?
Finally I'm sitting here in front of the TV immobilized as I've got my feet soaking in Dead Sea salts and warm water in a basin. Frida the cat is enjoying my stillness and I'm knitting. H & C both recommended this as a cure for ailing feet. I've got something which I suspect is incipient Psoriasis which itches like hell and I've been living with for a few months. This is proof by my body whatever my mind connives that I've been stressed the past few months.
Finally finally I think of a walk I had at the beach a week or two back. It was dark. I love walking on the beach in the dark, for a start its quiet and people free, and you can see the lighthouse signals in the Forth and the boat lights. Anyway I was incredibly irritated to see someone walking along the beach holding a torch, Now there are lights on the promenade, quite strong and you have to walk quite far away from them to get away from the light they cast. This annoying light bobbed up and down distracting myself from the joy of being in the night light. Of course if you take your own torch your eyes never adjust to the light levels at night and rather than giving you more light it makes the background even darker even more instinct and and frankly scarier.
Turn off the light look at what scares you and it might be less scary.
Saw Brick Lane on Sunday a free preview - I thought it captured the beauty of London very well. I've not read the book so I don't know if its a 'good' adaptation or not. Only disappointment was the failure to find an Asian actor to play the part of the lover.
Tonight I saw Into the Wild a more compelling film - and one which made me feel old. I wanted to shake the main character and say 'you know nothing about human beings'. But I won't say more or I'll spoil the film for you.
Article about the Magnum Photographers collective at the Independent.
Buying Green Jasmine Tea at the Chinese Supermarket on Leith Walk - 65 p for 20 tea bags.
Taking Lomos of the new rash of graffiti down the walk - 'I got you flowers but you wanted chocolates'
Meeting H for coffee and thrashing out what is it that we really want, being scared (One of the graffiti's is 'Don't be Afraid'). I realise I've been aiming low in order to avoid disappointment. Hey I'm human its ok.
I'm back in the warm embrace of the City of Edinburgh Library System. I've paid off my £14.35 in fines and now have - gasp- taken out books! Oh the joy of new books.
Challenge yourself
Do something nearly every day ( every day if possible )that you love doing - walking through the city taking photos is mine.
Buy the little luxury which adds to your life, green jasmine teabags, library books what ever that is for you.
Think about what you really want to achieve and make baby steps towards it. Write your goals somewhere you can see them. I find I keep on forgetting them in the melee of every day life.
came across this article on breadmaking
If I buy bread flour from Lidles at 49p for 1.5 kg I can make 3 loaves for the price of almost half a loaf.
This is my basic recipe
Mix 500 g of flour, 1 dessertspoon of sugar, 1 desert spoon of oil, one egg, one teaspoon of granular yeast, a pinch of salt, and temp water 250 g (if its too hot the yeast is killed) Mix, kneed for 5 mins of so until a smooth dough. Cover and leave to rise.
Either shape into bagels and do a second rising then briefly dip into boiling water and then bake for 15 mins or put the dough into oven for a loaf. About 5 or 6 gas mark until the bottom of the loaf is hollow sounding.
If you have no egg you can leave out the egg and a mix of wholewheat flours is good and sunflower seeds.
Post Guy Fawkes (last night the local teenagers were letting off rockets in park, creating bonfires and using shopping trolleys from Scotmid to transport burning flames of a don't know what) Observed for a while then decided to skedaddle home as I was sure I'd end up witnessing some terrible accident.
The gray makes me feel I should count my blessings.
I've paid my vast library fine ! I can now take out books !
Bread rising in the kitchen as I type.
Washing in machine being cleaned.
I scored two £5 tickets to London in January so I can see my niece and have something to look forward to after Christmas. Even better my trip will co-incide with R's trip to a conference so we can have madcap photographic London adventures.
I'm going to Glasgow tomorrow - so I can visit the magazine section of Borders (almost all my current students put this down as an artist date last week!)
There are cute ferrets at Cuteoverload and an account of Kaffe Fassett lecturing at Mason Dixon.
I promised my students a cake a week this is the one I made up last wed.
100g ground almonds
100g flaked almonds
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
tablespoon of vegetable oil.
zest one orange and squeeze the juice out.
Mix all together. I kept on moving the mixture from cake tin to cake tin as I couldn't quite get the right size for the amount of mixture.
Put in oven 20-25 mins until knife comes out fairly clean at gas mark 6.
Bonus this is gluten free.
