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Monthly Archives: May 2015

Knitting, Pathetique Sonata and A Poppy

1 A friend’s Mum has been knitting for the babies of Tanzania, having been inspired by my post about KnitZTanzania and the need for little sweaters and beanie hats to stop the babies dying of hypothermia. Here are what she describes as her ‘first’ batch! Thank you so much for joining me in this venture. If you, too, would like to join us in this project, the pattern can be found here. The address to send them to can be found in the comments on the same page.

Baby hats and sweaters from Hils’ Mum

2 I was reminded of a beautiful piece of music, Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, 2nd Movement, this evening as it was part of BBC Radio 4’s programme Pick of the Week, this week’s items being chosen by Antonia Quirke. Just listen to Daniel Barenboim playing and feel the calm come over you……..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGq3-Fi_zQY

3 Another Poppy is about to break free. This has to be one of my favourite photos this year!

Pink Poppy after rain

3 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 31, 2015 in Beauty, knitting, KniTZTanzania, music, photography, piano

Tags: Antonia Quirke, bbc radio 4, Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata 2nd Movement, Daniel Barenboim, Pick of the Week

Pheasants, Niobe and Bird Feeder

30 May

1 I think I have found the right place for my Pheasants to hang out but may yet move them again.

My Pheasants

2 The Niobe has just started flowering and is gorgeous.

Clematis Niobe

3 In sorting out in the shed, I came across a terracotta hand from which to feed bird seed and I hung it in our bird feeder pole. It didn’t take long for the birds to find it

From the window

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 30, 2015 in Beauty, environment, nature, photography, Postaday 2015, sculpture

Tags: Clematis niobe, feeding birds, Garden Sculpture

Croissants, Poem and Dust

29 May

1 We love croissants and usually keep them for special occasions. Every Birthday Breakfast has croissants! We have recently taken to having them, just now and then, for our breakfast and what a treat they are!

Breakfast

2 This delightful little poem came my way the other day and I saved it until we had croissants for breakfast!

Petit Dejeuner – Linda Pastan

I sing a song
of the croissant
and of the wily French
who trick themselves daily
back to the world
for its sweet ceremony.

Ah to be reeled
up into morning
on that crisp,
buttery
hook.

3 I was delighted to find this cobweb today – I love the way it seems to be the lead between the woman and her dog as they both look for his ball in the hole. Copper sculpture by Jeremy Beswick.

Dusty dog lead

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 29, 2015 in Beauty, Food, photography, poetry, Postaday 2015, sculpture

Tags: Copper Sculpture, Jeremy Beswick, Linda Pastan, Petit Dejeuner

Collared Dove, Clouds and A Pair of Pheasants

28 May

1 This Collared Dove was not phased by my turning up with the camera. In fact, it seemed to be curious!

Collared Dove

2 There were some pretty cloud patterns as we drove to yet another garden centre on my hunt for Heliotrope

Clouds

3 No-one seems to be growing Heliotrope this year (If any of my local friends know where I can find some plants, please let me know!). However, I did fall for another garden sculpture – but didn’t buy this delightful pair……..

A pair of pheasants

13 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 28, 2015 in Beauty, environment, nature, photography, Postaday 2015, sculpture

Tags: clouds, Collared Dove, heliotrope.

Pretty Boxes, Peace and Potato Salad

27 May

1 We were in the shop buying some French Bean plants at Kehelland when I noticed these beautiful little boxes. The top row looks like four delicious fondant fancies! I didn’t buy one and I’m sorry now!

Jewelled boxes

2 There was also this delightful bowl made out of wire and the word PEACE over and over again. I loved it but we don’t need a fruit bowl either!

Fruit bowl

3 Tonight I made our first Potato Salad of the season. I always make the version made for us in America on our first visit 30 odd years ago. I used eggs from the chickens of our lovely friends, N&G, hence the glorious golden colour of the salad.

Patti’s Potato Salad

12 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 27, 2015 in Beauty, craft, Food, Peace, photography, Postaday 2015

Tags: Kehelland, potato salad

Weekly Photo Challenge – Broken

26 May

This is my boody garden. In the dialect of 19th century Northumberland, ‘boody’ referred to broken china. I discovered this at Tate Britain last year when we went to the exhibition of folk art. Now I have a name for my little garden where my favourite broken pottery and a whole heap of memories are saved.
There is a beautiful old plate, half a tea-pot, a piece of terracotta from a bread crock, half a mug that is the penultimate one left of my Mum’s retirement present when she left teaching deaf children in the unit at Roskear School, Camborne and handles from a beautiful piece of Jane Hamlyn pottery and I just love it, my ‘boody’ garden!

Boody garden 2015

Boody garden 2014

For others in this Week’s Challenge, just click here.

18 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 26, 2015 in Beauty, environment, garden, nature, photography, Postaday 2015, Weekly photo challenge

Tags: boody, Weekly Photo Challenge - Broken

Droplets, Lao Tzu and Greek Drama Masks

25 May

1 Before the sun came into that part of the garden, the pansies in my raised edible garden, just outside the kitchen window, were covered in misty dew drops. If you zoom in, there is an upside down image of me in the centre droplet.

Droplets on a pansy

2 I read this yesterday and thought it lovely:

‘Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage’ (attributed to Lao Tzu

Laozi was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Wikipedia

3 We have a pair of stone comedy/tragedy drama masks in the garden against the trellis and today I noticed that the Clematis has grown in such a way as to tickle just under the nose of the happy one and wrapping the nose of the sad one. He really looks thoroughly fed up with the situation!

Drama masks

I have posted the recipe for the delicious and easy cake I made a few weeks ago. You can find it here https://mybeautfulthings.com/food-recipes-and-photos/almond-cinnamon-and-sour-cream-cake/

Twiddle-Muff, Cookies and A Poppy

25 May

I heard recently of a project to knit Twiddle-muffs, sometimes known as Sensory bands, for people with Dementia and they sounded like a really good idea so I set about making one. My lovely gentle MIL, Madeleine, had Dementia and used to fiddle with bits of her clothing and I have made this one with love with her in mind and memory. I think she would have liked it. I have incorporated buttons and ribbons, inside and out ,and have added a little pocket as suggested by another knitter. There are lots of textures in the chosen yarns and the stitches used. Now I have to find a home for this one and the others in the making, maybe with Dementia UK for whom we held the concert in Trebah Gardens last week.

Twiddle-Muff

2 I baked 101 cookies this afternoon as we have some workmen coming to the house tomorrow for 3 or 4 days and I like to give them home-made cookies with their tea.

Oat Crunchie Cookies

3 Our first Poppy has emerged and is magnificent. There are eight more buds to be seen.

First Poppy of the season

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 25, 2015 in baking, Beauty, Dementia UK, knitting, nature, photography, Postaday 2015

Tags: dementia, oat crunchie cookies, poppy, sensory bands, Twiddle-Muff

Tunes in the Dunes and People Watching

24 May

At home yesterday we had glorious sunshine. As we approached Perranporth late afternoon for the music festival, we could see the mists above the sea and our walk across to Tunes in the Dunes was an eerie affair with the lovely sounds of Ruarri Joseph coming through the gloom. Have a listen to his music and enjoy the fabulous sand art being created in this YouTube video. There was no sand art for us! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT3CeGjfvoo

I enjoy the music at such events but have to say that the people watching is what makes my day with the music as a very enjoyable soundtrack. Click on any photo in the gallery. Status Quo were great fun and the Double Bass made in Camborne, our neighbouring town, quite magnificent! The tide was coming in throughout the evening and the surfers were out there enjoying the waves and, I hope, the music!

Chapel Rock in the mist with dog

The dog emerging from the mists

Sandcastles made with beer glasses

Wille of The Bandits

The amazing double bass made locally, in Camborne, played by Wille and the Bandits

Face painted

I can see from up here!

Me too!

Surfer!

Rick Parfitt

Status Quo on stage

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 24, 2015 in Beauty, Cornwall, environment, festival, music, Perranporth, photography, Postaday 2015

Tags: Rik Parfitt, Ruarri Joseph, Status Quo, Tunes in the Dunes, Wilie and the Bandits

Concert at Krowji for the Opening of the Percy Williams Building

23 May

My other choir, The Ingleheart Singers, sang this afternoon at the opening of the new building at Krowji, the arts Centre of Redruth. It is home to a vibrant creative community which currently includes painters, jewellers, furniture makers, ceramicists, textile artists, web designers, theatre companies and musicians.
We are just off to a music festival, Tunes in the Dunes to see Status Quo, so here is just one photo from the wonderful new building. I will add to this tomorrow. Please see below.

I just love this pipe work! Perfects for an Arts Building.

I just love this pipe work! Perfect for an Arts Building.

There were various speeches prior to the cutting of the ribbon and the opening of the building and it became obvious that without the Williams family, there would be no new arts building and it made me think of the legacy left by Passmore Edwards, library buildings in many Cornish towns. This is an equally philanthropic gesture that generations of artists and those who love art in all its forms will come to appreciate. Please click on any photo for detail and the caption.