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Monthly Archives: January 2018

Christmas Present, Waves and Sunset

What a joy! I have had a proper camera in my hands today thanks to a dear friend who has lent me her Nikon Coolpix until my faulty Canon is mended or I have bought a new Nikon, my preferred make, having been let down by three, yes, three (!) Canons which have all had a ‘lens error’, two outside warranty. Thank you so much. M.

So, here goes, photos from today when the lovely Mr S took me out to straighten out my wires and for us to spend our Garden token Christmas present. We found several air cleaning house plants as on NASA’s list and are very happy with them.Thanks L, T and B.

Plants from Trevenna Cross Nursery

From there we went first to Pentreath where the surfers were enjoying the waves and thence to Mount’s Bay, a perennial favourite, and watched the sunset.

Surfer enjoying the waves at Pentreath

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 11, 2018 in Beauty, Cornwall, environment, Happiness, nature, Photography, Postaday2018, Uncategorized

Tags: house plants, Mount's Bay, Pentreath, sunset, Trevenna Cross Nursery

Signs of Spring and A Door

10 Jan

Walking up from town today we passed a couple of gardens where Spring was beginning to show – a Crocus in bloom and a Daffodil about to do the same.

First Crocus

Early Daffodil

I am having to use my camera phone as my camera has broken – my new camera, bought in October. It let me down before Christmas and I have been struggling on since, feeling very frustrated. I kept getting a ‘lens error’ message so we went to Exeter last week to take it back, under warranty, and it is being sent back to Canon. I am not happy about it! Apparently this is a common error so I am awaiting their response. I am looking for another camera – outrageous I know but I am lost without a decent camera and repair, even if they agree to do it, could take 3 weeks or more! In the meantime, I am using my camera phone and not happy with the results so here I go again, researching the possibilities. I loved my old Nikon and may get another…….

We passed this door on our way up the hill – Christmas still here!

Christmas door down the road

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 10, 2018 in Beauty, Christmas decorations, environment, nature, Postaday2018, Uncategorized

Tags: Spring Flowers

Haiku, Bird and Owls

09 Jan

A young friend of mine is writing a Haiku a Day for January. I loved this one that she posted this morning and have her permission to share it with you. I love the alliteration and the mind picture of the birds tugging the dawn awake – delightful. Thank you, N and for the photo.

Early morning mauve
sky brightens; tugged alert by
boisterous beaks of birds

Bird on a branch Photo taken by Natalie Doig

More birds – some lovely owls on a tin that came at Christmas full of delicious biscuits, now, sadly, all gone! Thanks, S.

Biscuit tin

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 9, 2018 in art, Beauty, haiku, nature, Photography, poetry, Postaday2018

Tags: Natalie Doig poet

Spaceship, Door and Sanskrit Wisdom

08 Jan

My Monday choir rehearses in a Primary School and this evening, I was treated to two things to make me smile (as well as our singing, of course) One, in the hall, a paper Spaceship for a lantern parade and on our way out, one of the classroom doors which must delight the pupils.

Spaceship

Classroom door

The following piece of ancient Sanskrit writing, I found when our tiny baby son was undergoing heart surgery where the surgeons gave him odds of 60:40 against his survival. It helped me then and has taken me through other difficult times and, though I am not in need of it right now, I have a number of friends who are and it is for them that I post this here today. If it works for you, then it is for you too, with love.

Look to this day
For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all
The realities and truths of existence –
The joy of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendour of beauty.
For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today well lived
Makes every yesterday a memory of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 8, 2018 in Beauty, Photography, poetry, Postaday2018, sculpture

Tags: ancient Sanskrit poem, Hogwarts, paper sculpture

Shadows, Raindrops and Blue Sky

07 Jan

Going down the lane towards St Euny Church for our walk today, the low sun shadows were beautiful.

I love raindrops highlighted by the sun.

Raindrops

Although it was very cold and the wind bitter, there was a wonderfully blue sky and when caught in sunbeams, a lovely feeling of apricity.

Yellow gorse and blue sky

Wheal Uny

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 7, 2018 in Beauty, Cornwall, environment, nature, Photography, Postaday2018

Tags: Great Flat Lode Trail, St Euny, Wheal Uny Engine House

Seville Oranges, Decorations and Catherine Hyde

06 Jan

The greengrocer’s in town have Seville Oranges in store and we bought enough for four batches of Marmalade which will keep us, our eldest daughter and friends going for a year! We’ll make some marmalade this weekend and freeze the other oranges for later.

Seville Oranges

We have taken our tree down today and I have now labelled all the decorations so that every one will know where they were bought – from Kennebunkport in New England to Volcano in Hawaii, from Phoenix, Arizona, to Mapoch, South Africa, from Swaziland to Salzburg………… I try to buy something, preferably an Angel, everywhere we go on holiday and have done this for many years.

Many years of collecting

This beautiful painting by Catherine Hyde of ‘The Coming Home Trees’ was our Christmas card from very dear friends. This copse is so evocative for so many people as they come home to Cornwall and I love this painting so much.

The Coming Home Trees

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 6, 2018 in art, Beauty, Christmas decorations, craft, painting, photography, Postaday2018, Uncategorized

Tags: 'The Coming Home Trees', Catherine Hyde

Rainbow, Mural and Gargoyles

05 Jan

Driving to Exeter we went through crazy rainstorms and wonderful rainbows.

Rainbows and sheep, taken from the moving car. I was not driving!

In the car park, there were some delightful murals by Andrew Alleway in 1991. They certainly brightened up a darkish space. and made me smile.

Part of the mural by Andrew Alleway

We love Exeter Cathedral. This is part of the North face with details of the gargoyles

Gargoyles

Exeter Cathedral

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 5, 2018 in architecture, art, Beauty, Cornwall, mural, nature, painting, Photography, Postaday2018

Tags: Andrew Alleway, Exeter Cathedral

Full Moon, Tree of Life and Venetian Masks

04 Jan

Very late on Tuesday evening the clouds parted and allowed me to get some photos of the full moon, a super moon and one of two this month. I loved this photo where somehow I made a double image.

Super moons

We received a present today, a most beautiful Navajo rug with the Tree of Life woven in. We are overwhelmed and need to find the right place to hang it so that we see it every day but where the sun cannot cause any fading.

Tree of Life

This evening was our first visit to the Venetian room at The Penventon Hotel and I was entranced by all the masks. We were there for an Introductory talk on Vedic meditation.

Masks

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 4, 2018 in art, Beauty, environment, nature, Photography, Postaday2018

Tags: Navajo rug, Vedic meditation

A Note, A Beetle and Neil Gaiman

03 Jan

Our post brought a delightful thank you note from LiveWire 4 and her family.

Handprint

This little fellow joined me in the sitting room last night. We don’t know where he is now!

Arkenaten?

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 3, 2018 in Beauty, Grandchildren, nature, painting, Photography, Postaday2018, quotations, Uncategorized

Tags: New year wishes, Unknown creature

Peace for 2018

02 Jan

As 2018 gets under way with yet another storm, this one named Eleanor, I give you these Gaelic words which we sing with both my choirs. Deep peace is what we all need and it is what I wish for you all, my Dear Readers.