Tuesday 4th September 2018
What a long flight that was, 10 hours 40 mins, but we were well looked after with juices brought every hour or so and choc ices on a stick twice! It is 100F here, sweltering indeed. Arriving at 3pm, 11pm at home, we tried really hard to stay up and managed until almost 9pm helped by the free food and wine on offer and the lovely sunset.
In the airport
Sunset from our window
Generosity
We have returned this evening, after a 20 hour journey, from our 1,506 mile road trip in Arizona and Colorado and a four night stopover with family in Atlanta and what a trip it has been! Over the next week or two I will show you some of our adventures.
For now, yesterday’s almost full moon from Atlanta Airport through the double glazing and tonight’s full moon from home, here in Redruth, through the trees.
Double image of the moon and an aeroplane taking off
The Harvest Moon from our back garden
In these troubled times, Lao Tzu’s words, written two and a half thousand years ago, can still point the way for us all:
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbours.
If there is to be peace between neighbours,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
We have a beautiful plate that we bought in Atlanta on our first visit to America about 40 years ago. It shows Stone Mountain, Georgia and we love it. It takes a central position on our kitchen dresser. The potter is named on the back as Chappelle and, looking them up (as you do!) I discover that they are still around! If you look at their gallery, you will see a similarity with our plate so I think, and hope, that I have found the right people. http://chappellegallery.com/pottery/
Stone Mountain plate
I have stuffed two peppers with mushrooms, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped Brazil nuts, pretzel crumbs and Halloumi cubes for our supper tonight. It looks good so I hope it tastes as good as it looks!
Stuffed Peppers
A gorgeous bouquet was delivered this morning ready for Mother’s Day tomorrow.Thank you KJ, perfect colours for the year and our celebration of your Great Great Granny!
Mother’s Day bouquet in Suffragette colours
I was late to town this morning so decided to drive and was pleased that I did given that I was behind this amazing old American pick-up as we crept towards the traffic lights. Everyone who walked up West End stopped and smiled at the sight.
1959 Ford Ranchero
I made some Cheese pastry today and used my Mum’s fabulous cutter that just rolls through the pastry creating circles. I needed circles for a starter for tonight’s Birthday meal for our eldest daughter who is here for the weekend.
Circle cutter
In The Heard Museum in Phoenix last year, I found a beautiful 53″ long wall hanging entitled “Greetings and Thanks to the Natural World, a daily thanksgiving inspired by the Onondaga Nation, Haudenosaunee’. I’ll show you a piece a day for the next ten days.
A Daily Thanksgiving inspired by the Onondaga Nation
Special thanks today go to three of my friends with whom I sing for a lovely hardworking afternoon and to J for a share in his wonderful tomato crop.
Mixed tomatoes
Still sorting! Today I came across such a little treasure in a box of forgotten earrings. I have shown you Sand Dollars before but these are tiny and so perfect and I have never worn them.They measure just over 1cm in diameter. Click here and here to see earlier mentions.
Sand dollar earrings
I am loath to break one of my Sand Dollars to find the ‘five perfect doves’ mentioned but am very tempted. Watch this space!
Still sorting! Today I found some stamps dated from 1980, one of which brought a wry smile – the one on the right with the words, “America’s Light Fueled by Truth and Reason.”
“America’s Light Fueled by Truth and Reason”
We went to Marazion Bay again today to find a few stones for our fountain. It was cold, wet and windy and the wind-surfers were have an exhilarating time.
St Michael’s Mount in the mists
We’ve harvested a few Broad Beans for supper tonight.
Broad Beans from our garden
I spotted a Bee on the Marjoram this morning. It had collected so much pale yellow pollen it could hardly fly off.
Bee on the Marjoram
More sorting today and a great deal of pleasure! I found school reports for two pupils from many years ago, both of whom I thought might well have a career in writing so I saved their reports to be able to say later, “I used to teach this young man/young woman!” I managed to track down one of them and we had a delightful conversation about his career so far. It pleases me so much to hear from ex-pupils and to hear their enthusiasm. His report contained phrases such as, ‘S has an enviable talent for original writing,’ ‘an intuitive feel for language,’ and ‘S writes fluently with imagination and skill.’ Plenty of time yet to fulfil his dreams.
Among my treasures to sort is this sand dollar which we picked up over 30 years on our first visit to America to see my brother and we discovered the delicacy of sand-dollars on the beach near Savannah. Isn’t it beautiful?
Echinodiscus tenuissimus test (Astriclypeidae)
Commentator Award
