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Category Archives: I’ve read

Grandbabies, Reading and Crossing The Tamar

1 We played with T in the morning and collected J from school, a rare treat – for all of us, before catching the train home.

Scooting home from school

2 This book is a wonderful read with Harold, on his Unlikely Pilgrimage, noticing all the beautiful things around him. If you haven’t yet read it, do! It is tender and touching, funny and sad and is full of life’s lessons………

Reading this took me two train journeys

3 The journey home was, as always, lovely especially riding into the sunset, here reflecting in the Tamar as we cross into Cornwall.

Sunset over the Tamar

16 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 4, 2013 in books, Children, Cornwall, environment, Grandchildren, I've read, nature, photography, Postaday2013, Uncategorized

Tags: beauty, photography, Postaday, postaday2013, Rachel Joyce, reflections, River Tamar, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Tangerine Bird Treats, More Raindrops and Elf Coats – and My Staircase of Books

08 Jan

1 Inspired by something I read on a blog this morning http://enjoyingcreating.wordpress.com/ I got some half-dead fruit out of the compost and made these bird food treats to hang on our Christmas tree – which will be ‘planted’ outside as soon as it stops raining! I also made a pastry bird-seed cake in the hope of both nourishing the birds and luring them closer to my camera!

Fruity bird treats

Pastry bird-cake

2 I do love macro raindrops on this tiny moss.

Raindrops on moss

3 These Avalon Elf Coats are the most beautiful bits of clothing I’ve ever come across!

Beautiful Avalon Elf Coats

4 And, at last, I have my book list for the staircase of books (but as my big brother said, it could be a different list tomorrow!) I agree with Valerie that really I need the staircase in a lighthouse!

‘Under Milk Wood’ Dylan Thomas

Poems of Pablo Neruda

‘Othello’ Shakespeare (How can I choose just one play? Perhaps I should have ‘The Complete Works’ )

‘The Book Thief’ Marcus Zusak

‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ Thomas Hardy

‘Jeremy Visick’ David Wiseman (my Dad!)

‘Kes’ Barry Hines

‘Sophie’s Choice’ William Stryron

‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ A A Milne

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Harper Lee

‘Rebecca’ Daphne Du Maurier

Do let me know what your choices would be and thank you to those who already have.

And to all my Australian readers – I hope you and yours are safe as we hear the news of the terrible fires sweeping across your country.

27 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 8, 2013 in art, birds, books, embroidery, embroidery, flowers, garden, I've read, literature, nature, photography, Postaday2013, senses, sewing, Words

Tags: 'Far From The Madding Crowd' Thomas Hardy, 'Jeremy Visick' David Wiseman, 'Rebecca' Daphne Du Maurier, 'Sophie's Choice' William Stryron, 'The 'The Book Thief' Marcus Zusak, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Harper Lee, 'Under Milk Wood' Dylan Thomas, 'Winnie-the-Pooh' A A Milne, bird cakes, bird food, bird seed, Elf coats, Fires in Australia, Kes' Barry Hines, macro, othello shakespeare, photography, poems of pablo neruda, Postaday, postaday2013, staircase of books

Turkey Broth, Chocolate Truffles and Dylan Thomas

02 Jan

1 Working to banish the bronchitis blues, I served up homemade Turkey broth for lunch.

2 Delicious chocolate truffles, a birthday present from L also help!

Delicious truffles

3 Listening to Richard Burton reading the opening to Dylan Thomas’ masterpiece ‘Under Milk Wood’ is another tonic for the soul.If you want a real treat, just listen to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuPO2Kvqlms

“To begin at the beginning:
It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters’-and-rabbits’ wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea. The houses are blind as moles (though moles see fine tonight in the snouting, velvet dingles) or blind as Captain Cat there in the muffled middle by the pump and the town clock, the shops in mourning, the Welfare Hall in widows’ weeds. And all the people of the lulled and dumbfound town are sleeping now.”

‘Under Milk Wood’ by Dylan Thomas

and if I have caught your interest, you may like this link too.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/dec/24/darkness-under-milk-wood-dylan-thomas

10 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 2, 2013 in books, Food, I've read, literature, poetry, Postaday2013, Uncategorized, Words

Tags: 'Under Milk Wood', chocolate truffles, Dylan Thomas, homemade Turkey broth, It is spring, moonless night in the small town, Postaday, postaday2013, Richard Burton, starless and bible-black, To begin at the beginning

New Grand-Niece, Rain Soaked Flowers and A Good Read

15 Jun

1 Beautiful news about the safe arrival of Ionie, 3.4kg, in Munich, first baby for my nephew and his wife. I’ll have to get busy on the Sally-boots!

2 Today’s very beautiful rain-drenched flowers in our garden.

Maigold, a rambling rose

Clematis Niobe, such a rich colour

3 Finished reading ‘the earth hums in b flat’ by Mari Strachan, a delightful novel about growing up that begins “I fly in my sleep every night.” I loved that opening as I spent many of my childhood nights flying too! The novel is intriguing, full of childish misconceptions and a growing sense of self.

‘the earth mums in B flat’ by Mari Strachan

14 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on June 15, 2012 in books, family, flowers, garden, I've read, knitting, nature, photography, quotations, Words

Tags: clematis, flowers, growing up, home, Maigold rambling rose, Mari Strachan, Munich, nature, new baby, Niobe, plants, Postaday, safe arrival, the earth hums in b flat

Magnolia,Train Journey Home and Memories of Babel

11 May

1 Saw this last magnolia blossom in North Finchley on our way to Woodside Park tube station.

Magnolia

2 The sun shone all the way home lighting up the amazingly yellow fields. The sheep and lambs seemed pleased to be drying out and I had four hours reading time! Almost finished ‘Restless’ by William Boyd.

Oil seed rape blossom

On a hill just before Truro

3 Babel was a surreal and amazing experience! It was promenade theatre where we walked through the tree lined paths of Caledonian Park – along which were individuals living their individual lives, playing the piano, peeling vegetables, knitting, typing – into the open space in front of the very beautiful Clock Tower built in 1855. In this space, tramping through chocolate thick mud, the people came together to build their city. There was music and fire and story telling. Very few photos worked (no flash allowed) but here’s a taster:

Knitting

Peeling vegetables

Playing the piano

Typing

Beautiful paper models, two of many

The Clock Tower, Caledonian Park

I don’t want to tell you more at this point -I want you to go and see it if you can and I don’t want to spoil it for you!

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 11, 2012 in architecture, books, environment, I've read, knitting, music, nature, theatre, Truro, Wildworks

Tags: 'Restless' by William Boyd., Babel, Caledonian Park, Clock Tower, community, creativity, culture, magnolia, north finchley, train journey, Wildworks

Singing with the Suitcases, Marmalade Marathon and Redruth Bookgroup

19 Jan

1 Another fabulous session with The Suitcases and Claire Ingleheart. Today both Choir-babies and our toddler were there. It really is very special to sing, “Keep you in Peace’ with a baby in your arms gazing up at you! Thanks to Larissa for sharing Tristan. If you’d like to read the words of this beautiful song, they are below.

2 I bought the Seville Oranges for this year’s marmalade marathon. Mr S loves his marmalade and I like to make enough for him and to give away to friends. (I prefer Ginger Marmalade!)

Seville Oranges

3 It was our monthly reading group meeting at our local library this afternoon. We had very interesting discussions about the two books we’ve read since November -‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche (Brilliant but not an easy read, set in Nigeria) and ‘Brixton Beach’ by Roma Tearne, a beautifully written and powerful story, set in Sri Lanka and London. Both, we all agreed, certainly worth reading.