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Category Archives: Words

Inauguration Evening Dress, Sky and Snowdrops

This beautiful embroidered dress is such a gentle reminder of the positivity and sincerity of the First Lady. I love too that she is a teacher.

The following is taken from a Facebook post this morning:
“Dr. Jill Biden’s Inauguration Evening Dress had flowers from all 50 States plus the US territories embroidered on it, with the flower of Delaware sewn near her heart and the other flowers branching out from it. What a lovely message from a lovely woman.

ETA: “Inside of the coat, representing the lifelong calling and service of Dr. Biden as an educator is a hand embroidery on the lining with a quote from Founding Father Benjamin Franklin:

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”’

The materials used were existing available fabrics to minimize the impact on the environment.”

Pictures from designer Gabriela Hearst. Jessica Bustamante

The skies were so beautifully blue today, the moon already risen and the apricity so lovely – until the black clouds came over and the hailstorm swirled around us with the sharp hail bits stinging our faces!

In St Euny Graveyard, on our route down Church Lane on the way to the Great Flat Lode, the Snowdrops are blooming.

9 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 22, 2021 in America, Cornwall, embroidery, environment, flowers, nature, Photography, Postaday2021, quotations

Tags: Delaware, Dr Jill Biden, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, Gabriela Hearst., Inauguration

Topophilia, Apricity and A Gift

17 Jan

I love finding new words. There is a word for love of a place: topophilia, popularised by the geographer Yi-Fu Tuan in 1974 as all of “the human being’s affective ties with the material environment.” In other words, it is the warm feelings you get from a place. It is a vivid, emotional, and personal experience, and it leads to unexplainable affections. This is the word to describe my love of Cornwall. I grew up in Cornwall and left to become a teacher when I was 18 only returning to visit family for the next 40 years but I always needed to come home. That we did 13 years ago.

St Ives where we had our honeymoon in 1967

Apricity is another lovely word meaning something I have described several times in recent posts without having the proper word – it is the warmth of the sun in winter. I felt it again today.

I was late to the allotment this afternoon and when I arrived the lovely Mr S told me that an allotment friend had been along and brought me a beautiful piece of glass. She had had to remove it from a doorway and had thought of me and my glasswork. It is really lovely and I will enjoy getting to work with it before too long. Thank you very much S. I’ll let you know what I make with it.

10 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 17, 2021 in Cornwall, Photography, Postaday2021, St Ives, Uncategorized, Words

Tags: archaic words, new words

School Days, Bryon and Creative Reframes

12 Jan

A filthy weather day so a sorting day and among the treasures unearthed was this school photograph from 1957, first year at Truro County Grammar School. We all look delighted to be there and I do remember being very happy at that school.

1957

This from Lord Byron came my way so I thought I would share it.

I love Nature more…

and this……

12 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 12, 2021 in Cornwall, family history, nature, Postaday2021, quotations, Uncategorized

Tags: Benjaminhenretig, Lord Byron

Wise Words, Headband and Cake

07 Dec

This came my way today and I share it with you for its wisdom.

Our walk today took us past a favourite Art Deco shop and this headband caught my eye, looks just the thing for our sparkly zoom Christmas parties with my choirs.

This afternoon I used up three over-ripe bananas to make a Cinnamon and Raisin Banana Loaf – scrumptious warm with ice-cream!

Message for my cousin in Australia – I’ve lost your snail mail address, sorry. Please can you email it to me? xx

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 7, 2020 in baking, Photography, quotations, Uncategorized

Tags: Brother David Steindl-Rast, Cinnamon and Raisin Banana Loaf, La Belle

Orange, Purple and Your Impact

09 Jul

Every year someone plants up a waste corner on the start of our walk with Nasturtiums. This gesture is much appreciated.

The Dwarf Buddleia in one of the chimneys is getting better by the day.

Jane Goodall’s words are spot on.Let’s each make a positive difference.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 9, 2020 in environment, garden, nature, Photography, Postaday2020, quotations, Uncategorized

Tags: dwarf buddleia, Jane Goodall, nasturtium flowers

Little Things, Droplets and Lyra

08 Jul

This came my way the other day and I loved it.

It was very mizzly this morning and the webs along our walk were filled with jewel-like droplets.

I was reminded today of a little treasure of a book, ‘Lyra’s Oxford’ by Philip Pullman that the lovely Mr S gave me many years ago. I read it again this afternoon and loved it still. It is a delight, a little taster of the wonderful ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 8, 2020 in books, environment, nature, Photography, Postaday2020, Uncategorized, Words

Tags: 'Lyra's Oxford' by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

Wise Words, Special Fabric and Cake

26 Apr

I read this yesterday and it seemed so perfect to me in these strange and unsettling times.

“My grandmother once gave me a tip:
In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.
Do what you have to do, but little by little.
Don’t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.
Wash the dishes.
Remove the dust.
Write a letter.
Make a soup.
You see?
You are advancing step by step.
Take a step and stop.
Rest a little.
Praise yourself.
Take another step.
Then another.
You won’t notice, but your steps will grow more and more.
And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.” ~ Elena Mikhalkova

Cornwall Scrubs delivered some new Seasalt fabric for me yesterday. Seasalt, a Cornish company, have been amazing in donating metres of beautiful fabric for making bags and scrub caps. Today it has been washed and is drying on the Victorian pulley rack that I inherited from my Mum and tomorrow I can start my next pieces. Our Chocolate Crunch treat is helping us through the days. This is the third trayful I have made since we started self-isolating 8 weeks ago……….

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 26, 2020 in baking, community, Cornwall, Cornwall Scrubs, Photography, Postaday2020, quotations, Uncategorized, volunteering

Tags: Chocolate crunch, Elena Mikhalkova, Seasalt, Seasalt fabric

Egg Rack and Maya Angelou

09 Mar

We have no eggs but I do love the shadows cast by the light through the holes in the egg rack as it awaits refill. The beautiful glass chicken looks somewhat bereft.

Good words from Maya Angelou, as always..

I had to miss choir tonight as I have sneezy sniffles and don’t want to share them. Missed the session. 🙁

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on March 9, 2020 in Photography, Postaday2020, quotations, Uncategorized

Tree, Brining and Laughter

23 Dec

Friends have made their tree from offcuts of beautiful wood and allowed me to take a photo.

Today I have made the beautiful mixture for brining the turkey tomorrow.

Listening to the radio while I am writing this, I have just heard some words from e e cummings, a writer whose poetry I love but words that were both new to me and the philosophy the pair of us live by. We waste no days!