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Tag Archives: Ukraine

Buttons, Knitting and Some Advice

I found both the patience and the time this afternoon to sew up another of the little jackets I am knitting for babies in Ukraine. I have three more knitted and all in pieces but so dislike sewing up that they’ve been waiting a while. Happily the truck going to Ukraine isn’t going for a while. I am using the mother-of-pearl buttons that were my Grandfather’s sample ones when he was a button salesman in the 1920s so they are 100 years old! It gives me enormous pleasure to handle them, to sew them on and to make every little jacket extra special.

Note to self from Sallie G – she’s right!

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 20, 2025 in antiques, family, family history, Postaday2025, sewing, Uncategorized

Tags: Slava Ukraine, Ukraine

Ice, Singing and Friends

19 Jan

Yesterday, one of our dear friends shared the following photo, nature’s beauty indeed. I think it’s a Physalis.

Photo by N, thank you

We sang one of my favourite pieces today, a version of Pachelbel’s Canon as learned at a workshop at WOMAD some years ago. This video was made by a friend in the sopranos – sorry it’s sideways but it does sound lovely as each part is added to the whole. Thank you, S. I love to sing all the parts in turn except the high soprano!

Our Ukrainian friends are back and we are all so happy!

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 19, 2023 in Celebration, community, friendship, Happiness, nature, photography, Postaday2022, Uncategorized

Tags: Pachelbel's Canon, Slava Ukraine, Ukraine

Wind, Feather and An Exhibition

27 Nov

Saw this today and thought you, Dear Readers, might like it too.

Walking into town this afternoon, my eye was caught by a pretty little feather on the path.

Redruth has been privileged to be hosting a remarkable exhibition by Ukrainian artist Evhen Bal ‘Artifacts of Zero’. These antiwar artworks are made of Russian shrapnel and spent munitions that Evhen collected near Severodonets, Mykolaiv and at the Kramatorsk Railway Station. ‘Zero’ refers to military slang – the forward position, closest to the enemy, of fighting units. The exhibition is not beautiful in any conventional sense but talking to the artist and learning more about the war, the people, the community spirit, the grabbing hold of life was such a powerful and moving experience. The following poster was up on the wall.

Slava Ukraine

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 27, 2022 in art, community, music, photography, Postaday2022, Redruth, sculpture, Uncategorized

Tags: Artifacts of Zero, Buffy Sainte Marie, Evhen Bal, Slava Ukraine, Ukraine

Angels, Sea Glass and Drawers

16 Nov

I’ve worked on my Angels for Ukraine again today and experimented with sea glass for the heads of the smaller ones. I like the way they are not round like the glass beads I usually use. I think they show character!

The tall drawers that I keep all my materials in are very lovely, highly lacquered and painted with lilies.

Detail

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 16, 2022 in art, Christmas decorations, glass, inlay, painting, photography, Postaday2022

Tags: colours for Ukraine, Ukraine

The Nest, Cookies and One Viola

20 Oct

We sang around the nest today.From Caroline at Jubilee Wharf, “The nest has been all about nurturing creativity and community spirit and has been built by the people who live and work at Jubilee Wharf and Jubilee Warehouse. The nest is the result of a community art project initiated by Jubilee Wharf tenants Arts Well, and part of Fun Palaces. People have put wishes in the nest and we would invite the choir to do so too and would love them to sing around it! Fun Palaces supports local people to co-create their own cultural and community events, across the UK and worldwide, sharing and celebrating the genius in everyone.”

My wish

The last time I made Choc Chip Cookies was for our lovely Ukrainian friends. Those young people are so deep in my heart and will be with me for ever. The following words are part of a message that came to us today and which has touched my soul.
“Just want again say thank you for this beautiful time in Redruth. It was like in Fairytale. Thank you for your attention and time and love.”

Choc Chip Cookies

I spotted just one Viola on the pan stand today.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on October 20, 2022 in baking, Celebration, community, environment, friendship, Happiness, nature, photography, Postaday2022

Tags: Arts Well, Fun Palaces, Ukraine

Glass Work, Golden Leaves and A Poem

19 Oct

I’ve been working on glass all day as it is time for angels to be made. I’m using blue and yellow glass and making Angels for Ukraine. I’ve cut six, filed and cleaned all six, foiled just one and begun to choose the recycled, often given to me by friends, bits of jewellery to decorate them.

A walk on the beach by the sea, on an earring given to me by C.

With recycled beads looking like a sunflower

Beautiful autumnal colours are appearing in the trees.

I found this poem today and it seemed right, being about singing and for peace.

Songs for the People

BY FRANCES ELLEN WATKINS HARPER

Let me make the songs for the people,

Songs for the old and young;

Songs to stir like a battle-cry

Wherever they are sung.

Not for the clashing of sabres,

For carnage nor for strife;

But songs to thrill the hearts of men

With more abundant life.

Let me make the songs for the weary,

   Amid life’s fever and fret,

Till hearts shall relax their tension,

   And careworn brows forget.

Let me sing for little children,

   Before their footsteps stray,

Sweet anthems of love and duty,

   To float o’er life’s highway.

I would sing for the poor and aged,

   When shadows dim their sight;

Of the bright and restful mansions,

   Where there shall be no night.

Our world, so worn and weary,

   Needs music, pure and strong,

To hush the jangle and discords

   Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.

Music to soothe all its sorrow,

Till war and crime shall cease;

And the hearts of men grown tender

Girdle the world with peace.

Apologies to the poet -This poem is in 4 line stanzas and my draft shows the poem in that shape. Somehow, when published it changes shape.

3 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on October 19, 2022 in art, environment, glass, nature, Peace, photography, poetry, Postaday2022

Tags: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Ukraine

Some Old Tyres, A New Word and Beaches

17 Oct

We keep the big doors open at the eco barn when we sing on Monday afternoons and today, through the gap, I saw some of the delightful and imaginative decorations in the yard, all made from old tyres and painted brightly to become a toucan and a palm tree!

I learned a new word the other day – confelicity. It means taking delight in the happiness of others. This is what it was like last week when we so enjoyed taking our Ukrainian friends to the beach where they were able to let go of some worries for a while and could revel in the joy of the sea and the beach.

Gyllyngvase Beach

Porthtowan

Portreath

Chapelporth

Our friends are in our hearts and our thoughts all the time and especially today given the ongoing news.

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on October 17, 2022 in art, Chapel Porth, Cornwall, environment, friendship, Gyllyngvase, Happiness, nature, photography, Porthtowan, Portreath, Postaday2022, Uncategorized

Tags: freedom from fear, imagination, joy, Ukraine

Flowers, Allotment and Defender’s Day

14 Oct

We made up a lovely bunch of purple, white and green to take when we visited our Dear friend Ti this morning.

The various patches at the allotments still have colour. There are lots of squashes around and some lovely bright dahlias in a neighbouring plot.

One of our young Ukrainian friends posted this today. It is to recognise Defenders Day in Ukraine today and translated says: All defenders and defenders happy holiday! You guys are the best!

Всіх Захисників і Захисниць зі Святом!
Друзі, ви найкращі!

I looked up the significance of the day and found the following:

Defenders Day^[7] is a public holiday^[8] in Ukraine celebrated annually on 14 October.^[9]^[10] Its first celebration was in 2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenders_Day_(Ukraine)

You have our love and support.

Goodbye, Last Sunflower and A Song

10 Oct

Photo by Danylo, thank you!

Unloading all the luggage from the truck ready to catch the train

Our last Sunflower brought in from the garden

My choir sang ‘Love Will Carry Me’ and I put it here for our Ukrainian friends, their families, their friends and their country.

It’s very quiet at our house tonight. Bunker Cabaret will next be performed on October 14th at The Point in Eastleigh.

P.S. I up-dated yesterday’s post with some photos.

Busy Day – Beach, Lunch and Farewell Party

09 Oct

more tomorrow! 🙂

A wonderful day was had by all – walking on Chapelporth Beach, cave exploring, swimming for the brave, and general rejuvenation of the spirit.

The director’s nephew and niece visited too

The lovely people at the Chapelporth Beach Cafe very kindly treated our Ukrainian friends to a delicious lunch of Croques Monsieur followed by the inimitable and scrumptious ice cream, Robin’s Hedgehog. If you have never had one of these wicked treats, they are made up of Cornish ice cream slathered in Cornish cream and dipped in roasted hazlenuts. You can see by their faces how much these were appreciated.

Our farewell party was full of good company, a wonderful shared feast, lots of wine and even more singing. Our Ukrainians sang for us and we for them and together we all sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’ which they had learned last week when they visited my choir. That, and the last twelve days, have filled us all with love and beautiful memories.