Still alive

Checking in after a massive long blog break to let you know I'm still alive! My M.E. has been worse so I've needed saving all energy for family visits and the occasional friend which means my blog has had to take a back seat. Thanks to everyone who has been leaving comments while I've been away. I'm sorry I've not been able to reply and that I've not been visiting blogs this year.

Not had energy for photography but here is a nice turf topped wall I saw when visiting my Granny...


And because it matches in colour, a rhododendron in bloom behind a shed...


My own garden has taken a back seat this year but Mr P has been gradually implementing the plans I did for his garden and it is shaping up wonderfully. It's quite common for him to wander around it before work enjoying the new growth and pouncing upon perennial weeds with a passion I couldn't have predicted. Most of the plants have been grown from cuttings or divisions with some key shrubs bought at sale prices but he's made a couple of special purchases like this lovely Amelanchier Lamarkii which is berrying up nicely just now. Not sure if we'll get to eat the berries as the blackbirds have just noticed them. Here is it's Spring blossom...



Having found a new love of gardening he bought a Brill Razorcut manual lawn mower. It's BRILLIANT! No more wasting electricity on the garden. It's a quality product that will last and can be repaired and maintained throughout it's long long life so he didn't mind the higher price tag, it will totally pay for itself in time. It's lovely to hear the purr of the Brill instead of the loud noise of electric or petrol mowers and the cut is great, his little patch of grass has never looked so good. I'd particularly recommend the Brill to people with arthritis or similar joint problems because it is so much gentler on the body than anything else I've ever used. Currently it comes in two sizes and it's the smaller Brill Razorcut 33 we've been using because, but there is a larger one, the 38 and also I think a motorized version for larger gardens.

Oh my goodness, it's taken 2 days to write this, no wonder I'm not blogging just now. Wishing you all the best of health and weather until I pop in again. Until then, I'll be taking care of myself in a quiet way.

Sleep

I am not the only one round here who sleeps through rare sunny days...



We call him Heath (get it, Heath Hedger). I nearly stepped on him last month as he snoozed on a wee sunny patch on the narrow path.

7 minutes of sky

July 8th 2008, 8.08pm to 8.15pm (click to enlarge)

A month ago I took pictures of the fast changing sky for seven minutes, these are just a few of them. It was like having a whole month of skies fly by in one ad break. Sky is all I seem to show you these days, but not being out much and not being on the internet either means sky is pretty much the best thing I see each day (not today, day 3 of grey skies and floods).

You probably guessed I've not been well. It takes a lot to stop me blogging. Still not ready to do regular posts but I thought I should update a bit, it's been over 2 weeks. One great piece of news is that my neighbour has asked me to plan her garden for her. When it is done I will be able to enjoy it too so I'm choosing plants for year round interest and going for lots of scents and varied foliage. It feels great to be able to apply my mind to something creative even though I can't do the physical making.

I've still not visited any of you and have taken to inventing stories in my head about what you might be doing, they are all very extravagant... I imagine Susan painting huge murals everywhere, Heather be commissioned to do pinhole wallpaper for a range of exclusive (but not pretentious) boutiques, Lisa collaborating with everyone I admire (oh wait, she's doing that already!), Anna suddenly moving to an island off Indonesia that is threatened by rising seas (not unlikely). I've had these thoughts about all of you who I normally visit. I'm especially thinking of those of you with aches, pains and chronic illness, you know who you all are, I hope you've been having more good days than bad.

Clouds, again...

Still too tired to blog but always watching the sky and snapping it when I can. That big black cloud dropped 10 minutes of the heaviest rain then the sun came out. We've had two really summery days and tomorrow also meant to be good. The cat is loving it, and is recovering well with lots of sunny places to sleep in our gardens. I went to check on him yesterday (has to be watched as his medication gets reduced) and instead found a sunbathing hedgehog! I took some pics but not uploaded them yet.

Much thanks to everyone who is commenting and visiting even though I've not been doing many or varied posts. I've not been completely useless, 2.5 years late I've finally started trying to edit my Swedish holiday / Ice Hotel photo's. So many images, they are quite refreshing during these few hot days. When I get to blogging more I'll start showing some of them, until then you can see previous photo's I blogged of the Ice Chapel, the Kiruna Snöfestival, and the Ice Hotel.

Tiny harvest

My 1st blueberry! There bush is only 3 inches high so there are only five berries this year, but I can honestly say it was the best blueberry I have ever tasted. Grow little bush, grow.

Hectic days, sleepless nights

Sun, wind, showers, the gulls are loving it

Once again, I've neglected my blog. I've not even been checking comments, but I am trying to go through them today. And goodness only knows how many emails I've missed. I'll try and catch up a bit this week. For anyone wondering why I've been blog absent read on, for everyone else, some pictures from June.


Thalictrum at Malleny Gardens


Remnants of June

On the day I started to recover from my own infection, the cat began to succumb to one of his own and nearly died. It was awful, and with Mr P away for a week I had to manage all the vet trips myself. Given that I can't even get to the shops to buy my own food, this was somewhat of a challenge. Fortunately my stress levels got high enough that the adrenalin kicked in and helped me handle the travel, after a fashion. The vets got his temperature down after a few days and he finally ate and drank one week after stopping and he was able to come home before Mr P returned. He's still weak and has lost a lot of weight, but he can walk again and seems keen to keep an eye on his territory, though god forbid he gets into any fights at this stage. I bloody love that cat.


My tall Hebes are bursting with flowers for the bees

The nights when he wasn't here were awful, I couldn't sleep at all, and then when he was here I still couldn't sleep as I was so worried about him dying. Lots of tears, then lots of joy. Now that it's all over I'm completely wiped out and have had no oomph for blogging at all. Plus I seem to be having serious problems with my eyes. I'm a bit shocked how fast my sight has deteriorated in just 2 weeks so I'm guessing I'll have to get my eyes tested and start wearing specs. Hopefully that will sort things out. In my darker moments when the cat wasn't here I was planning what kind of art I would make if I went blind! I do get carried away with my thoughts, good or bad. Lucy also got the all clear from the vet, her lump was just a fatty cyst, nothing to worry about, and her wound is healing well.


Such a lovely background for wild flowers.

After the rain...

Dramatic skies at 10pm last week after yet another torrential downpour. It was a bit like being under a stormy sea full of undulating waves, really quite beautiful, and these photo's don't do justice to the intensity of the clouds. The dark bits were so dark, you could almost feel them sagging from the weight of water inside them. We haven't had any consistently dry weather yet, and the forecast for the week is grey skies, rain and an average temp of 12-13º, an echo of last July. The extra wool blanket is back on the bed and I needed a hot water vottle on my feet last night (the cat agreed and spent the night on the bottle too, instead of tucking into my cold arms. He is very unimpressed by all this wet weather and spends a lot of time sheltered under a conifer.

The perils of popcorn

Blogger won't let me upload images, not sure if it will even let me post this. I'll try again tomorrow. After 10 days of feeling extra awful I realised I had an abscess on my molar. The culprit was a piece of popcorn husk!

Once I realised what it was (when it was so hugely swollen that my self help brain kicked into action (finally!) and I made a mouthwash with diluted apple cider vinegar & geranium oil (because I had run out of Tea Tree oil) to kill the bacteria and sooth the pain which I used every 2 hours through the night. I also made pressed on a teaspoonful of sodium bicarbonate to draw out the nastiness.

By the time I saw the dentist the next day I had pretty much cleared it, except for the piece of popcorn. He said he would have given me anitbiotics if I'd come to them earlier, but that what I'd done had been really effective so there was no need for any medication. I was so pleased with myself, I hate taking antibiotics and you know how much I believe in the power of vinegar for all manner of things.

Apparently the infection had been really severe but I had attributed the feverishness and feeling awfulness to my other ailments and didn't really take the gum/tooth pain seriously until I found a pea sized lump in the middle of my jaw which, it turns out, was a swollen lymph gland. I thought lymph glands/nodes were at the back of the jaw and under the jaw, but there are little ones all over the place. You learn something new everyday. I'm rather fond of my little bit of lymph now, the unsung hero of my jawline. I wonder how long it will take to go flat again?

So the moral of the story, if you get popcorn under you gum and you can't reach it with floss, go to the dentist before it turns nasty.

This time on white

Flower arranging

I thought it looked like a butterfly wing so I did some playing...

Or maybe a moth...

In the grass

Lucy yawning 2 weeks ago, before the vet visit
She likes to sniff around the field. Since I have to sit a lot while she does her sniffing I took my camera one day and decided to see what was right beneath my nose as I waited for her...




Here she is with all her hair intact...

Ouch

Lucy had a suspicious lump removed. about 10 days ago. Still waiting on the results but the vet seemed to think it should be ok. But look at the enormous patch they shaved off her, I'm glad it's not winter as she'd be really cold. She's not allowed to hop skip jump (or run) and has to be kept on the lead until at least Friday.

I'm sorry to have been off the blog for over a week. I seem to be having a lot of trouble with my eyes, and looking at the screen is really painful. Do any of you with M.E./Chronic Fatigue have eye trouble? I never did the 1st time I had this, so it may just be age related. In fact, I'm getting eye ache already so I better send this before I have to stop.

I hope you are all well, and that those of you with gardens are enjoying the fruits of your labours. I'll try and post a picture of a nice corner of my garden soon, when the downpour stops and the sun shines.

Brooches that look like rocks & minerals

Maria Lóbez: Brooch, L'invisible 1 2008
Silver, methacrylate (via Klimt02)

Marielle Ledoux: Brooch, Untitled 2008
Rubber (via Klimt02)


Célio Braga: Brooch, Untitled 2007 (via Klimt02)
Textile, felt, glass, hair


Yu-Chun Chen: Brooch, Flowerness of the bird II 2007
Iron, paint, horn, steel (via Klimt02)


Flora Vagi: Necklace, Untitled 2007
Wood, silk (via Klimt02)

Nature's sculpture

Malachite via Palagems


Barite (botroidal) via About.com:Geology


Galena pseudomorph after pyromorphite via Crystal Classics


Goethite (Botroidal) via Crystal Habits


Magnetite- No Mag Bol 5071 from Mineral Classics

My work + olympic pool

2008 Olympic Swimming Pool designed by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation jointly with Australia's PTW Architects and Ove Arup Pty Ltd (more images)


3 layered papercuts 1991 based on The 4 Day Sketchbook, 1991

The roof and walls of the new Olympic pool reminds me of much of my work, and made me realise I haven't posted any of my old work since the 1st of May. So let's remedy that right now...


Drawing from The 4 Day Sketchbook, 1991


A print (recent) of a drawing from The 4 Day Sketchbook, 1991


Papercut (1992) based on a drawing from The 4 Day Sketchbook, 1991



Several papercuts, 1991-'92, layered together

If you are new to my blog you can see more of my work in this style such as this felt brooch, this & this papercut, this book, this crochet. Or see more work in general by clicking the My Work tag at the end of this post.

I miss the Western Isles

This is either Barra or Benbecula, 1992 or '93.

When I was at college I used to like walking/camping my way round the Western Isles whenever I could. I hope I can do these things again sometime. Above was one of those days when you looked around and couldn't believe the intensity of the sky, though though looking at this I can't help but wonder if maybe I had a polarizing filter or something on the camera, though I'm sure I didn't own one. If only there were digital camera's back then, I used a roll of film every day and it still wasn't enough to capture all the beauty of the islands and their ever changing weather and isolated beaches.

Just before it rained

I never cease to feel lucky at having this view 5 minutes from my house.

Blu - street wall animation

Oops, I said the Power Monkey was waterproof, but it's actually water resistant. Sorry.
No pics today, I keep getting an 'internal error' message. Hope to be fixed tomorrow. Until then, here is a link to an incredible, bigger than life size, on street animation by Blu. I first watched it with no sound, then in the last 30seconds I realised it was off and turned it on, but I preferred it silent since it made the visuals seems stronger. I found it via Simon Pascoe's lovely blog. So good to find a bloke's blog that I like as much as women's ones.

Solar charger & other power saving items

We had no power yesterday, the perfect day to enjoy the benefits of the new toy I bought (well, he had to pay!) for Mr P's birthday recently, a Solar Power Monkey eXplorer. I was really impressed with the quality and usefulness of my brother's regular Power Monkey when we were in LA, he was able to charge his phone, iPod, GPS and numerous other gadgets from it. The solar one, though much more expensive, has all the same attachments & adaptors, but can also charge from a pocket sized solar panel. He loves it, I love it! It's the best bit of kit for anyone who wants to be greener without giving up their gadgets because it works on lots of things.


Solar Power Monkey with lots of adapters and connectors

It's water resistant and the 'solar slave' will even work on cloudy days or beside incandesent house lights. Once you have charged the Monkey (by solar, mains or USB) just pop it in your pocket (genuine pocket size, unlike some lumpy ones that claim to be) and you have a charge ready even if you are up a hill or on a beach. Mr P uses it to charge his iPod, mobile phone and PDA - all for free.

There are lots of similar chargers on the market but the Power Monkey consistently gets the best reviews and least complaints in buyers feedback. If the connector you need isn't included there's a good chance you can buy o. Given their track record for quality, I am very eagerly anticipating the new Power Gorilla which is being developed to power laptops, and yes, there will be a Solar Gorilla, finally solar power for the laptop, no more guilt... if you can afford it (assuming it'll be much more expensive than the solar monkey).


Freeplay radio Wonder Wash

My old wind up/solar radio used to be my favourite hand crank item, but I finally got my Wonder Wash (washing machine) last month on Ebay. It was touch and go, I noticed Ebay prices were suddenly rising and have since found it it's because the man that makes them is unwell and hasn't found anyone else to fill the orders yet. It uses no electricity and it's easy to collect the waste water for the garden on dry days or for the toilet cistern on rainy days.

Heavenly hellebores

The shy Helleborus, a flower I normally associate with winter (hence the common name Christmas Rose), looking quite splendid in early June (after being coaxed to look skywards). I have 2 hellebores in my garden, neither of which has ever produced much flower, but I think next year may be different as the changes in the garden have produced a healthy looking flush of growth this year. Keeping my fingers crossed. As far as I know they are the kind with yellowy green flowers. I'd love to have some of these darker ones that were growing at Malleny Gardens. Below, it looks even lovelier with light from the weak evening sun shining through it's leaves...

Formal edges

When I worked at the Botanic Gardens I used to enjoy edging the grass, it immediately made things look tidy and tended to, not like my own gardens which have most often had a looser more cottagey feel with plants spilling into one another. I love both looks. At Malleny garden my eye was really drawn to the formal neatness wherever a plant edged a pathway or lawn. Lots of different colours and textures in both foliage and path surface. These will going into one of my wee books...one day, nothing creative going on beyond the lens while I'm tired.

Fresh air, flat space

Harlaw, in the Pentland Hills

I've finally transferred my recent pics onto the computer so will show more through the week. Lots of nature. On Sunday we had a trip in the car to nearby Malleny Garden which I always enjoyed as a peaceful place with usually very few people around and lots of places to sit. Last year, whenever Mr P was free for a trip in the car, it was either raining (June to September) or I just wasn't able to manage it physically.

On Sunday we both needed it, the weather was right and I was feeling tired but keen so off we went. We were only out for an hour in the garden but it was really nice. Then before heading home we drove up a road we'd never noticed be fore (I am all about spontaneous navigation) and found ourselves on a bit of the Pantlands I never knew existed. A really high up flat area (pictured) with more peaks in the distance. I was too tired to actually walk it but nipped out of the car for a few pictures. Andy suggested we could put my, as yet unused, folding bike in the car so I could cycle the flat bit one day. I'm very keen.

Summer food memories

I thought I posted this on 28th March. Need to spring clean the draft post pile.



(like the one we lived in years ago, but ours was yellow)



La Blues March 2008

Anna sent me in the direction of What the World Eats: Part II.
I'm always fascinated by how other people eat, particularly in other cultures or other countries. Of the 11 they show in Part II I'd opt for the diets of the families India, Guatemala and Turkey.

I'm pretty sure my time in Turkey was the healthiest time I ever had food-wise without making an effort. So much was organic purely because it was grown locally in gardens and people grew things suited to the soil and climate. Everything tasted like it should, not bland like supermarket food. You could taste the sunshine in the vegetables. I definitely think Mediterranean food is closest to what naturally suits my body. At the time I struggled a bit with the cheeses, I didn't know about my lactose problem so I was still a cow's cheese lover and found goats cheese really sharp and unpalletable (though I forced it down out of politeness). Now I adore it (unless it smells or tastes fishy) and long for all those gorgeous meals my boyfriend's mum used to make full of her homemade goats cheese.

Lime snap

These looked snappier on photoshop, I forget that things get paler in blogger. The flowers up top looked especially zingy with the pink and green really intense beside each other. You are all creative minds, you can visualise it. Not sure what the flowers were, they are not mine.

Grey thoughts clouding my mind

Old Dairy (as seen last week)

Have you noticed all the grey on my blog recently? Partly it's all the rain we're having (but interspersed with sun so the gardens are very happy). Partly it's my glum feelings after the family visit. 5 days of trying to fake being well. I don't know why I bother, in all the time I've been ill (15 months for this recent bout of M.E.) my family has never once asked how I am. I think that's pretty weird and I'm finding it more upsetting than usual this month. I'm not sure why. More on this in the comments for this post.


Lucy by a farm door

Trend de la Crême

The Christopher Kane Fall 08 collection reminded Jill Sherman (Trend de la Crême blog) of jellyfish. See them all here on Coutorture where you can link to the full sized images, so much better than the tiny snippets I'm showing you. If you liked those, you should visit her blog since many of her posts are like the jellyfish one above & below that she did for Coutorture.



I always link things visually and it's been a great pleasure and to see someone else who not only looks at things the same way, but has the time and skill to find wonderful images which match the connections her brain is making. Plus she often has personal stories or memories of what made her think of the links, like a childhood visit to Roseville Telephone Museum for her post on Telephones...

Derek Lam's fall/winter collection (2008 I assume)

Seriously, her blog is full of these and I've gone a bit mad with links to them here, but it's because I think they are great. Here are a few favourites highlighting recent collections and the things that they remind her of - Sea slugs, Sea squirts, Siamese fighting fish, Octopusses, Beetles, more Beetles, Butterflies, Birds, more Birds, Humming birds...

Kristian Aadnevik designs for The Protégé Collection 2008

Lighting, Medieval armour, T'ang Dynasty, Cathedral ceilings, Electric Canvas Architecture, Spires & Pagodas...

Marchesa's fall/winter 2008 collection

Fancy Cakes, more Cakes, Orchids, Irises, Endangered Wild Cyclamen...

Diana Bobar's Spring’08 ready-to-wear collection

There are more, but my eyes are going fuzzy so I'd better stop. Thanks Jill for letting me post your great pairings, I love the way you mind works and can't wait to see more!

Faces on brooches

Constantinos Kyriacou: Brooch, 2008


Inês Almeida: Brooch- Diálogos e monólogos 2 2004-2005
Wood, silver and coins (via Klimt02)


Fabrizio Tridenti: Brooch- F. Guelfi 2007 (via Klimt02)
Plastic, oxidized silver, paper, electric wire


Bettina Speckner: Brooches, 2007+2004


Eija Mustonen: Brooch (via Hibernate)

Black lace-like chain of thought

Suzanne Beautyman: Brooch, 2007, Antique lace, resin (via Klimt02)
It reminded me of...

Anne Wilson: Black lace at the V&A 'Out of the Ordinary' exhibition 2007
Which reminded me of...

Cal Lane: 5 benevolent cans-2007, oil cans. Available to buy on Artnet


Cal Lane: 3 Shovels-2006, wood, steel (found via Found Object)
Cal's work blows me away, you should see what she does with cars! I'm really in awe of what she does with steel because when you look deeper than the compelling beauty each piece also has a very subtle but strong message and I would encourage you to read more on her website.
Which reminded me of...

Paul Villinski: Paradigm, 2007, beer cans

The chain of visual memories continued but I could be here for weeks trying to find the links so I hope these few have been good. I had to access my old computer to get some of these and I found lots more of interest, expect further themed posts soon.

Blue stays, red fades to pink

LA has an abundance of blue walls changing tone with the passing of the day. If we'd had time I'd have loved to do a series of the same walls over the course of a day to see how much those blues change.