tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37043318703069593612024-03-19T03:52:53.107+00:00slow lane liferachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.comBlogger1315125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-82754522842904231932016-10-27T08:56:00.003+01:002016-10-27T08:56:42.582+01:00Moved again!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Slow Lane Life can now be found here: Slow Lane Life III. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To move with us, click <a href="https://slowlanelife3.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-933461689757513052012-12-05T20:47:00.001+00:002012-12-05T20:58:51.961+00:00Jump! We're off.<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oooh, this is nerve-wracking.......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just started a new blog on Wordpress, and this one will be mothballed, but remain loved (by me, anyway) just like an old teddy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slow Lane Life II is now in embryonic form - click <a href="http://redpenrita.wordpress.com/">HERE</a> to leap into hyperspace and find yourself on an alien planet that hasn't been very well constructed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My new baby. Come and peer anxiously at it, and will it into being. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't fuss too much about the weird layout or the bizarre colours, will you; you have no idea how much effort it took to get the thing up and running at all, let alone attending to the aesthetics. I shall continue to learn, tweak and tinker, and who knows, maybe even get those cats on it too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I can go and have a little lie down.</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-12237838298520067342012-12-04T10:33:00.000+00:002012-12-04T10:33:41.202+00:00Experimental<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you all for the supportive/informative/encouraging comments. So nice of you, and I'm truly grateful, but why aren't you sitting here at my desk with me, telling me to press this, scroll down to that, select this, click that, until I can smile smugly and be proud of understanding just how my mega-brained computer works? That's the element in all this lovely blog-fellowship that's missing - the Home Visits to the Inept and Confused......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogger persists in telling me I have reached my quota of uploaded photographs, even though I have deleted everything in Picasaweb that isn't in the blog itself (although I may have done some inadvertent deleting of blog pics, but daren't go looking). Making space hasn't helped - a bit like taking a heap of stuff out of that over-full drawer, it doesn't seem to have made any difference; the socks and scarves still bulge out at the edges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">True, the now-monthly </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fee </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(be warned, you annual payment people!) to</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">increase my storage space by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google, which has integrated Blogger and Picasaweb for photo storage, isn't very costly, but the system itself is impenetrably complex, and my capacity to understand it is impenetrably limited. I know this is an impenetrable sentence, too.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhoo.... in the next few days, I will be spending some time in my secret underground laboratory, wearing a white coat, white wellies and thick goggles, experimenting like some demented fictional scientist, to create a new blog. A Wordpress blog. There will be naked flames, billowing vapours, green glowing lights in flasks and test tubes, maniacal laughter, thunder and lightning, and hopefully a new creation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've started already, actually. Massive delays occurred at first because I couldn't think of a blog title, a username, a design with a font I liked. (This early-days paralysis is one of the (many) reasons why I haven't written a bestselling novel - my inability to find names that don't sound implausible or downright ludicrous.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early attempts produced monsters, to be quickly, ruthlessly, euthanised and forgotten. The mad scientist moves on, eyes glittering feverishly. Once I have an acceptable template, the advice from other Wordpressers may start to make sense. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost as good as having you sitting beside me here, but not quite. I try not to sound blaming, you understand; I know some of you live a long way off and can't make the time and the fare to sit in damp windy Somerset in your dressing gown with a cup of tea to hand and a cat trying to walk over the keyboard, Home Visiting the Inept and Confused.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neighbours are due to visit in half an hour; they don't even own a computer, so I shall take a break from the mad scientisting and eat mince pies with them. Now, if Bloggerasaoogle allowed, I could show you a picture of those very same home made mince pies.... sigh....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-80872644031174568732012-12-02T23:14:00.000+00:002012-12-03T09:18:10.318+00:00Brooding<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I seem to have been struck dumb, blogwise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Picasa/Google/Blogger situation is such a mess, and while I know that many other people have had terrible problems with Picasa's multiple duplications of photos, sorting it out seems incredibly complicated. Advice is invariably so technical that I'm lost off before I get to paragraph 2 and feel defeated before I start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I can't find much to blog about, photos or no photos - does any one else feel like this? Is it the weather? The time of year? Or, as I suspect, the fact that my life is calm and happy, after those blogging years of turmoil and change, and provides little or no material to write/rage/angst about?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm toying with the idea of leaving Blogger entirely and starting a new blog, using Wordpress as encouraged by other bloggers who have done the same or have always used the latter only, but it seems like a mammoth change to make. Considerations include:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staying put, and paying the monthly fee to Google for more photo space.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Migrating this blog onto Wordpress. There are dire warnings online about doing this.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starting from scratch with a new blog.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ditto the cats' blog. (Is this woman </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">serious?</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I hear you ask)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dither, dither. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tell me what you think.</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-43873731828997319062012-11-27T21:28:00.000+00:002012-11-27T22:27:17.377+00:00Compare and contrast<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our very little scare with our very little brook the other night, I was catapulted abruptly into a harsher view of flooding while watching the news tonight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those poor people of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20515072">St Asaph</a> and other flooded towns, their homes wrecked and their lives turned upside down; my heart goes out to them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wet feet seem paltry in comparison.</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-6153704486353115062012-11-25T21:28:00.001+00:002012-11-25T21:28:57.461+00:00Sandbagged<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's us. I wish Blogger would let me show you the photographs of what we had to put in place last night. Sandbags, large sacks of John Innes No. 2, and sections of leftover stone flags from the hall, all stacked in the porch, keeping the water at bay - we hoped - as the rain continued remorselessly to fall. The brook, so musical in its summer gurgling, roared; a torrent of strong dark tea - or rather, water straight off Exmoor - spilling over its retaining wall and surging madly down our road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone was out until after midnight, protecting their doorways as best they could. We had walked home from dinner with a friend at the top of the hill, growing ever more alarmed as we approached our own home, gradually wading ankle deep in the swirling brown water, and dreading the possibility of discovering a flooded cottage and outraged cats. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gardener, sleepy from dinner, including a surfeit of lemon posset, and intending to sleep within five minutes of getting home, turned immediately back into a Proper Practical Bloke. Wide awake, changing sodden shoes for wellies, finding the torch and the sandbags (no mean feat in our chaotic linhay) and organising a barrier in the porch to divert any sudden surge of water, he also checked on elderly neighbours, exchanged opinions with others on the state of the brookside vegetation further up the road, and finally tumbled into bed two hours later, leaving a collection of sodden clothes downstairs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meantime, I flapped anxiously about indoors, lifting rugs, shifting precious items up above water level, making cups of tea (so essential in any dramatic situation!) and trying to stop the thoroughly-rattled animals from fighting each other or getting underfoot. I didn't sleep until after 3, and was up again at 5, to find the road clear, apart from the pebbles and mud that the water had washed down. We hadn't been flooded, but others had (see <a href="http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Widespread-flood-chaos-Somerset-night-torrential/story-17418624-detail/story.html">here</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the sand/compost bags will remain in place; it rains and rains and rains....</span><br />
<br />rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-6719076259980129162012-11-24T11:12:00.000+00:002012-11-24T11:12:09.320+00:00Invasion<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's all much worse than I thought..... </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something bad has happened inside my iMac.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Picasa (the photo thingy that I used before iPhoto) has been sitting at the back of the computer surreptitiously <i>breeding</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thousands - thousands! - of duplicate photographs, many folders that should hold one or two images now containing 600+. Looking into the innards was like one of those scenes in sci-fi films where a door is opened and acres of sinister alien pods are revealed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of the Picasa pictures are pre-iPhoto, but everything I have ever stored in iPhoto is also there. Replicating endlessly. Much as I love Scooter, 600 copies of a photo of him peering cutely out of a window has limited appeal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duplicate Annihilator hasn't worked. Uninstalling Picasa after a massive clean up hasn't worked. Weeping and swearing - well, admittedly, that <i>helps</i>, but it doesn't actually <i>work</i>. My brain hurts. I worry. I have had bad dreams in the night, although perhaps it was the consolation chocolate at bedtime that caused that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thinks: there may have to be a trip to the Apple store some time soon for a proper service for my poor machine and perhaps a tutorial for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gardener will be pleased. The Apple store in Bristol is his spiritual home, and is just across from Carluccio's.....</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-35051144241922576522012-11-22T19:22:00.000+00:002012-11-22T19:22:49.587+00:00Boo hiss<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be back when Blogger stops telling me I'm out of space for photos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(It does this occasionally, trying to make me buy more space, but suddenly allows me to have more, even though I have done nothing about it. Meantime, I'm sulking.)</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-63741256883091851912012-11-16T19:50:00.001+00:002012-11-16T19:50:14.253+00:00Paint love<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonAm64vBUHfpquRENrPxetNoGUbTrxYDUHpVZtS5Sy-DUK7p57BzS4066tV04QvEQXvxHAYCejW0coYEmx5OaixJxCdSz3xwTZz_ZzDACUeSyrT1T0cl9BfcWrf1-c_UBuXUpDGjPjPkt/s1600/IMG_7104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonAm64vBUHfpquRENrPxetNoGUbTrxYDUHpVZtS5Sy-DUK7p57BzS4066tV04QvEQXvxHAYCejW0coYEmx5OaixJxCdSz3xwTZz_ZzDACUeSyrT1T0cl9BfcWrf1-c_UBuXUpDGjPjPkt/s400/IMG_7104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you still on the chalk paint journey with me, here are the results of the experiment I conducted. For those of you who are bored to tears with all things painty, look away now. Sorry. Cats, dogs and everyday life with The Gardener* will resume shortly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, the clear wax continued to be problematic for me: difficult to apply without blotching, it wasn't the un-distressed effect I wanted. I watched videos of other people waxing their newly-painted furniture, I took advice, I even looked at the legendary Annie Sloan's own painted pieces, and decided that no, waxing and blotching seemed to be synonymous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another website had a contribution from someone who had used polyurethane varnish over her chalk paint, with some success. I was a bit anxious about this, as I didn't want a shiny-shiny look. And the word <i>fusspot</i> crept into my lexicon of self-doubt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So off I went to consult Angus in the local paint shop: he always has advice to impart. Angus recommended a water-based, rather than a polyurethane varnish, and I came home with <a href="http://www.blackfriar.co.uk/duratough-clear-varnish">this</a>: Blackfriars Dura Tough varnish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Went on easily, with almost no odour, dried quickly, and the brush rinsed clean in water. Fabulous!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the result? Perfect. The chalk paint drank it up thirstily, leaving a sheen rather than a shine. No blotches anywhere. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTeHUT0jsHWdKdRsilh3hxLyYU5gDQnrCSFtgDhMeXnxP8DmpstjMVRtpQ8IBusW4YbpKsXGViV2AXtWFCQgKRKvS9qdOWk1Apka9guTxik-tq1CfvImsC6OmwuWoT3PrJAOaJlGTUt-5/s1600/IMG_7105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTeHUT0jsHWdKdRsilh3hxLyYU5gDQnrCSFtgDhMeXnxP8DmpstjMVRtpQ8IBusW4YbpKsXGViV2AXtWFCQgKRKvS9qdOWk1Apka9guTxik-tq1CfvImsC6OmwuWoT3PrJAOaJlGTUt-5/s400/IMG_7105.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd show you it (I know... </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">again...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sigh...) but the light isn't right and my camera(s) still need sorting out, but my bedroom has been transformed into a calm, neutral space. (Or could be a calm, neutral space if I were to pick up my clothes and tidy the dresser.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*The Gardener has had lots of work to catch up on this week, so the painting was all mine to do; he did, however, help enormously by heaving bedding and ton-weight mattress on and off the bed for each of the three stages, and heaping me with praise. That'll do nicely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-61427375813878245712012-11-13T19:36:00.000+00:002012-11-13T19:36:03.729+00:00Stand still long enough and I'll paint you<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQjKCdavaK5NdPDAIYWcxokVnFDc55wzc1Bs8MJzlEuIkb1iVN3F_1ZmlObnFDPZN56bPFqm-RhhxEl9lGcuZu_Kg7HI7rAD-hT6NdFVmJ7Vu9uh4Zw0k2RjSxeyRw9tCUEfcnqevBozq/s1600/IMG_7032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQjKCdavaK5NdPDAIYWcxokVnFDc55wzc1Bs8MJzlEuIkb1iVN3F_1ZmlObnFDPZN56bPFqm-RhhxEl9lGcuZu_Kg7HI7rAD-hT6NdFVmJ7Vu9uh4Zw0k2RjSxeyRw9tCUEfcnqevBozq/s320/IMG_7032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfPH7LdFji3mqYx4Eil07vq6qbntKBA5mvBjPQbbtq0KBwNmDKnd4LGR9K1Q0VgO064jdQKwoyYTGlGq1UMgcgzCKQjKJB5vL44GUnLSf3uxFkvAA1KaQaudj7owm0TQ1ngh1-D7gWs6s/s1600/IMG_7033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfPH7LdFji3mqYx4Eil07vq6qbntKBA5mvBjPQbbtq0KBwNmDKnd4LGR9K1Q0VgO064jdQKwoyYTGlGq1UMgcgzCKQjKJB5vL44GUnLSf3uxFkvAA1KaQaudj7owm0TQ1ngh1-D7gWs6s/s320/IMG_7033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, I posted about my knotty pine bedroom and how I was painting it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here it is today. We think it's an improvement. The peeling brass-effect wall lights are going to be changed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(The photos are dreadful because I have Done Something to my camera and can't Undo it without the instructions.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The old Ikea laminate bookcase got a makeover too. House of Thrift, us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next on the list will be a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">very old</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> chest of drawers, a large Edwardian one, battered and with its white paint chipped. Then the banister. Then the shelf in the hall. Then the wicker trunk. Then the dining table... then... then... the possibilities are endless. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have Paint Fever. </span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-57962243031334834852012-11-12T22:16:00.000+00:002012-11-12T22:16:07.052+00:00Over the moors and back again<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An impromptu drive across misty Exmoor today to Barnstaple. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It always rains when we visit Barnstaple, and today was no exception. En route, we drove through dense mist, the road carpeted with the glorious gold of fallen beech leaves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> via Countisbury Hill that leads precipitously down to Lynmouth and Lynton. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Very hilly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first time I made this journey, in August 2011, with friend Shelagh from Toronto, it was sunny and very hot, and the brakes began to feel mushy as we arrived in Lynmouth, so much so that I worried about not being able to stop, and careering into the sea wall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, it was hard to recall ever having had hot weather; the rain seems endless. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way home, we stopped for supper at the 13th Century inn <a href="http://www.exmoorsandpiper.com/index.htm">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1907 it looked like <a href="http://www.francisfrith.com/lynmouth/photos/countisbury-hill-the-blue-ball-inn-1907_59405x/#utmcsr=google.co.uk&utmcmd=referral&utmccn=google.co.uk">this</a>. Tonight it looked warm and inviting, with its ancient fireplace, glowing logs and good home cooking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had steak and ale pie; The Gardener had penne pasta with butterbeans in a creamy/pesto sauce - so much more interesting than it sounded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we emerged, the mist had cleared and some of the millions of stars so clearly visible on Exmoor were just beginning to show.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're never short of weather round these parts....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-42479052355559024972012-11-11T21:23:00.000+00:002012-11-11T21:23:16.466+00:00Remembrance Sunday<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UdPr7Vw-8vU" width="420"></iframe>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-13176853926106747662012-11-11T11:55:00.004+00:002012-11-11T12:34:29.137+00:00Disservice<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In all that ridiculous maternal button-bursting the other day, I omitted shamefully to mention or show the Lovely Son's other partner - M, who is the more recent addition to OffKut, and who is the skilled metal worker of the duo. According to the LS, no mean artist himself, M is the creative spirit whose ideas help the stock to change and evolve. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were delighted to find him at work, and to meet him at last. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here he is - M, winner of the Holey Jumper Award and generally all-round Good Chap. You can tell by the expressions worn by the LS and M that they are having a manly discussion, probably about widgets and grommets; leaning, meaningful silences, and staring in different directions indicate that they get on well together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Long may he and the LS prosper in their joint enterprise.</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-17662406552213201222012-11-10T20:15:00.001+00:002012-11-10T20:15:28.846+00:00So where were we?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh yes.... eating for Britain in South London.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lovely Son and Mexican girlfriend C have moved - bravely, given their independent natures - into a flat together, and had invited us to be their first visitors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So off we went to Camberwell the other day, bringing meaty foodstuffs from our local farm shop, and enjoying the ethnic diversity that London offers. We especially enjoyed the range of interesting cafes and restaurants not available to us in West Somerset; we planned to eat out at some point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At some point? Ha. We ate out at every meal. Restraint was not an option with four robust appetites to appease. Day 1: Mexican lunch, art gallery coffee and cake, enormous Turkish dinner (how I love Turkish food!); the next day, English breakfast, cheap and cheerful Vietnamese lunch, Greek bread and pastries to bring home on the train. What piggies we were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also trawled charity shops, where a nice little white coat was tried on and obtained for a song, and a volunteer </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">willingly </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">allowed himself to be photographed - after all, you don't pierce and tattoo yourself and expect not to be looked at.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We visited the Lovely Son's <strike>scruffy</strike> newly-tidied workshop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We looked at works in progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We walked miles, just looking around. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYNv71aJOixIAt_wLtnhYC5XFK802GozWa4-sVb58MAEp6um3q_Uz6fHlRwykbGNY_HeT-unFnmjS4mH5zsakoicm69bDvtvc_CBLOD-udnvwVzmXfpZ35Pqa2REMgclubax_OYlQhWWO/s1600/L1004645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYNv71aJOixIAt_wLtnhYC5XFK802GozWa4-sVb58MAEp6um3q_Uz6fHlRwykbGNY_HeT-unFnmjS4mH5zsakoicm69bDvtvc_CBLOD-udnvwVzmXfpZ35Pqa2REMgclubax_OYlQhWWO/s400/L1004645.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL_e4FsUDI24yah0Yp1-ucbvSLMI3fEKrvtU9PGg1U85gn1pqcZl2-m2FwOAa0PpNghALLO52l2hOzIKTjlk121Up9v4-SE72q6J_dQ8DdEH5oaOTV9fgKLGkkOWF2Kj5XA92wIHu5NsF/s1600/L1004646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL_e4FsUDI24yah0Yp1-ucbvSLMI3fEKrvtU9PGg1U85gn1pqcZl2-m2FwOAa0PpNghALLO52l2hOzIKTjlk121Up9v4-SE72q6J_dQ8DdEH5oaOTV9fgKLGkkOWF2Kj5XA92wIHu5NsF/s400/L1004646.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgratWiKw9XkBZXNB_3qho8OVTVlZHbKKilFgZ4JhIsjxwzWL_fte1K1R_4GVmI50h-2UlXVry6PM5ptWHQIjzkjJxUVinuQGSTjEkklQC4yynzMrlXzlPXWTDf1fpk7z6CXOX89pBjMtj/s1600/L1004632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgratWiKw9XkBZXNB_3qho8OVTVlZHbKKilFgZ4JhIsjxwzWL_fte1K1R_4GVmI50h-2UlXVry6PM5ptWHQIjzkjJxUVinuQGSTjEkklQC4yynzMrlXzlPXWTDf1fpk7z6CXOX89pBjMtj/s400/L1004632.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We caught up with each other. It was lovely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And suddenly it was time to make our way to the bus and then to the Tube.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmQEEp7qYW7SWShfei8TVauhkbleYuQ7uiXW96HnxVKOohyNsh812Cjkvq6T7i0Jr5e3XBny-SQtGUoH6BVZva5VTFtDA4zeQGAYfvk9qhULti8QB4eeUD6FG9sp7VaajYRD2W6el-bK0/s1600/L1004625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmQEEp7qYW7SWShfei8TVauhkbleYuQ7uiXW96HnxVKOohyNsh812Cjkvq6T7i0Jr5e3XBny-SQtGUoH6BVZva5VTFtDA4zeQGAYfvk9qhULti8QB4eeUD6FG9sp7VaajYRD2W6el-bK0/s400/L1004625.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> No prizes for guessing which Tube station.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAK1tPoE-NSXJiFKEE4eZfjgPgrVUJpmNXBBSmr9SW6pgN3DQzVCYScm1pnuER8w75d2TSgSQzAIHF6mmAo9Ugt_Je9xOXTfWfukShYKoSYZyfGOdYJwBo0sLx7y6IgFOX7SucO2t00qD_/s1600/L1000665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAK1tPoE-NSXJiFKEE4eZfjgPgrVUJpmNXBBSmr9SW6pgN3DQzVCYScm1pnuER8w75d2TSgSQzAIHF6mmAo9Ugt_Je9xOXTfWfukShYKoSYZyfGOdYJwBo0sLx7y6IgFOX7SucO2t00qD_/s400/L1000665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And on to Paddington. I always wonder what these huge Victorian railway stations must have been like when gas lit. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7UH_tqYl_7d6ryvpqwnBBeXv1d-X5JQ1LsGOk3HgUdh6MbMfb33qsPJZcIgDFzLGS0cucerD28fdW_6_xKYgEwMtbdxRg3XzCittf-gmYAHh9Wi1rffkjxpL7zt3K5cV_y9ZSCGG-kDp/s1600/L1000668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7UH_tqYl_7d6ryvpqwnBBeXv1d-X5JQ1LsGOk3HgUdh6MbMfb33qsPJZcIgDFzLGS0cucerD28fdW_6_xKYgEwMtbdxRg3XzCittf-gmYAHh9Wi1rffkjxpL7zt3K5cV_y9ZSCGG-kDp/s400/L1000668.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We sat on the train amidst hundreds of other people all busy with laptops, iPads or phones, and were back in Somerset by mid-evening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flossie had enjoyed her sleepover with Suzi up the road, and was already in bed. Flossie is clean-living, and likes to be in bed by around 9 pm, but woke up enough to try to convince us that Suzi hadn't given her any dinner, and could we, please? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh no, we said; over-eating isn't good for you. Restraint, Flossie; restraint. Hypocrisy lives.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-85718417501753501702012-11-09T23:08:00.000+00:002012-11-09T23:08:22.142+00:00Proud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglClDXkBYnopWB1dObXY-xTpbeg_DYgY_axKwn7zUrO3fyJOmevBUFxUbozqMKTClNlTzo3fKLIKxSF28j5MHibPCzFoEujf4OQi5esLAZ-Q0uUsLMzrXajsRx0ss-BxLLxpMI7SoHPGsB/s1600/L1000654+-+Version+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglClDXkBYnopWB1dObXY-xTpbeg_DYgY_axKwn7zUrO3fyJOmevBUFxUbozqMKTClNlTzo3fKLIKxSF28j5MHibPCzFoEujf4OQi5esLAZ-Q0uUsLMzrXajsRx0ss-BxLLxpMI7SoHPGsB/s400/L1000654+-+Version+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to tell you all about our two days in London visiting these two, and eating for Britain, but no time; instead, lookee here! This year's Handmade in Britain Show in Chelsea. Click the link <a href="http://www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk/">here</a>, go on! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then click on Exhibitors, scroll down to OffKut and click that link too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the Lovely Son. <i>My</i> Lovely Son.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8b8437Capq5W_G5PkviViznovtTP7vRFd-ae0vAeietVJGFxLHDQpZd6pmJPE1sUwSCJP_0aeaLw2ZKfLUZu0B2rFiLqR9ZIzCagjcXQfcgkwFpKFzTXbG1Pd9cs_3i1rI_km8DyfWeOx/s1600/L1004600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8b8437Capq5W_G5PkviViznovtTP7vRFd-ae0vAeietVJGFxLHDQpZd6pmJPE1sUwSCJP_0aeaLw2ZKfLUZu0B2rFiLqR9ZIzCagjcXQfcgkwFpKFzTXbG1Pd9cs_3i1rI_km8DyfWeOx/s400/L1004600.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">And The Gardener met up with the gallery owner to discuss the exhibition of some of his photographs </span><a href="http://www.stephenbartelsgallery.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLDvllKk0RNOQucXGAPFmvyPo5DvL4aclGF4VI177JUGz_3Y8-XicV5_a3hO2ovdKhSQcbm7Ezz-cYuYEvesaEPNVFWWhzAKBrTj8IDbzeoTEXJRiM9C0mkH121KEShYkRzST3gaLb4LA/s1600/L1004485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLDvllKk0RNOQucXGAPFmvyPo5DvL4aclGF4VI177JUGz_3Y8-XicV5_a3hO2ovdKhSQcbm7Ezz-cYuYEvesaEPNVFWWhzAKBrTj8IDbzeoTEXJRiM9C0mkH121KEShYkRzST3gaLb4LA/s400/L1004485.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MBaO6vMTJKHmGRC_4K6VZ4wbfsJ-iJeqSjloNfNbSCb4sgE09PBKm-xQRM2wDDxnSWRO2hoQ8YUPyBFJyvyKwvPXUhwT-D6gC-xhzEl1DC5rcVBtrb131FmgJIppS3Bx7_YtSSM0tNk6/s1600/L1004491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MBaO6vMTJKHmGRC_4K6VZ4wbfsJ-iJeqSjloNfNbSCb4sgE09PBKm-xQRM2wDDxnSWRO2hoQ8YUPyBFJyvyKwvPXUhwT-D6gC-xhzEl1DC5rcVBtrb131FmgJIppS3Bx7_YtSSM0tNk6/s400/L1004491.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My buttons are bursting with pride. (And with Mexican/Turkish/Vietnamese food, but that's another story and altogether more shamefully-greedy photographs, about which I will show and tell next time.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-48237567043541992782012-11-03T21:45:00.001+00:002012-11-04T07:39:19.013+00:00Transit times<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yoghurt pot has two lids. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinoHBEwa7os-rbDiCeHyoeW4hAXom43OAWDX7uLKdY8pq0fhTuyBknRUwTYb-1tMeuTq4yXasbkCip5Pwa6gfvxUUBBYz4eJqqM0y7iYNj2LbkqggyjVeQ80zXPhlhNOmVMQ6ZXfiVVmR/s1600/IMG_7074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinoHBEwa7os-rbDiCeHyoeW4hAXom43OAWDX7uLKdY8pq0fhTuyBknRUwTYb-1tMeuTq4yXasbkCip5Pwa6gfvxUUBBYz4eJqqM0y7iYNj2LbkqggyjVeQ80zXPhlhNOmVMQ6ZXfiVVmR/s320/IMG_7074.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2QVsxfA4CDzqzfPi3o2KhN4Qi08axMwmVKG_p0n1hCWWE8X8FE4wVajPzlAw4SFb8PkUO_Bohkq_9kcE83XkF4R9AONK3eJxplHkeKgevwpR0zvP0XHb9DVgDndkDW_AS5UMj-Hgg2av/s1600/IMG_7075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2QVsxfA4CDzqzfPi3o2KhN4Qi08axMwmVKG_p0n1hCWWE8X8FE4wVajPzlAw4SFb8PkUO_Bohkq_9kcE83XkF4R9AONK3eJxplHkeKgevwpR0zvP0XHb9DVgDndkDW_AS5UMj-Hgg2av/s320/IMG_7075.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAahd12cM-3kvfYl5IYftgtOUa21yAjgA5j7wVcHbriQmFiBdUhETUOcr0xRx4X7MhpKy9AQlwodq9Y2gNIQBwEuTVutU9WkMrxlUPxtWXbIBMmmnXmzupFhYAalfsuDP2TjNuMh9DO-JA/s1600/IMG_7078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAahd12cM-3kvfYl5IYftgtOUa21yAjgA5j7wVcHbriQmFiBdUhETUOcr0xRx4X7MhpKy9AQlwodq9Y2gNIQBwEuTVutU9WkMrxlUPxtWXbIBMmmnXmzupFhYAalfsuDP2TjNuMh9DO-JA/s320/IMG_7078.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remove both, carefully.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The inner lid is plastic too. If dropped accidentally on the floor, a greed-crazed black labrador could swoop on it, and in a millisecond, swallow it whole.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLo17VcpT5igTC0H8AdHXevL7-6WZJGKb-DUnqm-k0nQYYHzbU4o1NJWsU7FjkUvpD7Iwc3xWcLzhBlkaYnNwaJrFNs1h1bybrbyqhwXBYyObCwBibFjMV7nQsYtT7ddmQWXcOMaz6bPFC/s1600/IMG_7077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLo17VcpT5igTC0H8AdHXevL7-6WZJGKb-DUnqm-k0nQYYHzbU4o1NJWsU7FjkUvpD7Iwc3xWcLzhBlkaYnNwaJrFNs1h1bybrbyqhwXBYyObCwBibFjMV7nQsYtT7ddmQWXcOMaz6bPFC/s320/IMG_7077.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Not this particular lid, obviously. Another one, similarly indigestible.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slack owner, used to black labradors who eat garbage, fails to worry about this, and then forgets all about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the days that follow, dreadful labrador stomach turmoil is blamed on blackberries and windfall apples that litter the road. But no.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guess how long it would take for that plastic yoghurt pot lid to reappear (unscathed)?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A whole week.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will spare you the details, but it was perfectly recognisable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now guess how much of a lesson black labrador learned from this week of dreadful stomach turmoil?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exactly. Nothing at all. Next yoghurt pot that was opened, there she was, sitting expectantly, hoping for a (ahem) re-run. Slack owner has learned lesson though, and removes and discards plastic lid with extra care....</span><br />
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rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-2621678813130819582012-11-01T16:04:00.001+00:002012-11-01T16:04:51.767+00:00Personal preference<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiSreYTanNedkDaw4Z8Adm6kF-AqZLwQKZM1ppuGs7_tRbFZqDJfO-Ie-93TzvX9DYwJZgyzc0sdFryMa6ABmhiSLut4uk_8FDV9AVOP3299eYKskxGZH9tjzo04kFM4t2X0ZHLMAdX40/s1600/BurneJones_LastSleepOfArthurInAvalon_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiSreYTanNedkDaw4Z8Adm6kF-AqZLwQKZM1ppuGs7_tRbFZqDJfO-Ie-93TzvX9DYwJZgyzc0sdFryMa6ABmhiSLut4uk_8FDV9AVOP3299eYKskxGZH9tjzo04kFM4t2X0ZHLMAdX40/s400/BurneJones_LastSleepOfArthurInAvalon_sm.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gardener is online, listening with great enjoyment to someone playing a harp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't abide the harp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I happened to mention that when I was very young, I decided that perhaps I'd rather not go to heaven in case I had to hear harp music forever. The Gardener said that his fear was having to go to Peru and having Pan pipes played at him.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4d4soTHfoCUBhp-sbpFixTUGE6ihxzsetEiFIerIl4XAP8qV3aybqGDXwdKQL7nPwqA36iKbtDRtzkh9ZuRuiHf8ssvHLKhUfax40FfyNa7gcCb4dXCehY4pZBF6dQcMaId-leFCp66U/s1600/Marzials's_Pan_Pipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4d4soTHfoCUBhp-sbpFixTUGE6ihxzsetEiFIerIl4XAP8qV3aybqGDXwdKQL7nPwqA36iKbtDRtzkh9ZuRuiHf8ssvHLKhUfax40FfyNa7gcCb4dXCehY4pZBF6dQcMaId-leFCp66U/s400/Marzials's_Pan_Pipes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh well. Perhaps something else.....</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" nbsp="nbsp" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DktDsK2iBx4" width="420"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-6600925212499710812012-10-27T20:58:00.003+01:002012-10-27T20:58:54.489+01:00Watching brief<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my hall, betwixt wall and ceiling, lives a little spider with its cocoon. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">At least, I hope it lives; it doesn't seem to move much.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">There is a neat circular doorway, and what looks like a bit of discarded leg.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5NBFesVX2YmDQSOPu0DOJt4nvZ9cvi4vU1hluVBrgnBEaIPnAcXil7_ab4SrQ2dQLlUigVmR233loT6eRZ3f6aN1aVORkXnxgcfi1hgQePcWgZJ61VJjp9jvtH-IxqOu26RJY58MPyi5/s1600/IMG_2854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5NBFesVX2YmDQSOPu0DOJt4nvZ9cvi4vU1hluVBrgnBEaIPnAcXil7_ab4SrQ2dQLlUigVmR233loT6eRZ3f6aN1aVORkXnxgcfi1hgQePcWgZJ61VJjp9jvtH-IxqOu26RJY58MPyi5/s400/IMG_2854.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to photograph, standing on a little stepladder holding a camera above my head.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwYN02BP5SdQNOiuE8DF_GAUJ24L-B-LTnS7_GQ8SMfZb9paPzyh4OAR2ok5Qp2MBG7x9i2mSTPQ5RUOtp1-002kjFSuiYGjL4RTu53jrO65Npmfbgpu4NfGnsW-b97bfcPBlpg4jIrN5/s1600/IMG_7025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwYN02BP5SdQNOiuE8DF_GAUJ24L-B-LTnS7_GQ8SMfZb9paPzyh4OAR2ok5Qp2MBG7x9i2mSTPQ5RUOtp1-002kjFSuiYGjL4RTu53jrO65Npmfbgpu4NfGnsW-b97bfcPBlpg4jIrN5/s400/IMG_7025.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realise how little I know about spiders, yet I share my home with gazillions of them. We fish them out of sinks and bath almost every day; big beefy black-legged ones flee under the fridge, and little ones festoon the indoor plants with tiny webs.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjJu2WM1lUuwNAE6rx-rav0U8W88DosXVmo0VCfKgTZqDv847c2TFfGkBrPuw0poyG90lMqdFdcQfzC5SwkAtnvB4IbvJ_fL823zHstvnO1sIZoo1VCiiSMQqZ4eJcN9ouMGw8vWpnneS/s1600/IMG_7024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjJu2WM1lUuwNAE6rx-rav0U8W88DosXVmo0VCfKgTZqDv847c2TFfGkBrPuw0poyG90lMqdFdcQfzC5SwkAtnvB4IbvJ_fL823zHstvnO1sIZoo1VCiiSMQqZ4eJcN9ouMGw8vWpnneS/s400/IMG_7024.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shall watch this one carefully over the coming weeks, to see what happens. I so enjoyed my <a href="http://attica-slowlife.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/cocooned.html">garden spider watch</a> way back in 2009.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And of course I shall let you know.... Sorry if you hate the thought!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-18739286220040810492012-10-26T23:05:00.000+01:002012-10-26T23:05:01.426+01:00To market, to market<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gardener and I are doomed to only spend days out together in awful weather, when work is a less appealing option. Today was rainy enough to qualify for a day out. It was very chilly too - cold enough to suggest imminent winter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gardener and I went to the local Farmer's Market this morning, where we had arranged to take photos for Cheryl, who manages the market's website. Stall holders were asked not to pose, but to go about their business as though they weren't being observed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the whole, they did well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love the slate labels on the bread stall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some stallholders found it hard not to laugh or come over all shy....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh no, not in this hat!" was heard more than once.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But on a cold wet day, they wanted to chat, to laugh, to encourage us (well me, the non-vegetarian) to sample the wonderful </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">prize-winning pork sausages, the hot apple juice, and to complain about the vile weather. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some customers wanted to be photographed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a very small market, and the weather delayed a number of regulars from shopping; business is usually brisk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fish van always does a roaring trade - sadly, there is no longer an established fishmonger in this seaside town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came away with photos, dahlias, sausages, three-seed sourdough bread, and frozen fingers - time to dig out the winter woollies, I think. The Gardener sloped off for a double espresso while I shopped, and then we went home with our bounty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And still it rained. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later, we went off into a remote part of the countryside to see The Gardener's lovely daughter, and on the way home, stopped off in Wellington at <a href="http://jillysvintageteatime.blogspot.co.uk/">the shop</a> where I had bought the Annie Sloan paint. Yes, I wanted to buy some more - very smart Paris Grey for the dining room bookcase, and Old White to tone any other colour down a bit if desired. I'm a convert now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>For those of who who are interested:</i> <i>While there, I asked shop owner Jilly - a great ASCP enthusiast - about the wax/blotchiness problem, and was given very clear instructions as to how to avoid this. For those of you who are interested, you need to use a very little wax, on a very little wad of soft clean cotton fabric, applying on a very little area, and working fast. Sand very lightly if you want a really smooth finish. Buff it up the following day.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We shopped for pet food and violas, had coffee and apple pie. And then we came home again. In the rain.</span><br />
<br />rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-54570781660762740942012-10-25T16:20:00.004+01:002012-10-25T16:22:53.548+01:00Thrift, Annie and me - but not you<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This begins with a complaint; a complaint about you, my lovely readers. Lots of you knew that I liked painted furniture. That I <a href="http://attica-slowlife.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/will-to-live.html">disliked knotty pine</a>. That I preferred <a href="http://attica-slowlife.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/bit-better.html">neutral colours to orange fake wood.</a> And that I was a sloppy, hasty, impatient corner-cutting, <i>bodging</i> type of DIY-er. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Didn't you? Come on, <a href="http://attica-slowlife.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/paths-walls-and-catty-kisses.html">you know you did.</a> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBNNUtNWPt3n3t4ebtTk0Nt2oD_KhDptJljhKfVIXHLDWqUZs8tr6LpMLM1wJtvE95it0rO8dbLagxfUFAaUGccBzF5c54YHHs4uTWVTEfHZsgd8N0eQD9ZTcYJdINnjKkqzQWKs3nrkc/s1600/IMG_7032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBNNUtNWPt3n3t4ebtTk0Nt2oD_KhDptJljhKfVIXHLDWqUZs8tr6LpMLM1wJtvE95it0rO8dbLagxfUFAaUGccBzF5c54YHHs4uTWVTEfHZsgd8N0eQD9ZTcYJdINnjKkqzQWKs3nrkc/s400/IMG_7032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps you'd forgotten my orange knotty pine and laminate bedroom furniture that I bought along with the cottage, because it fitted the tricky space, and could easily be painted. Perhaps you'd not been reminded, as I tended to keep my weary repetition "I must give all this ginger stuff a lick of paint! A Spring project... oh no, a summer project....oh drat, an autumn project...." to myself, and sometimes, The Gardener, who has a long To-Do list of his own?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The motivation to apply that lick of paint had evaded me for a year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhB1xhs55Hb2w6J62oiJJWG1rQTH2PaREu1nWgjH8kS0JeW080xBIlM7hZ23wwLUlY1Xa4ctUghp9j8IOkfL6r0fviJk1-AO9ITchzy8yzZs-UNGpEJDn2_xhZlMsPQoANPE7hkxp67wY/s1600/IMG_7027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhB1xhs55Hb2w6J62oiJJWG1rQTH2PaREu1nWgjH8kS0JeW080xBIlM7hZ23wwLUlY1Xa4ctUghp9j8IOkfL6r0fviJk1-AO9ITchzy8yzZs-UNGpEJDn2_xhZlMsPQoANPE7hkxp67wY/s400/IMG_7027.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So tell me - why did no one amongst you tell me about Annie Sloan Chalk Paints? The no-priming, no-sanding, slap-it-on-quick paint, perfect for those, who like me, tend to skimp on preparation and expect wondrous transformation in half an hour?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, despite your secretiveness, I noticed it myself in several American blogs, and enquired of all-knowing You Tube as to whether or not this was just a tantalising dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But no; such a miraculous paint existed, seemed very popular in the States, where heavy old brown pieces of furniture with unfamiliar names like 'hutch', 'buffet' and 'chiffonier' were turned into pretty and more contemporary items in the wave of a paintbrush. And best of all, the paint was available in a <a href="http://www.jillysvintageteaparty.co.uk/">new shop</a> half an hour's drive away from where I live.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So The Gardener and I charged off to investigate, bearing with us a scrap of bedroom curtain fabric to match colours with, found exactly what we wanted, and a few days later I made a start. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Result:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uUhasiWkt54npFfU2kHAyRJOtK8LGTmX-tibyIo0CSy7SUTWWYgn-PLVHu6GNlCDb0ul-L6eSBvzlhmFsJz8TWa8lJzPADu0MuNysNt52hp7ovwC-3VFMxfXuSCWdmvb7PSmbQQ98xAv/s1600/IMG_7028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uUhasiWkt54npFfU2kHAyRJOtK8LGTmX-tibyIo0CSy7SUTWWYgn-PLVHu6GNlCDb0ul-L6eSBvzlhmFsJz8TWa8lJzPADu0MuNysNt52hp7ovwC-3VFMxfXuSCWdmvb7PSmbQQ98xAv/s400/IMG_7028.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From bright orange to Country Grey, in no time at all.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTH_esCJ8jf71K40SlGvqns9duAnr2TgeVNE2p3faRoKNMuznUqI6H-BVXBlrP2SoCT0_rJ67CK-ZCymh1HZmBBZnd7fMGSN4qfIO_Cz-nwPS2Zp4487pbf9rhLXULBIizGOpzEUP8J34/s1600/IMG_7029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTH_esCJ8jf71K40SlGvqns9duAnr2TgeVNE2p3faRoKNMuznUqI6H-BVXBlrP2SoCT0_rJ67CK-ZCymh1HZmBBZnd7fMGSN4qfIO_Cz-nwPS2Zp4487pbf9rhLXULBIizGOpzEUP8J34/s400/IMG_7029.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted a dead flat finish, rather than a distressed look, and so far, have found that easy to achieve with the paint. But the soft wax applied later on is harder to succeed in getting on evenly, and dries so quickly that I struggle to avoid blotchiness. Those of you who have used ASCP (as the US bloggers tend to call it) - any advice?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT_plPueXOQFMgq_FrvzRdHB4XWx68p7dJlTvI40erDp0ZD9dQfufNqZo5h41bO5_fIvQveYlPzoGUOE38PJYVx5rbfHLmKD2RskvkwVs862RDU4pEtvw0ONylbStoReDHePA3si10cXh/s1600/IMG_7031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT_plPueXOQFMgq_FrvzRdHB4XWx68p7dJlTvI40erDp0ZD9dQfufNqZo5h41bO5_fIvQveYlPzoGUOE38PJYVx5rbfHLmKD2RskvkwVs862RDU4pEtvw0ONylbStoReDHePA3si10cXh/s400/IMG_7031.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other miraculous thing is that The Gardener has come over all enthused too, and promises to paint with me. My <strike>cup</strike> paint pot runneth over.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll post pictures when it's all done - and the bed will be properly made too.</span><br />
<br />rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-74124611402683929572012-10-23T22:37:00.003+01:002012-10-23T22:37:47.026+01:00Misty mornings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The morning air is full of moisture; the atmosphere is still and mysterious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Click on these images to enlarge, and see the real beauty.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGjgmJUwI-xM0EUo8sVrE2QrmfIdbKMzlDIB3FDb-9HVDMSD9fnriUBHDJAXhSjallg0fw9LJX_0EHHjpzhS-OWE1lLJ83mvkNYQyVVKq8WvLVvII2ghMx8tj0Yx5KfVXR9jUdnDtNoKL/s1600/L1170021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGjgmJUwI-xM0EUo8sVrE2QrmfIdbKMzlDIB3FDb-9HVDMSD9fnriUBHDJAXhSjallg0fw9LJX_0EHHjpzhS-OWE1lLJ83mvkNYQyVVKq8WvLVvII2ghMx8tj0Yx5KfVXR9jUdnDtNoKL/s400/L1170021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lacemakers are busy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBsdsugu5ID-pZw1QXjslZp8hl8yW2hah-_pIK8Yas2zr_qa6xytISIjuAJAGISAdA6chV5vZ2abaL9YyLKZYZVMhSwh2ZWJpXN4_0-O99FVxndwq2WyAxPdmUu4CqGxI-JkQVLcrV5qN/s1600/L1170027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBsdsugu5ID-pZw1QXjslZp8hl8yW2hah-_pIK8Yas2zr_qa6xytISIjuAJAGISAdA6chV5vZ2abaL9YyLKZYZVMhSwh2ZWJpXN4_0-O99FVxndwq2WyAxPdmUu4CqGxI-JkQVLcrV5qN/s400/L1170027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As are the invisible decorators. Crystal beads are popular again this year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pU4yG_yDJb8uSixrRRwurzDW_SUvEHhPU4wJ1HQMnAkh7w2f1PfSOZk022Bf_5L9EXr_fHKnZW9pJCI2SIX4Oy6H-4EtQL7Z4vDfFB1MAimOmtHwSrWG5_CvqDOOHrVbJHPBzuDSi1Xt/s1600/L1170017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pU4yG_yDJb8uSixrRRwurzDW_SUvEHhPU4wJ1HQMnAkh7w2f1PfSOZk022Bf_5L9EXr_fHKnZW9pJCI2SIX4Oy6H-4EtQL7Z4vDfFB1MAimOmtHwSrWG5_CvqDOOHrVbJHPBzuDSi1Xt/s400/L1170017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRImWM6uUWwYNgi8kcfO1yuy-UYGFbYAJThAg2iqKx7L9LhjE8mZv19AKAl6nJXE-xqs1p5hO5bFStMBZgR6Iy2gPXSKZvFrFD51hmH0kb2C1GFCEhdB2SuwSLl6z44v9awMh4Hk3HbY8x/s1600/L1170025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRImWM6uUWwYNgi8kcfO1yuy-UYGFbYAJThAg2iqKx7L9LhjE8mZv19AKAl6nJXE-xqs1p5hO5bFStMBZgR6Iy2gPXSKZvFrFD51hmH0kb2C1GFCEhdB2SuwSLl6z44v9awMh4Hk3HbY8x/s400/L1170025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTVZwPcp17ETmEt9Drx01TX0ekjZTVNC_SW5PZccpInbvXEx3H7JfkpGOEs4YHv5vb_yiHdMe66DbeVbOYC-PUZ2NTpBl5gi-fS4PjQpoYAurh-aLCGZvFqbBfMNQVomtH2rmYg_soMnw/s1600/L1170028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTVZwPcp17ETmEt9Drx01TX0ekjZTVNC_SW5PZccpInbvXEx3H7JfkpGOEs4YHv5vb_yiHdMe66DbeVbOYC-PUZ2NTpBl5gi-fS4PjQpoYAurh-aLCGZvFqbBfMNQVomtH2rmYg_soMnw/s400/L1170028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Magical, magical. I am five years old again, struck silent with wonder.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP05ZojMOtNVSkAGOhQfZ0wd0DfhkcCsDVg1RaXbItMQe2cfDC6wyrJXVbp58UKgvnwTDFzBdO_zpv4EXENL56QDBp5SqxHnN-oqntjyKCJzwgMjVUAotWqk99MJ4rlqrhZy17Aih3WAU/s1600/L1170032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP05ZojMOtNVSkAGOhQfZ0wd0DfhkcCsDVg1RaXbItMQe2cfDC6wyrJXVbp58UKgvnwTDFzBdO_zpv4EXENL56QDBp5SqxHnN-oqntjyKCJzwgMjVUAotWqk99MJ4rlqrhZy17Aih3WAU/s400/L1170032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS I didn't get to Exeter after all - I got the horrors about spending hours in shops, and decided to stay home and paint furniture instead. But first I had to visit the spidery wonderland that is revealed in damp weather....</span></div>
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rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-73659658826241450552012-10-22T20:20:00.000+01:002012-10-22T20:20:46.706+01:00Making an effort<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been wondering - no, more like worrying - about why I don't blog much any more. I am still deeply in love with blogs and blogging, but somehow I haven't found much to write about for months. And I miss it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lying in bed this morning, listening to the dismal weather being wet yet again, I thought about this some more. I realised that when I lived in Newcastle, my life was full of bloggable ups and downs, delights and anxieties, Flossie's innards, house-doing-up/selling/buying/moving, with a rich (and occasionally eccentric) variety of friends and neighbours, who didn't mind being blogged about, to enliven the quieter moments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here, I haven't written about my neighbours or my new friends, and no one knows that I have a blog. And might look at me in a sideways Somerset-y sort of way were I to tell them.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhow.... as no one knows, and in any case, probably looks at me sideways more often than I care to notice, why shouldn't I write about the little community in which I now live? Or about what I do to keep myself amused, other than plodding up and down muddy lanes with a filthy dog, shouting at her to leave the fallen apples alone?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So.... this is an update on life in the slow lane. It's busy, in a laid-back, lazy sort of way. There's the Women's Institute, the WI skittles morning, the volunteer attendance on behalf of <a href="http://www.mind.org.uk/get_involved">MIND</a> at the weekly Seniors' Lunch, and the regular room guide session at <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunster-castle/">Dunster Castle</a>. Not to mention life with The Gardener (also occasionally eccentric) and the furry tribe, as well as Flossie's innards and the too-familiar consequences of not preventing her from eating the fallen apples.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll start with the Castle. I have been volunteering once a week* </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">since early summer</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, having scraped together enough decent (ie non-dog-walking) clothes to look semi-respectable. I've been a room guide, the person who, in the past, would stand silently in a corner watching in case some bold and impudent visitor should talk in more than a timid whisper; now we are allowed to be friendly, to encourage and respond to talk and questions, and to try to make visitors feel welcome. Timid whispering is not expected, although some visitors will still creep around like frightened mice. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, I have paused the volunteering in recent weeks, when the everlasting shingles really began to take its toll, but I'll go back to it when I'm properly fit and well again, because it is very enjoyable, the visitors are mostly very nice people, and the other volunteers feel like a peculiar sort of family - not quite Downstairs, certainly not Upstairs, but comfortably proprietorial. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We volunteers are a decidedly mixed and cheerful bunch; some are immensely knowledgeable and remember facts and dates, while others among us (ahem) Do Our Best. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have our favourite rooms - time can go rather slowly if you're allocated a room that doesn't interest you. Some are gloomy; some have ghosts; many have breakable things that an enthusiastic toddler will home in on like an exocet missile; one has a beautiful silk patchwork bedspread that had to be repaired after two small boys leapt enthusiastically onto it with their outdoor shoes....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Volunteers also have favourite stories of things visitors have said or asked; mine is from one woman who was - as happens occasionally - touring the place with the seeming sole aim of disapproving of how the wealthy lived. Coming into the billiards room, with its huge Edwardian - not Viking - table, she remarked sourly, "I suppose they had to have somethin' to do when they weren't rapin' an' lootin' an' pillagin'..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Looting and pillaging does take place, however; the hand-cut wooden jigsaw depicting the Drawing Room has to be replaced on a regular basis when several pieces go mysteriously missing.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tea breaks last for 15 minutes, time that can be taken up simply getting to and from the staff room, with its urn and biscuit tins; you have to be adept at drinking your tea very hot indeed and scooting back to your post in time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope to learn the A&B (Attics and Basement) Tour next season. Thank goodness the National Trust doesn't expect its volunteers to dress up; I wouldn't at all mind the housemaid's apron, but the cap? Perhaps not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More in due course. Tomorrow I'm leaving the slow lane and going off to Exeter (on the train from Taunton, 40 minutes away; nowhere is that easy to get to here!) to shop. A branch of John Lewis has just opened there, and excitement in our little town is running high, so high, indeed, that the local WI have booked seats on a coach for the sole purpose of visiting this icon of modern consumerism. Me, I'm the Lone Shopper, too easily distracted to go in a group, and I need some ideas for Christmas presents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't go away; you know you want to know about the skittles, and the Seniors' Lunch, now, don't you.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back soon!</span><br />
<br />rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-49742372208515142132012-10-16T17:19:00.001+01:002012-10-16T19:15:33.819+01:00On the beach<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, not that rather gripping <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(novel)">Nevil Shute novel</a>, but a bright sunny day amidst the many wet ones, and an outing to Doniford beach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a lovely beach, really, with Triassic-Jurassic mudstone, rocks and some modern builders rubble. It can be squelchy underfoot, and people have been known to get stuck in the mud on this stretch of coast and have to be rescued. There were a couple of alarming episodes where I felt my feet sinking unexpectedly. Surprising how quickly one becomes squeaky-voiced with panic as gloopy mud sucks one's shoes downwards! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Not helped by being teased by The Gardener, who reassured me (not at all) by telling me that he would stay devotedly beside me as I sank until I disappeared; as I was only 5'1', it might be quick.....)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was glad to scramble back onto the smooth rocks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there was lots to see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Textures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the sillier-looking kind of labradoodle, jolly and undeterred, trying hard to befriend Flossie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fossils. Many small ammonites, mostly the size of 50p coins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The steam train that runs between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then the river, where Flossie swam and cleaned up; my camera battery had run down by then, or I could have showed you the state of my shoes as we returned to the car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The seaside in autumn and winter; just wonderful, so long as you don't sink.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-3705095600987531992012-10-10T22:53:00.000+01:002012-10-10T22:53:20.401+01:00Coffee and cake, horses and mist<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gardener took these pictures, as we sat damply yesterday in the tea room of the <a href="http://www.exmoorfalconry.co.uk/">Owl and Hawk Centre</a> at pretty little Allerford, on a very rainy morning. The view was wonderful.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmB5ha6NFSVnpDsrh3juwE-6Isw0_RZN_YfL73QYWxKzJ-JzRq9ox1n5aa4xyuv_E-KVXT5REDc4VzD1p5Wd_TlYskseVr9P_ehc1MNK26eg1g5IDhk9QvIcmB2GAt_v8fn6ylI63gjnMW/s1600/621232_4642710502614_1642388742_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmB5ha6NFSVnpDsrh3juwE-6Isw0_RZN_YfL73QYWxKzJ-JzRq9ox1n5aa4xyuv_E-KVXT5REDc4VzD1p5Wd_TlYskseVr9P_ehc1MNK26eg1g5IDhk9QvIcmB2GAt_v8fn6ylI63gjnMW/s400/621232_4642710502614_1642388742_o.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beforehand, we walked Flossie on North Hill, throwing her ball through fog so dense that we feared hitting one of the many lovely Exmoor ponies that clustered about us. They observed us with interest, and, as I am rather frightened of horses, I watched them with caution.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They seemed completely unbothered by us or our galumphing weatherproof dog, but scattered in alarm as a ranger's vehicle drove cautiously past.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-h9n_bxej4WO5L7MEV7FM2SArFC7MK3qJaJ7GXrflGDUJyoNG18b5KZfvYqd_nuafEH4QTYtUQuTqCQRp-1w7dIr5hF51MlLowtShyphenhyphen9rzha6PJ5U1-9aPC053h__41iYECm1sbox5S9t/s1600/L1003432.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-h9n_bxej4WO5L7MEV7FM2SArFC7MK3qJaJ7GXrflGDUJyoNG18b5KZfvYqd_nuafEH4QTYtUQuTqCQRp-1w7dIr5hF51MlLowtShyphenhyphen9rzha6PJ5U1-9aPC053h__41iYECm1sbox5S9t/s400/L1003432.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love autumn, and - perhaps just as well - I love fog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704331870306959361.post-85084015561070692212012-10-09T20:42:00.002+01:002012-10-09T22:14:56.872+01:00Stop pushing in that queue!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember<a href="http://attica-slowlife.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/hot-off-press.html"> this</a> post? The view (with a large hedge obstructing it and a dumped fridge <i>not</i> obstructing it)?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local papers make me smile, sometimes with unholy glee. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This very special offer tickles me greatly. A medium-sized sausage roll, and a rather meagre-looking affair at that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't all apply at once, now, will you.</span>rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00474723200653576051noreply@blogger.com11