Monday 14 May 2012

The Past Week


I've appreciated the many, many interesting comments on my last post. I want to reply very soon. (And also, leave my own comments everyone's blogs too). But .... THE WEDDING is approaching, so I think I might be slower than usual - sorry! But I will do it in the end.

Meanwhile, here are some random images from what I've been thinking about and doing in the last few days, when I have been out of London and away from my computer.

First, I've been thinking about flowers. K is getting flowers from a farm and making her own posies, she's so creative and I know will make a good job of it. Think I will be helping with that, (holding the flowers, holding the twine, that kind of thing, I suspect...) I have never made bouquets before.



I've also been thinking about wedding presents. NOT this...., we don't plan to give K and F this chair shaped like a human head! thank goodness, eh?


I'm including it here because when I saw it in a shop the other day I thought how awful it would be to get it for a wedding present. I mean, great if you specially want it, but as a present from your Auntie Matilda, it surely ticks all the wrong boxes? Huge, weird, probably won't go with any other furniture, is too big to hide away and impossible to pretend you dropped it and broke it, if Auntie Matilda should happen to visit.

So I'm hoping our present will be more acceptable for K and F!

A piglet. Yesterday before returning to London I went for a little walk in the country. Came across


two piglets who took great fright at the sight of me and rushed, grunting anxiously, into the undergrowth. After about 30 seconds it occurred to one piglet that we might have something good to eat. First his head poked out of the vegetation, and he looked thoughtfully at us, and then he trotted cautiously out, grunting hopefully. His brother, not such a bold character, followed in a minute or two. I didn't have anything to offer but he seemed to really enjoy licking the gate frame. After all, what could be more delicious than gate oil and rust? Yum!

Cold weather. It's been freezing, and we had the heating on. You'll see Mr. Elephant made a BIG mistake in standing on the stove.

Driving. I don't like driving or sitting in a car much but we have clocked up several hundred miles this week. This little guy was well wrapped up for his travels in a vintage car I'd guess he doesn't go more than a few miles (or, rather, the car won't).

Not feeling very well for several days


(yes, that's Klaus Nomi, not me. Just an impression of how I felt, you understand...)



I am glad to say that we are both now feeling okay.

Bluebell woods. With our super-sunny April, many bluebells were fooled into coming out way too early. I was afraid that we'd miss the usual Maytime delight of the woods carpeted in misty purplish- blue, but somehow most bluebells managed to bide their time.


It was great being in the woods and smelling their particular scent which always says "Maytime" to me.

And although the blossoms are falling, they can look beautiful - these were floating in a pond and show a different kind of beauty from when they were on the tree.


PS (later) Something went wrong when I first uploaded this - so the last picture, of petals floating on a lake, disappeared. I've just noticed and have now put it back

64 comments:

  1. Lovely, lovely pictures- enjoyed them all. No, the head chair probably wouldn't make most people happy if they received it as a present, but perhaps if one lived on the Easter Islands, it might fit the local decor...

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  2. Oh I do hope you are feeling great...sooner than later. I guess it's good to get this out of the way before the big day! Your flowers are so lovely...I especially love the pink one.

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  3. I would say the head chair wouldn't fit in every decor but hey if they are into that style I say go for it! Cute to see pigs in London, just don't think about seeing them there.

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  4. Glad you are feeling better!

    I'm reading along in your post, just reading along, and all of a sudden - for a split second - I thought you were giving a piglet to your daughter and her fiance for a wedding present.

    LOL.

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  5. What an entertaining post Jenny! Ha ha, I love the "Aunt Matilda" type pressie - wow, the things that are to be found... beaut having a camera to capture it.
    Those piggies are cute too :D)
    Glad you're feeling better now - no fun being under the weather!

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  6. Oh my goodness, that chair! I wonder where that would look good and who would think so. Love the bluebells! Have you seen the header photo on my blog and that I am just so happy posing with them? They were from two years ago in England, and I was happy because THAT year they were late, and I was finally able to see them. (I might have told you this already, but I am losing brain cells, so you will have to forgive me.)
    Will we get to see a few photos of the wedding, at least the flowers?

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  7. Great pictures, and I'm glad you're feeling better.

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  8. I'd put that chair on ebay the instant I'd receive it as a present...
    What is Klaus Nomi doing on your blog? :-)
    Poor Mr. Elephant!!
    And I think you may have meant to put a different bluebell picture; the one here is very beautiful, but I can't see a pond anywhere.

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  9. Hello Jenny:
    An eclectic mix of happenings of late! We love the variation of this post which suggests a recent visit to Southwold and the joys of a bluebell wood, always a great treat at this time of year, as well as much, much more. Happy days!

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  10. Thanks for visiting and commenting, I didn't know mother's day was a different day in other countries, silly me, I guess I never thought about it.
    Have a great week!
    Best,
    Jenn
    PS. Lovely photography, the chair is hilarious!

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  11. Glad you are both feeling better. I would have to try very hard indeed to look and sound grateful for that chair! I enjoyed reading about the piglets and the photo of the little dog is great, how nice that his owner thinks enough of him to wrap him up like that:)

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  12. I'm not sure, reading your post... Are you suggesting a piglet would make a good wedding present? I think it would. And I was rather taken with the chair.

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  13. Oh poor Mister Elephant! All the things on top of my stove are cast iron (mostly from Ironbridge Gorge museums) so I don't need to worry.

    I've been a bit off colour myself this week. I think it's something that's 'doing the rounds'. Feel better soon.

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  14. Glad you feel better, just a horrid bug going around. The pic of you suffering did make you look poorly.
    Great selection of pics there, lovely colours.

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  15. Moral of the story: never leave your elephants standing on a hot stove!
    (and chairs in the shape of human heads don't always make good gifts).

    I'm glad you are feeling better - - you'll need all your strength to survive the wedding! I like the photo of the petals floating on water.

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  16. Loved the mixture of thoughts and pictures on this post. But, hey, that chair! I'm wondering if there is anything to like about it!

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  17. Hi, Jenny! Beautiful flowers! And I like that chair too :o) May be not for my home right now, but I realy like it. Don`t know about that chair as a wedding gift(I know not everyone will like it). The piglet I think would be a cute and funny gift, especially with a ribbon and a flower on their neck :o) Don`t you think? Everyone will feed him :o) Glad hear you feel better now. Take care
    Hugs
    Natasha

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  18. I think the chair would be a great gift. What a wonderful conversation piece. Some might even consider it a work of art, although, not I.

    Glad you are feeling better.

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  19. You'll be great as the assistant flower arranger I'm sure. I think those little piggies are so cute and that must indeed be a tasty gate.

    Darla

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  20. What a great post, Jenny. Love your photos and of course, the piglet story. :)

    Imade the mistake of putting a quarter of frozen butter on the stove, just for a few seconds to soften it, and got distracted... Lol!

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  21. I'm glad you are feeling better. It's good to be reminded of Bluebell Woods too. Though 'mine' was in Liverpool.

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  22. Wonderful composition! Thanks sharing your news!
    Any Elephants don't like staying on the hot stove.....

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  23. The chair looks like something my #2 Son would drag home.

    As for getting to everyone else's blogs, sometimes there's no way to catch up totally because of time constraints. That's when you jump in where everyone else is, and remember we all get busy in real life.

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  24. I wonder if there’ll be any bluebells left when I get over there this week. My delight this week was apair of linnets in our garden - that was a first, and they were too quick to photograph, but what a lovely song.

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  25. The piglet is just adorable.

    As for the chair, I think it's rather interesting, but probably not quite the perfect wedding gift unless you're very, very sure that they are eccentric enough to be able to appreciate it.

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  26. I'd like the piglets and the bluebells as a wedding present! Here in Japan we give money instead of presents: usually the equivalent of about 200 to 400 British pounds, depending on whether it's a friend or a family member. That would be hideously expensive in South Africa; not sure about England.

    Glad you're feeling better, and don't worry about being slower than usual. That wedding is rather important, isn't it? ^^

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  27. The chair did not strike me as a good wedding gift either (unless you knew the young couples taste) but the piglet.....hey, everyone loves bacon.

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  28. Enjoyed this lovely posting of random things. I think it would take a special person to appreciate that chair!

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  29. I think piglets are the one animal that is soooo cute as babies and so very ugly as adults. (unlike cats, kittens, and even sheep that stay pretty cute as adults).

    And as for that chair head? I'm just laughing at the idea of getting that as a wedding gift. It would definitely be one of those "wtf" moments. What's the appropriate length of time before you can get rid of a horrible gift from Aunt Matilda?

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  30. i hope you are feeling better....i dunno about the chair, i think it is kinda cool...my wife would not like it, so maybe its better a gift to get for ones self you know...smiles....and yikes on mr elephant...have a great tuesday!

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  31. Heck of a chair - you sit your arse in the inside of the head's mouth? I'm sure a psychiatrist could have a field day with whoever designed that!

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  32. I love the melted elephant! So funny. The pigs are cute and the flowers beautiful. I hope you are feeling well soon. Sorry I haven't commented often, I can't seem to keep up lately.

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  33. I enjoyed your random selection, and am glad the pigs ventured out to say hello. Hope you're fully recovered and that the sun shines for the Wedding.

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  34. I couldn't imagine anything more hideous to have in my living room than that chair. It's not even amusing or bizarre enough to be taken in as an off-beat work of art. Unlike, say, Dali's lobster telephone.

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  35. Whoa! I'm with the others who misread that you were giving a pig as a present!
    Mind you, if it was a choice between the porker and that chair...

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  36. Okay, the present is not a face chair nor a piglet. I hope it's something practically so don't let us keep guessing for too long.

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  37. i am sorry you were not felling well - it is always a pleasure to come and visit for a bit...

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  38. I do believe you may well have mortally wounded Auntie Matilda, but on second thoughts if she gives presents like that, she deserves a mortal wound...

    :))

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  39. Love that piglet, they can be easily tamed as they are a bright species and will behave like dogs! Quite fun when you have some spare land...

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  40. Auntie Matilda must be quite a character (yes I realise you made her up). I always wondered WHO BUYS that kind of thing and for what purpose, but now I know. The perfect gift to keep a family feud going ;)

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  41. I suspect Aunt Matilda would gleefully buy the chair head for an inappropriate wedding gift!

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  42. I love Auntie Matilda story! Funny and smile and smile! Transcending nationality, every family must have an Auntie Matilda in the family members. This is an eternal issue in any world.
    Jenny I loved all of your stories and photos! The last photo reminds me of fallen petals of cherry blossoms on the water which are appreciated as flower rafts. Sometimes I love flower rafts on the water more than blossoms on the trees as "the remains of the spring".
    Have a great week!
    keiko
    keiko

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  43. Glad you're feeling better. Best of luck for the wedding and making the bouquets.

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  44. Glad you're feeling better. Those little piglets are so cute!!! I would have wanted to bring them home with me.

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  45. I love bluebells. they're not so common in Sydney but we had carpets of them in New Zealand

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  46. Thanks for sharing snippets from your life with us, I really appreciate seeing the bluebells. Also I am impressed that you can cycle to the V and A from your home, how different life in London is to rural Italy.

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  47. I enjoyed everything in this interesting post and am glad I've found your blog...thanks for popping over to see mine. I look forward to reading your earlier posts and I will be back again :)
    Helen x

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  48. That chair is... wow... quite something! I know what you mean, hardly the ideal unsolicited gift. Goodness.

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  49. I'm with you on the head chair. No bueno for a present!
    Ashley (backyardprovence)

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  50. I just wrote a comment, not sure if it posted?

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  51. A piglet for a wedding present? To be released in the middle of the party? Now there's a wedding I'd love to attend.

    (I know I may have got that wrong)

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  52. Wonderful post, and I think I'd like to meet Aunt Matilda :) Did I misinterpret the sequence of stories or were you thinking of presenting your daughter a delightful piglet as a present? I am so impressed by your daughter making her own bouquets. It will make her wedding even more special than it already is. And what a remarkable lake covered in petals -- like a giant potpourri bowl!

    - Jenny

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  53. What is more magical than a carpet of bluebells in the spring! And the petals, it made me think of a bath in rose petal strewn waters...

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  54. So my comment didn't post. What I wrote was, I enjoyed this blog post and the previous one! I love bluebells... I don't think I've seen any around here. I always loved going on a hike through Richmond Park in springtime... and I really miss that place.
    Thanks for your comment... hope you have an awesome weekend too! The rain stopped today! :-) Went out and took long exposures... I'll upload them soon.

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  55. a piglet? Too cute....... it's going to be brilliant!!

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  56. Blossom is a blessing to walk through. I deliberately go for nicely timed wood walks on windy days just to be caught in the shower of them.

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  57. Lovely photos, as always - and what a cute piglet! I hear you on the cold, but it's supposed to warm up this week. Fingers crossed!

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  58. What beautiful pictures Miss Jenny. I love the bluebells!!

    Cute shots of the little piglets!

    God bless ya and have an amazin' day sweetie!!! :o)

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  59. Gorgeous photos.

    Poor elephant. Something similar once happened to my daughter's Winnie The Pooh on a cup when I put it in the microwave :0(

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  60. That little piglet is so cute and that dog in the car. Lovely photos as usually.

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  61. fun pics!! oh my gosh, if I saw a random piglet I would probably scream!
    good luck with the wedding plans..have fun!!

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  62. Lovely journey through your week Jenny - thanks for taking me there. Hope you're feeling better!

    Anna :o]

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  63. Goodness, how would a person sit in that chair?! Glad you're feeling better now. x

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  64. Thanks for all the comments and I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply. Kay, the bluebells were all over the place this year, some came out early after the warm period in March and others were delayed because May was so cold!

    I hope you did see them on your trip over, Nell.

    Nancy, I once put some butter in the microwave for just a few seconds to defrost it, but it turned out a few seconds too long! SUzanne, why were you microwaving your daughter's Winnie the POoh? Oh, just re-read that comment, maybe it was one of those cups with characters affixed on? hahaha :D

    Laughed at your comments about the chair, Suldog and Dawntreader.....

    Keiko, I love the expression "flower rafts".

    Interesting that there are bluebells in NZ, Nursemyra. I thought they were only found in any numbers in England. Perhaps settlers brought a few bulbs along, as the NZ climate is somewhat similar to the one in England, I'm told.

    As for the piglet, various creative solutions here.... releasing it in the middle of the party is one of the best, Friko :)

    The lake was an astonishing sight, Jenny. It was almost entirely covered in petals but a close up conveyed it better than a long shot.

    I don't know what happened to your earlier post, Dominic, but I do check spam filter every now and then. It wasn't even in there, though!

    What a nice idea to go for a walk through falling blossom,, Helena.

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