Wednesday 19 December 2018

South Seas, Trees and Happy Christmas!

We're having Christmas at home this year, so the twins helped me make a Christmas cake. This year I tried a "wholefoods" recipe from an old Cranks Cook Book which used 100 percent brown flour.  That's serious flour, so the cake weighs a ton, but it's delicious.

The twins also helped us to decorate our tree. It is not quite as good as their tree, (they solemnly informed me) firstly because it is black, and secondly because it is small. However, it does light up different colours with lots of little LED lights inside the plastic needles, which they thought very pretty, and they loved having two trees to decorate.

We went out with our friend Annette a few days ago to catch the last of the "Oceania" exhibition at the Royal Academy.   It covered art ancient and modern originating from the South Seas, and Annette loved it so much that was her third visit!   As soon as we got inside I heard the sound of Beethoven, and went through the exhibition till I saw this....


Messrs. Steinway might not thank me for the sound recording quality of that clip, but in fact their grand piano is an artwork from New Zealand, by Michael Parekowhai. It's called "He Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu"  and is carved and decorated in traditional style by Maori craftsmen.  An astonishing thing. Here's a detail complete with paua shell eyes. 



The other amazing NZ creation was a gigantic film installation, called "The Pursuit of Venus,(Infected)" It is based on a huge and costly hand painted wallpaper diorama of the South Seas that dates from 1806.

The NZ artist Lisa Reihana uses the wallpaper as a lifesize background and combines live action, green-screen and animation to tell the story of Western colonisation in the area - both the good and bad aspects.  

Here is a tiny clip...


...but it is impossible to give an idea of the scale of this and also to convey that in fact this life sized diorama is actually moving from right to left so the scenes constantly change.  I've never seen anything like it before, so if it ever shows near you, you might want to go and take a look. 

My favourite traditional object in the exhibition might have been this feather headdress. 



Here is some very different artwork here, which the twins made for their Auntie Aoife. I can tell you a lot of hard work went into these cards, which depict trees, windmills, suns, exciting battles and lots of stars, hearts and stickers.


So, what else? We went to the mini-pantomime at Kings Head Theatre Pub, in Islington, London.  The pub's usually busy, and the theatre is in a back room, although it's moving soon to bigger premises.   The company, Charles Court Opera usually does great performances with a cast of about 6 trained opera singers and one guy who's a magician on the piano - we once heard him play the entire orchestral score of "The Magic Flute" without a mistake. 

If you are not from these parts and haven't attended a British panto, I'll tell you it's generally some approximate adaptation of a traditional fairytale and has certain stock characters and phrases which the audience shouts in appropriate places. There is lots of cross dressing and anything can happen really. There's always a Dame, who is a man in over-the-top frocks.  Here s/he is with an audience member who has been pulled onto the stage to be the man s/he is in love with.  


 I loved the music, which was amusing covers for well known songs, including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Single Ladies"  and "Thriller."  And the plot, such as it is, revolved mostly around Cinderella's teddy bear Buttons, with the handsome Prince posing as a #metoo "woke" male, but, perhaps predictably,  turning out to be anything but that....

I'm trying to take some exercise most days even if it is just a cycle ride up and down a few hills.  We passed Fenton House the other day and as I slogged past up the hill I thought it looked so pretty with the morning sunshine illuminating its front gate.  I blogged about it here, in 2013, but it hasn't changed much. 


We collected the twins from school yesterday.   Their school is about a mile and a half walk away up (and then down) a very very steep hill.  So we walked up, hung about in the cold and then picked them up and set off back.  The first thing that happened was that girl twin ran into a bollard.  It was the same height as her and bashed her forehead and under her eye, which was horribly painful. We did not continue home, but instead detoured to a nearby cafe to sit down and get her a drink to settle her down again - not to mention boy twin who was upset to see his sister in such a state. 

The cafe was VERY crowded and the only seats available were bar stools at a counter, and the seat of each stool was approximately at the eye level of the twins.  We somehow managed to get them on and staying on without falling off the stools, and they drank their drinks without anything getting spilt, and then we set off again, avoiding bollards. Halfway down a very long steep hill, boy twin suddenly realised he desperately needed the bathroom. Like, NOW.  And no, discreetly behind a tree was not possible.  Luckily T remembered an arts centre at the bottom of the hill so we raced down, telling boy twin to just hold on one moment longer...

However, the arts centre was shut.   

I then remembered a cultural centre just across the busy main road.  So we waited for the traffic lights, and reached the cultural centre. Unfortunately it is a centre for a group which is a bit sensitive about security so we had to wait till our backpacks were searched before they let us in.  So we got in and T and boy twin disappeared to the bathroom while girl twin and I sat down to watch the skating rink from a large picture window in the centre.   She was fascinated, (and so was boy twin when he returned). Neither wanted to leave, and to be honest, nor did we. It's a lovely place and so relaxing...  

When we finally got home, our mile and a half walk had taken two hours.  So they were quite glad to get their tea.  I thought that when I was a busy mum of young kids, that kind of thing would have driven me round the bend,but now it's great to be relaxed about it and see it as the way life goes. After all, we did enjoy a nice drink and some entertaining skating that we were not expecting!

 So that is what I've been up to, as well as working on the Durrell project, sorting out gifts and cards and getting on with the ordinary things of life. 

I hope that you will all find good things, hope and happiness at Christmas and in the coming year.  Have a lovely holiday!  

50 comments:

  1. A really interesting post, Jenny. You covered a lot of ground. I like the Steinway piano with artwork from New Zealand - it's extremely unique. And the music brought back personal memories. The last time I performed Beethoven's complete Moonlight Sonata in public was when I was 23, in Riverside California (I think Beethoven was still alive at that time....)

    I don't recall ever having a cake baked entirely with brown flour, but I'm tempted to try making one. It sounds good!
    The photo of the Fenton House gate is beautiful.
    I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

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    1. Thanks Jon. Listening to the Moonlight Sonata I thought how incredibly difficult it is, in fact all of the Beethoven Sonatas. We have a box set of Daniel Barenboim playing them and giving master classes on them and whew! The brown flour is heavy but I like the taste better than white, myself.

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  2. That piano is insane! I love it!
    Grandchildren artwork- the best.
    I am tucking a Durrell book in my suitcase to read in Mexico. I am very excited about that.

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    1. I hope you enjoyed the Durrell book - and I am going to be heading over to your blog - I haven't visited anyone's blogs this year and it's time to catch up.

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  3. How fun. I was thinking exactly what you expressed at the end. How good it is to have little to do and all day to do it; to have the bottom fall out of plans, and plenty of time and space to accommodate it.

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    1. I'm usually a bit uptight about such things but not where hanging out with loved ones is concerned.

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  4. Well your afternoon was nothing if not interesting (in the sense of the Chinese curse 'May you live in interesting times.'). The piano is a quite astonishing piece of art.

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    1. To be honest, it was fun, Graham. I am usually a bit too fussed when things don't go to plan, and I'm trying to be more chilled. It rarely makes much difference in the long term.

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  5. Grandchildren are your reward for not killing your own children.

    That piano is astounding.

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    1. Yep, my views entirely! The piano was indeed astounding, not saying I would have wanted it in my house to be honest but it was well worth seeing as an amazing artwork.

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  6. It is interesting that in the South Seas, there are decorations from cold climes - fur trees, snow, tinsel, Father Christmas in a hot white and red suit. By the way, I love the idea of an exhibition covering ancient and modern art originating from the South Seas.

    Happy hols

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    1. We see very little about the South Seas here, which I suppose is not surprising since it is on the other side of the world. So the exhibition was specially interesting from that point of view.

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  7. What a lovely story of your excursion with the twins, Jenny. Being a grandparent is just full of joy, even when things go a little awry. The skating made me remember when we went to London just after Christmas one year, and found our way to the skating in Somerset house - loved it!
    As it happens, Reihana's Pursuit of Venus is currently showing at GoMA in Brisbane - I was looking at it yesterday! It is absolutely spectacular. We also enjoy the work of Michael Parekowhai, always powerful and interesting. He seems to like pianos - our gallery collection includes a work where a black baby grand piano is balanced on the nose of a seal - the combination representing the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It works, when you think about it. Wishing you peace and joy, and a wonderful family Christmas dear Jenny.

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    1. How interesting to hear about the other work of Michael Parekowhai, and I'm glad you're getting the chance to see the Pursuit of Venus. I think Somerset House was a bit of a pioneer about skating rinks in the courtyards - I saw one at the natural History museum not long ago too!

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  8. What a joyful post. I particularly liked hearing about the twins, and how you dealt with the vital need experienced by the boy twin.

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    1. There are so often vital needs with young children arent there! :)

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  9. My neighbour loved the Oceania exhibition - many, many thanks for these pictures, now I know what she was so excited about.
    Ah twins ... mine are identical so picking them up from school was challenge. One arrived, dumped his bag with me and ran off into the playground. Another appeared, without a bag ... or was it the first one come to check I hadn’t moved ... we had to cross a park, and they ran off like wild things, and I’d glimpse them between the trees from time to time - one finally returned and I needed to call his brother ... but which brother ...

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    1. Hahaha! Well, at least we dont have that problem with boy and girl - although we have had people ask if they are identical (????) I mean honestly, apart from the fact that they are boy and girl they have entirely different colouring too! I hope you had a good Christmas, maybe see you sometime in 2019?

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  10. Happiest Holidays!
    The piano is stunning. Well wishes to the bruised. Hills scare me driving wise, but the views are lovely.

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    1. I hate driving anyhow, at any time, and in any place, although I have to admit it is convenient. I am replying to these comments rather late, but if you see this I wish you a happy new year!

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  11. The Kings Head; I went there in the 70's, never got upstairs to the theatre as it was then, but the notable fact was they charged in pounds, shillings and pence, the lassies behind the till amending decimal currency to proper money in their heads and accurately at that! This was the late 70's and my mistake then was not to visit the theatre as I would have enjoyed it then, not now however, life changes us.

    Good luck with the book, no more travel for a while until it's written I suppose.
    Having kids around changes the world! As granny it would be much easier to cope than being mum. I see this regularly in the museum, I suppose that is because gran and granddad can enjoy them more especially as they hand them back! Poor wee one having black eye for Xmas.
    Sounds like your Xmas will be a good one. I hope it is a good one for you need something good after all your hard work.




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    1. Obviously it was run by a bit of an eccentric. I knew someone before decimalisation who saved sixpences to pay as much as possible in sixpences. I sometimes wonder what happened to it and whether he decided to save five pence pieces instead. In fact, there will be more travel with the book, but probably not to Mauritius, at least not in the foreseeable future. I don't want to have to do that 12 hour flight more often than I need to!

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  12. Somehow, I always feel as though I've been on a bit of an adventure after reading one of your blog posts. Always interesting, and the style just carries me along. Glad the bollard incident wasn't more serious - and loved the piano! Have a wonderful Christmas, Jenny. and all the very best for the New Year.

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    1. Thank you Mike. I hope you had a good Christmas too, and all the best in 2019. I will be catching up on blogs in the next few days.

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  13. Oh Jenny, what a wonderful look into your world. The twin story -- wow. I'm amazed you were home in only two hours, between skating, drinks, tears and the walk. Oh, how is Girl Twin doing now? I'm guessing that run-in might have left quite the bruise. I think I would have been panicked but it sounds like all was as well as it could be under the circumstances.

    Rick has/had a little tree like the one you have with the lights but eventually something happened to the lights, which really were what made it kind of cool! Kids will tell you what they think, won't they?! But I think they're awfully pretty and fun with the ornaments on them. And Fenton House looked lovely.

    You know I'm a little envious about the panto. It sounds like such fun! That piano is unbelievable -- what an experience to see it in person! It all sounds really wonderful and glad you got to see the exhibit before it closed. Sounds like a good December for you. Wishing you much loveliness and joy in this holiday season! Big hugs across the sea!

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    1. Thank you Jeanie for this nice comment, I haven't been getting around to responding to comments, or blogging, or reading blogs even, but am trying to put that right. Anyway I am glad we've been in email contact with each other since 20 December! :)

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  14. Your post is wonderful but the Twins artwork is the best. Mia's is also filled with hearts and stars. Children's art is so sweet and lovely to bad we all can not keep it as we grow up or maybe never had it.

    cheers, parsnip and badger

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    1. I do a bit of weeding out of kids' pictures, I tend to keep a lot and then years later it might have faded and not look as pretty as it originally did.

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  15. I was always that kind of mom--LOL! We called them our adventures when things didn't go as planned and we were taken on an unexpected detour (by whim or life's happenstance) and they were always such fun even if they started out because of some event like running into a bollard--lol! (I had to google bollard.) Loved this whole post--the tree decorating, the youthful artwork, the red piano, the play...all looks like such a great time. :)

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    1. thank you Rita, it is such fun playing with little kids. I was a lot more laid back with my first child but then became busier with having to hold down a freelance career. Now I am able to be more chilled again.

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  16. A black tree sounds interesting and beautiful with the colorful ornaments.

    You get to see some wonderful things. That piano is magnificent,

    My best days are with my grandchildren. They seem to be so much more fun than their parents were when growing up. Of course, when they go home, I need to rest. Those times we have with grandchildren are so special and I can see you feel the same way.

    I hope your holidays are full of joy and more precious memories are made.

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    1. Thank you, and I hope your Christmas and new year celebrations were nice. I checked on your blog but no new posts for a few weeks, so I will wish you a Happy 2019 even though we are now some way into the New Year!

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  17. Whew, what a walk home from school you and the twins had! Reading it was rather entertaining, although I guess I would have lost patience at some stage in between.
    Christmas can't be anything but happy this year - my biggest wish is coming true: My Dad is still with us, he is still very much my Dad, and we'll be celebrating Christmas together as a complete family!

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    1. It is wonderful that your dad is home and you can celebrate Christmas together. I didn't feel impatient really, I guess I now realise that the time with them is rather short and those dear little kids I know now will be replaced by older ones! So make the most of them. :)

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  18. The detail on the grand piano is wonderful. It's more a work of art than a piano! The feather headdress is amazing too.

    I loved pantomimes when I was a kid. I loved the cross-dressing and the traditional audience sing-alongs. I remember being fascinated by Long John Silver with his wooden leg and wondering where he had hidden his real leg!

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    1. I often wonder what I originally made of pantos. I have an idea that I was taken to them but was too baffled to enjoy them. Ah, well, I am making up for it now, went to two over Christmas, plus the model theatre one I have just blogged about :)

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  19. Merry Christmas! Thanks for your visits to my blog this year.

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    1. Thank you , and all the best to you for 2019!

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  20. Is brown flour the same as whole wheat flour? I use that in my sourdough bread - does make for a heavier bread but I like the heartiness of it.

    Happy Christmas to you and yours!

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    1. No, here at least brown and wholemeal flour are different. Wholemeal has everything, the lot, whereas I think brown flour has some of the roughness taken out and is fortified - so it's quite good for you too but not as solid.

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  21. A merry Christmas, dear Jenny !
    I wish you joyful holiday with your family and friends, health and happiness.
    I'll cook Christmas pudding today, Jenny and was interested in your recipe. But I have no brown flour and want to make it of brown bread.
    It's a pity your granddaughter was upset but kids forget fast and are happy seeing interesting things. Love your last photo, can't believe it's winter in London now.

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    1. I have been looking at your most recent post and love the look of that cake! It does not go well with my regular "diet days" :) but once a year it is okay. Happy New Year to you!

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  22. Oh, my goodness! That piano is exquisite! What a beautiful creation is is. And, I love the Moonlight Sonata...always have!

    Christmas and kiddies...how well they go together. :)

    A very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, Jenny...and may 2019 be so very kind to you all. :)

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    1. You too, Lee! By the way I have made some of your recipes in 2019, so look forward to seeing more of these at the end of your posts in 2019!

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  23. Hello, the twin story sounds like an adventure, I hope the girl is ok after getting a bump. Your tree is pretty, I like the lights. The piano is amazing, I have never seen one like it. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

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    1. You too, eileen! I have just visited your blog and you're on a break, so I hope you're having fun!

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  24. I like your black Christmas tree, very funky.

    The guy at the panto sure looks embarrassed! Looks like he couldn't wait to sit down again!

    Happy Christmas to you, hope you have a lovely time.

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    1. The Christmas tree is really a bit retro, the kind of thing people might have had in the 80s. Or that's what I say (and no I haven't had it since the 80s) :)

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  25. With little kids, everything seems to have to happen "right now." Makes for fun and interesting times!

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    1. Definitely! Happy new year to you and I will check your blog out to find out if you have yet decided where to "walk" to.

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