Friday 30 June 2006

Leaving for the UnConvention


The postman arrived before we left and look what arrived in the post.

We ran late this morning and I didn't get to Birmingham for the UnConvention until nearly 3pm. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which is just around the corner from the Apres Bar, where some of us met on Friday afternoon watching the football. Not a particular fan myself, it was good to chat and meet the other Book Crossers - Lynne, Vikki,Carolynne,Jen, Steve and a few others.

After a shower and settling in, we met in the hotel reception and a group of about 8 of us went off to the Blue Mango for a delicious meal.

Thursday 29 June 2006

Knitting on an Island

An interesting Blog that I came across.....

Holidays......Horray!

Today starts the off 10 days of annual leave, well, actually two days time in lieu, five days holiday and two weekends, a total of 11 days off. Wonderful, bliss. I am so long forward to this. I am shattered. Work has been frantic since my last time off in April when we went to Scotland and then I had a long weekend off in May.

Keep watching the blog to see what I get up too.

The Ship at Cockwood

I went out last night with the girls from one of the branches that I used to be distict manager too. The long term locum, M, is leaving and heading back to Oz. We had a delicious meal and spent the evening chatting. Because there was a few of us, we ordered the meal in advance. One of the girls rang me last week with the options, well, it was a week ago, and I had trouble remembering what I had selected! Anyway, I had selected, Garlic Mushrooms to start, Halibut for the main meal and for desert, I had a rather scrummy Lemon sponge, drizzled in a lemon sauce and served with ice cream. It was great. I don't think that M wanders into Blog World, but if you do, Have a safe trip home, and keep in touch, the odd postcard of paradise would be welcome!

KnittingHelp.com

Secret Pal 8 & 9

Secret Pal 8: The Rules

Secret Pal Blog

Secret Pal 9

Wednesday 28 June 2006

More through the window!

Well, yesterday afternoon the sun did come out and what started as a dull and overcast day turned into a bright, sunny and warm one. Having taken the photos of the Lily's yesterday, I was surprised to see that this morning, another Lily, in the same pot is flowering, but this time with a yellow flower. Amazing as the only other Lily's are cream and are nowhere near this pot. I guess this is one of the wonderful things about nature.

Tuesday 27 June 2006

Through the window.....Garden Lilys


Garden Lilys
Originally uploaded by AnglersRest.
Yesterday I was peering through the Georgian door looking out into the garden and I wrote about the Lily's in the garden. It rained early this morning and when It stopped I went out and photographed the said Lily's, complete with water droplets.

Monday 26 June 2006

Journallers Homework w/c 19th June

We all live in such different cities - I'd love to hear about the views from different peoples windows. That can be a metaphor - a snapshot of your day, or a physical or spiritual (looking through a stained glass window?).

What I may think of as boring, you may find fascinating because we come from all over the world, and from different backgrounds...

I was watching a programme on TV several months ago, it was about eyes and the fact the our eyes are taking pictures every day, thousands of them, and some we are not even aware of. Isn't that am amazing concept? In turn those snapshots, are only recorded by us as memories in our heads, and perhaps scrapbooks and journals.

What did I do today? Well, it was a work day, and I worked from home as I am on holiday from Thursday and I want to leave the decks clear while I am away. Even so though, I wondered into town to get a few things that are a present. Where is town? Town is Teignmouth, on the southwest coast of Devon (England). Its been dull, grey and raining today and that always makes Teignmouth look dreary and depressed.

Teignmouth, is on the coast, 7 miles north from Torquay and 16 miles south from Exeter. It has a population of about 22,000 people and swells during the Summer months. The kids have not finished school yet, so there are not as many tourists about as there might be later in the season. The area is fairly busy from mid July until the end of October and then everything closes down for the winter,there is a sudden burst for Christmas, then quiet again until Easter. Winter seems to last a long time here, and I don't like that. I enjoy bright, sunny days, I always feel as though I achieve more than on a dreary day. Perhaps I do, or maybe I just think I do.

As I type, I am looking into the garden, through the glass in the door that leads from our living room into the garden. It is still overcast, but nonetheless,some of the flowers have blossomed and there is bursts of colour, the red of a Geranium and the beautiful, vibrant pink of a Lily. Perhaps tomorrow the sun will come out.

Haylock Family Groups

Haylock Family Groups and Name Search

Sunday 25 June 2006

Getting ready for the UnConvention

I am disappearing under all the books in the study; and just when I can see the study floor I buy boxes more of books and cover the floor again - the lengths I'll go to, to avoid hoovering!!

I found some time today to cull the TBR pile, of the books that I am likely never to get around to reading, then I did the release notes. Sorry those Book Crossers who get release alerts for Birmingham!

The books, and I haven't counted them, will be taken to the UnConvention on Saturday and deposited on the table for others to take, what's left over, if any can be wild released or go into the Hudson's OBCZ.

Treasures TV

Treasures TV - antiques, collectibles, memorabilia and modern limited editions

Saturday 24 June 2006

Certificates arrived!

Back on the 12th I ordered three marriage certificates for my genealogical research. Well, even though it has only be just under two weeks, it has felt like ages! and they arrived this morning - horray!

The certificates do say exactly what I thought they would and confirm that I was on the right tracks.

1. John Matthews to Maria Flick - 1882
(John's 2nd marriage)












2. John Matthews to Elizabeth Spencer - 1871
(John's 1st Marriage)














3. Edith Matthews to Charles Jelley - 1902.

The marriage of Edith Matthews to Charles Jelley is crucial, not just to my research but also my sanity! I've been looking for this marriage or to establish what happened to Edith for 20 years. Edith was actually my great great aunt. We have a couple of photos of Edith, several with children and one of her wearing some kind of military or nursing overcoat. She would have been too old to have been nursing in the First World War, but could have been involved in The Boer War. Either way, she appears on the 1901 Census for Merrow Guildford Surrey and marries in 1902. So if you do connect to Edith, please, please drop me an email!

Plant ~ Brunnera macrophylla ~ 'Betty Bowring'


I am always interested as why some things are named after specific people, I clearly have an enquiring mind!, so this one was no exception, and as the surnme of BOWRING appears in my family tree I simply "had" to record it.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Betty Bowring' is a superb white flowered brunnera. The white flowers emerge in early spring and grow taller as the leaves come up. Then the dark green heart shaped leaves form superb groundcover in summer. The heigh is about 18 inches.

But who was Betty Bowing & why?

Thursday 22 June 2006

Quote - Eleanor Roosevelt

"A woman is like a tea bag. You never know
how strong she is until she's in hot water"
 
Eleanor Roosevelt

Lundy Island

Thursday 15 June 2006

Moleskin Journal

The journal arrived on 30th May and I've been wondering what to write. In the end I just sat and wrote, all sorts, about my hobbies and interests etc. One of the requests of the person who started this book ring was, if we could take a photo of the Journal and add it to the
Book Crossing Journal Entries
So here is my photo, taken with Monty our Border Terrier, small in size, young in years (he is 8) and big on personality!





Sad News

I heard today that my grandfather's first cousin passed away on 9th June, aged 95. I am deeply saddened by her passing and although I didn't see her too often, I shall miss her. Ivy was a font of knowledge about the family and shared with me many details and photographs. The funeral is next week, and I shall attend.

Tuesday 13 June 2006

At Knit's End : Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

This is a fabulous book. Read the Journal Entries HERE
otherwise, for more of my ramblings read on!

There was so much about this book I liked, the author's humour, the quotations at the top of each comment by the author and the just the way the book contents triggered thoughts and reflections to my own life.

References on page 12 are made to the fear of running out of yarn when knitting something, then by the time you go back to the store they have sold out or discontinued the line. Its happened twice to me, I know that is careless! The first time was for our kitchen breakfast room floor. The room is 22 foot. we measured and bought enough tiles, only we hadn't. We were two boxes short. In the space of a few days the shop has sold out of the tiles, as had every tile or DIY shop in the County. All the DIY shops tried to trace more through other branches, but to no avail. We tried the company who make the tiles. Even if we had a special order and paid through the nose for it, it would be worth it. The company had discontined the line and when they do that they break the master tile. The bottom line was the floor had to come up, and we were gutted.

The second time was wallpaper, we bought the exact amount of rolls the decorators told us too, we didn't check, because they were professionals. We ended up a roll too short. We did source a another roll and were just lucky to trace the same batch number. Otherwise the lot would have come off and there would have been no negociations on that score!

Page 19 - I loved this comment. "Respect your inner compass" This is very true. I can smell a book,antique or craft shop at 20 paces, even if I have never been to an area, and of course I have to go in each one, it would be so rude not to! Although, Stuart is the same with fishing tackle shops and fisheries. Of course an ideal street would be a row of shops containing all our favourite shop weaknesses within easy walking distance of a fishery complete with a tea shop. Now that would be bliss!

Page 26 - Respecting that your partner doesn't want to be woken up with there has been a genealogical or eBay triumph, or when I am reading a book that is truely brilliant.

Page 37 - According to the author, in Devon (where I live) there is a tradition that the bride to be knits a sweater for her beloved. Mmmm, the jury is out on this one. As I am not Devonian I have no idea if this is true, but even if it is, I can not see the tradition focusing on a sweater. Does anyone know?

Page 71 - The author's comments about saving and savouring special yarns is exactly how I felt about some books, including this one. How many of us, when enjoying a particular book read slower, so to enjoy it for longer?

Page 72 - The author is right! Christmas is at exactly the same time every year, but why am I, and apparently the author never ready?

Page 83 - Traveling. I always pack extra bags if I am in the car or travel light if flying, so I can bring more bits home with me. As I pack now, I am amazed that the first time I went to Australia for a year I managed to leave the country with just 8Kg of luggage, of course, the return a year or so later I was subjected to extra charges having packed 66kg of luggage and I posted some bits home too.

Page 85 - What the author describes as the slippery slope. I'm on that slope, books, antique shops, craft shops and genealogy. Hopefully it will never end!

Page 288 - 289 This was a lovely story about friends, miles apart connected by emails and knitting. Hopefully we all have wonderful friends and many of these are made via the internet as we emerse ourselves within our hobbies & obessions!

Page 156 - reading helps me relax. This book didn't though, as I kept wanting to jot things down to record on here, but If I had just sat in the garden under the parasol with the sun out and a lovely cool drink and read this book I would have found it relaxing. On the whole though, I read at night and relax and drift into a wonderful sleep.

Page 162 - Now this was a fascinating snippet. Details of the knitting ability of a group of nurses that were sent from England to Newfoundland Canada-Newfoundland Outport Nursing & Industrial Association (NONIA) - thinking with my genealogist head on, how many researchers have "lost" ancestors or family members because of this scheme and researchers not knowing that this scheme existed. I must do a search on Google!

Page 165 - Remaining with my genealogist head on. Isn't it funny how in modern times knitting is fashionable, and a hundred years ago, if you knitted, as a Frame work Knitter (FWK) you were poor and a labourer, working in harsh conditions with little rest.

Page 164 - This page mentioned those who knit using needles made of panio wire, with 40-60 stitches to the inch. Is she jesting? I have enough trouble controlling regular needles!

Page 167 - here was a very philosophical statement. Sometimes it is not destiny to finish a particular peice, I guess this could apply to everything we do.

Page 169 - Packing - I spend more time deciding what books and craft to take with me when I travel than I do packing clothes. Actually, last time we went away I forgot several important things, but had a healthy stash of books. See I have my priorities right!!

Page 172 - I noted this page purely for the wonderful quote
"He who works with his hands is a labourer
He he works with his hands and his head is a craftsman,
He who works with his hands, head and heart is an artist" Francis of Assisi

Page 254 - And another quote
"A home without books is a body without soul" Cicero

Page 174 - Individuality is a good thing in life. What a profund and powerful statement.

Page 175 - This page talked about things, especially wool that is special to us. It made me think of things that are special to me, things that are preserved for the future and things that mean something to me and probably not to anyone else.

When my beloved Grandmother died there was a perfect shell in her bag. I put this in my pocket and when I began to feel better I left it at home on my bookcase. It has a special meaning to me. To someone else this is just a shell.

Page 179 - This was a lovely quote, written by the author
"I'm looking forward to getting older. As my memory fails me, I will
get the pleasure of finding it all again" What a lovely sentiment that is.

This was a great book It was thought inspiring and a enjoyable, funny read. The Author has a web page HERE

Monday 12 June 2006

Family Research - Marriage Certificates

I've been in discussion with a researcher on Rootschat over the last few weeks about my Matthews family. I have just been onto the General Register Office web site and ordered three marriage certicates:

1. John Matthews to Maria Flick - 1882
2. John Matthews to Elizabeth (I'm hoping the certificate says the surname is Spencer) - 1871
3. Edith Matthews to Charles Jelley - 1902

They should arrive on 26th June.

Saturday 10 June 2006

Friday 2 June 2006

More ramblings about A Nice Cup of Tea & A Sit Down by Nicey & Wifey

This is such a great book, it gets two entries!




The web site that accompanies this book is HERE and Journal Entries for my copy of the book are HERE

Linkwithin

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