...the sight of morning...

Implausible but True

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000Z

MasterM

Howsit!
I left my phone at my friend's house
and then he lost his room keys
so I haven't been able to get it for three days.
We're just at the locksmith now
so I'll be able to call you later.
Sorry that you have not been able
to get hold of me.

*****

MasterM is back in South Africa now.
He is great about keeping in contact with us
and so it is unusual not to hear from him.
We started to worry after a few days silence
but eventually he got a message to us
and we were very relieved to know
that he had not been eaten during
his latest wilderness adventure.

Tuesday evening

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000Z

Yes I know...
...it's just an omelette and salad
but what can I tell you?

The bathroom has no door,
the windows are propped open
so that the paint can dry
and I can't smell anything
over the white spirit fumes.

Roast chicken is off the menu.

Thought for the Day

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000Z

The Tomb of Rekhmire, Egypt c 1400BC

"Listen...I can't stop...but I thought, as it's Tuesday you deserved a little treat. So...does the idea of 'Mediterranean Dwarf Elephants' press your cuteness button? Real elephants that were smaller than Flossie the labrador? I am told by the Lady Professor that the Mediterranean Islands were covered with Dwarf Elephants in the Pleistocene. Imagine how small the baby dwarf elephants were! But there is more! Look away now if you don't want to go into cuteness overload...the only thing that could possibly be more adorable than elephants scampering around at knee height ...is the miniature woolly mammoths of Sardinia. Who wants one - hands up? Right...that's enough...I've got to dash off and make muffins...see you tomorrow."

Mediterranean Dwarf Elephants

unfinished business

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000Z

Colin the Decorator is in residence
because the bathroom is being painted.

This means that The Builders Mugs
are enjoying their moment of glory
with the endless supply of Hob Nobs.

I think the mugs are horribly ugly
but I am quite fond of them because
it means that exciting projects
are happening in the house.

There are no 'Before' pictures
because it didn't occur to me to take any
but there will be 'After' pictures
featuring much antique china loveliness.

But not The Builders Mugs.

Obviously.

the dare-gale skylark

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000Z

The Caged Skylark

As a dare-gale skylark scanted in a dull cage,
Man's mounting spirit in his bone-house, mean house, dwells —
That bird beyond the remembering his free fells;
This in drudgery, day-labouring-out life's age.

Though aloft on turf or perch or poor low stage
Both sing sometímes the sweetest, sweetest spells,
Yet both droop deadly sómetimes in their cells
Or wring their barriers in bursts of fear or rage.

Not that the sweet-fowl, song-fowl, needs no rest —
Why, hear him, hear him babble & drop down to his nest,
But his own nest, wild nest, no prison.

Man's spirit will be flesh-bound, when found at best,
But uncumberèd: meadow-down is not distressed
For a rainbow footing it nor he for his bónes rísen.

Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844 - 1889)

Shopping with MasterM

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000Z

MasterM needed clothes...
shoes, trousers, shirts and socks...
so we hit the sales in Regent Street.
We might have been in Carnaby Street
but it wasn't so very different
from all those shopping expeditions
to buy shoes at the start of term.
We both lost interest at the same time
and walked back to Piccadilly Circus.
MasterM insisted that we should take a photo
and so we looked for a person
using a big and important camera
who might take a reasonable picture
with my small and very unassuming camera.
And here we are...not posed or smart
but happy.

Tweetilicious Jenny

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000Z

In the end I didn't go to Spain...

...and I want to put on record
my gratitude to Jenny
who has been tweeting
wonderful photos and words
from the beaches and mountains.

I can't be there this year
but Jenny's tweets from Nerja
have brought Andulusian sunshine
back to my office and made me smile.

Thank you Jenny!

All photos by @J_Kynaston for use by @RHULGeography

choices

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000Z

tonight I am sitting on my sofa
wrapped in my Donegal rug
I have so many things
that need to be done
I don't know where to begin
but I am sitting on my sofa
wrapped in my Donegal rug
because tonight the house is silent
and I can stop just for a moment

Lazy Saturday

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000Z

MrsM
Do you like my new green nail polish?

MasterM
It looks like orc toe nails

MrsM
Right.
So that's a no, then?

*****

Can you see the Breakfast cake?
We have decided that we like this idea
for lazy weekend breakfasts.
They must be plain,virtuous cakes.
This one is a lemon cake packed with vitamins
and made with organic probiotic yogurt
so I think we can permit a light icing.

I ♥ Rain

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000Z

The Gale
Sybil Andrews

Students are hurrying across the foot-bridge
huddled under their umbrellas;
not the drab tones of commuter uniform
but a joyous line of paintbox colours:
red, orange, lime, purple and pink.
The security guy is still waving and smiling,
high visibility yellow under his umbrella.
I am distracted by two tiny Japanese girls
sheltering under turquoise polka dots,
and then luxuriant images of red roses
crossing the road by the Students Union
and a jade Florentine marbled design
keeping an African headdress dry.
It is an army of exotic sea anemones,
marching against the streaming rain
and my silly frilly pink umbrella
with black and white stripes
and a pink handle is part of it.

Thai Green Curry

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000Z

MrsM is not being mindful.

She is trying to cook supper
while planning the Department twitter campaign,
and matching paint colours for MissM's bedroom.

MrsM is also managing MrM
who is doing telephone banking
when he should be setting the table
but would rather be watching rugby on the TV.

MasterM has occupied the sofa
and MrsM may have to serve an injunction
to break his "FBI Files" habit.

MrsM puts the food on the table and discovers
there are no plates, no glasses or serving spoons.

MrsM reflects that she has her men to eat the food
and a warm grateful glow fills her heart.
Finally MrsM is present in the moment.

And then MasterM shouts from the sofa
"Noooooo, do we have to have supper now?
They are just about the catch the suspects!!!"
MrsM is back on Planet Normal

The Cousins

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000Z

Every Boxing Day I take photos of The Cousins
and promise to send them to Granny and Grandpa

I have just found these photos from December 2007

I hope that they will make Granny and Grandpa smile

MasterM, DJ

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000Z

MasterM
I asked my friend to make you a mix...

MrsM is delighted by the prospect of new music
and decides her son is a fine young man
to do such a thoughtful thing.

MasterM
Here is the first track...

MrsM has immediate and excruciating flashbacks
and decides her son is a less fine young man
than she had originally thought.

MasterM
Hey, don't be embarrassed.
I'm sure I will be rockin' out to this stuff
when I am your age.

the way home

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000Z

Chichester Canal
J.M.W. Turner

The trees are jewel black on the horizon
exquisite in their definition
and I see a new landscape unfold
although I have driven that way before.

*****

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

T.S. Eliot
Four Quartets

My Saturday

2012-01-15T00:01:00.000Z

Saturday morning starts late because MrM lets me sleep in.
I see bright blue sky and ice white frost when I open the curtains.
As I drive to the supermarket I plan my vases of flowers
blue hyacinths, white lilies and bright yellow daffodils.
but when I arrive I have not planned what we will eat
so I throw food into the trolley in a haphazard manner.
Don't be shocked, it all gets used up.
I have a list (in MasterM's writing) which reads:
white choc-chip cookies, chocolate caramel cookies,
chicken crisps, passion fruit cordial, bacon
We have creamy parsnip soup for lunch with freshly baked bread
and discuss business opportunities for bakeries in Cape Town.
After lunch we meet MasterF, a friend of MasterM,
and watch London Irish lose to the Cardiff Blues
MasterF is such good company that I hardly notice the cold.
We have our 'traditional' chaotic family outing
to the drive-thru Scottish restaurant
and then set off for the cinema to see 'War Horse'.
MrM and MasterM shake their heads at the multicoloured sweets
but then MasterM says "Just a few can't hurt" and MrM agrees
so they select 'a few' and then 'a few more for luck'
and then 'a square of fudge' (that's traditional too - it's for me)
And when we come out of the cinema there is a message from MissM
"I think you would like this restaurant" with a photo of mussels
and I wonder for the first time if the blogging habit
can be passed from one generation to the next.
Later MrM and I drink hot tea in our quiet house
and he says "Have you had a nice day?"
and I reply "Yes I have had a nice day.
Thank you."

the inevitable happened

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000Z

Weeping Woman
Picasso

"Look at this!!" said the tweet from the Young Academic. MrsM clicked on the link to see the web page advertising a crucial launch on the Department website. MrsM checked the layout and the text and the downloadable poster. MrsM admired the skill of the Young Academic creating such an important statement of new teaching initiatives in the Department and she knew that this page would be seen, not only by staff and students in the Department, but also by senior Management including the Principal and Geographers all around the world. MrsM had saved the best bit until last and she clicked on the video link to enjoy the welcome speech by the Professor with an international reputation.

MrsM is impressed.

But wait...

What is THIS in the last frame??

Surely not?? It can't be...can it??

And a squeak of fright comes out of MrsM's mouth....

...sky...

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000Z

last year I said to my son
"do you miss the African sky when you are here?"
and he replied
"I don't understand...what are you talking about?"

this year my son said to me
"why is the sky here so low...and so small?"
and I replied
"I don't know...I don't know"

the edge of the ocean

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000Z

MasterM
Have you seen my poker dice?

MrsM
errrr...no...
do they have sentimental value?

MasterM
Just before I came back
me and my friends went sea fishing
but when we got to the beach
we decided to just chill
so we got the cool box with the beer
and sat there playing poker dice
and the waves were crashing around us.
It was a great day.

MrsM
You could buy some new dice.

MasterM
I don't want them to look too new.
I am going to have a box
with a 60's picture of a naked lady.
Like I inherited them.

MrsM
Right.
We can help new dice get old quickly.

MasterM
Oh, don't worry, I'm there before you.
That is what tea was invented for.

*****

Please forgive me if I am slower than usual
at replying to your lovely comments.
I am soaking poker dice in tea
and other motherly activities.

MissM, Chocolatier

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000Z

MissM decided to make brownies
to take back to university
and flicked through her recipes.
This was just the job...
a mind-blowing chocolate experience.

When I asked if I could take a photo
of her recipe book
she agreed, with one condition:

"You must make it clear that these brownies
should only be eaten by people under the age of 22
who are going to the gym every day
and running a marathon on Sundays
and that the recipe is the appropriate quantity
for a whole university, not a family of four.
Anyone over the age of 22 who eats these brownies
does so at their own risk and
I recommend having statins beforehand."

Having tried a tiny piece
I don't think that I can do any better
so that is brownies ticked off the 2012 list.
It is ace when your daughter
takes responsibility for your
New Years Resolutions.

black and white

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000Z

I have a Kindle!

MissM tells me that I will be
responsible for the downfall
of the publishing industry
so I should be anxious to avoid
being seen in public with it.

I think my Kindle and I
will become great friends...
it can join the gadget gang
with the iPod and smart phone
and I can't resist showing it off.

Kindles are great for travelling
and I have downloaded books for Spain...
George Borrow and Washington Irving
to improve my knowledge of Andalucia
and some Georgette Heyer
for times when no-one is watching.

An unexpected delight of the Kindle
is the sequence of screensavers
which are elegant photos
reminiscent of engravings.

Right, off to bed...
MasterM's plane is arriving at 06:08 tomorrow
and I need to get some sleep.

Back soon!

a jug of tulips

2012-01-08T00:01:00.000Z

Have you ever thought about
what your blog photos mean to you?
Not the photos of family, holidays and birthdays
but the everyday photos of cakes, flowers,
folded laundry, quilts, woodburners,
snowdrops, berries and jam.

I had to search through my picture files today
and the experience of seeing five years
of photos so evocative of our home
left me feeling overcome.
I realised that every single photo
has layers of memories for me.
Whole days captured in single images.

Saturday

MrM won a magazine competition.
The Charming MasterN sang
while MissM played her guitar.
I wore Dior 'Blue Label' nail polish.
MrM had tea with his parents.
MissM explained the etiquette of 'nom nom'.
I made rich red spiced fruit trifle.
And these tulips are in Lucille's jug

The Spice Girl's Mother

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000Z

Girl with a Guitar
Max Westfeld 1913

MissM
Can we talk about my birthday present?

MrsM
Yes!
(Thinks how delightful it is to have organised daughter)

MissM
I would like a guitar.

MrsM
What!
(Stunned silence)

MissM
Yes! I have been learning to play
and I am in a band.

MrsM
A band!
(Thinks panicky thoughts about wardrobe issues.
What does the mother of a Rock Chick wear?)

Look Away Now, Granny!

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000Z

MasterM
What does my travel insurance cover?

MrM
Why?

MasterM
Because I am skydiving tomorrow with my friends

MrM
I will check immediately...

MrsM
For goodness sake,
don't read out loud
the list of approved activities...
it will give him ideas.

Window Box in January

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000Z

“To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To hope is to risk pain.
To try is to risk failure,
but risk must be taken because
the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

These are not my words
but I think of them
as I pack away the decorations
and create space in the house.

When the last glittery bauble
is wrapped in tissue paper
and the lights are folded carefully
into their polystyrene case
I go out and buy the primroses

They will be a pale light
on the windowsill,
substitute sunshine,
my reminder of love and hope.

the truth, it hurts

2012-01-03T00:01:00.001Z

The Potato Peeler
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

MissM is reading 'Oh Comely'
It is full of delightfully quirky articles
'a history of the digestive biscuit',
'a recipe for fairy bread',
'the charity mug parade',
'portraits of people with tattoos'.

MissM loves 'Oh Comely'
with a burning passion.

"Look!" says MissM "Here is a quiz...
'Reveal deep truths about yourself
through the medium of root vegetables!' "

MrsM does the quiz and reveals she is a potato.
Tragically MrsM had always suspected this
but is not happy about the outcome because
it is much groovier to be a cassava
or a radish like MissM.
Even an onion would be better than a potato.
It is not an auspicious start to 2012.

"Never mind" says MissM brightly
"Quizzes in magazines aren't always accurate."

*****

p.s.
for all you crafty people...
How to make jewellery out of your cracker prizes
(via Oh Comely)

Power Brunch

2012-01-02T00:01:00.002Z

Drinks
MrsM ordered bubbly
because it was New Years Day

but MrM drank Bloody Mary
decorated with a celery stick

First Course
MrM had baconandeggs
andmushroomsandsausage
andtomatoesandhashbrowns

while MrsM enjoyed an elegant plate
of sliced fruit and smoked fish

Second Course
MrM had waffles with maple syrup
and a tiny spoonful of Queen of Puddings

MrsM chose fruit compote
with the most delicious brownie ever.

As you would expect
MrM and MrsM discussed
matters of great importance
and made a plan for 2012
which they jotted down
on the back of an envelope.

And at the bottom of the list
MrsM wrote
"FIND BROWNIE RECIPE!!!"
and underlined it five times.

Resolution

2012-01-01T00:01:00.002Z

Sleeping Beauty
Thomas Ralph Spence

Welcome to 2012!
May it bring wonderful things
for you, my lovely readers,
and your families.

Now 'fess up everyone,
what is your 2012 Resolution?

You are not allowed the traditional ones:
"more vegetables"
"more ironing"
"more exercise"
because we all know
that they vanish in a puff of smoke
before you can munch
that last Christmas chocolate.

I want honesty!

Here is my 2012 Resolution:

I
WILL
go
to
bed
earlier
because
5 hours a night
is NOT enough
beauty sleep
at my stage of life.

It is going to be hard
because I do a lot of writing
late at night
but I am sure that
if I can change my routine
it will be better for my wrinkles.

Horizon

2011-12-31T00:01:00.001Z

I take these photos in a moment
but then spend weeks wondering
which order to publish them in.
Right to left? Left to right?

It is a good metaphor for my year.
I have alternated between
looking back and looking forward,
between a painful sense of loss
and anxious anticipation of the future.

I need to learn
to accept the present
but I have never been good
at standing still.

"Every horizon,
upon being reached,
reveals another
beckoning in the distance.
Always, I am on the threshold"
W. Eugene Smith

Rosa, aged five and a half

2011-12-30T00:01:00.002Z

Rosa wears peppermint green shorts
and a stylish red wool coat
and carries her new umbrella
in the windiest of weather
and if you dawdle she shouts
"Keep Up Slow-Coaches!!"

*****

We are in a wet, windy Cornwall
visiting the little girl cousins
and the little boy cousins.

The Christmas presents were left behind
and almost didn't make it
but MrM remembered in the nick of time
(well...within an hour of setting off...)
thereby gaining enough credits to cancel
the anti- wrinkle cream catastrophe.

Flashback

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000Z

It is Christmas Eve in the busiest aisle in the busiest supermarket in the world. MrsM is trying to avoid being crushed by shopping trolleys pushed by women who would rather be power-walking. MrsM hears her phone go and tries to get it out of her pocket without injuring the small child who is being used to dart between trolleys to reach the biscuits on the bottom shelf. It is MrM phoning from his annual shopping trip "I am at the shops!" MrsM feigns surprise."I can't remember what sort of cream you want" MrsM mutters into the phone "I said I wanted night cream" and hopes no-one can hear her. MrM says "But there are two sorts of night cream - the grey one and the black one" MrsM immediately recognises her plan to introduce new concepts to the gift purchasing routine has the potential to go tragically wrong and hastily replies "Just plain night cream" "One is wrinkle cream - do you want that?" MrsM starts to panic and whispers "I want ANTI-wrinkle cream" MrM says "I can't hear you - can you speak up" Which is why MrsM found herself shouting into the phone on Christmas Eve in the middle of the busiest aisle in the busiest supermarket in the world "I want ANTI-WRINKLE CREAM".

The Days of China

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000Z

Christmas Eve
Spode Clifton and left over ribbon
from the late, late wrapping show

Christmas Morning
A study in Orange
and the Wedgwood Landscape bowl
(Roses courtesy of MrM)

Christmas Lunch
Wedgwood Osborne
Sigh...isn't it perfect?
(The sprouts were acclaimed as 'unusually vile')

Boxing Day morning
Sunshine and Spode Blue Room plates
with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

Boxing Day lunch
Christmas red fruit salad
in the Burleigh Calico bowl
(with my famous raspberry torte off-screen)

*****

I'm sure that there was other stuff
that happened over the past three days
but if it didn't have china plates or bowls
I can't remember the details.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000Z

I bought these tiny glass baubles today
and piled them in a glass dish
in the middle of our table.
They sparkle in the candlelight
and make me smile.

Thank you for your friendship
which reaches me from all over the world,
each of your comments and emails
a tiny sparkle to make me smile.

I wish you all safe journeys,
a peaceful Christmas day
and time with people you love.
Alice x

Snowman Crescent

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000Z

I love getting Christmas cards
(which is ironic when you think of
the fuss I make about writing them)

I love the designs,
the charities that they support
and the messages inside.

When I left work today
I collected all of my cards
from students and colleagues

and took them away to enjoy
over the Christmas break.

I now have ten days at home
to spend time with my family

but it is good to be reminded
of the wonderful people
that I work with.

woman, reclining

2011-12-21T00:01:00.002Z

Inkstand
France c1600
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

I have been so good
I have worked my way down The List
tree
wreath
mistletoe
candles
fairy lights
decorations
cake
mince pies
presents
so I allowed myself an evening off
to look at pounce pots and inkstands.

And now, mentally refreshed,
I shall go and finish my cards.

Yes...I do know it is 21st December
late late cards is a Family Tradition
and I'm holding my nerve.

Ice Therapy

2011-12-20T00:01:00.001Z

MissM and the musical MissA
went skating today
at the Tower of London.

Not the most obvious activity
for our ailing heroine
with aforementioned cough

but MissM informs MrsM that
nothing is allowed
to get in the way
of serious holiday fun.

"I'm not going to waste my time
lying on the sofa
doing a Downton-athon."

(MrsM realises that she has
accidentally slipped into old age
because a Downton-athon
sounds quite appealing.)

News from the Sanatorium

2011-12-19T00:01:00.001Z

MrM and MissM are coughing
as though they have been
living in a freezing garret.

MrsM prescribes vitamin rich food:
blueberry jam on croissants
Cosmopolitan cocktail with cranberry juice
orange fruit salad with kumquats

MrsM prescribes rest and relaxation
and supervises a sofa session
of "Love Actually"

MrsM prescribes cough medicine
and shows MissM how to open
the child proof lid.
Well...she is 20...

*****

A number of blogfriends have been poorly
over the past couple of weeks
and I know how frustrating that is
when you have everything to do
but take care of yourselves first...
rest up as much as you can.

When MissM came home...

2011-12-18T12:38:00.004Z

...she approved the new addition of fairy lights on the mantlepiece, pointed out that the candles had excessive slump, gave permission for the weird, wobbly people to emerge from their safe place, opened the doors on the advent calendar which had been forgotten, supervised the decorating of the tree ensuring that the garlands that go around were not confused with the ones that drape downwards and hung her little glass angel on the top branch. And when MissM was quite satisfied that everything was under control she went out to the pub with a friend...

Precision Timing

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000Z

MrM
Just setting off!
See you soon.
MissM
Oh! I haven't started packing yet!

MrM
How are you getting on?
MissM
Having breakfast with friends.
Starting to get my brain in gear
MrM
What!! Haven't you started yet??

MrM
Just stopped for coffee
MissM
Phew!

MissM
Finished packing!
MrM
Good news!
We are parked outside...

A Brilliance of Professors

2011-12-15T00:01:00.001Z

Christmas Lunch - December 2011

I think that this is one of the pictures
that I would put in my desert island photo album...
I know that whenever I looked at it
I would still hear the faint sound of laughter
and it would be impossible to feel lonely.

Message from...

2011-12-14T00:01:00.001Z

MasterM
please tell me
some intellectual things
to say about wine

(answer: errrr...what?? why??)

MissM
this is me with friends
at the ball last night
do you like my new dress?

(answer: yes!!)

MrM
Jazz Brunch on New Years Day?
Please respond : Yes; No; Maybe

(answer: Yes Definitely)

MrsM
Panic over.
Quality Street sourced.
Turns out that Waitrose
is not the only supermarket.
Who knew?

(for those of you who have not experienced
the magic of Quality Street
I'm so sorry...
I am sure that if you are very good
you will enjoy them in your next life)

Soliloquy

2011-12-13T00:01:00.002Z

This should be a tranquil post.
I should be relaxing.
But all I can think about is the fact
that tins of Quality Street
are completely sold out
and this is a Total Disaster.
My family will stop loving me
because Christmas is not Christmas
without a tin of Quality Street
If only I had bought one in August.
I am hoping they can be brave about it...
I don't suppose they will sob much.

Alternatively I can run away from home.

Will pack my suitcase
as soon as I have finished
my Winterberry cocktail.

*****

Winterberry cocktail
one measure Creme de Cassis
one measure vodka
shake with ice
top up with tonic
embellish with 3 frozen raspberries

ingredients

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000Z

currants, raisins, sultanas
and mixed citrus peel
soaked in brandy

organic undyed dark cherries
(I long for unfashionable red cherries)

the best Spanish almonds

plain flour, cinnamon and mixed spice

butter, eggs, treacle
and muscovado sugar

and a perfectly lined cake tin.

Another thing ticked off The List...
Go me!!

Leave of Absence

2011-12-09T00:01:00.001Z

Eeyore's Plight
The House at Pooh Corner (1928
E.H. Shephard

My favourite Christmas card so far
from the lovely people at
Peter Harrington

*****

It's the Dept Christmas Party today...
I'm otherwise occupied...

Why don't you go and visit Julia in Prague
and share her joyful posts
about preparing for Christmas
in the Czech Republic?

two turtle doves

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000Z

My Christmas cards have arrived
and they tone perfectly
with my cushions!

*contented sigh*

Weird?
What are you talking about?
Doesn't everyone do that?

I have just remembered
that MissM did the envelopes last year.
Which is awkward.

Maybe I will collect her early.
I am sure that she won't mind
missing her soirée...

Fantasia

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000Z

Our Lady of the Fruits of the Earth

MissM
I am going to a ball next weekend...
and the theme is 'Fantasia'
MrsM immediately thinks of dancing elephants
but this is not what MissM has in mind

Titania

MissM
I am going as Titania
MrsM wonders about the Charming MasterN...
will he go as Oberon?
or Bottom?

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

MissM
I can't decide which heels to wear...
definitely not the black and white ones
because I got spectacular blisters last weekend.
MrsM realises that she has never thought
about what sort of shoes Titania wears.
Probably not black and white heels.

Vanity

MissM
Could you pick me up on Thursday or Friday
because I have a dance on Monday
and a soirée on Wednesday.
MrsM tries not to smile
but it is very hard.

Nimue (Niniane), Damsel of the Lake

all paintings by
Frank Cadogan Cowper (1877 - 1958
'The last Pre-Raphaelite'

*****

This post is for Hermes,
whose blogs have been a daily source
of inspiration and pleasure.

Coffee Time

2011-12-06T00:01:00.002Z

Right...down tools everyone.
No talking about work...OK?

"The home-made mince pies
are supplied by the lovely wife
of the Professor of Interesting films."

"Did anyone hear
Isaac the Postman's Elvis impression?
It was legendary...
Or perhaps 'unforgettable'..."

"Talking of Elvis...
There were fried peanut butter sandwiches
at the Research Group party last night."

"Never mind the sandwiches...
there was a Somerset cider cake...
Austrian Stollen, Italian Pandoro
and Spanish nougat...
it is a very international student group."

"I saw some student feedback this morning
and there was one fabulous comment
'his voice is so soothing
that he should record relaxation tapes
with Peruvuan pan pipe music...'"

"and another form which just said
'Marry me...'"

"I have seen 17 students in Santa hats today
and it is only 11 o'clock..."

"They are selling gingerbread 'people' on campus..
No stereotyping around here, thank goodness."

"The Department Office is covered in fairy lights
and the Daniel Craig grotto is tinselled up."

"I think that the new Head of Dept
should ban the twinkling Santa feature...
it would be a kindness to everyone."

"Is it true that the academic
who is 42 and a quarter
is doing a charity run this weekend
dressed as Santa?
Photos on Monday will be compulsory."

"I see that You-Know-Who
is wearing his red fleece top...
it MUST be nearly Christmas."

Right..drink up...
back to work now...no slacking

*****

for Ali M in Plymouth

Traditional* Advent Cocktail

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000Z

One measure** vodka
One measure elderflower liqueur
One measure pink grapefruit juice.
Add to ice in cocktail shaker***
Strain**** into cocktail glasses
Embellish with lime slices

Notes
*
'traditional' as of Sunday 4 Dec 2011

**
South African Airways shot glass

***
Douwe Egberts coffee jar

****
tea strainer

MrM and MrsM sip their Advent cocktails
in their winter white sitting room
and agree to take personal responsibility
for maintaining this important family tradition.

Thank you to Lecia for this delicious recipe.

Winter White

2011-12-04T00:01:00.001Z

When your children leave home
everything associated with Christmas
is soaked in memories
which is wonderful...
but also overpowering.

This morning I decided to make
some new memories and new traditions
because...well, I can if I want.

I filled the house with white flowers:
white orchids, white pointsettia
white hyacinth and white narcissi.
It felt fresh and wintry and made me happy.

I turned up the volume on the iPod
and at that moment
I felt the Christmas tingle again.

(MrM's beer Advent calendar made him happy too.)

Patent Medicine

2011-12-03T00:01:00.001Z

"I'm very eager to hear your comments on my essay, unfortunately my rabbit has fallen rather sick and ... I need to feed him by syringe every 30 minutes and ...[and so] its rather hard for me to leave the house today."

*****

I was not well yesterday.
(Winterval 'flu - nothing serious)
This email from a student was sent to me
by the Young Academic
to cheer me up.
It worked.

Where is MasterM?

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000Z

It is his birthday today
so...
he might be partying as the sun rises

or watching cricket in the shadow of the mountains

or maybe just sharing a beer with friends.

but MasterM is going to be here in January.
MrM has booked the flights
and we can't wait to see him.

Surrender

2011-12-01T00:01:00.001Z

Aaaargh!

It's 1st December
I can't ignore it any longer...
I need to order cards
buy presents
make cake
do turkey

C'mon Christmas...do your worst

(just for the record)

2011-11-30T00:01:00.002Z

The Annual Lecture

1.
MrsM realises to her horror
that the publicity is wrong because
that the wrong lecture theatre has been booked
by the All Powerful Timetabler.
MrsM sobs pathetically and realistically.

2.
The All Powerful Timetabler
does not admit his mistake
but graciously enables a swap
to the correct lecture theatre.

3.
MrsM spends too much time
deciding which wines to order.
More white than red??
More red than white??

4.
The Head of Department worries
about the jokes in his eulogy
for The Distinguished Speaker.

5.
MrsM reviews her extensive knowledge
of local restaurants to choose one
which is comfortable
but not toooo extravagant
for the after-lecture dinner.

6.
The Professor of Interesting Films
purchases a souvenir book
for presentation to The Distinguished Speaker.
Everyone is delighted with this thoughtful touch.

7.
The Distinguished Speaker arrives.
He is wearing the same colour top as MrsM
but he does not notice...
his mind is on loftier things.

8.
The Lecture Theatre is full.
People standing against walls
and sitting on the floor.
Students, Staff, Visitors.
There is an excited buzz of anticipation
because he is a Distinguished Speaker
and his subject matter is very relevant.

9.
MrsM helps set up the wine reception.
Marianne takes pride in her work.
Tablecloths are folded to achieve perfect corners,
wineglasses are polished and arranged.
Crisps and savoury snacks laid out beautifully.
MrsM tells Marianne that she is an artist.

10.
Disaster!
The presentation book has been left
in the Head of Department's office.
The fastest member of staff is selected
to run back to the Department.
(This is NOT MrsM)

11.
Loud applause.
The lecture is ended.
More loud applause.
The book is presented.
150 people surge out of the lecture theatre.
Drinks are drunk.
Snacks are eaten.
It is all over.

12.
MrsM is delighted to receive
a twitter update later that evening.
It is clear from the photo
sent by the Young Academic
that the after-lecture dinner
is a great success.

MrsM sips her mug of Tranquility tea
and permits herself to breathe out.

...the sloe-black dark...

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000Z

Woman at a Window
Jacobus Vrel

When we were in Cambridge we went to the excellent Vermeer exhibition at the Fitzwilliam museum. The gallery was crowded with visitors entranced by the luminous beauty of The Lacemaker but this is the painting that made me pause. There is no information about the woman with her back to us. The domestic details are minimal in the sparse, dark room. She leans out of the window to the light of the world beyond. I hold this image in my head as a reminder of the friendship that I find when I look outwards.

*****
...I sit on a stone after lunch and consider the glow
Of the sun through mist, a pearl bulb containèdly fierce;
A rain-shower darkens the schist for a minute or so
Then it drifts away and the sloe-black patches disperse...

from "Achill" by Derek Mahon

Raspberry Ripple

2011-11-28T00:01:00.002Z

I don't really understand how colour works

I just know instinctively
that this combination doesn't gel

until you add the raspberry colour.

Thank goodness the good people of Rowan
tell me what to buy because otherwise
I would be paralysed by indecision.

I have discovered one thing though...
photographing yarn on plates is very satisfying.

I am amazed that I never thought of it before.

care package

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000Z

Look what arrived in the post...

It's Tea Bag Bunting meets Advent Calendar!!

Don't you just love it?
All those tiny little clothes pegs
and the carefully chosen tea bags.
I am going to have a sneaky trial run
of the Tranquility tea tonight.

My care package came from Ali
who has a magical touch with personalised gifts.

It was the perfect pick-me-up...
not just the tea bags
and the cute clothes pegs
but the kindness that leaked out
as soon as I cut the reindeer tape on the box.

Silence in Unexpected Places

2011-11-26T00:01:00.001Z

The foyer of the Royal Festival Hall is a frantic place. I hate it - the noise is too great, the bars too busy and the seats filled with people who are only there to be seen. It is as though the busy-ness of the world outside has become concentrated in that small space and it feels oppressive and claustrophobic.

When I was there last week I looked down into the lower ground floor and saw two people dancing the tango in silence. The intensity of their concentration created an impermeable boundary against their surroundings and as I watched them I could feel the noise retreat.

I used to be able to make the silence I need to write but the concentration that requires is elusive at the moment. I am being patient.

A New Perspective

2011-11-25T00:01:00.002Z

The door to my office is propped open
with a block of Icelandic lava
as soon as I arrive in the morning.

All day students and academics walk past
and I hear snatches of conversation
and gusts of laughter.
It is impossible to feel alone.

Today I heard the young Visiting Lecturer
talking to two students from his class
in the corridor outside my office.
He said "Why didn't you do it?
Were you afraid of making a mistake?
That is why we are here...
to make mistakes and learn from them.
Go away...be brave...make mistakes."

His words lingered in my mind all day.

MissM : Update

2011-11-10T00:01:00.001Z

Cinderella
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham (1919)

MrsM
What time did you get in
from the party?
MissM
I got back at 3.30am...
and I had a seminar at 9.00am.
I made it - and I contributed!
MrsM
That's my girl

*****

Thank you all
for your sparkling comments this week.
We are off to see MissM tomorrow
I'm very 'cited.

Have a lovely weekend.

MrsM goes punting

2011-11-09T00:01:00.001Z

We all have a secret Super-Power.

MrM's secret Super-Power is punting:

he can make a punt obey his every command

while young whipper-snappers look on with admiration.

This means that MrsM has cultivated the ability

to lie gracefully in the punt,

admire the scenery

and wave to small children on the bridges.

Back off, ladies, he's mine.

don't mention spandex

2011-11-08T00:01:00.005Z

MrsM strolls nonchalantly into the designer sports wear shop as though she has been doing it all her life and holds informed conversation with lithe shop assistant wearing extreme lycra. Lithe shop assistant asks MrsM “What sort of runner are you?” MrsM wonders what she is talking about but replies confidently “Improving”. Lithe shop assistant says “Oh! I envy you! I have reached a performance plateau.” MrsM acknowledges this is a problem for all runners and makes gentle, encouraging noises. Lithe shop assistant recommends compression leggings for enhanced muscle tone and MrsM goes into the changing cubicle. The compression feature is significant. MrsM cannot get the leggings off. They are moulded to her legs like spray-on paint. MrsM is absolutely stuck in black spandex. MrsM hears the lithe shop assistant saying "How is the fit? Would you like the High Visibility version?" MrsM panics...there are three options: she can summon MrM from the nearby bookshop, she can ask for help or she can extricate herself. MrsM starts peeling. When MrsM eventually leaves the shop she swings the plastic bag ostentatiously. It was worth the pain because it has a picture of runners on the outside. MrsM plans to reuse it frequently.

The Backs

2011-11-07T00:01:00.001Z

On a quiet autumn morning

we walk from Silver Street

along the Backs

and the copper leaves are thick underfoot.

There are so many memories

in these bridges, gates and avenues

that the past walks alongside us

in the bright light and cold air.

A Dog-Shaped Hole

2011-11-06T00:00:00.001Z

MrsM takes time
to consider her next dog...

Portrait of Wife
Boris Kustodiev (1878–1927)

Should she have an elegant setter
like Poshyarns?

Woman with Dog
Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947)

Or maybe a dachshund like Vanessa?

Woman with a Dog
Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806)

Only Eurolush can have
a small white dog

Self Portrait with Dog
Gustave Courbert (1819-1877)

but a loyal little black spaniel
is a possibility

It will be well behaved in boats

Elegant Woman with Her Dog
Albrogio Alciati (1878-1929)

never drop hairs
on MrsM's black skirts

Young Woman on a Striped Sofa with her Dog
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

and only sit on the new sofa on Sundays.

Woman with Dog
Christian Schleisner (1810-1882)

It will also keep MrsM company
when she is cooking.

(it is not happening soon
but there is no harm planning ahead...)

*****

This post is for everyone who has a dog
but especially for Jen, Diana, Rachel and Jackie
who generously share their dogs with me.

Fosco Maraini (1912 - 2004)

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001Z

Fosco Maraini was an Italian anthropologist

mountaineer, writer
and photographer.

Through his eyes we see
forgotten lives in Tibet, Japan, Italy
in the early twentieth century.

His photographs speak of curiosity
but also compassion and respect.

They are windows into lost worlds.

*****

We should all remember that our photos
are windows into other worlds,
particularly domestic and family life,
and that by conscientious archiving
which we achieve by blogging
we are safeguarding precious memories.

Moorish tile love

2011-11-03T00:01:00.002Z

It is dark and wet outside
and there is evidence that somebody
has been feeling sorry for herself.

Let's change the subject...
what about Spain in January?
Does that sound fun?

The Deputy Exams Officer owes me a drink...
I'm hoping it will be
a tisane in the Moroccan Tea Rooms;

Jenny can entertain me
her mad twitter skillz
from the almond groves

and the Young Academic
is planning a trip to Ronda
with the Professor of whom we spoke
so I will try to hitch a lift.

It's only 81 sleeps until Nerja...
the countdown has started.

*****
tiles : Damascus (1420 - 1450)
images : ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London

making a difference

2011-11-02T00:01:00.002Z

The security guard at the entrance to campus
has been there since the start of term.
He is supposed to check car permits
and direct visitors to the car parks
but after a while he recognised staff
and waved to them as they drove past
and soon people were waving back
and opening their windows to greet him.
This morning the relief security guard
stood there with his hands in his pockets
and I missed the smile and friendly wave.
I had not realised how important it was to me.

Joie de Vivre

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000Z

This photo was rescued by Granny
from the bottom of a drawer in her kitchen.

I am sitting with MissM on my lap
in a country churchyard after a wedding.
MissM is wearing a tiny pink seersucker dress
and I know that it is before she could crawl
because her knees are dimpled and clean.

I think of the photograph MissM has just sent
of new plum suede shoes with 4" heels.
She will wear them to two parties this weekend.
They are dancing shoes.

I am sure that if you had asked me then
what I wished for my tiny daughter
I would have been unable to articulate my dream.
There are so many sensible things to wish for:
happiness, health, intelligence, common sense.

But what I wanted, more than anything else,
was a daughter who had the confidence
to go dancing in a black Karen Millen dress
and pair of plum suede shoes with 4" heels.

I think you will agree that I have been lucky.

Fingers and Toes

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000Z

Here is a photograph
of the scrumptious little MasterA
wearing the jumper wot I knit.

Gaze upon it,
admire those chubby little fingers
and chat amongst yourselves
while I write grateful replies
to the astonishing and moving comments
that I received yesterday.

Retrospective

2011-10-30T00:01:00.001+01:00

Even though I have been writing for over four years
I can remember most of my posts
and so I thought that
it would be easy to do the archive meme
that I saw first on Useful or Beautiful.
I was wrong. It is very difficult.

1.
What is your most popular post?
Yardangs
by a country mile...
but I suspect that the Geologists who arrive
looking for a technical discussion of yardangs
are bitterly disappointed.

2.
Which post's success surprised you most?
Zen and the Art of Making Porridge
I wrote it because I was so busy
that I couldn't think
of anything else to write about.

3.
Which post are you proudest of?
A Humble Beginning
I created the whole of the Magpie Files
in my head before I started
and then I wrote it down,
day by day, for two years.
This is the post where I set out my stall.

As for the other categories...

What is your most beautiful post?
What is your most controversial post?
What is your most helpful post?
Which of your post do you feel
didn't get the attention it deserved?

...I have no idea.

I feel that it is an enormous privilege
to have so many loyal readers and friends.
There is not much controversy in my writing
and certainly no mouthwatering recipes,
inspirational knitting or sewing.
book reviews or beautiful photography.
I sometimes think that all of my posts
get more attention than they deserve
but I write on. Thank you for reading.

The thing that I would love to know
is which was the very first post that you read
on The Magpie Files
or ...the sight of morning...

Button Drama

2011-10-28T00:01:00.001+01:00

All good knitting stories
end with the sentence:

"...and then I found
the perfect little vintage button
in my button box."

this knitting story ends with a saga:

disappointment (no vintage buttons!)
anxiety (no button shops on campus!)
danger (visit to grimy end of town!)
indecision (which buttons ????)
multiple purchasing (more indecision!)

if anyone wants square buttons,
pearl four hole buttons,
elephant shaped buttons,
heart shaped buttons,
flower shaped buttons
wood two hole buttons
I'm your woman
because I went with the
pearlised round two hole buttons.

I hope the baby agrees with my choice.

unexpected gifts

2011-10-26T23:48:00.006+01:00

My white camellia is flowering!
In October!

I am enchanted until I realise
that it might not bloom again in Spring.
So I cut a bloom in the damp early morning
and photograph it to help me remember
the bright perfection for another year.

This post is for Diktynna
whose email was so welcome
in a busy, noisy day.
Thank you.

Meanwhile

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000+01:00

...in South Africa...

...MasterM is starting end-of-year exams...

could you keep your fingers crossed
until I let you know otherwise.
Thanks.

Look Away NOW, MrM

2011-10-25T00:01:00.002+01:00

The academic who was 41 is now 42.

I promised to make him a cake
and I asked him what
his favourite flavour was.

The academic who is now 42 said:

Please don't try and imagine
my subsequent conversation with MrM.
Especially not the allegation of
"cruel and unreasonable behaviour".
I want to maintain the image
of an untroubled married life.

ochre, teal and lime

2011-10-24T00:01:00.002+01:00

I thought that you would like to see the throw that I bought from Studio Donegal which exactly matches the cushions on my sofa and so I plumped the cushions and dusted the table and arranged the orchids carefully and took a photo which shows the sofa and the cushions and the table and the orchids but not the throw so you will have to take my word for it.

Clearly I am not destined to photograph home interiors.

Shades of Red

2011-10-23T00:01:00.002+01:00

What do red nails mean to you?

To me they mean
freedom from a lifetime
of biting my nails
and honouring my decision
to enjoy life.

But I didn't tell the nail lady that...
I just pretended
I wear red nail polish
all the time.

Even though it was the first time ever.

remembering Sarah

2011-10-21T00:01:00.004+01:00

It is late at night.
MrsM is enjoying idle banter
with her twitter pals:
@LadyoftheLattes; @silverpebble2;
@TheListwriter and @driftwood_daisy
They are discussing @poshyarns apple cake
and other stuff.

Suddenly it all gets serious.

@DrHG
says quietly *are you running?*

@MrsM
replies bashfully
"carefully - but building up stamina."

@DrHG
...reckon I could persuade you
to join in 5k Race for Life next year?
we can wear ponchos. :-)

@MrsM
Aaaargh...don't do this to me...

@DrHG
we can have Kettle chips
and sparking wine
waiting at the other end. :-)

@MrsM
OK - its a deal
but only if you are serious
about the Kettle chips

@DrHG
woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

*****

I will run with Sarah's name on my back.
Because she can't run in the sunshine anymore.

Birdcage Walk

2011-10-20T00:01:00.001+01:00

I think we have all worked hard this week.

Shall we just look
at photos of bird cages today?

Perhaps we could have
some background music?
Nothing too demanding.

In my next life
I am planning to have
a greenhouse just for orchids.
White orchids.

I shall hang a choice selection
of ivory vintage bird cages
and the effect will be charming.

You are all invited.
There will probably be cake.
Frangipanes, I think.

Receiving Visitors

2011-10-19T00:01:00.002+01:00

Welcome to my visitors from the Decor8 online course "Blogging Your Way" - I am flattered to be included ... thank you to whoever recommended this blog.

My only tip to new writers is to look at other blogs and see the wonderful variety of writing styles and this should make you feel more confident as you start to create your own written space. The best resource on this blog is the blog roll in the side bar. So many fascinating blogs, friends who write passionately about their families and jobs, the worlds that they live in and the challenges that they face.

Let us dip into some of them...

these are my friends writing about their sons:

picking blackberries

birthday boy

happiness

Toby

14 September

undertow

middle

and this is me writing about my son:

beetroot

Each of us writes about our son in a different way - this will partly be determined by their age and by the boundaries that we have set to protect their privacy but in every case it is our love that makes the writing shine and ensures that the words remain in the memory of the reader.

Good luck with your own writing!

Bath...

2011-10-18T00:01:00.002+01:00

a Sunday morning
before the crowds arrive...
what to do?

around Queen Square
and up George Street

down Milsom Street
and along Quiet Street
to drink coffee in a bookshop

around the Circus,
along the Royal Crescent
and back past the Assembly Rooms

down Walcot Street to the Bell
to listen to Phil King

down to the Sydney Gardens
to explore the Holburne museum
and admire the netsuke

and then across Pulteney bridge
to the London Road...

and all day long
the sun shone
in a cobalt sky

a pool of sunshine

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000+01:00

"I urge you
to please notice
when you are happy,
and exclaim or murmur
or think at some point,
'If this isn't nice,
I don't know what is'"

Kurt Vonnegut
A Man Without A Country

*****

MrM took me to Bath
for a day out on Sunday.
He went to great lengths
to choose things to do
that he hoped I would enjoy.
As we walked down
Great Pulteney Street
in the autumn sunshine
I thought
"This is what it is like to be loved."

view from the bus stop

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000+01:00

In the evening
the sun illuminates the west side
and the red brick glows.
It still surprises and delights me,
this vast Victorian 'chateau',
I must photograph it more often.

Comfort Food

2011-10-13T00:01:00.001+01:00

Don't judge me...
it's Wednesday
and I've been to the gym...
I can think about
apple and walnut pie
if I want to.

And cream.
Or maybe custard.
Or possibly ice cream.

It is a shame it's Wednesday
and there is just fruit
for pudding tonight.
Roll on Sunday.

Sparkles on Tuesday

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000+01:00

MrsM
Open a bottle of wine immediately!!
MrM
Hold your horses, it's only Tuesday.
MrsM
Never mind that, I'm celebrating!!
MrM
You can't celebrate by yourself
I want to join in too.
What are we celebrating?
MrsM
My lovely friend Emma

the world comes to me

2011-10-11T00:01:00.000+01:00

The Miracle of St.George of the Dragon
XVIth century
Kukasovo, Karelia

My friend, the Deputy Exams Officer,
travelled to Finland and Russia in September
and came back with wonderful photos
of birch forests and lakes,
small villages and impressive cities,
tiny skete and imposing cathedrals.

As he described the fascinating interiors
of the churches and monasteries
I thought of my friend RW
who has written about
the sacred liturgy of her community
and helped me to understand a little
of the life of the Orthodox Church in Canada.

This post is for RW
with thanks for her continued friendship
and inspiring photography on her own blogs
an acceptable time
West of Hope

note to self

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000+01:00

Always brush your hair
before going to the supermarket
in case you meet your hairdresser
looking fabulous in an updo.
Remember how hurt she looks
to see her painstaking cut
destroyed by your abysmal haircare
and lack of appropriate product.

setting the table

2011-10-08T22:16:00.003+01:00

When MissM is at home
she always sets the table.

La Table dans la versure (1926)

I love to watch her select the mats,
arrange the plates and fill the water jug.
Even the way she lays out the knives
with the blades pointing outwards
has a personal touch.

La Table d'automne (1924)

MissM has always known
that setting the table
is about more than making sure
there is cutlery to eat with
and glasses to drink from.

La Nappe rose (1924)

My parents taught me
and I have taught my children
that every opportunity
to eat together as a family
should be treasured.

Petite table au pavillon (1935)

*****
Henri Le Sidaner (1862-1939)

Celebration!

2011-10-07T00:01:00.000+01:00

Did I mention that last Friday
we celebrated Cheesecake Day?
It was Jenny's birthday and she organised
a party pack of cheesecakes for us to share.

They arrived the day before
all packaged up in their frosty perfection
and I generously offered the use of my fridge.
To my surprise and disappointment
she hastily said no and locked them away
in the laboratory cold store.

The next day Jenny invited
the Operations Manager and her Crew,
the Administration Team,
and some hungry postgraduates
and we politely tried samples
of as many flavours as possible.

And all the time we were thinking

"NOM NOM NOM.
If only every day was Cheesecake Day."

English Cheesecake Company

Remarkable Creatures

2011-10-05T00:01:00.002+01:00

I was between two serious books and I needed something light from the to-be-read pile to refresh the mental palate. I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't remember who gave me 'Remarkable Creatures' by Tracy Chevalier but it was a good choice. Fossils, feisty Victorian women, the beautiful Dorset coastline and a trip to the Geological Society...what's not to like? I enjoyed the assured way that the characters were developed and the confident handling of the two narrative voices. Now I am almost tempted to brave the hordes of schoolchildren in the Natural History Museum to look at the fossil collection and that is a real achievement because it is not my favourite museum...I always get distracted by the prospect of the ceramics gallery in the V&A as soon as I walk down Exhibition Road.

the world comes to me

2011-10-04T00:01:00.003+01:00

© Tim Cresswell

Professor Cresswell in the office next door
who studies the 'notions of place'
and the 'concept of mobility'
has just returned from a journey to the Arctic circle.
He was part of a team of people creating a new nation
from the landscape revealed by retreating ice sheets.

The artist Alex Hartley discovered the island
and registered it as 'Nowhereisland' in 2004.
This autumn he brought together a team
to travel to the Arctic and design a Utopia
considering fundamental issues of statehood.
Rocks from the island were removed
with permission from the Governor of Svalbard
and in 2012 these will form a floating sculpture
travelling from port to port around the English coast.
This voyage is part of the Cultural Olympiad
and will be used for lessons in citizenship in schools.
You can learn more about the project
and read the blog on the excellent website.

What moved me was the reaction of my colleague
who said it was one of the best things
that he had done in his life.
For three weeks he left his academic work behind
and lived in a world of sea and ice.
The experience will shape his future work
and will inform a generation of school children
as they think about the world they want to live in.
It was a privilege to hear about it first hand.

Migration and hospitality - lessons from Svalbard

Pic-i-nic*

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000+01:00

On Sunday morning
MrsM looked out of the window
and decided that it was a perfect day
for an emergency picnic.

She packed up the picnic basket
with salmon salad

(don't get excited, folks,
this was M&S pre-cooked salmon...
it was an emergency picnic.)

and some rustic bread
olives, cheese, muscat grapes
and amaretti left over from Christmas...

and some chilled Peroni
and the bottle opener.

MrM carried the heritage picnic blanket
which was bought when he was a baby
and they walked across the way
to their favourite shady pic-i-nic spot.

And they lay there idly
for a whole afternoon
eating, drinking and reading their books
and life seemed pretty good.

*****

*© Miss Maisie

(just for the record)

2011-09-30T00:01:00.000+01:00

© Jenny Kynaston

Thursday, in no particular order.

1.
My friendly cartographer, Jenny,
sends a photo from the field site.
It is sunny and they are outside...
what's not to like?

2.
The youngest academic is wearing
a fabulous yellow striped sun dress
that she bought on her last trip to Laos.
It was 'inspired' by, but cheaper than,
the Marc Jacobs dress for Michelle Obama.

3.
I meet a new student who tells me
that university is not the right place for her.
It is a brave decision.

4.
And I meet a student who has returned
after a period of illness.
It is good to see her smiling again.

5.
The new Research Assistant
is wearing stylish linen trousers.
I ask him if he will be travelling
and he tells me that he will go to Glasgow.
I am not sure if I should sympathise.

6.
The Post Doctoral fellow who is leaving
is wearing a Missoni dress.
She tells me about her contract
with the UN in Geneva and she smiles
when I tell her I am very proud
of what she has achieved.

7.
The travel consultant is tall and slender
and I find myself distracted by her beads
when I should be concentrating
on discussions about field centres in Kenya.

8.
The VP of the GeogSoc is between lectures.
He is a busy and organised person.
The Freshers pub crawl was a great success.
I am not surprised.

9.
The enthusiastic Professor
is setting off for three months in Mexico
I make her promise to send photos
and I look forward to the quirky images
that will arrive in my inbox.

10.
I tell the young Scottish academic
who is leaving to take up a teaching post
in the far South West that she cannot escape me.
One fine day I will arrive on her doorstep
and take her out to my favourite fish restaurant.
I hope that she knows I am serious.

11.
My mentee and I discuss
how to achive a work-life balance.
We agree that there is no right way
but I am interested to learn from him.
He never looks at work emails at home.
Ahem.

12.
As I leave the Department
I pass a student in a maxi dress.
She looks cool and stylish,
perfectly dressed for a summer evening.
And I wonder if MissM packed hers.

Crazy Times

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000+01:00

Teapot, Ginger Jar and Slave Candlestick
Pieter van Roestraten (1695)
©Victoria and Albert Museum, London

It seems that I need to look at
pictures of things.
Photos of places and people
are off limits at the moment.

Still life paintings of teapots are perfect.
I can simultaneously indulge my craving
for milk thistle and lemon verbena tea
and my passion for china.

Seriously...
milk thistle tea...
What depraved depths have I sunk to?
Can somebody reassure me
that this is just a phase...

MrsM fails. Again.

2011-09-27T00:01:00.000+01:00

MrsM has made a major strategic mistake
because she told everyone at work
when she went to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

This has resulted in difficult conversations
when MrsM has been expected to give
a critical analysis of the characterisations,
an intelligent comparision with the book
and a critique of the key differences
between Gary Oldman and Alec Guinness.

MrsM has been quite unable to offer any insights
because she went to review the relative merits of
Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch
and she did not want to be distracted.

Now everyone knows how shallow she is.
Sigh.

the road to uni

2011-09-26T00:01:00.003+01:00

So...MrsM and MissM loaded the car with the clothes and the boots and the shoes and the handbags and the books and the wine glasses and the corkscrew and the breadknife and all of the essential items that you need to be a proper student and set off down the motorway. They noticed lots of other cars which were also going to uni and realised that everyone else had even more stuff. MrsM and MissM were particularly impressed by the boy with the ironing board.

As it is a long way to uni-land MrsM and MissM stopped overnight at a B&B which MrM had booked. It was not obvious from the website but the B&B was a centre for 'spiritual healing' and MrsM and MissM sat on the pink sofa pondering the leaflet describing the therapeutic opportunities. MrsM was tempted by the Angelic Reiki which channelled the healing powers of the Angelic Kingdom - reassuringly this worked while you were fully clothed. MissM pointed out that they were staying in the Ruby Room and so they were already experiencing the 'vibrational energy and colour of Crystal Healing' at no additional cost. It may have been the careful Feng Shui alignment of the beds or the multiple rose crystals but they both slept deeply and awoke with unblocked Auras and fully aligned Chakras ready to hit the road.

MrsM said to MissM "Remember, the Angels of Love and Light are always there for you ..." MissM replied "I know, I only have to ask for their help."

then MrsM chose the music and MissM turned up the volume and they set off again...

Sunday

2011-09-25T21:21:00.004+01:00

2 Samuel 24:24

And the king said unto Araunah,
Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price:
neither will I offer burnt offerings
unto the LORD my God
of that which doth cost me nothing.

Today Thomas celebrated his last service as Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of St. Andrew's, Thornhaugh and St Mary's, Wansford.

The church was packed to overflowing with friends who had come to give thanks for his stewardship over the past ten years. MrM was there and has told me all about it.

I wish I could have been with them too but I know that Thomas and Audrey were surrounded with love on this very special day.

MissM, Domestic Goddess

2011-09-22T00:01:00.000+01:00

MissM is so organised
that she has already baked
the chocolate caramel shortbread*
to take to university on Saturday.
No shop-bought cakes for her!
Her grandma will be so proud.

*Lucy's delicious recipe

the long view

2011-09-20T00:01:00.001+01:00

Rudbeckia

We spent Sunday afternoon at Kew Gardens
visiting the former Museum of Economic Botany,
reopened as part of the Open London weekend.

A PhD student from the Department,
is jointly sponsored by Kew Gardens
and she had co-organised the exhibition.
It was fascinating to see a small sample
of the thousands of artefacts in storage:
a brick of tea and a cassava grater,
a 'lace' bonnet made with delicate bark,
an intricate bamboo pannier to carry a baby
and an exquisite fan of boxwood.

The most enjoyable aspect of the exhibition
was the knowledge that Caroline
had achieved a major milestone in her studies
and that the exhibition, which was enjoyed
by hundreds of people over the weekend,
would not have happened without her enthusiasm.

*****

I took a number of photographs at Kew
but this one delights me
because it captures the changeable light.

Sometimes one photograph is enough.

Monday Morning

2011-09-19T08:10:00.003+01:00

Today is the first day of term...

let's just look at a calming picture
of the Normandy countryside.

Deep breath.

Off I go.

nihil novi

2011-09-16T00:01:00.000+01:00

Pierre Bonnard (1867 - 1947)
Modele se deshabillant

MrsM looks in her wardrobe
and says to herself
"If only I can find ONE thing to wear
that is clean AND ironed
I absolutely PROMISE that
I will never ever EVER be so chaotic
about my laundry and ironing again."

And MrsM hears a stern voice
inside her head
which says
"You said that yesterday."

Time Management

2011-09-15T00:01:00.000+01:00

(1)
baked before bedtime

Strawberry cake

(2)
iced before breakfast

Chocolate cake

(3)
washed up after work

Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake Cake

Too
Much
Cake!

*****

It is a while since I have made the chocolate cake recipe - it used to be my favourite cake but it was quite dry - I think I will add sour cream next time. The lemon and blueberry cake, on the other hand, was delicious. I added blueberries to a standard Victoria sponge recipe and made a cream cheese frosting flavoured with lemon rind. It was light, moist and not too sweet. I don't eat as much sweet food as I used to and I think that my tastes might have changed. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

She Married Him

2011-09-13T23:49:00.005+01:00

Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender

MrM, MrsM and MissM
enjoy an evening at the cinema
watching Jane Eyre

MrsM
I thought it was an interesting script
because it assumed
that you knew the plot.

MissM
To be fair,
the only person in the world
who would be surprised
by the ending
is MasterM.

MrM
What do you mean?
He studied Jane Eyre
in his first year at University.

MrsM
I am afraid that he was too busy
to read the whole book
because it was 'so long'.
His strategic approach was to read the first half
and concentrate on character analysis in the exam.
He never read the end.

MrM
Why am I not surprised?