What is it #7

The skies have been extraordinary this summer- I have seen so many amazing clouds.  Once more, I spotted one which reminded me of something.  So here's a glorious red sky with a cloud masquerading as something else. What do you think it is?

Leave a comment in the box and tell me what you think!  It's really fun seeing what you come up with!

xx


As to the last one- I saw something quite specific. I saw a very thin and bony old Oriental gentleman  (he is facing to the right) wearing the traditional fisherman's hat with a wispy beard coming from his chin. he has droopy eye-lids.

Do youseeitnow!

The man he lopped off part of the 3rd largest channel islands

I love those joker rounds at Quiz nights where you have to find out the name of tube stations from Cryptic clues. Being a saddo, I made up my own clues the first time I came across these for a future quiz- I even shared these on my blog as a Christmas activity. The above clue was what I came up with for Cutty Sark. Long-winded and slightly too tenuous!

Two weeks ago, CBC and I went up to Greenwich to meet his old flat-mate who moved back to her native-South Africa 2 years ago.  It was really nice to catch up with her at Wagamamas at North Greenwich- I've never been that close to the Millennium dome (I don't care if it's called the O2- it's the Dome to me!)- am I one of the few London-based people never to have visited it?

After she went off to the Airport, we decided to head into Old naval Greenwich for a quick look at the market and around.  It's really lovely there- so historic and picturesque-I am not surprised it is such a draw for tourists!   Again, I've not really been there in my adult life. Only twice in 15 years-once to chase Tibetan Buddhist monks for an interview about the role of music in their daily life as part of a University essay during a World-Music festival (how lucky was I that Tibetan Buddhist monks were performing in a free world music festival JUST at the time I was doing my 'Music traditions of the far East' essay. The other time was my sister's Uni graduation and it was dark then.


After managing to resist the market, CBC and I headed to Greenwich park to eat cakes from Jamie's kitchen, sitting with the old Greenwich Observatory behind us- look at that view of London- isn't it beautiful in an Urban way.


As we walked back, I noticed one of these painted park book benches that I'd only heard Ang mention on her blog that week, so we photographed it.

That day, CBC and I had been in a grump with each other- so when we headed off to our local town for him to get a haircut that morning, I thought we were going home before meeting the friend. It was overcast and threatening rain that morning so I ventured out in trousers, a long-sleeved top and no hat. It was with anxiety that I noticed the arrival of a rather scorching hot sun. It coincided with trying on this hat in Sue Ryder whilst I tried to kill time waiting for CBC. The manager scooted over pretty sharpish and told me, "That hat REALLY suits you!!!".  Ahrgh, not what I wanted to hear when not wanting to spend money but I was aware of being out without a hat.  As it happens, I would have got really sunburnt had I not bought it.


After we headed towards the Cutty Sark, finally renovated after the devastation of the fire a couple of years ago. It looks great BUT has this silly glass structure around it and a huge glass-covered staircase to get in which spoils the historic look.  Still, this important ship is still very impressive!

We walked along the Thames a little and I saw the foot-tunnel under the river Thames which I've never seen.
It was a lovely place to wander on a dewy, hot evening.



Better get this ship moving. Aye, aye capt'n!

xx

Linking with the fabulous Style Crone for HAT ATTACK!

Snippety snip!

Despite Ang's not being able to imagine me without my long swinging locks as part of my style, I went for the snip on Wednesday afternoon.  Alas, I chickened out of the chin-length flapper bob that I wanted to have but next time...  It's a bit of a shock but like every time I have it cut (usually to shoulder level), I always love it and never regret it.  Well, this time is no different except that I think it's actually a bit wonky!
And now I can wear this hat again as it looks silly with long hair!


I was TRYING to use CBC's Samsung propped up against a bookstand on the picnic table for this as my camera battery is dead but the light was all a little weird.  I decided to do  monochrome look. I went over to my dear Canadian friend's flat to keep her company on her last day (before she returns home tomorrow) today as she tried to pack.  I just felt sad but we kept jolly as she tried to dispose of a zillion and one items. Honestly, if you ever move to a different country temporarily, DO NOT TAKE MANY THINGS WITH YOU!!!  She had to get rid of loads of items. We (and she earlier) took bags and bags to the charity shops and I ended up with a huge bag of items of cosmetics, a few clothes and trinklets. The polka dot vest-top was hers- I went to try it on in her bathroom and kept it on- I quite like the contrast in the anti-polka dot cardigan(you know matter, anti-matter, polka dots, anti-polka dots...No?)
CBC was in a BIG mood as I was buying her chest of drawers from her- we had to manhandle a chest of drawers across the town centre to the car park!
But as we said, it's not goodbye, it's just 'See you later' as we will keep in touch and hopefully visit each other.

xx

Linking with the fabulous Style Crone's HAT ATTACK!

x

What is it? #6 Bad dreams?!

I had a weird dream  a couple of nights ago- I dreamt that I kept seeing amazing shaped clouds and really wanted to snap them for my blog but couldn't get to my camera! It's bad if you dream about blogging!x

Anyway, I have another cloud-based picture for you. I see something when I look at this picture and wonder if you see the same.  Please leave your answers in the comments box- it's so much fun comparing what people think and going "Why did they think that?"




FYI, the last one, no one quite got what I saw- I saw Zeus's head in the sky, shooting firebolts from his eyes at the disobedient people out of shot. And just below him, you could see Apollo maybe (might actually be muddling up my Greek and Roman gods!)

Click on the What is it label to see the others you might have missed.

xxx

Pink rose hat

I really do think you find lovely things in charity shops (I know I'm preaching to the converted...) - I was so chuffed to find this Dorothy Perkins floral dress in the charity shop a few weeks ago for a mere £3 so I wore it to a party that night- 100% cotton and empire-line with skater-skirt- it was a size 6 so fitted my chest perfectly but because it was loose, also my bottom half- I have occasional issues with top and bottom matching up! The cardie was brand-new Monsoon from a charity shop some years ago in my favourite colour but never wanted to buy one in actual Monsoon as even at 70% off, they still seemed over-priced. But £2.50 in the charity shop seems good to me!  The necklace was also from one too.

The hat was one of those 4 hats I bought when my Mum got married. She decreed we must wear hats and I ended up with 4 when I went for one. It's fun but not too ostentatious! Not that I have any objection to ostentatious hats you understand.

This was taken a while ago but I have been trying not to post loads of outfits. Somehow it sometimes stunts what I want to say, not always though.

Various things happened this week:
1. It was my end of year concert this Monday. It went very well and all performed well and enjoyed it. My Headteacher was sad that it was her last one before she leaves. The day itself was very stressful as so many children forgot their music, there were two special assemblies in the morning and Class-Swap (where they go and get the score from their new teacher) and then I somehow set up the hall (i.e. remove all the mats, set up all the chairs and equipment and stands and set up the orchestra etc and then rehearse all the soloists AND choir, orchestra, recorders, drumming club AND fit in a mini performance to the school between 11.30 and 3.15. Headless chicken was a good description. I ranted at a couple of children who seemed to have forgotten their brains everything but all was well apart from that.
2.  We got the results back from the recorder exams and ALL 8 of my pupils got a Distinction- this is the highest grade you can get for a music exam (130+ out of 150).  The lowest mark was 130 and the highest was 140! I was so happy and they were so excited, particularly as my friend who was doing some recorder exams with the examiner said they failed quite a few children in her ensemble.
3.  I am so annoyed. I went to Asda earlier and bought a cute watermelon handbag and a cat blouse (from the kids section) and I somehow left them on the counter (I don't remember the checkout lady passing me the bag at all) and realised when I was on the train. I phoned customer services and they haven't found it- so either some stranger filched it or the checkout girl is not being too honest. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Serves me right for shopping really.
4. We went Swing-dancing at a different location of our dance franchise's classes and it was huge fun!  We danced loads and had a great time learning from the founder of the dance school- he is brilliant and it was nice to chat to some of our acquaintances from OUR class who came along.
5. I am totally obsessed with watching The House of Elliot reruns  on Youtube!!!! I love it! I really want a flapper bob now!!! Totally tempted to go and get one done!  Louise Lombard who played Evie Elliot used to go to my dance school (we have a few famous alumni- We have a video of her as the princess in Jack and the beanstalk  when I was 5) and she is so preeeeeeettty!!!
6. I had a really cool reunion of my old sixth form school on Saturday which I'll tell you more about.
7. It's the last day of school tomorrow! We are having an amazing tea-party and then going out for a meal. Hope the thief of my watermelon bag hands it in so I can get it back to use for the evening!  We have the talent show in the morning- I am playing piano for my mini-me, she's playing violin! (she's the one who has lots of cool hats, wants to be ME when she grows up and dressed up as me for 'dress as your ambition' day). It's going to be a sad day. My Canadian colleague is going back home on Friday. I am so sad. She bought me a really beautiful skirt and wrote me the loveliest card.


Linking up to Judith, AKA the Style Crone's next link-up. I am going to be away for the next time so getting in early!


Also linking up to Renae's Fashion item Friday

xx

Cards from Africa

Every so often I find an organisation who do something brilliant that I want to share. Or an awesome shop or product. Or a brilliant method of recycling. Or something wonderful and fair-trade.

Well, here I am, sharing a wonderful shop and organisation who do all three.

Cards from Africa
 http://www.cardsfromafrica.co.uk/ 

They exist to improve the quality of life for orphaned youth in Rwanda.  They are a fairtrade organisation

I thought I'd leave it to the founders to tell you about what they do in more detail:

We provide them with employment handcrafting greeting cards that truly embody better lives. Our staff receive fair wages and valuable life skills while our customers are delivered excellence.

Our Approach

Cards from Africa is a part of a new generation of African businesses setting a trend in our divided world. We make high quality products, made in one of the poorest countries, available to the international market at competitive prices. In return, we offer well-paid employment to those who need it the most. Furthermore, our business model is to provide a stepping-stone for our staff to transition easily to another career or start their own business someday. We are currently developing a program to effectively teach entrepreneurial, management, and practical business skills to our staff. By unleashing creativity, teaching valuable skills, and fostering self-worth, we are confident that someday they will be able to access the international market themselves and contribute to a thriving economy and better quality of life for all Rwandans.

A Brief History

The idea for Cards from Africa came to British founder, Chris Page, in 2004, inspired by a Kenyan doctor who had started a similar endeavor to generate income for women in a Nairobian slum. Chris teamed up with Rwandan artist Gabriel Dusabe and together they learned how to make paper and create simple card prototypes. Their first employee was a young orphaned woman named Ariette. After one month's time they asked her to bring another friend to train but she brought two! Shortly after, twenty more orphaned youth were trained and the business was born. Our profits are continually reinvested into company operations as well as the lives of our staff. Our hope is to grow to provide steady employment to 300 orphaned young people in Rwanda and to provide a model for sustainable job creation in Africa.

Our Values

We run this business because we believe that God has a heart for the poor and marginalized in society and that faith requires action: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, `Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,´ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:15-17)

We believe that all people are precious and that we must do more than provide jobs: we must take care of the entire person. As a result, we take a holistic approach to employment. For example, we spend 30 minutes at the beginning of each day with our staff discussing practical, spiritual, and emotional issues affecting their lives. The life skills acquired from these discussions have proven to be invaluable to their growth. Our staff warmly embrace our faith-inspired intentions.

They are fairtrade because: 

1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers

2. Transparency and accountability

3. Capacity building

4. Promoting Fair Trade

5. Payment of a fair price

Here are some of their cards:

Here are just some of their really cool designs!  I came across them when the founder of it came to talk to us at church about what they did and bring along a selection of cards to sell.  They were exquisite in person, really finely made and vibrant.  I think it's really cool that they set up these children and young people who might otherwise end up in poverty and help them to learn business skills as well as crafting, learning to be an artisan and being able to support a household. Watch the video for more about what they do.

And please please go and look at and maybe buy some of the cards, you won't be disappointed!

Cards from Africa

What do you think of them?


xxx

I feel really silly saying this but I blogged this because I think it's cool, not because I am a sponsored blogger of any kind!

Alcohol and me

Alcohol!!! It's a staple of many lives and provides a whole industry and employment base. It causes enjoyment, fun and at the same time, can devastate lives. It divides many people in different cultures and unites others.

I thought I'd write a little about my relationship with alcohol.  As many of you will have read, or know, or probably don't know, I don't really drink.  I'm not a tee-totaller as very occasionally, I will drink something, but largely, I steer clear.  This has, in the past, made some people regard me with bafflement and in some cases a little suspicion. I had a boss who really couldn't understand it and told me that people don't trust people who don't drink when they are and that if I just kept drinking, I'd acquire a taste for it. He used to go on and on at me if the subject of alcohol came up.

As a child, my parents drank around me, and it was never taboo, they'd always offer to let us try things. My older sister really liked most things she tried, whereas I would try with a look of abject disgust and then later on, refuse it, knowing that I would not enjoy it.

It wasn't until I was a teenager, that alcopops came out.  I tried an orange hooch at a party and quite liked it.  I would then have one or two of these at parties or if we went out.  However, I'd never have more than two or very occasionally three because it did seem to me that it was a bit of a waste of money (I earnt all my money through working in a chip shop, dog-walking and occasional gigs- I didn't get given any for going out).  I wanted to spend my spare money on clothes since I bought those myself mainly and also saved for University. I always hated the idea of having no money so I was determined to save it when I had it. Also, I was always absolutely determined not to appear drunk or as an idiot. Furthermore, the idea of being sick from alcohol was utterly abhorrent for me. I really hated being sick.

When I got to University, again, I earnt all my own money and my student loan was strictly for buying my flutes and eventually my year in Bali.  I drank a few drinks at the student union but I tended to find I absolutely hated wine and beer- so bitter and foul (liquid fart if you want me to be totally honest), though I would drink some white wine to be social,  and those fruity drinks such as Archers, Bacardi Breezers, Metz and even cider were just too sweet for me, I could only drink a little.

There were two occasions at University where I experienced the nasty side of alcohol. At a party nearing the end of my First year, I drank some Hock wine with my friend and then realising I was a little drunk, I grabbed what I thought was a glass of water of hers and gulped it down, which turned out to be neat Vodka- I was SO ill after that drink and blacked out for much of the evening. A scary experience.

The second occasion was in my third year, I went to the same person's party and was not very well though I didn't drink much.  That kind of sealed it for me.

Throughout my study, I would have 1, 2 or 3 drinks when we went out (maybe after a concert, maybe every other week or so) but not always alcohol. Again, I was so aware of the amount of money I had and I loved buying clothes. My Mum couldn't bail me out if I had got into debt, I had to be responsible.

The final nail in my coffin of alcohol-drinking was going to study in Bali.   Before I went, I thought about my situation. I was a girl by myself in a foreign country a LONG way from home. I had no idea of what life would be like and I decided it wouldn't be safe for me to drink at all when I was there.   I was in a foreign country alone and didn't want any opportunity for not being in control of myself there .  And do you know what,  I didn't miss it at all.  To be fair, all that you could get there cheaply was nasty, yucky Bintang beer  (Beer- I detested) and horrid Arak- femented rice drink. I wasn't missing anything. If I had bought imported alcohol on the rare occasions I went out to tourist areas, it would totally mess with my very strict food and drink budget and I valued being able to eat and enjoy my food rather than drinking alcohol just to be social.  

When I returned from Bali, I decided there was no point in drinking for me then on.  I realised I've never really liked that bitter taste that it has and I could have a lovely tasting alcohol-free drink for cheaper!  Why pay more money for something I'm not really fond of just to be 'socially acceptable.'  And who cares if people think I was boring, if I can't be myself around people without alcohol, then I'm not sure I want to be around those people.  Mind you, even when out, I don't have loads of soft drinks, as again it feels like a waste unless I am actually thirsty. Too much sweet stuff is just too much for me.  As I said, I not tee-total, occasionally, I might have a glass of Pimms (nice!) at a wedding and grimacing over the toasting wine or one cocktail or a glass but that is very very seldom as London-prices are extortionate! One, very very rarely would be enough.

As a Christian too, I do not want to be beholden to anything that would control my behaviour negatively or otherwise and so this is just another reason that I prefer to avoid it.  

Furthermore, I am aware of just how much money I save through my not drinking.  Not having a drink on those occasions I go out will mean being able to afford something else I want instead.  Plus, several friends have told me the wine is what they think increases their waistline. Whether that's true or not, I like to think I am holding off any potential weight-gain.

I am not against other people drinking, that is their business - though as an aside I find the whole 'going out just to get hammered' a little wasteful and pointless.  I have known two people I really like die from alcohol poisoning being alcoholics- one was my childhood-next door neighbour- he predeceased his parents- he was such a nice man and it was such a waste. Another was the husband of a friend. I immediately clocked his alcoholism within weeks of getting to know him. He died too, around 3 years after I first met him and I just found it futile that they essentially killed themselves.  Two other people (another neighbour) and another friend's husband both have similar alcoholic tendencies- I can see it happening again and that makes me sadder than I can say.  When I see alcoholics on the street, homeless or otherwise, decent people who have become prey to a liquid, that really gets to me.

So that's my take on alcohol- something I would  rather avoid due to personal preference, financial reasons, experience of others and  A bit rambly but tells you my picture.

What about you? What's your take on it?

Take me sailing

When I wore this last week at school, one of my children commented that I had worn trains, cars, bicycles and now boats to school on her rehearsal days in the past couple of weeks. I laughed and realised she was right! It was total coincidence! This was the naughty dress I bought in Hay-on-Wye to CBC's chagrin. It's from a Cornish brand called Seasalt.  I really like their things. It was a toss up between this and a pirate map dress!

Above was how I wore it to school and below, was when I wore it to Retro Sunday- our Swing dance class's monthly social.  I was determined to somehow pin my hair up to stop me from getting totally and sweaty- I am always the bright red one on the dance floor!  We've missed swing dance for the last 4 weeks so it was lovely to go and dance after a month's break!



Tonight was our school's exhibition evening- it's where all the work is shown to mark the end of the year. It always exhilarates me- I was on such a high after it, but it was bittersweet- so much is changing this year- 5 teachers leaving and my Headteacher is leaving.  I have really enjoyed much of this year, many or indeed most of my orchestra is leaving, my lovely recorder players, my choir, I will really miss them. My timetable is changing- despite having the time in my timetable, I wont be teaching music to Reception due to the cover teacher timetable but will be teaching a couple of non-music lessons in Year 1 and 2 (urgh! I am a KS2 teacher!) .  I am incredibly sad about it- I love teaching music to the little ones. Their delight, seeing their confidence and development. I love the lack of constraints over what to teach. The fun and games.

After my performances in the hall (the Year 2 choir and the recorder ensembles played), I was looking around the Reception classrooms and one little girl and her Mum came in. They were talking to the class teacher and she saw me and said, "And this is Mrs A".  A smile erupted over that Mum's face and she said. "YOU'RE Mrs A!".  I replied, "Yes, why what have I done?".  She told me that the child talks about me all the time, Mrs A says this, Mrs A taught us that, Mrs A asked us to do this.  She said that she sings day and night and the sweet thing is that she said that they try and sing along with her, even though they don't know the words.  That made the bittersweet feeling all the more greater- they always love you in Reception!

I was SO proud of the children and my imaginative and hard-working colleagues- so much imagination, care and vision.  As I walked around my school, I remembered how lucky I am. And I hope and pray, as my daily life changes, that I will continue to remember this.

xx

What is it? #5

Another one of these cloud pictures but it's a particularly fine one!!!! CBC picked me up from the station when I spied this!  I asked him to wait a moment and ran down the road to take a picture!!

As usual, what do you see when you look at this picture?! All details or interpretations welcome.  I know what I think it looks like.  Please leave your answers below in the comments box.






Oh and the last one, I thought it was a dog and a rabbit meeting each other (and shaking hands).  Lisa-Jane was the closest identifying the dog and rabbit, but several other people saw rabbits too!  I love hearing how different people interpret it!


Click here for previous #What is it? posts.

What is it? #1
What is it? #2
What is it? #3
What is it? #4


Linking to Wordless Wednesday with Claire Justine

On the Trains

This is a little bit overdue, but here's the frantic last-minute card I made for my Dad for Father's day.  All recycled apart from the black base card. The train card was the back of a Cath Kidston catalogue (and indeed I own the dress in this print)



The blue was some scrap card of sorts. I have a set of very useful small letter punches which I occasionally use for cards. I think this is a simple effective way of making a card for any purpose- find a suitable themed backing paper and then punch letters to make a message!


Linking to Claire Justine's Creative Mondays

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes!

Firstly, I would like to know if all those hats belong to her?  Or is she in a hat boutique? And is that a horse hoof in the background? Why is there a horse in the room? Anyway, onto the main affair. I really liked the look of the Two Birds inspiration this week- lovely shade of blue and white and of course a nice hat and instantly knew I had items I could use to recreate this. Both are also items I don't wear very often thus making the endeavour even more profitable/noble (so noble am I- in the rescuing of unloved articles).  The hat,well that is neither here no there- it is black and white patterned but always looks grey in pictures.



Irritating that the light in the garden was really hard to get the colours and textures of this outfit right.

I'll tell you why I don't wear the top very often.  Look at the ruffle- that is a PAIN to iron and we all know I don't like doing ironing.  I remember buying this in Oasis in 2002- very excited I was because it was cheap in the sale. Then I disappeared off to Bali for the year, having not worn it. When I came back, I went off to Music camp and ended up wearing this top for some musical we did where we had to do some sort of Latin dance and I thought ruffles were suitable (Hmmm, Prince Charming more like) and wore it with a lurid turquoise floral sarong.

The dress (for it is a dress) was from Monsoon's Fusion range and was also exciting because I love a good white frock and it was 70% off.  But it has ties at the top for straps and I don't always get it right when tying it plus it doesn't lie well with bra straps (sorry TMI) and I don't like strapless with white! Plus, it always looks creased.

Ha, here you can see the detail on the hat- it is not grey! Oooh, and an Oasis necklace I've had since about 2000, which I TOTALLY copied my friend Zoe in buying (she had it in pink!)

You can see the floral embroidery detail here (and creases).  Please also note the toe-nail polish which matches the lady in the inspiration picture's blue- I am nothing if not a slave to detail ;-)

And yes, as aforementioned, kindly do not step on my blue suede shoes, they are peep-toes and it would surely hurt. Thank you for your concern.*

xxx



*Doesn't quite have the smash-hit feel to it now, does it?!



As well as the lovely Two Birds, I am linking up to Visible Monday with fabulous Patti.

By the lake

One of the things I enjoy about my long walk to and from school is the walk by the park.  There is something really dreamy and soothing about walking past a lake.  If I am coming home after about 7, I find it almost totally deserted by this side of the lake and I sometimes like to sit and daydream whilst sitting by the lake, staring at the water.

It would be a lovely spot to sit and read as it approaches dusk. Peaceful and calm.

I really love balmy summer nights in floral frocks- this dress was from a charity shop originally but it was brand new. I sometimes wonder if I share too much. My favourite TA at school admired it and I immediately launched into a tale about how it came from a charity shop.
The weather has turned but the joy of summer is still in my heart.
I am glad it is the weekend and I am without plans! Also, it seems, without words.

Hope your weekend is enjoyable. xx



linking to Welcome to the Weekend with Claire Justine

Join in with the link yourself! 1. Link up as many of your favourite posts from this week. 2. Follow me and Nekky if you would like to? and let us know if you are new followers so we can follow you back. 3. Grab the welcome to the weekend button and blog hop code or link back to the hop and share the hop or link back to one of us if you wish, to help spread the word of the blog hop. 4. Have fun hoping around new blogs and finding new posts to read, blogs to comment on and new followers. 5. Please stop by a few blogs and leave comment after linking up to and comment back if someone stops by, it makes the blog hop much more fun :)

New takes on old ideas: Pepys show

Have I mentioned the books at my Grandad's?
Well, he had a lot of books! He'd obviously spent a lot of money over the years but the sad thing is, nowadays, it does seem that people don't want them as much. Less reading? More Kindles? Less space in houses for them? Minimalism?
I am quite sure CBC would like me to be more minimal- I got rid of a LOT of books when we moved but I still have loads (and erm, have acquired a few more from Grandad's). I think the thing that makes me sad is when books end up in landfill or just get dumped so I like to think of my home as a book sanctuary.

Image borrowed from Publishersweekly.com

One of the books that caught my eye on Grandad's shelf was 'The journal of Mrs Pepys'. (pronounced Peeps)  I saw it and thought, "Hold on, that's not right!!!".  Of course it wasn't, the famous one is of course, The Diary of Samuel Pepys in many volumes.  As I am sure you are aware, we have Samuel Pepys to thank for much of our first-hand account of the Great Fire of London in 1666 (and perhaps the Plague too).  I did actually buy a copy of one volume of his diary from a charity shop some years ago but it didn't survive the moving house cull. It was unread.  Sara Davis, author of this book, created a fictional diary based on his wife, Elizabeth Pepys, using the diary of Samuel as evidence, material and also knowledge of the period generally. I was intrigued to try it since the true historical one had somehow not tempted me to start it.

I am so glad I took it! It proved a fascinating and entertaining read. I liked the character Elizabeth, felt her pain and frustrations and I liked it being told from a women's point of view (I do like first person writing)- more every day things are covered. It was really interesting reading about things such as the Plague and the fire because I haven't studied them for years so it is all a bit hazy in my mind (although I have really strong memories of a VHS video about the plague that we watched in the '90's in history at school.).  She sounded like she suffered a lot from the frustrations of being a woman at home and trying to turn a blind eye to the infidelities of her husband.

The account was really interesting because to be honest, I had no idea who Pepys was apart from someone who wrote a diary- he was much more important than I thought.  The diary charts the progress of Elizabeth and Sam from living in rented lodgings in an attic to having their own establishment, owning much and being very prosperous.  Interesting too that they did not/could not have any children- I kept wondering as to why, whose body was not able to provide an ingredient, and how this was viewed by the world at large (that wasn't covered) at that time since even nowadays, I find that people find it surprising if you are married and don't have children (don't get me started on that).

In conclusion, she sounded a very interesting woman, I grew to care about her, and Sam, despite both their fallacies and the conclusion to this is that now I really want to read the diary of Samuel Pepys.  I've found Pepys' 'Later Diaries' at Grandad's and know that my cousin has a Folio edition copy of the complete diaries so hope to acquire these if I can!  I really do recommend this.

What is it? #4

Back to my old favourite, the humble cloud.
Below is are pictures of some clouds. Take a look at the dark patch near the centre- what do you see? What does it remind you of?  I know what it reminds me of and it also reminded CBC of it- even though he gets annoyed at my constant cloud-spotting on long car journeys (5 hours from Wales- yay!)


Not sure?

Have a look at a closeup:

Leave your answers below in the comments.


xx

Click on the label, 'What is it?' to see any of the previous ones you've missed.