Day 20

Day 20 in 30 days/30 things is-

A Hobby.

I would say I have many hobbies.
My painting, making things, collecting, gardening, baking and photography to name but a few.
I am going to share some of my photography with you today.

I only went over to a digital camera in 2006, before that I used a good Kodak film camera.

My camera now is nothing special, one day I will treat myself to a proper SLR, but there are many things higher on the list.

Hubby bought me a nice new, shiny, sparkly black laptop today!

I have been sewing a bit this week (but don't have a camera at the moment so can't photograph anything but will show you when I can).

Day 19 and a book

Day 19 in 30 days/30 things is-

A Talent of Yours

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Well if I can't blow my own trumpet now I never can!!!!

My talent I would say is pet portraits. I love using water colour and pencil.

I am not one of these people who can draw from imagination., I really need something in front of me to help me.

Silkie Sue

You can see most of this work over on my other blog everyday life emporium.

Newton

As you can see, I am rather partial to Cats!

But I do dogs too!

but yes so far it is mainly cats!

A scan of a painting doesn't show up the detail very well.

So there you have it. My Talent!

I finished reading my latest book last night.

Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons

What a fantastic story. It is set mainly in rural Dorset in the 1950's and it made me laugh a lot but also shed a tear or two. Well worth looking out for it should you be in need of a summer book to read.

Day 18

Day 18 in 30 days/30 things is-

Whatever tickles your fancy.

So I am going to tell you all about my holidays in Italy. There have in fact only been two so don't panic! Thought I would show you some of our holiday snaps.

About the time I was drooling over paintings in The National gallery (see day 17, previous post) I promised myself I would one day go to Florence to see the works of art for myself. About the same time, as students we went to the cinema quite a lot. The Cornerhouse in Manchester was one of our favourites and we saw many a film there. They tended to be Art Films but the odd mainstream one slipped through.

This is where we saw A Room With A View in 1986. (it's up there as one of my favourite films). This confirmed it, I wanted to go to Florence.

It took many years before by dream came true.

View of the dome from the Campanile, Florence.

Hubby took me to Tuscany for my 40th birthday.

The View from the top of Torre Grossa, San Gimignano.

We Stayed just outside the beautiful walled town of San Gimignano.

The Campanile, Florence.

We visited Florence, Siena, Monteriggioni, Volterra, Berberino, Certaldo, Chianti and Panzano.

The Roman ruins in Volterra.

Me at the Font Gaia in Piazza del Campo, Siena.

We spent one whole day in Florence and one in Siena.

View of the Duomo from the top of the Torre dell Mangia, Siena.

Then a few years later I was lucky enough to have a great holiday with my mum in Italy.

This time we really did too much!

We landed in Venice........we called in on Bologna.....
...stopped off in Florence..........had a whistle stop tour of Siena.....

....and Pisa..... ......before arriving in Rome......
Exhausted!

Incidentally, The Cornerhouse was where we saw another film starring Helena Bonham Carter, Lady Jane. About the short life of the Queen of Nine Days. (see previous post!) Watch a trailer here.

Day 17

Day 17 in 30 days/30 things is-

A favourite piece of artwork.

Now I really, really found this hard. To pick just one when my taste is so varied and I like different pieces for different reasons.

But in the end I chose this one. The execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche. It is a sad painting I know but this is not the reason I picked it. MANY years ago when I was doing my Foundation in Art and Design course we use to go 'down to London' to look at the art galleries. We had many a trip down and saw some wonderful pieces.

This paining in the National Gallery was one that stuck in my mind, the detail is perfect and I could sit and look at it for hours. The straw, the pearls and the silk of her gown just look so real it's hard not to think if you touched them you would feel them.

If you click on the painting title you get a little more information about the subject.

Day 16

What happened to day 15 I hear you ask. Well day 15 in 30 days/30 was a Fanfic.This didn't inspire me I'm afraid, LissyLou agrees with me.

But day 16, well the topic is A song that makes you cry (or almost)

This is easy.

Smile by Nat King Cole.

Click on the picture to hear it.

Charlie Chaplin composed the music for this and used it in his film, Modern Times. John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics in 1954 and it was recorded the same year by Nat King Cole. I remember it being played a lot on the radio around the time I was having a bit of a bad time and even now it brings a tear to my eye.

Day 14 Non-fiction book

Day 14 in 30 days/30 things.

A non-fiction book.

I have already mentioned my favourite book, The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill which is a non-fiction book but the one I chose to tell you about today is-


Once in a house on fire by Andrea Ashworth.

It is a biography of a young girl growing up in Manchester in the 1970's. Despite her tough early life she goes on to study at Oxford. This book is fantastic for anyone who grew up in the 70's especially in the North of England. Throughout it touches on the music of the time and her memories attached to it.

I have had a lovely day out with Hubby today and will share it with you during the week. It's a busy day tomorrow too and my camera is being loaned out again so I will be lost without it for a week.

Have a good week everyone.

Day 13 and other stuff!

Day 13 in 30 days/30 things is A novel.

I try to read fiction and non-fiction alternately and when I sat down to think about a good novel I have to say non-fiction titles kept popping into my head. I know I have read some excellent novels from the classics through to chick-lit, my tastes vary widely but the one I will recommend today is by one of my favourite authors Susan Hill.

It is a ghost story called A Woman in Black. A good spooky page turner. It has no horror or blood but is like the good old fashioned ghost stories told around a roaring fire on a cold winters night.

Day 12

Yesterday was Whatever tickles your fancy and I spent the day with my mum. Every year we go to the RHS Show at Tatton but with me not being 100% still and mum's arthritis playing up we decided not to go this year.

So we drove to Daresbury, Cheshire. We stopped off at All Saints church.A Curate of the parish was the Reverend Charles Dodgson. His son was born in 1832, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, or better known as Lewis Carroll. There is a stained glass window in the church placed in there 1932 to commemorate his birth 100 years earlier. At the bottom are characters from his 'Alice' books.

Daresbury is a Conservation area and has 3 listed 'buildings', All Saints Church, The old Sessions house (1841) and the 1930's telephone kiosk!

Then we went a little way down the road to Walton Hall Park. My mum and dad often brought me and my brother here when we were children.

Walton Hall Country Estate was bought by the Greenall Family, famous in the Brewing Industry, in 1812.

The Hall was built in Elizabethan Style in the 1830's but only the East wing remains. The Family sold the land and hall in 1941 and in 1945 the council bought it as a public park. It has a small zoo, cafe, formal gardens a small golf course and parkland. The hall has recently been refurbished and is licenced to hold weddings. On the bank of the ornamental pond was a family of Moorhens. This little baby was a small ball of black fluff with the BIGGEST feet you have ever seen! We had our lunch at the Ring'o'bells in Daresbury. Then it was back through Runcorn and a visit to her allotment on the way home.

On Thursday I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from School and lots of cards and gifts from the children. I am very lucky aren't I?