Thursday 29 November 2012

A fresh outlook




The kitchen at the Retirement Home
was dark, cold and only superficially functional
with its high cupboards and 
very odd eye-level drawers.


We took out this cupboard and its concussing drawers, 
and the wall behind it for good measure.
(What we put behind that is another post.)


Then we ripped out all the other cupboards


 and poked a new window in this wall


and we liked what we saw.



Of course when I say 'we', I mean 'they', and 'they'
have been taking an unconscionable time about it.
It's not finished yet and I will spare you 
the grief they have put us through, because that will recede
but I thought you might like a sneak preview.





Wednesday 21 November 2012

Way to go


As the ambulance on a blue light
hurtled towards me on my drive to Pilates this morning,
this was playing on the radio:



Well there are worse ways to go.


Jacob's Ladder by William Blake.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Light work




While grubby building work continues in a laggardly fashion,
I take solace in these swift, clean, weightless
shadows and reflections.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY









But wasn't it yesterday? said Pooh a little anxiously.
'Wasn't what yesterday?' said Owl.
'His birthday. Isn't that what you are writing about?'
'Well yes, it does seem like only yesterday,
but I am getting a little confused lately.'
Pooh looked on with a thoughtful expression.
'Well then I think you must make up for your forgetting
to write about it yesterday.
I daresay he is a Forgiving Sort.
Write something in capital letters
and he will hear you shouting.'
So Owl wrote with her long pencil,
HIPY HAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY
FOR YISTUDY.

And everyone hoped he would like his
nicely painted bedroom when next he came home.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

The candle factory






In the Bleak Midwinter
Wordled and fiddled about with.
16 million HTML colour codes to play with.
Such fun.

Monday 5 November 2012

Catching up


I should be planting bulbs
but I'm late.
I'd like to be the sort of gardener who 
can listen to exploding fireworks
smug in the knowledge that hundreds of narcissi,
tulips, and alliums  
have long since been interred in pots, lawn and borders.  
Sadly there won't be any hyacinths flowering indoors
for Christmas because I didn't force them in time
and I haven't even received my Paperwhites yet.
I'm going to have to plant these with more support this year
as artfully balancing them on pebbles
has more than once resulted in an unwieldy mass
of toppling foliage.

I have got a few sprouting crocuses and muscari.
Sarah Raven advised planting crocuses in a sunny spot
to encourage them to open fully.


The shyest of our visiting cats pinpointed
the ideal position under a silver birch
visible from the kitchen window.


By the time I got out there,

Let's hope the squirrels weren't watching where I put them.