Weekend Wanderings
And s-t-r-e-t-c-h! It was good to be back at Pilates this morning, after three weeks off. The good news is that I can still get up off the floor fairly creditably and am not (too much) like a beached whale when it comes to changing position while on the floor.
Hey, I even remembered to take my mat! And one of those horrid plastic fivers to pay for the class, which I'd kept flat, so at least she'll be able to put it down and have it lie still for counting (unlike those which have been folded!)
I helped count the offering and other monies at Church yesterday after the morning service - there were about three weeks' worth of those too. I'm not much good at it. Oh, I can separate the various notes and coins into relevant piles. I even have a couple of heavier things with me to weight down the piles of plastic notes (now fivers and tenners. 'Orrible things!)
But actually add up? Yes, I know I have two very elderly Maths 'O' Levels and scraped a Maths 'A' Level many, many years ago. But I was never that good at it. These days I'm pretty poor at adding up, even if I use the calculator function in my phone. Reckon I need to write things down on squared paper, like we used to do at Primary school. That way everything would be in the correct columns. Always a good start. The Treasurer and I got the same total. Eventually.
Anyhew, after Pilates I was then feeling sufficiently 'up to it' to go raid the local supermarket for various bits. Last term I used to be just about up to hobbling home and collapsing with a cup of tea!
As this is all a bit jumbled, let's continue in that vein. Saturday I got the washing done and out on the line, the forecast being dry, if not sunny. Then H and I wrapped up warmly and headed for the Aspex Gallery, where they have several exhibitions:- Emergency - a collection of mixed media artworks by various artists and Wild Water - a collection of woven textiles on a smaller scale and all for sale. I liked these (apart from the prices, though I appreciate why.)
Then there was a collection of framed pictures from Generate - a group which emerged from a research project with the University of Portsmouth which aimed to explore how visual arts workshops could benefit the lives of people with dementia. Some of these were very good. There was also a slide loop from the Generate group, showing various group members and works-in-progress.
Having seen all that I now want to spend time with various colours of paint, some wide brushes and large sheets of paper experimenting with placing blocks and stripes of different colours next to each other. Yes, I know it's been done already, Dear Reader, but I want to experiment for myself. Unfortunately the Craft Room is still hip deep in bags of stuff (though we can now get the door open) and it's chilly up there at this time of year anyway. Ah well, maybe I'll put it on the 'Wish List' for the summer, so I can splash around out in the yard.
Then I had some lunch, a cup of coffee and knitted (current sock project) while H decided he didn't want lunch then, so 'suited himself' and mooched off. After which I pootled across to Old Portsmouth, past the Camber Dock, where the local fishing fleet, such as it now is, was tied up. One, Morning Star, looked a bit of a rust-bucket, particularly over the sides where the trawl nets/lobster pots would be hauled in.
It being high tide there was a huge container ship being guided into port by an attached tug. The ship was called Cote d'Ivorian Star, which I thought a bit of a fushion name; surely Etoile Cote d'Ivoirienne, but there you are. I wandered around a bit, looking at the Art Studios there, then retired to Manna to warm up with peppermint tea and some carrot cake.
And thence back to the Hard and a bus back home, with the real stars starting to come out overhead, where I found H had the kettle on and had fetched in the washing (which had kinda dried.)
I went round taking down the Christmas tree, cards and other decorations, it was Twelfth Night after all. After which I sat down with a cup of tea and continued knitting my New Year project - a hat, in sock yarn.
I enjoyed my weekend. Hope you enjoyed yours, Dear Reader. Now, I suppose, I'd better go dust where the Christmas cards have been for the past three weeks. Maybe even vacuum a bit too. Heigh ho!
Y'all have a good day now!
Hey, I even remembered to take my mat! And one of those horrid plastic fivers to pay for the class, which I'd kept flat, so at least she'll be able to put it down and have it lie still for counting (unlike those which have been folded!)
I helped count the offering and other monies at Church yesterday after the morning service - there were about three weeks' worth of those too. I'm not much good at it. Oh, I can separate the various notes and coins into relevant piles. I even have a couple of heavier things with me to weight down the piles of plastic notes (now fivers and tenners. 'Orrible things!)
But actually add up? Yes, I know I have two very elderly Maths 'O' Levels and scraped a Maths 'A' Level many, many years ago. But I was never that good at it. These days I'm pretty poor at adding up, even if I use the calculator function in my phone. Reckon I need to write things down on squared paper, like we used to do at Primary school. That way everything would be in the correct columns. Always a good start. The Treasurer and I got the same total. Eventually.
Anyhew, after Pilates I was then feeling sufficiently 'up to it' to go raid the local supermarket for various bits. Last term I used to be just about up to hobbling home and collapsing with a cup of tea!
As this is all a bit jumbled, let's continue in that vein. Saturday I got the washing done and out on the line, the forecast being dry, if not sunny. Then H and I wrapped up warmly and headed for the Aspex Gallery, where they have several exhibitions:- Emergency - a collection of mixed media artworks by various artists and Wild Water - a collection of woven textiles on a smaller scale and all for sale. I liked these (apart from the prices, though I appreciate why.)
Then there was a collection of framed pictures from Generate - a group which emerged from a research project with the University of Portsmouth which aimed to explore how visual arts workshops could benefit the lives of people with dementia. Some of these were very good. There was also a slide loop from the Generate group, showing various group members and works-in-progress.
Having seen all that I now want to spend time with various colours of paint, some wide brushes and large sheets of paper experimenting with placing blocks and stripes of different colours next to each other. Yes, I know it's been done already, Dear Reader, but I want to experiment for myself. Unfortunately the Craft Room is still hip deep in bags of stuff (though we can now get the door open) and it's chilly up there at this time of year anyway. Ah well, maybe I'll put it on the 'Wish List' for the summer, so I can splash around out in the yard.
Then I had some lunch, a cup of coffee and knitted (current sock project) while H decided he didn't want lunch then, so 'suited himself' and mooched off. After which I pootled across to Old Portsmouth, past the Camber Dock, where the local fishing fleet, such as it now is, was tied up. One, Morning Star, looked a bit of a rust-bucket, particularly over the sides where the trawl nets/lobster pots would be hauled in.
It being high tide there was a huge container ship being guided into port by an attached tug. The ship was called Cote d'Ivorian Star, which I thought a bit of a fushion name; surely Etoile Cote d'Ivoirienne, but there you are. I wandered around a bit, looking at the Art Studios there, then retired to Manna to warm up with peppermint tea and some carrot cake.
And thence back to the Hard and a bus back home, with the real stars starting to come out overhead, where I found H had the kettle on and had fetched in the washing (which had kinda dried.)
I went round taking down the Christmas tree, cards and other decorations, it was Twelfth Night after all. After which I sat down with a cup of tea and continued knitting my New Year project - a hat, in sock yarn.
I enjoyed my weekend. Hope you enjoyed yours, Dear Reader. Now, I suppose, I'd better go dust where the Christmas cards have been for the past three weeks. Maybe even vacuum a bit too. Heigh ho!
Y'all have a good day now!