(no subject)
It's funny how, if I have my usual Sunday of rising late, reading newspapers and snarking at Gardener's Question Time and the Food Programme, the day seems to fritter itself away very quickly, while if I actually do anything it seems to last much longer. Yesterday, I was up reasonably early to make stew and sort box after box of fabric, then headed off to Kenwood for a very pleasant afternoon with idahoswede. Due to knee and hip problems, we pottered slowly and gently about, but managed to fit in the whole of the house (I think, since the layout is a bit confusing) and a bit of the garden. The spectacular Suffolk collection of late Tudor/Stuart portraits is still on display, and we drooled over the clothes, especially a wonderful pair of embroidered shoes, although it closed almost as soon as we got there. We also managed, on the day before Bonfire Night to take tea in the garden, without hypothermia, although it did get a bit chilly later. The grounds were beautifully autumnal, and busy with Hampstead families and their well-beseen dogs. Ken Wood is a great place to see pretty, pedigree-type dogs, if you like that sort of thing, I was rather taken by a golden-brown King Charles spaniel called Cedric. Alas, my camera battery conked out, so you will have to take my word for it that the golden trees were reflected prettily in the lake under a clear pale blue autumn sky. I did manage to get some nice pictures of clumps of fungi growing out of a dead tree in the grounds, including (because a dirty mind is a perpetual feast) a Rude Mushroom.
In the evening, Jades's sister the fashion student came round and selected swatches for her next project from the European Fabric Mountain, which is presently living in my bedroom. She has to present a selection of swatches and sketches for a notional project based on an idea taken from the V&A Couture show we saw the other week. Hers seems to be based on mathematics, so I zoned out when she described it, but it needs fairly solid, pleatable fabrics. She came up with a lovely range of gray cotton and undyed linen and silks, plus a few bits of polyester crepe in wintry, pale colours. We ate stew and talked about wild silks and green living, and made plans to visit the Natural History Museum to see the infestation of fairies they are dealing with at the moment, since she is a big fairy fan, and I'm very interested in museum pest control. Their skating rink and Christmas shopping fair open on November 8, so we'll probably take those in too.
So Sunday was pretty well-spent, and seemed to last ages, in a good way.
Mind you, Saturday was shot by the Arsenal/Man United match, which screwed up traffic as usual, effectively confining me to places within walking distance. The fireworks, which I had been dreading, were relatively restrained. The big public displays around here were mostly on Saturday night, and I was able to watch the Ally Pally ones from my balcony as usual, but without a coat this year. Even Firework-Loving Man, just down the road, ceased detonations by half eleven at night, although he did manage his usual bonfire, in a tiny London back garden. I couldn't see the actual fire, but the flames were reflected off the backs of the neighbouring houses in a worrying way. I wonder how much noise we'll get tonight.
ETA - Just been reminded that I didn't put up the pictures of the fungi.
In the evening, Jades's sister the fashion student came round and selected swatches for her next project from the European Fabric Mountain, which is presently living in my bedroom. She has to present a selection of swatches and sketches for a notional project based on an idea taken from the V&A Couture show we saw the other week. Hers seems to be based on mathematics, so I zoned out when she described it, but it needs fairly solid, pleatable fabrics. She came up with a lovely range of gray cotton and undyed linen and silks, plus a few bits of polyester crepe in wintry, pale colours. We ate stew and talked about wild silks and green living, and made plans to visit the Natural History Museum to see the infestation of fairies they are dealing with at the moment, since she is a big fairy fan, and I'm very interested in museum pest control. Their skating rink and Christmas shopping fair open on November 8, so we'll probably take those in too.
So Sunday was pretty well-spent, and seemed to last ages, in a good way.
Mind you, Saturday was shot by the Arsenal/Man United match, which screwed up traffic as usual, effectively confining me to places within walking distance. The fireworks, which I had been dreading, were relatively restrained. The big public displays around here were mostly on Saturday night, and I was able to watch the Ally Pally ones from my balcony as usual, but without a coat this year. Even Firework-Loving Man, just down the road, ceased detonations by half eleven at night, although he did manage his usual bonfire, in a tiny London back garden. I couldn't see the actual fire, but the flames were reflected off the backs of the neighbouring houses in a worrying way. I wonder how much noise we'll get tonight.
ETA - Just been reminded that I didn't put up the pictures of the fungi.