Counting one's blessings.
After the other day's whinefest, I was greatly touched by all the nice things people said, and indeed felt a bit guilty. Things began to pick up a bit yesterday, as I finally sorted out some work for myself to do again, and sat at home beavering away and waiting for it to snow. No snow in the end, but at least I know I won't starve.
Today was very much better, with a man coming to deliver my perching stool this morning, and a huge pile of post that included catalogues for conservation materials, two new nightdresses and a pair of spirally silver earrings I'd forgotten I'd bought myself as a Christmas present. I tidied up the place and got a big pile of work done. Also the news that someone from my London Met class (not me, but still...) has got a job. She's repainting clock faces for a clock restorer, but may get further work restoring japanned clocks, which I can do, and may be able to put some work in my way. And I only gained three pounds over the Christmas, which is much less than I'd expected.
The perching stool is sitting in the middle of the room now. It looks remarkably clinical and suitable for care of the elderly, especially with a walking stick and a device for picking things up off the floor leaning on it, so I'm planning to cover the dull brown waterproof plastic on the seat, back and arms with some of the lively patterned PVC they sell in the Saturday market, and maybe spray-paint the white legs some more acceptable colour.
So, since I'm feeling so much more cheerful, here are some random links (and one extremely useful link);
I’ve linked to this before, but a random frog is always usually a good thing; or if you don’t like frogs, how about something new from the people who brought you "Vitaferret" - ferret couture?
And a Shakespeare quiz;
Follow your spirit, and, upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, Fuchsoid and Saint George!
Which work of Shakespeare was the original quote from?
A while ago, I also found this magnificent source for online versions of out-of-print books on folklore and religion when I was looking for a reference for a request on little_details. It has hundreds of texts, not just the principal holy books (in several different translations) including hypertext versions of the Bible and the Qu'ran, but the whole of the Child ballad collection, Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England and Robert Kirk's The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies, as well as Roger Bacon, Charles Darwin, Mary Wollstonecraft, Charles Fort, Tom Paine, Burton's translation of the 1001 Nights (expurgated and unexpurgated), Gerald of Wales' Vita Merlini and Malory's Morte d'Arthur, most of the Icelandic Sagas, Lafcadio Hearn's Japanese stories, Polidori's The Vampire, a 1914 translation of the Tain bo Culailnge and some great old compilations of English, African, Australian and American folklore (including James Stephen's Irish Fairy Tales, which I loved as a child). Hours of amusement for all.
Today was very much better, with a man coming to deliver my perching stool this morning, and a huge pile of post that included catalogues for conservation materials, two new nightdresses and a pair of spirally silver earrings I'd forgotten I'd bought myself as a Christmas present. I tidied up the place and got a big pile of work done. Also the news that someone from my London Met class (not me, but still...) has got a job. She's repainting clock faces for a clock restorer, but may get further work restoring japanned clocks, which I can do, and may be able to put some work in my way. And I only gained three pounds over the Christmas, which is much less than I'd expected.
The perching stool is sitting in the middle of the room now. It looks remarkably clinical and suitable for care of the elderly, especially with a walking stick and a device for picking things up off the floor leaning on it, so I'm planning to cover the dull brown waterproof plastic on the seat, back and arms with some of the lively patterned PVC they sell in the Saturday market, and maybe spray-paint the white legs some more acceptable colour.
So, since I'm feeling so much more cheerful, here are some random links (and one extremely useful link);
I’ve linked to this before, but a random frog is always usually a good thing; or if you don’t like frogs, how about something new from the people who brought you "Vitaferret" - ferret couture?
And a Shakespeare quiz;
Follow your spirit, and, upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, Fuchsoid and Saint George!
Which work of Shakespeare was the original quote from?
A while ago, I also found this magnificent source for online versions of out-of-print books on folklore and religion when I was looking for a reference for a request on little_details. It has hundreds of texts, not just the principal holy books (in several different translations) including hypertext versions of the Bible and the Qu'ran, but the whole of the Child ballad collection, Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England and Robert Kirk's The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies, as well as Roger Bacon, Charles Darwin, Mary Wollstonecraft, Charles Fort, Tom Paine, Burton's translation of the 1001 Nights (expurgated and unexpurgated), Gerald of Wales' Vita Merlini and Malory's Morte d'Arthur, most of the Icelandic Sagas, Lafcadio Hearn's Japanese stories, Polidori's The Vampire, a 1914 translation of the Tain bo Culailnge and some great old compilations of English, African, Australian and American folklore (including James Stephen's Irish Fairy Tales, which I loved as a child). Hours of amusement for all.