#1364 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn blogging, SerendipityLeave a comment

Yesterdays blog was written using an old stored prompt, because we were having a busy day doing really dull jobs on industrial estates. So I just needed a little help getting motivated.

Link to yesterday’s blog below.

#1363 theoldmortuary ponders.

More about yesterday’s blog later. Because the Industrial Estate jobs were not without their moments.

We have been having a rocky patch car and campervan wise. Both have required a lot of attention recently hence the all too familiar trips to Industrial Estates.

Yesterday’s industrial Estate trip took us to the inner edges of Dartmoor, where traffic problems almost immediately take on a different meaning.

Somnolent sheep and prancing ponies are the biggest hold-ups to hitting a mechanic’s deadlines.

Even when they clearly have deadlines of their own.

We all know the feeling on a Friday afternoon when the last client/patient/customer does not arrive on time.

3pm said the man with a workshop on the edges of Dartmoor. We made it, but not without the anxiety of waiting for the sheep to shift, on their own somewhat slower schedule.

So that was why a slow day blog needed a bit of a prompt.

Anyway the daft idea that anyone could create a small list of things that were essential to life, must have irritated my sleep because I had a vivid dream of absolute panic that I had not included Christmas Cake and Mince Pies on my list.

Why on earth would my sleeping head think these two items would need to go on a list of just three things?

Having had a disturbed night of sleep, I can confidently say that the list of 3 would be unaltered.

Daffodils

Books

The Sea

However were I to compile the list of 300, I would certainly include Christmas Cake and Mince Pies.

P.s I used to commute diagonally across the whole of Dartmoor for work. The traffic jams were unimaginable…

Sometimes I was late.

#1363 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Daft Questions, Serendipity3 Comments

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

This prompt has had me stumped for a few days. The obvious answer is Nourishment, Shelter and Oxygen. None of which are likely to abandon me anytime soon. Because I am fortunate.

So to rewrite the question . What are the three objects I would rather not live without.

In the scrag end of winter, where we are now, I always like Daffodils in the house. If I could only have one variety of cut flowers throughout the year it would be Daffodils, heralds of Spring. Evidence that there is life after Winter.

Books, my life would be a much less vivid experience if I had to give up books.

The sea, it just makes everything in life, good or bad, take a step back.

Looking at these three frivolous choices is a privilege that comes because I am Nourished, I do have shelter and as long as I choose to breathe Oxygen will be available. 

I could live in a shepherds hut on a Cornish cliff and read books for days on end in February. My 3 essentials easily to hand but then there would be more lists of 3.

  • My car.
  • A Waitrose delivery every two days
  • Jolly coast path walkers to chat to. Unless the coast path walker was Raynor Winn. Her books are also excluded from any lists. Unless of course I had a solid fuel heater in my Shepherds Hut and Waitrose failed to deliver  any charcoal. Her books could be rolled and burned as paper logs.

Then there would be another list of 3

Radio to listen to the Shipping Forecast

Raincoat for walking on the Daffodil strewn cliff edge.

Chocolate for the pocket of the raincoat.

This list malarky just goes on and on . Better just to stop with the Oxygen, Shelter and nourishment because after that I just get shallow and vengeful and eat chocolate. Alrhough it could be argued that chocolate is nourishment.

Honestly just a daft bloody question

I think 300 would be a better number. Does wanting more make me shallower or does it show hidden depths?

#1361 tholdmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

Are you superstitious?

I don’t believe I am in the traditional sense. But just to be on the safe side I Googled ‘Superstitious’. Which of course suggests that I might be.

I like to stick to plans and behaviours that I know work in certain scenarios.

But contrarily I absolutely encourage and rely on happenstance and serendipity to often take me in the right direction.

I would say my next two weeks will be fairly Admin and paperwork* heavy as an organisation that I do some work for heads towards an  AGM.

*

  • Why do we even call it paperwork when for the most part no paper is involved in 2026.
  • Today I will be delving into actual paper files, how very retro is that.

Meetings,Exams,Presentations all require more or less the same procedure. Ongoing work, preparation, planning and voila! The Culmination. Whatever it is.

I always throw in something extra, without it the whole process becomes way too droll. Yesterday I threw in a visit to an art exhibition and today a little bit of gardening. Without my ‘something extras’ I always believe the more serious stuff of life is more likely to fail.  So in that one paragraph I have demonstrated that I am indeed superstitious.

Not based on fear, ignorance or a reliance on luck, black magic or faith. Based on experience.

For this blog the ‘ something extras’ are often the joyful nugget or maybe the happy ending.

This blog gets both.

The joyful nugget of the paperwork was writing a report to our local council, sharing all the good works and events that our little club has done for the benefit and wellness of our local community.

The happy ending was a visit to an exhibition of Tapestry. Honestly I know nothing about weaving and tapestry. I set myself a target of three images to enjoy and natter about.

Dhoon Bay Wrack by Jane Riley

I love this, I cannot imagine the hours  of work that have gone into this. Hanging on this gorgeous brick wall just adds to the impact. Which leads me on to the next two images.

Shai Quila ( Royal Fort) by Ayesha Barlas

The heat was palpable and vivid from this beautiful tapestry.  Like finding a warm fire in a cold castle.

Then image three caught my eye, an actual fireplace almost camouflaged in a wall that was almost like a tapestry itself.

And so with my admin head reset I will traverse a paper mountain of cardboard files, actual paper and ‘Old School’ archiving. Will I be charmed or frustrated. To be continued.

Today I visited ,

Source: British Tapestry Group https://share.google/X8AvMkgY0rxw60PDC

Here are their set up pictures from their Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/britishtapestrygroup?igsh=c3ZuZHlxd2pzZGxt

Below a link to a video of the show.

#1360 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Peninsular Life, Stonehouse Lawn Tennis ClubLeave a comment

An early start yesterday for wildlife. Not this beautiful seal, she was definitely a bonus. But one of my regular meetings with a Pest Control contractor called Annie. The Tennis Club I help to run is very close to the sea and considered to be a Winter Palace for the rats who choose to live on the coastline. For two years we have been diligently discouraging the Winter Palace theory with bait boxes and regular surveys of the rat population. Diligence has paid off, living in a Tennis Club is no longer seen as the Winter Dream of the local rat population. They will never be eradicated anymore than our Seagulls , but their numbers are manageable.

Of course the rats, seagulls and resting seals were all living here long before humans arrived possibly during the Iron Age. And certainly before humans thought it would be a good idea to run about hitting small balls across nets.

Seeing the seal just calmly doing her thing with no care for what century she was in was just a lovely peaceful way to start the day.

There are worse places to start the day.

#1359 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Australia, Serendipity1 Comment

Book club yesterday with a review of a book that didn’t get much praise from our assembled readers. I will not mention the author or the novel. Others may love it. As is often the case, the less we enjoy a book the more far ranging are the conversations about it. The day after a bookclub meeting I allow myself some free choice reading. The book at the top of my pile should have been read in late December on my flight from Hong Kong to London. I started reading but fairly early on we hit turbulance . It occurred just after supper was served and was so disruptive the cabin crew could not move to clear up the supper trays and drinks. No book reading for a couple of hours as all passengers had to keep their hands on the supper trays and their minds on not needing a wee.

So here I am nearly three months later starting my gifted holiday read again.

Being a holiday read it has fascinating book marks. Airline tickets from Hong Kong and a beer mat from Bermagui Beach Hotel.

Our stay at the Bermagui Beach Hotel was every woman who enjoys an Australian Drama’s Dream. And I love  Australian Dramas.

Our stay at Bermagui had a tiny drama of its own when I had a naked encounter with a Sting Ray.

First name to spring to mind was Steve Irwin, an Australian Naturalist who lost his life to a Sting Ray. Once the danger was past I may have given some thought to calling out the fictitious G.P. Dr Blake, famed for his small town, Ballarat, Mysteries.

I think I could have languished quite happily in a genuine turn of the century hotel  while he puzzled over an English Naturist in almost a copy cat event. Although had I had any sort of life threatening injury the 9 hour journey he would need to drive would have probably killed me.

Of course all I was actually suffering from was an over active imagination in the most idyllic spot.

Books have a habit of encouraging an over active imagination. Bookmarks less so, but today I am reading about the Dreaming Spires of Oxford while pondering the absolute delight that was a small town hotel in New South Wales.  Oh if only those walls could have talked.

Far better to read a book on an Australian Hotel balcony dreaming of the past, but better to read anywhere than not to read at all 

#1358 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, Birthdays, Bobbing, BoxLeave a comment

Every picture tells a story. But in this case it will  take two pictures.

Plymouth is celebrating the 100th Birthday of one of the most famous artists who has lived in the city.

On Saturday we went to one of the liveliest celebrations of a 100th Birthday you could imagine. A silent disco in a museum. I’m not sure if I would have blogged about our attendance but I was having a clean washing grump this morning. Bemoaning in my head that I am sick of the dull colours that emerge from the winter weekend laundry cycle.

But hiding in the corner of the laundry picture is evidence of a night out in fancy dress.

My 1940’s tiger print fake fur coat had her moment. I went to the disco dressed as the flashing woman in the top picture of a video about the life and work of Beryl Cook.

Luckily although I flashed a lot, there is no photographic evidence.

Our fitness trackers, tracked more than 5 miles of dancing. That would not have been achieved in a heavy coat. So she took a rest on the back of a chair while more light weight leopard print garments did the hard yards of the 5 miles of dancing. A bit more flashing as I left and the night was done. Of course it was an outing with the Bobbers. 6 of us on this occasion.

Surely Spring must be on the way. And with it a brighter laundry pile. But the coat is evidence that not all winter garments are dull and practical.

The coat in 2020 just a few days before the first Covid Lockdown.

#1357 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

Bee Beautiful on International Womens Day.

A beautiful Bumble Bee

A morning of gardening and nattering was paused whilst an exhausted Bumble Bee took refreshment at the Tennis Club.

Sugar in a spoon with her own Intensive care team checking progress.

I still love the Romantic filter

The foreground of this early morning image is exactly where she landed, possibly exhausted from her inaugural flight. I couldn’t resist giving her the Romantic filter effect.

Because, although this may be an indelicate subject, I checked out this ladies bottom. It was buff. Making her a Queen Bee. So a whole colony of bees has been saved by the Saturday Gardeners of the Tennis Club.

#1356 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn PlymouthLeave a comment
Cold Sunset

The North wind was still blowing last night but the sunset was promised to be spectacular due to fine-particulate Saharan sand being caught up in the atmosphere. We walked to catch the last of the day’s feeble rays setting over the  Tinside Lido.

The sunset was good but not as fabulous as predicted, so some artistic licence was required to show the  last rays of sunshine setting over a very grubby lido. The natural Saharan embellishments, embellished by using some arty AI digital tweakments.

The pool itself is embellished every year by council workers using human endeavour and many pressure washers to chase off the ravages of winter. I cant think of a more satisfying job than turning this pool into the gorgeous sapphire bobbing pool of dreams.

Over this winter the pool and its Art Deco building have had some tefurbishment. I can’t wait to see it.

But just to prove that digital tweakments are not the only artistic/ abstract things I can do with a simple smartphone camera. Here is one of my favourite images from this location.

The pool on a very bright day. Photographed through a 1930’s Glass Brick in a dark changing room.

#1355 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn BobbingLeave a comment
Cold in more ways than one.

And after sunshine the cold must come. 7 degrees yesterday and a pale and watery sun. The North wind was blowing. 3 intrepid bobbers went into the sea and 4 intrepid bobbers kept their clothes on to keep watch for Sea Monsters and Merpeople intent on kidnap. The sea was flat and calm. Nothing happened.

Bobbing and bobbers are one of the positive left overs from the Pandemic era. Formed to give a tiny group, now much bigger,of friends enjoying outdoor swimming exercise during the Covid Lockdowns. We started off 2 metres apart and strung out along  the promenade. Now we huddle together. Sometimes 15 of us share a tiny 4 metre shelter as a changing space. Other times when the weather is kind spilling onto the Prom to let salt flecked skin dry in heat of the sun.

As the Covid era slips from recent memory into history. The last lockdown was 4 years ago. Bobbing, and the friendship group developed, shows no sign of being forgotten.

Yesterday we sold the car that was chosen in 2021 specifically because it had heated seats. We used to live 20 minutes away from the Bobbing beach. A hot bottom was essential on days when the temperature was below freezing. Bobbing caused us to move 10 minutes walk away from the Bobbing beach. A hot bottom had become a daily driving pleasure but not essential. As we drove to do the part -exchange the seats were turned on to full.  We have entered the cold bottom era.

#1354 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Firestone Bay, WordsLeave a comment
Firestone Bay.

One of my digital photo manipulation apps has a new ‘Romantic’ filter. I never normally use just one app or just one setting,preferring to amalgamate different settings from different apps to create a more unique and interesting image from my daily walks . But ‘Romantic’ seems to be a bit of a wonder filter.  My daily walk never looks like this but there is nothing in this picture that doesn’t exist at some time of day or at some time of year from this viewpoint. Never, though all together. My romantic head conjures up something similar to this when I am away from home and imagining what our regular swimming beach looks like. The other thing I love about this ‘Romantic’ image is that someone wrapped up warmly against the cold and sitting enjoying a cup of coffee is obvious in this digitally enhanced image. I had completely missed them on the original photo. Are they reading or sketching?

How do I even feel about romanticising things as someone who believes that I am a pragmatist at heart?

A deep dive into quick AI definitions throws my pragmatist belief into a quandary.

Honestly who could imagine a filter causing so much thought. If only the app had called it a beautiful filter that would have been fine. I would have tried it the minute it appeared on the drop down menu, but the word romantic put me off for several weeks.

Just another pair of words for me to float between.