theoldmortuary has been a blog for about five years. It has evolved into an almost daily event. Pondering on the things that are inspired by my daily life. Often mundane, sometimes repetitive I swerve from hyperlocal activity to big and small thoughts without blinking an eye. I am an artist and writer. My hometown is Plymouth in South West England, part of me will always be connected to London and another part loves to travel.
Mythical creatures on a mystical night. We camped overnight under a full moon and read books about mythical creatures.
As luck would have it the mythical creature in the book was a Leviathan which we had visited earlier in the day.
Overlooking Plymouth Sound for overnight camping we were not troubled by the low sad songs of unhappy Leviathans. Instead they jumped and frolicked in the bright moonlight which was untroubled by clouds or any other weather predicament.
The Leviathan and a full moon at StonehouseThe Leviathan and Plymouth Hoe
It helps, of course, that Nana drew a Leviathan a few years ago.
It is easy to pick up free magazines with lovely articles in the Summer months. These two fell into my hands yesterday. Primarily aimed at tourists they also give us up to date information on places that we visit often. Padstow is very location specific . Drift is more regional. Both good with a cup of coffee.
Drifting is what we did yesterday when we specifically visited Padstow. Yesterday Padstow was at Peak Padstow.
So with pasties in hand we made our way to a field overlooking the estuary. Just as visitors have done for centuries. So I made our family picnic photo look historic
My pastie was rhubarb and custard and I followed it with a gooseberry yogurt ice cream. Hardly traditional but it was a drifting kind of day and I drifted from more conventional flavours towards the joy of English Soft Fruits.
I realise now that I really value the word ‘drift’ and indeed the idea of drfting through a day. All from a magazine that I picked up on a whim.
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?
I have no idea what the most expensive meal that I have ever had cost me. I have been lucky enough to eat in some very swanky places and don’t recall ever feeling cheated or disappointed.
I have also eaten all sorts of meals in ‘ cheap as chips ‘ places and been absolutely thrilled with the quality and value of my meal.
I find that disappointment is more likely to occur in the middle ground. Chains or places that believe they are fancier than they are. Establishments that are themed or over-decorated to attract Instagram moments are often very much styled over substance, with £££ spent and charged on decor ingredients and skilful chefs who are well-paid.
If the meal on my plate is not worthy of the cost. No one can force me to go back,but if everything about the experience is wonderful I will always return if I can.
Plastic flowers and grotty loos might make me feel cheated even if the food was fab. Obsequiousness from the front-of-house staff makes me lose my appetite for a big bill. Micro-herbs and foam, also unlikely to thrill me to empty my purse.
All reasons to question the value at the bottom of the bill.
Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that.
Headlines always fascinate me. I know that they are written to grab attention and are largely forgotten once readers take a deep dive into the nitty gritty of the story.
What is a week’s worth of honey?
And to whom is it a weeks worth.
The answers are endless.
What does a week’s worth of Honey look like to you?
A jar lasts me about 6 months so my answer would be, about a teaspoon.
That would never satisfy two bears. But it might easily be a full weeks production for a busy bee.
This could be me dozing in a quiet leafy glade. Hair wild and a sleepy head resting on moss. The care of three fabulous granddaughters makes me yearn for just a tiny daytime snooze with dappled sun dancing on my face . But they, the granddaughters are busy little people and snoozing is not on their game plan.
Time with them all is a gift that should not be wasted by snoozing for either Nana or Nona or indeed the dogs. We all need to take some time to sniff the flowers together.
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?
Everywhere thank you very much. Unlimited flights in and out of Bristol for the rest of my life with any connecting flights that I might need to get to wherever I might fancy. Whenever I fancy.
Life can be full of surprises but not always the ones that you have been warned about. 8 years ago I was walking on the High-Line in New York and the signs were that I might encounter more floppy areas and flaccid bits, than usual in my encounters with other humans.
There were no signs that said you may encounter a really low trip hazard and wreck your right knee half way through your holiday.
The knee injury was way more significant than seeing naturists at large, but it is the sign that I remember. Is it a warning or an advertisment.
Comfort and reliable. Two answers in one. Neither are Fine Dining or by any stretch of anyone’s imagination interesting.
Comfort food=Marmite toast or any spread on top of toast with butter on it. My top 3
Marmite
Marmalade
Ground Black Pepper
In all iterations the butter must be real and salty.
Reliable food has evolved in my life. Good quality shop-bought lasagne if I am feeling reliably fancy. 35 years with a home in the far west of England has taught me that the humble Cornish Pasty made well is a lifesaver.
The Pasty Gold Standard.
Not all pasties are made equal and at their worst they are a pappy meat and potato pie with a faint aroma of human body odour. At their best they are a peppery blend of beef and onions combined with swede/turnip and potato wrapped in perfect golden pasty.
Yesterday was a spreadsheet kind of day. If everything went well there was a twenty minute gap in which to eat a pasty before an art exhibition, Private View and a trip to the Theatre to see Hamilton. The spreadsheet day and the pasty.
As a tick box exercise the spreadsheet day went well. With. 95% success rate. We dropped 5% because the Artist at the Private View made a speech at the beginning. So fine words were heard but not a single brushstroke of paint passed before our eyes.
Hamilton was fabulous and the pasty fed us both before our evening started (warm) and at 11pm (cold) . That is a reliable, even comforting comestible.
Another chores day with a calming picture. The chores were just a list of things that needed to be done. Brightened by the promise of a bowl of cherries for lunch.
Not just any cherries. King Cherries.
But as it happened the day was brightened by meeting a bobber, Helen, during my Farm Shop phase and by not missing the parcel delivery which was only scheduled half an hour after I had left home. I figured I could be super efficient and be at home for 50% of the time slot. Time that I also scheduled for this blog.
But back to the bowl of cherries.
I helped with an end of term tennis club for children last night. The weather was perfect, the children were happy and the snacks were healthy. Which is where I met King Cherries from Lidl.
As luck would have it my early morning chores were very close to Lidl. The cherries called me, I answered and two boxes came home with me.
Cherries posing.
Serendipitous friends and cherries very much lightened my load this morning. No sign of the parcel, but powered by a bowl of cherries the afternoon chores will fly by.
Unlike yesterday my great swim did not propel me instantly into a great confrontation.
Instead a chilled glide around a supermarket. I am not sure a supermarket is the best place to glide in a chilled way but it was essential to our overall household wellbeing. Some practical domestic admin is now needed for household wellbeing.
Stuff needs to go into the attic.
Neither supermarket shopping nor attic hopping is particularly visually appealing. So another swim spot image it will have to be. Full disclosure I did not have the swim spot to myself today. 5 people and a dog were launching there at the same time as me.
One puzzling pile of lost property. A single left shoe and a left knee brace. Makes you think of possible scenarios…
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