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#411 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Advent+2022, SerendipityLeave a comment

Having stumbled on a theme for Advent+2022 ( I am sharing random photographs that have never found their place in a pondering before) I find them easy to weave into the action or inaction of a ponder. The image above is the title of one of the chapters in the Book of Kells at Trinity College Dublin. If only Mulling was a verb, and not the name of the saint who is reputed to be responsible for this gospel pocket book, I could have written something witty about a book of pondering.

As it is I have to say that the Alexa moment mentioned in pondering #409 was just a day too early.

#409 theoldmortuary ponders

I had thought that being woken up with House music was not quite my early morning vibe, but I was wrong.

We have been sharing the care of our nine week old granddaughter. At 8-9 weeks she has added a new behaviour to her limited repertoire. Boredom! So when all the usual measures to make her happy and compliant failed, yesterday morning, Alexa stepped in and played House music at 8am. It worked an absolute dream. Swirling around the kitchen as if in the middle of summer in a Dance tent was exactly what a small person needed. Dublin again comes up with a picture to illustrate the exact scene in our kitchen. A stained glass window at Bewleys Oriental Cafe, a place that certainly deserves it own ponder one day. But for now in Advent+2022 the stained glass window exactly illustrates how I was feeling yesterday morning while loading the dishwasher with a small person happily gurgling on one shoulder and the Ministry of Sound remixing Iggy Pop on Alexa

#103 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Anecdotes, Serendipity1 Comment

Blogging was a lot like these little boats today. Left behind by the tide of my own technical inadequacies. I had failed to charge my laptop and then plugged it in to a socket that wasn’t turned on. Zoom meetings had to be attended on my phone. Irritating as this was it was enlivened by WhatsApp messages from friends.

One friend was moving his hot tub to his new home. It looked like more fun than I was having.

©Mark Curnow

Another friend who lives in France was thrilled to find a biscuit selection that included custard creams.

©Angela JS

However much I yearn for in- person meetings. It would be rude to get my phone out so this newly learned meeting brightener will be shortlived but I may now default to my phone for Zoom meeting’s just for the onscreen entertainment.

But the joy when I got out of my second Zoom meeting of the day was palpable. Maybe the dogs will prefer it when I no longer Zoom at home.

#30 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Interior DesignLeave a comment

A wet Monday morning in November. Quite the opening sentence! Halloween ( eugh) and Firework Night ( yay) both over for another year. Remembrance Day next Sunday is one more significant day in a month that I have always loved. There is something relaxing about November once the frenetic first week is over.

The morning sea was very inviting.

But we had another full day of wallpapering to do!

Finished with half an hour of natural daylight to spare but no residual energy for an evening swim. There is always tomorrow for a quick dip.

Advent#20

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Advent

Nearly Home Trees- watercolour by Juliet Cornell

The Nearly Home Trees.

Cookworthy Knapp. 140 Beech trees, planted 120 years ago near Lifton on the border of Devon and Cornwall. Clearly seen from the A30. They have become a sign to many returners and travellers that they are ‘nearly home’ or ‘ nearly there’

This coming weekend will see the highest volume of road traffic, of the year, on the A30 and A38 . Those who travel on the A30 in daylight hours will see the familiar mound of trees on the hill and feel a whole kalaidoscope of emotions . Love being the most significant in all its nuances, textures and intensities.

Advent#11

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Interior DesignLeave a comment

Today has mostly been about untangling strings of baubles, the strings of baubles hang in our windows. Usually they hang on fishing thread but today’s untangling was monumentally unsuccessful. After a couple of hours of success, followed by abject failure and swearing the new regime is to have them hanging on ribbon . Only one window achieved instead of 5 .

The shadows are also quite interesting.

Advent#5

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Home Towns

This time last year we were wandering the streets of Hong Kong looking for the location of the military hospital that Hannah was born in. On the way we walked streets with amazing neon signs.

Like so much in Hong Kong, a year has seen a lot of changes. Beyond the well publicised protests, there are other alterations to Hong Kong’s heritage afoot. Neons, in particular the ones that hang over roads are being removed. Health and safety and energy economics are the reasons given. Hong Kongers see it as another sign of Hong Kong culture being crushed by China. Their loss will alter the night- life street- life scene massively.

© Juliet Cornell Watercolour