BCB piece

Another from my photos of the BCB, British ceramic biennial that was held in Stoke on Trent a few weeks ago.

Some pieces were more beautiful than others, some seemed to have more significance. Some like this seem playful. A piece that has been twiddled and twisted, creating a root like structure but with almost a trumpet bell on the end of it.

Simply placed on a surface in front if a window, the object casts interesting shadows.

I don’t know what I think of it, but it was worth documenting.

Wales

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I think I would move closer to the sea. Up a hill, away from flightpaths, with a lovely view. A small town nearby.

Wales is close enough so that I can still visit family and friends. I would ideally like a slightly bigger house so that people can stay.

Why a Wales retreat? I know the country to some extent. I have Welsh ancestors, I have family there. I am used to the weather and I think its slightly less polluted than England.

Recently I’ve thought about moving. It’s not in the forefront of my mind, but if I ever have the money I would like to spend my declining years visiting Welsh tearooms and eating bara brith cake, painting Welsh scenery and joining choirs!

Tired

I know I’m being hypervigilant, but after the robbery a couple of weeks ago my sleep patterns are really disrupted. I still haven’t gone back to bed upstairs, I feel like a security guard, watching for movements. I thought I saw someone running along the alleyway next to our garden tonight. It worried me and we went out to look.

In the meantime my hubby has been ill for a few days and I need to make sure he’s OK. I don’t know if he’s still shocked by the robbery and he’s worked hard to secure the boundary hedge. Yesterday we were putting in spikey plants. He’s getting on and he’s probably overdoing things. Life is a pain sometimes. I just want us to feel safe again.

Potting bench and moss

It’s wet under the trees, and the old bench that sits next to the kitchen gets damp. We don’t sit on it very often and it’s started to fall apart. I guess we should have varnished it when we got it. Maybe we should replace it with a metal one? Now it’s basically used for pots and potting on. The moss is getting rampant. The leaves need clearing up. Oh well, we live and learn.

Mushrooms or fungi?

A plethora of fungi in the garden today, not sure what they are, but we have an old tree stump and I think these are growing on its roots? I need to clear away all the empty flowerpots, give them a good wash so we can pot plants on in the spring. We spent a couple of hours planting pyracantha and roses next to the old hedge, hoping they grow up nice and spiky.

Hanging baskets hanging on!

Begonias, still in flower, In our hanging baskets….In November! I think its because their stems are a bit more robust. The fushias, with woody stems have also survived. There are also lots of green leaves because this area is a bit of a microclimate and things just survive round there. It’s enclosed so it holds the heat. Also the plants all shelter each other holding the warmth in x