Blogtober 2023 :: Day 29

Blogtober Day 29 :: Sunday

I've had a good day today, a mixture of working hard here in the house this morning, and then spending time out and about this afternoon while the weather was decent. At lunch time we walked into town to go and meet Lady B as we'd decided to go to the pub for a Sunday roast.

I love old, traditional pubs, and this particular one in the middle of the town is where we've had a lot of boozy fun over the decades, we know it very well! It's called The Ropemakers, a reference to the time when Bridport was famous for it's rope and net making industry. We enjoyed a lovely lunch, it's been a long time since I had a full roast beef dinner and it felt luxurious to sit and be waited on.

After lunch, J and I set off to walk down to the sea - it's roughly two miles along the river bank and across fields, and guess what??? >>>

>>> the SUN was actually SHINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The weather forecast has been dire, but for a few hours today we were able to feel the sun on our faces and it felt wonderful.

It was extremely windy still, and the sea was relentlessly crashing huge rolling waves onto the beach. 

We called into the Watchhouse café which sits right on the shingle, and had afternoon coffee and cake, because, why not?! That substantial slab on my plate is Dorset Apple cake and it was absolutely delicious.

The weather slowly changed as the afternoon moved on, and ominous clouds began to creep over the sun. You can see in the above photo how rough the sea has been the past few days, I'm sure the brave folks standing at the end of the pier would have gotten a salty shower or two.

We walked around the harbour from the east side over to the west side....

...where I walked along the wild and windy shoreline before retreating to sit with J.

It was lovely to just sit on a bench and listen to the sound of the sea for a while. Not exactly peaceful (wild sea gives off a lot of energy), but good all the same.

Walking back homewards across the fields at around 3.30, we were attempting to outrun the advancing weather. I could feel the threat of rain chasing us, and of course it did eventually catch us up. It wasn't a light shower either, no, it was a short but very heavy down pour...we got drenched! Wet through (and my crazy northern husband was wearing a t-shirt) but we looked at each other with water pouring down our faces and had a good laugh about the state of us both. 

The upside of the drenching was this stunning rainbow, and that beautiful golden light you get after heavy rain. By the time we got back to the house we were both exhausted in that satisfying way you get when you've walked some good miles and filled your lungs with wild sea air. I adore that feeling, it's so, so good.

It's 6pm now, and we're here in this warm, quiet house and it's pitch black dark outside. It's pouring with rain again, with a little dramatic thunder and lightening thrown in for good measure. I thought I'd like to share with you some of the things I found this morning, in the productive hours when many drawers and cupboards were emptied, and the loft was conquered. I've decided to be extremely minimal in what I take home with me, so aside from some family photos and a beautiful old plate (which I forgot to photograph), this is my current haul.....

Three Observer books to add to my collection.

A fossil - no idea where it came from but it's always been here in this house and I'd like to re-home it.

A small, solid glass paperweight which has always sat on the bathroom windowsill.

A teeny-tiny glass bird which I found on top of a dusty shelf (it was my Mums).

Now this is precious indeed. It's one of many drawings inside an old scrap book which I found in the loft. That's my Mum's handwriting, and the pages are diary entries from January-March 1972. Every day she made a page with me (I was aged three at the time), describing the weather and what we saw that day. 

Rainbow Raindrops! Apparently that's what I saw on Sunday 6th February, 1972.

And on 19th March, I saw a Robin in the Hawthorn tree.

I drew pictures of all my daily discoveries - squirrels and rain and windy clouds and snowdrops and puddles and ducks on the pond in the park. I am beyond happy to have found this book with its faded pages and my Mum's careful writing.

In the loft I also found my old portfolios of art work from school and art college days, the above watercolour I think I did at school when I was seventeen. Honestly, none of the work is worth keeping (I wasn't all that talented with fine art) but it was fun to revisit the memories. 

I also found this quilted picture in a cupboard which I am going to keep, it was one of the projects I made for my A level textiles exam when I was eighteen. I very clearly remember the hours and hours (and hours) I spent stitching and piecing this all by hand, it was a real labour of love.

So many french knots haha, I used to be obsessed with them, well I was obsessed with embroidery in general, and went on to study it at degree level. Did you know that? Yes, weirdly I have a BA (hons) degree in embroidered textiles.

And really, that's all I have for today, it's been a good day, kind of emotional but not really in a bad way. Lots more to do tomorrow, but I think we're going to go and pay my Dad a visit in the morning, so that will get us out of the house for a little while.

Thanks so much for tagging along with me, my days are a little on the wobbly side at the moment and I'm giving you the highlight reel, so thank you for all your love and support.

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Comments

[EULALIA PALOMEQUE]

Lucy
que hermoso lo que relatas , tantos recuerdos.

gracias por compartir, cariños.

[Susan]

You have always been talented xxx

[Sue]

Beautiful blog. I love all your treasures. You are very talented. Xx

[CJ]

Minimalism is definitely the way to go I think. You will know the treasures when you see them. Such lovely artwork, you are very talented. CJ xx

[Beverly Vinson]

Oh wow I love the watercolor and think it is very good indeed as is the textile quilt.

[Dawn]

What wonderful finds! I'm so glad you have moments of beauty and refreshment in the midst of a sad task. Thank you for sharing your days.

[JillinOz]

Lucy! Auction your artwork on the internet!
It's lovely to see that you had a blog when you were 3!

[Patricia A]

I think the watercolour is gorgeous. Not technically correct, but gorgeous just the same. I know, I know as I feel the same way as you do about my old works of art.
I looked at all that hand embroidery and thought of how my finger tips felt when I was doing my two year embroidery course. Tender as can be at the start and tough as nails at the end due to all that fine needle holding and pushing. :-) Lovely memories for you there.
Did your brother come and take some treasures for himself?
I have the apron, rarely worn, that my mother embroidered before I was born. Was surprised to see the same apron on display at the Embroiderers' Guild in one of the displays there. It was a kit item. Same as the lovely tablecloth that covered our dining table for special occasions. In the 1940s lots of household items came as kits apparently. The tablecloth and its matching serviettes came in one kit. My mother told me that she hand stitched the hems on all the pieces. The tablecloth disintegrated many years ago, but my younger sister and I each have a couple of surviving serviettes.
Before mum died she was on a mission to supply her daughters with tea towels. Ten years after she died three of her children compared notes to see which colours we still had. :-) I had the most left as the younger sister gave me all her orange ones as she has an aversion to orange coloured cloth. The older sister had a couple. We had a good laugh over our memories of her.
The tea towels are all gone. The memories linger on.

[Sandra]

What treaures!

[Rebecca Kleibrink]

my sibling and I just had to place both our parents into a total care nursing facility. They hate it, but Mom cannot get out of bed, she is on the precipice of dying. Pop has dementia and cannot take care of himself. Seeing all your lovely photos of childhood momento tugged at my heart. My sister and I along with our niece had to go through our parent's apartment and pack it up for donation to a local thrift shop for a Youth Care Facility. I know the difficulty of watching aging parents becoming totally reliant on their children.

[Jean]

wow what a wonderful treasure, the drawings and weather diary you did with your mum. What a wonderful idea of your mum’s to create this joint activity. I thought your robin drawing was totally wonderful. I love your art, the painting and the textile art, just amazing. How nice to find treasured items to take to your house to remind you of your parents and good times. When my mum died, after my dad, I was fortunate that my son was able to come with me and help sort things out. It’s good to have someone along for support and company. I know your dad is still alive that you are just emptying the house.Jean in Winnipeg

[Jane]

Loved seeing all the treasures you found. I know that it makes sense not to keep everything with memories but I think you water colour is really good.

[Penny L]

What another lovely blogpost. You are very artistic. To be able to draw a recognisable robin at 3 !! Wow! I love the painting too, I think you don’t recognise your own talent Lucy! (Just read this back, I come across as the old , bossy infant teacher that I am!) Seriously though, you are very talented, and I am very grateful for the fact that your talents are used in your blog and crochet which give me and so many others so much pleasure.
Sorting out your childhood home will be very draining and wobbly making, so glad your husband is with you.xx

[Jacqui]

Oh wow I love the painting what a talent!
The embroidery is amazing aww and all those memories.
Oooh that sea !
Thankyou for sharing

[Jools]

So three-year-old you was, basically, doing an analogue version of Blogtober, then? That's amazing!
For all the emotion involved, I'm glad you are unearthing treasured memories to lighten the load a little. I know J will be looking after you, but go gently with yourself, Lucy xx

[Elizabeth]

Such wonderful memorories you've uncovered! Love the diary pages of your drawings at a very young age. That you're an artist is obvious to anyone with eyes to see. You couldn't hide it if you wanted to. Love the little itty-bitty teeny-tiny bird, and the blue glass globe, and the ammonite fossil. Love that your mother kept, and you rediscovered, your school projects. Bet that was an instantaneous trip back in time! It looks as though you had a productive day. Part of the treasure you found, I think, was the time you and J got to spend with each other, traveling back through time and enjoying the present. A rainbow day indeed.

[Margaret Huntine]

You found happy memories! I’m glad for you.

Be well, safe journey home.

[Jackie Farrow]

Love all your treasures you are taking home with you, especially the books.

[Cathy]

Homes carry so many different memories and emotions about relationships. Any wonder you're a bit wobbly. Xx

[Mary Jo Bush]

One of the first things I do each day is race over to read your blog -- your shares have meant so much to me - You have great heart and, from my own life, I know you will not regret one second of the time spent helping and being with your dad right now. not one. blessings to you and your family, dear Lucy!

[Ruthie]

Dear Lucy, it’s hardly surprising you are a bit on the wobbly side, this past time of getting your Dad into the right place and now sorting out your childhood home, has to be one of the hardest things you will ever have to do, so emotional, so many memories, such indecision, and such a wrench. Leaving my childhood home town ( Wells in Somerset) was so hard and I could still cry..I spent so much time there with mum in the end, people thought I lived there.
You have some beautiful things to take home, I love your pictures.
Take care and hope tomorrow goes well.

[Debbie Tristram]

How beautiful your embroidered tree picture is and yo used lovely colours at that age too. It's a strange job sorting through your parents possessions but lovely memories too, like the book you made with your mum, very special indeed.

[Sarah]

What an emotional day and you have rediscovered so many personal treasures these are truly priceless. BTW your A level work is stunning.

[Jen]

Precious and beautiful, all of it. ❤️❤️❤️

[Charlotte]

So pleased you had a productive, yet lovely day! A very good idea to be minimal in what you keep. Your embroidered forest is absolutely gorgeous...do you ever feel the urge to do more? Incorporating the rainbow colours you loved, even at the age of 3!! Cx