Wednesday 25 April 2018

On the Move, A Tapestry, A Wedding, A Power Cut & A Heatwave!

LIFE: April 16th- 22nd 2018
Silhouette, Exercise, Fitness
Monday 16th 
A domestics day.    In the evening Musical Movement - Eleven of us gathered for a new exercise class in the village,  aimed at the over 60’s - so no writhing about on the floor - but gentle movements  to music to keep our joints, muscles and balance in good working  order - all very enjoyable and I will be back.



Tuesday 17th
Dash into Galashiels for odds and ends and discovered a new little wool shop.  My stash is big enough, but of course I could not resist buying some of variegated wool which always appeals to me in knitting for the African Knit-A-Square project.



Wednesday 18th 
Looking back - my parents married on 18th April 1938 at St Chad’s Church, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, the church where my brother and I were later baptized. 

 

 Dad, Mum, Aunt Edith and Uncle Charles

The newspapers are proclaiming “Heatwave Hitting the UK” - well not in Earlston - I was still wearing my winter garb of warmer tights, jumper and fleece. 

Thursday 19th
The good weather arrived - ideal for the Walk-It group travelling to Tweedbank for a dander around the Loch and along the River Tweed.   Came back home and did some gardening.

WI (Women’s Institute) in the evening when we had a lively talk on the Great Tapestry of Scotland - the community stitching project to depict Scottish history in embroidery, from the Ice Age in 8500BC to Andy Murray's victory at Wimbledon in 2013.  We heard about the inspiration for the project, how the stitchers came together, how the panels were designed and lots of anecdotes on the project which is soon to find a new permanent home here  Galashiels,  once a centre of the Borders  thriving textile industry. 

The Statistics
  • Over a 1000+ voluntary stitchers
  • 160 hand-stitched panels
  • 1 metre (3 feet 3inches)  square panels 
  • 143 metres (469 feet) long masterpiece  - twice the size of the Bayeux Tapestry.
  • 160 hand-stitched panels
  Friday 20th
The heatwave continues - so an ideal day for washing & drying, and for tackling the large trellis with a fresh coat of wood preservative -tricky when there is a clematis and a jasmine weaving around it.  G. took down the living room and bedroom curtains to wash and dry for me - plus put them back up (a great help\) whilst I washed the bedspread -  and that is my nod to spring cleaning!    But we both have had   decluttering sessions over the past month,with the result  six bags for the charity collection.

Saturday 21st 
Bus down to Milestone Garden Centre for a iight lunch - I had prawn and avocado salad and N. a brie and cranberry panini - both very nice,  We couldn't resist,before we left choosing a cone of Isle of Arran ice cream  from the van outside, sat down at a picnic table, to be joined by two ladies;  we  got talking and -  in a typical Borders coincidence - one had taught history  at Hawick High School - so a good chat all round

We did not forget the garden side of things - I chose some aubretia and alyssum to plant,plus a pot plant for the garden table and N. a grow-bag to sow lettuce seeds in  - plus  more bags of compost for delivery home.  .  

Sunday 22nd
A lazy start to the day.   I was grilling bacon for sandwiches  when the grill tripped the electricity - the fourth time it has done that and oddly enough always on a Sunday lunchtime, yet I use the grill plenty of other times.    So a call to  our Home Service is on the cards for tomorrow to get it sorted. 

We have been watching on TV  "The Big  Painting Challenge" - this week  by Loch Lomond,  braving the elements of  wind, rain, and occasional sunshine to depict a scenic panorama of sky, hills, and water, and test the contestants use of muted colours.  The programme has developed from its poor start in its first series in terms of the presenters, the master classes on creating effect, but we don't always agree with the mentors.  We have our favourites among the contestants, but I admire them all, given my artistic ability got stuck at the age of five!     

As predicted the weather is changing and no doubt we will soon be back to winter wear and grey skies. 

Springtime in Earlston 

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Journal Jottings   
Recording my everyday life for future family historians  
Developed from the "Genea-Pourri" prompt  on Randy Seaver’s blog Genea-Musings
I decided to change his title for my own version of this weekly online diary





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