Fin

I just love this photo taken by Fin last year after DD's wedding. No. she isn't going to jump off the end of the pier after a sudden change of mind nor has the groom absconded. I don't know how Fin captured this shot, it's so different from all the happy and funny ones taken throughout the day. I notice he hasn't included it in the gallery on his website - I guess it's more Zeffirelli than Hello magazine

"These sheep know which way to go"

Winner of the HSBC International Photography Competition 2009.

The competition received over 1,700 entries from 52 countries worldwide.

The theme for the competition was ' A Sense of Security' and Finlay's image of sheep crossing the snow was deemed by the judges to capture the essence of the theme perfectly.

Congratulations, Fin!

Futility

(lyrics from Ecclesiastes 3)

One of the few activities I can do one-armed, besides typing this with one finger, is to read. Today I've revisited wonderful Philip Yancey's brilliant chapter on Ecclesiastes in his book 'The Bible Jesus Read'. In it he highlights the similarity between Existentialism (so popular in the 1960's) and the Old Testament book Ecclesiastes.
This book in the bible and the philosophy of the absurdity of life & general meaninglessness (also the theme of Albert Camus' book 'The Outsider') really spoke to me as a teenager and Ecclesiastes still does, so I felt reassured by Yancey saying it was an issue that would bother all fair-minded people!
He goes on to point out that despair arises out of circumstances of plenty quoting Philip Roth, "In the West anything goes and nothing matters. In the East nothing goes and everything matters." Why do comfort and prosperity not breed satisfaction? Because we discover that they don't give meaning and purpose to our lives. By becoming self-sufficient we take on the burden of God but don't have the key of "WHY?" "What's it for?", "Where's the fulfillment?"
Peggy Lee's 60's hit "Is that all there is?" and sung here beautifully by Bette Midler touches on it

“I don't know Who, or what, put the question, I don't know when it was put. I don't even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone, or Something,and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal.”

Dag Hammarskjold

Fall & fracture folly

I think it must be the broken-wrist season: since falling and breaking my right wrist on Thursday 16th I keep hearing of others - a friend's neighbour, someone else's grandmother. Even the pope joined in.

According to press reports, Pope Benedict XIV sat & waited his turn for an x-ray in the casualty dept at the Umberto Parini hospital, in Ivrea where he was taking a mountain holiday. He was then given a 20 minute op - straight away! (I suppose there have to be some perks.)

As for me I've had to sit out a painful two weeks in the temporary pot that was slapped on after a tortuous (or torturous!) manipulation. I have no complaints at all though about my treatment at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough. The staff in A & E were efficient & very pleasant. I'll know on Monday 3rd August whether the bones have stayed in the right places and will then hopefully get a bright new pot in a colour of my choice. DH suggested I took my wedding outfit to ensure a good match - DS3 gets married on 8th August!
It was certainly folly to attempt to walk down subsiding concrete steps on a wet day .....and the site of the offending steps? Saltburn's Folly ( seen here along with many more beautiful & interesting photos of Saltburn taken by flamelillyfox & displayed on flickr)
Just for the record, the dangerous steps aren't those leading directly from the folly but are just to the side - and I'm not going to report the subsidence to the council because a) I don't want to risk the path being closed for the next year and b) I don't believe in a 'nanny-state', & take full responsibility for my actions - anyone fit enough to walk that far into the woods can look after themselves.

Furlough

Had leave of absence granted from duties & rotas to spend June visiting friends & family......

Flat-hunting with DS in Budapest. A reasonable one bedroom apartment in a central location can be found for £50,000 but there are so many factors to consider. He hasn't yet found the perfect one but we enjoyed looking.

Finished off streams of wedding bunting with DF(of Frippery fame). In her Hastings studio overlooking fishing boats we pinned & sewed the floral flags to tape. The effect at the wedding teaparty should be stunning.

I could have just sat and stared at the iew from her studio window....

And finally - just for fun - with DH & faithful pup I enjoyed the fresh air of the fells with their summer covering of fabulous ferns & foxgloves. Stayed at LongByres, Talkin Head again and enjoyed Harriet's delicious food.

Feet feat

Not just any feet.... feet modelling my first attempts at knitting socks.

I used Regia 4 ply sock yarn -Kaffe Fasset (above) & silk (below) - on 4 x 2.5mm short double-pointed bamboo needles.

I couldn't possibly have learned how without following the 4-part Masterclss by Dorret Conway on You Tube