BEDM - Day 9 "Secret Talent"

 A little 'Art Therapy' project that I took upon myself to carry out.

 

 

Made with bits and pieces found around the home, years ago, I thought I'd make a fly screen curtain for the back door. The nylon cord came from a kite that my dad made me when I was about 9. The kite got trashed almost on its' first outing, but its' line was on a wooden kite reel that dad had made as well and that got kept...because one day, 'it would come in handy'. The brown plastic spacers I cut from the outer casing from copper wire that I had stripped out, (and probably had used for something else!). The leaves were stripped off fake rose stems used to make the bouquets that were handed out to Roxy and Velma in the original London production of Chicago.

Nothing goes to waste in this household!!!

 

 

I was just going to blog about my sewing and millinery, but Mr B said to use these two different items.

So, my second piece is a watercolour, again, done many years ago. I nearly always pack my tiny watercolour paints tin, boards and a pencil when I go away. But this has been the only time I have ever really done anything with them.

I used my make-up brushes to actually paint with! 

 

 

And the real view...

 



Holiday On A Plate

So, a week in Plymouth, been and gone. As always, much too quickly! Especially when I didn't get down there earlier in the year when the railway line has disappeared into the sea overnight at Dawlish!

 

 

Better weather than had been forecasted meant that a couple of these were consumed at the café on The Hoe at the end of our road.

 

 

This cute little fella was a logo maybe, on the alarm box of the building next to the café.

 I do like a penguin!

 

 

Freshly cooked haddock at the other end of the road.

 Bloody lovely!

 

 

Mr West Hoe Fryer himself in the black T-shirt. Always calls out 'Hello Ballet' when we come in! Which this week was three times!!!

 

More fish, this time smoked mackerel and spring onion doorsteps at The Boathouse, down at The Barbican. 

 

OMG! I wore a skirt! By the steps at The Barbican, from whence The Mayflower set sail.

 

 

Christmas lunch in a sandwich box, at the café in Dunelm. Going there was 'my treat' for the last 2-3 years, until I found out they had opened a store at home. It's good, but not the same and old habits die hard.

 

 

Sorry about the picture quality of these shots from The Walrus; dark interiors and the flash just about kills the colour, but you'll get the gist!

 

This was a proper roast beef Sunday lunch. Mr B got double mashed swede as I really don't like it, but the rest of the meal was perfect.

 



 Liver and bacon for a teatime meal. Again, totally yummy.

 

The pub has new owners and I wish them well. They deserve it!

And they have the pinkest ladies loos I have ever seen!

 

Thank goodness I tend to walk quite a lot when I am in Plymouth...otherwise I think I would have to be rolled all the way home to Northampton!

Zxx



#BEDM "5 Fave Posts"

This is a hard one (5) to choose; I don't normally blog every day but when something I want a record of happens. So...

 

Number 1

 

RIP Millennium Dome. Long Live The 02 Arena!

A little piece about backstage at the O2 Arena. You follow Pennyblossoms? That makes you a VIP in my eyes!

 

Number 2

Pink Pan(t)s
If you know the TV show 'Smack The Pony' I'm sure you know where I'm coming from. This post may be 3-4 years old, but just thinking about it still makes me laugh.
Would you like a leeetle deserrrt?

Number 3



A post(card) from Plymouth.
Photos of the sea, from one of our twice-yearly trips to Devon. Mr B goes on tour there and me and the 2 cats go for a holiday. We usually rent a basement flat on West Hoe and have been going there for years. We first took the cats when Rene was about 3 months old; she will be 15 years old this year.

Number 4

Getting rescued by a hunky copper! Say no more, honest Guv!
http://penny-blossoms.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-knight-in-armour-in-his-dashing.html

I have suffered from Clinical Depression for years and have popped in posts about how/what has affected me during the 5 years of this blog.
I like to see and read how I have improved and the total nutcase-ness of this situation proved how well I have progressed.

Number 5A

Danielle, Mrs Bossa, Char, Helen, Alex

The Northwest Bloggers Meet-Up.

Alex made me an honorary member and I had a fabulous day meeting unknown people!!!

That is the amazing-est thing about blogging...I have met such fab people who (I hope) I can call 'friends', that I keep in touch with and care about deeply.
Lucky me!
I mean, wouldn't you want to spend a day in the company of these lovely ladies?

To think I may never have met Pearl doesn't bear thinking about!

But I'm gonna be cheeky here and add another post which ties with 5A and call it 5B...

Number 5B

 

http://penny-blossoms.blogspot.com/2011/11/boozy-bear.html

One of my meet-ups with the wonderful Vix.

Yep! Blogs and Bloggers are fabulous!



I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

But, unfortunately I'm missing out on this trip!

You may recall that Dawlish hit the news big-time earlier this year when a portion of the railway line disappeared into the sea.
 

 

They are apparently doing wonders at re-instating the line, but, sadly not in time for the ballets' visit to Plymouth this week. Regular readers will know that we all go down with Mr B for a week away. As I am not good at travelling any distance by coach and I don't think the fur babies would appreciate it, I decided it best to pass this time. When it's thrust upon you, well, you can't help but go with it, but, knowing in advance, I think I'd would 've worked myself up into a right old tizzy!

So, the little video above is of the bit of railway line along the coast; I think it must be one of the most wonderful bits of train travel in the country. The world, even!

Zxx

I Made This

When I was in Plymouth I did my little foray to Dunelm Mill. We don't have one near us at home so it's like a little treat for me which takes a couple of buses to get to. There is a Hobbycraft next door so I have to have a little snoop around there too! Which is where I found these Jesse James beads. I was so wanting to make them into a bracelet and picked out findings, thread and some extra beads that I put in a pot. But, no, you can't buy just a few beads....you have to buy a pot-full that starts at £4.99 - £7.99.

So, I just kept these and finally, with a few bits from my stash I made this. 

I used earring wires and cut and twisted them into 'links', joining the next one before closing the loop. I'm really chuffed how it worked; so much so I never took it off the first night I mad it!!

How many of you remember this, from the end credits of the TV version of the X Files?

One of those 'bits' we would always join in with.

Now it's The Big Bang Theory theme song and I'm looking forward to a double bill tonight!

(Hope the neighbours can't hear me!)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

to all my American readers.

Z xx

Un-packing List

I always write my 'packing list' after I've come home. I put down what I took, adding in if I didn't wear it. 

*Gold coat is not as gold as it sounds! But I know which coat I mean

I've got these lists going back years; they don't change much. Plymouth in March is pretty much the same as Plymouth at the end of October!

Most of the time!

 

I remember when Vix was doing her last trip abroad and I commented her she had got it down to such a fine art that she could fit all she needed for 3 weeks into a wash bag! A slight exaggeration, I know, but as she replied, it is SO awkward packing for the UK. You need to cover all bases...wind, rain, sun and, on our earlier return trip this year, snow! 

 

I try and sort out 'little outfits' than can be layered up and down depending on the weather. I need to try and pack something smart-ish for going to see the show; can't let the side down and go in looking like a tramp.

 

That happened once to me and I felt really uncomfortable!

I'd gone to 'The Wells' to drop off a costume I'd been working on for a friend for this gala he was taking part in with Diana, Princess of Wales, as Guest of Honour. I'd turned up in sweatpants etc and then was asked if I wanted a guest ticket. Well, I wasn't going to say no, was I?

So, there I was, tucked in the audience, looking like a bag lady, surrounded by bods all dressed up to the nines! It's funny now, but I did feel a bit mortified then!

 

Who'd have thought, a couple of years later I would be stitching stuff for PoW, (as we called her), myself?

Certainly not me!

 

Funny, this thing called Life, eh?

Zxx

 

Bus Stop With A View

A choice of views from one of the bus stops that I use to go into Plymouth city centre!

Even better coming home last night...the driver had to stop up on the Esplanade,  by the Gary Rhodes' restaurant,  as he was going to be too early at the next stop; oh, what a view.

Mind you, a couple of minutes later, when I got off the bus - phew, I had trouble standing upright, it was so windy. And the rain...got soaked on the 30 second walk home!

By the time you read this we should be on the train home.

'Til next year!

Z xx

When I'm 64

I had to take a sneaky snap of this couple, who came and sat in the theatre foyer this afternoon,  whilst I was waiting for Mr B.

I looked at them and hope this will be us at their age.

Happy days!

Z xx

Misty/Murky

A bit different than the other photo!

Damping, as an old theatre digs landlady, from Plymouth, used to call it. That drizzly, damp weather.

The mist rolling in off the sea, at times so thick you can't actually see across to the other side of the inlet. This is where the big ferries dock, coming in from France and Spain, (I think). Giant white beauties that defy the idea of being able to float. And that wonderful honking noise as they leave for yet another Channel crossing.

Today was supposed to be a trip to Totnes,  but was spent eating yummy toasted bacon baps and drinking Americanos at the local cafe.

Way to go!

Z xx

Heaven On Earth

Driving myself nuts trying to post from my tablet. So, just a "postcard" from Plymouth, to say 'hello' and let y'all know I'm still in the land of the living!!

(And it's taken me all week to get this done! Just how many things does it take to download just to be able to blog?)