Bucket Lists

Driving home from work a couple of weeks ago I was listening to a radio programme called "All in the Mind" and they were discussing bucket lists... you know... those things you want to do before you kick the bucket, like swimming with dolphins, sky diving, that sort of thing. They had an expert giving her opinion and she seemed to think that they were not a good thing, taking away spontaneity and keeping us focused on a rigid path in life. She claimed that it became harder to live in the moment if we go through our life ticking things off a list. She also seemed to think by creating a bucket list we were fooling ourselves into thinking we could control our own deaths but I was already shouting no, no, no at the radio by this point! When I embarked upon my 60 x 60 project I guess you could have called it a bucket list but it was never like that for me. It was about trying sixty new things I had never done before, visiting some of those places I had never got around to visiting, one or two were long time ambitions but mostly it was a case of instead of saying "I'll do that one day..." , I actually did it! Most of the things I did weren't actually on a list as such but the result of spontaneous decisions. For example we had driven past The Angel of the North dozens of times and every time we said we should stop there one day. As soon as I decided to embark on 60 x 60, the next time we headed north we actually stopped instead of just thinking about it.

I got to sixty new things but not until my 62nd year, but that didn't matter because it was never a race and I had plenty of fun on the way. Like I said, some were a long time ambition, like starting a baking business. As it happens I decided it wasn't really for me but I would never have known that if I hadn't tried. Many of the things I ended up doing were quite ordinary, several involved food, and one or two things were very exciting like the indoor sky diving and tree top zip wires. As well as recording everything here on my blog I also made a scrapbook and it's fun to flick through and remember everything. It certainly never felt like following a rigid path but just like having lots of fun.

So although when I got to the end of sixty things it was a bit tongue in cheek when I said I was going to start a 100 x 100 project I have been slowly notching up some new experiences. There are things I would still like to do such as see the northern lights one day... and yes, I quite fancy swimming with dolphins, but mostly it will be about trying new things. And making myself a new scrapbook to look back on when I get to be 100... maybe!

The first thing in my 100 x 100 was visiting The Ann Frank house in Amsterdam which we did back in September, something I had wanted to do for quite some time.

I can't say it ever occurred to me that I wanted to go on a 'feral retreat' and learn to spin in the wild but when the opportunity arose  it sounded like fun so I decided why not!

I might also have embarked in some wild swimming if I'd had a decent size towel with me but decided that air drying in The Lake District October probably wasn't sensible!

 

I've often said I would like to learn to carve a spoon and so when I saw a course advertised locally I took the chance and signed up.

 

I really did enjoy it and whilst I would like to do more, realistically I know I don't have the time for another hobby. Something else would have to give.

At Christmas I got to wind the  village church clock for a week.

 

I don't think it would have been something I would have added to my list if there was an actual list, but it was certainly interesting, wonderful to be part of village history and of course a brand new experience.

The next thing I would like to do is complete a Park Run. That might not seem like much of an ambition for someone who has run two marathons but I thought I would never run again, so getting back to a fitness level where I can run 5k will feel like quite an achievement. And I've never actually done a Park Run so it will be a first.

And all this is a rather long winded post to say I had another new experience on Saturday. We went to the local pub for a Burn's Supper and one of the choices for dessert was a deep fried Mars Bar. It has always sounded so wrong and actually not something I've ever really fancied but it was there on the menu so egged on my my Scottish born husband (who also had never had one before) we both opted for the Mars Bar rather than the more sensible Scottish shortbread.  It wasn't the prettiest dessert, looking more like a battered sausage than anything else, but I have to admit it was surprisingly good. Not something I would eat every week, and possibly never again if I care about my arteries but it's another experience clocked up!

So that's it... five things achieved towards 100 x 100 so only another ninety five to go! Maybe the Park Run next, maybe something else... watch this space!

Tulips in Amsterdam

I mislead you... there weren’t any tulips (except for masses of artificial ones in the flower market) but we have been in Amsterdam for the weekend. On Friday morning we were up at 4.30 am to catch a five o’clock train into London. Is it just me or is there something exciting about getting up in the middle of the night to go on holiday. I’m sure it goes back to my childhood when we would be bundled into the back of the car before it was light to make an early start down to the West Country for our annual camping holiday. As children I’m not sure we arrived any earlier but on Friday we were on a direct train from St. Pancras by 7.15 and in Amsterdam by midday. So much easier than flying.

I had pre-booked tickets for the Anne Frank house as we missed visiting on our one and only other trip to Amsterdam. I read her diary when I was at school probably at the same age as Anne when she went into hiding but I'm not sure how much it meant to me at the time. However actually seeing where the family spent two years hidden made it seem so much more real. I am always concerned that visiting somewhere like this might feel a little voyeuristic but it was certainly interesting and worth doing, if only to serve as a reminder of the atrocities of the past and how easily it can be for a society to embrace racist and fascist beliefs. A lesson for today I feel.

As with any city break there was also much walking, eating and drinking. Amsterdam is such a picturesque city that there are plenty of spots just to sit with a drink in hand to watch the world and boats go by!

We stayed at an AirBnB, a lovely apartment to the west of the city but withing easy walking distance of the centre. On our first evening we ventured out to a bar for our supper, recommended by our AirBnB hosts. The meal was lovely but we probably raised the average age of the rest of the clientele by about twenty years. We felt particularly old when the waiter asked us if the music was too loud for us! We actually enjoyed the mostly 1960s/70s music and watching the crowds of young people out relaxing and enjoying themselves on a Friday night. When I sent a message to our hosts to tell them we enjoyed their recommendation the response was "Ah yes, Friday night is party night at Cafe Thuys for young people - but typical Dutch experience". Perhaps the fact that our hosts looked no more than early thirties from their photos should have given me a clue, but we enjoyed our evening so much more than if we had gone somewhere touristy.

The following morning was a slow start and after brunch and a vist to the Oude Kerk (Old Church), rather ironically situated in the middle of the Red Light District, we met up with our friends Janet and Pete who moved to the Netherlands about a year ago. With them as our guides we spent another delightful afternoon wandering along canals, exploring markets, stopping for the occasional beer and just generally enjoying a sunny afternoon in the city. 

On Sunday morning we caught the bus out to Janet and Pete's home in Edam, a beautiful small city just 20 km north of Amsterdam.

After sampling some rather good Dutch apple cake, we spent another fine day wandering down to the lakeside, via their allotment, past many typical Dutch homes.

After a refreshment stop we returned via a different route and found ourselves back in the city with time to vist De Knijp (The Nip) a tiny little pub full of character, only open seven hours a week.

Whilst there we sampled the local liqueur... the Dutch way. The little tulip glasses are filled to the very top so full that the only way to move them is to slurp some off the top first... Proost!

On our last day we had a very leisurely boat trip around the canals of Amsterdam and another little wander before catching our train back home. It's been a while since we had a break and it was just what we needed... nothing like some walking, eating, drinking and time spent with good friends to recharge the batteries!

Life's Curve Ball

Just as I was starting to get used the the constant merry go round from working in the cafe to teaching embroidery and everything else in between.... just as I opened my mouth and said that at last life was starting to feel okay for the first time this year... a curve ball came and threw everything off course. Once again my youngest son hit a crisis and I had to drop everything. It is his story and not mine to tell but it obviously it impacts on our life too. He has faced much anxiety inducing change over the past few months and finally something tipped him over the edge. I'd like to tell you the NHS were amazing but without us to provide him with a safe environment I'm not sure what he would have done. When a crisis team finally got to see us their "help" amounted to little more than a series of platitudes. Telling someone who barely has the energy to get out of bed and feels that life is hopeless that they should try exercising more or should perhaps practise mindfulness is not in the least helpful. When he is in a better place he is well aware that these things help to keep him well but not when he is in a place of despair. For three days, I held his hand, ministered cups of tea and listened when he had the energy to talk. I didn't leave the house except to walk the dog and I did what I always do when  life is stressful... I baked!

There were apple and oatmeal cookies...

Chewy brownies with nuggets of caramel...

Orange scented almond ricciarelli biscuits...

And even some membrillo jelly sweets because I was given another bag of quince to use up.
Being confined to the house and missing a couple of days of work also meant that I managed to get my paints out one afternoon and I finished this painting of tango dancers... which was just as well as it had been accepted for an exhibition that opens this week!

Then by the end of last week things improved enough that I took J back to his house in Cambridge (the boat is a thing of history!) and although I wasn't sure I would make it I managed to get away for a much anticipated girls weekend away. Ten of us stayed in a fabulous barn conversion in the middle of a nature reserve in Oxfordshire for three days of eating, drinking, walking and friendship. On Saturday we ventured out in the sunshine for a walk though the nature reserve. It wasn't long before we were faced with a small stream and no bridge.... the only thing for it was to take off our boots and socks and paddle! It might have been okay if I hadn't dropped one of my boots in the water!

With boots back on we carried on walking as the black clouds closed in and we tried to decide whether we could make it to a pub before the rain started. Instead we opted to go straight back to the barn...

But not before walking headlong into driving hailstones. We laughed but oh boy were we wet! And the barn was a lot further away than we thought. Back in the dry we shed our wet things and stayed in for the rest of the day to drink tea and eat cake (I knew there was a reason I'd done all that baking!)

Sunday morning was glorious and so we set out again, albeit with slightly damp boots for a lovely walk along the river Thames

At one point our navigator led us astray to a ford across the river... She was much amused as we all protested and refused to take our shoes and socks off  a second time to cross to the other side. Only then did she confess she had taken us on a detour!

We carried on walking and found a bridge instead!

At 11 am we stopped beneath these trees near an old pill box to observe two minutes silence. As we all stood together the only sound was that of the wind as it picked up and rustled the last remaining leaves causing them to flutter down amongst us, a fitting metaphor as we remembered the many fallen. And as the last post sounded, a single bird sang. I'm not a particularly spiritual person but it was an amazing shared experience that moved us all.

For me, it was also a moment to realise that all I can do is be there for J when he needs me, I can't make him better. But equally it is important to live my own life to the full too. And being away with these nine fabulous women certainly was a life affirming experience. We ate some amazing food that everyone contributed, drank prosecco, wine and gin (although not all at the same time) as well as copious amounts of tea, read books, did some knitting, finished a jigsaw and even played pass the parcel with some hysterical forfeits... have you ever tried turning around ten times and then drinking a glass of water? And on the final night we discovered that one of our party, Fiona, is a talented poet when she read us some of her very witty creations. We thought she should write a poem about our weekend away which led to everyone trying to contribute an offering... this is my rather amateur attempt:

"Ten fabulous friends converged in the shires
For a long weekend around cosy log fires.
With lasagne, chilli and tiramisu
There was plenty of food and lots to drink too!
Gin, Prosecco and the odd glass of wine
plus tea and cake ensured a good time.
On Saturday morning they ventured outside
To set off for a walk and spy birds from a hide.

They dipped their feet in a stream that made them all scream
As they paddled and slipped across.
The water was cold and tingled their toes
And the stones were all covered in moss!

Before very long, black clouds blew in and everyone got a good soaking.
But back in the barn they soon dried off and glasses were raised with more gin in!
They ate more food and games were played
Photos were swapped and stories relayed

On Armistice day they walked once again
In cold winter sunshine by the banks of the Thames
They stood together in silence beneath some bare trees,
As leaves fluttered down in the whispering breeze.
Remembering the fallen, there was a tear or two
A spiritual moment and beautiful too.

It was all agreed they had a great time, despite the brief spot of rain
in unison they all declared... When can we do it again?"

Back home, J is in a slightly better place than he was two weeks ago, I'm feeling refreshed from my change of scene and I'm hopeful that life will get back on an even keel once again. Who knows, I might even manage to blog more than once every two weeks! I hope all is well with you x

A Book or Two

Although I have a long reading wish list, I'm trying to read some of the books I have around the house or those I pick up in charity shops rather than buying more new books. A few years ago I discovered the writer Douglas Kennedy with his book State of the Union. It was an easy and engaging read and I was especially intrigued by Kennedy's ability to write so well from the female perspective. I then picked up his short novel The Dead Heart which I found totally gripping. It's a fast paced, gruesome thriller, interspersed with humour, set in the Australian outback. It's a real page turner. On the back of those two books I received a pile of Douglas Kennedy books one Christmas. I think I probably read a couple of them which were not great but entertaining. So when I picked up The Woman in the Fifth I hoped it might be okay. Unfortunately I thought it was awful! Moderately entertaining to start with, it is an easy, although somewhat far fetched read, telling the story of American Harry Ricks who arrives in Paris having run away from a failed marriage and a scandal that ruined his career. With no money and nowhere to live, Harry unwittingly falls in with the city’s underclass. When he meets and falls in love with a mysterious woman it looks like his future might improve. The plot thickens and the mysteries deepen and then about 75 pages from the end it feels as though Kennedy couldn't work out how to tie up all the loose ends (Spoiler alert... but I don't care if it prevents anyone else wasting several hours reading this nonsense) so he explains everything by making the woman a ghost, without so much as a previous hint at anything supernatural, which was complete and utter nonsense. What a waste of reading time!

Fortunately I found the next book I picked up was far more entertaining. I have read Any Human Heart by William Boyd which I really enjoyed, so when I spotted  Waiting for Sunrise from the same author in the charity shop I thought it was worth picking up. And it didn't disappoint. I found the main character Lysander Rief, very similar to the hapless anti hero Logan Mountstuart of Any Human Heart, and it also has the same easy flowing style, but the story was very different charting Lysander's life from Vienna to London via the battlefields of France during wartime Europe, as he gets embroiled in a life of sex, scandal and spies!

At the same time I also picked up The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel from the same charity shop. I enjoyed the film so was looking forward to reading the book especially since the news that I could be going to India next year. The book isn't quite the same as the film - the basic premise of a retirement home for the elderly is still there and the characters names are the same but that is where the similarity ends. The actual characters and the story line is totally different, so although it is still  enjoyable I'm finding it difficult to remove myself from the mental image of the film as I read.

I thought it was worth reading though to get me in the right frame of mind for my Indian holiday with Colouricious Holidays next year, although it hasn't really conjured up the atmosphere of India I had expected. I'm looking forward to experiencing it first hand for myself instead. If you fancy joining me you can find all the information right here if you click on the link below. It would be so much fun to have blog readers join me on this trip.

Experience India with Gina Ferrari

My Big News

I can finally reveal my big and very exciting news... and you are hearing it here first... that I have been invited by Colouricious Holidays to host a block printing holiday to India next year

For ten days from 17th to 27th September 2019 we will be based in the beautiful pink city of Jaipur staying in a private family run hotel - the Megh Niwas. Our breakfasts and dinners will be prepared daily by their own chef using home grown organic food.

We will be taking part in several traditional block printing workshops in Jaipur supporting local artisans and craftsmen.

We will spend a day with elephants

and will visit local sights of historic interest and great beauty such as the magnificent Amer Fort, built high on a hillside from red sandstone and marble, overlooking Maota Lake

and Hawa Mahal, another stunning pink and red sandstone palace with over 900 small windows, originally used so that royal ladies could watch festivites without being seen. All transport will be in our own private coach.

There will also be time to visit markets, go shopping and experience local life.

I have always wanted to visit India so I can't tell you how excited I am about this trip. And all I have to do is tell you all about it and hopefully get enough people to fill up the tour... although places are limited. Flights are arranged from London Heathrow and are all inclusive in the price but you can join the trip from anywhere in the world if you wish to make your own transport arrangements and the price will be adjusted accordingly.

All the information you need can be found here:

Block Printing holiday with Gina Ferrari

but don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions.

Did I tell how excited I am?

Mamma Mia

I'm sitting around on my first weekend of Open Studios and it has been a slow day, which is probably just as well after the frantic few days setting up since getting home from Greece. I'm not expecting crowds of people this afternoon either... England are playing football. I find it too tense to watch but pop my head in the room next door every so often when I hear cheering!

So would you like to hear about Greece? We left home at 1am on Saturday morning (I can't believe it's a week ago already) to catch a flight at silly o'clock. We didn't bother going to bed beforehand and we were eating breakfast at Gatwick airport at 4am. Our flight was to Kalamata, where the twenty of us who were on our way to the wedding were met by a coach for the three and a half hours by road to catch the ferry to Elafonisos. 

It was worth it... mountains, turquoise sea and deserted beaches.

We showered, had a cheeky little G & T and walked down to the beach where pretty much the entire wedding party was relaxing and swimming. After meeting the bride's parents for the first time and being treated to a wonderful Greek meal it was back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.

The next day was spent back on the beach and in the sea until late afternoon, when we made our way back to the hotel to shower and change ready for the evening. It was lovely to be able to spend time with my brother and sister in law while we were away.

The entire wedding party congregated at the taverna by the beach until we received word that the bride was ready. We then followed my son Ben, the groom, who was carrying a bouquet of lavender and wheat stems, in a procession up the hillside. Suddenly there was a cry from the rear... "Stop!"

And there was the bride, Alexandra, looking stunning, walking up the hill to meet her groom.

They met, Ben handed over the bouquet...

And then they walked on together and we followed again.

At the top of the hill we arrived at the tiny whitewashed Greek Orthodox church. It was just like Mamma Mia but without Pierce Brosnan singing (thank goodness)

Inside the ceremony was very formal and was sung in Greek by a priest who had been a former opera singer... definitely no bad singing at this wedding!

Despite the formality of the service the atmosphere in the church was very informal. Guests wandered in and out of the church, which was mostly standing room only, they chatted, they took photos. It was wonderful.

As the ceremony drew to a close all the guests were ushered outside...

We waited expectantly by the side door that we had entered while Ben and Alexandra signed the register... oh no! They were coming out a different door... so off we all went to the front door where we all threw rice at the newly weds as they emerged. Apparently the words for rice and roots are very similar in Greek and the rice signifies the putting down of roots together. A wonderful way to wish Ben and Alexandra a very happy life together.

The sun was setting over the sea as photographs were taken.

We then all wandered back down to the taverna for a Greek wedding feast... by now it was past 10pm!

There was eating dancing and drinking all night and we finally rolled back to our hotel at about 2.30am. The younger members of our party stayed up dancing before going onto the beach, where I have it on good authority they were skinny dipping at 5am... we retrieved youngest son's specs from the sea the following day!

Monday was another day on the beach, a late leisurely lunch and drinks on the terrace before an early night. Not quite such an early start as our journey out but we were up at 4am on Tuesday for the return trip. The ferry wasn't running at that time of the morning so we were shuttled in small groups by car and fishing boats under cover of darkness to board our bus on the mainland. It all felt rather illicit.

So a truly Greek experience and the most wonderful wedding that I won't forget. (Also my first time at a Greek Wedding... that must count as a sixty x sixty)

I close up Open Studios for the day in half hour, so I'm hoping it might be a bit busier tomorrow but at least England have won their game today. Then next week it will be on to wedding number two. Someone asked me on Facebook "Where were the waistcoats" and my response was "Next week, next son, next wedding". See you on the other side!