Today the sun shone!

 I think these women are lovely, this one even has her flame intact.  If I hadn't been so buzzy I would have photographed the fully clothed men who also stand in the square - maybe next time I decide to go into town at 9 on a Sunday morning.

This is a blip from 'Life in Newburgh on Ythan'. Not only is it a beautiful stone but it is also full of questions and for once Talpa didn't explain. Where is it from, how was it made, how did the vertical stuff get in there and what is it?









I wanted to put one of Betty's pics in but her blog wouldn't let me so you'll have to click on order is optional on the side column.
Had a great writing week, I didn't get up to 2000 words a day yet but I did manage to stay on task for 50 mins at a time. Driven by the need to clean cupboards in between, so my kitchen is tidier too.
I also got round to looking 'high concept' up on t'internet, only to find disagreement about what it means. It seems to be a contradiction between highly conceptualised (whatever that means) and over simplified. 
Hey ho, whatever, the Guardian suggests that it should be possible to give a 'high concept summary' of every scene in a book.
I'm rereading PG Woodhouse to keep me in the mood.

Not up to it!

I'll write tomorrow but I can't take looking at the screen today!
And tomorrow is another day.
Coincidence
I mention NaNoWriMo and the Guardian publishes how to write a novel in 30 days just before it starts!
National Novel Writing Month is November and I will be writing my 2000 words a day so that I can write 50,000 words in a month.  My plan is that I build up to it over the next week till I get up to speed.

 

I know that it is probably just reflection off my lens or dust or something but don't you think it looks as if Angel can see the fairies too?  This was a Miggy Wood walk.  She insisted.  Picked up the ball and headed down the road and didn't give any opposition a chance to get started.

                                                            The fungus wasn't so colourful this week...

compared to last  week  - pizza on a tree.

                                                                                   



             

If you tilt the laptop just right these clouds look gold.  This was after the thunder, stair-rods rain and hail:

 



 

 

                      I went to a craft fair on my birthday with Linda and Sara at the formerly- known-as-Savile Hall.  It's where the Royal Armouries car park was when I was last there and it hasn't half changed; it's sort of piazza style living with not too high rise blocks and this - which is extra large so you can see the pigeon thinking how its eggs seem big!

I am going to have to start wandering about more again.  Leeds is obviously not the place it was.

 

Saturday was Otley with Diz to get a glam frock (£5 from the Heart Foundation) for the Inspiration Concert and then on to Harrogate to look at shops and photos in an exhibition there.  This is from the Pannal petrol station on the way home.

Making stuff

I've been going to make chutney all week. Well, since Wednesday, which doesn't seem so bad now I come to write it.  I've got the recipe out of the old Good Housekeeping book, got 2lb of apples picked and 2lb of ripe tomatoes, got all the other bits but still not got on with it.Perhaps it's the quantity -4lb does seem a bit of a commitment to one recipe.

Diz's noren is coming on ok, but not yet photo'd, Jim has rejected the offer of his,my winter quilt is on the bed and keeping me warm, but is still unfinished, Tracey's table mats just need quilting (just?!)and having dug out my winter woolies and found them either felted, too nice for everyday wear or boooooring, I've started a new cardigan.

Printmaking started on Wednesday and the theme Jonathan has suggested is portraiture which will give me a chance at:

 

 

Or at least one of them. And there's the garden party faces I was working on when I stopped too.

 

That's it for now - so much to do, so much to do.  But I do feel better for my holidays and all ready to settle down to the build up to Christmas but before that there's November and NaNoWriMo - more about that later.

Catch up on la vie francais

 

St Pancras: I don't think he thinks he's real.



 

Gare de Lyon: Do they look French to you?

 



Through the bus window from Toulon to Cavalaire

A bit of the view from Jim's balcony

And a bit more early Thursday morning 

Went to Fran and Phil's for dinner

 

 

 

And Baume le Mimosa - very pretty in a preserved sort of way



 

Sat with my feet in the Mediterranean looking towards the harbour

Had dinner on the balcony

These trees are all over and all a lovely shape.  This one is on the sea front and we're on the way to eat.

I set off back at 7am french time so no pics till St Pancras - I don't know how I managed to miss these two on the way out but I did.