On Light Catchers and Other Things

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I found the ensuing post in my drafts folder.  It was written in October 2017, just before I fell over my own feet and the legs of my easel and started the ball rolling on three months of ‘failure to stay upright’ events for myself and my family which you mostly know about and suffered through with us.

Now safely on the other side and having been uplifted by the wonderful community that gathers about this blog throughout, I want to share this news, aged as it is, with you and introduce you to some great folk, whom I do hope you will wander off to say hello to – tell them I sent you and you’ll be in like Flynn  😀

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Some months back, deep in the heart of my winter, Susanne and I got into a bit of a discussion on her blog about patios and light catchers and weathering and as a result of that conversation I sent a light catcher off to Canada.   Susanne was going to hang it in her little summer garden and we were going to undertake an experiment, observing how the components behaved in an outdoor situation.   It never arrived.   Please do go here to read her beautifully written and wickedly funny piece on time and tides and missing light catchers and what eventually happened…………

While waiting to hear from Susanne – and expecting the worst – I made more light catchers.  This is the only one that made it into the gift shop.  It’s called ‘Summer Garden’ and I love the colour mix…….

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The others were given away.  And eventually I even received a commission from Luanne to make a coral one – you read about that in the previous post.

Also included in the long forgotten draft was a little story about the inspiration for she who is variously known as YD or the Official Photographer or even by her own lovely name of Danella – the inspiration for her living-room do-up.  An event that some of you may recall from last year.   It’s important to still post this as I promised Derrick I would and life got terribly in the way of me keeping my promises for the past four months…….   

Any hoo – the inspiration came from a photograph my friend Derrick sent me of his beautiful garden.  (I say ‘his’, but the garden designer and curator is really his wife, the lovely Jackie, and Derrick’s role is, I am led to believe, chiefly that of flower dead-header and chief photographer and eater of lovingly prepared evening meals.)  I requested a copy of one particular shot that had captivated me and Derrick kindly and generously sent me three different prints.  At first sight of a particular one, YD’s eyes lit up and per-ping it was off to live at her place.  Here it is seen on the wall in this previously unrevealed view of her living room, taken from the sofa

Ds room 2

And a closer up shot, in case your eyes are as poor as mine……

Ds room detail

Which, on reflection, I see doesn’t help at all – the light being on as it was a dull morning when I requested the photo be taken STAT!  Any how,  that lovely pink and green photographic print was the inspiration for all this

Inky Wall 4

Which I’m sure you recall…….    Various comments about the state of depletion of the wine rack not withstanding, this lovely room has been almost entirely her only venue of residence since breaking her leg and fracturing her ankle on that unfortunate night at the end of last November.  And said wine rack has been variously refilled and emptied and refilled again  – so it’s just as well we had made it pretty for her.  All thanks to Jackie and Derrick’s fabulous garden inspiration at the Old Post House in the UK.  Please, allow  me to urge you to pop in and say hello to these two charmers, Jackie’s already begun planting up her spring garden and the first daffodil has shyly bloomed and Derrick has his camera ready to capture whatever comes next.

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Now we are back to the present day.  We’ve had a largish fire, whipped up by a violent wind that preceded the arrival of a weather conflagration that was somewhat alarming as a tropical storm moving south through the country met an elongated east-west weather system originating from Antarctica right over the South Island and dumped an extreme amount of water in a relatively small area over a 24 hour period…..  It put the fire out (yay!) and flooded the usual places (boo!) and cooled the air down (yay!).  It went from 35C to 16C in 36 hours.  So, this is the new look Summer here in the Riviera of Antarctica folks.

Now that it is summer here and winter there, my friends in Alberta, Canada and Virginia, USA and San Jose, USA are busy rifling through their wardrobes to find some appropriate clothing to pack into their suitcases …………..  Come prepared for anything I say!  Three weeks to go and we’ll have kicked off our little bloggers reunion gathering!

And that my friends is a very big “YAY!!”

Here’s Siddy, before the storm,  wondering what that delicious aroma is floating through the air, from somewhere not here ………..  Mmmmmm B-B-Q!

Siddy smells barbecue

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

99 thoughts on “On Light Catchers and Other Things”

  1. Siddy is such a sweetie, Pauline! 💖
    This is special to know the inspiration for YD’s, otherwise known as Danella’s, living room is a beautiful print from Derrick! xo 💐 💕

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  4. This is a great post! I love how that photo of Derrick’s inspired the colors in that lovely room. So glad you are getting your creative time in again – glad you are feeling better!

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    • Glad you enjoyed it Jodie 🙂 I think Derrick somehow intuited that this particular photo was needed and it was just the spark D had been looking for! We are all pretty much top notch again! Hope you are too ❤

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  5. I really like the colour combos of the light catcher too. How pretty that room turned out with an equally lovely inspiration piece. Hope you have packed away your tinny(small tin boat) and are once again enjoying lovely weather. We are hot, humid and without aircon at the moment so I would give my eye teeth for that 16 degrees 😀

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  6. Your lightcatchers are just so pretty, and you make them so personal to each one. I love that. Siddy is so cute, and seems to love the sunshine too. Love the living area, it is tranquil and peaceful.
    Seems the weather is a bit strange everywhere, so stay safe. 🙂 Take care.

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  7. D’s flat is gorgeous. I love the color combination of pink and green, and though I join the chorus of others that aren’t generally a big fan of pink, I really like this. I recently put together a “pink corner”, a shelf really, with lots of pink treasures from you, Kelly, and other friends. I like seeing them all together. The men folk haven’t noticed (snicker) so I may be adding a second pink shelf too. My mother drummed it in to my head over and over again that “redheads don’t look good in pink” so I’ve avoided the color entirely. Then it became a silly girl trend and then it was overused with the breast cancer initiatives. I think I probably rebelled against the idea of pink=girl. Okay, so that was a tangent.

    I love this light catcher! Every time I see a new one I think “oh, this is my new favorite”, probably because each one is so unique and infused with love and light.

    Siddy is a sweet, handsome boy with such charm and grace. I can’t wait to meet him.

    It is such good news that you are all healing well and remaining upright. I’m glad the fires are out and that you’ve had a cleansing rain, but I’m sorry to hear of one in the first place. They’ve become all too common.

    I’ve been for a visit to your two linked blogs. It’s always nice to see who our favorite bloggers are connecting with. Inspiration is everywhere if we’re paying attention. I love that the piece of art launched a beautiful makeover. xo

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    • Hello again Alys! 🙂 The world is full of lovely people and many of them circle around our blogs – so serendipitous as you would say ❤ As we were busy doing our thing on messenger Danella was busy setting us up as a group as she was sure there would be questions to be asked and thoughts to be shared – how sweet is that! So that group is there whenever we need it and Skype is out the door!! Gosh, we are so excited about it all! I know we are going to have such a fun time!! Siddy does have charm – but very little grace it has to be said! Be prepared to be flattened, sat on and loved to death. My hope is he will exhaust himself with trying to companion everyone at once and need to sleep regularly 😀 I like the idea of your pink shelf – or two! I hope you find a pink that suits you that you can wear – there are so many shades and tones around, surely one will work in your favour!

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      • Dear Skype, It’s been nice knowing you, but I’ve found someone else. Facebook Messenger Video is more reliable and more trustworthy. So far, it’s never let me down.

        Love, Alys

        [snicker]

        I love that Danella set up that group. It’s the perfect way for us all to keep in touch while traveling, and leading up tour trip as well. Such a clever idea.

        Siddy and Tessa should meet. They would have fun exhausting each other, and Mouse could catch a break. They like to wrestle together, but Mr. Corpulent tires long before the young whipper-snapper does.

        I can’t wait to be mauled by Siddy. Poor little guy won’t know what hit him with that circle of love.

        I will let you know should I find an agreeable shade of pink. I’m having a hard enough time finding purple. If it’s not a “fashion color” good luck finding it in the stores.

        It was wonderful chatting yesterday. xo

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        • 😀 Quite right!! I must now tell all my skype folks that messenger is the preferred platform 🙂 There was a lovely coral shade in the stores last spring – that soft almost orangey hued pink that looked fab on blondes, did you have that too? And don’t forget – you can sew and so the world of colour is your oyster…….. I don’t like wearing what everyone else is wearing – it just becomes another uniform……. I’ve always worn long and flowing and now and again the fashion world marches in step to me 😀 Ah, sigh, it’s so hard being a trend setter 😀 😀 😀 Wouldn’t it be grand if you could slip Tessa into your back back – Siddy would be SO HAPPY!! He loves his kitty but his kitty is staid and old and boring now and he would love to play chasing with a young thing 🙂 And now I have to PM you – a question I forgot yesterday.

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          • Yes! Facebook Messenger Video saved that day, and then some. Delightful!

            I love that you set your own style. Sharon is very much the same way. She’s worn the same clothes for many years (or did until very recently). Her ribcage expanded from all that swimming so many of the dresses are now snug in the bodice. She’s also cold ALL the time, so she wears three sweaters with a dress over that and a pair of warm tights topped with leg warmers. I would love to bring Tessa along if such things were actually possible. They would undoubtedly be a great match. I’m not sure the coral shade you mean, but I can picture it on blonds.

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  8. Sorry, I seem to have made my comment (above) to your last post on this one. don’t know how I managed that.
    Great to see you getting back to posting. Loving your summer garden light catcher and Daniella’s room – I do love pink. Great to hear the rain put the fire out, so scary how fast fires can travel.

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    • Yes, trying to remember to take photos so I have something to post about seems to be my issue 🙂 Fires can be very alarming! It was most fortuitous that rain arrived when it did – many homes had been evacuated and lots more put on standby to do so! Lovely to see you come by 🙂

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  10. well, did I know you liked/loved cricket? Surely I’m going potty if I didn’t. If you ever make it north, then make sure it’s summer so I can take you to Lords. As for lost in the post why don’t tax demands and double glazing offers get lost? Or those reports beloved of school? Or that embarrassing birthday card from Great Aunt Inconsolia who added a one to the ‘Now You Are Six’? being, as she was both preternaturally morbid and irreconcilably misanthropic and miserly. I’m pleased you liked Derrick’s picture; having seen the garden I can attest to (a) it’s beauty and (b) the truth that it’s Jackie who does the work. Also, and this is the main reason to comment, I’m so glad you are mended and, likewise, that you have a bloggers gathering – perhaps we should start a survey to ascertain the appropriate collective noun for bloggers.

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    • I would so love to go to Lords! When the pigs fly and I get there – you are ON!! I used to know all the big players and highest scores and things like that. We would amble off now and again to an actual game at the Basin Reserve but I liked the telly best for the closeups and no queues at the loos not to mention comfy seats…… Now its been a few seasons since I followed it. My life is poorer for the loss!

      I like the idea of a collective noun for a gathering of bloggers – Maybe a competition/ giveaway would be the way to go? I’ll put up a light catcher 🙂 My first thought was a murmuration, but obviously that won’t do because it would be so much louder than that – but there has to be a good word out there- or even a new word? Over to you sir wordsmith!!

      PS I just googled ‘chatty gathering’ and was offered ‘clambake’ as well as garrulous, loquacious and multieloquent ‘A loquacity of bloggers’ has a certain ring don’t you think?

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  12. Pauline, your light catchers are breathtaking! I’m sitting here looking out at the snow and wishing we were approaching summer instead of 6 more weeks of winter (if the groundhog is to be believed). So excited for your reunion, I know one gal from Virginia who is busy getting ready for the trip. Happy summer to you! That pink room is glorious!

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    • Thank you for that tidbit about our mutual friend – I’ve been wondering if she is giving herself any time to prepare 😀 The groundhog is generally correct I’ve been told – is that so?

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  13. Ah the mysteries of the international posting systems. The light catchers are beautiful. Love how your daughter interpreted the beautiful photo as a soothing, welcoming, and happy interior decoration plan. Very talented! Siddy is as always adorable. Sorry that you’ve had such extreme weather.

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    • Yes, ‘extreme weather’ is a suitable label for what’s been going on. You have your own version of course. I hope you are staying indoors knitting The Skipper his socks and not having to venture out and attempt to stay upright and secure on all the ice and snow I’m hearing about!

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  14. I am so cheered by Susanne’s story about the two-month travels of her light catcher. On December 15th I sent my daughter and son-in-law in Chicago a box of Christmas presents from the UK. It has still not arrived, though a book posted the day before arrived about a fortnight ago. I shall go on hoping.

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    • I think it’s good not to lose hope altogether Hilary – well, not until maybe three months has gone by……. I send you wishes for a happy ending on this particular delayed delivery story!

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  15. What a delightful and cheery uplifting post you have here today, Pauline! I personally loved the pink and green combinations to make such a cozy setting. Glad to hear you’re both doing better. I’m certain your lovely light catcher will find a loving home. Tah-tah!

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  16. Siddy will be excited to have visitors!!!! It’s wonderful that you have turned blogging into other treasures as personal gifts and visits. A toast to you and your friends. Meanwhile, I can’t imagine how many posts are in my “Blogging Development” file.

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  17. Danella’s room is beautiful and I don’t even like pink! But it all came together so nicely–so light and airy. Your wild weather sounds sort of unsettling, but if the fire was out out that’s what is most important. It’s fun to see Siddy “on the move”!

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    • It’s my best gif so far 🙂 So many people who normally ‘don’t do pink’ (including me) love that room Kerry. I think we found a good balance and all the pink bits are removable too, so if ever she wants to change it up to any other colour it can be done quickly and easily. The weather has been odd for the last week, but it’s supposed to return to normal summer minus the extreme heat, soon. Do you have signs of spring up your way yet?

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  18. Hi Pauline, I’m so pleased Susanne’s light catcher finally made it. I don’t understand why the international postal service is so slow, but at least it made it. Miraculous for sure! Your “summer garden” light catcher is beautiful too. I’m sure it will find itself a loving home. I love the print from Derrick that now adorns your daughter’s wall. What a lovely complement to her other decorations and trimmings. It all looks gorgeous. I enjoyed your good news/bad news weather story, and hope the situation was more good than bad. What a big sudden drop in temperature. We’ve been very warm too, with a very cold (20 degrees :))day yesterday. Enjoy the rest of the warmth before more cool blows in. 🙂

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    • I so wonder what happens to some packages – I once had notification that a tracked package was in the country but it took another ten days before arriving at my door. Customs was responsible for that particular delay, but no explanation was given ……. Other times things just disappear without trace. We have been under 20 degrees since the storm blew through, with intermittent rain. It’s slowly warming up, but I think we have seen the last of the mid thirties – for which I am truly grateful! I so love the long days of summer but my ideal would be a seven hour ‘night’ followed by a long day with temps topping out at 22 degrees and clear blue skies……. ❤ I wonder if such a country exists…..

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      • That country does exist, Pauline – in our dreams! 🙂 I agree. I’m happy between 22 and 27 degrees. Over thirty and I’m moaning. But it’s the humidity that gets to me most. Our summers are very humid. Are yours? We’re expecting mid-thirties again next week. The only thing that pleases me about that is I can keep swimming for a while longer. Sadly the water was a chilly 24 degrees today but I still managed my “laps”.
        Some of those tracked packages spend ages at a depot before they’re moved on. I don’t know why it can’t be more efficient. One would think.

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        • If I were younger and it were worth the effort I believe I might try and track that country down and move there! We do have high humidity here by the coast, the sun sucks up every bit of water, the wind drifts it over to the hills where it cools and usually it is dumped back down on us within three days. The thing that was different recently was the cooling effect didn’t happen – which is a thought that makes me very curious! I’m so impressed that you do your laps – it’s the best exercise going I think! I haven’t swum for years the water is just too cold!

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          • These changes in the weather are interesting. Yes, there’s always been changes, but now the changes are magnified. It’s not looking good. I’ll come with you to track that country down. Maybe we do have to roll back the years to find it.
            Don’t be impressed by my laps. They are very gentle and very few, but I love it – a wonderful way to start the day. Twenty-four degrees is a trifle chilly though. 🙂

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  20. Oh, my Susanne’s light catcher is gorgeous. As is the pink and green one! But I think they mostly all are. I certainly like mine. It truly was fortuitous that Danella’s living room had been redone before the awful accident. It really is a very light, pretty room. Were you able to see the moon eclipse earlier this week? it was very exciting here, and only partial.

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  21. I love pink and green together, as you might have noticed on my blog. Your light catcher is gorgeous. And I can see that YD shares our love of this combo. Her living room is beautiful!! If you have to be confined to home, it may as well be in lovely surroundings. How exciting that you have an adventure coming up soon.

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  22. This is such a happy post. First to hear you and YD are both mended. I will pop over to Suzanne’s post when I finish here. It’s always a fear that things will get lost in the post. It has happened too often. What are dotting tool? Never heard of them. I loved what your daughter did with her place. I need help with mine. I can’t get the look I want but it would look very much like that in different colors. (No Pink) 😉 The photo is beautiful and spring feeling. It warms my heart. I do love the rose and green in the dangler above. And most important is the handsome Siddy. If you were BBQing around me, my nose would be going too. I am so happy you are all in forward motion again. I am too. Finally. I can imagine how excited you are to see the whole gang of bloggers. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for the visit. You’ve really had the gamut of weather. I’m so excited for you.

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    • There’s a woman in Nova Scotia who started a little initiative called ‘Travelling Kindness Rocks’ and she decorates and sends out rocks painted into mandalas with a series of paint dots. You can Google that name to find out more and see some of her lovely work. She didn’t invent the technique but she did invent some tools that make the dotting easier to do – I taught myself to do the dotting, but my tools were never quite right and therefore my mandalas were never quite right either, so last winter I thought I would invest in her tools and practise making mandalas on rocks that I could send out as RAK’s. She sent me the tools at the beginning of July and they have never arrived. I guess somebody else needed them more than me. 🙂

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      • I am so sorry you didn’t get your tools as I see they are quite pricey. That’s a lot to lose. They offer no insurance on international packages which is frustrating. I would never have the patience for that art medium but they are lovely. I just gave my daughter my book about painting on rocks. I had planned years ago to give it a go and then the bottom dropped out. Who knows if she will do anything with it. Not highly motivated towards art. 😦 Right now I’m moving slow as well.

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        • I was really excited about making some dotted mandalas – but the momentum has been lost with the passage of time. I thought about making that investment in those tools for so long too – it was pricey, especially with the exchange rate. Maybe I thought a little too long 🙂 I think as we get older and especially when those health issues arrive we need to move slower. It’s good for us to become slower, steadier and more contemplative. The world needs more contemplatives! And it’s also good for our wellbeing.
          Take care xoxo

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      • Pauline, my mom is from Nova Scotia. It is so rare that it comes up in a post. I hope to visit one day. It’s on my very long list of hoped-for travel. I love the idea of traveling kindness, weather it’s rocks or postcards or anything that lifts one up. I just received one of Anne’s gorgeous painted feathers on a watercolor postcard. It’s so uplifting.

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        • Alys I have always thought that NS sounded like a really special place and I wanted to go there and see it for myself – I never did though. How wonderful that your mom was from there! I also like your postcard crossing thing and would like to talk to you about that when we are together. I hope I remember 🙂

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  23. Siddy is so cute and your light catchers are beyond beautiful! I love that you included ‘miracles’ on Susanne’s, as that seems very appropriate in that case. I hope you have a wonderful time at your bloggers gathering.
    I always enjoy coming by. Thanks for having me. 😃💜🌸

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  25. YDs living room is a garden unto itself and Derrick’s photo fits perfectly as though it was commissioned just for her. The golden light catcher you sent to me is biding its time in our bedroom which is painted in a colour named Nevada Sun. It is quite at home sprinkling rainbows over my writing desk. Thanks for the shout-out, Pauline. Its nice to be connected to your blogging community!

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    • I do hope some folk pop over and read your post Susanne! It’s a shame this link up got so delayed in publication. Sounds like that light catcher may have come to rest in the proper place. I think you were lucky to receive it – last July I ordered some dotting tools from Canada and they never did arrive. #Gutted!

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  27. Thanks for the close up, Pauline! My eyes are horrible, even with bifocals. I always love the photos of your living space. Everything is so bright and beautiful, like it’s owner. Oh Siddy! He’s looking fabulous, as usual. Please give him a kiss from his North Carolina fan. xo

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  28. Hey, while loving so much of this post, I especially love your any hoo. It is what we say ower here in Scotland. May you stay on the side you have reached after everything xxxxx

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    • This town was founded by Scottish folk – Billy Connolly did a hugely funny explanation of why on one of his visits…. We have a statue of Robbie on a hill top and an annual Burn’s Night ‘n all! Siddy barks wi a Scottish accent 😀 xoxo

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  29. Oh, so much information in one post… and links to follow… and it’s bedtime and I’ve had a glass of beer (a tipple I rarely drink, being a wine girl… but there was rugby to watch and it’s a beer sort of game) so I’d better go to bed and do my reading tomorrow.

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      • I think it’s either Pimms or Kir with cricket! The trouble with living in Wales is that almost everyone wants to talk about rugby – I used to hate the game, but I’ve given in and know I watching and pay enough attention to know what happened (I still don’t understand most of the rules) so that I can have a chat about it. Mind you, I do knit or crochet for the duration of each match, so the time is not wasted.

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