Pastures new

This blog is now retired and has been replaced by - http://missclairegetscreative.blogspot.com/ - hope to see you there!

It's been a long time!

My goodness, has it really been the 7th My since my last post? I have been feeling pretty creative recently, busy having new ideas for homemade birthday cards (very inspired by www.printpattern.blogspot.com ), mulling over an idea for a book, reading poetry and visiting a couple of exhibitions last week, so I really should get on and blog something! I watched a lovely film this week Julie & Julia, based on two true stories it follows the journey of one woman writing what became one of the most popular cookbook in the US and then a few years later another woman in search of inspiration and relief from her mundane everyday routine decides to cook her way through all the recipes in the book (over 500) in a year and write a blog on it. It will do two things - one inspire you to cook and two, make you want to think of a project to blog about. I;m still pondering that one.
It was my Mum's birthday last Saturday and we went to Lambeth Palace to see the exhibition of some of items in the library. Some of the books/manuscripts are from the 12th century and are so beautifully illustrated. If I had the time I would love to illustrate my journal in a similar way but it would be a full time job. However it has inspired me to think more about drawing and design. We were all given a hand held device to listen to the commentary. A room full of people with what looks like a large mobile phone clamped to their ear looks rather odd - not unlike something from science fiction as nobody interacts with one another. Mum and I just made sure that we synchronised our selection so that we were listening to the same thing.
We tried to get into the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A in the afternoon but it was sold out so we just walked round the fashion section. All the clothes that I was drawn to were from the 1930s. There were a couple of very beautiful dresses that I would never have the occasion to wear but would have been lovely to try on nonetheless. As I am so drawn to fashions of the 1930s, I must investigate further, I feel as if I'm in the right decade but I'm wearing the wrong clothes. When women wear those costumes in period dramas they always look so elegant and the tailoring is beautiful. Oh for a wardrobe like that!

Election Day

The sun was shining as I walked to my local polling station and it struck me again that, for me, there is nothing as beautiful as Britain in the sunshine. 
Walking through an English village in the sunshine never fails to soothe me and reminds me how much I love this country.
So, as we wait to find out who is to form our next government I hope and pray that it will consist of people that have the same heart for Britain as I do. To see it freed from the current hopelessness and despondency. The UK has it's issues and faults heaven knows but when bathed in sunlight you can see the quiet beauty and strength that makes this nation one that I am proud to part of. 

Little thing

Favourite line from a film so far this year....

Poppy in Mike Leigh's Happy go Lucky on coming outside to discover that her bicycle has been stolen -
'Oh, and I didn't even get to say goodbye'

Pure genius.

Lovely discovery

I am the type of person that the Waterstones 2 for 1 deal was made for, I do so love books. It is one of my favourite pastimes to wander round a book shop, allowing myself to be drawn to a cover that jumps out and seeing if am intrigued by the synopsis (though I try to resist buying at the moment as I have far too many to read!)
Of late the novels I've read haven't fallen into the 'really good book' category which is disappointing and there have been at least two that I've skim read just to find out what happens in the end but I haven't been swept away into another world by them.
However, this changed with the book I'm just about to finish, Alice Hoffman's, The Third Angel. I read a review a long time ago and finally obtained a copy from the excellent Read it, Swap it site.
It's utterly brilliant, beautifully written, just enough mystery to intice you to read on without the annoyance of being kept in the dark.
Alice is an author that I will definitely an author whose books I will devour in future - a lovely discovery.

The Elusive Pheasant

Though the above sounds like the name for a pub, I am actually referring to a real pheasant who likes to nibble away at the seeds discarded by the smaller birds under the bird feeder. He is usually accompanied by a female and though they are possibily the daftest birds in the world, they are fun to watch. I don't even mind the loud squawk that announces their arrival.
I finally managed to get a decent picture of the male - the colour of his plummage up close is really amazing. The picture taking involved crawling along and hiding behind a shrub and though Purde also joined me (cats do so like to see what you are doing) the pheasant wasn't put off. I'm sure I can get a better picture, soI'll keep trying - a more powerful zoom lens would be a boon - reducing the commando style stalking immensely!

Good reminders

At Greenbelt last year I was fortunate enough to attend a question and answer session with Rob Bell. I remember it being very interesting with some real gems but it not being an official 'talk' didn't take any notes.
Greenbelt have just released the session as a free download on their blog. I listened to it again over the last couple of days and have scribbled down a few things. As always with Rob I find that afterwards my head is buzzing with illumninating thoughts and creative ideas so despair that I actually have to work and can't just sit with pen in hand and scribble it all down!
Having turned 37 and pondering about what it means to grow older, one comment struck me. Rob had done a talk that weekend entitled Two kinds of New, one of the central themes being flexible as we grow older. This prompted a question as to how we can stop ourselves becoming inflexible and old.
'When something makes you feel old, move towards it with a sense of expectant discovery'
I shall be pondering that amongst other things in my struggle with not necessarily being bothered about getting older but more the lack of progress I sense in key areas of my life.
However for now, I shall kick against that cultural conclusion that there is nothing good about getting older and delight in all the new discoveries I make.

Favourite boots

I am known for my large shoe collection, though in fact it's not actually as large as people think, it's just that many of the shoes I have are unusual...or ridiculous.When it comes to clothes, I am guilty of having surplus items that I don't wear and have to have a regular purge ( though this has got markedly less in recent years as I come closer to the Holy Grail of 'my style' - I'm only 37 for heavens sake, give a girl a chance!)
However, shoes are an entirely different matter and I lovingly cherise them for years on end. I still have a pair of black stillettos bought in the winter of 1999 which, despite having a small tear on one side still have a bit of life in them. Everytime they need re-heeling I'm told that due to the heel being so thin they could snap but they survive unscathed each time.

So, imagine my despair when I discovered a split right across the entire width of the sole of my absolute favourite boots.
They have served me very well for the last, ooh 8 or 9 years. The wedge heel makes them comfortable enough to walk around in all day, whilst giving my petite frame some height, they aren't knee high boots and only come up to mid calf, which is a flattering length, they can be worn with denim skirts or give a slightly edgier look to a dress.
Like Mary Poppins they are practically perfect any everyway.
But, the man at the shoe repair shop was very clear that there was nothing that could be done to save
them, his manner is a little brusque, I feel that he doesn't fully understand the impact those words can have on a girl - what? there is NOTHING that can be done to save my absolute favourite, faithful friend boots!?
I immediately went out and purchased some very strong glue to prove him wrong, however I fear he may be right as the repair didn't hold. Still, I continue to be in denial and will be sourcing some strong black tape to further strengthen the repair. I'm just not ready to say Goodbye yet....especially when this is completely the wrong season for buying boots.
So, if anyone sees boots that look like the picture below, do let me know - my wardrobe is incomplete without them!

To vote or not to vote?

I watched a programme on Saturday in which Michael Portillio was travelling in the UK (with a brief stint in the US) looking at people power.
Given the looming general election and the predicition that we could end up with a hung parliment, it is more important then ever to consider how we would like our country to be run.
The beginning comment of the programme was that many of us don't vote, as we feel far removed from the politicians and are doubtful that what we think makes any difference.
Michael visited several towns where 'people power' is being enforced.
Two examples were a group of parents lobbying to turn a disused hosiptal into a secondary school as there wasn't one in the area and the other a village where a team of local volunteers had saved the village shop from closure. I think most of us are willing to get involved in a crisis in order to make a difference but this works better on a local level. Michael was calling for a change in the way politics is handled in the UK and that more power needs to be given back to local authorities. In some towns they have an elected mayor which has improved the visibility and, more importantly, accountability of local authorities.
People need to know that they can make a difference, that we all have a responsibility to make this country a better place in whatever small way we can. There are larger hot potatos such as Education, immigration and the NHS where it is hard for us to feel that our opinions are noted let alone listened to but if we could make more of an impact locally, and let politicians see that we take matters seriously, would we start to see a change?
These are very interesting times, we could be on the brink of a very different system but we do need to gather information and make informed decisions and of course cement that with a vote.
Otherwise, I believe we are in danger of allowing a select few and the media to decide the shape of our nation.

Given that I have 3 books to read before the 3rd April, I've been catching up on my reading this lunchtime.
However, I'm also suffering blog withdrawal but I don't really have anything to say! I'm very inspired by the lovely DM and JR's blogs with their well chosen photography. My camera does get some use but the photos take awhile to transfer from the camera to the PC.
I will have something more inspired to post tomorrow but for now here are a couple of lists....


5 lovely films
Lars and the real girl
Miss Pettigrew lives for a day
Mr Magoriams magical emporium
Arsnic and old lace
Wall-E

Films that stay in your brain for ages
Let the right one in
The third man
Mulholland Drive

One of my favourite teachers

On Wednesday night I went to the London leg of Rob Bell's Drops like Stars UK tour.
His blend of creative communication and theological wisdom always makes for interesting listening.
The theme of this tour is the Art of Suffering, looking at how creativity is born out of pain and being led to ask 'what now?' instead of 'why?'. Rob spoke for 2 hours and consequently there is plenty of good stuff to mull over, I love the afterglow of a really challenging talk, the feeling of being alive and engaged with the world.
One of the final points was that every artist knows that even the failed pieces are important, which I will be pondering for the next week no doubt!

Seeing.....

I met a lady last night who had spent the last year working on a project about seeing.
The basic premise was to take a photogrpah everyday that captured a moment as she saw it. It was an expansive process which led her not only to appreciate the small things and be in the present but also to see beuaty in ordinary things, like a stack of chairs. Normally that wouldn't have any great aesthetic beauty but the new way of seeing led her to appreciate this.
I'm looking out at the blue skies with clouds slowing drifting across and, after all the rain and grey we've experienced recently, it is good to stop and appreciate it.
I'm a bit late to take something up for lent but perhaps taking a moment each day to appreciate something beautiful would lead me to be more medative and present in the now (or long now as was the theme at Greenbelt). This morning whilst driving to work, I was struck by how the music on the CD (Ludovico Einaudi's Primavera) perfectly captured the spirit of the countryside around me, I'm trying to hold on to the feeling that evoked it in me so that I'm inspired to do something creative when I get home.

I didn't have any expectations yesterday of discovering something so inspirational but perhaps if we take time to learn to see a little differently it would be a more regular occurence?

The picture below is from a trip to Derbyshire last summer and reminds me of how creative I felt there.

The joy of a good book

I've been a little disappointed in some of the books I've read recently, especially one that took ages to get hold of - it feels like the book as been started off mid sentence and the reader is left behind in a slightly befuddled state. All the write ups (of which there were many printed in the front of the book) declare it to be brilliant and witty, I'm afraid I don't agree and will have to resort to skim reading it to find out what happens!
So, in the light of this, I was delighted to find that Kate Mosse's Labyrinth is shaping up to be a fantastic read.
Her intelligent writing flows beautifully with just the right amount of descriptive detail to keep the reader interested but without getting bored of having to wade through stacks of narrative.
I'm doubly pleased as awhile ago I saw Kate Mosse on a panel discussing Agatha Christie and she came across as a lovely, warm, very likeable woman, which makes reading the book even nicer!
It's such a treat to look forward to reading the next chapter and have the delightful feeling of not wanting to put it down, immersing oneself in another world created in literature.
The lovely Mrs R sent me a couple of books to take on holiday to Florida and I managed to read one of them whilst away - The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet. utterly charming and delightful but over too quickly.
I picked up Labyrinth from the library and also came out with four other books. As books are free from the library the temptation is too much and I become as hyper as a kid in a sweet shop, plucking books off the shelf like they are going out of fashion.
Still, at least there is a return date with library books which should force me to get into a reading routine. 

Florida favourite

I have been dreadful at keeping my blog up to date - so much for New Year's resolutions!
Having recently returned from a holiday to Florida I should have more to say for myself.
This is a quick post to share one of my favourite Florida photos. The highlights of our trip were Universal Studios and a day in Busch Gardens. The weather was a bit changable but at Busch Gardens the weather was perfect.

For a small sum we were able to feed the birds. You are provided with a small cup of bird inticing liquid and instructed to keep your hand over it until in the enclosure. Once in the birds start to land using you as a perch which isn't a bad sensation until one lands on your head! It would seem that the green birds were more forceful. A red bird which landed on me seemed quite scared of them and didn't seem interested on the food only on snuggling up to me - very sweet.