Tea, telescopes, biscuits, visitors and poetry

I had such a nice time seeing many of the relations on Mum's side.

First, it was off to see Uncle Robert and Aunt Gwynn. They have been basing many of their vacations over the years on fun interests in music, boating and star-gazing. Now, they might move to a house that is a 7-minute walk away from their current abode mainly because it has a better roof for the telescope. I wish I could drum up such enthusiasm about something. They gave us a very pretty tile...


Then it was off to see cousin Francis & Richard and their two boys Louis and Max. Poor Richard was in bed snuffling away with the flu. However, everyone else was in high spirits. We had a great time watching Max's acrobatics while Louis played piano, did magic tricks and served us biscuits. They have such a fun house - perfect for high energy boys!

A couple of days later we were supposed to head out for dinner with cousin Michael and his sweet girlfriend Ursula. However, Mum was down with the flu too & so they were uber-generous and came out to her pestilent flat. They are always up to something - they'd just gone to see a theatre production of The Sea - they said it was quite nice, but also ended on a sort of quoi? note.

Last Friday, it was Robbie Burns night. So, Aunt Alison made a haggis - eeks! My cousin Alex, Auntie, Mum, myself and our friend Robert (a Scotsman - which lent a certain credulity to the evening) started off with cock-a-leeky soup and then moved on to the haggis w. sides of mashed potatoes, mashed swedes, cabbage and red wine. It might have been fairly unbearable on it's own, but with the veggies, it was quite tasty.
We ended out with fruit, splashes of whisky and poetry. Poor Robert ended up reading the lion's share as he had the right voice for it. However, it has to be said that cous's attempt at the accent was worth something too & Auntie going for Australian...fabulous!

My last day, we went to visit dear Sheila. She seems to be getting on quite well, in spite of her great age. We had a lovely chat and I didn't detect any of her peculiar 'humour.' It is a shame that she is so home bound. Even though she has a lovely location to look right out on the river, it must be rather dull to be stuck there.

It is hard to fit everything we want to do into just 10 days. There are boundless excursions just around London and so many wonderful people to see. Uncle John was in NY. Hopefully, our trips to London will coincide again soon. I should very much like to see Aunt Nicki soon too!

As I was leaving, Mum gave me an old embroidery. Isn't it beautiful!

Fishers

Okay, I know, I said this entry would be on friends and family, but I forgot about one other - very important - evening out. Mum took me to her local fish and chips shop. It was everything one could ask for - just perfect!

It might be more than one could ask for trying to get thru all that food. But the fish was delicate and the plate did not seem to just drip nasty grease as is so often the case with fish and chips.

While we were there a girl came in who was hungry, but didn't have enough money for dinner. The owner worked out a deal with her - once she could get a few pounds together with her mates, then he gave her a huge dinner. We thought this was an excellent way to help her out without forming a soup kitchen reputation.

Also, there were two single women eating their dinners and they were welcomed, not at all rushed. Mum says that is a real pleasure for her when she goes there by herself.

This site gives out their vitals and has a review in the same vein as the story above.

The last hurrah

Well, I am returned from my travels well rested and very socially satisfied. We visited with relations (they are all great - just sorry to have missed the few I didn't get to see) and dear old Sheila. I'll do my next entry on that. However, this one is for my day out with Mum on Saturday.

First I should say that after giving in and getting on antibiotics a couple of days before, Mum was finally returning to a non-miserable state. There seems to be various strains of horrible flu going around London and so I am very proud of my immune system for not caving in - good job white blood cells!

So, we started out going to an afternoon showing of John Buchan’s 'The 39 Steps.' It is quite silly, but a lot of fun (4 actors playing ridiculous numbers of roles - sometimes hard to follow which character when the only change was a different hat).

Then we went out to Veeraswamy for some delicious Indian dinner. I ordered Nizami Murgh which was really rich and luscious. So, was relieved that Mum had ordered a side of vegetables as well as the saag I had for a side. She ordered Nihari Lamb which was fine, but not so interesting. It is on the pricey side (like nearly every other restaurant in London), but I would definitely like to go back again some day. Yum!

Finally, we made our way over to the Royal Academy's exhibition from Russia. Mum told me a bit on the history of the exhibit. Most of the pictures started out in the homes of a couple of collectors. When they had to flee their mansions and leave all their wealth behind, no one knew what became of the paintings. Had they been destroyed?

One was a great patron of Henri Matisse. The artist died, not knowing what had become of some of his most precious works.

Years after Stalin was gone, the pieces were found. Now their homes are not with the original owner's heirs, but in Russian museums. There was great concern that the heirs would try and pursue these pictures if they were ever let out of Russia and in order for this exhibition to happen, the UK had to pass an act of parliament that no one could claim them there.

The first few rooms have my favourite works. Beautiful paintings by the French artists I had become so familiar with. Also, wonderful pictures by artists who I'd never encountered before. In fact, one of the first paintings in the whole exhibit that was so cool is by Charles Carolus-Duran, Portrait of Nadezhda Polovtsova.


As one progresses thru the exhibit, you see a great variety of styles. Just like the rest of the world, the paintings turn from Realist to Impressionist. From there we are sent into a Modernism that is more and more frenetic. I felt like it was almost a reflection of the state of Russian life getting more and more crazed. It makes me curious to see what Eastern European artists are coming up with now.

I am no great fan of Chagall or Kandinsky, but their works in this context and next to the other paintings in those halls gave me a greater appreciation. In any case, it was a chance to hear an interesting story and to see paintings that I'd never seen before and will probably never come across again. So, a treat!

King Tut

Today our outing was to an exhibition currently on about King Tutankhamen. Very interesting stuff. Incredible to think of these objects being used by someone thousands of years ago and still in such good condition now.

They had a chair and foot-rest that he probably used for a sort of throne as a child - he came to power at the age of 9 & ruled until his death at 19. When I was 9 my greatest worry was about whether I would ever be able to spell or do complicated math problems right (I'd like to make thanks at this point for spell-check and a husband who is good at that math crap).

Perhaps as stunning as the exhibit itself was the structure housing it. I have rarely seen such a ridiculous effort (remember, I come from big dig country - so I have the 'too many chefs in the kitchen' concept down pretty tight).

Mum says Prince Charles suggested that the 02 Arena looks a bit like a french pudding called a blomange. I was thinking of an impaled jellyfish myself. At any rate, it is odd & there are random bits of decoration all about (including a cartoon covered pyramid, a giant & twisting metal spike sculpture and a wall of almost vertical moss & blanket sedum).

If you're into Las Vegas for something other than the gambling, this might be the perfect little corner of London for you!

The First Emperor

Today we went to an exhibition at the British Museum. As I understand it, sometime during the 1970's a wonderful discovery had been unearthed in China. Around where the first Emperor had been buried they dug up hundreds of terracotta warriors and their horses that had been put around to protect him in the afterlife.

This Emperor brought together seven different areas that were constantly at war with one another into what is China. He ruled with rather brute force, but made interesting changes. Amongst other things, these cultures had to use a common set of measurements, weights, etc. under the new rule.

So, on display were all kinds of measuring cups and weights with beautiful form and script on them. There were also examples of animal imprints on roof tiles and that kind of thing - really some amazing craft.

There were several of the warriors and horses as well. Remarkable how each one is so intricately detailed. From the hair to the costume, they are each so different - as though based on specific individuals that really existed.

It is always weird to see these things so out of context. Instead of being in earthen areas around a funerary site in China, we saw them in the old reading room where people like Virginia Woolf frequented at some point.

Perhaps a bit too much culture all in one space, but fun and interesting to an old hillbilly like me.

Winter holiday

Here I am in London enjoying, well, typical winter London weather. Actually, quite warm and a mix of sunny & grey days. Haven't even really needed an umbrella yet.

On Saturday we went to see a fun production at the National Theatre of 'Much Ado About Nothing.' It was very well cast, the sets were great and the audience got comfortable seats! It was really entertaining - thought that the first half was stronger, but then I enjoy romantic barbs over sweetness any day.

Thankyou Uncle Adam & Auntie Sean!

Or should we thank Cleo & Josie?
In any case, we love our new blankies!

Dismantling

I had great elves who helped me in dismantling Christmas this year. I managed to get a picture of one who was too exhausted to escape after toting the tree-top out to the carport.

He assures me that Santa will come and get me for this, but why would I be afraid of some, ancient, overweight, white guy that lives thousands of miles away (unless Dick Cheney is Santa - that would explain some things I've been questioning about the holiday - not to mention that being hunted by him would be a truly terrifying prospect)

Now get to work on my shoes you little freak...I see, they repair them by means of licking and humping - no wonder those elves only come out at night!

Fire at the Royal Marsden

A fire destroyed part of the Royal Marsden yesterday. As far as I've heard, nobody was seriously injured.

This is the hospital where my mother received her chemotherapy. It is a place where there is so much research and cutting edge cancer treatment. Certainly, their expensive machines and research labs cannot have benefited from having a - the fire & b - the huge volume of water pouring down that would have been required to extinguish said fire.

So, I am not a big person for fundraising, but they have given my family a lot & thus I think it is worth linking to their donation page in case any of y'all out there have some extra dough to part with.

There is a perspective that the BBC put out with a rather charming, young (my age - so young:) patient. The last line is almost exactly what Mum has said...
"When you get cancer you become a member of a club you don't want to join and the Royal Marsden is our club house, so we all want to protect it."

Getting on with Living

Yesterday, 'The Story' had a remarkable piece called 'Making a Change.'

I have often wondered how people cope in certain traumatic situations and get on with their lives. How many times have any of us been driving along in our car and something happens very quickly that is quite unforeseen? It is easy to reflect back and say "I reacted this way because...", but at the time it is all going so fast and really, we are mostly just lucky...most of the time.

This particular case is all the more incredible, because it would have been so easy for many people to react differently (for both the lady sharing the events & the other family that was involved).

Anyhow, it is a bit of a time investment, but I really recommend listening to this one...