Jubileggs

Eggs abound. Live ones, boiled ones, and previously caterpillar ones. The Egg Queen is alive and well and living in Woolwich. These are some of the entries for the recent Jubilee decorate an egg competition. I couldn't see a link between eggs and diamonds or queens, but I liked the results. Obviously the eggs are heavily parent helped, but the children all had their part to do and they were all very proud of their efforts. Eggcellent. We once had to call out the police when we lived in Lewisham years ago. Eggs had been thrown at our door and the neighbour downstairs was convinced we had something to do with it and was becoming aggressive. So we called the police to shut him up I think. Anyway, it must have been a quiet night because two officers soon turned up. Andy was the person chosen to open the door whilst me and our flatmate listened from the top of the stairs.

'I see someone's been playing a little yolk on you sir.

If they do it again, call us and...we'll scramble.'

He had a couple more egg puns that I can't remember now. Andy says it diffused the tension-egg jokes are not unnecessary then.

 Here is the egg incubator in Reception, humming away heating those little chicks inside. We couldn't have them in nursery as we are closed soon for home visits, but we will bring the children over to see them if possible.

 This and the London themed egg above are my personal favourites. This one is like an alien egg queen.

 This one is very celebratory-you can almost hear the party going on!

 Simple, classic, Jubilegg.

Teeny (on Friday) caterpillar. Has tripled in size by today. They really do grow fast. The children are fascinated, but sadly will probably miss the butterfly stage.

Brown Shoes, Pink Tree, Green Leaf

Coloured things seen in the gardens yesterday. These are Andy's shoes which I really like. He is a bit shoe obsessed! The tree was wrapped in some kind of pink bandage, but I don't know why as we didn't have time to investigate.

Have you seen the book 'Paris in Colour' by Nichole Robertson? 

Her blog is lovely too. What makes her photos so distinctive is the focus on a single colour. I really want to try this idea-I have taken photos where I look for certain colours, but other colours distract. I might go  for a Greenwich colour walk. I loved how, in Paris, there seems to be a moped of every possible colour, and pretty often a 2CV too!

And Back Again

There

Up to Edinburgh for Sunday lunch. We went up yesterday and are speeding back south now. Andy's Mum arranged a lunch at the Botanics (the botanical gardens-that is what locals call them) for family and friends. It actually snowed in Edinburgh this morning!! We really deserve a good summer after all this cold and wet. I crocheted a pig on the way up. Have been reading 'Tatler' (again!) on the way back, and tinkering on the Internet. The train just tooted like in a western! Blogging from a train. Who would have thought it? We don't get into London until 11. May do more crocheting soon, too tired to read. I hope your weekend has been good so far. Will post a few back again photos I think-some lovely cloud and sunset shots!

Isn't Light Wonderful?

Have you read 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy? I read it, then later saw the film, which is very well done, and captures the awful feeling of hopelessness in the book. I heard it discussed on radio 4 recently, in 'A Good Read'-a programme where three guests choose a book which their fellow guests read, and then they all discuss-a book club on radio really. I always enjoy listening and quite often buy a book because of it. The latest is 'Flowers for Algernon' which is still in my to read pile.

I listened to it on the way home-and called in at the shops-but had to stay in the car until it was finished. As far as I remember, none of the guests talked about the main thing that has stayed with me from this book-the fact that there is no sunlight. Day and night still happen, but day is a grey dreary thing. The absence of sunlight means the absence of plants as they cannot photosynthesise. The trees are cracking, dead and falling. The man and the boy still retain a kind of hope as they head for the coast but really there is none. I read it some time ago. I gave it to a charity shop as it depressed me too much. But now I wish I hadn't as I think about it a lot. It makes me appreciate the light. The plants and birds. It makes me grateful for what I have got now and aware that it is all very fragile. All green campaigners should make all sceptics and everyone else read it.

So-love the light! These photos were taken last week-one night on the way home. I stopped the car to take them. The sun had come out after days of rain. The light was only like this for about five minutes. These houses are near where we live. I once went to collect a freecycled camping kettle from one and they look surprisingly spacious on the inside.

They look like cardboard models don't they?

So perfectly box like and lined up like a miniature scene.

 

Lucky Me

I don't usually win things, so I was pleasantly surprised to win two giveaways in short succession recently. On Carole's blog, she asked for help naming a painting. The suggestions she used to help her would win the suggesters (is that a word?) a small mixed media work. I love the soft colours in this painting, and Carole's characteristic circles. All I need now is a frame!
The second thing I won, was this little egg Owl from Vanessa. It is a Cascarone. She sat around the house looking pretty, waiting to have her photo taken. I left her in the back room on the desk, in this milk glass dish which I love ( a very recent acquisition from a very down at heel and wonderful indoor market we found in Rochester last weekend). I got up late on Tuesday morning, and almost the first thing I did was to spill a plastic pot of cream from the fridge. It went everywhere, including down the back of the base board which meant much frustration as I tried to move it, all in my night clothes. Cross sums it up, but not quite. Then I went in the back room to give Cassie her biscuits. There was another mess on the floor-this time of tiny pieces of pink paper and little shiny hearts. Where is my egg?! I found the poor Owl girl pushed right back under the desk, where, no doubt, little paws could not reach anymore. I was so pleased to see she was only broken at the back, and surprised to discover the sweet message inside. I would never have broken my egg myself, so Cassie did me a favour!

The dish is oven proof! Who would believe it? I have never seen such decorative cookware. It says 'Fire King USA Oven Ware' on the back.

Thanks Carole and Vanessa!

Flower Scissor

 I love old scissors. These have a slightly serated edge and cut very well. This flower broke off as I was putting the bunch in a vase. I put it in the dish in some water. I had cut it right at the start of the petals and was interested to see how they broke apart.