I am a cloud watcher. I love seeing their different sizes and shapes and this house was surrounded by them, so I could not resist taking a photo. It’s mundane, but everything was in the right place at the right time.
Daily Archives: 27/11/2017
Flower of the Day: 27.11.2017 Bromelia
I know, it is another bromelia, but this time a red one. They arrive in all sorts of colours.
Share Your World – November 27, 2017
Would you prefer a reading nook or an art, craft, photography studio?
I have everything I need in my “office”. When the kids were at home it was my No. 2 son’s bedroom, but he moved out many years ago. It still took time to organise and eventually you reach an age where you no longer cling onto stuff that you realise you no longer need and let’s face it, you cannot take it with you, nor does anyone else want it.
My life is a computer, many cameras and reading. In this room I have my computer(s), the second one is on the shelf opposite. Somewhere there is a Kindle for reading. I have my printer(s), and a super installation for the electricity. I have a cupboard opposite with all my photography stuff.
What more do I need?
Tell how you are feeling today in the form of a weather report. (For example, partly cloudy, sunny with a chance for showers, etc.)
A few clouds in the afternoon, for an hour due to cleaning doors. Now the sun is peeping through.
If you could witness or physically attend any event past, present or future, what would it be?
I would love to have seen a dodo, a flightless bird that inhabited Mauritius and became extinct some time in the 17th centuary.
What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
When I see a sunrise like this in the morning, it is inspiration enough for me. At last our building scourge is over, after 8 months of scaffolding, dirt and noise they have gone forever, I hope. Today the finishing touches were put to our lawn, fresh seeds sown, the autumn leaves removed and my birdhouse has a busy coming and going. What more should I want. Not everyone in the world is as lucky as I am.
Daily Prompt: Knitting Memories
Mum was always knitting, Money always seemed to be scarce, and when she decided to knit a pullover or jacket, she would go to the store and select the wool. She would only buy about a third of it, and have the rest reserved for when she had used the original supply. Dad had a weekly wage and so she could only afford the cost but buying her wool weekly. The first time I decided to knit something for myself, I had saved some money. I suppose I was about 12 years old and so we went together to the shop. I chose my wool and bought it all. Mum was almost shocked that I would buy all the wool I needed without reserving the rest.
I was always knitting something, usually for myself: one plain, one purl, make a stitch and knit two together was the language we used. I moved over to Switzerland and got married and not only did I have children to knit for, but a Swiss mother-in-law that was convinced she had invented knitting. I discovered that in Europe people knit differently to those in England. We would wrap the wool around the needle to make a stitch and the continentals would fetch the wool through the stich. The result was the same, although Swiss mother-in-law was convinced her knitted garments were better than mine.
As time passed I learned to knit socks. Now that was really something rewarding. My poor kids wore knitted knee high socks under their trousers to keep them warm. Knitting socks was a scientific exercise. The heel and toe had to be knitted incorporating an extra thread matching the original wool to strengthen the sock in the right places. Yes family Angloswiss all had knitted socks, although Mr. Swiss only wore them at home, and not in the office: seems they did not match the suit and tie.
In the meanwhile Swiss mother-in-law taught me to crochet. All the pullovers I had knitted were unraveled and again reduce to the original balls of wool. I crochered covers from this now recycled wool using two colours together. I had many covers, too many, but it kept me busy. In the meanwhile my mum was still knitting in England and had discovered the nylon wool in bright fluorescent colours. When she visited us in Switzerland she always brought a few of these neon coloured pullovers with her. They were very good for taking apart and making covers.
Then the computer arrived. Who wants to knit when you have a computer. There are games to be played and all sorts of new tricks to learn. I think that was the death of knitting for me. I would rather spend time on my computer than knitting. I can always buy a pullover in a store. I actually never wear knitted garments, they are too warm for me. We had central heating at home and I live in t-shirts Winter and Summer. I even go out wearing a t-shirt in Winter beneath my jacket.
I noticed that the local supermarket no longer sells wool. Golden Oldie grandmothers have no time for knitting, we are too busy writing blogs or uploading photos: not to mention the interesting conversations in Facebook. When I think of it, I have never seen a conversation in Facebook based on knitting problems. Even the sheep have become redundant.
Good Morning
If you have a blank in your head about where to start the day on the computer, then look at the sky, it always has something to say. This morning it looked very grey and boring until I took a step (a wobbly step) outside with my phone camera. Yes, there was something happeining towards the south. The golden sun was rising over the Bernese Overland, although the mountains were still hidden. Will it be a sunny day or will the sun again disappear? Temperatures are around freezing, although there is no frost and I have about 20 birds sitting in the trees opposite. The crows and magpies have been fed with the bread remainders and the others are having breakfast at the birdhouse.
Look what happened yesterday in the morning. It began with a few white pieces in the air and sudenly it was tumbling down. Yes, our first snow of the Winter, although no panic. After a quarter of an hour it was gone and left no traces, but I managed to capture the moment on the camera. The weather gods have predicted more, but at the moment everything is under control.
I hated the snow when I was a working woman. It is very pretty to see, but driving to work on icy snow clogged roads was not funny. I would arrive in the office bathed in sweat: even the icy temperatures had no effect on me. The first obstacle was driving out of the garage on a steep slope. It could be that you did not make it. The tyres were turning, but the car was not moving. Eventually you just hoped and you arrived on the road, skidding in various directions until the car had its nose in the right place. Now was the exciting part, getting onto the main road. You sleeked along slowly applying a high gear, apparently that was the way to do it. You prayed that the traffic lights would still be green when you arrived, but that was wishful thinking and so you slowed down hoping the car would stop in the right place at the right time. Now the fun began, the lights turned green and you could drive on, providing that the tyres did not stay frozen in a patch of ice. Three times giving gentle gas and you were on your way again, creeping behind the others on the road. Oh, the joys of Winter. Thanks goodness for retirement. We can now leave later when the big freeze has improved. Early morning work leaving at 7.00 a.m in the morning was never ideal.
There was quite a busy coming and going at the birdhouse yesterday. Word has spread that there is always a supply of fresh seeds at the Angloswiss bird canteen. This is only the top floor. There were at least 10 sparrows sitting on the ground pecking the bits and pieces that fell. I wanted to take a photo, but it is difficult. They fly away at the least movement behind the window. There is one particular bird that I have not yet identified, but it is probably some sort of tit, and I think it might be a so-called coal tit.
I managed to get this shot of it on the ground beneath the birdhouse, with a trophy in its beak.
And now to go places and do things. It is shopping day again today, where they let me out on a safari to the supermarket. I trust you all have a good day, Mondays are always so exciting, you never know what a wonderful carefree week you will have ahead of you.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 