August

 Each month the National Federation of Women's Institutes offers a drawing class on its website.  And each month I join in.

Yesterday the tutor led us in drawing a "fantasy" vegetable garden.  We drew peas, courgettes, lettuces, leeks, carrots, beetroot, spinach, kale, tomatoes and runner beans.

I'm no artist and I suspect Jack would have opinions to express if my garden looked like this, but I enjoy the session.  Maybe looking for all those veggies in my picture can be my equivalent of "Where's Wally?  

Drawing June

Yesterday it was the monthly on-line drawing club with the WI.  Irises this time.    

I did a mindfulness session (also with the on-line WI) in the morning but I think this was probably more mindful than the mindfulness session.

Drawing May

Once again I joined in the monthly drawing session in Via, the on-line learning site for the Women's Institute.  No-one is pretending we produce great art but we have a quiet hour drawing something seasonal.  Personally I don't find adult colouring books help me lose myself, but following the instructor's guidance is very restful.

This month we drew rhododendrons.  Last year it was cherry blossom and bluebells. I'm building up quite a collection.

(My blog reading list still isn't working properly.  I'm trying to find other people's blogs but it ain't easy!)

Drawing April

 I do wish I could draw something original but until that day happens, I'll join in the monthly drawing class with Women's Institute on-line.  

I forgot to show you this month's creation.  Easter egg hunts are but a distant memory now but I have preserved the memory for you

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The Tuneless Choir

 

Debbie insists we must breathe!

I am sure that all Brits of a certain age will remember Eric Morecambe telling Andre Previn that he always played the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.  Apparently there are choirs full of Erics.

A Tuneless Choir director came to our Women's Institute today to talk about her singers.  They all come along saying they can't sing but somehow she has formed them into a choir.  Their motto is "Sing like no-one is listening".  I've added a link to their web site.

Debbie used to teach music in schools but since she retired she's been inspiring adults to have a go.  This morning we sang "I have a dream" and, while we won't be singing at The Albert Hall any time soon, we had great fun.  There were a few percussion instruments available and one of our members played her kazoo to add to the general cacophony.

And it was good to hear that their linked charity is Mind, the mental health charity, because choral singing is great for mental health.

Drawing

 I've always known myself to be rubbish at drawing and painting but I've often wished I wasn't.  Wouldn't it be lovely to see something and then"see" how to record it in paints or other media!  

I don't think that will ever be, but I can still derive pleasure from copying someone else's work.  The web is fantastic for this.  So many tutorials on YouTube!  I often read Kirsten's blog and find quick sketches of tulips, an amaryllis, or amaryllis again here,   I sometimes copy them in the hope that one day I will have the courage to draw my own amaryllis.  Don't hold your breath!

But once a month the Women's Institute Learning Hub has a drawing session and last night was the night.  There is no pretence that we are fantastic artists - the instructions given are incredibly simple- but we just copy the tutor.  It's about mindfulness more than anything.  

But I make no aplogies.  Actually that's one of the rules.  We must not deprecate our own efforts, but accept them.  However, for the avoidance of doubt, I will say these are snowdrops!

Learning

One of the things those Roman soldiers of old did in their hibernaculum was to train.  My equivalent is to learn.

I'm a member of the Women's Institute and the National Federation of Women's Institutes has a great learning hub.  Anyone can do their courses but if you are a WI member, most courses are free.  Most weeks I do at least one session and in the winter I do far more.  yesterday I excelled myself and did two in one day.  

The first was on odes by Keats.  I've got to admit that my knowledge of Keats doesn't go much beyond "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness".  I can't say I will be buying myself a new book of poems as a result of listening to this talk but I certainly feel more interested and may check out a few more writings by Keats. 

Yesterday evening I joined in the monthly drawing session.  We are not talking detailed masterpieces here: it's more about getting a sheet of paper and your felt tip pens and doing a bit of mindfulness.  I quite like the class as each of us is in our own homes.  There's no comparison with anyone else, we each do our own thing with the instructor's help.  Yesterday she had prepared a picture of part of a crab apple hedge for us to copy.  

A Short Course

 

The Lincolnshire Humber Federation of Women's Institutes has started a new monthly craft session, so on Saturday I went to a candle decorating workshop.  

One of the best things about mornings like this is the opportunity to chat.  I went alone as no-one else from Brigg WI wanted to go, but I soon got chatting to two ladies, both called Jo, from a nearby village.  The world had been set to rights by the end of the session!

This form of candle decorating is a bit fiddly.  Pictures are cut from paper napkins, then the top layer of the napkin is peeled off and melted into the candle using a heat gun.  

Many ladies chose Christmas designs but I wanted something which could be used at any time of the year so I chose a bird and blossoms.  

Best wishes to my Canadian readers on your Thanksgiving Day.

A Rather Nice Win

 Yesterday I was out to lunch with my Women's Institute and I came home with some rather nice raffle winnings.  Our tradition is that everyone chips in to create some wonderful hampers.  Mine contained chocolate panettone, a greetings card, a diary, Christmas coasters, crossword book, Christmas socks, Celebrations chocolates, mixed nuts, coffee, soup, two sets paper napkins, tea, truffle cakes, After Eight fondants, jam, custard creams, a calendar and a hanging organiser.  Some will go to the food bank but some may find a resting place a little closer to home.

126 sleeps

 My Christmas preparations are gathering momentum at the moment.  The mojo will doubtless leave before long but for the moment, I'm taking full advantage.

Apart from "personal" Christmas gifts, I like to give to organisations.  This lot is going to the Women's Institute.  I seem to make a few every year, but this is my best batch yet.

The celebrations continue

 

Our Federation Choir came to sing to our Women's Institute today to help us celebrate the coronation.  It was great to join in with Jerusalem for starters and then to listen to The Women's Singstitute  singing around the British Isles with such oldies as  The Skye Boat Song, They're Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace and Ferry Cross the Mersey. Best of all they sang our county song, The Lincolnshire Poacher.  

Afternoon Tea (at lunch time!) was followed by a celebration cake.  And a VIP to cut it.

And to put the icing on my personal cake, I won the competition with my replica anointing spoon.  

It would appear that the link to my post about the anointing spoon may not be working.  You can find it at https://trundlingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2023/05/coronation-1953.html

Two years . . .

 . . . ago on 11th March 2020 I decided my life  had to change.  News of a highly infectious virus caused me to withdraw from many things and instead to live in a new way entirely within my own home.  Like everyone I had to accept regulations like nothing we'd seen before in my lifetime.  The world became a worrying, almost frightening place and my home was the best place for me to be.

Within my home I sewed, cooked, knitted, read and did one hundred and one other things while others, far more capable than me waged war on that virus.  And I sat at home and sewed,

Today another war is being waged and it involves hatred and deliberate killing.  Restrictive regulations are the least of the worries being faced by the people of Ukraine.  And still I am safe in my home.

I am just as helpless.  All I can do is pray and help in fundraising.

Wreath made from pattern by Claire Salmon of the Women's Institute

So I have used one of the sewing skills I developed in that war on the home front to make a wreath of sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, to be raffled off at a coffee morning tomorrow in aid of humanitarian relief. 

It is so little.  God bless the people of Ukraine. 

Special delivery

I've been quite busy during these days of  distancing.   I've got a list of ladies whom I call once a week or once a fortnight for a chat.  I feel there's not much I can do whilst everyone is still rather isolated, but I can be a cheery voice on the end of a phone.

But there's one group of ladies who have been phoning me, and that is the committee of Caistor Women's Institute.  Once a fortnight someone phones and we have a chat about what's going on.   I really appreciate the calls.

Today's call was a little different.  Margaret rang and said, "Will you be in this afternoon?"  We agreed I would be in my garden around two and promptly at 2pm I heard the side gate click and there she was.  With a bag in her hand.

And in the bag was afternoon tea!  To be precise there were four sandwiches, a small bag of crisps, a sausage roll. two scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream, a florentine, a crispy cake, a slice of chocolate Swiss roll, a flapjack,  and a teabag.  And then there was a bottle of prosecco and a strawberry.

Guess what I'm having for tea.  And probably tomorrow as well

From one tree to another

Yesterday it rained all day and I would have been happy to stay indoors last night but Caistor WI traditionally has a crafty evening in November and it would take more than rain to keep me away from crafting.  Felting, card making, stitchery and book folding were on offer but it wasn't a free choice - names were drawn for each activity.  I was hoping against hope that I'd be allocated to book folding and I struck lucky!  

This was my first attempt at book folding, an upcycling craft involving old paperbacks and not much more.  It was an ideal craft for WI as it takes very little concentration so we all chatted.  Drawing names meant that the usual friendship groups were split and we chatted with people whom we knew only very slightly.  

A simple fold, repeated seventy five times and my old paperback became a tree.  A star mounted on a cocktail stick topped it and I've now got a new decoration ready for Christmas!

View from the plughole

It's a very long time (thirteen days) since I wrote anything on this blog so, as it must seem as though I have gone down the plughole, I think I must report in!

Actually, the plughole is where I haven't been.  January isn't the most exciting of months but it has been OK.  I've been out for lunch SEVEN times!  I was amazed when I checked and counted.  That's included post Christmas catch-ups, a board game session and a wonderful afternoon tea.  

I've been to the Women's Institute and Trefoil Guild.

My average daily step count is the highest it's been since October 2016.  I've managed to work out a figure-of-eight course around three rooms and two tables so I can walk quite a lot indoors.  

I've conducted two Sunday services, one baptism and one funeral.  This is a lot less than I did last month but December I did too much.  I was rather over-tired.  It's hard to admit but I'm just not as young as I used to be.  

I've knitted, crocheted, sewn, made cards and generally messed around.  I've made a start on Christmas presents!  Lovely!

I've done quite a bit of pastoral visiting, written letters and emailed or phoned several people for whom I have a special concern.

And I am happy.  No January plughole for me this year!

(Update especially for Jack's followers.  He's just sent me a poem)

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

Not with silver bells or cockle shells

But with beetroot, beans and brassica all in a row amongst the flowers.

Have a nice day.  And that includes you, Jack.

A Little Bit of Crafting

It seems ages since I went crafting but yesterday our Federation of Women's Institutes had a craft day and of course, I was there.  Just two projects to show you.

This Christmas tree is made from milk bottle tops which have been padded with wadding and then covered and stitched together.  I may put a cinnamon stick as a trunk and maybe a few star anise - it will smell nice as well as look good.  

This is a simple purse but it felt as though I was doing origami.  I like the design but if I make it again I shall use better contrasted fabric.    

The First Half

When I wrote it down I was rather surprised at the amount of stuff I had in mind for September and I have to admit it looked crazy!  However, nothing ventured, nothing gained so I waded in.  Here's what's happened in the first half of the month.

1.  Watering someone else's garden.  What I didn't mention was that this involved a thirty mile round trip each time.  The weather helped - I went just four times to supplement the rain.  

2.  Start crochet lessons.  I've been to the crochet group twice so far.  I could crochet already but I couldn't follow a pattern and I could work only in circles and squares.  I've started on a ripple blanket but it has involved a lot of pulling down so I'm not going to show you a photo yet. 

3.  WI meetings.  Definitely accomplished.  I showed my support for Women's Suffrage and I ate a Harvest Supper.  I also won some daffodil bulbs in a harvest quiz - a bonus to be fully appreciated in the spring .

4  One Trefoil Guild meeting attended and the second is later in the month.

5.  The baptism is today.  Also I suddenly got bookings for Sundays.  I've taken a service today with less than two days notice.

6.  Three meals out thus far, one cancellation and three meals still to go.  Does that add up to the four I had planned?  

7.  I've declined seven Harvest Festivals.  I love going to them but hate leading them.  However, I've also said, "If you're desperate . . . "

8.  The big accomplishment is that I have made 94 Christmas cards.

Can't stop though.  Lots to do.  Only one hundred days to Christmas.  (Sorry about that!)

Votes For Women!

Plenty of home made bunting.  

Out to Brigg today, to Brigg Women's Institute.  I'm a member at Brigg as well as Caistor and on the second Wednesday each month I go to Brigg.  Today was Brigg WI's celebration of the hundredth anniversary of start of women's franchise and we combined that with a meeting run with many of the elements which were common in WI meetings in 1918.

Holly Mumby-Croft

Back in 1918 only women over the age of 30 who were householders, the wives of householders, occupiers of property with an annual rent of £5 and graduates of British universities were allowed to vote.  Not exactly universal female suffrage.  It wasn't until 1928 that women got the vote on the same terms as men.

But 1918 saw that all-important start of women's suffrage and 2018 has seen celebrations of the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act.  Brigg WI decided to celebrate the anniversary in style.

Kate in charge!

We stood in our green, purple and white bunting festooned room and sang, "Jerusalem" just as our foremothers would have sung in 1918 and then we watched a demonstration of upcycling.  (Early WIs always had a practical demonstration, a talk and an opportunity to socalise) before Councillor Holly Mumby-Croft spoke about her own career in politics.  Holly is a District Councillor in North Lincolnshire and last year she stood as a parliamentary candidate winning 17485 votes but sadly the sitting MP won 20916 so she isn't an MP yet,

The WI had a great time.  Many of us, (me included) wore "Votes for Women" sashes and Kate, our President was especially stunning.  

Brightwater gardens

Another day out - this time with Brigg Women's Institute.

It's great to visit a real twenty first century garden.  So many gardens we can visit are lovely but part of their loveliness is that they have been there for centuries and have developed over the years.  Brightwater Garden is less than twenty years old so comparatively new.  


Some parts are formally designed like this wonderful peony garden.  Unfortunately the peonies haven't enjoyed the changeable weather this year.

It's a delightful garden designed by owners who have a passion for wildlife so although it has its formal areas there are also swathes of wildflowers. 

 Many plants are bee and butterfly friendly.

When I sat on this bench I did so with great care as I was sharing it with a bee!  There was the odd butterfly in evidence today but the weather wasn't at its most papilionem friendly - maybe as the year gets warmer.

Ellie the dog runs along this wall checking on visitors.

And even Basil the lawnmower runs free near the wildlife pond as he keeps himself very busy.

A lovely morning out although quite a lot of the garden isn't mobility scooter accessible. Sadly this is the last year that the garden will be open other than at snowdrop time.

Inspiring Women

Question.  Who has been portrayed on film by Dame Helen Mirren, and on stage by Linda Bellingham and Anita Dobson?  Answer Tricia Stewart.

Tricia in her glory!

And just in case you don't know, Tricia Stewart is the leading light of the original Calendar Girls, pictured on The Alternative Women's Institute Calendar.  She was the speaker at the Centenary Celebrations of Caistor Women's Institute, Nettleton and Moortown WI and Holton le Moor WI, all of which were founded in 1918.

The waiters (and one waitress)

It was a really good night out.  Tricia is a really funny and down-to earth speaker and had us all laughing at her descriptions of how the calendar was produced and its totally unforeseen popularity.  I think one of my favourite bits was about the "girls" going to London on the train and the chef serving them breakfast wearing only socks and a pinny.  The gentlemen (husbands of various members) who served us supper wore rather more.  

I find it amazing how quickly the Women's Institute spread through our country.  It came from Canada and the first British branch started on Anglesey in September 2015.   Just over two years later it had spread all over England with branches being formed even in tiny Lincolnshire villages.  That is all the more amazing when one remembers that the Great War was raging at the time - but maybe women needed each other's support even more in wartime.

We had a great evening and we finished by doing something which I've never done at a WI meeting before.  We sang Jerusalem.