... is that it slowly and unobtrusively eats away at the root, at the very core of things until moulds develop and the structure begins to crumble. That is rather like the effect the weather seems to be having on me at the moment. Everything seems fine until there is a slight bump along the way, and at that point the smell of decay and rot wends its way into the atmosphere and something inside slips a little. For me this manifests itself as a kind of grumbling irritation with all and everything, and it only takes a very little to bring the lot down about my ears. Today my intentions in offering to help out were questioned, scales were brought out to weigh the value of the intention and the self righteous justification put forward was the straw which broke the camel's back. If my intent is to be doubted then fine, I will not offer again.
And that is a polite version of how I really feel. Do you think a dose of vitamin D would be useful for a bad temper? I really do not like being that bad tempered old bat, even tho' I do think I have a reasonable point to make - I just wish it were possible for me to make it more gently.
Ah well - surely there will be some decent weather sometime soon. The carefully laid plans I had made to take Elisabet to the Game fair at Scone on her birthday were scuppered, but we did manage to buy the necessary welly boots on line instead. Fortunately.
The bees are finding things hard going at the moment, and are needing additional food as the days when they can fly and collect pollen are limited. It is fascinating learning about how they live and the things that need to be taken into consideration when siting and working with a hive. Elisabet has today shown me a picture - from Swedish TV - of a swarm of bees which took up residence from the cross bar of a bicycle. Everything from the bar to the chain and pedals was covered in a smooth, bulbous sheath of bees. It was, in its own way, quite beautiful.
And now it is the end of the day in the gallery - many more people have been out and about today, which is lovely, and the rain has held off. Maybe, just maybe, the damp proofing has arrived!
to see ourselves as others see us
The new show at The Line opened yesterday with Colin Wilson's fantastic fruit and Lorna Pirrie's portraits - we just could not resist showing you The Ladies of The Line which is now proudly on display. This is one that will certainly not be getting away!
And the loose ends? Sent back in the post, I fear. Done and dusted and that ground will not be being disturbed again. Memories are precious, no one said they needed to be accurate.
May you live in interesting times
2012 has been a curious year so far. Lots good, somethings less pleasing and others where I wish I had learned the lessons I know well enough about but which I seem to be able to forget on a regular basis.
An example - this is the one about not going back to the past. That is one I should remember after the trip to Buckie for the whatever number it was school reunion. I think it would have been very different had I remained in Buckie for longer, but we left some six months after the event that was being remembered, and a lot has happened to everyone concerned in the intervening period. It was lovely to have been remembered and invited to go along, but the wise person would have said 'thank you', sent best wishes and stayed away. I went along. I last saw all of these people when they and I were aged 11 and 12, I was remembering children and could not really respond to the adults I met. And there were those that were not there and I was mourning an 11 year old when the one that was lost was about 30. I should not have gone.
And now? - ah, now I have been remembering a close friend. Dangerous ground best not explored. I will learn one day - but for now there is some tidying up to do, I fear. Loose ends can cause upset.
The SQA exams are up and running, and the strange days spend surrounded by endless bits of paper are back again. There is a satisfaction to having everything parcelled up and ready for collection, but I do begin to wonder if that is enough of a reason to go through all of the rest of it .......... And the sun has been shining today - bodes well for the weekend and yet another onslaught on the ground elder.
And how has life been for you?
An example - this is the one about not going back to the past. That is one I should remember after the trip to Buckie for the whatever number it was school reunion. I think it would have been very different had I remained in Buckie for longer, but we left some six months after the event that was being remembered, and a lot has happened to everyone concerned in the intervening period. It was lovely to have been remembered and invited to go along, but the wise person would have said 'thank you', sent best wishes and stayed away. I went along. I last saw all of these people when they and I were aged 11 and 12, I was remembering children and could not really respond to the adults I met. And there were those that were not there and I was mourning an 11 year old when the one that was lost was about 30. I should not have gone.
And now? - ah, now I have been remembering a close friend. Dangerous ground best not explored. I will learn one day - but for now there is some tidying up to do, I fear. Loose ends can cause upset.
The SQA exams are up and running, and the strange days spend surrounded by endless bits of paper are back again. There is a satisfaction to having everything parcelled up and ready for collection, but I do begin to wonder if that is enough of a reason to go through all of the rest of it .......... And the sun has been shining today - bodes well for the weekend and yet another onslaught on the ground elder.
the 18th year has begun
The annual escape took us to Italy this year, not India, and we left in time to celebrate the New Year at our destination. Often we have been hanging around at airports, or in mid flight and not sure where we were, when it was time for the bells. But this year we were in Florence, and had organised ourselves so well that we hit the streets in time to join in with the celebrations. And boy do those Italians know how to celebrate. Innocently, and without having thought much about it at all, we had thought we would stand by one of the bridges on the Arno and hear the New Year being rung in from the wonderful churches all around. It was nothing like that.
First of all we had to learn about the Italian love of fireworks. By that we mean a deep, personal love of the things, of being up close to them, of having lots and lots of them - and being especially fond of the ones which make LOUD noises. There were indeed the big rockets that have become so popular here now, and they were let off within a few feet of passersby with nary any injury. But the passion is for firecrackers, the louder and the more the merrier. It was as if the artillery were in town, and the ambition to blow historic, fantastic Florence to kingdom come, and then do it again as often as possible. The booming and banging echoed in the narrow streets between the tall buildings and all around the cathedral until all hearing was lost and the orchestra bravely playing The Rite of Spring in the freezing cold did not have a chance.
So many firecrackers were there that long after New Year, long after Epiphany, the occasional Boom raised the heart rate of the uninitiated.
It was controlled chaos, but great fun. And, as I have said, no one got hurt, no one panicked, young children and those with grey hair all joined in with impunity.
And we had a lovely holiday. Lots of walking, lots of standing still and just looking. Of course we went to the churches and museums, of course we visited the markets and the shops. But above all we did exactly what we wanted as and when we decided to do it. How often can we say that?
So - welcome to The Line Monoblog for 2012. This is the start of the 18th year of The Line Gallery and we have every intention that it will be as full and as interesting as each of the previous 17 have been.
