Spooky walk

I missed two days walking last week so I needed to top up my miles today to reach my target. I set off at 2.45pm for a two hour, five mile walk. I remembered to take a torch, just in case it was dark before I got back. I remember last winter when I got caught out several times in the dark without a torch. The last ten minutes coming back into the village is on a road, it was dark so I was glad I had the torch. 

I passed by the spooky house and took a few more pics. It was still light at that point, so I didn't get the full effect of the place lit up. The man has done a nice job of adding a few more decorations. Oh dear, look at this poor soul. 

The table was nicely laid out next to the front door. I couldn't see anything edible on there. Maybe they put out the sweeties later. 

Poor doggie. 

Along the field edge I spotted a couple of deer up ahead. I stopped, hoping they hadn't spotted me, and got the camera ready. I crept quietly along and peered around the side of the hedge. They had spotted me. I managed to get this shot. 

Then they joined up together again and ran off into that wood. Not a good picture because they were quite a long distance away.

There were lots of Trick or Treaters walking around the village when I got back. I saw a big group of parents with their children in fancy dress. Some houses had tables out on the front, full of help yourself sweets.

I made this video yesterday, it is now uploaded onto yoootooob. 

Don't forget, it's check in day tomorrow for the Walking Group. Thanks for popping in. 

Toodle pip.   ilona 

A lesson learnt.

Good morning. An early walk this morning. A test drive for a new hoodie. It was fabby warm around my ears. Better than a bobble hat. Back for breakfast, porridge and fruit, now I have to pick the seeds out from my teeth. 

This video was sent to me by a long time follower. We speak on the phone so she knows which ones to send me. We are singing from the same song sheet. 

I will share it here because the message resonates with me. Patara has been a yoootoober for a long time. This video has had 67,000 views in four days. She is a homesteader, she looks after her family, friends, and animals. A very busy lady. 

Her message is that she will not be sucked into someone's circus, and she will not participate in their drama. Stay in your own lane and concentrate on your own life. This is her advice to those who are, what I would call nitpickers looking for a verbal punch up. 

I get called out for deleting comments, and even posts. Well after listening to this lady, I will be doing more of that. I am not interested in trying to pander to those short sighted and short tempered people who are intent on disrupting my life. My life is sorted, I am happy where I am. 

Thanks to the reader who sent this. I have taken what Patara has said on board. I have given people a chance to have their say, remember 'Thinking about it', 21st October? 2,000 views, and 90 comments. I answered a lot of comments, I also deleted a lot. It's not going to happen again. I am not going to waste my time trying to be fair and reasonable. You go your way and sort out your own problems. 

Now I will put my clocks back one hour, and think about what I will do with the extra hour. 

Have a good Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Different aspects of art

Good morning. A wet start to the day. Let's see how it pans out. 

I've had these pictures in the drafts folder for over a month now, it's about time I posted them. They are from an exhibition at the 20 21 Arts Centre. So many different kinds of art. These are more like models made from scratch. The detail put into these sculptures is amazing. Warning, some of them are rather gruesome. 

Blurb about the artist. There are more pictures on his web site. 

Also on at the same time was an exhibition of decorated clothes pegs. There were hundreds of them all dressed differently, on displays in several parts of the gallery. These are fun. Several schools in the area took part in this. 

Mayze has abandoned Gloria, I think they have had a tiff. She has moved onto a fleece on the sofa, and is now warming her back next to the gas fire. 

I hope to do a dog walk later on when the gloom outside has moved on. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Is it art?

 I thought I had better get an early walk in this morning, with the weather so unpredictable. It had been raining overnight and there was a slight dampness in the air as I fed the cats outside. Coffee drunk and custard tart scoffed, I stepped out of the door wearing boots and a pair of shorts. The dampness had evaporated, and it was starting to warm up. It was windy but not a cold wind. 

I came across Michael the plumber. He was just finishing a job and was about to get in his van and drive off. Lucky I saw him. The first thing he said was, oh, I have a little job to do at your house, don't I. I said yes, Michael I am still waiting. We chatted and he said he will come next week. 

Now, the pics from yesterday's visit to The Ropewalk in Barton. This exhibition is called Life. The artists are Phil Burman and Veronica Einloft. Phil creates his own symbols and forms to explore his experiences. He does not give explanations for individual pieces. He leaves the individual to arrive at their own interpretations. Veronica is a Brazilian sculptor and is inspired by things that make her feel alive. You can find more of her work here. 

There is a yoootooob video of Phil and Veronica working together. Check it out here. 

I find this kind of art difficult to grasp the meaning of. The pieces are mostly made of metal, wood, and stone. They do have titles, but I fail to see the connection to the actual piece. I think the art is in the arrangement of the materials. I might look in my shed for something I can make into a sculpture. 

I like this mirror, by Veronica, but £2800 !?

Another quirky but expensive mirror. 

Click on a picture to open a slide show. The prices will be enlarged. 

What works best, a black heart or a red heart? 

I stepped outside and took a couple of photo's. The weeds growing through the roof and the brickwork are kind of artistic.

Looking down into the murky water from the footbridge near Tesco. These trolleys have been in here for years. Maybe no one has retrieved them because it's art. There is a terrible stink though. 

Another weekend is looming. Have a good one whatever you are doing. It's also the last day of the month on Monday, and check in day for the walking group on Tuesday. Don't forget to put your clocks back by one hour on Saturday night, if you are in the UK. Winter is upon us. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Spooky.

Good evening. I had a ride out to Barton today. I wanted to get some dark blue embroidery thread from Boyes. The picture I am doing is dark blue stitching on a white background, and I don't have enough to finish it. While I was there I had a look at The Ropewalk Art Gallery. I'll put some pics of the exhibits on here later. 

On the way back I passed by the house which had some Halloween decorations outside. The man was adding more to the display. He gave me permission to take photo's. He said come back on the 31st because that will be the best time to see it. He is really going to town with it.  

It's nice that he is making an effort for his kids. 

Thanks for popping in. Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Extra padding

I have a bike but I don't do much cycling. Half an hour locally is enough for me, then my bum starts to get sore. I have a gel seat but it isn't soft enough for my delicate lady parts.  I could do with a cushion to sit on. 

I bought a pair of shorts with a seat pad sewn into them, from Aldi. Browsing the central aisle as you do. The label says they are breathable and they regulate body moisture. It feels like I have a nappy between my legs. Very odd. Will I be walking around like I have poo'd my pants. 😁 

I'll give these a try. Haven't tested them yet, but I suspect that even these are not going to help very much. I might have to stitch some extra padding to the inside. A piece of foam would do the job. This test won't be done today though, because it's raining again.

I have just been to the pop up Post Office in the church. They cannot process any transactions because the computer is updating itself. Not very convenient when everything goes over to CBDC. Keep spending cash folks. 

Time for breakfast then sewing. Thanks for popping in. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Remembering Germany.

My mother was born in Hamburg. She left there to come to England after the war to marry her soldier boyfriend, my father. I remember her going back there for a holiday, she took my younger sister with her. I stayed behind to look after the house and cook the meals for my father. She couldn't afford to take us all. 

In 1974 I went by myself on an all inclusive coach trip which I booked through the TV Times magazine. I can't remember if the British coach came across the channel with us, we sailed from Harwich, or we were met by a German coach at the other side. 

What I do remember was a strange feeling I had as we were sailing up the River Elbe. Once you hit the mouth of the river it is a very long way before you get into Hamburg docks. It takes several hours. I stood on the deck watching the buildings on each side. As they got closer I felt as if I was coming home, even though I had never been there before. I became quite emotional, like this was my home and it was bringing me closer to my mother. The place where she lived before she had me. The place where half my family lived that I had never seen. 

It was a five day trip, we were booked into a hotel. We stopped off at Lubeck and I got lost, wandering around by myself. I panicked a bit and wondered what to do as I couldn't speak German. I found a very busy intersection in the centre where all the traffic was passing. I thought if I stand here and wait the coach is bound to pass by here and see me. Luckily it did. The other passengers were not best pleased that I had held them up. 

We went to Berlin, saw the Kurfurstendamm, went through Checkpoint Charlie. I remember the police getting on the coach in No Mans Land. They took all our passports away then brought them back half an hour later, and we proceeded through to the East side. They took us a drive around, we weren't allowed to stop. I remember all the buildings looked drab and grey. We went to see the Brandenburg Gate, and Charlottenburg Castle. I have photo's in my album. 

My mother had contacted her brother, my Uncle Henry, and told him the details of where I was staying. It was arranged that he would come and see me at the hotel. I was so excited, at last I would be meeting someone from my German family. I waited in reception for him to come. He didn't arrive. A staff member came to me and handed me a wrapped box. He said my Uncle had been earlier in the day and dropped off the gift. He couldn't come due to other commitments. I was so disappointed. 

I did get to see him a few years later. I stayed at his house. While I was there he gave me a set of 12 aerial photographs of Hamburg taken in 1960. All black and white with one in colour. The reason for this little story is that I no longer need these photographs. I shall never go there again. I would like to pass them on to someone who is living or has lived in Hamburg or has connections there. If not a person, maybe a museum or a place of that nature. Someone who is interested in history would find them interesting. 

If any of my German readers, or someone who knows someone who would like them, and can give me an address, I will post them. The photographs are 18cm x 24cm. With a description in German on the back. 

I had lunch with a friend today. Sounds posh doesn't it. She made egg on toast. I spent the afternoon in the garden. Mowed all the lawns and trimmed some hedges. Looks quite tidy now. 

Anyway, it's just coming up to 10pm so I'll sign off and catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Sadeck Waff

Watch this, it is brilliant. The artistic talent of Sadeck Waff is ingenious. 

I have gooooglied his name and found some more. 

From France's Got Talent. 

Brussels street performance. 

And another Got Talent. 

Looks like a gardening day today. More sunshine. Whooopeeee. Catch ya later. ilona 

Wind power

The weather is baffling at the moment. I wake up to heavy mist, it changes to drizzle, then rain. At that point I decide on a day indoors. Then lo and behold by midday it brightens up. I have lunch then go out. Here are a few pics from todays five mile walk. It was very windy, but warm. Blowing the clouds across the skies, lots of opportunities to take some nice photos. 

I pass an industrial estate. There must be something interesting to photograph there. 

I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Thanks for popping in. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

What do I eat?

Good morning. It is damp and dull here in North Lincolnshire. I had a coffee early and took it back to bed with me. Getting up at 6am in winter is too early, so I lie in a bit longer. I open the curtains, and doze for a while and let the creeping daylight wake me up. 

I browsed the stack of Stitch magazines I have by my bed, looking for ideas and inspiration. I have picked a project to get started on, something I haven't tried before. 

I usually have plenty of ideas to write about on the blog. I thought I would do something different. The page titles under the header store some of my photos. Why not set the camera up pointing at the screen and record a slide show. This is the first one. 

People are always asking on the toootoob channel what foods do I buy, what do I eat, have you a recipe. My videos always go on yoootooob first, then most of them end up here. If you are a regular blog reader you may have already seen these.  

The 'Thinking about it' post went really well I thought. A good mix of comments. Thanks to everyone who contributed, even the ones whose opinions are totally opposite to mine. I deleted those who were rude and sarcastic.  

Now I shall go upstairs and look for a suitable piece of fabric for this project I have in mind. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Autumn gorgeousness

Good morning. It's Sunday and it's raining, again. Yesterday was sunny and dry and warm, so off I went across the fields. Great to see the farmers preparing the land for the next crop. Feeding time for the seagulls.  

What a beautiful machine. 

I found a track that I hadn't been down before. Let's go and explore. It took me to the pond I saw a few days ago, remember. There is the landfill site. Now I have approached it from a different direction. I think there are more tracks to explore around here. Not enough time today though, I will have to come back. 

I couldn't get close to the water because there is a deep ditch and a barbed wire fence between us. The picture is not very clear because I had to zoom in. Lots of wildlife down there. 

It's getting late but I made time to have a quick walk around Normanby Park. I wanted to capture the Autumn colours. Some of the trees are past their best now that the leaves have started to fall. 

The stag was bellowing to his lady friends. 

I did manage to find a few trees with lovely colours. 

This is the path to the small gate at the side of the park. It is only open for a short time for local dog walkers to get in and out. Everyone else goes in and out through the main car park, of which there is a charge. 

Part of the pond has dried up, but this bigger pond still has plenty of ducks quacking about. 

It was time to leave before they locked the small gate. Just outside the park is this gorgeous tree. This looks like two trees standing together. The leaves on the other side are yellow, but no, it's one tree. 

A quick zoomy pic as I was nearing home. 

With the little bit of extra exploring, it came in at seven miles. I slept well last night. Now it's time for breakfast, then I will go back to the previous controversial post and wind that up. Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona