Recycling Arts Project

I took my grandson aged eight and my granddaughter aged four to an event at the library. It was organised by the local Recycling Arts Project aka Your Ideas Ware house. The items used to create fruit and vegetables were made from stuff thrown out by local industry. The local branch of the national scrapstore network is available for creative reuse in artistic and practical projects.

The children made a leek and a large purple plum, which they chose to take home to show their mother instead of adding them to a painted rural landscape, with a large tree with branches on which fruit could be hung.

The stock at the centre changes regularly. Items available include:foam,strapping, fabric, tiles, cardboard tubes, wadding, acrylic off-cuts etc., as well as cards, papers, foils and the unexpected.

I think its well worth £15 a year for unlimited help yourself supplies for my grandchildren to use creatively.

The centre also runs themed making sessions using materials from the warehouse.

1st Paragraphs of The Captain and The Countess

Release Date 21/02/2014

The Captain and The Countess

Chapter One

London 1706

 

Edward, the Right Honourable Captain Howard, dressed in blue and white, which some of the officers in Queen Anne’s navy favoured, strode into Mrs Radcliffe’s spacious house near St James Park. 

Perkins, his godmother’s butler, took his hat and cloak. “Madam wants you to join her immediately.”

Instead of going upstairs to the rooms his godmother had provided for him during his spell on half pay—the result of a dispute with a senior officer—Edward entered the salon. He sighed. When would his sixty-one year old godmother accept that at the age of twenty-two he was not yet ready to wed?

He made his way across the elegant, many windowed room through a crowd of expensively garbed callers.

When Frances Radcliffe noticed him, she turned to the pretty young lady seated beside her. “Mistress Martyn, allow me to introduce you to my godson, Captain Howard.”  

Blushes stained Mistress Martyn’s cheeks as she stood to make her curtsey.

 Edward bowed, indifferent to yet another of his grandmother’s protégées.        Conversation ceased. All eyes focussed on the threshold. 

“Lady Sinclair,” someone murmured.

Edward turned. He gazed without blinking at the acclaimed beauty, whose sobriquet was 'The Fatal Widow’. 

The countess remained in the doorway, her cool blue eyes speculative.

Edward whistled low. Could her shocking reputation be no more than tittle-tattle? His artist’s eyes observed her. Rumour did not lie about her Saxon beauty.

 

Publisher. MuseItUp Publishing

Somerset Levels are Flooded

The flood on the Somerset levels returned the past to me. Percy, a relative on my father's side of the family, once owned Court House in Muchenley Village. The village is now on an island surrounded by flooded fields. I am sorry for all those severely affected. After being flooded twice, and losing his dairy herd due to a foot and mouth epidemic, Percy sold Court House. I have googled the property, a Grade II listed building. The exterior pictures of it are exactly as I remember. Seeing them brought back many happy memories.

Emergency - Everything at a Standstill

My daughter had an asthma attack on Sunday. She saw the doctor yesterday. At the moment her lung capacity is only 30%. I'm very concerned so I've been helping out and did not have time to post yesterday.

I'll pick my granddaughter up from pre-school, cook lunch for her and her family and her help out this evening. I hope the inhaler and the medication prescribed for her kick in and she will feel much better tomorrow.

Featured author Rosemary Morris

This week my publisher has chosen be to be a featured author. Here is the link:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/63-our-authors/authors-m/378-rosemary-morris

 

I am delighted with it.