And I also embark on several journeys whose destinations keep changing.
Monday saw me heading off to Andover Mind bright and early. Next January I start as a volunteer to help run the handicrafts session, and I was going there to meet the group again.
The size of the group has diminished somewhat since I was there in September, so I will have to put together some sessions that will hopefully be both appealing, and rewarding to do.
My box of magic tricks accompanied me just in case, plus festive glitter. I wasn't called to use it, but instead joined in with making decorations for the tree.
I think papier mâché bowls will be my first project there, complete with tissue paper decorations.
Must make some examples, perhaps start these after Christmas?
Then off to Winchester afterwards, as the Monday art session at Trinity starts at 2pm.
'Let's get there a little early, and do some quality Christmas shopping', thought I.
I saw myself visiting Winchester's magical Christmas market and buying a beautiful 'something' from there, whilst perhaps nibbling on a frosted Christmas biscuit......
Forget all that! After a slow and frustrating hour spent driving around Winchester unable to park, I ended up in Hilliers Garden Centre car park. No frosted biscuits or beautiful lights for me, just my usual lunch of cottage cheese and nuts followed by a couple of Nurofen, before braving the traffic to drive back through Winchester to Trinity, where I spent the afternoon headache-free, and happily making Christmas cards for their market stall.
On Tuesday, instead of leaving at 6.50am for a day of washing up, I was looking forward to seeing Sonia from Shake Culture, to meet the team I would be working with, in the creation of the community cookery book. Since learning that I was to write and illustrate this book, including 16 full pages of illustrations, I have been excitedly thinking of potential ways to create the images.
So there I was, rushing to greet Sonia when I heard the knock at the door. You just know when a meeting is taking an unforeseen direction, when Sonia's opening line to me was 'Just invoice me for the time you have spent planning for this book, I really don't see how all this is going to work'
But fortunately, after talking, tea drinking, and a slice or two of iced ginger shortbread, Sonia left, saying 'We'll go ahead with the book, but with a different direction '
And so that is what we will start to do, in January. The outcome has changed a little, as has the planned route towards it, but we are still very much off on a culinary adventure, and there is still a book for me to write and illustrate, and be paid for doing so! Hurrah! (I think)
It is a good job I am flexible.
Sonia left with one of my cake illustrations. A taste of things to come, perhaps?
As I had taken the day off work to meet with Sonia, I had some time to spare before hitting the road at 4pm, ready for a shorter session at the sinks.
What better way to spend my time than to complete a commission from chef Neil, another design for a tattoo. This was a really fun design to put together.
And then to paint and varnish 3 signs for our local, 'The Traveller's Joy'.
Less fun to do perhaps, and what you would call a bread and butter job.
But as I was always told when growing up, 'Life is not always swings and roundabouts' and you definitely 'Have to take the rough with the smooth'
In fact, as I am not completely grown up yet, I am still told this by my Mum, just in case I haven't quite understood that concept......perhaps she is concerned that I haven't had enough 'rough' in my super-smooth life yet?
And with the festive season fast upon us, at least the customers in 'The Travs' will be heading off in the right direction, after their food and drinks!
No matter how busy life is, there is always, for me anyway, a little time to read.
If you read and truly enjoyed the 'Jeeves and Wooster' books by P.G Wodehouse, this book is a must.
It is written so delightfully well, and is so in keeping with the style of Wodehouse. Just the concept of this book filled me with excitement. Wodehouse and Faulks? Wow!
The book was a real joy, and what I liked best of all was it's conclusion. I liked it so much that I shed a few tears...... of happiness, of course.
But don't bother of you don't like P.G.Wodehouse, leave it for those of us who do.
Wednesday, early committee meeting for the Chichester Open Studios Art Trail. Good news here, at least 140 artists have registered for 2017, so it is all systems go.
The committee members very kindly agreed to an early meeting so I could then dash down the road to Tuppenny Barn for a treat.....a Creative Writing session. http://www.tuppennybarn.co.uk/events-programme/
It is well over a year ago now that I attended the first session there, not quite knowing what to expect. And now, you still never quite know what to expect, but I am always heading there with excitement. Thanks Lizzie.
After 4 hours considering, and writing about 'earth', the element, I left the group chatting and whizzed into Chichester. Shortly after your 50th birthday party, the NHS send a different type of card, and regular mammograms become part of your life. The first was decidedly peculiar, starting with being in a mobile unit in a car park. But now, it is a doddle, and the nurse said I had been her 'number one patient' that day, and was 'very flexible.' Praise indeed for someone in their 50's! Then back for a banana and off to 'Bodyblast' and 'Arms and Abs' to maintain my amazing flexible form.
Apparently, when I have had my 60th birthday party, the NHS will give me another surprise present. Can't wait for that one!
Thursday was hard work, but started with high hopes. The Greyhound were hosting a charity event that evening, for the Alex Lewis trust, and Tom Kerridge and his team were coming over to cater for this event, producing a 4 course meal for 70 excited guests.
I was looking forward to meeting Tom, and washing up for his crew.
Our chefs provided the canapes (and very good they were too) and then it was over to Tom and his team of 3.
At midnight, when I had been working furiously for a few hours, I was thinking that a 'thank you' would not have come amiss. And indeed, from The Greyhound's front of house team, perhaps a cup of tea too! Next time there is a pop-up event, I might just pop out instead for the evening.
When people ask me 'What was he like?' I can safely say he has large legs.
But all that hard work and gloom faded on Friday, as me and Mr Cooper set off for Leeds, to spend the weekend Rachael, Ben and Henry.
As we had not seen Henry since August, we were really excited, and this excitement managed to last although the journey got longer and longer, with more and more deviations. However, 7 hours later, we were there, and it really was the beginning of our Christmas festivities.
And here is Henry on his Christmas card, heralding the start of them.
It was so lovely to be there, and so lovely too to play with Henry.
Mr Cooper was in his element as 'Grandolph' (Rachael's idea, not his!) and I enjoyed my supporting role as Nana Sue. Henry enjoyed chewing his toys, examining wheels closely, and trying really hard to crawl. I should imagine that he will be crawling, when they come and stay on Boxing Day.
In our mini break we did a whole load of fun things (walks with Banjo, pub visit, meal in Pizza Express, intense wheel examining) but one of the best was the visit to the Chinese Lantern festival, at Roundhay Park in Leeds. http://www.magicallantern.uk/?gclid=CKzkqa6y-NACFeGT7QodBLAAJg
When we knew we were going, both Mr Cooper and myself imagined that we would be walking through trees that were hung with Chinese lanterns, of the sort you could make from instructions you would find in an old Rupert Annual. In fact, I thought we might run into Tiger-Lily and the Chinese Magician. We did think that there would have to be an awful lot of lanterns, as apparently it took an hour to see them all. But no, the world has moved on, though at times it seems that me and Mr Cooper have not (but we are very happy together in our low-tech, Rupert Bear-infused world) Chinese lanterns are really illuminated forms and figures. A bit like a wonderful carnival procession, but static, and in the dark.
I took so many photos, but fear not, I am adding just two for you to see. The insect below was well over 8 feet tall........
.......and this magical garden was also on an impressively large scale.
Thanks you Rachael and Ben for such a fun weekend, and here are Mr Cooper and Henry in their respective starring roles.
Just a final image to finish with. Chef Neil loved the tattoo design, but wanted a couple of additions. The rabbit was to be a Chinese rabbit (as he was born in the Chinese year of the rabbit) and was also to be sporting also a meat cleaver.
I think the end result is a little closer also to Neil's personality, as this rabbit looks far more dangerous to know! A rabbit with attitude.
It's time now to stop paddling at the edges and just put on a Christmas swimming costume, jump in at the deep end, and swim along with it all.
I hope you are able to 'go with the flow', and tick things off your list whilst appearing un-ruffled.
Christmas itself is over so quickly that we may as well include the preparations as part of the enjoyment..........staying afloat is indeed a good outcome!
I will let you know how 'ruffled' I am, next week.
Till then, drink plenty of water and remember to breath, and to buy a Sellotape dispenser.
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