postcards from the museum of everything

dear friends,

i’m writing to you after a day venturing forth into the cold rainy weather. it’s been disturbingly warm here this ‘winter’ so far and it’s actually nice to finally be experiencing some colder weather.

we headed out today, specifically to visit the museum of everything. {found via PureBlog}

we were also delighted (well, i was delighted, not sure husband was so much…) to discover that today just happened to be the primrose hill christmas festival.

there were lots of lovely stalls from the stores along the street, selling tasty food, christmas gift goodies, mulled wine & cupcakes from the primrose bakery…

sugar intake at maximum, we then ventured to the museum – down a little side street, then a little alleyway, a stone’s throw from primrose hill. which isn’t really a museum… it’s an art gallery who promote themselves as “London’s only public space for art by the untrained, unintentional and unseen creators of this, our modern world.”

yep, that would pretty much sum up what was in there… the inside of the building appeared much bigger than the oustide, and contained within the converted-warehouse-style building was a treasure trove of quirky art.

some of the artists included w.c rice

hell is hot hot, w.c. rice. originally uploaded by queenodesign
(more great examples of his work here)

alfred jensen

(image best viewed large). originally uploaded by cliff1066™

emery blagdon

Emery Blagdon. originally uploaded by C-Monster

and miroslav tichy, described elsewhere as “a voyeur with a home-made camera”.

no photographs allowed inside the building on penalty of death, so sadly i’ve not got much to show you aside from a photo of the entrance.

great place to visit if something slightly more offbeat is what you’re looking for in a london art gallery! i will certainly be going back for another poke around. might see you there then?

what would happen

heaven club, praia da oura, portugal

what would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?
the whole world would split open.
- muriel rukeyser

{thanks to my friend carol for introducing me to this quote}

frustration

this bloody unfeeling object

      refuses to co-operate
        aura changes colour display to
          frustrated, tongue-tied.

beyond the pen, blank pages mock
the author, the emotions that
surface & ripple. without a shoreline

on which to land, the words float
through endless gray seas.

the silky feel of words
    ………..sliding………………………………..
                    just
                        out
                            of
                                reach

leaves a pit
in my stomach, as if hunger
is an acceptable solution.

may your cup also be full

may your cup also be full. may it overflow with the sacred, and may the sacred spill out over all that you do, all those whom you love, your visions and your heartfelt longings.

- juliet batten, a cup of sunlight

postcards from portugal

dear friends,

i recently had the pleasure of a week in the sun with an amazing friend. she’s someone i met through writing here. someone who astonishes me with her gentle spirit and creative nature.

somehow, we’d managed to find the perfect spot in the algarve, at praia da oura, in an apartment with a balcony from which we ate pretty much every meal.

we could see and hear the sea, as well as watch the sunrise and set. bliss.

the beach was lovely and the water just warm enough for a daily dip

♥

i also had the immense pleasure of being a book fairy whilst on my travels

book fairy tales

so, you know christine mason miller – right?

her book ordinary sparkling moments for me was like a permission slip; to feel okay about being myself, to know that i’m not the only one who feels a certain way, to *dare* to dream and live creatively. some parts of it feel very much like pieces of my own story and it speaks to me deeply whenever i dive into it’s pages.

so, of course i am delighted to be a book fairy to support christine’s 100 books project.

one of her books recently traveled with me to the algarve in portugal. it’s a beautiful place with lovely beaches and warm sunshine – the perfect place to relax and unplug myself from the world.

the spot i chose to leave this book was in a very public space near the beach of albufeira.

i wanted it to be by the sea, because i grew up by the ocean, at a beach with golden sands. my childhood memories of growing up with sand between my toes still makes me smile. the ocean is where i return to when my soul needs a refill. christine’s book for me is similar – it’s like i get a top-up of sunshine and soul-full-ness each time i open it.

the book, whilst waiting for a new owner, had a fantastic view of the sea.

the steps where it sat had to be passed by fairly closely for anyone to notice the book because it kinda blended in with the colours of it’s surroundings. and, since there are many portugese (as well as tourists) in this area, i figured it would have a better chance of being picked up by a local than simply leaving it anywhere near our apartment.

can you see it?

we wandered off for a look around the town, returning about an hour later to discover it had gone.

christine, i hope you hear from whoever picked it up and they get as much pleasure from your book as i have done.

postcards from paris

in which we spend a weekend in paris, hanging out with the delightful paris parfait and her lovely husband.

their place is filled with amazing finds from brocantes and markets, is lovelier than any hotel we’ve ever stayed in; the food, wine and especially the company are beyond compare.

passerelle de l’avre & le tour eiffel. a grey day in paris.
the eiffel tower just a smudge in the sky from the st cloud side of the seine