Every Day Thoughts

New York Does the Royal Wedding

Louise — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:20:47 +0000

We popped into Manhattan yesterday to stock up on loose tea from the British shop ‘Tea and Sympathy’ and found that they had sponsored a street party the day before for the royal wedding. It would have been fun to go but we had no idea.

Here’s the poster:

The street was still decked with bunting:

We went into the cafe next to the shop and got what they told us was “the special teapot:”

Phil was hideously embarrassed by me taking that last photo!

Daydreaming

Louise — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:43:15 +0000

Phil had to go pick up Vincent’s ashes today. I don’t think my mind is fully on my work.

RIP Baby Vincent

Louise — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:34:29 +0000

You were so loved.

Empty Closets

Louise — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:33:29 +0000

We’ve been in this house for over 12 years now, and we’ve slowly filled up every available space with stuff. Boxes and boxes of stuff we don’t need anymore. Cupboards full of clothes that are either our of fashion or the wrong size. And two entire rooms just used for storage.

Now we’re cleaning out and – while the two rooms still look like a bomb hit them – the cupboards are beginning to look decent. I’ve even vacuumed and cleaned them which has brought the dust quotient in the house down.

Here’s the proof!

The Night Will Always Win

Louise — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:58:39 +0000

I think this is now my favorite song by anyone ever, from the new Elbow album. Haunting and beyond beautiful.

It’s about missing someone who died and how it’s a mistake to dwell on the loss at night when you’re alone. My favorite lines are “I tried to clothe your bones in scratchy Super 8s, exaggerated stories and old tunes.” Brilliant!

Theo Has an Adventure

Louise — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:45:02 +0000

Theo has decided to spice up our lives by performing death-defying antics. Just because he can.

All that “scaring your owners witless” is tiring though. Time to get cat hair over as much of the sofa as possible.

Orange and Blue

Louise — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:44:16 +0000

I took a break from still lifes and tries to paint some landscapes but I just wasn’t feeling it at all. I think what I like about still life painting is the ability to play with color. Putting one color against another can brighten it or make it more dull, and its sometime by accident that you find a combination that works. Blue and orange is one of my favorites and in this painting, I was interested in seeing how orange I could make my oranges – the answer is quite orange!

It’s Snowing. Again.

Louise — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:37:56 +0000

I can’t even count how many inches of snow we’ve had this month but I know it’s been the snowiest on record. Of course, the idiots who deny global warming are taking this extreme weather as proof that it doesn’t exist (rather than as proof that it does!). Last week we had about 8 inches of snow and it landed on top of the 15 inches that had never melted. We took these photos:

Now all that snow is getting covered again in another layer. AAAARGGHH! At least this time it’s being spiced up a bit with the ice pellets I can hear hitting my window. It’s nice to have some variety.

A Puppy Takes His First Bath

Louise — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 02:57:30 +0000

A Crow Raises a Kitten (Really!)

Louise — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:33:44 +0000