New Flower (December 8, 2018) – Red Amaryllis
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Author Archives: Mama Cormier
Fandango’s One Word Challenge – Pencil
…..thanks to Fandango for the One Word Challenge
The lowly pencil is often overlooked as a writing and/or art tool. On my recent trip to London I noticed numerous artists sketching the marble statues in the V&A gallery so I decided to try my hand at it. I frequently sketch directly with ink, pen or marker but I decided to use pencil instead.
When I first posted my sketch on the family What’s App page my son who is a curator at the museum immediately told me that I had the statue’s foot pointing in the wrong direction. I’m glad that I took a photo of the actual statue because when I went back to check, sure enough I had drawn the foot facing inward instead of outward. Not sure if it was the angle at which I was sitting but I was grateful that I used pencil. Out came the eraser and I fixed it as best I could.
Christmas at the Inn
….popcorn chains, Scrooge, Christmas cake and the Winter Witch
When the staff at Montgomery’s Inn put on a Christmas market they go all out. Weeks in advance the volunteers have been making Christmas cakes and gingerbread cookies. The walls were adorned with original paintings of Christmas Past, Present and Future and strings of popcorn and evergreen boughs were lovingly placed in the window wells and over the hearth of the fireplace.
On the day of the market the vendors set up their tables with more Christmas decorations and the Inn’s Winter Witch handed out cookies to the children. It’s a wonderful market and the community came out by the hundreds to support their local heritage museum.
Baking Bread Outside in the Winter
….actually all year round
The biggest difference between baking bread now and in the summer is the weather. In the summer we can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine while the bread bakes in the outdoor wood fired oven but in the winter the sun may shine but the wind and the cold drive us indoors to wait out the baking time.
Today it was a beautiful sunny day but when the wind picks up and we can’t all stand in front of the oven door to keep warm we headed inside. It was a busy market day because it was also the Christmas market. We had to work quickly so that the vendors could set up but we also made more product because we knew that there would be twice as many people coming today. We experimented with a new recipe and made some mini panettone. The first five loaves sold in a matter of minutes and I’m sure that the remaining three didn’t hang around for long.
Wordless Wednesday – December 5, 2018
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The One of a Kind Show 2018
…on the last day I ventured on my own to the show
I like to attend the One of a Kind Show every year but last year I missed it and I was desperate to go this year. I didn’t really want to go on my own but my family and friends were all busy or not interested or went on a day that I couldn’t do.
On Sunday I decided to go on my own and I quite enjoyed the experience. I was able to go at my own pace and take my time at booths that I found particularly interesting. I was able to speak to a number of the vendors and I actually got some Christmas shopping done. Here are a few photos of some of the amazing crafts made by very talented artists.
London – Day 6 – Westminster Cathedral vs Westminster Abbey
…..I had no idea that they were two different churches
The main difference is that the cathedral is Roman Catholic and the Abbey is part of the Church of England. Also the cathedral is much newer. It was built in 1903 and is the largest Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. One of the things that struck us as odd about the interior of the cathedral is how dark the ceiling in the main part of the church is. According to the guide at the entrance, the ceiling is almost black because the main lighting source when it was first built consisted of candles and the soot from the them has darkened the interior. I thought that was odd, considering how wealthy the Catholic Church is but according to history churches built in the early 1900s had to be debt free before they could be consecrated. The interior of the cathedral was never completed but it was consecrated none the less in 1910.
The cathedral is built in the Byzantine style.
The Abbey on the other hand is much older. It was first constructed in 1245 and was originally Catholic. Henry VIII changed that when the Catholic Church wouldn’t grant him a divorce and he formed the Church of England. In 1560 Queen Elizabeth I re-established Westminster as a “Royal Peculiar” – a church of the Church of England responsible directly to the Sovereign, rather than to a diocesan bishop.
We didn’t get in line to see the inside of the Abbey but my cousin in Germany has convinced me that when we go back we need to take the tour. It sounds fascinating and worth the money. It is certainly rich in history.
In the next post I will continue with day 6 and describe our walk along the Thames River.
Silent Sunday – December 2, 2018
Last Day of the Show
Sunday Trees – 368
Winter Berries and More
….a blustery and cold day…..difficult to snap shots when the wind is blowing
