Learning new things

I’ve been so busy learning new things that it was the 4th of September before I sat down to try to get started on the business of recording them.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was looking to something fairly slick this year, with a busy month ahead.  I had a digital project in mind then, with pages ready set up for a photo and a few words to be slotted in.  I began by taking the easy route, which starts with Anna Aspnes’ Artplay Palettes.  I’ve used them before and like her style, which makes it easy to create something reasonably original in no time at all.

I chose the Artsy palette first, liking the minimal use of figurative images and thinking that I could switch around the colours if I wanted.

As well as a collection of brushes, transfers, overlays and suchlike, it comes with a set of papers ready to go.

Whilst I was choosing which palette to go with, I noted they were all on sale last Friday, so I snuck in a second collection, Escape, which also came with papers and stuff.

A bonus mini palette, High Five, dropped into my basket free of charge, as I checked out.

With that little bundle of tricks in a folder ready to go, I had only to wait for a few spare hours when I could sit at my desk and play.

I started by resizing 30 pages to 5 x 5 inches and putting them into an order which mixed them up yet gave some kind of coherent look over a double page spread.

I began with 1st September, recording my changing priorities around here.  Though I had all the components there on hand, it still took me quite some time to come up with an arrangement I was happy with.  Photoshop was chugging away with so many files open on the desktop, I feared it would come crashing down at one point!

Fresh from the satisfying glow of finishing one page and keeping my fingers firmly crossed, I went straight onto page 2.  On the 2nd September, we were completing the next stage of our Global Entry applications.  One question is entitled “Travel History” and asks for a list of countries visited in the last five years. Well, what a good job that one of us keeps a record of such things

Even so, I was still shocked at the total number!

I already blogged about what I was doing on September 3rd.  When I began the page, I couldn’t get the photo to work at all on the page I’d save as #3 so quickly pulled up #4, a plain page and started from scratch.  I was beginning to feel more confident, remembering some Photoshop tricks I’d learned and was adjusting all kinds of settings to get the look I wanted.

So page four came together in a wink!

What will go on page five, then?  Right now, I have no idea.  I’ve added a few scribbles in my notebook and will weight up the possibilities tomorrow morning, when I’m ready to record it all.  Here’s hoping I can still remember the amazing things that can be done with Photoshop, or page five might have exactly the same story as page four.

What a show

As I waited in the long (stationary) line of traffic yesterday morning, I spotted the first signs of Autumn in the trees overhead.  I even had time to fish my camera from my bag and take a quick snap!

I was on my way to Moreton Show, where I had some judging to do.  I always enjoy this particular show for the rich variety of interesting things to see.  Above all, I love to get up close and learn a little about the farm animals which form a large part of the event.  In particular this year, I was looking forward to meeting an old friend and catching up on things with her.

I’ve judged at this show for several years, taking the occasional break as recommended, but usually accepting the invitation with pleasure.  Yesterday, I enjoyed the company of a WI colleague and between us, we made our judgements and left helpful and encouraging advice to the very talented competitors.  This little couple of foxes were sitting, waiting for us and looking utterly charming in their sweet knitted clothes.  I thought I had seen at least one of them before at the show I judged last weekend, not a million miles from here, but looking at my photographs, only the pattern was the same.  I don’t know about you, but I think this pair rivals the knitted originals in terms of cuteness!

(and yes, of course I went to the website and bought the pattern – couldn’t resist!)

Once the work was done, we braved the elements and after a long chatty lunch, decided to explore the show.  Having satisfied her shopping needs whilst I was judging, Sue was happy to follow the sounds of the farmyard with me.  Being a creature of habit, I tend towards the same places each year (evidenced here and here) and yes, we started by seeing some familiar characters.

The judging of the Hereford cattle was coming to a close and the interesting commentary drew our attention for a while.

But some other natives attracted us over, standing patiently waiting their turn in the spotlight.

I love to observe all the chatter and social interaction in these places where people with shared interests gather.  It’s good to see the next generation being so involved too.

I was quite pleased to see this pen empty!

I’d not ventured into the goat section before and was charmed by these pretty little pygmy goats.  What expressions!  But what a racket they were making!

The Gloucestershire Old Spots were out in number, of course.  Thankfully, they couldn’t see the sign on their pen advertising sausages.

We wandered back towards the show ring, where the winners of each cattle class were parading, ready for the “best in show” judgement.  Look who was there, decorated with his champion’s regalia from the Hereford class.

We marvelled at how placidly these huge creatures walked, around and around the ring, showing off their star attributes!

But our Hereford friend was to be pipped as Best in Show by this rather gorgeous Limousin, who paraded proudly around the ring one more time.

The commentator had a word with the winning farmer afterwards, though someone else didn’t want to be left out!

As we left, the winners were being taken to the main ring for the parade of champions.  I listened to the commentary setting the scene: “You will see the best of British breeds here this afternoon: Herefords, Angus and South Devon amongst them. These are the breeds which Britain exported to the world, which have been bred to feed America, Australia and beyond.  World class cattle here in Moreton; you will see no finer examples anywhere”. 

There was a ripple of applause.

“They graze on the best grassland in the world, too”.

As if nature was listening, the heavens opened and the essential factor for such excellent grazing fell from the sky.  Not that it bothered anyone there. 

We’re British.   

Turn turn turn

It was the best kind of Bank Holiday Mondays.  We had nothing pressing, could pay Bettine a relaxed visit for coffee yesterday morning and spend the rest of the day at home doing exactly what we fancied, which was not very much.  It was a warm, sunny day with fine weather clouds and generally blue skies.

So we opened up the summer house, got out the chairs and sat reading in the sunshine, stopping every now and again to consult the FlightRadar24 app.  BA 289 bound for Phoenix, a Turkish Airlines plane flying from Istanbul to Houston or an Athens to Toronto flight; we were watching as they flew overhead.

A visit from our small and no-longer-quite-so-small friends was a fun diversion and a reminder of those days when we didn’t mind about sitting on prickly grass or bumpy stones as long as we could get our toes into the water.

Imagine our surprise this morning, then, when opening the curtains!

Looking at the dew soaked cobwebs in every corner of the garden, it felt as though we had really turned a corner and yes, it will soon be September.  Just to emphasise the point, Thought for the Day this morning was focused on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, which is probably why The Byrds are providing the music playing in my head this morning.

Thankfully, we live in England, where just an hour later, the mist has cleared and another glorious day beckons.

And a lifetime spent working in education means September is when everything kicks off again and there’s work to be done!

I’d better get on with it then.

Just one day

Reorganisation and general upheaval at my salaried work prompted a reassessment of priorities.  What is it that I really enjoy?  What would I miss?  What might I do instead?

As always, I apply the elegant sufficiency principle.  What does “enough” look like?  I’m still mulling that one over but in the meantime, my annual Local Government pension statement made a timely appearance in the post this morning.  Being one of the WASPI generation, my pension age was suddenly recalculated and I have a few years to wait until I can claim my bus pass and anything else pension-age related.  The statement confirmed that date and the amount payable is, unsurprisingly, neither elegant nor sufficient!

But a long time ago, I was a teacher.

My first job when I qualified was on the Isle of Wight, which is where I was working when I met (and became engaged to) my Hero, who was successfully climbing the professional ladder at the time.  When we were both invited to a smart business “do” then, my heart sank when I realised it was on the first day of the January term.  What should I do?  I decided to apply for a day’s unpaid leave, which any teacher will know, was quite a serious business.  After much communication it was granted, I accepted and looked forward to dinner with the great and the good and most of all, to being at my Hero’s side on a rather important occasion.

So what’s that to do with the price of fish? (as we say in Hull)

Well, the arrival of the pension statement this morning prompted me to think that I must have a teacher’s pension somewhere?  As usual, the answer is probably online so I went to the Teachers Pension website (of course) completed my details and logged in to find it all there: A complete record of my teaching career and confirmation of another tiny pension to be paid when I reach the magic age.  The amusing thing is that my employment record shows the total number of days worked – minus one!  Yes, the Isle of Wight County Council recorded my day’s absence, in spite of subsequent events.

Because life is never simple nor straightforward, is it?

Forgive me if I’ve shared the story before, but on that January day, in 1979, it snowed heavily in Hull, which meant the dinner I’d been looking forward to was cancelled.  Not wanting me to drive back to the IOW ferry alone in such treacherous conditions, Daddy decided he’d come with me as far as Portsmouth and then return to Hull by train, which is exactly what he did.  Except that he was already home in Hull when I was still trying to reach the Island – I’d spent more than an hour on the (then, open deck)  Portsmouth-Ryde car ferry with waves crashing over the sides before they decided to turn back and instruct us all to go to Southampton.  After another couple of hours, I finally reached dry land in Cowes and made it back to Newport where my flatmate was surprised to see me.  School had been cancelled for a few days because of the weather!

Who’d have thought that day would affect my pension?! 

I know I’m not the only one reassessing life-work balance right now but I recognise how fortunate I am to be able to make choices.  If I had to rely solely on the sums of money quoted in those pension statements, the decisions would be far more difficult to make. 

I might not even be in a position to have a choice at all.

I count my blessings.

As we were talking…

A conversation about Myanmar came up yesterday on a travel-related list I read.  Specifically, someone wanted to know if it was worth the considerable effort (not to mention the expense) of making a trip to Bagan rather than stay in Yangon.  I replied with enthusiasm.

“Of course you must go to Bagan,”  I wrote, “unless you plan another, longer visit to Myanmar, when you will be able to spend longer there and absorb the special atmosphere”.  Because, of course, we have wonderful memories of our time there a couple of years ago.

We marvelled at the fine restoration, ongoing with the support of UNESCO.

We stood back and admired figures of Buddha unlike any we’ve seen before.  Here, in the Ananda temple, four enormous statues stand facing the four points of the compass.  I well remember catching sight of them one by one as we entered that dark temple, not knowing what treasures lie within.

And even though we weren’t lucky enough to see a magnificent sunset as shown in the travel books, we’ll never forget standing on the top of that terrace and watching, waiting for the sun to go down…

How awful then, to learn of the earthquake today, which hit with a powerful force and damaged “up to a hundred” of these amazing temples and stupas.  Whilst we learned about the fate of the Italian towns hit by a similar fate this morning, we knew nothing of the events in and around Bagan.

Of course, it’s not the first time an earthquake has hit that area of Myanmar.  Many of the temples were already damaged – hence the restoration work ongoing.

Things can be repaired.

It’s the people who are on my mind tonight.  The delightfully friendly people in Bagan who made us so welcome in their town.

I can’t imagine how frightening it must be, wherever in the world an earthquake strikes.