Sunday's spotlight - raining cats and dogs

It's the first of November and it's raining. At one time folk used to say, "It's raining stair rods" and that is a pretty good description. For some reason that I never have been able to understand they also said, "It's raining cats and dogs". Do you know why folk said and still say that? Love to know. Anyway, let's say that the weather excels in its inclemency.


It all started yesterday - the 30th October - but I would surmise that the lateness of its arrival would not have affected the mildness record that was forecast for October. Some parts are flooding right now. Drains already clogged with LAST year's leaves are now impossibly clogged with this year's leaves. All the water companies act as though legions of fairies come down from their cobwebs and clear the drains every time it rains. You certainly don't see them doing it very often.


All this rain gives Pam plenty of time for making her cards however. Both she and Mary are keen on this and whenever we visit somewhere new Pam's first enquiry is always, "Have you got any craft shops here?" If the answer is in the affirmative then she will disappear for 6 hours or so. This leaves me with the boring task of having to spend time in things like computer stores and bookshops. You'll see some of the Christmas cards she has made for this year, scanned in to this post so that you can see what sort of thing she gets up to. One of the local craft stores had a free lesson yesterday morning. Pam went along but didn't stay. They were teaching folk how to use double sided cellotape. Not many other people were staying either.



I'm writing this in a spare half hour before we're off to church.... Lincoln, being an ancient city - even the Romans were, comparatively speaking, recent incumbents- we have a surfeit of ancient buildings, various other attractions and quite a few churches that can count on quite a few years of history. The one we worship in dates prior to the 11th century, when they really knew how to build churches. The heating system in our church is the ORIGINAL one.


We belong to a Federation of churches in the below hill area if the city. I've mentioned before that Lincoln is divided by a very steep hill. It's rumoured that in medieval times they had a competition to give that hill a name and decided on "Steep Hill". Almost as original a thought as our present city fathers would have come up with!! Anyway, we're situated in the bottom part of Steep Hill. Twice a year all the churches in the Below Hill Federation meet together for a service followed by a lunch made up of lots of naughty things like sausage rolls, pork pies, crisps, creamy deserts and tons of other things which no one likes! To give Ruth an idea for future jewellery - "Anyone can get fat at our communal lunches". Most of the churches are within walking distance of each other so, normally, there's a really good turn out. I don't think many people will be put off by the weather.

Don't let the rain keep you inside! Too much to miss.

Sunday's spotlight - Wisdom does not come with age

We have a guest blogger today - and with a bit more persuasion, I'm hoping this will become his weekly slot............... His name is Pete - he is my Dad!

You would suppose that wisdom, to some extent at least, comes with age. I can claim the age but the fact that I sit here to "write" a blog post for "Inside the Artisan" would suggest that my age has left me without wisdom. Let me explain.

I read Ruth's blog regularly - not that I am particularly interest in jewellery but mainly because she is my daughter - and the other day I rather rashly suggested to her that she get some guest bloggers to appear and scatter on her pages more wise words about crafting in order the keep the intestest of you, her readers. Within about 3 hours I had an e mail red hot from its dash half way across the world from sunny California to frosty Lincolnshire, U.K..

That e mail suggested that I be her next "guest blogger"! So you see what I mean about "wisdom does not always come with age". That being the case I cannot guarantee that more "wise words" will appear from this guest blogger. I've never written a blog before - that will give you confidence to go on reading - so what does it feel like to be the first folk to read these ramblings?

All of our family enjoy crafting of various sorts ( you may have seen my eldest daughter's Christmas card post)....and my own interests circulate around illuminated lettering, pastel portraits, watercolours and, my special weakness, photography. I am a "photoshop" fanatic so if you know anything about photography yourself than you will know the extent of my addiction.

My painting began many years ago in the late 1960s but work (and Ruth!) took up so much of my time that I abandoned it after just a few years. Since my retirement, however, I have returned to it with varied success and not a little enjoyment. I prefer to paint pictures in which I can imagine some story and so lose myself not only in the painting but also in other aspects. The city of Lincoln is really two cities divided by a steep hill, known as "Steep Hill". Believe me it really is STEEP. I walked down it the other day but I haven't walked up it for some time. Come to think of it, Ruth has never walked up Steep Hill. Every time I visit her and John they give Pam and I a medical examination by taking us on some steep climb to see how long it takes us to pant. The last test was down and up Grand Canyon (well, not all the way!) and, boy, did we puff. I think Ruth began to wonder if we would ever reach the top.

But I wander from the painting. It is set at the half way stage UP Steep Hill. The old gent is sweating and not really enjoying the climb. It's so hot that he has had to take his jacket off and stand impatiently outside the tea rooms, hoping to go in for a rest and a drink. You may have gathered that most English men and women have a weakness for tea! This particular tea room sells the most expensive tea in the U.K.. (I'll let you into a little secret - uphill Lincoln is a tourist trap. Downhill Lincoln is much more friendly but doesn't offer a Cathedral to visit). His wife is not to be rushed and has a quick rest whilst she looks again at the local tourist information leaflet she picked up earlier that day. She's sure that further up the hill will be much better and why not try this cafe near the Cathedral? I haven't found out yet but what do you think she has in that big black bag she's carrying? Pass on any ideas to Ruth.

Well, history has been made and my first blog is completed. I hope you didn't find it too boring."