Two Dutch Girls on a Road Trip to Wiltshire

Road Trip 2017 (2) - Richmond to Chawton to Salisbury.

Good afternoon! Would you like to join me for the second part of my road trip in the South-West of England? A long time wish of my daughter...

Monday 24 October 2016

Song's Best Books Club - Library of Souls

Hi there!
Number three of the trilogy by Ransom Riggs. And I dived straight into it from the second one (Hollow City). Perhaps I should not have done that...?



A new book is always a promise to me, like a beautifully wrapped gift. And when I've already read and enjoyed two previous ones by that author, my expectations are sky high.
So it was with pleasant anticipation that I started reading the third book of this trilogy back-to-back from the second one.
And fiddlesticks...
I was disappointed.
Ransom Riggs has done his utmost to make it even more exciting, but in my opinion only made the story more gruesome and violent, and I simply tuned out  halfway (can you say that with a book?).
I finished it - obviously, it is sacrilege not to finish a book. But it took stamina, perseverance and needed a good whisky to help me along.

Jacob, needless to say, continues his battle with the dreaded whights and hollows, and makes some peculiar new friends along the way. And wins. Sort of.
What really disappointed me was that the, so far, really poignant love story between Jacob and Emma somehow lost all glow, it petered out. And I think I know why. 
In part 1 and 2 they fell in love, love deepened, physically as well as mentally, but propriety prevailed (this is a YAL series after all) and they didn't go farther than hand holding and a kiss.
But when you are fighting for your life, and appear mortally wounded, I believe instinct and nature take over, and I simply cannot believe two feisty youngsters in love would go no further in that situation than gazing into each others eyes and another chaste clothed embrace. No way! Any historian could tell you that (think baby-boom).
So...was this a conscious decision by Riggs? Probably. He writes mainly for an American audience.

So. Anyway.
The main question now is, should you still read this book?
My answer is: if you've enjoyed the first two, then read it by all means. Hey, my opinion is just that: an opinion.
And I'll be interested in yours, so be sure to let me know.

Sunday 23 October 2016

Gyotaku : a new project (lampshade).

Hi there!
My first try pleased me enough to want to have another go at this ancient Japanese printing technique.
This time I opted for something more difficult: a lampshade.
I bought this rather nice cheap pottery lamp but it came with a boring white shade.


It does have some black needlework as a decoration, but I don't like that either. So, I decided to have a go at livening it up with a print of one of my potted ferns.
And this is the result:

This first is the shade next to the real fern; the second is the detail.





Autumn! And it makes my heart sing.

Good afternoon!
Something entirely different from cats, rambles and printing techniques.
I woke up this morning and was greeted by this:



Well, actually I was greeted by ravenous cats and a dog who wanted sniffies and a tousled son-in-law who had to leave for the morning shift. But then I went out (with Gina and Bowie) and feasted my eyes and nose. Everything smelled so fresh. And ( it being 8.00) I was the only one enjoying all that...I do like that!


The rest of my country is shrouded in mist, we of the wetlands apparently are the only ones blessed with sunshine - even better! 
It made me all enthusiastic and energetic, so I started pruning the shrubbery at the front door, and now I'm writing this to you and afterwards I'll do another bit of printing (which I will show you, don't worry).


I wish you all a great Sunday, enjoy yourselves!