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July 24, 2006

Summer weekend fun and frolics

I had a ball of a weekend. The weather here in the UK is the best we have had for about a hundred years, and there are opportunities aplenty for making the most of the clear skies, the balmy evenings and the elevated mood of the majority of the populace. Smiles abound, parties spring up out of the blue, impromptu barbecues and chilled fizzy wine are the order of the day and it simply feels good to be alive.

Flowers & fizzy

Friday night saw chezGlittr host it's first ever barbecue-on-the-balcony, which prompted spontaneous balcony clearing, tidying, sweeping and overdue planting up of redder than red geraniums. Once that was done, Angorared and I prepared salads, lit the BBQ-in-a-foil-tray and sat back in the evening sunshine with a class of delicious Cremant de Bourgogne to watch the clouds.

WOW! Look those clouds look just like jellyfish! (A bit)

I took photos, thinking, yeah, well, once The Cremant Effect has worn off, they will look like cotton wool ball clumps of nothingness. But no! They DO look like jellyfish (a bit)! Lord only knows that weird atmospheric things were going on in the sky. I am no meteorologist, but hey, those weird effects made for some entertaining cloudwatching. If you, too, like staring at shapes in the sky, you might like to consider joining the Cloud Appreciation Society.

Waking up on Saturday morning I felt a little thick in the head. The Cremant Effect had obviously slipped into Phase Two. I sat around staring at the clear blue infinity above my bed trying to get it together to Do Something. Anything. Just something to stimulate me enough to want to get up and leave the seductive cool white cotton cocoon in which i was happily enveloped, busily cogitating emptiness. Bacon sarnie and tea. That'll do.

Then I realised I was on a deadline to knit something from the Fiesta Tea Set for Jen, who was hosting a Stitch 'n' BBQ at her place.

Yarn.
Chosen.
Needles.
Found.
Cast on with a fresh cup of tea, and knit like crazy, you disorganised hedonistic idiot.... (did you like my Gordon Ramsayesque description there?)

Photo by Jen

I did finish a spring green cotton pitcher/tea/coffee pot in time, but had to work on the lid on the way over, and then quickly finish it in Jen's garden. So she got it unblocked, and unstiffened. But she got it. And it looked good (if a little floppy) next to the more superior finishing of Pebbles and her blue cup and saucer.

The evening was delightful, with Pimms, and lots of great food and company. And a rugby game involving a pound ball of white acrylic. Don't ask. Needless to say none of the males playing said game will make it to the England Rugby Team.

We all took a nice ball of yarn and a nasty ball of yarn, wrapped up and ready to swap in a Yankee Auction. I am not sure we played correctly, but hell, we all ended up with a different nice ball of yarn and a different nasty ball of yarn. The pale pink, slightly fluorescent, ball of acrylic that became mine will be donated to my nother and her charity knitting circle. The blue bamboo is mine. And will remain mine. Always. Full descriptiuon with pics (including my saggy green pitcher) over at Jen's blog.

Semi-upended Millenium Bridge

Sunday was another busy day socially, having arranged to meet up with Purlpower to go to the last day of the Americana festival at The Sage Gateshead. A free outdoor stage provided perfect backdrop entertainment for us to indulge in more perpendicular cloud appreciation, watch the award winning Millenium Bridge go up and down, and marvel at the range of straw stetsons on display. I was quite disappointed more men were not wearing cuban heels. I am a big fan of watching blokes try to walk in a manly fashion, in heels, epscially of the cuban variety. Sigh. One day my fantasties will all happen together and I will die a happy woman. Until Then .... there were cool drinks and delicious sandwiches to consume, and Jeb Loy Nichol and then the 13 ukelele players of The Ukelele Allstars to watch.

The afternoon had a ticketed option, and we saw Joan As Policewoman and Adem in Hall Two. A fine afternoon's music ensued, and they both played blinding sets. Though neither could be classed as Americana per se - well other that Joan As Policewoman was dressed country and is American, and the guitarist in Adem did play a miniscule amount of very competent slide guitar. No matter. 12 quid well spent.

From there i went to my third barbecue of the weekend at my parents' place, and managed to chill out and relax whilst watching clouds again. Perfect.

Posted by glittrgirl at July 24, 2006 10:39 AM

Comments

Posted by: Pebbles at July 24, 2006 12:13 PM

Posted by: zib at July 24, 2006 1:17 PM

Posted by: Skitten at July 24, 2006 3:31 PM

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