Snovember 2010

Earlier than usual we have our First Snow in Northumberland, well in large parts of the British isles actually.
Here is Sheep Cottage in the First Snow of the winter looking all Christmassy!
We are warm and cosy indoors with the cats, while the cars are snowed in, but we have plenty of provisions and a vegetable curry I made for supper.

Iconography

Australian Aboriginal symbols and their meanings.
I have always been interested in alphabets, symbols, and icons.
There are similarities and differences when you scan the pictograms from all over the world. It is so fascinating to me. A link to understanding how we might think and experience while we translate what we see 3 dimensionally into a sign.

Bunny and sheep feed

Went out for a first look around the garden since the snow and ice melted after the Big Thaw which followed the Big Freeze three or four weeks earlier.
LONG WINTER FOR THE UK!
I was heartbroken to find that not only had the sheep neighbours munched on my recently planted scots pine, holly, rhododendron (which I thought was poisonous), but the bunny had cleaned off everything else that was green! Parsley, roses, shoots, digging up bulbs etc.
I totally understand that in the shock of the all white world with no food what else to do than eat then Pamelas greenery situation, the bunny and sheep were in survival mode.
All I can do is to start over, planting more and protecting them better.
It is a huge learning curve this gardening in fell country. Wish me luck and perseverance with a lot of patience too.

The Water Table

The Water Table the latest poetry collection from Philip Gross won the TS Eliot Prize 2009. Congratulations Philip! Well done.
The TS Eliot Prize is one of the big poetry prizes in Britain. Valerie Eliot herself hands over the cheque on prizegiving night and has supported the prize since 1993.
I am so very happy for Philip Gross, a wonderful poet and lovely man. He has a combination of humour, warmth and a sharp intelligence in his demeanour which I very much appreciate.
If you have not read the book I can of course recommend it!

Eva Hesse

EH has an exhibition at CAC in London at present and I am eager to go and see it. I have always found her to be an inspiration in many ways. An artist although very much of her time she has had a long lasting influence. Eva Hesse and Ana Mendieta were two artists that I was very interested in when I was a younger artist living in NYC in the 70's. Although in actual fact I can say that I was interested in a great deal of work going on then. I went to everything I could go to. It was my art education. Performances, dance, music , art, clubs...all of it. I was so hungry and insatiable it was an amazing time for me and to be in NYC then.
I lived around the corner from where Hesse would have lived.
I want to share some of her work here.

New Moon

Despite very wintery weather, more snow falling on ice, and quite chilly temperatures I find it all still very beautiful. I cannot get over all this whiteness everywhere. It takes time to adjust to the different kind of light and sense of space, without all the added extra detail. I need it to be winter. Seasons are so important in the appreciation of where I live in this remote valley in the north.
The white outside makes for good window watching. The birds are grateful at the feeders, so lively and many kinds with all colours.
I have been working on a couple of short stories. Winter is such a good time for writing, and reflection. Reading too of course. Taking stock of this here life.
If anyone I know and trust would have told me 5 years ago that I would be living in this remote valley in Northumberland in a small bothy/shepherds cottage I would not have believed them. Firstly I would not even have known where Northumberland was.
I wonder where I will be 5 years from now? Come on tell me trusted one!

I am about to travel to London for the weekend. The main reason being the TS Eliot prize readings and giving which take place annually in London. The TSE is a big deal in the poetry world here. The prize is given by Valerie Eliot, his widow, and the main prize amount is £15.000! Each poet who has been shortlisted also receives £1000, which is very nice too.
This year it is a varied group including Hugo Williams, Sharon Olds, Christopher Reid, Philip Gross, and George Szirtes.
I am looking forward to the readings primarily, which take place at Queen Elizabeth Hall and seats 900 I believe!
Also I have planned to go and see the Eva Hesse exhibition @ CAC on my art day and Tate Modern. We shall see how much I manage to take in when I go and what my energy level will allow. My fibromyalgia is nowadays very painful, perhaps it is the winter climate...
Most of all I am looking forward to seeing my bestest friend Paul and having Holy Cow!

Wrist

Dearest Noah shattered his wrist during a bad fall on the ice. His body weight fell onto it as he must have had a twisted fall because it was a very complicated operation today. The surgeon Dr Ronald Pratt took hours in the theatre of North Tyne GH.
It had been very swollen and painful before the op and now it is still very painful. I wish him a speedy recovery very good healing progress.