{quilt} while you're ahead

*104** postcards from Palm Springs

... so you know the bit about 'sunny California'?

Well they lied.

About an hour after we landed this happened:

Ridiculous.

Anyway, the flight was great (annoying kid aside. not ours, we left ours behind with my parents), we exited passport control in record time, faffed about with the luggage a little and then lost an hour at the car rental place... there were 24 people in front of us.

And then rain.

Sigh.

 

We're staying for the first three nights at the Parker Hotel.  

Very funky.  Designed by Jonathan Adler and full of amazing vintage stuff.

This corridor is a little creepy though, don't you think?

Our room is lovely, and not creepy at all and full of things that I want to take home with me... including a gorgeous tapestry on the wall and this cute pillows

(do you think they'll notice if it disappears?)

Very comfortable bed.

And very cool bathroom covered in tiny round, white tiles and with a large photograph of Richard Burton above the toilette.  (Sightly weird that).

 

This morning? 

Yup, rain again.

What is going on?

Not a day to lazy around the pool, so we jumped in the car and explored.  

After lots of shops full of midcentury furniture and 'stuff' that made Mr M very very happy we stumbled on this area full of really cool houses...

Indulge me please.

Can you see that sky???

Seriously? It was like being on a movie set!

 

*95** scenes from the weekend

No 2 broke his arm yesterday, on the 2nd minute of his 2nd rugby match of the season.  Buckle fracture, cast and no contact sports for 6 to 8 weeks.

It is going to be fun.

Not.

He's already bored out of his mind, and we're only a day into the sentence... it totally feels like a sentence... for me... you have no idea what it's going to be like to have No 2 off sports.  It will be ugly..

I took him and No 3 for a quick ran around on top of the hill.  It was windy and crispy (bloody cold actually) and he chilled out a little.

Did I mention he also broke a window this afternoon?

Oh yes.  

Apparently he was trying to open it and it was stuck and his knee slipped, .... I know... don't ask... why was a knee involved? I really don't want to know, I'm trying to be all zen about it.

He was sorry.

And to be honest... he's had a pretty horrid week... his favourite art teacher resigned, he broke his arm and then the window...  I couldn't go heavy on the lad.

It was a beautiful evening and the wind definitively blew away all the cobwebs.

Now I'm waiting for the chicken to cook with a glass of white wine by my side... here's to a better week to come!

Cheers.

*87** indigo table runner

Life is tres busy around here...

Yesterday I labelled clothes for two hours and ironed 18 school shirts.  The irony of unpacking totally wrinkled 'non-iron' shirt  didn't escape me.  I'm hoping they'll emerge smoother from the washing machine in the coming weeks.

School starts tomorrow and for first time in four years they'll all be in the same place.  Bless the lord.

Same holidays, same timings, same Christmas service...

My attention is being turned to the silly numbers of half-finished projects AND to the long list of projects I've been intending to attempt for months... I'm being realistic and I know there's no way I can finish them all BEFORE starting new ones, BUT I have a ticked off a few this summer.  Two table runners, a shawl and a hat are ready for the drumroll.

It must be the September air.  The smell of new pencils and the feel of new paper... (I miss going to school.  I really do)...  September is one of my favourite months, still warm but with a hint of chill in the air, shorter days, golden afternoons... (October is a bit more of a drag, November is awful and December is always bonkers...)

Anyway, first drumroll is for this experimental indigo table runner.  

It's made with scraps that got thrown in the dye vat at the last minute and it was a case of randomly sewing pieces together and go from there.

Once again the crosshatch quilt shows its face... I can't get tired of it.  Yes, it's bold... but I wanted to get an utilitarian feel here and hopefully this does it.

We don't use a table cloth and the table runners on our table protects from heat and spillages when hot plates and pots and pans are placed on it. They get washed and dried regularly and have to withstand a lot of use.  I like it like that.

It'll go in the shop when I can find the big camera and take decent shots... who knows where it is (although I suspect fowl play here).

(I also need to soak this a little more to get rid of the soluble pen marks!)

 

*85** a day of two Popes

I've been thinking how to best describe my day in Rome last week but words totally fail me.

My brother - the Franciscan missionary in South Sudan - had applied for two tickets for the weekly meeting with the Pope in St Peter's square and we were both very excited about it.

We'd both been woken up in the middle of the night by that horrendous earthquake that devastated so many villages in central Italy... it was clearly felt in Rome too and let me tell you... it's not a good experience.   Weirdly I didn't get scared on this occasion, but you never feel as powerless as when the earth shakes around you and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

The Pope replaced his usual speech with a rosary for the victim and I found it very moving.  So many people from so many different countries and races all praying together was a lot to take in for my rusty Catholic heart.

(don't let them rob you of your hope)

Such a popular guy.  He spent more than an hour shaking hands and blessing people.  He had a good chat with my brother too:

 

So that was 'Papa Francesco'.

 

Then because the stars aligned in a certain way, or divine providence, or because sometimes things simply happen for no apparent reason we were offered (OFFERED!!) the chance to meet Joseph Ratzinger aka 'Papa Benedetto XVI later on that day.  Well, my brother was asked... I tagged along like a shell shocked groupie...

Stunned we wondered around Rome for hours...

And then the time came and we were escorted by the Vatican Police to the middle of the 'Giardini Vatican, normally close to the public... to be honest at this point we didn't really know what was going on... was it a case of mistaken identity? did they know who we really weren't? were we going to disappear and never see our family again? were we going to get hired for a secret mission? shouldn't we've been blindfolded?  secret service and government cars and a Pope... and us?

So surreal.

But then, after a 20 minute wait near a grotto with the reproduction of the Lourdes Madonna during which my legs got butchered by vicious mosquitoes... we were told to walk around the corner and there he was; twenty yards from us a fragile, diminutive man dressed in white stood up and welcomed us with open arms.  Stood up! for us!  ahhh the refreshing humility...

My little brother was happy chatting away, I was dry mouthed and kind of speechless, so ridiculously overtaken by emotion that my mind was blank.  So blank that it was the Pope that asked ME questions... about my kids and where I lived... instructed me to pray daily for my brother and his work... such a kind, gentle man with the most piercing eyes that went straight through you.  Intimidating but for the  'good' in them.

Seriously.  'Good'.

We got back into the car (who even took us back to ours outside the Vatican), looking at each other laughing and pinching ourselves.

 

Did it really happen?

*84** postcards from Tuscany

I'm actually writing this sitting at the table in my own kitchen back in England.  I'm waiting for No 1 son to finish his shower so we can go for a walk but I know the prospect of walking will slow him down somewhat so I can try to catch up with everything that's happened in the last week or so.

This year I drove to Italy.  Don't ask me why... it seemed more of an adventure that jumping on a plane.

On the way there I had my brother with me instead of No 2 and it was fabulous spending time with him... he is a Franciscan missionary in South Sudan and it's not often we see him.

No it wasn't cheaper, but I was able to bring back three cases of wine, 30 kg of handmade tomato sauce,  Parmesan cheese and lots of boxes of Barilla pasta on a crazy offer I couldn't not take advantage of.  The boot of the car also contained four small cases, one large holdall, one penny board, one ripboard, one longboard and a fishing rod.  Awesome, right?

Two kids and two small rucksacks on the back seat with a big bag of food and one in the front.

It worked.

We all had our moments (me when I got flashed by a speed camera in France - doh! and the boys in turn when boredom got too much for them.

I have to say food is THE key when travelling with boys.  I'm sure that at any one point there was at least one person eating something.  Also I owe huge debt of gratitude to Stephen Fry for his unbelievably good reading of the Harry Potter stories.  Brilliant.  So good in fact that even No 1 (who hates magic and stories and has always refused to even watch the movies) was hooked and totally absorbed.

Seriously life-saving stuff.

We only managed the first two books but I'll definitively download the rest for my personal enjoyment.

I also drank lots of coffee.  LOTS.

If you're interested in the route, we did it as straight as possible.... we took the train from Folkestone (a quick 30 minutes and we were in France), then straight down the motorway all the way to the Mont Blanc Tunnel.  Then South past Turin and Bologna and then into Tuscany.  Easy peasy.  Motorways aren't cheap in France or Italy but it's easy travelling.  We stopped for the night on both journey, but simply because I was the only one driving... I've done it in one stint the time dad was with me and we could share the time behind the wheel.

(in the queue for the Mont Blanc Tunnel)

I have so much to show you... but I need to get No 1 out of the shower... geesh.... kids eh?

Enjoy your bank holiday!

 

 

*75** postcards from Canada

Day 15 -  Moraine Lake.

I think No 3 took pity of me because he decided to accompany me on a little hike (5.8Km return from Moraine Lake, piffles) to Consolation Lakes.

A gently climbing path through the forests leads to this gorgeous clear lake.

'Refreshing'.

We dipped our feet (yes No 3 has very big feet) in the glacial waters because let's face it, you don't get the chance to do that very often, right? (also... just as well... your feet feel like they're being squeezed into a vice)

Can you see the tiny boat on the lake?  A group of scientist were taking their yearly measurement... keeping an eye on lake transparency and water level and so on.  Not a bad day at the office I say!

 

*74** postcards from Canada

Day 14 - Moraine Lake

This place is incredible.

Just when you think you've seen all the lake variation in the world... you arrive here.

Moraine Lake is bluer than blue.

(it gets also incredibly crowded and by 10.00 people have parked a mile down the road and the road itself is shut until later)

Pinch-yourself blue.

Can't-stop-looking-at-it blue.

Mr M was not well (at all) and the weather was a bit meh, so we chilled and relaxed.  After the shenanigans of the previous two weeks we deserved a day off.

We stayed at the Lodge right on the lake and it was the perfect spot.

*73** postcards from Canada

Day 13 - Icefield Parkway.

What a drive.

Seriously but this road on your bucket list.  Now.

We left Jasper under a beautiful blue sky and I promised myself I'd be back.  We stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge and I can totally recommend it.  The location is beautiful, the accommodation is spacious and it has an old charm that makes you feel immediately at home.  The boys loved the heated pool and the games room.

As I said before, we didn't stay long enough.

But the road.... oh the road to Banff is a sight to behold.

Mountains and glaciers and river beds, incredible views around every corner...

We bumped into an 'elk jam' just out of Jasper (blurry photo taken from the moving car).

First stop: Edith Calvell Glacier.  Stunning.  Short hike to the milky blue glacier fed lake.

Yes the water was cold.  

That's an understatement.

Can you see the little people on the lake shore?  Everything here is bigger than you think...

Next stop: Athabasca Falls

A bit crowded, but it's high season and a lot of the places are.

We then looked for a place to picnic and found Buck Lake by chance.  What an idyllic spot... sigh...

here's my tribe chilling and eating (which let's be honest are their two favourite activities... sloths...)

After lunch it was more miles of stunning scenery.

I can't get enough of this place.  The immense space.  The mountains.

(That's called Endless Ridge)

and this is the Athabasca river... at least I think it is... given that we then bumped into the Athabsca glacier... huge thing...

You can see my three 'scale props' (aka my children) in the foreground building towers with rocks.  Maybe next Christmas I'll buy them all a huge lorry full of rocks... they seem to have a compulsion to pile them up wherever they go.

Weird.

AND THEN... WE FINALLY SAW A BEAR!!

A real life Yoghi bear eating berries by the side of the road.

Incredible.

I felt almost moved by it.

 

What a day.

Seriously. 

Wonderful.

 

I feel so lucky.

 

*72** postcards from Canada

Day 12 - Jasper.

So here's the thing.  I love Jasper.  I'm totally bummed that I hadn't realised how gorgeous the place is and we only have one day here.

So many things and no time at all.

Also, I want a big dog and I want to call him Jasper.

One day.  Sigh.

In the morning we dragged (virtually) the boys for a walk (we did the Five Lakes loop)

As the name suggests we climbed and snaked around five very green lakes

Really green.

There were lots of mosquitoes too.  Really annoying.

In the afternoon we went white water rafting.  

It was cold.  We wore wetsuits and spray jackets and I think it was only the adrenaline that kept us warm(wish).  Exhilarating.  I strongly recommend it.

No 3 jumped in the 4C degree waters.  Just because he could.

Crazy, sweet, child of mine. 

 

 

 

*69** postcards from Canada

Day 9 - Whistler.

Another new activity... canoeing.  Another notch in our adventure belt.  Another big YES!

The weather was glorious... unexpectedly (don't you love it when the forecast is wrong this way round?)

My camera was safely tucked away in a dry bag so you'll have to be happy with that wonky picture and trust me when I say it was glorious.  

In the afternoon Mr M took No 3 zip-lining whilst me and the other two non-adrenaline junkies went looking for the famous Whistler train wreck.

(disused train line... I think)

This place is not on the official trail maps but everybody knows about it.  We struggled a bit to find it... but it was totally worth it.  Suddenly you stumble in 4 or 5 derailed train carriages in the middle of the forest that have been covered in cool graffiti and it's totally bonkers.

You can read about its story here.

I totally recommend it if you're in the area.