HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Nilgiris

The last little holiday for 2007 was in Coonoor. We drove up on Boxing Day and stayed for two days. Winter days are fantastic - crisp mornings, beautiful blue skies with not a single cloud, lazy afternoons sitting in the sun and cold freezing nights.

Lunch at Shinkows - 13A - Chilli Chicken, traffic jam on the Ooty-Coonoor road so we had to go via Kattabettu, Cottage No.2,R played golf in the mornings, I sat out in the lawns and worked on my sampler, afternoon nap, Ketti to see T's new house, Benazir Bhutto assasinated - Pakistan in turmoil, watched a herd of Bison come out of the forest and graze on the hill opposite the golf course, drinks & dinner with friends at Coonoor Club, set off after breakfast, lots of traffic on the Seegur Ghats, no animal sightings in Mudumalai and Bandipur,tiffin at Kamats and back home safe by 6pm.

Came across this Bougainvillea on the roadside in Masanagudi.This is the most spectacular Bougainvillea I've ever seen.It's a little tree.

The 3rd hole.

On the way up to the 5th Hole

The 5th Hole - Almost a Hole in One

6th Hole

There's a whole hedge of Aloe Vera at the WGC, another first I've seen.

Is this a Camellia or a Magnolia? Beautiful, there was a bush of the same flowers in Hatherly.

Stray Cats

Yesterday in the evening while R & I were drinking tea, a cat jumped up on the window sill and sat and watched the people out for their evening stroll. It was a beautiful cat - grey tortoise shell with a nice fluffy tail and a disdainful air . I decided I would feed it some bits of biscuit - which it curiously sniffed but did not sample. I then decided I would put out a small container of milk ( on examination later had not been consumed either).

In 2008 I've decided not to go off on too many projects which keep me away from home for long spells of time and this then gives me the opportunity to feed the extended family of stray cats which have made Maple their chosen hangout. Yesterday was just the beginning.

Talking of Stray Cats -Spotty arrived on my parents doorstep as a kitten and has now grown to become a handsome rather well fed cat who sleeps all day on the cane bed.Z my nephew named him so once I get to know the felines around Maple better, I think Z & M can name them for which my trusty phone camera will come in handy. Its a wonderful gadget, you carry it around with you at all times and the pictures are pretty good.

Some pics of slumbering Spotty taken with my phone camera

Comments & Labels

My first post & it all went as planned except for the comments and labels at the end of the post. The post ends and the comments, labels etc are right at the end of the page! Really can't say what happened there, I've tried to figure it out and rectify matters ( most frustrating) but nothing seems to work, I'm hoping it will set itself right & won't recur ( that would be a nightmare).

If anyone knows how to set it right I would appreciate pointers and if you would like to leave a comment regarding my first post - Time to go with the flow - you need to scroll down till the labels and comments appear.

Time to go with the flow

I belive if you use the method of "going with the flow"in a creative process the one thing you need in abundance is - time.
Time for trials, time for an idea to evolve and mature, time to execute, and make changes and time for contemplation, to know when its all done and not another stitch or sequin is required.
The luxury of time alas is not the case with most projects I undertake.Projects which are constrained by time I must admit bring in the money but those which have time on their side, grow, evolve and are touched with a special je ne sais quoi.

This piece of embroidery was started in June. I love the Chinese proverb which I came across in The Curious Gardener's Almanac by Niall Edworthy and the butterfly and floral motif is on a tea cosy which belonged to my grandmother, I think it compliments the proverb. Last month I thought it was done and I could get it framed but when I took a look this month no doubt influnced by some books on samplers I have been looking through I'm back at the contemplation stage - contemplating balance. Will let you know how things go - its a matter of time you know.