Saturday, January 03, 2009

Thank you for all the kind comments.

Thomas-the-Elder (they call him “big Thomas” on the shores of Loch Fyne) and his girlfriend Anna have been here this week, celebrating the New Year. Their southbound train should be pulling out of Waverley Station just about now. It has been good to have them. And their departure is really, really the end. Now, on with ’09.

My husband and I saw our first art exhibition of the year yesterday, Gerhard Richter at the RSA. I’m afraid he didn’t get through to me. My husband liked some of it.

Then we nipped in to the National Gallery to ask whether the Sutherland Titian had been saved, the deadline of December 31st having passed. The nice man at the door didn’t know.

More Christmas

Last Sunday, from Loch Fyne, we all took our lunchtime sandwiches to Kilchurn Castle. We ate them on the grassy bits you see in the picture. It was one of those ice-cold, crystal-clear days that had all the photographers out with their heavy equipment, making a start on the 2010 calendars.

The entry in the Argyll and Bute volume of Buildings of Scotland ends with the words, “…the extent to which architecture and landscape together admeasure the sublime.” Neither my husband nor I knew the word. And I’m not sure it’s used correctly. It means to “measure out (to a person), to apportion…” the most recent citation in the OED being from 1809. Still, one gets the idea, I suppose. Sublime it certainly is.

Knitting

This was part of my Christmas present from James and Cathy:

The label says "Gold Skin Soft Cashmere". Cathy says it isn’t pure cashmere. I couldn’t comment, the labels being entirely in Chinese except for those words. It’s a fairly fine lace-weight, heaven to the touch, and I shall soon begin a happy trawl through VLT looking for the perfect stole. There is an abundance of yarn, and I think the thing is to knit a black stole with flashes of red, or vice versa, rather than to strike a balance.

Not to be cast on immediately, though: my knitting plans for the year are few and simple: finish Ketki’s sweater, finish the Princess. Nothing must stand in the way – except possibly my Games entry.

6 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Jean, and here's the latest on the Titian deal:

    http://tinyurl.com/titiandeal

    Do you observe Hogmanay?

    ReplyDelete
  2. happy knitting with the cashmere. what a lovely and thoughtful gift. it is nice to get pressies that feed your hobby.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous4:58 PM

    Love the image of "flashes of red". You have a lot of enjoyment ahead, and so gratifying that they know you so well!

    Beverly in California, usually lurking

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:36 PM

    How nice to return from our travels to find you home from yours. Cashmere of just about any sort is always most welcome. To the new year!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have every confidence that Princess will be done before you start the games project! I was listening to the Titian story on the The World the other night, they explained the tax policies that work against donating the art. I hope all goes well and they available to the public.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:24 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete