Suitcase Saturday - Score! Cornwall

 Impossible to go to Cornwall and not come back with glorious art. And so we did.  Margot found this lovely still life at the Polperro Town Hall, where they featured several local artists.

One of my favourite lines, from one of my favourite books (Rosamunde Pilcher's The ShellSeekers),

 is when Lawrence Stern says of the young artists, "They will come to paint the warmth of the sun and the colour of the wind". As soon as I saw this piece at a Polperro Gallery, it spoke that line to me.

A remembrance of Polperro's tidal harbour

and its colourful fishing boats.

Last Glance at Missouri

Interior shot at Bass Pro Outdoor World

 I really enjoyed my trip to Missouri and

 had a lot of fun visiting with my daughter.

This Hwy cafe featured chicken gizzards!

There were things that made it very clear that

 I wasn't on the Central Coast of California.

Entrance to Bass Pro Outdoor World

Some of these were interesting and fun,

When they say sweet, they ain't kidding you'all!

Some slightly less healthy than usual.

Sign in parking lot at Battlefield Mall

And some disturbing - but I guess better
 than if they were allowed.  

Missouri Travel Journal

 So here's the finished journal.

As the journey went on I added bits and bobs of ephemera,

and wrote of the daily happenings.

 The Tim Holtz paper and stickers were the perfect backgrounds

 for the vintage-y feel I wanted to create.

 Every morning on my walk I found detritus to add to the pages.

 And some postcards and other souvenirs 

 were the perfect touch for added memories.

The size of the book was perfect for slipping in my bag,

 and the number of pages worked out just right.

Anytime I want to relive this wonderful trip, 

all I need to do is leaf through this journal!

Life on the Coast

Fun at the harbour with daughter Jenny and her man Noah.

Enjoy your weekend!

From the Bookshelf

One of the highlights of my trip to Missouri was getting to visit Rocky Ridge Farm near Mansfield, the last home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can still remember, my nine year old self finding Little House in the Big Woods on the shelf at the local library.  It was a chilly Saturday in November.  When I got home I sat down in front of the furnace, opened the book - and as any of you who have read these wonderful books knows - I was hooked.  Several years later it was a delight to introduce my baby sister to the books, and many years after that to my daughter.  There was something extra special in getting to share this experience of being at the farm with her.

 

As a child I was captivated by the fact that 

Laura and I shared the same birthday. 

 And interestingly enough her daughter Rose and

 my daughter Bronwyn also share a birthday.

It was amazing to walk the grounds, looking out over

 the views that Laura, Almanzo and Rose saw.

The house has stood for over 100 years and is

 lovingly cared for by a cadre of enthusiastic volunteers.

Our tour guide was marvelous.

As we drove back through town, Bronwyn stopped so I could get this shot of the Mansfield library, which, fittingly enough is named for their most famous citizen.

Flea Markets and Battlefields

 We started our day with some flea
market hopping and I scored big!

This beautiful Bakelite bracelet, in my favourite colour, 

a vintage tobacco tin and two cool little decorative finials.

But the coup de grace - two vintage locker baskets 

with the number tags still attached!

Then a quick lunch and we spent the afternoon at the

Wilson's Creek Battlefield, 10 miles southwest of Springfield.

The second major battle of the Civil War

 took place here on August 10 1861.

The Confederacy won the battle and
 this was influential in Missouri's decision to
support the Rebels during the 5 year long conflict. 

It was strange to stand on the steps of the old 

Ray House and look out over the battlefield.

Today, 152 years later, the sound of cannon fire
 and cry of human suffering has been replaced by the

clatter of cicadas and the sussuration of the summer breeze.

Toto - We're not in California anymore!

 So Bronwyn said we were going to lunch at Hemingways,

 a restaurant in the Bass Pro Outdoor World complex.

 This fills an entire shopping center sized area - it's ginormous!

 And the entire thing is under one roof, two stories high and decorated 

with waterfalls, rivers, trees, taxidermy animals, giant aquariums of huge river fish,

not to mention everything you need to hunt and fish,  

And  a surprisingly wonderful clothing area.

I don't need to go back,
 but it was an amazing experience.

In Missouri

 Up at 4:30 am to leave from San Jose airport. 

After stops at Denver and Chicago, 

got to Branson airport (above) at 4:30 pm

 But the best part is I'm here, 

at my daughter's house in Springfield, MO.

After I get a good night's sleep, 

we're gonna have lots and lots of fun!

On the Missouri Trail

Taking off tomorrow on the first leg of my trip to Missouri.  Driving up after work to San Jose, my flight leaves at 6:40 AM - Good thing I'm an early bird! Will be reporting from the road.

Constructing a Travel Journal

 This Saturday I'll be flying off to Missouri
to visit my older daughter Bronwyn. 

It will be my first trip there and,
actually, my first trip to the mid-west.

 I'll be staying five days and have made

 a small travel journal to use while I'll there.

The substrata is a board book 6x5" with very thick, hard pages,

I lightly sanded the pages to take off the slick covering 

so paper (from Tim Holtz idea-ology line) would adhere well with matte medium.

As I did in my Friday Harbor Journal from last October,

 I filled alternate pages with paper to write on 

and ones with collage paper on which I'll add ephemera and such.

It's just the right size to pop in my bag 

and pull out on the plane and everywhere else.

I'll show you some shots during the trip

 and then an overview once I'm back home.

Life on the Coast

A quiet, misty Sunday morning at Morro Bay Harbor.

From the Bookshelf

The latest from the wonderful Susan Branch.  A lovely little tome about her two month sojourn to England last spring. The size is akin to a nice fat travel journal and it's filled with her delightful watercolours, her signature handwritten text, receipes, photos, travel hints and copious descriptions of all the fascinating places she visited and people she met.  Those of us who follow her blog watched as the book took shape and were anxiously awaiting the day when we could have a copy in our hands. Well that day is here!  The book is now available!  And for those of you on the Central Coast an added bonus is that Susan will be attending (and signing her books) at  the Remnants of the Past Antique Show here in San Luis Obispo this coming November.  This is a gem of a book and a must have for those who love all things English.