Live Simply Simply Live
  • Blog
  • Studio
  • Home
  • Cards
  • Coronation Wood

Simply..keep forgetting....

21/1/2023

26 Comments

 

I keep forgetting to ask you if you would, when leaving a comment, say where you are writing from!  It is lovely to know and fills me with wonder that we are all in touch with each other sharing our thoughts by pressing a few keys. Here are just some places on this earth I have gleaned over the years - Texas, Wales, Cambridgeshire, Glasgow, Switzerland, West Virginia, Edinburgh, Sussex, Dorset, Paris, Washington DC, Australia, Christchurch New Zealand..please add to the list!


Picture
I love this image on the snuggly rug I bought in Stockholm.

It seems to me that the Scandinavians can take a simple childlike image and make it sophisticated and grown-up.

How do they do that?




26 Comments

Simply..lipstick colours....

7/1/2023

2 Comments

 
In the forest today..


Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Simply..evidence....

17/12/2022

7 Comments

 
I only had two visitors last nigt although it looks as if I had a party!
Picture
The postman ccalled with some Christmas cards.
Picture
And that looks like a bare foot!
Picture
Yes, a crazy woman in the snow (I blame Wim Hof).
Picture
At least one red squirrel passed this way..
Picture
The crunchy topping prevents the smaller creatures from leaving tracks but this looks like a seagull.
Picture
It's raining now so all this will soon be gone. It was fun while it lasted.
7 Comments

Simply..breakfast out....

29/10/2022

0 Comments

 

..feels very indulgant! Love it. We are lucky to have The Blairmore cafe in the next village along the shore. As we enjoyed a delicious breakfast we watched a couple sitting at the public picninc table across the road carving pumpkins, which looked to me like a rather nice peaceful thing to do of a Saturday morning.


Picture
Picture
Picture

Asking permission to use their photograph on the blog I discovered that they have been staying in The Old Post Office for the last three months and come over regularly to Scotland from America. It was lovely to chat with them.

I may not have carved a pumpkin since these in 2010!

When did you last carve a pumpkin?
0 Comments

Simply..city buzz....

24/5/2022

7 Comments

 

The Anchor Line is still there. Best affogato. Glasgow has some beautiful buildings.
Picture
Picture
I can't believe I have never noticed this one before. I forget to look up!
Picture
Picture
I went looking for a straw hat and came back with a cushion cover. I really like H&M homeware - lots of natural recycled fabrics and very moodest prices. (This was £3.99)
Picture

Filed under Simply Fun :-)
7 Comments

Simply..a joy....

26/4/2022

0 Comments

 

One of the delights of this experience was the reaction of little children to the music and moving images.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Have any of you seen it yet?

Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes, and Liz, I hope you had as lovely a time as I did!
0 Comments

Simply..immersed....

24/4/2022

2 Comments

 
....in Van Gogh Alive in Edinburgh.
Picture
2 Comments

Simply..the real deal....

10/2/2022

5 Comments

 

Thinking about why I enjoyed my shopping spree so very much on Tuesday, I realise that it was fun because it wasn't online. And MaryB hit the nail on the head describing it as spontaneous. (It was. We only stopped for a coffee.) We had a good coffee in attractive surroundings - duck pond, beautiful furniture in a big light space with high celings and interesting rafters. It was quiet and of course would not always be so peaceful. Then the full sensory experience of the shop - touching, lifting, smelling, judging the quality, feeling the weight.  I was seduced by the delicacy and subtle colours of the ostrich feathers, impressed by the craftmanship of the brushes, enticed by the thickness of the socks, the memory of the pudding...



The jug below was a £5 purchase from the supermarket and came with miniature iris bulbs. Pretty.

Picture
Picture

When did you last have a spontaneous shopping spree?
5 Comments

Simply..a shopping spree....

9/2/2022

10 Comments

 
.
Yesterday I had reason to go to Liverpool (of more anon) and on the way back we stopped at Tebay service station in Cunbria - surely the nicest service station in the country! I bought an ostrich feather duster, two gorgeous pairs of cosy socks, a beard brush shaped like a moustache for my son-in-law, Cartmel sticky toffee puddings and a bag of fudge.  I haven't had a splurge like that for ages. The big farm shop is full of lovely things. Great fun!


Picture
10 Comments

Simply..fun....

3/11/2021

6 Comments

 

It was delightful to arrive in the gallery  on Saturday and find ten or so young children spread around the floor doing their own snow pictures!

We had a lovely chat, and they were clearly enjoying the exhibition and having fun.

Today I met Sheena whose comments on the blog I have enjoyed for years! It was so good to put a lovely  friendly face to the name (we had to remove our masks momentarily - who'd have thought it?)  I am so glad she and her friend Lesley got a fine sunny day for their trip to Dunoon.

Yet more fun with my friend Lynne Cameron, a onetime student of my Drawing For Non Artists course at the University of York, now a full time painter. See her vibrant work here.

It's wonderful to be meeting up with people face to face again.

Details of the exhibition here.

6 Comments

Simply..look like an artist....

8/8/2021

2 Comments

 

My painting clothes are even worse than my gardening clothes! Though you do get away with a lot as an artist. People expect you to look a little bit, shall we say, eccentric? Which can be  quite fun.

I lost my shoelaces somehow, and thought I should have my shoes firmly attached to my feet for that little boat ride, and a friend had kindly brought me a lovely box of amaretti biscuits tied up with beautiful yellow string...

Picture
2 Comments

Simply fun....

31/7/2021

2 Comments

 

..for man and beast. It's a very poor photograph but I hope you can see the dog with his lifejacket on!  We seem to be in a little fair weather bubble  here in the village, and I saw this when I walked down for an ice cream on the shore.
Picture
2 Comments

Simply..a wee jaunt....

28/7/2021

2 Comments

 

I asked the Outdoor Centre if they would take me across the bay to my daughter's house....it was great fun and so beautiful out there on the loch!

Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Simply..not so much a buzz....

26/6/2021

6 Comments

 

More of a roar as the Argyll Rally came through the village today!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
6 Comments

Simply..fun....

20/3/2021

2 Comments

 

It's affogato Sunday again!

What will I wear?

I make no apology for looking for fun and joy and delight and happiness here on the blog.

It keeps me sane, and what use would I be in the world dejected and overcome by its tragedies?   In it's miniscule way, it counteracts the angst, fear and aggression out there in the shouty world.

Do check out Rosemary's super list in yesterday's comments and Grace's recommendation in the comments the day before.

Thank you for all the wonderful ideas which just keep coming in your comments. They cheer me on in these hard times, and are evidence, if evidence is needed, that goodness and kindness and love and beauty are still all around us.
2 Comments

Simply..bags of love....

5/10/2020

6 Comments

 
Picture

Loving my new shopping bag - a gift from Jennie.

Have you received, or given, any gifts lately?

Why not give someone a surprise gift this week?

Just for fun.
6 Comments

Simply..watery fun....

15/8/2020

4 Comments

 

..for a ten year old on a hot afternoon..

Picture
Picture
4 Comments

Simply..hope in the form of a bus....

30/6/2020

10 Comments

 
I did a little happy dance when I saw the friendly bus go past my house yesterday for the first time since I came home from Venice.

Picture

There has been a service, much reduced and not coming as far as my house. It means such a lot to me (my eye condition means I can no longer drive). It's my independence and my link to the rest of the world and the sight of it was a symbol of the return to normal, to being able to go places!

So exciting!

10 Comments

Simply..bin it....

15/1/2020

18 Comments

 

(Recycling bins of course.)

I did appreciate all your suggestions, but after reading a story about someone who hoarded old shoes, I went through the house binning all the things which once sparked joy but were now sparking regret/anxiety/guilt/sadness/nostaliiia/uncertainty and indecision.

Out went the shoes the boots the sandshoes and the slippers. The dying plant. the old breadboard which goes black when I cut fruit on it, the dusty wreath, an old bag with an inkstain on it, the packaging from the new juicer (the old one blew up!), another pair of shoes which I never really liked, some old tired underwear (is there anything sadder than old tired underwear?) and everything in the fridge past its sell by date!!

No regrets.

Feels good.

Something else which feels really good is spending some fun time with Mary from Washinton DC - long time commentator on this blog. Mary blew into uk on storm Brendan and if the next storm allows and the ferries are still running we meet tomorrow for a Scottish cities trip!


Picture

Meantime here is my own little bit of cherry blossom. Prunus subhirtella 'autumnalis'. Photographed mid-December and hanging on through the recent gale force winds.
18 Comments

Simply..on the street, Edinburgh....

21/11/2019

11 Comments

 
Picture
So incongruous! A bar...
11 Comments

Simply..twenty ways....

15/11/2019

16 Comments

 
..to make the most of my winter.

Sixteen

Keep garedening. Pruning, tdying, weeding, raking, pottering - not leaving it all till spring.

Seventeen

Keep moving. The gardening eill help. It's all too easy for me to hibernate and barely move!

Eighteen

Make candles.

Nneteen

Travel (big plans afoot!)

Twenty

Think up a really good word for 2020.



Picture
Poppy
16 Comments

Simply..autumn leaves meditation...

2/11/2019

12 Comments

 
..morning.

In the company of a robin.

Picture
Picture
Picture
12 Comments

Simply..fun....

19/10/2019

8 Comments

 
The prunings from the clematis were way too pretty to put straight in the compost bin so I draped them all over the place...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

They can go in the compost tomorrow when they've wilted, meanwhile they are sparking joy!
8 Comments

Simply..some magical Autumn moments....

18/9/2019

6 Comments

 

I'm taking a blog break and leaving you with some recent magical Autumn moments. We have had some lovely days....I hope you have too!

Picture
for the birds...
Picture
The Botanic Gardens
Picture
Picture
Picture
Thought the tide was going out when we started....
Picture
From Jennie's garden


I've been enjoying some of the podcasts on On Being. This led me to birdnote.org and Daily Things To fall In Love With (what a brilliant title!) and......
6 Comments

Simply..a fun day....

4/8/2019

7 Comments

 
When did you last have a fun day out?

I mean a whole day with nothing else to do but enjoy yourself...

We started with coffee on the roof terrace of Harvey Nicols in Edinburgh for the view overlooking St Andrew's Square.

Picture

On the way back down through the store we fantasised about glamorous gowns

Picture
Picture
Picture

..and crazy shoes!

Picture
We visited three galleries - The Scottish Gallery, Open Eye and the National Portrait Gallery ( where we also had lunch) and took a refreshing late afternoon stroll through the Botanic Gardens.

Picture
Picture

and finished with an hour's people watching while sipping healthy cocktails!

Picture

Where will you go for your fun day out?

I will be back to Edinburgh before The Festival ends... (26 Aug).
7 Comments
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Live Simply
    Live Simply
    Simple
    Simply Beautiful
    Simply Bin It
    Simply Chill
    Simply Christmas
    Simply Christmas
    Simply Do A Good Deed
    Simply Draw
    Simply Draw
    Simply Eat
    Simply Fitter
    Simply Fun
    Simply Get Rid
    Simply Grow
    Simply Headspace
    Simply Holiday
    Simply Home
    Simply Home
    Simply Inspirational
    Simply Laugh
    Simply Learn
    Simply Listen
    Simply Live
    Simply Low Maintenance
    Simply Money
    Simply Move
    Simply Move
    Simply Organise
    Simply Paint
    Simply Routine
    Simply Seeing.. Or Not
    Simply Stylish
    Simply Venice
    Simply Write


    Author

    An artist seeking a simpler life - (but not too simple!)

    All words and images copyright Freda Waldapfel 2010 - 2020

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.