Saturday 7 July 2018

Photo diary: week 27, project 365

We're over a half-a-year mark with week 27. It's been another mercilessly hot week, and I can't wait for a true English summer, with rain and milder weather. I'm so not made for the heat.

We're so lucky to live next to the fields by the river. Whenever possible, we walk into the town centre through the fields and over the bridge. It's such a tranquil piece of green land. As it is technically the flood fields, I'm hoping they will never build here, though of course the greed of the construction firms has no limits, they keep trying to get permission to build housing all over the green lungs of the town. 
Eddie likes to climb over the metal fence next to the bridge, and here he is, showing off his acrobatic skills.


The fields are a perfect soil for meadowsweet, and at this time of the year, the white flowers scent the area with a sweet perfume. On Monday I walked back from school through the fields and picked up a big bunch of meadowsweet to dry. My Mum drinks it as a tea, it is a herbal remedy for stomach problems.

flood fields in Witney

This is my mini potted garden next to the back door and kitchen. The phloxes are in full bloom right now, and they have a wonderful scent. The lavender attracts a lot of bees, so I'm doing my bit for the wildlife too.

summer garden

On Wednesday we went to visit Sasha's new school. It is out of town, and takes about 40 minutes by car (without traffic) one way. He seemed to enjoy the visit, but it was brief, and I'm not sure he understands that this will be a permanent fixture for the next couple of years. I'm worried he would miss his old school and teachers, but there is nothing to be done about it. We were lucky to get a place in this school, all the other schools for his needs are even further to travel.

I don't often post his photos on my blog any longer, but just wanted to share this image of a happy boy on a trampoline in his new school.


On Thursday Sash had a respite day, so Eddie and I didn't have to hurry home after school. It was very hot, and we popped into The Shake Shop for a strawberry milkshake and some vintage music on the jukebox.


I enjoy looking at the interior design photos on Instagram, and decided to join in. And now I'll tell you about how staged and fake the world of Insta could be.

This painting of a lady in a hat is my Mum's artwork. She knows how obsessed I am about hats, and she painted this copy of The Parisian by the Russian artist Deineka as a gift for me. The artwork is enamel on a metal frame, and I love it. It usually hangs on the wall in the sitting room. The old novels by Dumas are on the shelves in one of our bedrooms upstairs. The mug's place is in the kitchen cupboard. For the photo, I put them all together, first clearing out the space on a piece of old furniture in the entrance hall/room, where we tend to put our hats, mail, keys and whatever random things happen to be there.
And hey presto, there is the arrangement done just for the photo.

After I posted the photo on Insta, one of the interior design pages commented on it, saying to DM them, if I wanted to be featured. I had to laugh. Our house is a tip: there are books and toys everywhere, there is no way I'd be able to appear in anything, unless it's for How NOT to do interior design features.


The Parisian by Deineka

I bought this poppy seed cake in the Polish shop yesterday. I love their bakes, and poppy seed cake reminds me of my childhood.

Polish deli

16 comments:

  1. hahaha! I am not made for the heat either. I have been hiding indoors with the blinds shut as much as I can!
    You live in such a gorgeous area. I would love fields like that around me.
    I hope the change of school goes OK for Sasha! He looks like he's having a fab time on the trampoline!
    The photo of the painting looks fab! It is very professional!

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    1. Thank you, Kim! My Mum is an artist, and I have a lot of her artwork at home.

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  2. Love the photo of Eddie in the funky shake shop. Your Insta arrangement is very impressive, even if it is surrounded by junk! It must be a relief that Sasha likes his new school. We have lots of those bright pink flowers in our garden, I didn't know what they were called! They're suffering with the heat.

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    1. Thank you, Sarah! It's not so much junk, as just piles of things, like books and toys, which completely take over the house.

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  3. I am with you, looking forward to a proper Scottish summer and the sooner the better.
    The first £1m houses built in Ayr were built on reclaimed flood land and dont think any of them sold at that price.
    Great painting. Hope the new school works out for him

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    1. Thank you, Elaine! I'm wilting in this heat, can't do anything properly.

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  4. LOL I often wonder if the fab home interiors that you see on people's blogs are random islands of neatness in a house as crazy as mine and you just reassured me ! LOVE the photo of Sash - happy boy (well, man I guess now !). Even Pierre is into double figures next year - how do they grow up so fast ?!

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    1. I imagine a lot of Insta/blog photos are staged. Sash is a big guy now, isn't he?! but he loves swings and trampoline.

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  5. That cake looks amazing!

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  6. Wow, that poppy seed cake looks amazing. It's so nice to have those meadows to walk in

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    1. I'm always amazed at how serene it is in the fields, the birds are always singing.

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  7. our daughter had a ground level trampoline in her residential school, it was lovely and her brothers loved spending weekends visiting her there. I too am fed up of this weather, yes I'm finding it hot also, was looking forward to more of a traditional summer this visit, you know some rain and cooler evenings

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  8. I'm rubbish at arranging anything, so I'd never even get approached in the first place. Nice to have a reminder of your childhood. I hope Sasha copes ok with the new school when it happens, I know it will be a stressful time for you all x #365

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  9. I don't think you can fail to be happy on a trampoline! #project365

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  10. I do like your photo even if it is staged, but I would be the same if approached by an interior design company. The meadows look like a lovely way to walk into town.

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