Photo diary: week 41, project 365

It's a funny mix of Halloween and Christmas in the shops. We are so not ready for either of these events. I looked at the mince pies in Waitrose today, but decided it's still too early to indulge.

Eddie is my shopping companion, whether he likes it or not. Like many men, he gets bored with grocery shopping, and tries to amuse himself when he has a chance, like sitting among the toiler paper rolls. I told him that at £6.70, he is a real bargain.

On Monday I walked to Sainsbury's to get more trading cards for Eddie, but the promotion  has ended, drat.
More pics of St Mary's church, from a different angle, on the way to Sainsbury's.

Tuesday started like a shit difficult day. As of last week, Sash's meds have been increased, and he's not coping with that. If anything, his anxiety has gone up, not down, and since I'm the one who administers his meds, I'm the current point of annoyance for him.
I find it hard to see him so stressed, my poor boy.
I was on the verge of tears that morning, and after taking Eddie to school, decided I need just a mindless half an hour for myself, and went to one of the local cafes for a cup of latte and playing games on my iPhone and checking social media.

On the way home from school, it was raining, with bursts of sunshine, and we saw a rainbow.
I looked up at it, and made a wish for a calmer week for us all.
This is the second photo from Tuesday, but as I realised I don't have any photos for Thursday, I'm adding this one to the seven-pics round of the week.

Having popped into the local Oxfam, I've spotted this vintage embroidered matchbox. Fancy that, embroidering matchboxes?!

Playing with my iPhone camera settings, this is a portrait stage setting, with a dramatic black background. Pretty good to hide a messy sofa, with one million cushions.

I guess you're never too old to go to the playground. It was raining earlier today, and the playground was wet, but we just had to stop by for 10 minutes on the way home from grocery shopping.

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Photo diary: week 26, project 365

It's the hottest day of the year so far, and it's not very pleasant outside. It feels like walking in a warm milk. We planned to go to Oxford with the boys, but didn't fancy being stuck on a bus, surrounded by sweating grumpy passengers and melting in the heat.

Last Sunday was quite uneventful, I think, but today's heat has put my brain in the sleep mode, so I cannot quite remember what we did.
Eddie practiced his guitar. He's back to learning an extended version of Hedwig's theme.

On Monday Eddie's class went on a school trip to Cotswolds wildlife park. They were lucky with the weather. It wasn't as hot as today, but warm, and the next day it was raining almost non-stop.

I was trying to finish the recipe post, taking lots of photos of the vegan panna cotta made with almond milk.

Once the post went live, I sighed with relief, as I struggled with the recipe. The first attempt was a total flop.
And then someone "kindly" mentioned that the panna cotta looks like a boob on a plate. Now I cannot unsee it.

On Tuesday I visited several charity and vintage shops, searching for some steampunk props for the photo shooting but couldn't find anything at a reasonable price.
I like this little teapot, it looks like the Aladdin's lamp (I didn't buy it).

We pass this house, which we call the ghost house every day. I have never seen its inhabitants. The windows are totally overgrown. It must be so dark indoors. I'd love to have a tour of the house.

The poor mannequin, looking forlorn, with the legs stacked nearby.

It was a National Cream tea day yesterday, and of course, I had to bake some scones. I love scones, but bake them maybe once a year.
I always look forward to the end of our trip to Cornwall, as every time we arrive to the cottage we rent, there is a welcoming tray with homebaked scones and jam, with milk and clotted cream in the fridge.
We've been with Aspects Holidays for many years, and stayed in several different cottages.
Amusingly enough, the cheapest cottage had the best welcoming basket, with a bottle of prosecco and posh jam. The most expensive cottage where we stayed last year (looking at you, Captain's Haven in Sennen Cove) had a measly offer of a supermarket packet of 4 scones and tiny hospitality jam portions. No clotted cream in sight. That was so disappointing.

Today we did a bit of shop-hopping with Eddie, returning a pair of super skinny jeans which were too small, and buying shorts in M&S.
I tried to take a photo of Eddie with all the labyrinth of reflections in changing rooms, but my hands got in the way.

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A glimpse of the days long gone: The Italian Diaries, part IV

In the BC era (before children) I loved spending hours in the vintage shops and flea markets, looking for the old photos and postcards. Now I hardly ever have a chance to browse at my pleasure. However, during the last trip to Italy, I happened to pass through Ferrara's flea market, and my husband has taken the boys home, allowing me to spend time there and peruse the stalls to my heart's content. I quickly found the place where I could have probably spent the whole day. It was a table with the old photos, each priced at 1 euro. They were all piled together haphazardly and unceremoniously, in big heaps. I was standing in the middle of the square and travelling back in time to the days long gone.

These two photos below I have secretly named "Proud parents".
The young woman shows her new baby with a confident smile on her face. The photo is dated 24.2.41. The war was going on, the Italians even sent several units to fight against the Soviet Union. Was this woman showing her children to the husband who was sent to the war?

A couple on the left sent this photo to their cousins, mentioning that Teresa Giulia has turned 17 months. They are dressed in smart outfits, the husband is wearing a suit with a bow tie, his hair is pomaded, the wife has an intricately cut dress. His eyes are piercing. For some reason this photo makes me think of the Italians who left Italy for America. I can easily imagine him in the Prohibition-era crime syndicate, but maybe I have watched too many movies like Bugsy Malone and The Untouchables (blame my hubby).

The anxious-looking girl Albertina Battarra sent her photo to her dear friend Elsa on 22.09.1926. She reminded me of Briony from Atonement (though the book is set 10 years later).
I found the nameless family group totally fascinating. The children have clearly inherited their father's long horsey face (no date or names in the back).

The young couple visited the studio on 10.09.11. Carlotta has given this photo of herself to a friend.
The family group had their photo taken in Bologna in the Borghi photo studio, and the photo was posted to the Notari family in Bologna.
Who were these people? What happened to them? I will never know.

The shy and pretty young woman Anna Agnetti clearly was not sure what to do with her arms, the pose looks quite awkward. The photo was taken in the Zambini studio in Parma. Her photo reminds me of the few photos of my great grandmother that were taken before 1917, with a very similar hairstyle.

Little Laura's photo was taken in 1939, and she is a Ferrarese girl. What a cutie. I have a similar photo of myself at about the same age. As my hair was quite short, it was impossible to tie a ribbon, so the photographer just put the bow ribbon on top of my head.

The three siblings from Bologna were sitting for this photo in 1923.

This image of a smashing-looking heartthrob and Errol Flynn-lookalike has been cropped mercilessly, and the person standing on the back of the bench and leaning over the young man (was it a woman? there seems to be a fur stole on the bench) is cut off. The photo was posted in 1937 and signed Tonino. 1937 was an anxious scary year for many countries, with the Great Purge in the Soviet Union etc. In 1937 Italy joined an anti-comtern (Communist) pact that has already been in force between the Japanese and the Germans. The pact established the Triple Alliance that has become known as The Axis. Many old Russian photos of the 1930-50s have a similar fate, with images of the "dangerous" friends and family members who were pronounced the enemy of the people been simply cut out of the photos. Is that what happened with Tonino's friend? Or was it simply a love affair that ended, and discarded as an old glove?

I want to finish my photo show with a happy image of three confident and smiley young women who seem to enjoy the sunshine and their new outfits. It reminds me of "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn. Same simple elegance and freshness. I wonder who the boy sitting at their feet was. These ladies might still be alive,
would they remember that sunny day when the photo was taken? There is no note scribbled in the back, and it is not a studio photo. Just many of the glimpses of the Italian history.

This array of the beautiful old photos brought to memory one of my most favourite poems by Francois Villon, Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?

Nay, never ask this week, fair lord,
Where they are gone, nor yet this year,
Except with this for an overword, -
But where are the snows of yester-year?

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I am submitting my nostalgic post to the #PoCoLo linky on the lovely Verily, Victoria Vocalises blog.

A vintage giggle

Every time we go into town, we pass The Old Pill Factory shop which is a vintage shop with a difference. They call themselves the Tardis of a shop, and they are right about it, as you move from one room to another, you travel in time.

It is not one of those grand imposing antique shops where you often wonder whether you are in the museum by mistake, like shops in Corn street which sell the17th C chests, Elizabethan embroidery and Georgian chairs.

I might be wrong, but The Old Pill Factory Shop doesn't go beyond the 20th C (or perhaps late 19th C) in its selection of goodies. But that doesn't mean it is less exciting. Eddie and I often pop in to admire the old teddybears, or browse through the old volumes, touch the vintage fabrics. The other day as we were on the way to do some grocery shopping, the sign outside made me stop in my tracks. It said: Breed Champion. Now if you have a wicked sense of humour, that would make an utterly brilliant present for someone. I was toying with an idea of buying it as a birthday present for my husband, but thought he wouldn't appreciate the joke.

You can get this unusual vintage gift for £30 (yes, I checked the price). But hurry, I think it will be snatched soon.

If you love reading about vintage finds and buys, have a look at Vintage Mummy's blog, there is a Linky open at the moment to share your vintage-themed posts.