Is This An Open Secret ?

Sonata :

Today's random photo is of this HUGE shoe in one of the shopping streets of Deventer last Saturday .



We two hicks just gawped . But perhaps they're everywhere , a common site all over the world ? Friend felt we should get a couple of children to sit inside for the photo .......really it was large enough for them , a couple more and The Old Woman Who Lived therein with them all .

A Good Day Out In All Respects

Sonata :

Yesterday Friend and I went off to Deventer , where they have a Brocante now and then during the summer . We'd both walk over burning coals if we thought there was a bit of vintage textile loveliness at the other end !

The Saturday market was in full swing with stalls , full of gorgeous fruit



but , as it wasn't supposed to be that sort of day , we only admired . Going round town with paper bags full of soft fruit , gently turning to jam in the heat , isn't a good idea ... and I had my best jacket on .

So we wandered on , through narrow streets , full of impressive buildings ,some strangely French looking



while others in their lopsidedness could only be found here



and this is a town where it pays to look up ....a lot of the old front doors have beautifully decorated windows above them



A small Brocante this time , but some very pretty stalls , with surprisingly reasonable prices , round a big old church . We were very restrained but did acquire the odd thing , telling ourselves that we'd probably never get the chance to buy anything like that again . ( Have I mentioned that Deventer only holds five of these events a year ? Plus a giant Book Fair , quilt shows and assorted Flea markets and is pleasantly full of Antique/Curiosa shops ) .
Feeling rather hungry , we found a table in the sun , which we promptly abandoned for one with a parasol in the interests of drinking our beer cold , not boiling .The Artichoke salad was said to be delicious and my Mozarella and tomato roll had all the right trimmings . Rocket , Balsamico and a smidgeon of good pesto . A lady-like lunch , bearing in mind that one was wearing one's best .
Then we strolled round the old shops , admiring all the prettiness on display . And found even more vintage buttons



Friend is such a good companion on these occasions . Like a truffle hound in haberdashery hunts and every bit as keen as me , but less greedy and less tempted to scoop all on offer into a bag and run off with it ! Careful choices were made and only these came home with me . So if you find the right antique shop near the Square in Deventer , ask to see their buttons and the owner will unearth a couple of big tins and tip the contents onto a huge tray for you .
I think we left some .....



A most satisfactory day . Home to greet husband who'd just spent 24 hours travelling back from France via bus and a train service with built-in hiccups and was in need of a meal and lo-o-ong stretch .Why does he do it that way instead of by TGV ( sort of bullet train ) ? He's beginning to wonder himself .
Now back to some sewing . But what ?

A Very Dapper Giraffe

Sonata :
Another day , another random photo



I rescued this chap once , when no one else could be bothered to give him a home . He now lends a certain tone to our workplace . Not that he's grateful or anything .

Holding The Fort

Sonata :
Smitonius is very , very busy at the moment ..... blogging is a luxury that she can't allow herself for a week or so.
So I'm left holding the fort . Do any of you remember those rather odd little documentaries they used to put on television if ever the scheduled programme conked out for some reason ? It always seemed to be " The Potter's Wheel " . Though there might have been one about the Mail train to Scotland , as well .
Anyway , this is my version ...you'll get the odd totally random photo from me till Normal Service Is Resumed .



Not having any of a potter's wheel , I thought you'd like to see our local museum's shutters .

Lots Of Of Blue Lately ....In A Good Way

Sonata :

Just wanted to share this with you .....



Everywhere I looked the last few days , I saw beautiful blues . So I've made a collage from some of this weekend's photos



And then thought you'd like to see this too ..the bluest button I think I've ever seen !

Art Deco For Miners

Sonata:



Another day off ..... the Public holidays come thick and fast at this time of year ......... and in theory , I was supposed to be tidying up . Well , it started off reasonably enough . Then I kept finding things I'd forgotten about .
Like a bound collection of Steenkool for 1947 . It was the official magazine for the Dutch coal industry , with not only dry production statistics but also articles about Saint Barbara , the patron saint of mineworkers , stories for children , recipes for camping holidays , sport , gardening , chess . And , of course , advertisements

For the ladies of the house



For the houseproud



And for the miners themselves






It's a fascinating mixture But the one at the top is my favourite .

Another Lazy Weekend

Sonata:

Saturday night was devoted to Eurovision , of course . Unmissable , you'll never see that much glitter anywhere else . The songs are not what it's about really .....and I say that as the only member of the school choir who mimed most of the time . Well , I couldn't cope with the descant bits and the nun in charge , Madame Alexander , a lovely woman , but deaf to opposition , brushed off my pleas for release with her usual "Nonsense , just Concentrate ! " Well , they concentrated last night , most of them . But I think I've seen enough people giving it their all for a while .

On my own this weekend so lunch at the computer



Today it's my version of the Low Fat Oat Scones that Smitonius bakes . No , I haven't burnt them . I used wholemeal flour and replaced honey with molasses because that's what I had ... then ate them with butter and cheese . Delicious ! With Tregothan Earl Grey tea ( their website is www.tregothan.co.uk and they grow lovely tea in Cornwall , which they then blend with Indian tea . They're descended from the Earl Grey the blend is named after . )



I spent the rest of the day pottering about and sewing ..I even managed to sew something round ! I found a small piece of gold cotton sateen and made another pincushion , trimmed with some old French ribbon that I'd had for ages . What with that and enjoying " Châles de Russie " , a beautiful book on 18th and 19th century shawls , published in 1985 by Editions d'art Aurora in Leningrad , I haven't minded the driving rain outside

But next weekend I'd like to sit here and bask a bit if I can ..... it's not mine, unfortunately, but I'll just pretend for a while and watch the boats go by .



By the way , re. the last post from Smitonius , that was just the tip of the iceberg . We are , as a family , given to hoarding .