Saturday 28 May 2011

bees and fishes

I am away in foreign climes, visiting my wonderful daughter in York where she is studying biology and knows all sorts of things I don't understand. I was delayed by two hours on the way up by traffic chaos on the M1 on Thursday, but had Fleet Foxes and Emily Barker to keep me company. Yesterday, as therapy, I took us here to get our toes nibbled by tiny little fishes - something a good friend recommended. It was a very curious experience I have to say, but one I would repeat. You put your feet in the tank of water and the fishes swarm all over them, nibbling away - Jen, who has very ticklish feet, didn't stop giggling for about the first five minutes! I can only describe the sensation as like the tickly part of pins and needles, but with an odd sense of vibration overlaid. Afterwards our feet felt wonderfully soft and smooth. We had to stay and watch two burly young chaps put their feet in the tank - seeing a grown man squeal because he has fish on his feet was not to be missed!

 Today we went to the Quilt Museum to see the exhibitions on display. It is my treat each time I go to see Jen to pay a visit, there is always so much to look at, the staff are always friendly and helpful, and there is a little shop full of treasures downstairs. This time there were celebration quilts of all sorts, including this beautiful little christening gown by Jacquie Harvey. The stitching on this was so fine, I had to do my mad visitor thing of putting my glasses on top of my head and trying to get a close as possible to the work, my sight not being what it once was! I had vowed NOT to buy any more fabric, but you can't refuse a daughter's offer can you? After we'd been there we went to sit in the beautiful St Anthony's Gardens just by the museum. it is a wonderful spot to stop, tucked under York's ancient walls, a real oasis of colour, shape and the soft sound of wind in the trees.

Now we are back at her student digs, she is cooking for me and there are the incomprehensible and raucous tribal sounds of the male of the species watching football, bruising their way through the walls from next door!

I have my stitching with me, so hopefully Bee will have a bit more landscape to fly over by the time I go home.

1 comment:

  1. Hi there, I like the sound of the fish, a friend said there's somewhere in Cambridge that does it, maybe I'll have a go!! Love your Uffington horse, I plan to do a print based on him one day; and love the 'bee' work.

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