Saturday 7 July 2012

Ozone and chips . . .



OK - so I lied about the chips!, but I did get some ozone today and it perked me up no end, despite the tide being right out and a few, ahem, rainclouds being obvious. We popped down to Swansea to see our daughter G and drop some tickets off for her, and then after a slow crawl around her local charity shops (2 plates, a book on antiques and a pasta jar) we drove down to the Mumbles (posh end of Swansea leading into the Gower peninsula) so I could get some sea air. After a very poor night's sleep, I wasn't feeling too clever, and my legs were very feeble again, but it was just so lovely to get out of the house and for it not to be actively RAINING, that I didn't care.

We got stuck in a queue of traffic on the way to Swansea, but I had a good library book (nearly finished now - a Ruth Rendell which wasn't too demanding to my sleep-deprived brain) and as we were at a standstill for a good while, just looking at the uncut wild flowers down the central reservation was a joy.  Most people would call them weeds, but to my eyes they were so beautiful.  Lots of ox-eye daisies blowing in the breeze.  Tall stately lavender-purple thistles ditto.  Pink and white clovers, yellow vetches, and brambles flowering everywhere which if you turn off your mind to brambles, are such pretty flowers, especially the deeper pink varieties.



When we got to the Mumbles, the tide was a fair way out.  We managed to park, and had a wander along the seafront, with the "breeze" now upped to a blustering wind but the ozone in it flung itself into my lungs and gave them a step up in the breathing department and even put some energy into my legs again too.  (One of the side effects of the steroids is weak muscles.)  You can just see in the right of the picture above, looking across Swansea Bay, the remains of a couple of old fishing boats - all that's left is the main rib along the bottom and the keel.  Nearly reduced to just shadows in the mud.  I wonder what the fishermen who used them would think if they could see them now? The popular novels of local writer Iris Gower were set in Swansea and the Mumbles area.


I walked a couple of hundred yards at a steady pace to visit the Quilt and yarn shop I had noticed when we drove past looking for somewhere to park.  There were some gorgeous fabrics and having bought wool earlier in the week, I blew my last £5.50 on this little Seaside charm pack.  There are 20 5" squares in it, so I should have enough for two pretty seaside cushion covers which I think I will hand-piece as it means sitting down quietly to do so.  I was absurdly excited over such a modest purchase . . .


As my husband and I walked back to the car, I managed a couple of stand-on-a-bench photos of some of the older property in the Mumbles.



Below: Isn't this a pretty little cottage?


We had hoped for chips for lunch, but settled for a steak pie instead, and another wander round the charity shops, so I am all charity-shopped up for this week.

I am slowly on the mend but dare say I have overdone things a little today and will have to really rest up tomorrow. . . with my sewing.

12 comments:

  1. Absolutly stunning photos, Jennie. You are blessed.
    Seems we are both trying to get well, its been so blasted hot here, (like living in Hades), and now we have been blessed with cooler air and in the 80's instead of 100's. Still no rain as of yet.
    Stay on the mend, and don't over-do it. Love your little quilt squares.
    Hugs

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  2. Oh I will have to have a browse in that little shop. Please do rest up sweety. Hugs.

    Nice pics x

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  3. Hi Denim. I hope you have some rain soon (but not so it overdoes it . . .) I hope you are better soon too - make sure you rest. I hope my body is finally responding properly but it's given me quite a fright.

    Fi - You will love it. I fell in love with some deeply violet purple patterns (Kaffe Fassett I think) and then some spring/apple greens and pinks right up the Country Diary end of the spectrum. I only came out because our parking was running out. I'll get in touch and perhaps we could have a geriatric wander round somewhere FLAT when I am up to it.

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  4. Nothing like some sea air to help recovery. Those seaside fabrics are amazing. You will show us the cushions when you're done, won't you?

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  5. What an appealing quilt shop! I remember that 'charm packs' of fabric were going well as a new thing in the shop where I worked. I never bought any, although I began building a stash of 'fat quarters. It would be sensible of me to hole up in the cool downstairs room to stich during this interminable heat wave--but I think my mind has gone to over-cooked mush.
    Quiet time in nature is very calming--and thus, I think, healing to soul and body.
    You have a long siege of unwellness this spring.

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  6. I love those seaside squares and I would have been ridiculously pleased with them too.

    The last time I was in Swansea was at the National Student Drama Festival in 1985 or 6 I think. I wasn't a student be then but a friend was and we did a pastiche of Look Back in Anger. which was terrifying. Roger Rees was a guest speaker and was doing a pastiche of something that night too. He spent a VERY long time in the lavatories before hand which was very gratifying for someone so famous! He was absolutely terrified.

    Anyway, enough of reminiscing....glad the ozone did you good. Very jealous of that sea air.

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  7. Sea air does wonders ...now you need sleep ... and then i hope you will be well on the mend .

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  8. Pretty fabrics, and a lovely shop to potter around in. Glad you are on the mend X

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  9. goodness, this has really hit you hard hasn't it. Glad you had a nice outing yesterday to blow away the cobwebs. Please don't try to do too much too soon. I think a day of gentle hand sewing is just what the doctor ordered.

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  10. I can imagine how much better your hours by the sea have made you feel. Lovely seascape photos.
    We liked Mumbles very much when we passed through a couple of years ago.

    Lovely quilting squares. They will cheer you up as you work on them!

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  11. I've rested today and worked on my cushion fronts. All pieced together now (hand-sewn) and needing borders. I really enjoyed myself, and got to watch the Men's Finals from Wimbledon (the only tennis I'd watched). Oh, the collective sighs and gasps when Murray played badly or well . . . What a shame he lost - it wasn't for want of trying.

    Hopefully I have turned the corner now, but I have done some research and think our wood burning stove has not been the life-saver we thought it was these past two winters - quite the opposite in fact . . .

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  12. So pleased you are feeling better. Your immune system has taken quite a beaten. I think you are correct in blaming the wood stove.

    Fresh air and beautiful scenery perks us all up.

    Better days ahead, I hope.

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