Wednesday’s Wood Engraving …
I have been confined to bed with a little exercise;without sitting and standing … this little exercise is beckoning but might have to wait a bit longer sadly 😦
I made myself a promise this weekend.  I have been busy and neglected to practice wood engraving.  When I began a couple of years back I was keen and had some lessons but overtaken by recent events I haven’t practiced as I should. So I have begun again, trying to do some every day; at least during the summer when the light is better and kinder to the eyes.
Here is my latest attempt , some sunflowers that have featured in some other images over the last few months …
Weekly photo challenge … a treat
I can remember as a young mum the vital combo; a clean frock, painted nails, a babysitter and somewhere to go was a rare treat. Now even without the need to find child care … to get my boots polished is a rare treat.
Monday …
As the days turn to weeks, and now a month it seems my life is going down a different road. A way of painkillers, obtaining a sick note. doctors, osteopath, acupuncturist, and physiotherapists. Â Â I am away from my place of work, where, of course, Â there too are constraints that curtail my dreams and hopes. But work is ok! Â there are distractions and a sharing of the load; I know where I would rather be. Â The day ahead walking the boards will be tedious to get blood to the contracted muscles is therapeutic, while lying, sitting and standing are a no-no and painful.Â
I wallow in self pity and without shame. and I did win an award at the weekend, getting to and from the exhibition was not without much help and on one occasion I was in my PJ ‘s when the job was done I got back into bed. It was well organised I was not required to stay. I went on to sell a painting. and get accepted as an associate of a local gallery
So the week ahead looks bleak but with a happy memory I have hope.
Silent Sunday …
Saturday …
This week I found myself looking for a mother, not my mum she is dead. Any mum would have done; to talk too. tell me they cared, smooth my brow and give me hug. This is not something I would have expected from my mother she didn’t do smoothing of brows like other mums. Â
So there I was [full of prescribed drugs for so called sciatica/lumbago] on my way my way and early for an acupuncture session  in the centre of Reading, sidling up to to any likely person as they huddled with a fag and mobile phone in the drizzle as the light failed, oblivious to their bench buddy, blubbing like a baby, mascara streaming down her face …
… I had an appointment to keep and my new found friends were not playing. Â I underwent treatment but was advised that while taking such a deadly (addictive) cocktail of painkillers I would not get better. Â
So within 24 hours I had an appointment with an osteopath and more important a telephone conversation with my Doctor telling her I wanted a more manageable dose of painkillers.  She was difficult to persuade and even tried to me to take something for the depression saying ‘we don’t want that little chestnut to creep in … and find you sidling up to strangers again to we?’ Â
I don’t know what happened that afternoon … sufficed to say I didn’t find my mum but  got some good advice ..  maybe I just hug myself and that will do!
Friday Snapshot …
Earlier this week I was able to go into work for a few hours and prepare for next week when I hope to begin the organisation of the Cole Collection; by this I mean to give each item a place on the electronic catalogue. Until now some of the items have been on Enterprise the rest have been only accessible by the card catalogue. While the collection was held at the Main Library it was at least browsable but now it is in conditions fit for fine books it needs to be totally accessible and readable in the Reading Room at Special Collections. Â
So I will begin to add items to the database, while I am not a cataloguer I will not be able to do the full requirements but I will be able ensure that each item is find-able. Â
I will be working beside a cataloguer who is working on the folio sized books and in a position to note the illustrations, illustrators and any fine binding. So I will have an expert on hand at all times to ensure the collection and all information is shared as much as possible.
The Cole Collection holds approximately 8,000 volumes of printed books and scientific papers, covering the history of early medicine and zoology in general, and more particularly, comparative anatomy and reproductive physiology, from earliest times to the present day. Among these there are 1,700 or more pre-1851 works, including many continental books.
Many significant works in the history of the biological sciences are present, by authors such as Galen, Fabricius, Belon, Wotton, Gesner, Bartholin, Swammerdam, Harvey, Ray, Haller, Leeuwenhoek, Linnaeus, the Hunters and Darwin.
There are also some individual works like Pliny’s Natural history, Venice : Jenson, 1472, with illuminations, Vesalius’s De humani corporis fabrica 1st ed., Basle, 1543, and 2nd ed. 1555, in a contemporary Swiss binding and a substantial run of the Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society, from 1665 that attract a lot of interest from visitors.
The collection was originally the private library of Professor F J Cole (1872-1959), F.R.S., Â Professor of Zoology in the University of Reading from 1907 to 1939. He was a book collector and bibliophile from his schooldays until his death. His major historical work A history of comparative anatomy(1944) was based substantially on his own collection.
So they’re is a lot to do and week by week I hope to post images from the collection by way of a progress report.
Alphabe Thursday X is for Xingu
Xingu e todos locals
Todos que se planta da
Batata inhame e cenoura
batata doce e cará
Frutas, feijão e café
Do Nordeste ao Paraná
Xingu and all locals
All of that plant
Potato yam and carrot
sweet potatoes and face
Fruits, beans and coffee
Northeast of the Paraná
I have trouble with the translation of the word ‘cará’ ; but have no problem with the fruit and vegetables of Brazil … those alone are worth a visit.
Mills and Boon
This week I am thinking about my new venture in the organisation of the Cole Library and remember that the collection also includes 15 books by Sophie Cole (1862-1947), the sister of Professor Cole. As an adolescent, Miss Cole suffered from a long illness, and to pass the time she wrote a romance novel, Arrows from the dark in 1909, the first book to be published by Mills and Boon, who later became major publishers of romance novels. The book was well-received, and by 1914, 1,394 women had bought a copy. During her lifetime she wrote 65 books, and earned her living from them for many years. Miss Cole knew London very well, and wrote a non-fiction book on literary London, which is held in the collection. She lived in Brighton, but in her later years came to live with Professor Cole and his wife at Eldon Road in Reading. A number of the books are presentation copies from Miss Cole.
I have never read the ‘sophisticated’ passionate romance novels of Mills and Boon. But recently I came across a set of 15 hard back copies without dust jackets in the collection of Professor F J Cole who was a Professor of Zoology here in the University of Reading from 1907 to 1939.
The professor collected books all his life ending up with about 8,000 books about the history of early medicine, zoology, comparative anatomy and reproductive physiology. Amongst these there are 1,700 or more pre-1851 works, including many continental books. So why are this tales of ripped bodices and happy endings on the shelves of such an eminent collector of books
It turns out that the collection was written by Sophie Cole (1862-1947), the professor’s sister. As an adolescent, Miss Cole suffered from a long illness, and to pass the time she wrote a romance novel, Arrows from the dark…
View original post 169 more words
Weekly Photo Challenge …. Careful
Since I was a little girl I have longed to be an artist; my journey thus far has been fully documented on my blog and not ended where I hoped.  Naively, I thought that artists merely threw about pencil and  paint to raise to fame. So, while I do spend much time up to my elbows in colour I am mostly carefully engraving little pieces of boxwood and will not of course be notable.
Its Monday …
I had a horrible weekend and then, I didn’t. Yes, I wandered about in drugged up state and threw up at regular intervals but I  managed attend a fundraising event for refugees at the Rising Sun Art Centre where I enjoyed some Indian tea.  You will understand my preference is Chinese, so we had some friendly banter about  the anti inflammatory qualities of tea, over  some nice cake, not necessarily so healthy but good for the mood.  The visit to the Rising Sun allowed me time to measure the Printing (redundant bookbinding) press that we are hoping to have printing for our next open day. It is in working order but needs some MDF blocks for a reason not entirely clear to me but important; so I was able to get this on Sunday.
Meanwhile, I have some Lily of the Valley bulbs  that needs a new home, so after having bought some rotted compost, that task was enjoyed on Sunday morning.  None of this was documented in my usual fashion, sadly due to my state of malady.Â
While I was unable to enjoy my art making so much as usual although I did buy a couple of new tools and in between episodes I was able to dry-point a hat and some holly.
Coat Hanger Doll's House 