Coming up for Air - and a Little Give-away

A cool corner in Chez Russell

Can it really be a month since I was sitting on the patio of Elaine's cottage, writing in my journal and watching the little lizards scampering about in between the sun-baked stones? Or resting, in the cool of her sitting room, from the blazing afternoon heat outside?

Blue skies over the rooftops of St Emilion

Time is flying, the midnight (to 4 am!) oil is being burned and words are slowly stacking up on the pages of my dissertation (in the UK, a Master's degree is awarded on submission of a dissertation, a Doctorate on thesis).

I do escape occasionally - to meet with friends/co-students and tutor at college - (where two of my fellow course members have now been accepted for PhD's - yeah!) and to see counselling clients - but (as my brief guest Diana will attest), the garden at Autumn Cottage is looking distinctly - well - cottage-y - which is Brit-code for unkempt and overgrown! C'est la vie - there will be more time to attend to it when the job in hand is finished.

Diana Birchall visiting Lissie (and Roz!) last Sunday

One of the byroads that my research has taken me to is as the result of some lovely conversations with Rosie Morris, who is the UK authority on Maidens Garlands and is currently herself working towards a PhD on the topic. Our discussion rambled off into many bywaters, but one fascinating area came to light when she pointed me towards looking at Victorian ceramic flowers (after I had mentioned those I had seen in France).

Ceramic flowers in the cemetery at Pons

As a result, I did a bit more research on line and as a result have encountered the whole fascinating subject of "Immortelles" - china and/or glass bead flower arrangements which were placed, under glass, on Victorian and Edwardian graves. I will be including a body of research into my dissertation in the section on grave flowers - but I thought you would all be impressed to see what modern bead-workers have produced in the tradition of glass bead funeral flowers.

(From the site of Rosemary Kurtz)

Readers in the USA may well already know about this - but I was stunned to see the sumptuous and intricate wreath above, created entirely from glass seed beads - (about 3 feet across, apparently) - made for the Pentagon after the events of 9/11. How fascinating to see this tradition being continued into present times - and how immensely skilful the creator, Rosemary Kurtz. I want to discover a LOT more about this craft...especially as Venetian beads did - and do - feature extensively in the creation of these flowers.

See where this course has led me?

I also find all sorts of things apart from books in the University Library - yesterday, I was given permission to take *three* sets of these attractive poetry cards which had been placed there for passers by to enjoy. I only want one set for myself - so thought there may be two other readers out there who might like a set like the one below (of nine cards) to pin up on their wall or use in collages or their art journals. Leave a comment today on how you would use them if you would like a set and I'll choose two recipients at the weekend.

Comments

[Krissie]

Hello roz, nice to see a lovely update. We have those wreaths here - they are mostly Italian culture inspired and are mostly made for italian graves by the families. They are incredible expensive but I gues s far more everlasting than real or plastic flowers. We have a huge Italian populace here.
ps really enjoyed your last post in france! lovely!!

[hazel coombes]

Hello, I have only just found your blog and I have really enjoyed viewing it, especially your garden. I remember having the glass domes in my bedroom when I was a child with flowers and birds in them I never really liked them then but would certainly treasure them if I had them now.
I will visit again,
Hazel (UK)

[Gina Campellone]

Hello Roz,I so enjoy your blog! Makes ME want to be an "English Country Woman". So, call me boring but you want to know what I'd do with those cards? I'd actually send them to people! With email and texting so common these days, the fine art of letter writing is neglected. I don't want it to become a dying art, and so I make a regular habit of writing to friends the old fashioned way. And who doesn't love to find a personal letter in their mail box, tucked amongst the bills and junk mail?

[carol]

Gorgeous craftsmanship on those flowers - pretty. As for the cards, I think they would be adorable framed and hung on a wall. Enjoy your day!

[Gina]

An enjoyable read as always, Roz. Great pictures.

[Darla]

You find out such fascinating information as one thing leads to another. I didn't know about the wreath and certainly didn't know about the "permanent" flowers. So interesting.

As for the cards? You know they'd end up in a collage at my house.

Darla

[Anna]

I've been meaning to send you a photo of an interesting contemporary headstone in my local cemetery and will try to do that tomorrow!

What lovely cards! I'm teaching a freshman writing course at the local college and would use them to decorate my office door in the English department. Two of my colleagues are poets , so it would be nice to show literary solidarity with them since I'm (mostly) a musician and not very skilled at creative writing!

[Betsy]

Roz,
I always enjoy visiting your blog. The wreath is amazing. The poetry cards sound delightful.
Betsy L.

[Gracie]

Is there a card about stupid collegues? If so, I would surely register to have one and fix it on my office wall!!!
(See, I badly need a vacation, that's coming up fast, I'll leave for Austria/Germany on saturday).

[molly]

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