This is spread 5 of my completed Junk Journal. I have attributed the quote on the right hand page to David Shillinglaw, because that’s who I first heard say those words, but I think it might have been said by someone else first. There are two images above and if you use the < and > buttons you can read what’s on the back of the Cherry insert and the full quote on the rh page.

I am all ready now (apart from packing) for my trip to France for the Art Retreat with David Shillinglaw in early September. It’s all paid for and I have an itinerary and tickets for all the travel.

I have a whole range of emotions about this ranging from excitement about being able to spend a few days in a lovely environment with a brilliant artist and to be able to learn from him. I am also quite terrified of traveling in France on my own, as a non French speaking person. I’ll be OK if nothing goes wrong. My Itinerary is all worked out and as long as the trains run as scheduled and I can find the correct platforms and trains I’ll be able to get there with no problems. BUT if anything goes wrong I’ll become confused and will have to rely on the help of (hopefully English speaking) strangers. Even though I am scared of doing this on my own I think it’s important that I face my fears and just get on with it. I am also concerned about T. Will he be all right while I am away for 12 days (in total)? I keep telling myself that we are both grown ups so all should be fine.

During the art retreat we will all be making and binding a new sketch book for ourselves including any art we produce during the Retreat. I will show you that after I return. Anyway here is a picture of the cover of a new book I have made for myself just for the journey, I like to collect ephemera when I travel so hopefully it will be full of that by the time I get home.

There has been a little bit of progress on my big garden project. After a few days of, what we thought was, a heat wave, the weather changed and then it was too cold for me to work comfortably in the garden (I am only a fair weather gardener). So that delayed things for a while, but I did get a little bit done.

Now we are REALLY in a heatwave with temperatures in the high 30s throughout the UK. A lot of people are struggling to cope with the heat, but I quite like it. The good thing is it probably won’t last very long – we have very changeable weather in the UK and it seems most people are never satisfied with whatever weather we get.The high temperatures, it remind me of Tobago where we have had several happy holidays, plus I am retired so there’s nothing pressing I have to do (Apart from the garden project)! And the golden rule for a hot climate is to take things slow and easy. I learnt that from my Tobagian friends.

Days later now and we are still in the heat wave! I continue to make SLOW progress with the big garden project. I’ve got three more blocks to lay, but I have to go an get another bag of sand before I can do that. If I had paid a professional to do the work it would have been done weeks and weeks ago, but I’m proud of myself for persevering. Maybe this coming week the block work will be complete. I live in hope! Then I have to get something (I’m thinking of PVC board) to top the wall and then FINALLY we will be able to start constructing the new greenhouse. The instructions say it’s possible to do it with 2 people in a single day, but I suspect it will take us much longer. When you are over 70 everything takes longer than anticipated. Just got to be patient! Today I am having to take another rest day because my body it telling me I need to rest so I have to obey. I didn’t wake up until gone 11am today! I just hope the weather holds out for a few more days.

So that’s my current news. I’ll be back with (hopefully) news that I completed the project.

Take good care of yourselves
Big love from AJ