10 Things Tuesday - Faces and places

Tuesday again!- Where does the time go? Last week I decided to resurrect my 10 things Tuesday and show sets of things that go together.

 I asked if anyone had any suggestions for some lists and Alexa kindly gave me a few ideas of which I'm working on. 

This week however, is just a few photos that seemed to jump out at me as I was trawling through my files.

Over the last few weeks I've been slowly sorting out photos from my files to try and piece together some semblance of order. I've made a couple of photobooks and still have loads more that I will eventually print out. 

It was while I was going through these I found some people pictures! This is quite rare for me, as aside from lots of friends and family photos, my photographs rarely involve people. I have lots of landscapes, close ups, food, and quirky shots, but it's not often I take portraits. I always feel like I'm intruding I suppose. Where I have got some portrait shots, it's usually either surreptitiously using a zoom lens or I'll have spent ten minutes plucking up the courage to ask for a photo! 

So here we are 10 faces and places from my travels. Apologies if some feel familiar, I cant quite remember which I may have posted before!

1.

 A elderly gentleman Flautist in a park in Ho Chi Minh City (Formally Saigon), Vietnam

2.

 Vietnam again! This time an orange robed monk sat in the market square in Dalat. Dalat is in the central highlands, an old french inspired town, with a fantastic fruit and veg market.

3.

 Hoi An is a beautiful old city in central Vietnam that has also a beach a few kilometers away. We cycled there one afternoon and stopped for a drink at one of the beach cafes. This lovely little lady served us and loved having her photo taken:)

4.

 Hanoi, Northern Vietnam. A very serene looking lady looking beautiful in her traditional 'Ao dai'.

5.

Hanoi again. A lovely lady looking resplendent in purple velvet, hopefully having sweet dreams!

6.

 Halong Bay in the north of Vietnam is stunning. This lady rowed us around her water village...and never stopped smiling:)

 7.

 This cheeky chap was snapped on market day in Luang Prabang, Laos. It was a fabulous place to visit.

8.

 On the way back from Louang Namtha in the north of Laos, we passed this little girl by the side of the road and I managed to snap this through the minibus window.

9.

 Another cutie. This time, messing about in a boat in KK (Kota Kinabalu) 

Malaysian Borneo.

10

 On the way up to Mount Kinabalu near KK, we would often stop at a group of little local stalls selling crafts and such like. This little girl was the shopkeeper's daughter.

Ok, so we've had 10, but here's a couple more to make it 12 on a Tuesday.

 This lady was trying to sell us some very pretty jewellery in Northern Laos.

Snoozing in Singapore. A rickshaw driver, just outside Raffles Hotel, waiting for a fare.

So there you are, 12! Things Tuesday for another week.

Anymore suggestions and I'll see what I can do:)

Until next time

Amanda. x

Six Word Stories and Sunday Snippets

What a Day!

Joining in with Miriam to tell a story in six words.

If I had one word to describe how this week has been then I would go with 'Unsettled'. Not in too bad a way, just in a rather strange and 'out of sorts' way. I'm sure we all get a bit like this sometimes.

Perhaps it's like the weather, never knowing what each day will bring, whether it's going to be cold or mild, wet or dry. 

It feels like I'm chomping at the bit, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for spring? The good weather? To feel fitter? To get my independence back? I really don't know what it is, but it's all just a little unsettling.

I have made progress this week though and am feeling like I can do more and more each day. It's still all very surprising though how much surgery takes it out of you. 

I've had some lovely days out and on Wednesday I even went to watch 'Collabro' in concert. Yes, I was shattered and sore by the end of the evening but it was great to be out and about.

 I've tried to walk a little more and get some fresh air this week too. It's lovely to see all the little subtle changes to the fields and hedgerows as each day moves onto the next.

 I've been taken to the garden centre a few times. Mostly just to visit the coffee shop, but I am inspired to grow some veg this year and try my hand at some container planting.

More coffee shop visits! This was a new one to me but it will certainly become a favourite once I can get behind the wheel again.

A girly afternoon in the Lakes involved some beautiful scenery, some quirky stopping off places and a fabulous afternoon tea.

 This sign made me smile! 

 

So really it's not been too bad a week. Who knows what next week will bring. Hope you had a good one. :)

Amanda x

Linking

10 Things Tuesday Resurrected

When I used to blog regularly I often had a '10 Things Tuesday', a weekly collection of 10 things. Sometimes they were, just like this week, 10 random things that made me smile, but then other times I was a little more creative. I often had themes such as 'Red', 'Green' or Black and White', I had '10 Deserts', '10 Souvenirs' or '10 Places to visit in America', a whole myriad of ideas that seemed to go together.

 I enjoyed doing 10 things, as not only did I enjoy thinking of ideas, but it also got me to post lots of photos from my thousands sitting on my computer. So here we are again, another regular feature to get me back into blogging.

This time though, I thought I might set up a task for those of you who would like to challenge me. If you have a minute, why don't you come up with a suggestion of what my 10 things may be, and post it in the comments. I shall certainly enjoy trying to find 10 things for each category and I shall give you the credit for coming up with my titles. :)

Anyway to start me off I've just listed 10 things that have made me smile recently. 

1

A 'Mother's Day / Auntie's Day card from Lizzie, my niece.

You might think it's a bit strange to receive a mother's day card when I'm not a mother but every year, from when she was very little, Lizzie has sent me a 'Happy Aunty' card to open the day after mother's day.

I have a lovely relationship with my favourite niece (Well she is the only one I have :)) and as I will never have the pleasure of having any of my own children, she's certainly special.

2

A little hare picture given to me by my sister, just to make me smile. I love hares. They seem very magical creatures and quite elusive. If I do see one out in the fields, it always makes my day.

3

My friend from work found this card, thought of me and then sent it. We both saw the funny side of my op and it's infuriating side affects. And for those out there who have experienced hot flushes, I'm sure you can relate too! :)

4

One of those books on my shelf that I'd never got round to reading! Luckily I did read it and I loved it. I loved the style of writing and of the tales of life in the field throughout the year. I'd certainly read it again and it's made me look at the hedges and fields around me in a whole different light. 

5

 Before Christmas I headed down to London to stay with a friend of mine for a few days. I was killing time waiting for the train and wandered into one of the shops at the station. I was totally smitten at first by this lovely packaging, but then got to smell it...and it was even better. I decided to treat myself and have been slathering on the hand cream ever since.:)

6

On one of my few days out over the last 5 weeks, I spotted this little pot at the Rheged shop, whilst visiting the Harris Exhibition. It's very fine and when a candle burns in side it glows beautifully. When I'm fit enough to move back into my house, I shall find a perfect spot for it.

7

 Another acquisition. A nice new tin for my kitchen. I'm not sure what to keep in it yet, but I just loved the turquoise colours and the retro feel to it.  

8

 Old second hand travel books. I've been watching a lot of tV recently (There's no surprise there, having been housebound for the last few weeks!) and seemed to have got hooked on 'Railway Journeys' and 'the Grand Tour of Scotland', both of which use old travel guides for their inspiration. I hunted out some of my own and am enjoying reading about some familiar and not so familiar places. Perhaps when I up and about and able to drive, I may just have to have a look and take up one of my own tours.

9

Two new scarves. A lovely turquoise knitted one and mittens that I had been admiring from afar for some time and a lovely green patterned one that just shouted 'Buy me!" as I walked past. Even better, both were half price. A serendipitous moment!

10.

A beautiful sunny day on the fells. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and mum was driving! Just lovely to get out and about. This is a view overlooking the Northern fells, looking towards a snow topped Skiddaw.

So there you are, 10 things on a Tuesday.

Hope you had a good Tuesday too.

 Amanda x

From the Hebrides to Rheged.

A few years ago, my mum and I headed off for a camping trip to the Outer Hebrides. We loved it! The scenery was fantastic, the weather erratic and the people were lovely. There was such a feeling of space and light and even on the rainiest of days, of which there were a few, it really was just beautiful.

One of the things I came home with, apart from about 1000 photos and a new respect for those who live there, were a few pieces of Harris Tweed. I had intentions of making it into something, but as yet it still sits in a box, waiting for inspiration to strike.

My photographs don’t do the colours, nor the lines of the landscape justice. However the photographs at the new exhibition certainly did. I was very envious and wish I had a fraction of the photographer’s talent.

The photos above are all my attempts to get the essence of the place!

 This exhibition is being held at Rheged, near Penrith, Cumbria and is celebrating the aforesaid Harris Tweed.. It was certainly worth a visit. The photographs were stunning.

‘Cumbrian landscape photographer Ian Lawson and the Harris Tweed Society present a new exhibition of large scale photography, words, film and objects from Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, home of the Harris Tweed cloth.’

Harris Tweed cloth must be made from 100 per cent pure virgin wool, dyed, spun and finished in the Outer Hebrides and hand woven by the Islanders at their own homes.

Only Tweed that has been handwoven in these islands can be stamped with an Orb Stamp of authenticity.

The exhibition had amazing photographs of the landscape that was mirrored in the different colours and weaves of the cloth.

It’s certainly worth a look at if you’re passing.

It might have even get me to hunt out that cloth and start making something.

Amanda x