This week has been a jumble of degree work, domestic disasters and health issues but I did manage to escape yesterday for a field trip with some of the AQUA-8 girls. The topic we have chosen to work towards for our first exhibition is Water, Water (seemed appropriate considering our name) so we decided to visit the Rainham Marshes RSPB reserve (an SSSI) to gather some inspiration.Unfortunately we got rather more water than we wanted as it poured down but I did manage to get some quite good photos and am looking forward to developing some of these ideas.
When I got back and looked at the photos I realised that many looked as if we were way out in the wild- in fact the eurostar thunders past on one side along with all the trains into London, the Thames is just over the other side and you see the tops of ships passing by above the embankment and on the remaining sides it is surrounded by housing, containers and rubbish tips so the RSPB site is a little gem amidst it all.
The degree is trundling along. I'm more into the practical side now thank goodness but will have to return to some contextual work next week if I am going to be ready in time for getting the work assessed.
My mother-in- law's health continues to deteriorate rapidly (Dementia and physical) and I am quite concerned about my Father -in-law with all the stress but now the NHS wheels are slowly grinding into motion so I am hoping the appointment with the consultant tomorrow will help.
Poor little Teddy picked up a nasty bug last week and looked very sorry for himself (as did my carpet) and even sorrier after a trip to the vet meant 2 injections and a 'light,bland diet for a week'. Fortunately he now seems on the mend.
On the domestic front -last weeks joys include the Internet breaking down (now thankfully fixed) , the lights blowing up in our dark kitchen (still unfixed so meals are a bit hit and miss by the light of a low lamp) and the Fridge & Freezer aren just hanging on by a thread but because the seal isn't that good now the cat(s) have learnt how to open it with their paws which is annoying and not exactly hygienic. Oh well you have to laugh really - its either that or sit gibbering in the corner, and this weekend I escape again to the ERTF conference on textile conservation- perhaps they could conserve me a bit while I'm there!