R's rue

Look closely You might remember the poem "Footpaths" by Ebenezer Elliott. I posted it on Monday of this week. You may also remember that I referred to Elliott's Rock and my ambition to find it. Allegedly, back in the 1830's, he would walk out of the city to a secret place by a tumbling stream  where he found peace for contemplation and the churning of creative juices.. There was a particular rock in the stream upon which it is claimed that he carved his own surname: ELLIOTT. Well, I found that rock after carefully making my way down a precipitous path to the bottom of a little V-shaped valley that carries Black Brook down to The River Rivelin. If Ebenezer did carve his name, it would have been one hundred and eighty years ago. Though the stream ran gently today there will have been many occasions when water flowed over Elliott's Rock with frothing ferocity. Because of this, the carved name is not as clear as it once was and I am sure that in another fifty or...

  There is one historic painting that is synonymous with Wales and the Welsh culture and that is the Edwardian watercolour Salem painted, strange as it may seem, by an Englishman Sydney Curnow Vosper.  I first saw a copy of the painting when I was around 18 , where it was proudly displayed in the house of an old girlfriend of mine. Her father was a Welsh Minister and the subject matter, the arrival (late) of a welsh woman Siân Owen to chapel is iconic for it is a depiction of   Welsh religious piety as well as a beautiful rendition of Welsh traditional dress.  It’s also more famous for it’s suggested depiction of the devil’s face, hidden in the folds of Siân’s rather luxurious shawl. This “ hidden” message was only one of three or so said to present in the painting .  The clock on the wall hints that Siân’s entry to her family pew is  late and and it’s is said that her beautifully adorned entrance is a comment about pride and ostentatious dress. If ...

 What can I pray for today?  How are you my friends? from R's rue https://rsrue.blogspot.com/2022/05/pray.html

  A quiet day today, as CBM is off taking his missus to the airport. No more Whitney Houston no more Pet Shop Boys belting out in a Geordie accent. The sun is out but there is a cool breeze and the cottage windows are wide front and back making the honeysuckle curtains in the front room sway energetically. I left the ignition on in Bluebell  yesterday so had a flat battery this morning.  As usual Islwyn came to the  rescue and jump started her for me.  I gave Bluebell a good run, and recharged nicely dropped in to the garden centre for a final smooch for bathroom accessories like any middle aged gay man worth his salt would do. To add to the black and white theme, I bought  some houseplants and planters there, a penguin designed toothbrush and some “bespoke” soap were delivered from Amazon today It’s all a bit much I know, but I don’t care, I’m having fun. My elder sister popped around yesterday with sweet pea plants, hostas and tomato plant...