Great East Swim – W is for Water Aid – Help!

The theme is W on ‘Something Completely Different;’ any shape or size but must be based on a ‘W’ [Spotify playlist here].  I have chosen to create a bookmark,  I seem to have a dozen books on the go at any time.  The idea behind this image is the bottom of the pool when I am swimming.  Last night the sun was bright and low in the sky, there were fantastic golden patterns from the ripples on the surface.  I swim in goggles, as I look ahead the lines of the tiles are clean and clear, but lower in my field of vision, the lines are distorted; the aim is to create a stream of bubbles so that as I turn my head to breathe my body takes in air almost without thinking.

In January when I started my preparation for the Great East Swim, I could not do crawl and had to count to three to remind myself when to breathe.  I also didn’t have my face in the water much.  Now I swim with my face in the water most of the time, and as I learn to relax can take in the patterns, random tile distributions and sounds.  Finally, I can stop counting to three, but have become obsessed with counting the number of strokes to a length.  Still far to many, I am hitting about 18 in a 20 metre pool; I can get down to 11 or less in breast stroke.

I am working my way through the training schedule on the website Take to The Streets.  Today, I completed session 26 a total of 940 metres.  Since starting and logging my walking, cycling and swimming miles I have done 200 miles under my own steam.  I have kept off the weight I lost earlier in the year despite now eating what I was eating before, drinking wine, eating cheese and other lovely things.  I suspect I do self moderate my diet more than I did before though.  I still haven’t launched my self like a great cargo ship into the sea, but I will have to soon.  If you live near Framlingham and know anywhere where I can swim in open fresh water I would be delighted to hear from you.

So now for the plea for help.  I have decided that my charity will be Water Aid; if you are not already familiar with their work take a look.  So many people in the world do not have access to safe, clean, water and sanitation; this is my attempt to show my gratitude for what we have and to put a little back.

I have created a Just Giving Page please visit and donate, it is a very worthwhile cause.

Thank you

 

Not all women are Angels

Better late than never, I have put together my Gothic arch for Something Completely Different.  I wasn’t sure how to approach this one; but had been struck by some of he images of women in the Sunday magazines.  From the little girl being made up for a pageant, to the image of ‘The Lady’ from The Lady magazine, then there is Jane Mansfield in a pool of dolls in her likeness.  Finally the rather pure angel from a Hans Christian Anderson story I was researching for the quiz at Saxtead tomorrow night.  However, in the end I decided to cover this last image in graffiti.

 

Fashion – Gothic OK

The challenge for something completely different this week is fashion and they are still working with Gothic arches.  I started to thing about those church windows with their stained glass and the ladies who in days of yore might have looked up at the fashions on display. I have created a mediaeval OK magazine fashion makeover.  The two designs are from ‘English Costume’ 1952.  The ‘before’ shot is a pre-Roman woman of the people; wearing a simple gown of coarse material fur skin pinned on right shoulder.  The ‘after’ shot is a Lady of Quality’ c1130.  I copied the outlines onto acetate and then filled in with nail varnish; then stuck my painted Gothic arch over the top.