Stroud, Saturday

Before taking the train to come back to London, we had the time to enter two shops and visit the market in Stroud, Goucestershire.

Come and stroll with me, look through my eyes to things and great people.

Thanks Andy and Rachel to given me the opportunity to being enriched by all of this!

Friday discovery

A teepot dressed, so not only the dogs are dressed here against cold!


A great corner to have a breakfast or even lunch in a village.

Andy and Rachel

I just returned from two days in the hills of the English West.

Great welcome and wonderful time with Rachel and Andy, it was a joy to get to know them! They did everything to make me a memorable stay, and somehow we never get enough to speak to each other.

I am a bit tired now to tell "all" or more about it, I'll come back tomorrow for more. It is such a pleasure to meet such two great people!

In plus, the region was beautiful, and today the market and shops visited too. Arrived home with more then 300 images!

A lot to do a lot to remember too.

Shadows in a pub

Are those Champagne bottles in the pub near Green Park metro?

Anyway almost no one was in the pub and the prices very high, so we did not stay and eat there. Finaly I went to Paddington and bought my ticket for tomorrow.

I am going out of London!

I'll visit a wonderful woman who invited me to her place. I hope, it will not be too cold the next two days, rain I mind a bit less. It is not easy when one wants to travel light in spring time that is changing so fast.

Soon, we begin in Afterclass "Interaction with..." and I have taken a few new images today also for that class. But came home exhausted. Probably, the weather.

Mother's day flowers

Sunday my son come with my grand daughter early in the morning. They did not stay 'we have to go the to other mother' (my daughter in law) but they left a great bouquet of flowers and a card.

Each day, the flowers smile at me, with or without the sun shining, and they opened slowly, changing through days, and with the light, hours.

Having learned from the landscape photography conference that is better to show trees or cows farther from each other, I circled around the lilly to make the petals stand out each of its own.

I realised just yesterday, how lucky I was not to be allowed to make regular studies after 18, I did learn to study all the time and never stopped. Even if I did finish my formal studies finally when I was more then 38 years old, and got a phD in science, I did that also without stopping working. I did not use it a lot, mostly it was a satisfaction against those who in the Communist Romania forbid me to study farther.

So, I am enchanted now with this macro of the flower, I did around 30 images of it from all points of view and I do not know yet which is or not good, but they are better then usual, because I see them different. That is what in general, photograpy had brought me: seeing more around me the world and details I have never payed attention before.

Notting Hill candid

Sometimes, the better image is before one asks, as this candid image I have taken of the couple before asking them.

No smile here and no pose.

She was feeling and listening to the future baby at the same time as to speaking with him. He was showing his appreciation of her as woman also not only as future mother.

I loved her short dress and would have liked to be young now, at this age when women can show their body not hide it, at that age I regretted not to be able to show what was great of me: my body more then my face...

They talked relaxed, after finishing their cup of tee or coffee. I did this one while (before and after) taking photos of the young photographer at whose table we have sit down, with his permission, while speaking about how to take street photography and how much interesting is happening around.

Yes, I would have liked to be at her place! Have a tender, loving husband, and appreciating even as I was expecting. In fact, mine was warm when I was, the first time at least, not with the second child.

By that time he had become even violent. Sudden outbursts, I never knew what to expect. When. What to do, what not to say. It did not happen often but I become afraid of him. I can guess only different reasons, but never would know for sure, how my warm husband changed so much his relation with me, after his visit "home" to Romania "I have to visit my parents now that I can", after he betrayed our marriage and even gave our address so one of them could write to him, after I found out and was deeply disapointed.

Disappointed that he left me alone while expecting and in bed for two month (until the future baby moved), disappointed that he did not come back a whole month, disappointed by a letter I found by chance coming home one noon time feeling tired, disappointed by the vulgar wording of the explicit letter, disappointed in my dreams of "my marriage is better then average and that of my parents".

He did not succeed to break me, but it was the lowest point of my life. After my son was born, I concentrated on my happiness with him, and my daughter. Tried to forgive if not to forget.

Until the next time.

But that is again another story far away from motherhood and the picture and all it evoked in me this morning.

Portrait in the Oxo Gallery

Perhaps this is the best portrait from yesterday but I like more the one when the two girls come together, with symmetry in it, I had to move them only slightly, but this has just the right light on her young worm a bit mysterious face and she is just at the right place.

One does not need lots of lights and flashes, the natural light "gives" so much warmer images!

After the Charie Waite conference, that I enjoyed a lot, I went to see yesterday his expo and buy his book about Making Landscape photography. Making, not taking! I learned a lot, at least I hope, and already yesterday I tried to see a little the urban landscape as he does, seeing similarities, chance of the clounds just thus, and so on.

After taking those, I went up the 8th floor and took some of Tames, and then towards the Tate Modern some others. Here is one of them, inspired by his symmetry and clouds..

In and around Tate, I went back mostly of people communicating with their environment and each others.

But still remembering "keep the trees far from each other if possible".

I like this too, so much is going on at the same time!

Then, inside the museum of modern art, at the 2nd floor, I found an old lady knitting.

In two days, so many pictures I enjoy, I'll have to wait for a few days to pass to become more critical of my "children".

Photographers Meetup Conference

London Photographers Meetup Group, organized a great conference Saturday, and what can I do better to celebrate it then show some of the images I have taken on the streets (mostly) surrounding the place we met, more then hundred for an exciting meeting?

Have you seen the film, apparently it changed a lot the surroundings! It finished with a very pregnant and happy lady. I found also one, where I was eating at two o'clock!


And here is a slide show of the "morning and noon time pictures" only (perhaps the best...)?

U3A meeting, Friday

Very warm welcome and interesting meeting, yesterday.

I learned a lot of different things, about the University of Third Age, (created in France!) and now for more then 13 years in London too, and also about Group interaction, through a very interesting speech of Zazia Pratt, Education Development Officer.

I did not stop until now enough to think about Group dynamic!

From now on, I'll be more aware, and also I'll try to read about it.

One of the topics she did not have the time to speak about: what happens and how when a new member drops in an already formed group. "It is good for the group, even if for the moment it takes it out of the comfort zone, even necessary" she told us.


But in fact, there are a lot more to talk about, and I feel necessary too. So I look forward to hear her next time about that important topic in the u3a, as so many groups are already formed for month and years and lately so many of us come new, and try to fit in one or two of them.

Not easy for us, not easy to them. In any case, yesterday, I did not feel at all not fitting in, or not welcomed, it was a wonderful bunch of people, all of the third age and all active in organizing groups and activities.

Nous Deux, page 24/25

It is a French weekly magazine, Nous Deux just appeared yesterday. This double page speaks of different people who changed their lives after 50 years old.

In my case, after 70 or, even 74.

Some of them a lot more life changing then mine, but CHOUKROUN Cédric's paper shows that you may change it, that people have done it. Gives courage to others to do it too.

The same magazine had given me courage when I was 33 and at the bottom of my life, making me feel less alone in what was happening to me and my marriage. So I was very happy to be able to give them some of my stories, even of course, just a bit of all of it. Cédric had found and extracted exactly what was needed and told it so well!

Today I feel another circle was closed of my life, and perhaps, I'll be able to speak or write about it more easy, now.

Last portraits

So many interesting people, and things too, only if we take time and stop. Ask them to pose for us, speak to them.

i had a difficult morning, but then my daughter in law dropped me at the supermarket, and there my eyes fell on this gentleman. Very thin, wait hair, great interesting face.

- May I?
- Why?
- I am a portraitist.
- Why me?
- You have an interesting face.

There were lots of other different reasons, but that was enough. I took two photos then looked at the other seller of fisch (after I bought some) and he was looking as "and me, my face is not interesting?" So I took his too. And yes, a great profile he had!

Before going farther, I did also a profile of the first one, which, for me is the best photography. It does show also how happy he was with them.

You may see all of them taken yesterday Here.

Rencontres

Encounters, in French "rencontres".

Some wonderful. Like this two young girls that were taking photos of the swans on the small lake of the Heath.

"May I take of you?" I asked.

They posed for me with a huge smile.

Others are sad, make me tremble "will I ever become like that"? Yesterday I met also an old lady. She lost her way and did not find any more how to go home.

"I do not live far, but do not remember any more how to go there. I just bought these, and I know the street but I do not find the house any more."

She was on a wrong street, but not far away, still lost and very confused.

As I did not live here long enough to know the streets, I found her someone more knowledgeable to help out, she had a car and volunteered to take her there. I hope it will be years and years and if possible never that happens to me. Also I did dream some time ago a lot about being lost, but perhaps it was when I felt like it in my life.

Not knowing how to go home, after having bought bred. Terrible!

Wonderful spring all around, great odors coming from the trees, nice air caresses, but all it is wain if you feel and even worst, you are lost.

St Patrick celebration

Last year I have to go back to Paris just before the St Patrick's celebration in London and having regretted it, I decided to go this year, because I could.

A little bit reluctant, because of the killings last week and thinking "if anything happens even in London, again" but I did go.

At the beginning, less people on Trafalgar Square then for Diwali, more then the Chineze new year, but then it was snowing, frozing, it was a great almost late spring weather this time.

First impressions: funny hats mostly green, but also some green white red. Those are the Hungarian colors too, even if in reverse order: red white and green. More green in Ireland's and more red in Hungarian's folk dresses too.

The funniest thing happened to me just before the parade begun. I met an older man waiving, in green and with a green and white hat and scarp. Took a photo of him, begun to speak.

Finally, in Hungarian!

He arrived to London in 1956, and was married to an English, had six grand children. We speak with pleasure our mother language that nor him, nor me have not occasion to use often. Did I go to the St Patrick celebration to meet a Hungarian???

Not only the Hungarians are dressed or feel Irlandais!
You may see some sights from yesterday in the following slide show.

True and fake

We went to the school the Red Nose Comic relief day, when children were allowed to come how they wanted - even in their pyjama - instead of usual day by day uniform, to take pictures of them.

More then a hundred, great harvest!

Some with their faces painted, others in clown clothes or funny hats, most of them with a red nose in their hands if not their noses. It was a fun day beginning!

After the hundred photos of different children, I came down a bit tired and my daughter in law took a photo of that moment.

As I loved the contrasting colors and the great composition of the image but not a lot my tired face on it, so yesterday evening, I played, taking another, smiling face from an image she has taken a few minutes before of me, and paste it on the tired face. By chance, the two images were not very different in shades and just making it small to fit, I could put it and make a new combined image with it.

No cheating here: I announce what I did!

And here I am, fresh and smiling again!

How many points?

I begun! I was given the opportunity to give my first prepared speech at the Toastmaster International, at the Croydon Communicators Club, vare David invited me at the Greenwich meeting.

He was a little disappointed, my speech was not that of an inexperiences speaker, but he did like it enough to ask me to finish it - I did not, I am so sorry now.

I did not understand that he really wanted me to finish in spite that my time apparently run out.

I still have a lot to learn.

I got to tell two of my stories from three, "she traversed the time, thirty years, and she traversed Europe, then the Ocean to America!" one of the evaluators told me, phrasing it wonderfully! But I went only from 10 to 40 not to 70 as I prepared to do.

In fact, my speech was there only to have five different contesters evaluate it, each with their point of view and having not heard what the others said.

Yes, and the biggest compliment was that I was asked to finish it, and I did not understand. I have still so much to learn, to listen between the lines, to obey to a sign!

Thanks Hanna Hunter, thanks Dave Longley and David Thomson for the opportunity to give my speech that otherwise was due only in Mai, and to the warm welcome in fact of all the present Toastmasters to my speech! I did not loose completely my learned skills - almost as riding a bike. But I learn a lot also listening to others speak, great speeches yesterday! How can they cram so much in so little time and still tell it all?

Thanks to Philip, the president of my main, Lewisham group, to taking me there and back and telling me his honest opinions. The discussions with him, help me a lot to progress, to understand better.

And today, a great new day: Red nose comic! But of that, tomorrow. Enough to say, I was given the opportunity to take photos of this occasion. So another wonderful day ahead.

Sometime in life

Sometimes in life there are "good series" of events.

Of course, usually one has to do something to arrive to them... I did swim, then at the WeightWatchers meeting I found out that I lost two pounds this week, so the slide down begun again. And coming home afternoon, I learned I'll be the Mystery speaker tomorrow evening.

What I'll spoke about? Myself. The Ice breaker, as the first speech in the ToastMaster series, is an "easy" 6 minute speak about oneself. Easy?

How can speak in so little time about more then 70 years?

Should I speak about only one aspect, one passion? Which would be that? Perhaps communicating. Through writing, through photography, through speaking.

And of course, one has to add to it reading, listening, dialog. And... ok, more intimate passions too, if I want to be sincere, but their place is not in this speech! And those do not depend only of me. For example to caress someone, I have to have my grand son near me... and so on.

I do write. Day by day. I take picture everywhere. And now, through Toastmasters, I have more and more occasions to speak and listen.

I wanted to speak about my origin, mother language, country of birth (not the same) too and my change of profession. My nationality and the country I did live the most, and... so much in so little time. I am still not sure what I'll do.

Do not speak too well, I was told, not make afraid the guests. Ah? That is also a mastery I'll have to learn: "not to speak too well"!

Motivation

We go looking for something in a lot of different situations and often we found something else. Better.

I went yesterday to Toastmasters Meridian speakers in Greenwich, to speak. I did speak also but mostly I listened to great speeches delivered masterfully.

One of them was a "mystery speaker' Huw Izzit. He spoke about Motivation and made an analogy with driving a car. We have to start it, drive it, giving it attention. And we are easily sidetracked. Then we have to find a way to go back on track.

His speech, as well as my yesterday's note here, motivated me. I am back on track: I begun swimming again this morning!

London's Mayor

Boris Johnson, London's Mayor, was elected just a few weeks before I arrived to live in London. What an interesting, great personality.

Already I liked him as old woman, when he did keep his promise to let the elderly use the bus and tube also between 4 and 9 in the morning.

Yes, I have to admit that as much I regretted not being to able to go at 7 to swim without paying the fare before December, I did not go often enough from January. But I will, I will.

Yesterday, I watched the Parliament Channel on Television, for the first time I had seen the city counsel meeting. I did like a lot how he answered, spoke, of the importance of some questions and explained that he hoped they will care not of partisan politics but on London's life in that open forum. Lots of interesting things, but mostly I watched the interaction. He is a very good leader, speaker!

But what did decide me to write about him was what he told the Nationalist who spoke about "we having founded London should live here not the strangers coming in".

Ah, only the Italians should live in London? The romans founded it! - he answered.

But then, more seriously, he also told how much those coming to London from all over, enriched it and still enrich it, but also of all those going from London to work and live in the other countries. "It would be a tragedy to have them send away" he added. Think about it!

Yes, it did not take much to have my heart, from now on, Boris has it. I believe London is very lucky to have such a Mayor.

A corner in Nothing Hill

At a single corner, I met at the Portobello market of London, not only met, but had a nice contact with them, a number of people!

Oldest is this lady of Asian origin, telling me that yes, I can take a photo, and even later posing for me near the wall I pointed, but that it will not come out well as two teeth of her are missing, alas.

Small, with beautiful warm smile, she lives across the road only.

An other woman, just a bit younger then me, walking with his young looking husband in a fancy dress and hat also caught my attention. Will she let me take a photo of her? She was enchanted I asked! She posed with me also later, his husband having asked if I do not want a photo with her.

I also was asked to take a photo of a man just parking nearby, and he also posed near the same wall. I also have taken a photo, at the same corner, of a young girl using her mobile very fancy dressed also. And then a lot of candids of people together, looking, sitting or just passing. So much at the same place in a few minutes only!

I stopped at that corner, because a very nicely arranged dress, with red shoes under it and lots of others arranged so well. The owner, who did the arrangements, was enchanted when I told her how much I appreciate her skill. "Yes, it took me lots of thinking and time, I am so happy you did observe and like it!"

It is really worth interacting with people!

A slide show of the Oxford Gardens / Portobello corner sights and people met.

Portobello, after a year

I just realized this morning: my blog just passed the year.

So much happened in a year!

And without knowing before, I went back to the Portobello market, even if at the other end of it, exactly a year later!

A year ago, I came to London in discovery for five days, now I live here. What a difference! Yet, going with a bus, for almost an hour, I realized how much I still have to visit.

Even living a long long life, I'll never finish the discovery.

Met nice people yesterday, from the London Photographic Meetup group, and the market's sellers but also those just strolling around.

More and more I am surprised how easy people speak to me and pose, from very young, middle age to even older then me, women, children, men.

My set of Londoners (people met in London) grows day by day.

So divers, so wonderful people!

Acts of love, by Judith Michael

Depending from what angle one takes them, they touch each other or are only, still are, very near each other.

What is or is not as it seems, as one shows us at first depends on how it is shown and why and the intentions of those writing or showing.

A photography is not a scientific proof more then the name (or pseudo) of a novels author.

"Acts of Love is a heart-warming and passionate tale of love, mystery and miracles from New York Times bestseller Judith Michael."

That is what one can read on the back cover of the book.

I loved it!

But is it a mystery? I am not sure. And there are no miracles in it! Two very attractive middle age people, passionate for theater, and a dead older great actress who finally, succeeds to reunite them. Mostly, it is about the fight to find someone you really can relate, about not to let it go, but also perhaps even more the passion of those in theater or writers to show us what we feel or to give us courage.

Courage after big strokes of the destiny. Not only to survive, but to go through, to admit we are changed, to make new life for ourself. To open again to the word. To continue, even changed. To reflorish again.

A very well written book that I could not put down or not easy, even to sleep. After I finished, I wanted to know more about its author.

Judith Michael does not exist.

For more then 15 years now, a couple, Judith and Michael write together romances, books. From very modest they did see more then millions of their books sold.

Judith Barnard (born 1934) (same year as me) and Michael Fain (born 1937) a few years younger, they begin to publish together, as I see, only after having made each their own career.

They went through terrible problems, she did have a breast cancer. They used it to strengthen others too, not writing about cancer but someone whose appearance did change. The heroine in the novel, an actress who after a terrible accident had to cope with a new body, new face. Grey hair.

"But I love you, I love you for how you are, what I are, as you look now, he said to her."

After reading their interview, the book took more significance to me. Told me even more. What a great courage that couple has! Use in fiction - romantic beautifully written one - what they went through, for him to tell "Yes, you did change but I love you how you are" and her, to go on and out, as I think she did, she does.

Toastmaster's International

Have you ever heard of the Toastmasters?

They do more then Toast a drink: they learn together how to speak in public, and do it as often as they meet, and even more...

Weather we like to speak up in public at the beginning or we are to shy to do it, at the Toastmaster's meetings we learn to do it better and more effectively. We gain courage.

I did!

I remained alone, when I was 41 years old, and needed to prove myself my life was not over. Found a work for a year (which became three) near Washington, USA and looked around to see if anyone ever will still look at me.

One place a did look, was at the Toasmaster's meetings, the first reason I went there. But as you know, one often gets something other then we go for, in whatever we go to, and this was not exception.

I did not find anyone, at least not there.

What i did find was confidence to speak in public. To stand up and speak. To convince. To look in the eyes of those before me. To module my speech on their reaction, and so much more.

Thirty years ago, when I first went to my first Toastmaster's International meeting in North Virginia very near Washington DC, I was afraid to stand up for two minutes and speak on any topic, whether I was given or was from me. Now days, I can hardly believe it, but is is true. After a year, going twice a week to the meetings, I got more and more courage and knowledge. To speak and to listen too.

Also, yes, I have to admit, my listening skills need more retouching then my speaking ones. I did speak for almost an hour a month ago, without too much problems, of course, I had my photos to show at the same time and statistics on a screen linked to a computer and the web. But listening?

Yes, next time, I have been given the task to listen and record the hesitations, er, mm, etc. and even the 'you know' of other speakers. I find it will be a very difficult and very useful task for me, even if in the pub, after the meeting, when I was give it I did complain. I am sure, I'll learn a lot from it!

Yes, and there is a blog, speaking to all London's Toastmasters or those who are interested to become one, to learn like we do some more confidence and techniques of public speech. Freddie Daniells, whose picture I have taken fast last Tuesday, after the meeting is writing it. Not only the leader of "division b" whatever that means, but a very good speaker and Toastmaster, having lead, the last meeting I participated to in Lee.

It was after the meeting, when some of us went to continue speaking in a pub. As I do not go often to pub, I then have taken a picture of the pool table and someone playing "I come here to have good time" told me and yes, you can take picture of me, "but I am not yet very good at playing it". As I do not play at all, what was important for me is the movement.

The movement, of course, is important also while we speak, also the voice and rhythm of speech, not only what we say but also how , it is important also. I had a wonderful example of it the same day, when the United Kingdoms Premier minister, Brown, spoke for 35 minutes at the congressmen and senators in Washington. It was a wonderful speech! Another example from were I could learn!

And here is a set of some larger movements, taken at another of the Toastmasters meeting.

Good intentions

In the pond a windy day: moving,
originally uploaded by Julie70.

Having found a great teacher, Tanakawho a great photographer from Japan, this month for the Afterclass, for a theme chosen Animals around us, this month I can relax.

Take it easy.

Be more active and also loose the weight I gained last weeks.

I am back to where I was in September last year!

- Why? What happened? the Weight Watchers animator asked me, yesterday.

I told her a funny story. A true story.

I was invited for the Christmas diner and at that occasion, I received a gift: a box of chocolates. I was very "good" and "forgot" the box there - to keep me far from temptation, of course.

The next time I met, they gave me the "forgotten" gift. I took it and, of course, once home, I could not resist and eat it all.

Everyone laughed, at the Weight Watchers meeting. They did understand, so well!

The tale was true. But not the real answer to the question.

I did not gain weight because of the chocolate. I did not gain weight because my family was away for Christmas time. I did not gain weight because of someone other.

Thinking more about what happened, why from December I begun to gain back weight, this morning I remembered: I stopped swimming every morning towards the end of the last year!

I went away from the Weight Watchers yesterday, full of good intentions and bought lots of vegetables. "It is heavy, but it is worth it" I told myself.

After eating some carrots, tomatoes, I cooked the big mushroom put a bit of Parmesan on it, added a skinned chicken leg.

Later, I prepared a big casserole of mixed vegetable soup for the evening and next days.

Good intentions.

Alas, I forgot the soup on, it burned. No vegetable remained in it, all carbonized! Nothing else burned, but the vegetables, but I'll have to begin all over again.

And I'll stick with my diet from now on, go back to swim in the mornings. Tomorrow!

What we see

The spring flowers rise from a bed of fall leaves that still remained under the bushes. They are nice in small size, also, but if you click on it, you can see a better, big size of them.

I took a bunch of photos of the same ones, from farther, and so from more of them together, but this one is the one I prefer so far, one has a better feeling of the closeness of fall (winter leaves) and the spring fragile flowers of the beginning of March.

Beginnings and endings together.

Yesterday, raining, I looked at an old box and found a notebook from 2002 with writings I have yet to put on the computer. I found a big gap between how I did believe that year went for me and what the texts tells me. It was a happy meeting.

Buds of early spring

Buds of early spring
Originally uploaded by Julie70

I just heard on the early TV, as I woke up toward five this morning, that the next days the cold arrives again.

The warm, nice days never last enough!

Unless they are too hot, in middle of August, as some time they are in some towns or countries.

I just published a snow photo taken yesterday in New York, being on the web, I feel so much "in the world"!

We had a bit of sun yesterday, but it is raining outside. I'll not go out!

Why not? Walking in the rain can be also interesting!

In fact, any weather, any place, if I look at its half full side, can give something to be happy about. It comes from me, not from outside! But today, till now, it's a gloomy day for me. It depends only on me to change it!

One does not need a lot!

London spring flowers_0011
Originally uploaded by Julie70

Two flowers under a tree, spring.

One does not need a bunch of flowers, even if I did find sometimes, enchanted lots of them. For example as separations between two houses: what a charming way to unite more then separate!

This morning I was finally told I have to take out ALL my blogs from the list in flickr and then add them back, in order to be able again, after weeks, to send images from my flickr site to my blogs.

It worked!

Any time something hurts us and then magically it goes away, ok, sometimes not alone, we have to do something for that to happen: what a joy! My teeth does not hurt any more! I can walk again!

My images come almost alone now from one place to the other...

But the thoughts it brought me this morning were different ones, the memories of times I had to leave things to go on, to continue my life. Each time, it gave me a heart ache, each time it was necessary, it was worth it.

Today, I do celebrate with this two crocus under the tree. My soul is full of joy.