Take 2 - A Trip To Oxford

First of all, WELCOME to my new followers! Even though my following is few, I truly appreciate each and every one of you, please feel free to introduce yourselves... and thank you for follwing! 

Now, on with the show. Last week I was lucky enough to have not one but TWO consecutive days off... so I decided to take the opportunity to visit Oxford, where my LA sister is currently residing with her man. 

I'd never been to Oxford before, and was surprised by how close it is, despite living in the Midlands Countryside. 
It really is a beautiful city, full of history and countless quaint little villages. We accomplished so much in 48 hours that I have decided to split my trip into separate posts, as there are many, many photos and lots to share... it would be a tad tiresome to digest in one sitting! 


And so we come to Oxford, Part One. 


Monday, I collected my sister and begin the drive to Oxfordshire... stopping at a couple of little villages on the way, just to make sure they didn't have a plethora of untapped thrifted treasures waiting to be Biddled... disappointingly, they did not. On the way, we came across this fellow...

 I knew pigs could fly, I knew elephants could fly, but hey, no one ever told me sharks could fly!(Although arguably they can't land, as evidenced by this photo!)

Finally, we made it to our resting place. Where we sipped on red wine before heading out into the dusky Oxford evening.

Our walk into town led us along the canal and into a field, where we found yet another aquatic fellow who, like his  sharp toothed friend, had failed miserably in his aerodynamic endeavors.

In the city centre, we began the night playing phonetic Scrabble (a Biddle invention, full of fun and surprisingly difficult, particularly when you play regular Scrabble as frequently as we do!)...

Phonetic Scrabble! 


Next we shared a delightfully English night picnic, washed down with sneaky beers, on the stones step to one of the many historical buildings Oxford has to offer

We ended the night at The Gloucester Arms, where I indulged in another favourite pasttime of mine!

I treated the locals to "Calling Dr Love" by Kiss hahaha


Then it was home to bed to recharge for the full day of sightseeing ahead!


Part 2 soon, with an abundance of photos to accompany it!


Love, love

Oh heavens. Will I ever learn?

Last night my sister and I went out with our work friends as a sort of farewell for my sister, whose departure back to Los Angeles is imminent. Unfair. Apparently I decided to drown my sorrows in jagermeister. And wine. And vodka. And beer. Oh, what fun was had sharing stories and giggles, pretending for just one night that I had adopted some sort of magical drinking karma...

I had not. 

Woeful is the girl who wakes up on a blissfully sunny day, full of hope and promise, with what can only be described as an invisible steel bar drilled through her temples. Ouch. Needless to say I was resigned to my bed for the best part of the day. Missing the glorious summers day beyond my window, and cursing the negative after effects of mixing my drinks. A favourite quote from The House Of Mirth by Edith Wharton comes to mind; 

"...was feeling the pleasant languor which is youth's penalty for dancing till dawn"

Although there was surely nothing pleasant about my situation, I found that it was vastly improved by the following, for which I could not be more grateful: 

1. My sister making me Mac & Cheese. Love. Followed by Pasta Carbonara, buttery brown bread toast and four cheese pizza. Apparently my hangovers crave Italian, and who am I to neglect such things?

2. Tea. Lots of delicious tea. Cherry Cola & Berocca have also proved themselves invaluable throughout the course of the day. 

3. Lounging; Bed, trampoline, sofa. 

4. Music. Zeppelin, Pierces, Regina, Talking Heads, Beatles, The George Mitchell Blues Collection. 

5. Drawing. Painting. Doodling. 

6. Talking with dear friends in distant lands whom I miss terribly.

7. Receiving a precious lil' postcard from my darling Bree. 

8. Remembering past hangover experiences, how amusing they are to me now, and thus how one day, this to shall be nothing more than a fond memory from my carefree youth. 

9. Looking through the photographs from the previous evening, and putting 2 & 2 together. 

10. Writing this here blog about the entire debaucle. 

Evidence:

Here is what I painted today 

Make your own animation

So many pictures today!

Make your own animation


Love, love

He tends the bees in summer. . .

Photo via honeybeesdisappearing.com

If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination … no more men!” 

Albert Einstein

This week, honey bees seem to be the topic of conversation everywhere I look. My sister and I have found several scattered around the garden, looking a little flustered. 

As I'm sure many of you are aware, bees are an integral part of our ecosystem. They greatly assist in cross pollination and reproduction whilst bumbling from plant to plant. Without their help, many species of plants would find it hard to survive... although there is much skepticism on the theory that without bees, human life can not be sustained. 


Personally, I think if bee hives were given to schools or homes for free where requested, we could help to sustain the bee population and protect these wonderful little  creatures from extinction. I can think of nothing more fascinating and whimsical than caring for your own hive of honey bees and enjoying their own sweet honey fresh from your garden ^_^ 


The Guardian have complied a list of things we can do to help honeybees, which can be found here


Finally. . . I would like to share with you a claymation music video my wonderfully talented friend Alice made. I used one of the lyrics for my bee-blog title. It is truly adorable . . . Enjoy!

Mountain Man from Alice Nicholas Wood on Vimeo.
Music & stop motion animation by Alice Wood.


For more information on honey bees please visit http://honeybeesdisappearing.com/


Until then, pick some dandelions and do some pollinatin' like me hehe ;) A weed is just a flower growing where it doesn't belong ♥

Photo: Bree Bonneau 2009

Love, love

Nothing Lasts Forever

People die, memories fade, friends move, lovers come and go, technology becomes obsolete, books are finished, songs end, people grow, relationships change, broken hearts heal, bank balances ebb and flow, shoes wear out, arguments are resolved, bad moods improve, awful jobs end, needs evolve, desires modify. 

In a lifetime, our selves and everything around us is constantly shifting. Nothing we do, nothing we hate, nothing we love. . know one we know,  is forever. You will never be who you are today again. 

These words come to you from a place of indifference; no anger, no sorrow, just clarity: appreciate, smile and simply be. Life is short and nothing lasts forever. 

Photo by Bree Bonneau, 2009