Poppys and roses

Having spent a conscientous couple of hours studying, I feel I can now allow myself some fun for the rest of the day! I should mention, studying on a Saturday is not normally something that happens with me, but with assignment deadlines looming next month and a week's holiday to Edinburgh the week after next (can't wait!) on which I will be unable (and even more unwilling than usual) to study, it just had to be done.

So, having paid my dues to the world of health informatics for the day, I took a stroll to photograph some of the lovely poppies which are gathering on the roadsides nearby my house. There's something about poppies and their ephemeral nature which is just charming, You would love to take them home and put them in a vase but you know that if you do, they'll soon be withered (and also you shouldn't really pick wildflowers). Best to leave them in the wild for all to enjoy. Maybe this is why beauty always makes me a little sad - you can't capture and hold it, and you know eventually it must die.

Then again, I suppose photographs are some form of capture of beauty!

This was tricky as far as photography goes (I'm no pro in that field) - a very strong wind making it difficult to focus and also blurring the colours. Still, I got there in the end!

As if the lovely poppies weren't enough beauty and charm for one day, when I reached home the doorbell rang, and a parcel which I've been eagerly awaiting since the start of the week arrived. I bought a tea cup and saucer from eBay with a Royal Albert Old English Rose design. I have a thing about tea cups at the moment (probably springing from my long term love of tea and cake!), and couldn't resist this one.

Here it is resplendent on the new Granny Square Throw:

This particular eBay purchase all started with a visit to Liberty's (which I haunt with the frequency of a Victorian ghost!) and me cooing over the current range of Royal Albert china, which is all in pink and blue pastel. Not being able to justify the expense, I turned to eBay and found the above! Obviously an older pattern but so pretty!