Tag: England

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Random revelations culled during our recent visit to Wincanton, UK

The weather in England isn’t always rainy and miserable.  In fact, while we were there, it was glorious, sunny and perfect!

Climbing to the top of the Glastonbury Tor isn’t nearly as easy as it looks.  The view from the top, while gorgeous, is a bit scary.  It’s windy as all get out.  But it is soooo worth it and IMHO, should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Dorset and Somerset have some of the most beautiful countryside in all of Christendom. Or at least the U.K., based on my limited knowledge of the country. And that of my stepson, a UK native.

Wincanton in Somerset is a beautiful and enjoyable market town, not just a racecourse, although having visited, it does spark in me the desire to re-read Dick Francis and the books by his son, Felix as well.

Visit the Wincanton Primary School schoolyard in the afternoon and watch the parents pick up their children, you’ll feel like you’re watching the start of schoolyear at Hogwarts (minus the wands and book of incantations of course). I have to give my hubs attribution for this observation since he’s the one who aired it as we wound our way through the (mostly) fair-haired youngsters and their equally fair-haired parents, nans and granddads.

There’s an awesome farm store offering local meats, produce, and other great British food treats located between Sherborne and Shaftesbury. It won the gold medal at Taste of the West in 2014, so check it out if you are in the area.

Speaking of Shaftesbury, what a lovely, lovely place!  We took a daytrip there and started with the best “full English” breakfast I think I’ve ever had – it was at The John Peel . Then, we had to work off the meal, of course, so trekked over to Gold Hill, a breathtakingly picturesque hill that’s been dubbed one of the most romantic sights in England. It has been featured in movies, television ads, on the cover of books and more. Don’t miss it if you are in the area.

One final stop during our days in Somerset was a visit to Clarks Village in Street (yes, that’s the name of the town — located just across the river from Glastonbury.)  This pretty outdoor outlet mall was made much better by the great spring weather we enjoyed while visiting. It has more than 90 retail outlet stores including great high-end designer shops, along with restaurants and more. A very pleasant and worthwhile trek if you have the time. Especially, if like me, you are a fan of Clark footwear.

Below are a few of the photos of our trip there. If you’d like to see more, jump over to my Photobucket album.

 

 

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2010 in 100 words, more or less

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I gotta say, this was an excellent year for me personally and professionally!

I dove headfirst into art this year, reorganized and formalized my studio, and by chance scored my first solo show at an upscale restaurant in Nashville for six weeks from late June to Father’s Day.  Great timing except Nashville’s millenial flood took place the weekend of my scheduled reception.  Most I knew were fortunate and suffered no or minimal losses but many areas were devastated.  My reception ended up closing the show, more or less, but still a nice crowd and healthy sales meant I could claim professional artist status!   At year end, my art is
hanging in several venues in Middle Tennessee and a few more people are puzzled by the name “Moesse.”

A mid-year turning point meant transitioning from Hazel King’s tutelage to more independent study, and the formation of Collaborative Artists Network (Nashville) – http://www.thecann.org – with fellow painters and dear, dear friends.  A more personal turning point came when I took a stand against a loved one, ending a pattern of enabling.  By year end, I’m glad to say, it was proven to be a good decision for all involved and things are looking up on that front.

A wedding in October was special partly because I got to talk to Canadian superstar Bryan Adams and tell him David and I were married to one of his songs (which I’m sure he hears ALL the time).  What made it stellarly special (my phrase in case ya couldn’t tell), was that my dear, great and wonderful brother Barry married the love of his lifetime(s), Gretchen.  I used the plural because, yeah, their spirits have been dancing this love tune for centuries.

Another wedding in November, this time in England, meant a stellar trip across the pond, celebrating the union of two young people, spending great time with David’s family, touring the southwest region, and freezing our butts off.  All before jetting back home just in time to beat the U.K. version of Snowpocalypse!  While there, I discovered snoods, Primark’s cheap but cozy for a season offerings, and an Indian import store offering huge zippered bags on the cheap to lug home our dirty laundry.

December was a blur with unpacking, preparing and mailing out more than a dozen Christmas parcels to friends and family from afar, a few parties, and yes, prepping for and pulling off a New Year’s Day open house. I did little painting, but put at the top of the blog two abstracts that I did that I’m very pleased with.

In closing, know that I’m eagerly anticipating great things for 2011, for two reasons.  First, I have this weird thing for prime numbers (I think because I was born on the 13th in 1959) and 2011 is about as prime as you can get, baby!  Second, my dark-haired brother was the first newcomer to step foot through the door that day, followed by his male black lab, Nigel.  I’m told Scottish tradition says that if a dark-haired male is the first to cross the threshold New Year’s Day, it bodes well for the year.  I’ll take all this as a good, hopeful sign for more good things to come.

Here’s hoping you experience all good things for 2011.
MWS