The Thrill Of What You Already Have #2

Floss has posted a Railway poster of Edinburgh this month

Last month I reduced the Dunfermline poster to a palette of six colours and found pottery to match.

But what to do with this one? I was struck by two things – the shapes which were outlined and the fact that it is the great capital city of Edinburgh. I reduced the diagram to some basic shapes.

• In the centre, two dark rectangles.
• To the right, the spire of the Scott Memorial 
• Below them a white cloud of steam
• And the leafy green foliage of trees.
• At the edges of the picture, the buildings of Princes Street, and the area round the Castle.

Then I collected a few items which remind me of Edinburgh

• my collection of Ian Rankin ‘Rebus’ books
• the jester hat we bought on holiday at Festival time in ‘97
• a baby shawl – made by a Scottish friend in ‘82
• my tartan skirt
• a collection of Scottish shortbread tins with tartan patterns

These are all important for different reasons and the memories connected with them:

• The Rebus Collection: I really enjoy Ian Rankin’s books, and in the interviews I have read, he comes across as a good bloke, with a real concern for family life. My entire family loves relaxing by reading, especially on holiday.
• The hat: Steph, with a broken leg, being pushed round Edinburgh in a wheelchair, yet retaining her good humour and proudly wearing her hat with the jingling bells.
• The shawl: Liz, a new born baby. She finally arrived safely after a very difficult pregnancy. I wrapped her in this shawl to bring her home from the hospital, so grateful to have her alive and well.
• The kilt: ‘You can’t go wrong with a nice kilt’ Mum always said. I was really pleased to be able to make this one from a longer one given to me by a friend. I think of Mum whenever I wear it [and the friend who gave me the original skirt].
• The shortbread tins: All of these represent Christmas gifts from Church members here. I am so grateful for these people – and their love and support which is evident throughout the whole year, not just in the festive season.

All these things are still being used regularly [the shawl was wrapped round Baby Jesus for ‘Get In The Picture’, and I usually wear the hat for Carol Singing]

Thanks Floss for this inspiration. It began as a geometric exercise, and ended as a reflection on how blessed I am to have my family and my many friends who care for me. The thrill of what I already have in terms of ‘things’ is far outweighed by the joy of those good relationships.