Pale Blue Dot

I was reading about Voyager 1 today - a wonderful NASA experiment- and during my research, I learned that Carl Sagan asked the team in charge if they could turn Voyager's camera back to face earth for a photograph, the result of which is the photo above. You can just make out Earth as a tiny pale blue dot about half way down the right hand brown line. Humbling, isn't it?

Incidentally, Voyager 1 is carrying a brilliant phonograph record with all sorts of music, photos and greetings, together with instructions on how to use it and binary versions of our science. It reminded me of Contact, the Jodie Foster movie dedicated to Carl. Knowing what I now know, I can see why they dedicated it to him. It's called the Golden Record. The picture above is the instructions for how to use it.

Burda, the best magazine in the world!

Seriously, it has wonderful German engineering. In any one issue, it has approximately 50+ sewing patterns of dresses, skirts, trousers, blouses, coats, cardigans. It even has the odd pattern for boys. The sewing patterns are all contained in a veritable road map on thin newsprint paper. The deal is that you have to trace your desired pattern on to pattern paper (I use baking paper, wonderful and dirt cheap) and that way you can use all the patterns that the magazine provides you with. I hope this magazine never goes out of production. I intend to be still making things from it in years to come! Wunderbar! (It's a German magazine translated, sometimes slightly comically, into English.)

New friends and more theatre

In September, it seems ages ago now, my evenings were pretty much filled with helping out with the costumes for the Count of Monte Cristo, a rock opera based on the Alexander Dumas novel. It was great fun, assisting the lovely Ailsa Rendell. Doing mostly alterations of exisiting costumes, it was nice to be able to actually make the leading lady's dress from scratch, such a pretty style. I'll put some pictures up. I might make something similar for myself. The cast were lovely, such good fun. I had my first experience of a "quick change" too which was super nerve-wracking but such an adrenaline rush! The leading man transformed from a dirty prisoner into the Count in approximately 4 seconds which was quite a change!

Tuna Ice Lollies

Jason woke up one morning, leaned over to me and asked, "Have we got any string?" No explanation, nothing. So I pointed him in the right direction. Before long, he tied these little discs on the clothes drier at the radiator. They went down a treat. Tuna water, diluted in water and then frozen into tuna ice lollies. Just the ticket for hot cats in the summer.

Are you supposed to be in/up there? Part II

Benki in the fridge....

On the way to the studio one day...

I saw this dead rat, which was disgusting enough and then I saw a seagull acting suspiciously.....

Happy Birthday Jason!

Bacon sandwiches in bed for the birthday boy and presents. He had a good day, lucky boy.