Yesterday, in a fit of early morning zeal, I got the bike out and cycled around for half an hour. This was yet another attempt to lose weight and get some degree of fitness. Today, I cycled the five minutes to church, ten minutes coming back against the wind and traffic, and see myself as ready for a long cycling adventure tomorrow, if the wind drops, it's quite strong at the moment.
Yes indeed I might rise early and race slowly up the old railway until my knees give way. That should not take long. The advantage is the Bank Holiday Weekend, this means many people are away and the last dregs of the school holidays begin to come to an end. This week the schools return to be filled with happy cheery children, and miserable adolescents. At the museum we have one more week of the kids, two days actually, then it is the grandparents and parents coming in to see what they missed when they came with the kids.
As I intend to drop one day and work only Tuesday mornings for a while, so I can do the other things for the museum that lie awaiting on this computer, i will also be able to take more time on the bike and on the bus pass. When the holidays are over I can get a holiday. Or at least a day out on the bus! How I need to be out and about a wee bit more, my mind needs refreshment and my body needs the following rest. Already this week sees an improvement as I eat better and sleep more.
I do, as some remember, like portraits. This one here dates from the 1850's and I winder if it is from the USA? Something about it speaks of east coast wealth, maybe that's just me. Possibly because of the somewhat long exposure time the lady in the picture cannot avoid offering us a face full of stress. However I note what looks like two wedding rings on her finger and wonder if she has been bumping off her men? The outfit looks black, it is of course impossible to tell from the picture what the colour of the dress actually happens to be, but the dark beads round the neck, the crucifix and the general demeanor speaks of sad times. Her dark bracelets also add to the doom laden image.
She appears to be no more than thirty years of age and it is perfectly possible in the 1850's to lose two husbands in short time, and if in the USA possibly through gunfire of course! Her men may have gone west to make their fortune and failed to return, it is likely disease carried them away.
Poor lass, if my guesswork is correct she will have had enough problems and need no more. I wonder who she was, I wonder if she is just a model, I wonder if her husbands were rich and I wonder where did the money go....?
1 comment:
She was a good-looking woman. An unknown subject in a portrait from days of yore...is good fodder for one's imagination.
Spring will spring here this week...how quickly this year is flying by...and so quickly our winter is disappearing down the plug hole! I'm going to protest. I want more winter!!!!!
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