On the street where I live..."Suitcase Man"

There's a man who wanders the streets around where we live. I think he might be homeless, he walks around in corduroy trousers, pointy shoes and wears a hat on his head, and he always carries a suitcase. The kids and I fondly refer to him as 'suitcase man'. The special thing about suitcase man is that he is compelled to do a dance, some sort of step and shuffle, repeated several times, every time he comes across a manhole/drain cover on the street. I have watched in amazement as he almost got himself run over because he had to finish his dance on a manhole in the middle of the road, even though the traffic lights had changed!

So I got to wondering whether suitcase man had stumbled on something important about these manholes. So I decided to indulge my inner suitcase man and stop and pay homage to one every time I came across one. It turns out that once you open your eyes to look for a particular thing, you'll see hundreds of them where previously they had gone unnoticed. They are actually quite beautiful, they really are. I love the patterns on them and the fact that something so mundane and practical in its nature has had so much detail and craftsmanship lavished on it. Here are some photos, taken on my street:

 

I think suitcase man might be on to something. Whilst I wouldn't necessarily do a public step and shuffle, I think a thing of beauty should always be acknowledged in some way. Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, and once we become accustomed to really 'seeing', there are a wealth of things that can enrich us.

I do love this time of year..

So it's autumn, (at least I think it is, it probably should be winter by now but the temperatures are all over the place), and it's only four weeks till Christmas! Maybe because I live in the centre of town, I've become a bit obsessed with photographing trees. I love the patterns and colours, I only wish I was a better photographer and had a better camera so I could do these beautiful trees justice.

I can't wait till the beginning of December,  when I have 'permission' to be all christmassy. In readiness, I have acquired some branches with which I intend to make an alternative christmas tree. I have decided not to get a tree this year. Our flat is too small, and last year I got depressed watching the tree slowly die in the corner of the living room, despite my obsessive watering and sprinkling.
So this year, I will stick the branches in a pot and paint them white and hang baubles and things off it. (Not sure the kids are totally convinced about this idea, they didn't seem that keen when I mentioned it..) Anyways, watch this space. In the meantime, here are my magnificent branches!...(I should point out that I didn't just go out and chop them off a tree, they came from a tree that had already been cut back, and the branches were on the ground, ready to be disposed off, so I guess I'm doing my bit for recycling..)

 

Admittedly I got a bit carried away, and they are rather large, and the whole thing looks a bit stark at the moment, but let's see how it works out (and let's hope no one pokes their eyes out on the thing!) I was going to wind white wool round it rather than paint it but I suspect it would take me too long.

Trees shedding their leaves in autumn is really beautiful and in the starkness of winter, the trees replenish themselves, ready for spring. It makes me wonder about the beauty that is to be found in simplicity, in the simple things. Is it possible to celebrate Christmas simply? My intention is to make lots of gifts rather than buy them, but I hope I am able to do this, rather than leave it all too late and end up dashing round like a crazed woman doing last minute shopping like I usually do.