Days of Gratitude - Art And Autscape And Sparklies In The Dark

Five more days of gratitude.

The first of them really did go wrong.  I had good plans - to go and sing shape note music in a chapel at Beamish Museum.  Due to a miscommunication they didn't come to fruition and I was left at home with a packed bag for the day.  I could have stayed at home.  But decided that they would be another plan.  So I went out and let the plan develop as it happened.  The replacement plan didn't go to plan either in many ways.  But I was still able to have a really good day and visited somewhere I've never been to before.  The art looks great on the walls of this room I'm sitting in.  The cheap art.  Very cheap.  The total cost of the five pictures was £4.50.  I'm actually quite proud of finding the bargains.

The five days ended at Autscape, the conference/gathering of autistic people that runs each year.  I must point out at this point that the friend mentioned who couldn't get to Autscape was not a Dalek.

13^th August

Today's plan went completely wrong. An excuse for inventing another plan.

I walked on Hadrian's Wall.

I sat by a river.

And I bought cheap pictures.

14^th August

Tynemouth Market

Grateful for a poetry book and a few pretty stones from Tynemouth followed by a short wander.

The gateway to Tynemouth Priory.  We didn't go inside.

I was too tired to actually walk by the sea as planned.  But that didn't matter.  Seeing the river was good and those two obviously enjoyed it.



15^th August

A half cheat.

Grateful for socks. Grateful that in the last year I have stopped wearing black socks every day and now wear all sorts of colours. And sometimes giraffes.

 Grateful (and this is the cheat half) that within the next 24 hours (tomorrow) I will be at Autscape for a few days of autistic space, something that is a very rare thing in an allistic majority world. Last year's Autscape changed things for me in unforeseen ways.

16^th August


We are at Autscape.

This year I know some people already, have child with me, and a friend from Newcastle.

Two pictures from the day.  The first was taken at the informal badge decorating.  The second was taken at Sparklies.  Photo credit to @quarridors

Check out this Vine video of what the lights look like through my heart glasses.  Through my difraction glasses they look even more crazy.

17^th August


Grateful to be at Autscape.

Maybe most grateful for the hours spent NOT at Autscape.

Amanda and I went to spend a couple of hours in Settle with a friend who couldn't make Autscape this time.

 And then we paddled in the river.