Have you read books by John Wyndham?

Posted on February 26, 2026February 26, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Books, Chocky, Chrysalids, John Wyndham, kraken, lichen, Midwich, Science fiction, TriffidsLeave a comment

I asked this on Threads and mentioned my favourites. The Chrysalids, the Day of the Triffids the Midwich Cuckoos, Chocky, The Trouble with Lichen and the Kraken Wakes were the ones I read.

I know he wrote other short stories, and some of the main novels were turned into films, but they never quite came up to the standards of the original books. Some of them were turned into TV series too.

Reading Wyndham got me into science fiction and I found I loved others too, like Issac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Anne McCaffrey, and Ursula K LeGuin.

Wyndhams style could be chilling, he sets up situations that can trap people and his descriptions are sometimes very macabre. I had the pleasure of reading them in the 1970s, once I’d read one I had to read more.

She purrs

Posted on February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, company, Memory, Sleeping, still sad, Tired, Tuxedo cat, WakingLeave a comment

Lose one cat and another one gets more friendly, wants more attention. The trouble is this one comes and sleeps on my thighs or on my bladder in the morning! It’s very difficult as I wake up…. It makes for uncomfortable feelings. Cramp and aches and well… Desperation!

But I’m so glad to have her here, she and her brother are still here to have them. My memories of all of them are a great comfort.

Flowering cactus

Posted on February 24, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Christmas cactii, Flowers, Growing, Indoor gardening, Life, Orchids, Watering, window sill1 Comment

My Christmas cactuses have finally bloomed in February. The could almost be described as Easter Cactii. The whole windowsill is covered with the. Probably not the best idea if I over water them. I also have orchids. On another sill, but they afe going brown and crispy. I nerd to remember to water them.

Paw print

Posted on February 23, 2026 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Tuxedo cat, Unexpected, Loss, Sadness, Sympathy, Black and white cat, Grief, paw print6 Comments

When I got up this morning there was a letter on the mat. I opened it and it was a sympathy card from the vets who had treated my poorly cat a couple of weeks ago, and eventually had to put him to sleep.

It was so kind, they said they could see we had a close bond and that I cared very much for my cat. I am so sad but proud that they felt this and had taken the time to write to me. I will treasure his pawprint forever.

Award winner is..

Posted on February 23, 2026 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Memory, History, Poster, Winner, proud, recruitment, CV, award, 80sLeave a comment

Yes, many years ago, in the 80s, I won an award for something I designed. It was a recruitment poster. I don’t think anything was done about actually using it. It’s probably stuck on top of an old cupboard somewhere? But for a short while I had the frisson of winning something.

I don’t think my name was even engraved on the shield, I think the place I was studying didn’t think a poster was serious enough. Not proper research, which is why I’m not going into detail. But for a while it was firmly on my CV.

After Escher ?

Posted on February 21, 2026 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged after Escher, Art, Digital drawing, Fine Art, History, lost powers, Memories, Poem, Poetry, Time1 Comment

Look into the crystal ball

See what you can see?

Is it a reflection

or is it really me?

Trapped in time and hidden

Never to grow old

A portrait is an instant

In time, no longer told.

Memory of power

Ability to do

But time just gets slower

A reminder of you.

A big ache

Posted on February 20, 2026 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aches and pains, arm, Doctor, Health, lack of sleep, Left, physiotherapy, Sleep, Tired2 Comments

Winter is fading but my aches and pains aren’t. Constant use of my left shoulder seems to have aggravated it. I’m used to getting in and out of cars on the right hand side, but since I had to scrap my car I’ve had to use the passenger side more.

Today was bad, just lifting my left arm is difficult. I think I need to get some physiotherapy. I will book an appointment with the doctor next week. I might sleep in my chair tonight because I’m finding it incredibly hard to get comfortable when I lie down.

Life, you don’t realise how painful it can be…..

Buddha

Posted on February 19, 2026 Posted in Cat, Fine Art, Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged acrylic on canvas blurred vision, Buddha painting, Cat, Fine Art, Memories, Small painting, Thoughts4 Comments

I went to art group for the first time in weeks and picked up a small, 6×4 in canvas.

I haven’t done a painting for ages, my Parkinsons is bad and looking close up is difficult because although I’m cataract free, they also cured my short sightedness and I find it hard to focus on close objects, basically closer than about a foot things get blurred. I need to get some ordinary reading glasses because the ones I’ve got are too strong.

Then I saw a tiny, gold painted, plastic Buddha. Of all the things that I could choose to paint, this seemed like the right karma. The brushes were a bit rough and not easily pointed. It was hard to see the details, but in about an hour I managed to paint him. The best thing? Someone in the group said they really liked it. So I gave it them.

In other news, I know I haven’t been here much lately. I miss my cat so much. It’s another loss I’m struggling to come to terms with. Love to you all.

Friendship

Posted on February 14, 2026 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Goodbye, Lonely, Lost, Memory, Poem, Poetry, Sad, Tuxedo cat7 Comments

He would sit by my side

Keeping me company

My heart is heavy now…

He’s gone

How do I know he loved me?

His purring voice

His kneading paws

He was my two toned friend

Walking away, a single look back

Goodbye, I’ll see you later…

(for my cat)

Farewell

Posted on February 12, 2026 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Big cat, Black and white cat, Gone, Loss, rainbow Bridge, Rest in peace, Sad, Tired, Tuxedo cat16 Comments

Farewell Woody cat
A huge chunk of my life has just passed over the rainbow bridge and it’s such a shock. He’s been quiet and sleepy for a few days so I took him to the vets. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure and they couldn’t do anything for him.
I’m in bits. He was a quirky cat who slept on the middle steps of the stairs and endangered me every time I tried to get past him. He was a big soft giant of a cat and would put his paw out when he was lying down to say hi. I will miss him very much.