She came up to greet me this morning, and I could see she was happy. Almost smiling, definitely purring. Her eyes half closed. I love her black nose and her black chin. I had to take a photo. Crazy cat mom, that’s me.
Cat portrait
Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown
I'm an artist based at the Spode factory site in Stoke on Trent. I paint, draw and create digital art. Contact me at mallabandbrown@aol.com
Esther Chilton prompt “future”
We were asked to write to the prompt future and as I don’t have a crystal ball I decided to look back at what our future selves might remember.
“In future when people look back at the first quarter of the twenty first century what will be remembered? A first black American president, increasing global temperatures? Will the remember the global financial crash with Lehmann brothers? Bird flu and Sars then a global pandemic of Covid 19. Massive forest fires, huge hurricanes, tremendous tornados? The deaths of famous people including Queen Elizabeth the Second. Madness of global leaders? Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, so many wars.
Will our future selves see a disintegrated world, a dystopia bought on by the lack of interest in pollution or global warming. Big business using its powers to continue to push oil and gas and plastic use? Will our seas fill with more pollution or the pollenating insects die off so crops fail.
Will they see this part of the century as depressing, or will we take the future into our hands and pass on a cleaner and greener future to our children and their descendants?”
I think £40.
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?
I went to a Chinese restaurant recently in my home town. We spent a little more than usual. Possibly double the cost than I usually pay? I don’t go out very often anymore unless it’s for a coffee or tea. It was a real treat and gave me a chance of using chopsticks for a change.
The food came in a few courses, starter, then soup, various main selections with rice, then a tasty dessert. Unfortunately I can’t remember the names of the various dishes. But they were all well presented, colourful, and well spiced. It was definitely worth it. I don’t have any photos of the food. It was too nice to waste time on taking pictures.
Mural on cafe wall
I went out today to the health clinic. My friend helped me out so we went off for a hot chocolate afterwards. We were going to one cafe but the road was closed because some buildings are being knocked down. So we took a side street and ended up at Middleport pottery in Stoke-on-Trent.
The cafe there is in one of the old pottery buildings and overlooks the canal. I’m not sure who painted this mural but it is a delicate one that includes the love birds that appear on willow pattern plates and pots.
We sat near the door in a cool breeze and I enjoyed a rest after walking the short distance from the car park over the cobbled roadway to the cafe. I felt like I could start to recover.
Illness
I’d be curled up asleep
The cracks showing
My breath is no purr
More a slurring creak
I’ve been seen by the doctor
Medication prescribed
Now I wait for recovery
Bleugh
Tired and fed up.
I forgot there was sky
Looking up, not at a roof, but at the sky. I’d forgotten it was there. The privet tree and hedge are missing, and I feel their loss, but if I want to look up for meteors or to try and see aurora I can do it now. And you can’t take the garden off me. That garden where I’ve seen hedgehogs and squirrels. I will try and get the rest of the garden (the bit I never show you because it’s overgrown) a bit tidier and let more light in (enough) to grow roses and honeysuckle. Xxx
Just a note. Spaceweather.com has updates of astronomical activity and there is a possibility of auroras tonight in North America and Europe!
Complementary
Red and green begonia. The flowers were blooming in the pots at Dorothy Clive garden this weekend. I was amazed at how many had proliferated in numerous containers around the garden. There were other lovely plants but these were the most noticeable.
30 things…
List 30 things that make you happy.
Flowers
Sunshine
Icecream
Shade
Trees
Cats
Purrs
Music
Space
Symphonies
Radio
Television
Films
Documentaries
Food
Hugs
Painting
Gardening
Photography
Friends
Family
Honesty
Oceans
Mountains
Peaches
Home
Swimming
Art
Singing
Astronomy.
Too many mugs
A memory of my cups and mugs a few years ago. Look at the bottom of them and you can often find out where they were manufactured. The image on the bottom is called the back stamp. There’s a lot of people in Stoke on Trent (also known as the Potteries), that check this out. They are called the turn over club? Sometimes you sneak a peak when your mug is full! A dangerous manoeuvre!
Cut
My yard, flowers
Apple tree grows,
Next door? Hedge gone
Cut, hacked, defiled.
The view now, roofs
The birds homes shattered.
Where will the roost tonight,
Open up? Let in the light?
But shade gone, it will be blasted by heat.
The sun not shielded.
A sun trap,
No words can tell my despair?
They left a mess and an old fridge!
Well that’s nice to look at
Not!
