I’m not a doctor

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

I’m not a doctor, but I always think in situations you should ‘first do no harm’. That is something I try and live by. Even when I’m tempted to do something. That said I am no saint. I get angry like anyone else. But you have to try not to get to upset. I wouldn’t hurt anyone, hit anyone, although as I’ve got older I do swear at, or about people. Thankfully that can’t physically harm, although mentally it might hit home?

One of the problems, still, with social media, is the lack of nuance. What is written is in black and white… There are no grey areas unless you create them in your words. For a long time on one particular site a person was being very antagonistic towards me, everything I said seemed wrong to them. We lived in different countries with different traditions and we couldn’t seem to agree on what was the best way to cooperate… I thought I must find a way so I found an important symbol in that country and did a complicated and detailed drawing of it and offered it as an olive branch. Luckily it worked and things became much more harmonious afterwards, we even became friends.

I guess all I can say is try and be diplomatic if you can. You should still tell the truth, but in a constructive way, and try and do no harm. I think hurting someone can only come back and bite you!

Developing tulips

The top left tulip and bottom right are both the same type, but the top left one has developed and the colour is coming out. The other still has a green tinge. The top left is a different, more rounded type, but there is a yellow throat to it. Finally the bottom left was a larger pale pink flower. I’m loving the way they are developing.

Got new Glitter pens

Experimenting with new felt pens

Doodling on cartridge paper which was a nice surface to draw on. I’m using a different sketchbook and got some new glittery felt pens. Unfortunately the sparkle is not very strong. I then added black liner pen and some gold pen. I almost added a face to this, but left it as finished. However if I can add it digitally as a background I might have a go at drawing over it in a digital app……

Devon

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

Of all the places I’ve stayed on holiday, Devon is my favourite.

We used to visit a friend from college who had moved back there. He lived on the outskirts of a city and was happy to put us up as houseguests of him and his family.

We had many pleasant times there. We tied our bicycles on the roof of the car and cycled around the countryside on the bikes. The Devon hills almost made me give up, they were so undulating and steep. Cycling up and down the hills and banks, out to beautiful secluded beaches and bays. Devon banks (hedges and walls) made the roads sheltered and narrow. You had to take care not to run into cars coming along in the other direction.

We visited several times over the years. Exploring far and wide. Sometimes we stayed in caravans and watched massive thunderstorms and lightning hitting the Cornish Coast across the bay.

We used the city as a jumping off point. Visiting abbeys and steam trains. We bought Mead made with honey, and I spent time exploring caves in the south west. (the furthest south in England I think). I have memories of sunshine and sunburn. Falling off my bike coming down a steep hill too quickly. Sunny, happy memories.

Stone

I found this cold green stone in my bag today. I don’t know how many months it had been in there. Wrapped in green tissue paper, carefully sealed up with tape. I could feel its shape through the layers of paper but not how it felt. It could have been anything I suppose.

I’m a collector of stones, fossils, crystals, ‘dust gatheters’ I don’t know why I started or when it became a collection. Just nice, shiny, pieces of rock or stone, some polished like this, others hard and rough, fools gold, carborundum, but mainly quartz. I even made my own crystal using a supersaturated solilution and string. I don’t remember the chemical I used….

Our woody garden

A few photos from our garden today. It’s suddenly filled with life and colour. Big bumble bees fly around the cherry and pear blossoms. Hopefully we will get a good crop again. Old red geraniums have colonised the garden. We bought three plants from the Dorothy Clive garden a few years ago. White wild garlic flowers are opening and spreading under the trees, and Spanish bluebells from my grandma’s garden are loving the early spring shade. Birds sing, blackbirds are starting to nest and the Robin flits around looking for food. I’m happy to be out in the dappled shade next to a busy road. The shelter of the trees calms me.

Odd fungi

These are growing at the base of an old dead tree. I have no idea what they are. There is another lot a bit closer in to the tree which may be small shaggy inkcaps

All around everything is coming to life. I will post more photos later of blossom and bluebells (sadly the Spanish type which hybridises with English ones) but we keep them as they were from my grandma’s garden. We also have patches of wild garlic coming into flower….