I like snakes

Posted on June 24, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Animal, Corn snake, Fete, Fun, Life, Lizard, SnakeLeave a comment

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Facebook just showed me this from a year ago. I had visited Hartshill and harpfields organisations summer fete and they had a stall with grass snakes, a boa constrictor, lizards and tarantulas. They were all well looked after and I got to hold this corn snake. You can feel the muscles tense and relax under its skin.

The first time I ever held a snake was in juniot school. Everyone else was scared and thought they would be slimy. They are not. Their skin is smooth and warm. Just because they are cold blooded does not make them cold animals.

I always ask to hold snakes if they are on display on stalls..

Nice bowl, too expensive

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bowl, Ceramics, Design, Interesting, Pottery, PrettyLeave a comment

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I saw this gorgeous large bowl for sale today. The diameter was about 2 foot. The colours and pattern were right up my street. But…..

£200! Beautiful but too expensive for my tastes.

It was one if many bowls and pots for sale, including a tapas dish. It’s nice to look at things like that, but you don’t have to buy.

Please complete this form

Posted on June 23, 2019June 24, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Computers, Creative writing, Duologue, Internet, Life, Short story, Very short storyLeave a comment

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Good morning, I am your assessor, please fill in this form.

How?

Online

….. How?

Online, on your laptop.

I don’t have a laptop!

On your PC or smart phone then.

….. Excuse me?

Yes?

I don’t own a laptop, PC or smartphone. I only have a pay as you go phone….
Well use the library….

… But the library is shut. They closed it and made people redundant. Now they don’t have enough volunteers.

Don’t you have a friend or relative to help you?

I don’t, they are all elderly.

Well, you can use the web cafe down the road.

Where’s that?

Down the road, in the precinct.

OK, thanks….. One more question?

Yes?

How do you use a computer, I’ve never owned one or used one! I’m 63, always worked with my hands, never used anything but pencil and paper. Never did IT at school, we used slates and chalk till I was ten. Finished school at 13. Went to work down the pit.

Sorry sir. You will have to find someone else to help you, your time is up!

Who spoke

Posted on June 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedLeave a comment

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It was you?

No it was you!

I heard you speak,

I didn’t.

Well someone did. And it wasn’t me.

Look the house is empty.

Everyone but us has left.

Shall we look round the bedrooms?

Are you joking? Let’s just get out.

But I haven’t got transport, there’s no buses. I will have to call a taxi.

Look I don’t like it in here, let’s wait outside.

In the snow?

Yes in the snow…..

But its cold….

I’m not staying here. Can’t you hear that whispering…

Sounds like the TV?

I don’t care, I’m scared

Why?

Because……

I understand, we will go…..

Hey you two! Do you want a glass if wine? A voice asked out of the gloom……

Word play

Posted on June 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Playing, Playing with words, Poem, Poetry, Single wordsLeave a comment

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Sky

Ski

Skys

Keys

Skies

Kites

Tike

takes

stake

Stakes

Steaks

Streaks

Stark

Stare

Stair

Tears

Treats

Traits

Trays

Tries

Trees

True

Try

Tie

Art at the Villas

Posted on June 22, 2019June 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Art at the Villas, Ceramics, Drawing, Life, Oakhill, Painting, Pottery, Print, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Textiles, The Villas, Urban Sketchers, Urban sketchingLeave a comment

I was going to get up early today and going on a community walk along the local canal, but I got up late. I also considered going to an Urban Sketchers event at the Chatterley Whitfield nature reserve. But again I was too late. In the end we went to the Villas which is just down the road. There was an event called art at the Villas. The show was almost at the top of the road on the right hand side. The road is unadopted so go carefully driving up there. We parked at the bottom and walked.

The house we went in and its garden were full of interesting art. There were prints, original tee shirts, paintings, ceramics and a warm welcome. They were also accepting donations for charity. If you feel like visiting its in the Villas up the hill on the right off London Road, Oakhill , Stoke-on-Trent.

Since I was there and had missed other sketching opportunities I did a quick drawing of the garden and summerhouse in the distance.

Scales

Posted on June 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Creative writing, Dial up modem, Dragon, Edit, Floppy disc, long time ago, Mythical, Scales, WritingLeave a comment

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This dragon appeared from my garden hanging baskets photo. I liked the green so thought I would play around with the layout and sketch apps that I use.

I wrote a children’s story about a dragon once. It was a long time ago and I think I still have the floppy disc I saved it on. That was in the time of dial up modems when they used to make that funny dial up tone… Dah Di Dah Dah in a sort of metallic tune.

I never had the courage to send it in. It was too worthy I think. Not exciting enough. I asked a publisher to read it and also my friends daughter. I could tell the publisher wasn’t impressed and my friends daughter said I needed to make it funnier. Perhaps I also used too many long words.

Maybe one day I will edit it and try again. Is it sensible to try after twenty years? I’d like my dragon to go free…..

Blueberries

Posted on June 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blog, Blogging, Blueberries, Ericaceous, Garden, Gardening, Plants2 Comments

One plant is doing really, the other is partly dying off. I wonder if its too shaded out. I’m going to move it into a brighter place.

Anyway one of them is covered with blueberries which are starting to ripen, the other has a few flowers on it. I might also clear the slate off the top of the pots to allow the compost to breathe a bit more.

Cat statue

Posted on June 21, 2019 Posted in CatTagged Beautiful, Cat, Cat statue, Eyes, Happy, Photo, Statue, StillLeave a comment

What’s going on? My cat turns to stone when he sits in the bathroom. He stares out of the window. I think he sees the movement of the birds feeding out of the frosted glass.

He is fascinated by the sound of them landing on the bathroom roof. They sound like they are tap dancing across the roof.

If I wanted another stationary photo of him I would have to take photos on the bathroom. That is where he is at his quietest unless he is sleeping but then you don’t see his beautiful eyes.

Hanging baskets up

Posted on June 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Colour, Flowers, Green, Hanging baskets, Life, Summer2 Comments

The hanging baskets I ordered arrived last week so I’m busily watering them to get them to grow. I get them from a farm out on the road between Silverdale and the road between Keele and Madeley in Staffordshire.

They are cheaper if you take the old baskets in. I did spend too much on them but I can’t explain the joy I feel seeing them hanging up. The bright colours inspire me. The different shapes and leaf colours are interesting. Apparently the human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other colour.

One thing I like doing is hanging one basket under the other, it also means that when you feed and water one the other gets watered.

Happy summer x

Mallaband-Brown

Author: artbychristinemallabandbrown