Science

Posted on March 27, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Astrobiology, big bang, Chemistry, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1890, hard, Memory, Programme, Science, TimeLeave a comment

What’s something most people don’t understand?

Science is hard, it is very difficult to understand or often to explain. I think the world is split into people who get science and those that do not.

I don’t know if you have to have a particular brain? I found science hard, and being a girl didn’t push myself forward in classes. The boys always had their hands up shouting me sir, me! Answering the teachers questions.

And yet I eventually found I loved science. I used to watch a BBC programme called Horizon which had a great many subjects from Chemistry to Astrobiology, to the Big Bang as subjects of hourly shows. Suddenly my interest was piqued. I started to understand things and got more aware of science and it’s ramifications.

I also loved the Sky at Night, a monthly astronomy programme, it’s only short, 20 minutes, but really interesting. And then children’s programmes used to be informative, including the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. I remember seeing one about magnetic levitation of trains, it was a lecture by Professor Eric Laithwaite. Wonderful.

So my take from this is that you might not like science, but give it a chance, it helps you understand the world..

Squally shower

Posted on March 27, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged gusty, Life, March winds, Myth, Rain, Reality, springtime, Squall, Time, Weather, Window2 Comments

Wow, it’s just rained heavily. A real squall with gusting winds. The gutters were overwhelmed and water poured down the window. Now the sun’s back out and the dark grey clouds have blown away. I love the sound of raindrops clattering against the glass and the gusts of wind whistling through the gaps in the window frame. It’s never been properly airtight, but I don’t mind and in the dawn light I can hear the blackbird singing on the top of next doors chimney. Music of nature playing around my garden.

It reminds me of the myth or saying about the month of March and March winds… If it is a gentle start to the month it comes in like a lamb and out like a lion, while if it’s windy at the start of the month the opposite, in like a lion out like a lamb tends to be the case.

Ginger cat

Posted on March 25, 2024 Posted in Cat, Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Cat, Fine Art, Floral, ginger cat, Memory, Painting, Stray cat, WindowsillLeave a comment

I painted this ginger cat a few years ago. He’s based on a stray that moved in with us for a while. He would sit on a windowsill and stare out at the garden. I decided to make his view a bit more floral, and almost Mediterranean.

Unfortunately we had to rehome him because he would fight with our other cats and ended up with an abscess in his paw. I spoke to the vets and they agreed to find him a good home. I hope he was happy and it was sad to say goodbye to him.

I don’t

Posted on March 25, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged ambition, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1888, Life, Memory, Poem, Poetry, Prompt, Stress, TimeLeave a comment

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

Look at the sky, it’s blue,

I love that wonderful hue

I could ignore it

Pass it by

Be driven hard

Ambition charged

But then I’d miss the best of life

While dealing with the anxious strife

No time to stop and stare they say

Is not, for life a good way.

Try not to stress

Though I confess

I walk on sometimes

And miss sunshines.

Koish

Posted on March 25, 2024March 25, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, distortion, Fine Art, Fish, Koi, Memory, Painting, Reflection, Water2 Comments

Koi carp I pay a few years ago, it was part of my recent exhibition. I thought it was worth showing on its own here. I love painting reflections and the way some parts of the painting can be seen through so you can see the fish. Other things include the distortion of the window bars in the water. Acrylic on canvas.

Timely ability

Posted on March 24, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged ability, Cooking, counting, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1887, measurement, Oven, Thinking, Time, Why?Leave a comment

What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

I have a strange ability to do with time. If I’m cooking something in the oven and set the timer for whatever length of time the dish needs cooking I will have an urge to get up and check the time at exactly one minute to go! It happens virtually every time. It’s weird.

Other timely abilities included knowing when my hubby was coming home from work no matter what time his shift ended. I could not relax until a few minutes before he got home. This was despite the time not being a regular thing and no phone calls (he wouldn’t use a mobile phone). (One of my cats was always waiting for me when I came home, the same thing?).

Finally, I can be sitting at traffic lights and if I count to ten, the lights will usually change before I finish counting. I’m not sure why but it seems to work say about 70% of the time.

My thoughts are that I’m living time backwards! I can’t understand how it works. I know we humans have ‘timing’ cells in our brains that regulate our ability to measure time. Perhaps my cells are very accurate? It’s a mystery.

Breezy

Posted on March 23, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Breeze, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1886, Flying, Kite, kite festival, Memory, Time, Weather, WindyLeave a comment

What is your favorite type of weather?

Kite flying on a breezy day, enough breeze to lift the silk or nylon covered structure up into the air.

We went to a kite flying festival in Wales years ago. I had made a kite out of bamboo tied together with melamine silver plastic taped to it. I’d painted a Japanese symbol on it, I can’t remember what it was (this is about thirty years ago).

It wasn’t just breezy, it was very windy, and most kite flyers had decided not to bother. But I tied a tail onto my kite and tried to fly it. It wasn’t very happy so we added a plastic carrier bag! Then it flew, horizontally, just above the beach, but it flew. I was so proud!

The next day there was a gentle breeze, I took off the bag and the kite rose high into the air. I have always loved kite flying weather since then.

My Geography teacher

Posted on March 22, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1885, geo politics, Geography, Influence, Learning, Memory, School, teacherLeave a comment

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

My geography teacher influenced me a great deal. I can’t remember his name and I gave up geography when I had to choose my subjects for my exams. I couldn’t carry on because the lessons clashed with art which was always going to be my main subject.

The reason for the influential effect was the thoughtfulness of the teacher. We learnt a broad range of things from the crops some countries grew, to vulcanism, plate tectonics, details of maps, and lots of other information. The lessons were interesting, the teacher got our attention. He explained things clearly, he was patient and understanding. We got an insight into the geo politics of the world.

I wish I could remember his name but despite my poor memory I think he was most influential.

Shot in the dark?

Posted on March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged athletes, Competition, Fun, fundraising, Life, Quiz, quizzing, special OlympicsLeave a comment

Just back from a quiz

I’ve just been out to a fundraising evening that was to support athletes who will be competing in the Special Olympics for the United kingdom.

It was fun, with cryptic questions to identify local place names “angry bird” was Heron Cross for instance.

The most difficult one was a percentage guessing game. These were the set called “a shot in the dark” . One question was what percentage of people of the Earth’s Population has ever been on a plane? I think the answer was 6%? There was a lot of debate in our team. You could get 3 points if you got the exact answer and 1 if you came within 5%. We did quite well and our team came third which for a group of strangers was pretty good.

I really enjoyed it and I’d like to do it again. I’d forgotten how much I like quizzes and how competitive I can be!

Spend more time with my cats

Posted on March 21, 2024 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1884, Fun, high jinks, Humour, Memory, Morning, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, Time, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

What do you wish you could do more every day?

Get up in the morning with my cats

They are running around like bats

I mean silly rushing

Each one pushing

The boundaries of reason

But it’s the spring season

Jumping about then resting

And they’re always questing

To find a nook and cranny

To hide in like a canny

Cat, ready to pounce

Or at least flounce

Off in a huff

Which can be rough

To their friendly mate

Who’s left in a state

Of shock

After a sock

In the face with a paw

When they were calm before

Getting all het up

When they meet up

On the bed

They sort of see red

And chase

Yes that’s the case!

Hi jinks

When a claw sinks

In your nose

But it’s fun I suppose!

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Memories