Spend more time with my cats

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!

Esther’s prompt, Nostalgia

I really like writing to prompts.

Here’s a short response to the word Nostalgia:

Nostalgia hits me all the time now. I long to be back in simpler times. Old TV shows from the 60s and 70s remind me of past times when I thought adventure was real. Hero’s could do anything. Irony did not exist and no one suffered real hardship. Nostalgia is sneaky, comfy, mostly happy. If I could make life better I would create nostalgic bliss. 

Air

A painting from a few years ago, a bit burry with camera shake. It’s one of four I did to represent Earth, Air, Fire and Water. It was a series I really enjoyed. Working with the flow of paint, allowing my imagination free rein. It’s acrylic on canvas. Two of the set had already been sold and I was thinking of painting replacement images. I wish I had, I’m not sure I ever will. X

I didn’t know you could sing like that?

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

I was with a friend on a training course once. We were in a hall with a piano and she decided to play. I started singing along, ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’.

Part way through another friend came in and complimented my friend for her singing, assuming that it had been her voice not mine. She pointed out it was me. He said something like, ‘oh I didn’t realise you could sing like that!’ and ‘you were very good!’. I wasn’t sure how to take it. Should singers look a certain way? But I think it was the best compliment because he judged it on my voice, not my appearance.

Car

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

Hopefully I could share the trip with a friend as I don’t drive far these days. Cross Country would be a limited journey, probably into Wales, the Peak District or a bit further afield to Devon or the Lake District.

We are very lucky to have beautiful countryside in the UK, I guess because it rains so much it keeps the plants watered most of the time. But things have got a bit worse over recent years with droughts and flooding.

The UK is about the same size as the American state of Texas, but the geology here is very varied, so you can enjoy all sorts of interesting and also historic places on this hypothetical cross country trip. From ancient monuments like Stonehenge, to Scottish battlefields and great mountains. I’d also recommend places like the Welsh village of Portmeirion, an Italianate style village on the coast near Snowdonia. It was built by an eccentric architect and  appears in the 1960’s adventure series “The Prisoner” which is equally eccentric.

I would not use a plane, train or bus to travel, I prefer to stop when and where I want, so it can take a long time for me to get from A to B, (probably taking in C D and E at the same time). But these days I keep my carbon footprint low, so it’s not going to be a frequent thing. If I was young and healthy it would be by bike. I have fond memories of cycling through the English countryside, but that’s another story.

Expensive

Not My car…..

I just had to have work on my car. It had lots of problems with corroded brakes and break pipes, plus my old mechanic has retired. So I don’t think I got as much support as we have had for the last twenty years or so. My car is pre 2000 so parts are  hard to get.

It’s worrying because I don’t think I will be able to afford to have it fixed again next year

It also has several advisories that show that there will be similar problems or worse next year. I will have to think outside the box. Really I think I need an automatic, I want to stay safe on the road.

Gratitude book

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

My gratitude book it is blank

I feel like I’ve nothing to thank

Thinking all things are bad

When there is some good

But I keep on getting so sad…

I may try and fill in the blank

Pages with three thoughts a day

But it’s been so hard

To find the right way

I really don’t know what to say.

Words and drawings

For over a year

I collected my

Thoughts so dear

But then in December

Bad things I remember

Made me give up

On any small cheer.

I’ll start again one day

If my troubles do go away

My mind is in rubble

With no happy bubble

I hope that’s not how I will stay.

Happy Pi Day

Have a happy Pi day. 22 over 7. Or 3.141592…. ? I’m not sure. An important mathematical concept that most people represent with a slice of Pie. Pi is the 16th letter of the Greek Alphabet. Pi is an infinite and irrational number I think? One episode of Star Trek had an out of control computer set to calculate the figure and was defeated because it was an impossible task. I just did a doodle based on the letter. Not exactly exciting sorry x

Art

What activities do you lose yourself in?

Painting makes my mind flow…

Koi carp painted a few years ago. I love all sorts of art. It engages my mind as I create. The world and time just seems to disappear.

I might start painting or drawing in the afternoon, then suddenly realise I’m hungry or thirsty and find it’s 3am and I’ve lost half a day….

It’s just hand eye coordination, and often putting liquids onto a surface, or shading with pencils or pastels, but something grips me and I am embedded into art.

I love visual art, taking photos, and sometimes I even attempt 3d art in ceramics. I have only ever tried to carve stone a couple of times but didn’t have the strength.

Art encourages creative thoughts. I’d recommend it to anyone. Try it, you might enjoy it. X