New paintings and regular art updates.
Making spooky hats for an upcoming play.. My friends bats on a hat.. Very random.
We are recreating the Mystery Play we put on in July, but as a bigger production. One scene has bats causing mayhem so my friend created this. They will also have bat shaped cloaks and we have a backcloth with skeletal trees and a witch flying in front of the moon. One lot of scenery done, about 8 more scenes to do!
Penkhull Theatre Group. February production.
Gray or grey?
Grumpy day
Drizzle soaks
No Sun,
It’s not come out to play.
Cold and damp
Low pressure
Slow moving
Fog and mist
I’m “rained in”
Hidden
From the grey…
Now it’s 2026 I want to get more exercise. I want to put the past few years behind me and try and make a new start. I’ve been stuck in my world of problems for too long.
I tried table tennis over the last few months, but my health isn’t good and I do struggle with movement and motivation. I have stopped going out as much as I used to, I find myself making excuses, will the ground be too slippery? Can I walk that far? I know I’m losing strength in my muscles and I really need to do something now before I give up completely. I’m not that old, but my body is acting like it’s 10 years older.
I guess this is my new years resolution. Even if I don’t do as well as I want I will try.
What is your favorite animal?
Old cat
But still lithe
Handsome
His tuxedo is shabby
But he makes me feel happy
Big snuggles
And his purr
Is to die for.
What to write about? My writing group have decided to write something about the word grotesque. I hope I can create something that is in a horror/comedy style.
I think by including a character that hides it’s appearance might be part of the scenario. It will have to be well described so you can visualise what is going on. I’m not brilliant at writing dialogue, but I feel there could be a conversation. Maybe like in the children’s story of red riding hood, or beauty and the beast? Somewhere between the two? I’ve got a couple of weeks to come up with a story or a poem….
Thinking laterally I suggested mime. (I won a funny face pulling competition at school once!).
I asked people on Threads if they had heard the word Mithered and was surprised at the large response I got.
To me Mithered means worried or bothered, pestering someone, being mithered. I found out there are other meanings….
“Mithered” (or “mithering”) is a Northern English dialect word meaning to be bothered, pestered, or to make an unnecessary fuss/moan, often used to describe someone being nagged or someone complaining persistently, as in “Stop mithering me!” or “I can’t be mithered” (meaning “I can’t be bothered”). It conveys a sense of gentle irritation or exasperation. ” (from Google).
I had found out it’s mainly used in Northern England, but it’s even used in the West Midlands where I moved away from in my teens.
I originally heard it from my husband “Stop mithering about things”, who was from Lancashire. He used words like “nesh” feeling the cold, “owt/nowt” anything/nothing, “mardy” moody.
I love the way English is still full of dialects and different accents.
I’m stuck
Like glue to a wall
Post it notes
With no writing on
No pathway out
Prevarication
It describes me
Now
Lost and flapping
Like a bird in a hurricane.
Twisting and turning
Lost in a maelstrom
I don’t know what to do
Where to go
What to say
So I stay
Quiet
Remote
Lost
I don’t notice this everyday, but this is a ginger cat window that I designed soon after we moved into our house. My friend, who was actually a carpenter, made this leaded glass window for us. It’s a really unique piece of art and I love it on a sunny day when it really sparkles. It’s about 30 years old now.
If I could I would design another window to sit in the window at the top of the stairs. I like the idea of a really gothic idea with vine leaves and a black and white cat stari6out of the window. Perhaps I will draw or paint the idea.
The snow stuck. The apple tree looks like it’s been in a winter storm. It’s bent over because the neighbours pushed it over to put a fence in. It’s actually fruiting more because the branches are horizontal now, I might clip out some of the more central branches to give it a bit of air.
The weather forecast is more snow later. The cats are going out in it although it’s been about 4 to 10 degrees Celcius lower than normal.
The Moon is able to eclipse the Sun because it’s distance from the Earth is 400 times closer than the Sun and is about 400 times smaller. So they look similar in size.
But there is a twist..
The Moon can sometimes cause an annular eclipse where the Sun can be seen behind it. That’s because the Moons orbit is elliptical and has two focuses. So in the furthest position, it’s apogee, means that it appears slightly smaller. Hence an annular eclipse. The Moon is gradually receding from the Earth. The mirrors left on the Moon by apollo astronauts are used to check it’s distance. By using lasers reflected from them they have found it is moving away by about 3.8cm a year. Eventually it will be far enough away that no full eclipses will happen anymore.
Mallaband-Brown