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Posted on July 3, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Burslem, Fine Art, Leopard Hotel, molly leigh, Mural, Painting, Stoke-on trent, three counties open exhibition2 Comments

I’m sad to say that I didn’t get my painting of Molly Leigh the Burslem witch into the three counties open exhibition this year. (Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire).

I know they had over 200 entries and it depends who is selecting the works of art. I also know that the exhibition has to be cohesive and not too eclectic. So will I enter again? Yes, but I will probably choose to do something less specific. But I’m glad I painted this.

The reason why? I painted something similar to this as a mural in the Leopard Hotel in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, several years ago. The building burned down a couple of years ago and I wanted to try and recreate the memory of it. The painting means a lot more to me than getting it in this competition. X

Say thank you

Posted on July 2, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1987, gratitude, Life, Poem, Poetry, Support, thanks, Thinking, Thought9 Comments

How do you express your gratitude?

With a note or in words

To receive and to give

Make good your gratitude,

Or say it with flowers?

For work of many hours

Giving back your pleasure

Of deeds well done

Or welcome support

In adversity.

For service rendered

Time spent in caring,

Thanks are required and accepted.

Down

Posted on July 2, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged ambulance, Down, funeral, Life, Memory, Penkhull, Police, Shattered, Thinking, Time, Up, will2 Comments

People aren’t around, and if they were I don’t want to bother them. Some memories have been arriving on my Facebook page and I remembered what fun I was having ten years ago. People were there then, a group who worked together. Work was OK, life was satisfying.

Now? I feel shattered, broken, I’ve caught myself crying a few times. I’ve got things planned for later on, so I hope I’ll be OK. Life is up and down at the moment. I’m sharing this here because it’s better to get things off your chest. I need to unstick myself and stop thinking about things. But worries assert themselves.

This was triggered by adverts for funeral plans and wills on the TV and seeing seven or eight police cars and an ambulance up the hill last night. What happened? Are people OK? Nothing in the news, but anxiety bites again.

Penkhull Mystery Plays

Posted on July 2, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Life, Penkhull, penkhull mystery plays, Picasso, Stoke-on trent, Time, Titchy theatre, Village hall2 Comments

Ten years ago, three horseheads of the apocalypse!

Up until Covid we were merrily holding Mystery Plays almost every July. We had a fallow year where we did other things, but the central play was missing. But now a group of residents are working towards a 20th anniversary performance in 2025.

So on Saturday 6th July 2024 we are holding a Titchy Theatre fundraising event to try and enthuse people to get involved for next year. The event will be in Penkhull Village Hall from 12.30 to 2.30pm.

We had fun creating props from willow withies and paper and glue. The horses were based on Picasso style ideas.

Peeling paint

Posted on July 1, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Flakes, Layers, Lock, Paint, peeling, peeling paint appreciation society, Photo, switchLeave a comment

There’s a peeling paint appreciation society on Facebook. I’m always on the lookout for images to share and saw this today. The lock/switch looks pristine but the paint on the pipe next to it is flaking away. You can tell the order in which it was painted. I thought it made an interesting photo.

Thai meal

Posted on June 30, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged beansprouts, Food, Life, Memorial, Memory, Noodles, Restaurant, Thai food, Time2 Comments

Noodles and beansprouts in a spicy sauce with dim sum.?

Enjoyed a lovely meal with a friend. The first time I’ve been to the Thai restaurant since my hubby passed away in December. We didn’t stay very long because memories hurt and I just felt a bit overwhelmed by them. The owner of the restaurant had found a drawing I had done of my hubby when we were there a few years ago. She got it out and put a glass of lager next to it as a sort of memorial. X

Allez! Allez!

Posted on June 30, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Age, Cycling, Disease, Hubby, Loss, Memory, Race, Sadness, Tour de France2 Comments

Last year I watched the tour de France with my hubby. This year, for the first time in about 20 years I’m watching it on my own. It feels strange, no point in cheering on our favourites, no discussion about how Mark Cavendish will do. Just muttering ‘you would have loved this’ to his memory. I could switch it off, but I don’t want to. Tears will fall. I only got into cycling because of hubby. I miss him so much. He would be out cycling after this, a short ride to keep his legs going. He was over 70 and still enthusiastic. 70 isn’t old, he was young at heart. Disease not age took him from me. 😢😢

Four years ago

Posted on June 29, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Artists block, Canvases, Kingfisher, Life, Memory, Miniatures, Paintings1 Comment

I had just gone through an artists block. Sometimes I can’t paint, I come to a standstill. I don’t think what I was painting was that good, but I’m sure I felt better being able to pick up a paintbrush.

Since then my painting work has been up and down. I don’t always feel up to painting, and various stuff makes it more difficult. Painting isn’t just a physical ability, it’s a mental one as well. Both of those things are affecting me. Life sometimes gets in the way of intention. But I don’t give up. I will probably carry on somehow till the day I die. Art is my imperative in life.

Yes but not telling

Posted on June 29, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1984, Life, Memory, Prompt, Surgery, Talking, telling, ThinkingLeave a comment

Have you ever had surgery? What for?

Why should I share this information? Can I trust the person who is asking? Or the people who are reading this blog?… Sometimes we share too much information. It’s too easy to trust everyone on the Internet. And yet I wouldn’t tell people in the street my life story, my insurance details, if I’ve ever been in hospital. True I do share some information but as far as I can tell it’s of little use to others. I appreciate that it’s good to talk about your life, but I think you shouldn’t go too far.

Someone will be out there looking at your details putting two and two together, finding out about me. Well I’d rather not be too informative, I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Get up, eat, go to bed? OK, Choir.

Posted on June 28, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Choir, choir membership, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1983, habit, Hubby, Life, Music, regular, SingingLeave a comment

What are your daily habits?

Habits? What are they?

Life turned upside down when I started caring for my hubby. Everyday was different and it was hard to do things the same each day. Then he died and things got even less organised. Since then I’ve tried to regulate my life. Going to choir has helped. I’ve been in choirs for twenty years and that habit has helped my mental health. If the rest of the week is confused and mixed up I can hold onto the knowledge that I will be going to choir. Other than that I enjoy art and try and hold onto that habit. I would be lost without it.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Memories