Two cats asleep

Posted on January 4, 2022January 5, 2022 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, Friendly, Insomnia, Relaxed, Sleeping, Tired, Tuxedo cat, Two cats2 Comments

My two boy cats last night, sleeping on an armchair and on the arms between the two armchairs. I’d got up to get a drink because I couldn’t sleep again. First one came up to say hello, after he’d been cuddled he went to sleep on the chair where the bigger cat usually sleeps. Then the big cat came in and seeing his usual space was taken jumped up next to me on the chair arms. Eventually he settled down too. It’s so good to see them getting on so well. The big one could bully the others but he doesn’t, they all three are pretty respectful of one another. If you are wondering where the third one, the small female was, she was upstairs curled up in the cupboard!

What shall I say?

Posted on January 4, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged fashion, funeral, Health, Pandemic, Remembered, Sad, Short story, Thinking, Time, Very short story, WorldLeave a comment

Who shall I speak to? Will they listen to me? So many questions to ask.

She stood in front of the microphone and wished she had written the thoughts down. She had known she would have to speak at the funeral, but had shied away from her obligation. The death of her friend had been a shock. He was only 60 when he passed away. She remembered an old boss of hers telling her off. They don’t pass away or pass on, they die said the woman.

No, she would say pass on. She would say sadly missed. She would say that his passing had left a hole in many lives. She had not seen much of him recently. Things had been bleak, people were not going out as much as they had. A cough could be enough to panic friends into staying away.

The funeral was only sparsely attended. The few people that were there were well separated. Women wore veils over dark coloured masks, the men wore cravats and masks. Good old fashion design getting involved in the workings of life and death. Things had to be chic.

So many questions to ask and then try and answer. She would struggle for words. But she would manage it.

Willow pattern

Posted on January 4, 2022January 4, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Artists, City, Clay, Close up, Creative, Painting, Poetry, potters poem, Pottery, Stoke-on trent, Willow patternLeave a comment

A bad, fuzzy close up

Of a painting I did

A willow pattern plate

That Spode pottery made

Based on patterns

That came from the east

So many variations

That you find all around.

Blue and white pottery

Glazed and painted

By skilled, creative artists

Paid by piecework,

(the number they did) .

Stoke on Trent city

A fading of clay,

But once so many people

Gave their art to the day.

Fishcakes

Posted on January 3, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Brie, Cucumber, Evening meal, fish cakes, Food, Haddock, hummus, mashed potato, Taste, TomatoLeave a comment

Evening meal. I decided to eat some fishcakes made of haddock and mashed potatoes in breadcrumbs. But what to have with them? I raided the fridge and chopped up two small tomatoes, some cucumber, a bit of hummus that is going out of date and a bit of brie that I let melt on top of the fishcakes. I’m not sure how healthy it was but it was certainly tasty. I wish I’d got some lettuce and some spring onions to go with it. I could have had a hunk of bread but decided against it. Does this count as a balanced meal?

Wear a mask

Posted on January 3, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Cough, Covid, Illness, Life, Mask, omicron, sneezing, Supermarket, Woman2 Comments

Oh dear! I went round the supermarket today and about a third of the customers were not wearing masks. One woman in particular looked really ill, sneezing and coughing. She was struggling to get what she wanted. When we got to the till she was ahead of me, she looked flushed and hot. I stood well back even though that meant the person behind me was getting close. I tried to keep away from them too.

I won’t go back to that supermarket for a couple of days. I hope the woman is OK. I hope I don’t catch her illness. Meanwhile I’m keeping my mask on!

Faded..

Posted on January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Blue, blue Jeans, Drawing, faded jeans, Jeans, Prompt, Sketching2 Comments

Today’s (Sundays) #bandofsketchers prompt was faded.

Faded jeans… I only have a limited pallette I’m working with. It gives me more of a challenge. I was also drawing in a darkened room as hubby was watching TV so it was hard to see the folds and crumples in them.

I hate ad breaks!

Posted on January 3, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Adverts, age related, demographics, Furniture, Irritating, products, programmes, stair lifts, too many ads, TVLeave a comment

Every five minutes it feels like, you are just following the action in a film or TV show and suddenly… Bang, its off and another set of adverts! And it feels like the frequency increases the closer you get to the end of the programme.

I try and avoid TV channels with lots of advertising, but some are worse than others. You will be watching a scene where the action is reaching a climax, someone has just been killed, there’s been an explosion, the detective is about to reach a conclusion…. Then off and into ads about credit scores, electrical equipment, charity draws or new sofas, and each break has a similar selection of ads. Some channels with old fashioned films are crammed with adverts about mobility scooters, train excursions or stair lifts! They are clearly selected for age demographics. Stop It!

Where to start?

Posted on January 2, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Creative writing, Life, Photos, Short stories, Sunset, Thinking, Time7 Comments

New year, new blog ideas? I’ve been writing and adding images here for over three years and I’m bothered I might be getting boring. I have tried explaining simple cience here, written short stories, shared art, and posted photos. But is that what people want? I am a captive of my own thoughts, I try and be cheerful, but sometimes I can be a bit down, if you know what I mean. So January? I need to think about what I’m doing. Any thoughts, let me know?

Amaryllis flowers

Posted on January 2, 2022January 2, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Amaryllis, Growing, Indoor plant, Life, pink and white, Poem, Poetry, rapid growthLeave a comment

Pale ink and white

Flowers exploded like a rocket

Amaryllis is a firework

Of a plant…

Water it well

And stand back!

From a tiny tip

Of a leaf

Two weeks ago,

This grew and bloomed

Water is the key

Pour it on

And the plant expands.

But once grown

Reduce, reduce

Too much water

Can rot the roots…

Racist behaviour?

Posted on January 2, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged chef, Cooking, customers, fake customers, Food, mean, racist?, Thai food, unkind13 Comments

We spent the evening in the local Thai restaurant. The food is always good, but I do wonder at the behaviour of some of the customers!

While we were there we overheard a phone order for a takeaway. After explaining that it would need to be collected the owner took an order for about eight dishes including rice and a mixed starter. It sounded like a big meal, but she was happy to cook for the customer. That was about 7pm with the collection due at 8pm. No one came, so I chatted with the owner and she said it happens quite frequently! By 8.30pm she decided to call them, but no one was answering so all she could do was leave a message letting them know the food was ready.

We were finishing off our meal just before 9pm when someone else rang to ask if she was still open. They arrived a few minutes later but after looking at the menu asked for chips and cola! When she explained it was a Thai restaurant they decided to walk out without paying for the drinks!

What bothers me is that a hard worker and restaurant owner, who is already struggling because of the covid situation is being messed about by so called customers. I think it’s appalling to treat someone like that. No doubt there will be complaints on social media. But cooking for customers requires respect on both sides. I’d go so far as saying this almost looks like racist behaviour. I felt very sorry for her and the treatment she experienced.

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Uncategorized