Worst day to travel?

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This is the worst day to travel according to the news today. Fifteen Million people were due to visit relatives or jet away. Then it rained, and it has flooded in several places. Traffic in and out of Gatwick Airport has been seriously delayed. There are flood warnings on rivers in the south of the country. I hope people are going to get where they want to, safely. In the past it would have been snow, or ice, now its pouring with rain.

Depressed

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Being honest with myself, what’s been happening in the UK has really upset and depressed me. The government has just become strongly right wing Conservative after a general election. People seemed to use it as another Brexit referendum (a vote for the UK to leave the European Union). The world keeps turning, but my country seems to be turning inward on itself. Promises were made but are already apparently being broken, where promises to support workers rights have been withdrawn.

So my depression is not internal but has external causes. If I wasn’t to bothered about what happens to people perhaps I could be blasé about it and just feel happy to celebrate the season. But I can’t help worrying about what’s going to happen in the future. I hope this mood lifts soon.

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Christmas Cactii

Watching the flowers bloom on my kitchen window ledge. One Christmas cactus has flowered abd faded. One is in full bloom and the third is  just coming into flower. I also have one which has tiny buds on it. It’s interesting how they have flowered in progression. I don’t know if some have had more water than others. But they must be healthy. Easy to look after. I put a bit that broke off in a mug of water and it has now grown roots.

Cat staring

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One of our cats watches TV. If she sees animals she gets interested. If it’s a dog she will get nervous and walk away. But if it’s a cat, leopard, or lion she gets very interested and stares at the TV. She sometimes goes up and puts her paws or nose on the screen. She seems to notice movement mostly. If it’s a cat stalking another animal she stares intently. She is the first cat that I have ever seen take an interest in TV programmes.

Fish

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Shimmering silver and gold,

Flicker in the sunshine,

catching erratic mayflies.

Slipping down the stream,

glinting and glimmering,

Sun and shade stripes of branches,

camouflaged and hidden

above the pebbled bed.

Leaping and jumping

flying fish for a second

mid air,

then like raindrops falling,

back into the crystal clear,

cold, brisk, water…

Our history

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Potbank, Stoke-on-Trent. I think I drew this at the Gladstone Pottery museum last year? This was part of a ‘throw down’ held by Stoke Urban Sketchers after an afternoon of drawing in rain and shine. We were in a covered area so we could put the drawings down on the ground.

Urban sketchers usually draw outside, so we need to wrap up warm when we go out in the winter, and shelter when it’s raining or windy.

Next year I want to go out with them more often. You get to see places you might not go to otherwise.

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Concentrating

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Concentrating on her mobile phone, thumbing her life away. While the world passes her by… Those women could be pocketing her goods. Would she even know? Being aware of what’s around you is so difficult when you are scrolling through Facebook or looking at Instagram, I know I do it too.

It’s when people start ignoring family and friends (I do that too). Sometimes I say ‘put the phone down’ to myself, but it doesn’t always happen.

TV programmes I want to see, radio I want to hear. Pass me by nowadays. I’m composing in my head, or commenting, or supporting causes. How did life get like this? At least I don’t use my phone when I’m driving… Just too much concentrating….