What spode means to me?

Posted on August 6, 2019August 6, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Artists at spode, Deciding what to paint, Decisions, Eleanora street, Exhibition, Landscape photos, New art project, Project, Spode, Spode photos, Spode siteLeave a comment

There is an art project /exhibition coming up at Spode. It’s based on the question ‘what does spode mean to me?’

As I only recently got my studio there and it has been a pottery site for many years it’s hard not to feel the industrial archaeology means the most to me. I did not take a factory tour when it was open so what I see is flaking paint, rusting iron and damaged brickwork and furniture.

I painted a tiny picture several months ago of peeling paint round window frames and the glass next to it. I think I may do something abstract along those lines.

The lake.

Posted on August 6, 2019August 8, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Creative writing, Lake, Life, Short story, Spooky story, Sunshine, Swimming, WaterLeave a comment

The lake looked inviting, the sun was breaking through the clouds and the water was still. Gentle ripples from the slight breeze disturbed the surface.

No one else was around. She had been sitting on the sun terrace and had fallen asleep in the hot sun. Now she was awake and hot. A paddle in the water would be nice and cooling. There was a sloping beach at one end of the lake. She put on her sandles and walked round the edge of the lake.

Walking over pebbles the water rose round her ankles then her knees. Blissful cool water lapped around her.

She stood quietly for a while then started to splash the water up to cool her face, arms and body. It felt so good that she slipped down into the water. Kicking off her sandles she started a slow breast stroke out towards a wooded island a few meters off in the distance. She knew there was a bench in the shade there. Her thin skirt billowed out behind her and she felt relaxed and like she was floating in space.

Then it happened. The skirt snagged on something, weeds? She was a strong swimmer and didn’t think it was a problem. She swung round to pull at her skirt. A hand grasped her wrist and she felt herself being pulled down…..

Being mugged by a cat.

Posted on August 6, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Cheeky cat, Food, Life, Mugging, Owners, Rescue cats, Stray?6 Comments

In all my years of cat ownership I’ve never been mugged so much by a cat. He’s not ours, he can’t come in as I have two rescue cats that are very happy. They won’t like having another one.

The cat who keeps visiting is getting fed every day. He comes to our back door and miaows. My hubby feeds him and so he’s getting big and fat!

Now I’m happy to look after him outside. But he’s too healthy and friendly to be feral. Perhaps he’s a stray, but if he is he must be being fed by other people to get so big! I’m thinking of putting a paper collar on him to try and see who his owners are? I could do with some advice please.

Tidying up

Posted on August 6, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Books, Hoarding, Home, Life, My world, Paper, Storage, Stuff, Tidy up, Towers of paperLeave a comment

My world is full of stuff

it’s mainly layers of paper.

Carefully stored in piles.

I might use that photo as an inspitation,

For a painting or a drawing,

I might need that statement,

I might read that book

Eventually.

But piles of stuff turn into columns,

Columns start to tower over you.

Idea. ” I’ll tidy up”.

Trouble is you have to deconstruct.

Build new towers to winnow out stuff.

So,

Some stuff to burn or shred,

Some stuff to give to charity,

Some stuff to read,

Some stuff to pile back up,

till I find space on a bookshelf……

I’ll just go and lie down in a darkened room.

One tiny, curly, cucumber

Posted on August 6, 2019August 6, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged A small offering, Cucumber, Cucumber plant, Food, Gardening, Life, Plant, Taste4 Comments

We planted lots of cucumber and squash plants this year. But this was all I managed to grow.

It’s about 7 or 8 centimetres long and curled round with a thin stalk end and a bulbous end where the initial flower grew.

What to do? It’s come loose from the stem so it’s now in the fridge. I’m going to peel off the rough bits and chop it up finely. I might add it to some spicy tomato chutney I’ve got in. Then I will add that as an accompaniment to some cheese sandwiches on fresh brown bread. I hope that is a suitable use of my little friend.

PS… It was very tasty!

His hair turning white

Posted on August 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Age, Life, Poem, Poetry, Salt and pepper hair, silver, Time, WhiteLeave a comment

Suddenly, snow is on his head,

frost is in his hair.

Life is here still, strong and steady

but time has sprinkled white, dead hair into the brown.

Salt and pepper, they say.

Distinguished temples silvered by age.

No wish for dyes to cover it,

no need to hide it.

Only a realisation that winter is on its way.

Comfort food

Posted on August 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Banana, Blogging, Comfort food, Cooking, Custard, Eat, Heat, Milk, Recipe, Sugar, Table spoons, TastyLeave a comment

What’s your favourite comfort food.

Mine is simple, banana and custard…

Recipe, to make two portions.

1 large or 2 small bananas per person.

2 heaped table spoonfuls of custard powder.

2 flat tablespoons of sugar (but I use 1 flat table spoonful of sucralose based granulated sweetener)

1 pint of milk.

Method,

Chop the bananas to bite size pieces and put aside in two bowls.

Put two heaped table spoons of custard powder in a mixing bowl. Add sugar (or sweetener). Use less for thinner custard and less sugar for less sweetness.

Add a small amount of milk to the powder to make a thinnish paste.

Put the rest of the milk in a pan and bring to the boil.

Pour the boiling milk onto the custard paste and mix till the custard has dissolved into it.

Pour the mix back into the pan, bring to the boil and continue to boil for a minute or till the custard has thickened. Once it is ready pour over the bananas.

Eat! Don’t forget to wash up.

Rose bowl

Posted on August 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Ceramics, Gladstone Pottery, Life, Longton, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent4 Comments

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This is my kind of pottery. The beautiful contrasting colours and patterns really appeal to me. This was in the Gladstone pottery museum last year, in the bathroom display section.

If I had it at home I would use it as a fruit bowl. There seems to be a bird or a parrot in the centre of the bowl. Beautiful piece.

Caught his cold.

Posted on August 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Cough, Grumpy, Illness, Life, Tired, VentingLeave a comment

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Don’t read if you want to be cheered up! He’s been coughing and spluttering for a week now. He never takes medicine for colds and usually throws things off in a couple of days. He’s had flu twice in his life. He won’t rest and recover. He’s hardly eating. So I’ve tried to help, got him some cough medicine, but he won’t take it. I’m fed up with him because he doesn’t seem to realise he’s spreading germs, a virus or whatever it is.

Now I ache and have started coughing. So I’m trying to stay healthy while I run round after him. In the meantime he can’t stop. His anxieties for e him to keep doing things, keep checking things, so yeah, I’m a bit fed up and grumpy. Sorry to vent!

Electric

Posted on August 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Electric, Electricity, Fun, Humour, Life, Monster, Poem, Poetry, SparkLeave a comment

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The spark of life

Shocked through its body

Sparks gleamed in its eyes

Blue flame shot from its fingers and toes.

Electricity crackled in its ears.

As the power lever swung upwards

The body slowly rose.

Bending jerkily at its waist,

Then it swivelled

Feet sizzling as they touched

The metal floor

The Poetry Monster was born.

Mallaband-Brown

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