Travel, Esther Chiltons blog prompt.

Posted on August 21, 2024August 21, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Accident, Bike, Car, classic bike, Cycling, Esther Chiltons prompt, Life, Memory, mixte frame, Time, Travel, Viking Queen2 Comments

Transport; I wish I could still cycle, but I stopped a few years ago. Driving a car didn’t help, the more I used the car the less I used the bike. That was because I had a accident that damaged my bike so it came apart while I was riding it a year later. It took a year to get it fixed and in the meantime I got the car. I used that for work and to travel further with my hubby. I did keep cycling for a few years, bur as I say I gradually lost my fitness and confidence. I still have the bike, it’s in my house. It’s a classic, I hope one day someone else can use it.

Written for Esther Chiltons prompt “Travel”,

At the moment? Resting

Posted on August 20, 2024 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Blogging, carefully, Cat, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2036, Doctors, Resting, Sleepy, Tired2 Comments

What motivates you?

Those who read my blog know I haven’t been well and I’m currently waiting for test results. My doctor has told me not to overdo things, so I’m motivated to protect myself and I’m resting. That doesn’t mean I’m not doing things, but I have to do them slowly and carefully. I’m even having to use a walking stick. My friend explained i had it set at the wrong height. Too long.

I have for that reason been a bit slow at blogging recently.

Very cream tea!

Posted on August 20, 2024August 20, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Afternoon, Cherries, Cream, Eating, Food, Hot chocolate, marshmallows, scone, SunnyLeave a comment

Scone, jam, cream and hot chocolate with massive marshmallows! My treat for getting out of the house with my friend after being stuck indoors for a few days. It was very creamy. An overdose of cholesterol. I liked the willow pattern bowl the xlotted cream was in. The sun was shining and it felt really summery.

New neighbour

Posted on August 20, 2024August 20, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bonfire, Burning, Disturbed, Empty, Garden rubbish, Neighbour, Sad, Time, Upset3 Comments

He’s moving in, cut back his garden, and I feel encroached on. For the last few days he’s been burning the plants he cut down. I explained I want to put the washing on the line so he said he would stop, so I put a load of washing on a fast wash. Span it a couple of times. Meanwhile the smoke abated. I decided to do some washing up and to empty the bins. When I looked again? The smoke had started up again.

He appears to be OK, but I feel a bit bullied. Next door was empty for a year, which was peaceful. But now he’s pestering me to get my garden cut back. I’ll get it tidied, but it’s going to cost thousands to cut down and I don’t want to, it’s my nature haven. With him on one side and the shop on the other hacking at my hedge I feel like I’m being assaulted from both sides. I feel less safe than when things were emptied. Now he’s taking my brown bin to put garden rubbish in. I’m letting him use it once but I have explained it’s my bin and I pay to have it emptied.

Paws of love

Posted on August 19, 2024 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Caring, Cat, Happy, Love, nudges, Paws, Poem, Poetry, Purrs, Sitting, Tuxedo cat2 Comments

He purrs, he sits, cheek rubs my hand.

Paws outstretched.

Then one paw reaches out to me.

A greeting, saying are you OK?

Cats know when you need love

They express feelings, you can see it.

Little nudges of his nose against my hand.

He will sit on my knee soon.

Looking after me.

Tubes

Posted on August 19, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged 1979, acid resist, Engraving, Fine Art, Ink, Memory, paint tubes, Printing, VarnishLeave a comment

College piece of printing from about 1979? When I was learning to do engraving I think. I remember using a powder to give a texture, and having to paint it with a varnish to resist the acid bath but it would take a refresher course to remember how to do it now.

Being ill is tiring.

Posted on August 19, 2024August 19, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Exhausted?, Fed up, Illness, Life, Poem, Poetry, Stuck, Tired, weaknessLeave a comment

Looking out of the window

Trying to stay strong

Just getting tired

Need to get along

Finding it difficult

To stay awake

Not blogging much

Staying quiet

Feeling tired.

Goodnight.

Weakness overcomes

Top ten movies

Posted on August 18, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged 10 films, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2035, Favourite, Film, hard choices, List, Movies2 Comments

What are your top ten favorite movies?

Close Encounters of the third kind. Good Sci-fi movie from 1977
The Theory of everything, biography of Steven Hawking.
Goodbye Mr Chips. 1940s film about school life.
Shenandoah, western with James Stewart.
Harvey, James Stewart and a giant invisible rabbit
How to train your dragon, animated film.
The cat from outer space, 1960’s Disney film
Born Free, set in Africa about a lioness called Elsa
Jurassic Park, because Jeff Goldblum is in it.
A fish called Wanda, Madcap caper.

Scaredy cat

Posted on August 17, 2024 Posted in Cat, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Birds, Cat, Facebook, Garden, Life, Memory, Photo, Scared, shocked, Time, yellow catLeave a comment

I found this photo of a tin cat knocking about in my Facebook memories recently. I think you were meant to put a tea light in it? I had it for a few years but I think it eventually rusted through. I guess a bird could nest in it although I never saw any inside it. A cat with a bird in its mouth isn’t a good idea anyway. I love it’s shocked or scared expression.

I can get into the country

Posted on August 17, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Countryside, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2033, England, Life, Midlands, Motorways, National Trust, Stoke-on trent, TravelLeave a comment

What do you love about where you live?

North… Cheshire and Peak District, Staffordshire Moorlands, East – Derbyshire, South- Staffordshire, West – Shropshire and Cheshire. Further West – Wales. Also Stoke-on-Trent has good road links to motorways and A roads. Sometimes they are a little congested, but you can usually get out into the countryside in 10 to 20 minutes. It is interesting because of the variations in geology depending on the direction you take. Farmland and flat land South and West, with the hills of Wales and Shropshire in the distance. North and East hills and moorland including the start of the Pennines.

Stoke-on-Trent is situated in the North Midlands of England, it also has canal and train connections and the local area has many countryside attractions including National Trust properties, historic railways and museums, Alton Towers is nearby and Jodrell Bank observatory is a few miles north west. You can even reach the seaside in Wales or the Wirral in about 80 miles.