The church on the hill

Posted on September 2, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Blue, Colour, comp, missed chance, Penkhull, Photo, Sky, St Thomas's Church, Staffordshire, vibrantLeave a comment

Up there on the hill, a sandstone church, dedicated to Saint Thomas.

I was going to enter this photo into our community calendar competition but I’m too late. I couldn’t drive up and take the photo until today so I missed the closing date. I just like the angles and planes of it’s architecture, I have forgotten the name of its designer.

The hill is called Penkhull which means hill Hill. So you could call it hill Hill hill!

I’m admiring the blue sky, I couldn’t see this colour until recently. I’m still amazed at how much my colour vision has been out of whack until I had my surgery. X

Old films

Posted on September 1, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged 6ft 3in tall, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2048, Elwood P Dowd, fun comedy, Rabbit, White rabbit2 Comments

What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

I haven’t seen it for years, but the film Harvey, starring the inimitable James Stewart makes me so happy. No one else could have played Elwood P Dowd, a rich eccentric who has a puca or celtic spirit in the form of an invisible 6ft 3 and 1/2 in white rabbit walking around with him. Elwood introduces the puca to friends and acquaintances at bars and parties, socialising with them and having a whale of a time.

It’s hard to explain what happens as it’s a complex story. Suffice to say Elwood’s sister and neice get involved when Elwood and Harvey spoil his nieces wedding party. They plot to get him (Elwood) put into a Sanatorium because they think he’s mad. But Elwood is released when his sister admits to occasionally seeing Harvey too! Plot twists ensue and silly things happen. But it all works out OK… Wikipedia has a good explanation of the story. Look up Harvey (1950’s film) there to get a full explanation.

Spelling…

Posted on September 1, 2025 Posted in UncategorizedTagged comedic, five lines, Funny, Laugh, Limerick, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, spell, Twist, Witch, Write2 Comments

My friend Esther Chiltons weekly limerick prompt this week was to use the word SPELL somewhere in the five line rhyme. I was rather pleased with what I came up with so here it is…

The witch of the wood cast a spell
But no one could easily tell
For she’d been mistaken
Used the wrong incantation
And turned her broom into a well!

I don’t know

Posted on August 31, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2047, Family, imposter syndrome, Prompt, Thinking6 Comments

Why do you blog?

I seem to have a lot to say, opinions, thoughts. I’ve recently joined a local writers group. I guess I think my words are worth reading? But that’s just my opinion. I may be boring, I might be showing off.

I have suffered imposter syndrome in the past when I was working. I think blogging helps me feel a little bit validated. Having somewhere to share my thoughts and ideas, to share my art. Something to be remembered by. So that I have an existence outside of these four walls.

I recently looked for family details on the Internet. I am mentioned lots of times because I use lots of social media. But the family? Not much detail. Because their lives were mainly pre Internet…

I still keep on blogging..

Flower of passion

Posted on August 31, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Anxiety, cataracts, Confidence, Driving, Flower, Life, Memory, Passion flower, Recovery, Surgery1 Comment

We went out this afternoon for a shopping trip because I need new shoes. I managed to drive myself to the shopping village in Trentham. It’s been a month since I have been allowed in the car because of my eye operation. It’s only a couple of miles but it could have been fifty. I felt so anxious, but so pleased to get the skill back. Luckily I was with my sister so felt more confidence.

While I was at the village I saw this lovely passion flower. A good reminder of the day.

Bad cat poem

Posted on August 30, 2025 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged bad cat poem, Black and white cat, Cat, old cat, Poem, Poetry, Purr, Sleeping, Tuxedo catLeave a comment

My Cat won’t perform
He doesn’t do tricks
He’s not cute or cuddly
Won’t chase after sticks
But he is loving
Likes to purr
Sleeps most of the day
With nice soft fur.

Bye glasses lens

Posted on August 29, 2025 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cataract, check up, Eyes, lenses, Life, operation, optician, Progress, short sighted, Sight2 Comments

Bye bye glasses lens, after my cataract op my eye was less short sighted so the optician has popped out the glass. Weird walking round with the wind blowing into my eye! I’ve put the screwdriver in the photo to show the lens has gone.

My eyesight is still slightly short sighted, but I am happy. My only problem is a bit of double vision. I would recommend the operation, and as my other eye is now getting fuzzier I’m glad I’m booked in to have the other one done.

Molly

Posted on August 28, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Brampton museum, Burslem witch, Exhibition, Fine Art, molly leigh, Orme ArtLeave a comment

Molly, a portrait of a woman called Molly Leigh who may have been a witch, she lived in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. It’s the second painting I’m putting in the Brampton museum and art gallery in Newcastle under Lyme. It’s another acrylic on canvas. Included in the front window of the museum with the Orme Art Group Exhibition.

It will be for sale. I need to let my paintings go to new homes. I want them to go where they are appreciated and will be seen. I realise that as I get older I am holding on to a lot of things that could be better elsewhere. I don’t want an empty space but I’m running out of wall space.

Spode window

Posted on August 28, 2025 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Brampton museum, Circular, Fine Art, Life, Memory, Orme Art, Painting, spode windowLeave a comment

A strange little window at Spode Works. It’s the only one I’ve seen on the site. I love the way the bricks are built in a circle. A little porthole in the side of an old factory in Stoke on Trent. I love quirky things.

This is an acrylic on canvas. Our Orme Art Group is having a small exhibition in front window of the Brampton museum and art gallery in Newcastle under Lyme in Staffordshire. This is one of two paintings I’m exhibiting. It’s on from next week I think. I might not be able to get along to it as I’m having another cataract operation in a few weeks.

Flag waving

Posted on August 27, 2025August 27, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Caring, Flag, humanity, humility, Memory, patriotic?, Politics, Right wing, rights, Thoughts2 Comments

In response to a lot of strange flag waving excesses in the UK I posted this message. I believe it explains how I feel about it.

It’s not the flag, but the idiots waving it whilst shouting abuse at anyone who doesn’t agree with them. It’s not the flag, but people arguing people should be burnt alive. It’s not the flag, but people who think it’s funny to let children drown. It’s not the flag, but people who think paying the taliban to take frightened people back to Afghanistan is a good idea. It’s not the flag, but the people who consider it the British Swastika.
If you fly the flag do it with respect to humanity.

I think this could be a way of describing it to other people too. This might be too much to say here, but I feel it needs to be said. I don’t want to bring arguments here. I apologise for that.