Need to catch up

Posted on March 15, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Art, Blocked, Creativity, Down, Memories, Prompt, Sad, Sketching, Thinking, Time2 Comments

#bandofsketchers?

What’s happened? I’ve been ill again and I haven’t had the energy or will to draw. I’m behind on these prompts. I have ideas but the sketchpad is across the room and I can’t make myself go and pick it up. I think I’m a bit overwhelmed. I don’t think the cold, wet, grey weather we have been having has helped. Shivering and shaking is not conducive to drawing and sketching. Oh I must not moan, but sometimes you just get stuck. Bad mood and memories don’t help, I guess I’m a bit blocked in my creativity. Sunshine might help.

Catnip

Posted on March 15, 2023 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged belly, biting, Black and white cat, Catnip, Fun, Play, rolling around, Silly, Treat, Tuxedo cat8 Comments

I saw some catnip for sale today, I usually get the cats catnip toys, but this was a bag of shredded plant material.

Basically the cats loved it. They all rolled about and snuffed it. One of them started chewing my slipper…while I was wearing them. He even chewed at my trouser leg. He also started playing and chewing my straps on my sandals. He ended up rolling round on his back where he’d scattered the catnip on the carpet, he had got underneath the towel I’d put it on and spilt it on the floor.

Now? He’s sleeping like a baby like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth!

Red Nose Day Friday 16th March 2023

Posted on March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Africa, Charity, Comedy, Funny, Lenny Henry, red nose, Red nose day, the UK2 Comments

I got my red nose today in aid of Red Nose day on Friday. Its a tellython thingy that began in the eighties when comedian Lenny Henry and his friends started collecting money to support people in Africa and in the UK. The programme on Friday evening will have lots of comic skits and sketches interspersed with short films about how the money they raise is being used to hrlp people around the world. You might be able to Google Red Nose day for more information. This year the nose is mainly paper which is less polluting. I have collected red noses from the first one. X

I think Red Nose day is every couple of years, but time flashes by so fast. Anyway it cheers me up and makes me think about others at the same time. X

Not really

Posted on March 15, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged belief, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1875, ladder, Magpie, Superstitious, thirteen, WritingLeave a comment

Are you superstitious?

I have to say I usually walk under ladders, but I always say ‘hello Mr magpie how’s your wife’ if I see a lone magpie. I wonder why black cats are lucky in the UK and unlucky in the USA? I used to avoid cracks in pavements but not any more.

So no, I’m not superstitious. Thirteen is an interesting prime number to me, a bakers dozen, not something to fear. I’m not interested in Halloween really. I don’t bother with trick or treaters and sometimes even shout ‘boo!’ at them and say ‘here’s your trick!’ Does it matter?it depends on the person. I can’t disabuse you of your own beliefs so let’s agree to disagree if you are superstitious.

Forty years ago

Posted on March 14, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cortauld, Euston, Forty miles, galleries, Late, London, national gallery, tate, Train, Travel, underground, WhitechapelLeave a comment

A memory of something that happened to me when I was at college just popped into my head. We wereon a London trip to look at Art galleries and museums. For some reason wewere given cloakroom tickets (raffle tickets) instead of actual train tickets on the way down. We spent several hours visiting the National Gallery, the Courtauld Institute, the Tate and the Whitechapel Gallery. But then I miscalculated the distance from another gallery to Euston Station via the Underground (the map is very beautifully designed but the distances are altered to make all the stations fit. And so me and my friend arrived on the platform at Euston as the train yo Stoke-on-Trent started to pull out. I ran but couldn’t jump up to the train door. We had to go to the station ticket office with our raffle tickets! After explaining they agreed we could catch the next train, two hours later we were off. But unfortunately it only went to Stafford, I don’t know how we got back from there but we did… Bus I think, yes, I couldn’t afford to get a taxi the twenty miles we were short on a student grant…

Six months…

Posted on March 14, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Drawing, Family, Friend, Life, Loss, Memory, Pain, Poem, Poetry, Sister, Six months, Sketching, TwinLeave a comment

Six months since I lost you

Six months of sorrow

I don’t remember every day

But milestones on the way

Remind me of a voice lost

A physical presence gone.

When I feel down the loss is greater

I dispare that your life is over.

I still pray for you at night

And I wish with all my might

That you were still here

Even if you were not near

Sister, twin, friend

My love to you

I send.

Jupiter’s pole

Posted on March 14, 2023 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Astronomy, Clouds, Juno probe, Jupiter, Painting, Pole, SpaceLeave a comment

Probably my most abstract image, actually me trying to paint one of the poles of Jupiter taken by the Juno probe a few years ago. It just popped up in my Facebook memories. I find blending difficult for paintings like this. Acrylic dries to quickly to get a fluffy feel to the clouds. I might revisit this and add a bit more to it.

Cat

Posted on March 14, 2023 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black and white cat, Cat, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1874, Poem, Poetry, Prompt, Tuxedo cat, what animal I'd like to beLeave a comment

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

If I could I’d be a cat

Eight meals a day

But still not fat

Treats on demand

From my owners hand

A bed in each room

For me to groom

And fall asleep

Warm and comfortable

Under the table

Or on the windowledge

Watching nature

Then outside

To chase leaves

And hide.

Would you like Marmite on that?

Posted on March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1869, Food, Life, marmite, Memory, minor question, Question, ThinkingLeave a comment

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

I hate marmite. I ate it once when I was a child and I never ate it again. Its a minor hate, it wouldn’t hurt me to eat it, but that’s how I feel about it. So if you asked me if I’d like Marmite on something I would not thank you.

This is why I took so long to answer this prompt. I don’t think I have a real question that I would hate to be asked? I guess there will be something but I haven’t come across it yet. I must lead a sheltered life.

Thinking of a question I would hate to be asked made me realise how lucky I am not to be in a situation where I would need to answer it. I think I will leave this here as I’m starting to waffle!

Back to singing

Posted on March 13, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Choir, croaky, Found, Fun, Harmony, Lost, Music, Rings, Singing, Tired, Torch, voiceLeave a comment

🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶

After a couple of weeks off I went back to choir practice tonight. I still have a tickly cough and every time I tried to sing with any volume it set it off. It’s annoying because it’s hard to harmonise with a growly voice! It was throwing it down with rain, but there was a good attendance there. The first thing that happened though was I shook my hands because they were wet from the rain running down them from my coat, and the three rings on my right little finger shot off my hand and into a dark corner. I wouldn’t have realised that it had happened but they twinkled as they fell. Luckily the choir leader had a torch so I found them with a couple of other choir members help. I’ve lost weight and my fingers have got a bit thinner. Anyway, despite the problem with losing my rings, and the croaky voice, I’m glad I went out. It’s such a nice atmosphere there.