New paintings and regular art updates.
I don’t do this often enough, but it is good to listen while I’m painting, ( not doing it at the moment). I’m just listening to ‘ the unbelievable truth’ a comedy programme on BBC radio four. It is about people telling a story full of lies about a subject while trying to sneak four truths past the other members of the panel. The winner is the one who spots the most truths.
It’s very very funny. You might be able to find it on the BBC Sounds app….
X
When I was a child I used to cook toast-on the gas fire!
I would come home from school and warm up in front of the fire, warming my toes, feet, hands and face. We didn’t have central heating, so only the living room was warm. I was older than my siblings so this was my job. Slices of white bread hooked onto the bars on the front of the gas fire with a metal fork. A few seconds and you turn the bread over. Delicious hot toast and I guess margarine because we couldn’t afford butter. If it was a Sunday I sometimes cooked crumpets. They are like a savoury bread like a muffin but full of holes through the middle of them and at the top of them so when they have butter or margarine spread on them it melts right through the middle of them.
I remember the lovely smells of toast and margarine, together with a hot cup of tea in small cups with orange and brown patterns on them.
This memory was prompted by a question on the Alchemists blog page which asked for memories of being cozy. It’s good to uncover old memories like this.
X
Does anyone else have a partner that keeps his change in plastic boxes or tea cups? I came in tonight and yet another receptacle was filled with change (and a bit of satsuma skin). The trouble is he doesn’t like spending change so it builds up.
Some people fill large bottles with copper coins. I think they then donate them to charities. I don’t know what to do about this money except spend it! One of the irritating things about living with people is that we all have our own way of doing things, and sometimes you have to have a bit of give and take.
My friend runs something called art lunch, which is basically an excuse for artists and creative to get together and meet up over lunch or tea. She provides the venue and some of the food and drink, but we all bring a little contribution to the lunch. It’s a good place to network and catch up. You find out about things you may never have heard of without going to it. If She’s held them in various venues in Stoke-on-Trent and I’m thinking of offering our garden as a venue in the summer.
There were plenty of artists there and I think everyone had an enjoyable time.
X
Last year the views of my blog went up from 10 thousand in 2018 to around 47 thousand.
I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for your support. My stats might not be as big and impressive as other people, but it means a lot to me.
Thank you.
X
I have been thinking of friends over in Australia that are being affected by the wild fires. I’m not religious, so I don’t say I pray for them, but I do hope they get rain, even though its the height of summer.
I saw a photo yesterday from the international space station, it showed the extent of the fires. It looked as if the whole country was burning, all at the same time. The photo was a composite over several days and weeks, but people were misunderstanding it. I think that was wrong. If people are going to combat climate change they need accurate data, otherwise reports could be classed as fake news. That would effect the credibility of reporting. The world needs to forget about starting wars and get on with helping the environment.
Something bloomed into the sky after the meteorite fell. A green mist rose from the sea and started spreading across the land. For a while it lay in the hollows and valleys, but steadily crept higher.
People noticed it and shied away from it. They travelled inland and up hills and mountains. Soon they were isolated, no one would cross the green air.
The small islands of high land topping the green murk gradually were overcome. People breathed their last air as it rose, scrabbling for height, but succumbing to the green gas. They were suffocating and dying.
Asian mountains stayed above the haze for a while longer. But like everywhere else the human population passed away. Eventually the only survivors were left alone, high above Earth, in the space station. There was nothing left for them to do but wait for the end.
But then a miracle (if after all the death that could be said) happened. The gas started to clear. After three weeks it had gone completely. It was then that the astronauts realised that all Earth’s animals had survived. They realised that it was the humans haemoglobin in their blood that had been affected. Other animals had different DNA.
But the problem was how would they descend from the space station? What would become of them?
Afternoon tea in a place called the Rabbit Hole tearoom in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent. We had a visitor down from Yorkshire and he wanted to go somewhere that sold loose leaf tea and cakes. After searching Google and ringing a few places we found this cafe virtually on our doorstep. I rang and got us in (they are pretty much fully booked till March!).
The decor was fun, with lots of Alice in wonderland and white rabbit touches. There were pictures on the ceiling and it was very ‘jolly’!
Very pleasant food, with friendly service. We had sandwiches, salad, crisps, followed by scones with jam and cream. There was cake and cupcakes but that was too much for me!
I see a face in the wood
A dragon in the clouds
An eye in the cheese
A mermaid in the water
Fish in smoke
Apples in stone
Bees in milk.
I see so many things,
Patterns in wallpaper
Cats in cakes
Tigers in bubbles
Owls on bark.
Never seen zebras in sugar though.
Soon we may only see Elephants as symbols in pictures or on textiles. They are one of the terribly endangered species in the world that coukd soon be extinct. The problem isn’t just hunting or poaching, but also the threat of climate change. As the land dries up through to drought, or is flooded by seas rising their habitat will be displaced. Only if we really try to do something about the situation do we stand to change things.
Mallaband-Brown