Bump bump bump

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It’s 1.30am and I’m being kept awake by a fast low beat and occasional bursts of shouting from the pub across the road. I will not identify them because I don’t wish to have trouble from them. But there are young families in the street and the noise has been getting worse recently after quietening down for a while. So I’m sitting here plotting revenge like raw prawns tucked under the seats? (Imagination only, I won’t follow through). But when you can hear the music over an adventure movie we were watching earlier you know its loud. Im hoping this is the last record as they tend to turn the sound up at the end of the night? No another record has come on. More thud bump thud. Like a fast heart beat.

The volume goes up and down. Like someone is opening a door and letting more sound out then closing it again. I think the people listening will be stone deaf by the time they are in their fifties! Me. I’m going to make a nice big mug of cocoa and try and relax… Oops loud again! Grr

The Beatles

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I was bought up in the 1960s so although I was there I don’t remember a lot about the Beatles – I was too young.

But even now after over 50 years if a Beatles song comes on the radio or TV I can pretty much sing along with the lyrics.

I remember hearing them, some of my favourites are:

Love me do

Help

Can’t buy me love

Hey Jude

Eight days a week

There are others but I’m useless at remembering names of songs!

I loved their harmony, I loved their funny ways, I loved their experimental music as they evolved.

I’m just watching the Ron Howard documentary about them and it’s bringing a few memories back but as I say because I was a child I missed anything about them on late night TV so I’m learning a lot from the documentary.

Shed arrival

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This morning a shed and summerhouse we ordered arrived. I got them because they were ex display models so they cost half the price they should have. DSC_1291_optimized

I’m not sure why I wanted a summer house as well. I have this idea that I’m going to sit out in the garden in the summer and use it to paint in.

The builder is putting them up at the moment. We have also had some fencing put up because the back of the garden was getting so overgrown it had pulled the bit of fencing down that had been there for years. We intend to plant clematis and honeysuckle against it.

That’s about all I’m going to say about it. It’s a big cost. But if it means we can store and save all my husbands collection of old bicycles and stop them from rusting it’s a good idea.

No Time

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Time is running far too fast for me. I’m so busy doing something that I’m tired and I’m getting worn out. That’s why I haven’t been here much over the last few days..

Anyway  I will try and catch up over the weekend. I enjoy writing and would miss it if I didn’t blog or write poems.

My Instagram and Facebook pages are also being neglected but I can’t help that. I will try and post more later when I’ve recovered a bit.

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Tree time

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This tree is going to have to come out. This was taken a couple of years ago. Since then we have had a lot of the branches cut back. Basically because it is too near the house and we are concerned the roots may affect the walls!

So we have spoken to the local wood turning group and they are happy to take the logs to turn into artistic objects.

I have already see birds carrying twigs around the garden so it needs doing soon.

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Swirls

When I have had a long day I enjoy doing something creative. These were done with a couple of apps, sketcher free and picsart.  I don’t know why I like swirls and spirals so much.

Anyway here are three iterations. The first was the most complex to create, the second and third led to the first. I started with bright colours and then reduced them by using the curves option, changing each colour to a more muted one and eventually grey.

I think I will just finish here. Today was very busy.

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Make me paint!

_20190310_022442 I need to paint. I’ve had a break, partly self enforced because I was busy and tired and lost my way in doing other things like blogging, plus it’s been winter and it’s too cold and dark. I was doing lots of things as hobbies too. But I’m nervous of spending too much of dwindling resources.  I’m scared of putting a toe back into the world of work. I want to be helping people as well as painting.

The cliff edge is looming and I want to take a step back. Writing here is allowing me to explore ideas and thoughts that I have never been able to do before. It’s all very gentle and kind and I’m afraid I’ve found a cosy space that allows my dreams, but perhaps I have to let go and try harder in the real world. I’m saying I’m an experimenting artist so I need to do that….. Give art a chance.

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Illness

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Two years ago I ended up in hospital and had to go on intravenous antibiotics. I was so miserable I decided to get my partner to bring a sketch book in so I could at least draw the view.

The room I was in was on one of the top floors, so unless I got close to the window all I could see was a few rooftops then sky. I took a few photos of the drawings on my phone while I was there for a few days.

My most miserable memory was the food. Tasteless stuff, pap, soft with no flavour. How patients are supposed to get better when the food is so awful … I think it must have cost pence to make. I remember enjoying the sandwiches, they were the only tasty thing in there.

Apart from that everyone was good and kind. But I was pleased to escape. Unfortunately when the ambulance took me home there was no one there to let me in! Luckily my partner turned up so I managed to avoid being carted back to the hospital! Happily we don’t normally have to pay for treatment in this country. Long may it remain so.

Trees

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Driving home this afternoon. I was a passenger for a change do I had the chance to take a closer look at the verges.. And I was horrified at what I saw. Every foot of every yard of every mile had plastic litter strewn along it. Plastic bottles, tins, paper, wrapping, rubbish, mess. Oh what are we doing to the world?? Then I noticed I could see further than I could in the past. Then I realised tens, perhaps hundreds of trees have been chopped down. There are piles of wood chips where they have been felled and some trunks are still lying there.

I couldn’t take photos but I wish people could have seen it. How much has it cost to do? What habitat has been lost? Why is it more important to fell trees than pick up the mess of litter?

There are signs saying the road will be closed for several days for road work’s  Perhaps the trees had to go because of that? In which case I hope they replace the trees with saplings. I will wait and see.

Curtains for you

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Curtains, you cover my modesty

Hide my imperfections,

You keep the warmth in, the heat out.

You stop me seeing the rain,

Shut out the traffic

Such a simple invention.

You divide rooms,

Seperate scenes in plays,

And yet you remain unremarked.

You can be cut down to make a dress

Or a gown.

You protect tapestries and paintings

From harsh sun.

You fade in sunlight

Get moth eaten

Eventually fade and die

Then it’s “curtains” for you!