A sweet treat

I decided to make myself a treat. Take a glass, add one shot of Irish coffee liqueur and add a mini dark chocolate and vanilla ice-cream on a stick. Plus a teaspoon.

Let the ice-cream melt so the centre is soft but the dark chocolate is still crunchy. Break off into the Irish coffee liqueur…..remove the stick.. Spoon out the tasty treat to enjoy.

Glass

Glass bottles on a windowsill, crinkled glass window panes behind.

Seen last night at the Greyhound inn at Penkhull. Such a simple idea but effective. Now I’m seeing colours better, I’m noticing things like this. Everything seems to sparkle and shine. I’m so lucky to have had cataract surgery. I hope people who need it get it too.

Glass ornaments

I collect glass paperweights, I have them in a windowledge but out of direct sunlight because if they cause a lens effect they can create a fire! Some people have had this happen and I don’t intend to experience the same.

I started collecting them in the 1980’s when I was given two in exchange for a painting. I must have 20 or 30 dotted around the house. They are very dusty, I don’t move them much because they are quite heavy.

If you ever get to see glass blowing it’s worth it. I found it fascinating when we visited a workshop on the isle of Wight one year.

Broken glass

I am annoyed. I put this glass down by my chair this morning after drinking some fruit juice. I went out to an appointment, came home, went to walk into the kitchen and caught the glass with my foot. Of course it smashed. It had a heavy base but the ridged sides were thin and delicate. Result, glass shards everywhere. I hope I have swept them all up.

I don’t know if it’s possible to make glasses like this stronger, it was an expensive glass and I’d like to buy a replacement, but dare I? Do I have to treat it like a rare jewel?

Losing my marbles

I collect all sorts of things, and today I remembered I have a bowl made of buttons glued together, inside it is my marble collection. I need to clear the bowl out, it’s very dusty and some of the leaves from the plant above it have fallen in over the winter. I can’t wash it because it’s held together with PVA glue. I’m going to remove the marbles, (hopefully without losing them), wash them and dry them then put them back in the bowl.

So why am I writing about this? I guess it’s just that I collect all sorts of things, perhaps I should get rid of things? Maybe it’s a trait about being an artist, gathering shiny objects. I guess I’m a bit of a Magpie.

Glass

Glass ball with bubbles of air in it. I’m a bit of a collector of glass paperweights. I started collecting about thirty years ago when I got two with gold and silver leaf embedded in them. My latest one was a few weeks ago when I bought a apple shaped one with glass spirals. Given my current situation I don’t think I will be buying any more.

Window view

Looking out the window in All Saints church hall. The pale washed blue of a showery November day. Frosted panes to stop people looking in or out. What events took place here? White elephant stalls at Fete’s? Sunday School meetings? Choir rehearsal and huge pots of tea? A tea urn or a hot water boiler in the corner gently heating, brown Bessie teapots on a draining board? The main room is partitioned off, a kitchen and perhaps an office at the rear. The windows make the rooms very bright. It’s interesting to speculate how it would have been used.

The really spectacular window is in the church next door, I’ll see if it’s clear enough to post?