Dorothy Clive garden

Posted on March 22, 2020March 22, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Cheshire, Closed for the time being, Day out, Dorothy Clive garden, Garden, Gardening, Life, Shropshire, Staffordshire, VirusLeave a comment

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Just had an email from the Dorothy Clive Garden, explaining that they are closing due to government advice.

It’s a lovely place on the border with Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire. It is a magical garden on a steep slope. If you get a chance when things have calmed down do go.

This is what I wrote back to them…

We visit to come and see the wonderful rhododendrons in the quarry garden every year, and have been enjoying watching the ecology section being created. Then the rest of it is just wonderful when it’s in full bloom. I love sitting outside the cafe and drawing the view, or walking down the steep slope towards the pond. Watching goldfish as they quietly go about their lives under the surface.

Ive been visiting over several years. When I was fit I used to cycle over with my husband.

I have a very overgrown small garden with lots of trees, but we have some amazing geraniums that have spread everywhere. We got them from you a few years ago.

Hoping for a speedy resolution to the current situation.
Sincerely

Today’s drawing

Posted on March 22, 2020March 22, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Day 4, Draw your book, Drawing, Fun, Life, Old technology, Self isolating, Urban sketchers challenge, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent, WirelessLeave a comment

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Today’s urban sketchers Stoke-on-Trent challenge was to draw the book you are reading. This is one my husband gave me it to read. Wireless for beginners by Thomas Roddam. It’s strange but I like trying to understand technical books. I read just about anything, although these days I skim read and you need to take your time over things like this. Obviously I’m never going to make vaccum tubes…

I’m enjoying the challenge. Some of it’s difficult, you think ‘what can I do?’ , but you can put your own spin on it.

Trying to keep going

Posted on March 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Enjoyment, Food, Life, Support, Takeaway, TV2 Comments

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A couple of my friends own restaurants, and now the government has told them to close they are only allowed to do takeaway meals. I feel like I will be buying a takeaway each week to try and help keep them going. With food short in the shops it may be the only way to get something interesting to eat. Yes I can live on vegetables and salads, but it’s nice to have a bit of variety, especially if its well cooked. I mean there is only so much binge watching you can do.

Then exercise. I might drive out to Cannock chase tomorrow for a walk. Somewhere quiet and away from people.

Stockpiling

Posted on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Difficulty, Empathy, Food, Goods, Life, People, Poem, Poetry, Share, Shopping, Times18 Comments

When your cupboards are full,

with tins overflowing,

think of the poor,

who can’t buy their food.

Profiteering raises,

the price of their goods,

people are buying

ten times their needs.

Stop being selfish, or frightened,

or stupid,

care for your fellows

and show empathy.

Things to do

Posted on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Blogging, Bored, Environment, Facebook, Fun, Life, Random, Self isolating, Sir Patrick Moore, Virus4 Comments

The world is full of bored people. One of the things to do that was posted on Facebook is to close your eyes and choose a book at random. Find page 109 go to the third paragraph and post the first sentence you come to. Also include the author and book title.

Mine was : The radar maps show features of all kinds. (Patrick Moore’s Astronomy), ( teach yourself book)

isbn 978-1-444-10313-7

It’s random, but something to do…..

Chore..

Posted on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Chore, Drawing, Life, Sketch book, Sketching, Thirty day challenge, Urban sketch, Urban sketchers Stoke on trentLeave a comment

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Urban Sketchers Stoke-on-Trent is doing a thirty day challenge. Today is day three and the challenge is ‘household chore’ this is my sweeping brush as my hoover is bust.

Pencil in a Daler Rowney ‘simply’ sketchbook.

In other thoughts I’m trying to think of things to do. So far I’ve got as far as spending half the day looking at social media. I think a lot of people will be suffering from vitamin D deficiency and will look like they have recently been in prison!

Anyway, back to my chores…

Eight…

Posted on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Billions, Compassion, Eight people, Half the world, Life, Population, WordPress, World7 Comments

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It’s a fact, EIGHT people have as much wealth as half of the world’s population.

That’s over 3,500,000,000 people!

The current world crisis will cost Billions or Trillions to resolve. Add to that the wars that are going on. The deforestation and damage to the lane through plastic and other pollutions. Also the death of animals through poaching or poisoning that will cause the extinction of them within a few years.

And yet we are not fair, we do not share, it is survival of the fittest ( for that read richest). We have religions, all of which tell us to care for one another, love one another, not to cause harm. But what do we do… Ignore sensible rules and become more selfish…

And yet, in these times, people suddenly seem to have remembered compassion.

Let’s hope it lasts…

Interesting times

Posted on March 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Illness, Interesting, Life, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, Thought, Time, Virus, WorldLeave a comment

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We live in difficult times,

In a bubble where nothing can touch us,

In a dream world of Internet lies,

In a world where one touch can kill us,

Yes we live in interesting times.

We live where a cold can be fatal,

Where a virus is writing our fate,

In a world where borders can’t save us,

We must act before it’s too late.

Don’t think the world is over,

We must fight till the end is right here,

No one knows what resolve will save us.

But we live in interesting times.

Owl

Posted on March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Animals, Birds, Birthday treat, Day out, Eccleshall, Enjoyment, Gentleshaw, Life, Owls, sanctuary, Staffordshire1 Comment

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About nine years ago I had a birthday treat, we went to Gentleshaw Animal sanctuary and I got to hold and fly owls. Its amazing how light they are, they are all fluffy feathers. I think this is a Great Grey owl.

The sanctuary had bad luck a few years ago when a fire severely damaged some of the pens. It was a sad time, but they rebuilt. The staff are some of the Kindest people I’ve ever met. They treat all the animals with great care. They rescue animals from poor circumstances and help rehabilitate them.

Wonderful afternoon out, wonderful people.

Cheering myself up

Posted on March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Distraction, Fun, Home, Kettle view, Kettle?, Life, Self isolating, Sketching, Urban sketching, Washing up, WorkLeave a comment

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I’ve joined a group on Facebook where the idea is to post cheerful things, and not mention the virus.

One of today’s challenges was to post a ‘kettle’ view. I think I took it too literally, this is a view of my kettle.

I posted it, then saw beautiful pictures of kitchens, or views out of the windows of neat and tidy houses.

On a seperate page the urban sketchers challenge was to draw ‘working from home’ as I’m semi retired I’m not really doing that. Craft fairs and exhibitions are off for the time being, and I genuinely have not felt that creative this week. But I wanted to do the challenge, so I drew this.

Washing up waiting to be done..

It’s still waiting…

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life