Two years!

Posted on January 3, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Anniversary, Blogging, Life, Two years, WordPress, Writing4 Comments

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Two years! I’m still here, still blogging, still trying to come up with new ideas, poems, short stories, but above all art, including drawings, photos and paintings.

I don’t know what subjects I will choose. I’m in a bit of a void at the moment. I did a lot before Christmas, but now things have calmed down, and some of the paintings people asked for in December have been postponed because of circumstance (not on my part). So if you decide you want a painting doing please get in touch. I might be available to do some commissions..

Pareidolia

Posted on January 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Landscape, Life, Seeing faces, Sight, Thought, Tree spirits, World6 Comments

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Had to look this up….

“Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to see patterns in a random stimulus.”… “This often leads to people assigning human characteristics to objects. Usually this is simplified to people seeing faces in objects where there isn’t one.”

I definitely have this, whether it is a positive or negative thing. I see patterns in most things. I’ve drawn over this picture which I’d mirrored from a photo, so you can see the images I could see in it. I haven’t drawn everything I could see, and I’ve used a bit of artistic licence.

Little walk at Etruria

Posted on January 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Chilled, Cold, Cold wind, Etruria, Etruria Industrial museum, Industrial heritage, Life, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, WalkLeave a comment

There is plenty to see on a short walk in the area around the Etruria Industrial museum at Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent.

There was a very cold wind blowing along the canal towpath so we only had a short walk. We took a look at the cygnets on the canal, they were on their own so presumably their parents have left them now. I wish we had taken some duck food with us. There were plenty of other birds about including ducks and geese, a rook or crow and magpies.

Some of the industrial buildings in the area are more visible now the leaves are off the trees. One of these is the tall chimney that is on the industrial estate behind Jessie Shirley’s flint and bone mill, which is attached to the Etruria Industrial museum.

One of the boats on the canal had smoke rising from its chimney, which made me think of hot tea and toast. We soon got back to our car, and put the car heater on to warm up. Brrr

First drawing of 2020

Posted on January 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Artist, Drawing, Etruria, Etruria Artists, Life, Pencil sketch, Portrait, Trent and mersey canal, Warehouse2 Comments

_20200102_111654 My first drawing of 2020 on 2.1.2020. It’s red because we were at Etruria Artists in the warehouse by the canal. It was so cold we had the electric heaters on in the roof that glow cherry red. For those who know the person, I’ve got his nose too long. This is because he was moving.

The Etruria Artists are now meeting on a Thursday morning from 10am to 12noon unless we change it. Hopefully this will encourage more people to come along.

Shells

Posted on January 1, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beach, Coral, Food chain, Life, Photo, Seashore, Shells, WorldLeave a comment

In this case a bi-valve. Shells are made up of calcium carbonate. They need a neutral water environment to grow and survive. But like so many problems we cause, we are damaging the oceans. The seas are slowly acidifying them. The oceans are now weakly acidic which is slowly affecting the growth of shells and corals. They cannot lay down the material they are made of as easily in the current environment. If things get worse we could lose many of these beautiful creatures (yes they are animal not plant life).

More to work on in the coming decade. If we don’t a large number of animals that eat shellfish may be affected. We really do have to think about it.

Good morning world

Posted on January 1, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Climate, Dawn, Decade, Dusk, freedom, Life, New years day, Poem, Poetry, Safety, Time, Weather, WorldLeave a comment

Welcome to the dawn of a new decade.

Let’s try and be optimistic,

do something to improve the world

instead of destroying it.

Use less plastic stuff,

eat more organic food.

Drink clean water at last,

instead of tainted.

Free workers from slavery,

pay a decent wage.

Let the sky glow at dawn and dusk

not from forest fires.

House the homeless in decent shelters

along with refugees…

Care for one another

and the life of the world.

Reduce energy usage,

and combat Global warming.

Then we might survive,

to the Next Decade.

Fingers crossed.

Is it 2020 yet?

Posted on December 31, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 2019, Blogging, Good and bad, Humour, Life, Memories, Thinking, Time1 Comment

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Time, memories, fears, wonders? The year has passed, slowly and quickly. I can’t believe it’s almost over. Things have happened that I couldn’t forsee. People I loved have gone, friends I have lost. But also, friends I have made, on line and in real life.

Can you tell by this reflective mood that I haven’t had a drink yet for New years eve? I migh treat myself to an Irish coffee. But I don’t feel like drinking a lot.

Things to avoid in 2020…

Politics!

Hot sun,

Getting too tired.

Going to bed to late.

What about you?

Happy New year

Posted on December 31, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 2019, 2020, Best wishes, Good wishes, Life, New beginning, New year, Time6 Comments

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As New year approaches, I want to wish all the people who follow my blog, and who I have made friends with over the last couple of years, a Happy and Healthy New year for 2020. I know it doesn’t happen at the same time across the world and in some places its already late in the morning of January 1st. Others won’t be celebrating until hours later.

Wherever you are in or on the World, with all the terrible things that have happened, or are happening, may you find peace, and caring, and love. If your year was good in 2019, I hope that continues.

It doesn’t matter who, or what you are. I hope your life, and that of your families and friends is good in 2020.

Best wishes.

What to do when your digital signal breaks up?

Posted on December 31, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ariel, Life, Saucepan, Signal, Solution, Technology, TV, WeirdLeave a comment

This is a weird solution, thanks to my hubby. We have a set top ariel because there is a large building across the road with a metal covering. So we have found that we don’t need a TV ariel on the roof. We have hung it up by the curtains to get a stronger signal. With it there we have a good enough signal to get most channels.

But when the weather is clear, or we have high pressure it effects the TV. On a few channels the picture breaks up into lots of little squares and patterns.

What to do? First he wiggled the ariel about, then when that didn’t work he held a saucepan up with the idea that the metal of the pan would boost the signal – and it did! Now there is a saucepan hanging off the ariel now. Its a temporary solution. I don’t want it falling off and hitting the television! I might get a better ariel.

New years eve

Posted on December 31, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, End of 2019, End of the decade, Fun, Happy New Year, Life, Quiet night in, Time3 Comments

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I’m not bothering with 🎇 fireworks tonight, or going out. I’m staying in so I know our cats are safe. I visited some friends last night instead. I will cook a nice meal for us and we can have a quiet drink.

I’ve never really been a party person. It sounds sad, but I like my own company and I don’t really socialise well, I always feel nervous and unsure of what to say.

I hope everyone here has a brilliant day and that you have a wonderful 2020. Life is astounding and amazing, I’m sending warm thoughts to you all.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life