Aberfan disaster

Posted on October 24, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged aberfan, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2099, Death, Frightened, Life, Memory, Sad, spoil heap, YoungLeave a comment

What major historical events do you remember?

The Aberfan disaster was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip on 21 October 1966. The tip had been created on a mountain slope above the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, and overlaid a natural spring. (Wikipedia)

I was very young and I remember coming downstairs and hearing the evening news on the television. What upset me the most was that the children that died were my age. It scared and upset me. School children were buried below the collapsed spoil heap. I was very frightening.

Esther Chiltons weekly prompt “Halloween”?

Posted on October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Esther Chiltons blog prompt, Ghosts, Halloween, Life, South, southern Hemisphere, Spooky, WitchesLeave a comment

Halloween in the Southern Hemisphere?
It’s getting sunnier in the global south. Spring is in the air. Are there spooky ghosts frolicking in the daffodils or their equivalent… The shadows are lifting. Witches must be wearing smart floral dresses… Vampires? No fruit bats. Werewolves. Or Tasmanian devils. Even dragons are different, wise and peaceful. But there are places that celebrate the day of the dead. So the question is how spooky is the South?

Forgot to add a title I’m so tired!

Posted on October 21, 2024October 21, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged Art, Craft fair, Exhausted?, falling asleep, Life, Miniatures, Painting, Sleep, Time, Tired2 Comments

Paintings from the weekend. The central painting was done previously but the rest, smaller ones, were painted over the previous three days. I was happy with the outcome. Unfortunately I only sold one, my excuse? Gale force winds and heavy rain made for a grim morning. Thankfully it improved in the afternoon. But we only had a few customers.

Today? It’s caught up with me! I’m shattered, tired, absolutely knackered. Just fell asleep typing this!

I need sleep

Posted on October 16, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Busy, Choir, City centre, Group, Life, Music, Rain, Sleep, Storm, Support, TiredLeave a comment

I’m shattered. I went to an art group that supports mental health this morning and was given some help with something I’m trying to deal with. Then a friend rang and I tried to give her advice, but I wasn’t up to going and seeing her. Sometimes it’s hard to take on others problems when you have enough of your own. Finally I went to choir practice in the city centre. I got a lift there and back, but got soaked to the skin as I tried to get the few yards between the car door and the front door. I’ve just dried out!

Helpfulness

Posted on October 14, 2024October 15, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Car, Caring, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2092, kind, Life, Neighbour, Prompt, SupportLeave a comment

What makes a good neighbor?

Sometimes you need a neighbour to help. Or they need your help. As we grow older you can become more isolated. If you don’t have anyone you might need that support. What happens if you struggle with something? I once had to ask someone to take my handbrake off because I’d put it on too tight and I couldn’t release it. Yesterday I had to park up the hill as all the spaces outside my house were taken. Later when I saw the cars go I walked slowly up the hill to move my car (I had parked outside a neighbour’s house).

I don’t really know him but I was worried that someone was going to park outside my house before I moved the car. This neighbour kindly offered to stand outside my house until I moved it!

Being on good terms with neighbours helps everyone. X

Putting the heating on.

Posted on October 14, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Central heating, Cold, Cooking, Cool, Heating, Life, managing, oil heater, radiators, Time2 Comments

I’m limiting how long I have the heating on each day. I have a timer on my central heating that can be set to quarter hour intervals. I have set it to one hour in the morning, one in the evening and about half an hour at two other times. That way I can get the temperature up slightly for washing up and bathing while I wear warm clothes to stave off the cold.

My oven no longer works and I only use the hob on the top plus a microwave and an air fryer. So I can heat up food, and I have an oil filled heater near me if I’m getting really cold.

Why? My income is too low to pay out as much as when hubby was here. He had a seperate income. But just because I’m a bit cool doesn’t mean I’m uncomfortable. I can cope. Things will change. I will try and manage. I just hope for a warm winter! Not a good idea as the globe warms, but at least my carbon footprint is quite small!

Lady in the Van

Posted on October 13, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Alan Bennett, dame Maggie Smith, her story, Life, memoir, The Lady in the van, Time2 Comments

I’m watching the film, The lady in the van starring Maggie Smith who died recently. She was famous for her portrayal of the elderly homeless woman called Miss Shepherd who camped out for years in her van on the driveway of Alan Bennetts house.

It’s very surreal seeing her dressed in a “bag lady” costume as she was well known for her roles in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. As the film progresses we learn more about the lady’s history and how she got into the predicament she was in.

I won’t give too much detail incase you want to watch it.

Imagined aurora

Posted on October 13, 2024 Posted in Memories, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, Aurora, Colours, Drawing, Green, Life, magnetic field, Memory, Pink, Sketching2 Comments

Still obsessed by not seeing the main auroras so I tried to imagine them and their spectacular colours. When you look at the incredible photos people have taken my rendition isn’t very exciting but I would have liked to see more than I did. Auroras are charged particles that follow the Earth’s magnetic field down to the poles. Without that magnetic shield we would be exposed to the radiation of space that would slowly deplete our atmosphere. Our magnetism is caused by Earth’s rotating molten core. Life on Earth is protected by it. Mars, a smaller planet has no magnetism and has lost its atmosphere because of this .

9 years ago…

Posted on October 12, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged 9 years ago, Bay, blow up bed, can it be so long ago?, Devon, Hubby, Humour, Life, Memories, Sea, trowel1 Comment

In Devon 9 years ago, hubby had an idea to paddle our blow up bed with a trowel to see if he could get across the bay…. not a good idea as the wind was blowing out to sea… he has these odd ideas, which slightly worry me sometimes..

First change to pounds

Posted on October 11, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged cancer, Charity, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2087, dollars, Life, Money, pound sterling, sterling, SupportLeave a comment

If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?

Dollars are not my currency so first I would have to exchange them for pounds sterling.

Who would I give my donation to?

As its not my actual money I would not feel obliged to give it to people I know. I think I might give it to three or four charities.

The selection would be :

A children’s support charity, possibly for children’s health.

A cancer research charity, I would have to think about which cancer needs the most help, some are less “popular” than others.

Support for a homeless charity. Either for housing issues or getting their benefits organised.

Finally, I would look for other people to support, perhaps a historical society, or a narrow gauge railway.

Money spent. I’d then need a good rest in a darkened room.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Life