Tag: Life

Sculpture

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I went out to Audlem yesterday to sing with our choir. Thankfully I got a lift there and back because I can’t drive that far.

We sang really well at the Music festival and managed to drown out a band that was playing across the road from us!

We had sung inside Audlem Methodist Hall for the first half and then outside in the garden for the second half. That’s where I saw this sculpture of two birds, I think they were doves, carved out of two tree stumps. I really would like to have a sculpture like this done in my own garden where I had to have a tree cut down because it was dying. I think whoever carved this is very clever.

Something else

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What are you good at?

Margaret Rutherford played Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple

I often write here about Art and other activities I’m good at, but one of my favourite things is solving TV crime mysteries. I’m relatively good at it, I often know who the guilty party is well before the end. I have to stop myself saying who it is though, as its an irritating thing to do if I’m watching with someone else.

I would imagine that the makers of films and TV shows want people to guess so they include clues, but unless it’s a programme like Columbo where they show you the guilty party straight away it can be more of a challenge.

It’s a bit of a niche skill though, reality is not the same as a story. Life isn’t a tale we tell ourselves. I don’t think I would ever want to be a real detective, it would be too messy and upsetting. I just enjoy the fantasy of being good at guessing the criminal !

Enough

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What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?

Having it all? Enough to live, enough to share, enough to give…..

Freedom to learn, freedom to understand, freedom to care for others as well as yourself. Friendship….

Time to think, time to follow a dream, time to allow life to happen.

Having it all does not mean being selfish, or prejudiced. Misogenistic or Misanthropic, and I think it also means keeping idealism alive.

People who have it all should support the world and nature as much as they can with the means they have. Fairness above all is important, and a wish to care.

My sister

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Who would you like to talk to soon?

I don’t get to speak to some people often enough. My sisters live away from here, miles away, so I’ve got to talk to them over the phone, or on the Internet. It’s the same as being on a zoom call, still friendly but no hugs. I get to see one of them occasionally.

I know I have lots of friends, but I still isolate myself when I’m feeling down. Certain things like choir cheer me up but it’s still a big effort and when I’ve had a shaky day like today it’s just hard to reach out. I don’t want to impose on them. I wish my cats could speak, what gems would they pass on? I imagine the words feed me would come up frequently!

Feels like autumn!

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Some leaves are falling despite copious rain. It’s mid may up here in the northern hemisphere, but spring and summer feel far away. What is happening ? Is the climate changing? Maybe it’s a slow motion version of the film the day after tomorrow. Some talk of the Gulf stream current dwindling has been mooted over the last few years. The stream pulls up warm water from the Atlantic up the west coast of Wales and Scotland then on up to the Arctic. This floats above cold water travelling underneath it in the opposite direction. But humans seem to have the ability to mess things up. I have no proof of this. I’m merely speculating. But the weather is cold and grey. I think I’ll take a vitamin D tablet.

#forest

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Painted last year from a photo of an autumn wood. I’m in another group of artists on Facebook that does weekly prompts. This week was #tree, #trees, #forest, #forests. What gripped my attention was the russet, orange and bronze leaves on the forest floor and following the contours of the deeply worn pathway through it. Some paler leaves are still clinging to the trees, and the distant foliage is pale blue to send it backwards (I might have used pale grey but I liked using the complimentary colour to the oranges.

Visiting Stoke on Trent

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Thinking of potbanks and the Dorothy Clive garden.

There’s lots to visit like the local potteries, Gladstone in Longton, Middleport in Middleport, Emma Bridgewater pottery near Hanley, Stafford pottery in Burslem. Moreland pottery near Cobridge.

Then there are parks and gardens like Trentham Gardens and monkey park, Biddulph Grange, park hall nature reserve between Bentillee and Weston Coyney, and there is Westport lake.

Then railway days out at the Foxfeild light railway and the Churnet valley railway at Cheddleton. There is also a flint mill there which has a working water wheel and Etruria Industrial museum where they are having the canal festival on 1st and 2nd June. Oh and the potteries museum and art gallery. Spode visitors centre in Stoke. Lots more to see and do. Just investigate. Plus outside the city there are places like Rode Hall, Biddulph Grange, Little Moreton Hall, Mow Cop. Not forgetting Ford Green Hall at Sneyd Green I think…

Tall dark STRANGER!

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I was just walking to the post box when I noticed someone in a dark hoodie and trousers walking behind me. I’d decided to post a letter and I’d left my bag at home as I’d decided not to take any money. But I did have my phone in one pocket and was carrying an umbrella in the other hand.

As I walked I noticed he was keeping up with me because I walk slowly so I expected him to walk past. But no he was close to my left shoulder, I put my hand in my pocket because the phone was protruding slightly.  I stopped to look in a shop window across the road so I turned to look at him. He dawdled past me but I noticed he turned and looked back. I started to walk slowly again and watched him. Every few yards he looked back. So I kept stopping and looking in windows. Finally I got to the post box. He was about fifty yards ahead of me and once again looking back. I waited until he ambled off again. Then I turned around and headed home. As I got to side streets I walked up them and then back down. I only noticed him looking back again once.

I felt anxious about this and it made me quite nervous. The man’s appearance and his activity was strange. Was I right to avoid him?

Pneumonia

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Six years ago I had to go to hospital. But I still wanted to draw.

A drawing I did when I was in hospital 6 years ago with pneumonia. Even when  I’m not well I still want to do art. I was in for a few days. When the antibiotics kicked in I started to feel better and got very bored, so I asked my hubby (bless him) to bring me a sketch pad and some pencils. It helped that I was in a side room and I had a view out across the valley with hospital buildings, houses and trees. I was a bit annoyed with the thick window frames that blocked a lot of the view but I guess they need to be sturdy. I hope I don’t have to go through that again, but if I do I will be asking for art materials!