CT scan

Posted on June 19, 2025 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged contrast medium, CT scan, Health, Life, lucky, NHS, Radiography, tests, Thinking3 Comments

Just been for a scan to see what’s going on in my body. I had to have contrast medium to outline my blood vessels. I went to the hospital, waited an hour, had it done and was back out half an hour later. Thank you NHS.

I don’t know how much it costs here, but we do have free tests because we pay for it in our general taxes. I then decided to check what a CT scan costs in America. $675 to $10000 or more! And what if you don’t have insurance over there? Terrible to have to pay unaffordable amounts and even bankrupt yourself….. I’m lucky to live here.

My grandad

Posted on October 27, 2024 Posted in Fine Art, Memories, UncategorizedTagged artistic, Carpenter, Chapel, Church, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2104, gene, grandad, Life, lucky, MemoryLeave a comment

Describe a family member.

My grandfather was a carpenter. I don’t remember meeting him as I think he died when I was quite young.

He was very skilled and made the lych gate (roofed gateway in front of a church) at the entrance to the local parish church. He also carved the altar rail at the main Methodist Chapel in the town. I imagine he must have been well respected. We also have some wardrobes he made clad in beautiful walnut veneers.

Hearing about him encouraged me to do art. I was told that creativity skips a generation and that I was lucky to have that artistic gene. I also found out I had an artistic cousin that wasn’t allowed to be an artist because her family was short of money, so she ended up working in a factory. I hope she eventually pursued a creative course in life. I feel lucky to have had such an artistic grandfather.

Star

Posted on May 24, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Allium, Blurred, Dorothy Clive garden, Flower, Image, lucky, Movement, Photo, Plant, Purple, star shapeLeave a comment

Photo of one part of an allium flower head that had opened up before the rest of it. I just managed to get a decent shot of it, I was shaking and the wind was blowing it about, I guess the movements cancelled each other out!

Car repairs

Posted on June 22, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged brake fluid, brakes, callipers, Car, crash, Leak, Life, lucky, old car, Repairs, Time4 Comments

Argh! My handbrake seemed to be slack so I took the car in the garage today. What was going to be a simple job turns out to be worse than we thought. The brake calliper on one side has been leaking brake fluid. The problem is the car is old, so parts are hard to get hold of. If they put the calliper back together it might fail and if I’m on a hill, or even just driving it I could run into someone! So the car is staying at the garage till at least Monday!

I guess I just have to be glad that it’s held this long and I haven’t had a bump in it! Phew

Art college

Posted on April 17, 2023 Posted in Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, College, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1909, freedom, History, Home, Life, lucky, Mother, Past, Time2 Comments

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

I will always be grateful for my mother’s encouragement for me to go to art college. She had to work to support us all and when I finished school she might have insisted that I work full time.

Instead she let me go to college (though I had a couple of part time jobs). I initially went on a preparatory course, then left home to do my degree.

I was aware that my cousin who was also artistic had to go to work in a factory and forget her dreams. I don’t know what happened to her after I moved away. But in my case I was always welcomed home in the holidays.

I’m glad my mom gave me the freedom to do art. Learning has always been something that I enjoyed, and to do a subject that I love? I will always be eternally grateful to her.

Going home over the years I realised how proud she was of me. She was always encouraging us all to do the best we could.

Sleepy and cold

Posted on March 11, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bed, Cold, freezing cold, Life, lucky, on the street, Reading, Sleep, tent, Thinking, Time, TiredLeave a comment

It was very cold last night so I left the central heating on low. The sky had cleared and I think it was down to – 6°C last night. I was reading in bed, propped up under my moon nightlight, but I was sleepy. Suddenly Thud! The book had fallen on the floor and I had woken with a crick in my neck. I was cold and achy. The moon was clear and bright up in the sky, shining in through the window. Apparently last night there was a 20°C difference between the the coldest place in the UK, about – 16°C and the highest 4°C, so we were about a middling temperature.

Then I thought about anybody in an unheated house, or who are stuck outside in a tent or on the streets. What about them? I was in an old bed, in an old house, but I am so much luckier than a lot of people. Why is there such inequality?

Tree arch

Posted on May 25, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged arch, Colour, Dorothy Clive garden, Green, Life, lucky, Photo, Water, weekend visitLeave a comment

After I drew the laburnum arch I looked through the photos I took at the weekend and realised I could have drawn this instead. I don’t remember seeing it before, but it is quite striking. One thing about the UK is the greenery. Once spring and summer arrives the greens burst out. Yes we do get drought conditions, but we are very lucky compared with many places.

How lucky

Posted on January 10, 2022 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beach, caravan, Childhood, Eyesight, Glasses, Life, Lost, lucky, Memory, optician, Thinking, ViewLeave a comment

How lucky to have glasses, to be able to see. I didn’t always wear glasses. My poor eyesight was only picked up in eye screening at school. I don’t remember things being blurred or hard to see. Did I sit at the front of the class? I don’t know. I remember my first glasses. They had beautiful blue frames. I learnt to be patient as the optician looked into the back of my eyes. Shining a light so I could see the blood vessels reflected somehow onto my retinas.

Rugby ball shaped eyes were the diagnosis. Short sighted. Suddenly I could see the world clearly. I felt freed from a struggle I did not know I had been going through. I only realised how bad my eyesight was when I learnt to swim. I couldn’t wear my glasses in the swimming pool and I could not recognise my friends unless they came close.

Now I understand why I got lost on a beach a few years before! I could not see my family when I wandered off. And why I got lost on a caravan site. I could not see the numbers on the vans…. Yes I am lucky. I wish others could be too…

Green Papaya and seafood salad

Posted on September 18, 2020September 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Food, green papaya, lucky, Meal, papaya, Seafood, Thai food, ThinkingLeave a comment

We had a Thai meal tonight. Look away if you don’t like prawns. Very tasty, low carbohydrates. With mussels, squid and scallops.

Sometimes it’s good to try something new, rather than having the same food every day. But then I am lucky to have that opportunity. Its difficult to know how the first world can do so much when so many other people in the world have nothing or next to nothing….

Almost three years ago

Posted on June 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged A34, Afternoon out, lucky, Pub, Random, Restaurant, Rode heath, Stoke-on trent, The bleeding wolf pub, Thinking, VisitLeave a comment

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We visited a pub in September 2017 called the bleeding wolf which is on the A34 pub just North of Stoke on Trent in Rode Heath.

This is something I’ve missed doing in lockdown, just going out and visiting places outside the city. Enjoying the countryside. The feeling of freedom.

But even now I’m luckier than many people. I do have a home and food and water. I can afford to pay for things I need. I keep reflecting on how things could be so much worse here. I hope you are all safe and well.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: lucky