Losing my marbles

Posted on March 7, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Artist, Bowls, button, Collection, dusty, Fun, Glass, Life, Magpie, Marbles, MemoryLeave a comment

I collect all sorts of things, and today I remembered I have a bowl made of buttons glued together, inside it is my marble collection. I need to clear the bowl out, it’s very dusty and some of the leaves from the plant above it have fallen in over the winter. I can’t wash it because it’s held together with PVA glue. I’m going to remove the marbles, (hopefully without losing them), wash them and dry them then put them back in the bowl.

So why am I writing about this? I guess it’s just that I collect all sorts of things, perhaps I should get rid of things? Maybe it’s a trait about being an artist, gathering shiny objects. I guess I’m a bit of a Magpie.

Charm?

Posted on July 14, 2023 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Black cat, bracelet, Cat, charm, Humour, ladder, Magpie, Mr magpie, superstition4 Comments

Excuse the wrinkly wrist! My friend gave me this Buddhist charm bracelet this week. I’m not a person that believes in superstition, but since I got it things have gone well.

That said I still say “hello Mr magpie how’s your wife” when I see a single Magpie (a friend got me into saying it). I try not to walk under ladders, even if that forces me into the road. And love black cats (They are lucky in the UK). So no I’m not super superstitious, but clearly I do have some latent suspicions!

Anyway I’m wearing the charm, wish me luck! Lol

Bench

Posted on June 5, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bench, Black, Blue, Car park, Fence, forlorn, Grass, Life, Magpie, Old buildings, pied wagtail, Red2 Comments

On my walk this morning I found this forlorn bench. It was just on a path on a patch of grass. I didn’t take a photo of its view, because it overlooks a car park and then some old buildings.

I did notice a Magpie (hello Mr magpie, how’s your wife is a saying to dispel sorrow caused by a single Magpie) and a little pied wagtail nearer the fence. I wish the street furniture was a different colour. The bench, bin and fence look somber in black, although that matches the birds. Maybe a nice shade of blue or red? Who knows….

Not really

Posted on March 15, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged belief, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1875, ladder, Magpie, Superstitious, thirteen, WritingLeave a comment

Are you superstitious?

I have to say I usually walk under ladders, but I always say ‘hello Mr magpie how’s your wife’ if I see a lone magpie. I wonder why black cats are lucky in the UK and unlucky in the USA? I used to avoid cracks in pavements but not any more.

So no, I’m not superstitious. Thirteen is an interesting prime number to me, a bakers dozen, not something to fear. I’m not interested in Halloween really. I don’t bother with trick or treaters and sometimes even shout ‘boo!’ at them and say ‘here’s your trick!’ Does it matter?it depends on the person. I can’t disabuse you of your own beliefs so let’s agree to disagree if you are superstitious.

THUD! Patter, patter, patter……

Posted on July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Birds, Environment, Fun, Garden, Humour, Kitchen extension, Life, Magpie, Pigeon, Poem, PoetryLeave a comment

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On my kitchen roof

Bouncing around,

Pesky magpies and pigeons.

I like them,

Don’t get me wrong,

But just as I’m about to

Pour a coffee

THUD patter patter,

Or get the bread out of the oven…

THUD patter patter

Delicately lining up some icing

THUD! Patter…. Patter!

Do you have to?

You make me jump…

THUD!

Nest building

Posted on April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bird, Branches, Environment, Garden, Magpie, Nest, Nest building, Trees, Twigs2 Comments

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We have a couple of magpies in the garden. They have decided to build an untidy nest in the top of a tall sycamore tree. I know their reputation for collecting things to line their nests with, but today I witnessed both of them picking up twigs over twice their body lengths. I watched the resulting tangle with amusement. Both of them had the long twigs held horizontal in their beaks. The trouble was, like a dog with too long a stick trying to get through a door, the sticks got caught on branches as they tried to fly up to the nest. Once the twig fell back to the ground and it took the magpie a few minutes to get it firmly back in its beak and properly balanced.

Seeing them both high in the tree top trying to tuck bits into their nest was fascinating. I do worry for other local birds as they have been known to steal baby birds but I do admire their tenacity.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Magpie