New paintings and regular art updates.
Writing group today, I sat and sketched a couple of the group. Most of the stories and poems are autobiographical, I want to be more fictional. The woman writer was very atmospheric, giving a feeling of ‘place’. Using unusual descriptions to evoke childhood and adult memories of being drawn back to the sea. My poem about love was well received. I’ll keep going.
Ferns are growing in the wall again, catkins are appearing on the trees. My snowdrops have flowered and now the daffodils and helibores are in flower. Soon the tulips will open.
I can’t wait for warm breezes. Marigolds, wallflowers, wisteria and nasturtiums. Blue skies and then the fruit blossoms. The days will be longer and it might help me feel better. I hope the bees and ladybirds arrive soon.
Esther requested a piece of writing about a funny moment this week and my memory went back to my early childhood…
Thinking of children and what they say and do. I was a young child, probably about 5. I was developing a wart on my thumb and asked my mum what I should do? She told me to rub some bacon on it and bury it in the garden. Some time later she found me outside calling for her, asking if I could come back inside? I’d rubbed the bacon on my thumb then shoved my thumb into the soil! I always have taken things too literally!
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
When I was young I cycled evrywhere with my then boyfriend, later to be my hubby. Sometimes we went on the train with our bikes then cycled on to our destinations. I was fit enough to cycle 100 miles on our tandem. I enjoyed the trips and went round the lake district and over to places like Harrogate, down to the Midlands and into Wales. We travelled in all sorts of conditions, Sun, rain, snow, ice, wind. It was interesting to see the world pass quite slowly and yet for the landscape to transform as we passed through valleys and over hills. Whipping down hills, wind in my hair. Then one day I was knocked off my bike by a drunk driver. After a short spell in hospital I started cycling again. But unknown to me the bike had been damaged. A year later it collapsed as I was cycling up a hill. The down tube had pulled away front the headset (the tube between the handlebars and the forks.) I took the bike to a cycle shop but they lost it and the replacement bike I bought was not the right size. By the time I got my old bike back I had learnt to drive. I needed a car because I had a job requiring me to work in different towns. I still had my bike but the car was convenient. If I had continued to cycle every day I think I would be fitter now.
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
Each day I try and write three things. Simple things I’m grateful for.
Not wondrous things, but little ones.
Traffic lights staying on green, getting to an appointment on time, a phone call from a relative, an unexpected laugh with a friend. Maybe seeing the first tadpole or daffodil of the year.
Just list 3 things, with today’s date, maybe add a little sketch of what’s happened. Each positive gratitude trains your brain to feel less negative. I’ve dome it for a couple of years now. It helps X
Post,…. A relative lives abroad with her partner. I need to remember to send a birthday card and an anniversary card together as the occasions are within a day of each other. Also I’m posting them early (it’s a month away), because it took three weeks to get her Christmas card delivered to her. I also won’t post her presents as she had to pay import tax on the one I sent at Christmas, which cost her more than the price of my gift! The reason for the late delivery of the card ? Her postman waits until he’s got enough letters together before he delivers them!
Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.
Dear Me.
I’m surprised I’m still alive, I didn’t expect that!
After Trumps final impeachment the world turned upside down for a while, then the whole “asteroid” thing in ’32 gave us a real scare. It was then that the world rallied and instead of warring turned our nuclear missiles at “the BIG ROCK”. Luckily it was forced off course and is likely to pass out of the solar system in a few years.
After that? Well you know what happened, climate change, another pandemic. That takes us to today, my 80th birthday. Only twenty years till I might reach 100. I’m glad that new medication to cure various diseases has just been announced. I just hope they also rejuvenate people and turn back ageing. It’s strange to think in a few years time my body might be physically younger than I am now? Great that some dementia has been reversed too. Maybe I’ll have to work a 40 hour week when I reach the big 1OO! Life is strange. Good luck and look after my future self. Live long and prosper! Nanu Nanu!
Regards,
Yourself xxx
What experiences in life helped you grow the most?
Understanding how people cope as they grow older is important to me. I worked as a carer after I finished college for a few years. When you work with people doing the job you learn about aging, mental health issues, loneliness, coping with disability, loss and other issues. You also find that some carers are more caring than others. Some people should not be allowed in to work with clients.
I worked in two different places and the clients were more disabled at the second home, but everyone worked hard to support them. My favourite memories were shows we put on for the residents. One Christmas we did a talent show. I wore a fur coat, tinsel, a home made tutu and blue wellies. I then tried to dance the swan lake ballet, at the end I had someone come on and shoot me with a pretend gun! I came second to two carers miming “sisters” from White Christmas. They were dressed up and were very good, but one of their wigs fell off and I think that’s what won it for them..
When you are on a low wage, part time contract, you really understand how hard life can be and caring for older people teaches you how complex life is.
On Tuesday night I got trapped in my car. I booked it in a garage to try and get it fixed. The mechanic came and took the car this morning but came back in less than an hour. They said the lock and window are now working. They think the window lock button might have got knocked accidentally? Also the door opens now? I hope it’s just reset itself, but it makes me nervous, I might have to try and visit friends and make sure they are in if I visit. I will also have my phone at the front of the car so I can get to it straight away. If I decide to drive myself to the shops I might need someone to let me out!
9.2.25 looking or searching for inspiration.
#bandofsketchers prompt was search. Haven’t done this much for months. Biro in a sketchbook.
It’s a prompting challenge I used to do on Facebook but things got on top of me. Maybe I’ll be able to get into it again. X
Mallaband-Brown