Growing up…

Someone asked if I grew up with 3 TV channels and no smartphone? My answer:

We watched 1 channel, on black and white TV. God save the queen played when the station closed and then a high tone would play to get you to switch off your TV.

We listened to Radio 1 and the light programme, with Jimmy Clitheroe on at the weekends. My mom got the thunderbird theme tune played on the radio for our birthday.

We had rotary phone (eventually) after we moved house. Then we had spin dryer, boiler/top loading washer with a ringer.

In the old house we had a toilet at the end of the yard but we had one downstairs in the new house. In the old house we had a tin bath. In the new house we had a brand new bathroom. And my parents bought an electric shower. Shall I go on… Memories.

Old poster

I don’t know how old this poster is, it was my hubby’s. It says “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Francis Bacon.

I think hubby got this before we met, in the 1970’s when he was at college. He always loved books and probably 3/4 of our books were his. We both had an eclectic taste in books. I need to declutter, but they are all old friends. X

Blurry photo

It would have been our anniversary today. We lived together for years before we married. I painted him when I was about 20 and he still sits in this painting looking out at me. I did a lot of drawings and portraits of him over the years, I am glad there are visible memories of him.

What will happen when I go? Who knows what my relatives will want to do with all my art? Will a local museum take them, or will they just get skipped? I don’t know, I won’t be here but I would like to have some recognition. The trouble is I’m very eclectic, I paint for my self in these images. Ah well, more questions…

Tomorrow is today

On our honeymoon we went caving! Today would have been our anniversary. When I thought of writing this it was our anniversary eve but I fell asleep and only just remembered to post something….

Time flies when you’re feeling sad. It rolls along leaving you behind. I keep imagining what things would have been like if he was still alive. Being on your own means having no one to discuss problems with. Yes I’ve got friends but it’s not the same. We went through a lot together. I wish we still could.

Worried about him

Stressed! My old cat went out while I was shopping, I realised he was not around and I’ve just been calling him for an hour. I left the back door wide open, I kept whistling, it cuts through traffic noise. I also put messages on WhatsApp and got lots of support – one person even offered to come to look for him, he is not eating much except cat soups and drinking a lot of water. It’s such a worrying time.

I thought he was in the garden but its very overgrown and if I went out looking for him I could easily fall over. BUT thank goodness… He’s back! I feel like the boy who cried wolf!

Rainy day

Yes it’s raining a lot here in England, so wet I dare not go out. I’m not allowed to get my face wet or get water or grit in my eye.

I really want to go out and do some shopping. I need to get cat food, but it’s still raining after about 12 hours. But I can hear the cars splashing through the water outside the front door. It’s only 2 or 3 steps to my car. But I need to use a brolly and my walking stick, so by the time I’ve put them in the car I will get soaked. Luckily I’m parked right by the pavement so I don’t need to step through a rushing river of water that runs down the gutter. The grates for the run off are full.

Anyway I’m off to grab a coffee… Decaff of course.

Xrays

Xray of hand ap and at an angle.

A pet peeve. I watch quite a few programmes where people have to have xrays. I think the worst thing is when the xray is presented the wrong way up or back to front, or worse still when the image is of a different part of the body!

Sometimes I just laugh, but when it’s a life or death situation I wish the film makers would make a bit more of an effort!

Why do I know this? I did a course years ago. Being an artist helped me identify things that no one else noticed. I could see things like buttons in a stomach or a comb in a pocket…. And other more “unusual” images, ahem…

I try yoga breathing

How do you relax?

I can’t do this pose!

I’ve been shown how to do box breathing. You sit upright and close your eyes. Breath deeply into your belly…

Basically breathe in for a count of four

Hold your breath for four

Breathe out for four.

Hold your breath for four.

There are other more complex methods of yogic breathing, including alternative nostril breathing. But this technique is easy to follow.

You can carry on doing box breathing till you feel relaxed.

Long day

My upstairs stairs window.

My life had been quiet during the last few weeks. Long boring days, my ivy has been growing and I can trace it’s growth in my memory, almost like watching paint dry. I need to get someone in to help.

My brain was frazzled by the heat and now it’s getting cold I’m more interested in keeping warm and cozy. The cats keep me company, either on my lap or on the bed. The last three days have been worse, the skin on my legs is sore and I’m starting a course of antibiotics tomorrow. I think I have a temperature. I’ve been too stationary with not being able to drive so I think I need bucking up a bit. I’ll try and do a bit of walking tomorrow. Fingers crossed I’ll feel more myself soon. X