Staying The Distance

It’s hard to believe we’ve been in this house a couple of months short of a year.
I know this because yesterday we got an offer for another 12 month lease.
Yayest of yays! 😀
There’s still just over two months until this lease runs out, so they must really like us…

I am continuing to get cosy with my art space, and have spent a bit (or more) of time out there each day. I think I’m catching up with my assessments. Here’s one I did earlier –

A crumpled piece of paper!
This is the second attempt at this one – the last one was rubbish…

The cold has started to grow teeth now.
Yesterday, the evening was pretty in pink.

It even looks cold!

The roses are sleeping, remembering sunnier days, and casting petals to the memories.

And I am close to slumbering – dreaming of graphite and charcoal.
…with a lovely relaxing playlist to sleep by.
❤

Published in: on June 20, 2024 at 9:27 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Of Skulls And Sketching Places

Feels like this week has gone fast 🙂
Morning has decided it’s committed to winter, but the rest of the day hasn’t quite made its mind up…
Still keeping up (I think) with my lessons.
One of the assignments was to “draw an animal skull”.
Coles doesn’t stock those…

I was starting to worry that I might have to start hunting (or at least keep my eye out for roadkill!), but we found a friend who had a spare skull (sheep? goat?) I could borrow.
You never know what you’ll find in an artist’s shed.

Only got around to it yesterday – the bigger assignments can take hours rather than minutes. I also decided to use charcoal, a medium I probably haven’t touched for years.

Probably not my best work, but it’s going in as the final image.
It was more enjoyable than some of my other assignments (one was just…a very large rectangle. It was for practising measurement).
And my art/sun room is slowly getting arranged into a more useful configuration.

It’s been a good week.
Even my roses had a last hurrah for the summer.

Time for bed soon 🙂
But – just because I’m feeling rainbowy…

❤

Published in: on June 15, 2024 at 11:27 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Snuggled In The Corner Chair

It was probably only a few days ago when the days decided to tip over into winter.
It’s been SO COLD!!
Comparatively.
And really, only in the mornings. Late afternoons. Nights.

I like this time of year. It’s sort of crispy clear, and good for snuggling in to warm duvets, and unicorn slippers. I even did a bit of a “spring” makeover – washed the sheets, which dried quickly in the breezy cold.

A beautiful sight!

I chose the blue skies duvet cover for me, to remember the hot sunshine by.

I have also (finally) been using my art room – something I hadn’t been able to get together in the last couple of places we’ve lived in.

My desk.
Where I’m actually doing some work!

And here’s my corner(ish) chair, snuggled in its little spot, and so far still warm during the day. It’s for reading, and writing (definitely no ‘rithmetic!)
I hadn’t realised there was so much colour around it…

Rainbows, and hearts, and toes about to become toasty warm!

I am tired right now – it was a big day of cleaning and washing – but I feel like I’ve been able to do more lately. Even though I lose energy over the day, it feels like I’m starting from a higher point. It’s lovely to be able to actually do something!
Having a bit more strength in the day is great, and there are times when I feel like a child again.

Not quite to this level of activity, though.
Everything else in the song is possible 🙂

This world may be crazy.
But it is beautiful.
❤

Published in: on June 8, 2024 at 10:17 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Glimpsing The Sunshine

I was surprised to see the sun today, since the forecast had been talking about rain over the week ahead, and we’ve had downpours here lately.
I love grey days, especially when they’re just on the comfortable side of cool. I often feel a bit more energetic on those days – not sure whether it’s the “grey” or the “cool” that helps…
Still, nice to see blue skies today!

I just finished a book about sunshine.

It was written earlier in the pandemic, when people were still trying to comprehend the “new normal”. It’s a compilation of stories about people making sunshine out of life’s storms…that sounds very airy-fairy, but it’s really about those people standing in their grey cloud realities and looking for the light. You can’t just wish tragedies away, or wish the good stuff in. You can stand where you are, and find where the cracks let the light in. Or let someone close to you see them, if you just can’t get there ❤
One thing that runs through the stories is the kindness of others. That’s something that we saw during lockdowns, and have experienced at other times in our lives.
Light will always overcome darkness.

Also, clouds come in different sizes, and shades.

Look for the blue sky.
Reach for the light!

Tonight I found out that a friend had died, earlier on in the year.
We only knew each other online, and there were many others in our group who knew him better.
Still, we had various interactions, and he sent me two books that are still in my bookcases. I will get them out to look through again tomorrow.
This song came my way tonight, and I thought it fitting for this post.

I don’t think that his life was “troubled”, as such, but a long life lived kindly and openly will have pain and trouble in it. And then – rest…for someone who spread ripples of love, and shone light where the clouds had formed.

Published in: on April 6, 2024 at 9:13 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Singing A New Song

…or is it an old one?

❤

Published in: on March 31, 2024 at 12:30 am  Leave a Comment  
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A Rainy Walk For Good Friday

I had wanted to go to an Easter set up at a church we go to sometimes – a “contemplative journey through the events of the first Easter” – but somehow it didn’t happen. It was a modern take on the traditional Stations of the Cross, which I’m not overly familiar with, but thought it would be interesting.
So, I didn’t get there.
It’s been raining a lot lately.
And then, up popped this YouTube walk up a rainy Irish hillside!

Friday’s nearly over.
But Sunday’s coming!
❤


Published in: on March 29, 2024 at 10:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Turn The Seasons

Seems like we’ve turned the corner into autumn.
I’m enjoying the feeling of being pleasantly chilly! The rain seems entrenched for a bit, and I can give the air conditioner a rest for a while.
We’ve had some interesting visitors with the rain.

He stayed for a while, but disappeared in the night…
My roses are lingering, but their best days are past. We seem to have a hibiscus in the garden, though!

I associate them with summer, but Google tells me they actually flower in spring and autumn.

I have been working out how to organise a cert 3 online. I have managed to enrol, but it seems to be up to me to decide what subjects I do, and when. What happened to the days when you enrolled in a course and the educational facility told you what your timetable was? I feel like trying to work out what I’m actually doing has been more work than I’m anticipating the course itself will be!

I will be studying visual art. I did an Advanced Diploma of Art somewhere around 35 years ago, and I’m expecting this to be much less involved. The tools and methods of creative processes have changed in a lot of ways over that time, so I’m hoping to learn more computer based skills this time around.
It’s all been dredging up previous creative endeavours, and thinking about ways to merge then-me into now-me in an authentic way. We’ll see what happens.
One of the things I’ve done in the past is ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), small works of art (2.5 x 3.5 inches) that were originally meant to be traded between artists. They’re often themed, and one theme I did a series on led me to this song, which I’d half forgotten.

I listened to it a lot back then, but I don’t remember seeing this video before I looked up the song recently.
I can’t remember the exact theme of the ATC series – something like “heavenly bodies” – but I used the stars motif for mine.
Well, once again it’s looking back before going forward.
Who knows what will be this time next year?

Published in: on March 26, 2024 at 12:12 am  Leave a Comment  
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Here For…

Just taking a break from a strenuous programme of watching YouTube and episodes of Death In Paradise 😆
Seriously…I’ve had a good day of catching up with transcribing notes, and revisiting the concepts from the lessons they came from. It’s taking time, but is also inspiring.
I’ve been thinking about the “faces” we wear, and the importance of finding why we are here, in this life, in this place. I was watching a cover of a song from Barbie (the recent movie) – the original is hauntingly lovely/sad, but I thought I’d share this one. If you haven’t seen the movie, there’s a theme here of authenticity – of being “real”.

We all spend some amount of time finding out what we’re made for. Some work it out while they’re still young. Some never get there.
I think most of us get there at some point…but sometimes, when things change – we’re off again, trying to find our place in the world, and our people. It’s the question everyone’s asking, even if they don’t know it.

I’ve never been big on makeup.
There was a brief time in my life where I was an Avon lady. I had a lot of samples, and tried all of them out. It never looked quite right, and I’ve always hated the feel of it on my face. I found a more natural range, which felt quite nice, but still looked odd to me. In the end, I couldn’t really be bothered…my face is mine, and it’s good enough for me 🙂
There are a lot of boxes in the world – ones that people are supposed to fit into, and then stay in forever. By the time we’re in school, and often before, we’ve been put in a box somewhere. It’s generally one we haven’t chosen, and it’s hard to get out.
I don’t feel like I’ve fitted in any of the boxes I’ve seen. Maybe there’s room to make a box? One with open doors and transparent sides…flowers and colours and perfumes and songs!
After all my years, I’m happy with myself. Not perfect, of course. Still a weirdo to other people. But “me”, as much as me can be. I still have a lot to learn and grow into – that’s a lifelong thing, really – but I’m learning what I’m here for.
I hope you are too.

And here’s another song, for when people tell you you “can’t”.

Find your music.
I know it’s there.
❤

Published in: on March 9, 2024 at 11:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A Couple Of Cacti And A Clear Path

We’ve had a tree by the front steps since we’ve been here.
It was quite majestic, towering against the front of the house, but partly blocking the concrete path.
It was also full of toxic sap. If you believe the online reviews, it also had a tendency to fight back when you break the branches. As it was right there by the steps (and front door) we’d already had a couple of people reach out to touch it when they visited.
It’s gone now, and the area seems a lot bigger. The little ex-garden under the steps will need sorting out, but we now have a path that we can use to get to the car when it’s raining, rather than trying not to get drenched by wet grass.


I hadn’t realised what was there, hidden and waiting. I could see the hanging basket and the concrete(?) birdbath/succulent planter, which both need to be replanted. But there are also two little potted cacti, just waiting to be brought back into the light!

And a little metal guardian 🙂

My “life” path for this year seems to be getting clearer as well.
There are still some things to be decided, and organised, but I’m feeling more optimistic.
And to keep the good mood going, I’ll have another listen to this cheerfulness…

Published in: on March 2, 2024 at 10:05 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Sleeping In

Well, it’s been the weather for it…
There seem to be signs of the autumn to come (some nice rain here), but how can it still be so muggy, even though the temperature’s dropped?
It’s been a week of fatigue – not sure why – but I still feel like I should be doing something. Even when my body’s saying, “Please don’t!” But I did have a day of reading today, and didn’t even feel guilty 🙂
The week started off with a scan. Just a check up sort of thing, but the department I had to go to is now in the process of packing up to move, and the only available appointment was a few hours after I phoned.
It was a nuclear scan, so I had to breathe in argon gas, and get some other radioactive tracer injected.

Sadly, I have yet to exhibit any superpowers.

On the plus side, I haven’t been called in by the doctor, so everything seems to be good.
I had to stretch my arms above my head to keep them out of the way of the camera thingy (it rotates around the bed), so that caused aches in more places than I would have expected…
The machine reminded me of the shuttlecraft from the original Star Trek.

You can just see a lifting trolley thingy at the back there. Somehow, I don’t think it would be much use with the scanner!

Today started with an involuntary sleep in. Probably the grey raininess, but I didn’t realise how late it was.
A friend came over to help my Babe cut down the firestick tree by the front steps. If you’ve visited us in this house, you can now be reassured of safety from the possible threat of toxic sap. Or tripping over the branches that were growing through the steps.

I’m content right now, with the day, and my part in it.
Maybe sleep will be earlier, and then the waking…
the rain will come, or it will disappear.
And the roses will die –
but not before capturing the last of the raindrops.

And if you need to feel a sort of nostalgic sadness to match the rain, here’s a song I’ve been listening to this week…

❤

Published in: on February 24, 2024 at 11:20 pm  Leave a Comment  
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