here is a b♥x, a ♫♪ musical ♪♫ b♥x

2010-03-23T19:02:00.007Z

spend all your time waiting for that second chance for the break that will make it okthere's always some reason to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the dayI need some distraction, oh beautiful release memories seep from my veins they may be empty and weightless, and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

in the arms of an angel, fly away from here from this dark, cold room, and the endlessness that you fearyou are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverieyou're in the arms of an angel, may you find some comfort hereso tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your backthe storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
that you make up for all that you lack it don't make no difference, escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

in the arms of an angel far away from here, from this dark, cold room,and the endlessness that you fear you are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
in the arms of an angel, may you find some comfort here

SARAH MCLACHLAN

2009-06-25T14:48:00.008+01:00

There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall,
And the bells in the steeple too,
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say "Cuckoo",
Cuckoo, cuckoo!

Regretfully they tell us
Cuckoo, cuckoo!
But firmly they compel us
Cuckoo, cuckoo!
To say goodbye . . .
Cuckoo!
.. . to you
.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne. . .

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye - Goodbye!
I'm glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly

The sun has gone to bed and so must I

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. . .

Goodbye!

dolce far niente

2009-06-24T16:13:00.009+01:00

(the sweetness of doing nothing)

Circe

(she's not doing nothing, she's busy being the daughter of the sun, a sorceress best known for her ability to turn men into animals with her magic wand and also renowned for her knowledge of magic and poisonous herbs)

Destiny

(she's not doing nothing, she's busy being a contemplative female at the center of an ambiguous allegorical scene, a beautiful woman staring into the distance; in front of her, an open book, behind her, a large circular mirror - which has an interesting compositional effect: it drastically limits the depth of the scene and blocks the view of the room and of the exterior natural space. . . however, it simultaneously serves as a sort of window because it shows a view of the world outside) (altho the scene seems straightforward, it is filled with inconsistencies and impossibilities and there are many spatial discrepancies - for example, a globe that is reflected in the mirror does not appear in the actual room! the image in the mirror is not realistic: it represents either an unknown future or more likely a vision experienced by the woman with the cup. . . the title of the work, "Destiny," supports this)

Psyche Opening The Golden Box

(she's not busy doing nothing, she's busy being the bride of Cupid and at the same time being seriously troubled. . . her mind seems full of doubts and dread as to whom she is sharing her life with - why can’t she ever see him? is he really a beast who, as her sisters have warned, will one night kill her in her sleep? here we see her with an enchanted vessel that Venus has ordered her to fetch from Proserpine, from which Psyche hopes to steal a bit of allure and thus regain the love of Cupid)

Circe Invidiosa

(she's not doing nothing, she's being a Victorian femme fatale and is in the act of posoining the water that her rival is bathing in. . .)

The Crystal Ball

(she's not doing nothing, she's busy with a crystal ball - crystal balls being used for the process of "seeing", known as "scrying": a magic practice that involves clairvoyance in a medium, usually for purposes of obtaining spiritual visions and more rarely for purposes of divination or fortune-telling. . .)

(no, I wasn't busy doing nothing; yes, I went to another exhibition! once again at the Royal Academy, but this time John William Waterhouse; as you know, I love the Pre-Raphaelites. . .)

you saw, he's sore, we all saw the

2009-06-22T20:00:00.013+01:00

eyesore?

this evening The Teen and the other two and I all went up to town to a really interesting live art event. . .. . .which took place, on one day only, in the loading bay underneath the Royal Albert Hall

now, you may or may not know, but the RAH is a round building and we had to walk 360 degrees, ending up where we'd started, before we found the loading bay. . .

(. . .under these steps)

now, you may or may not think that graffiti is art*, but what we saw was very inspiring and quite beautiful

(it took - I believe - four days hard graft
by nine individuals to accomplish)

as the following indicates, by a graffer (graffiti artist) named EyeSaw. . .

(I think he was inspired by Rockwell, don't you?
strange, to think that Rockwell might have inspired graffiti, eh)

(*altho I'm not going to debate that here**
or start a discussion or argument. . .)

(**despite the label)

2009-06-20T20:56:00.002+01:00

Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,

to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?
For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water.
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.

Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been shown to you?
What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?

Tell me, if you know all this.

JOB

2009-06-20T13:32:00.001+01:00

Michael Landy

(not the piece from the RA Summer Exhibition,
but pretty similar)

Friday morning at the RA

2009-06-18T16:21:00.012+01:00

(at the 241st summer exhibition) (to be exact)

as you walk into Burlington House. . .
.

. . .take a moment to admire your reflection in the silvery sculpture, which is set amongst the courtyard's fountains - notice that they reflect the pattern of the planets in relation to the stars at the birth of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first president of the Royal Academy, on 16 July 1723. . .
.

. . .seat yourself comfortably in
Humprey Ocean's Love Chair. . .

. . .look up and admire one of
Donald Hamilton Fraser's
blood red skies. . .

. . .or perhaps it's a cloudy sky,
as frequently painted so sensitively by

Fred Cuming. . .

. . .when you're comfortable, pour yourself some tea from
Mary Fedden's Sleeping Cat. . .

. . .and perhaps help yourself to a slice of fruit

(-:

.
(of course, you could always just stick to the coffee and Crunchies) (X)

doctor! doctor!

2009-06-13T13:44:00.008+01:00

give me the news. . .

so, having outgrown The Simpsons and Malcolm In The Middle, having seen Every Single Episode Ever Made of Futurama and South Park, not quite sharing my obsession for Frasier (altho still probably having seen ESEEM) but working their way thru all the available Scrubs, my three are now obsessed (yes, "obsessed" is the operative word) with House MD. . .
.

. . .let me indulge myself with some visual candy for a moment
.

hmmmmmmmmmm. . .

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. . .

(ok,
so that last one was just a shot of Cuddy's cleavage,
but there you go)

.
I think he is my perfect man
.

(of course, Niles still hits the tops spot really, I'm just a tad distracted in all honesty) (and, back to House, I can't help thinking that really the acting of the main character is just Laurie doing a very clever combination of Jeeves and Wooster) (just probably not being the operative word - the man is clearly very talented and has been for a long, long time)

anyhow, less of that
.

yesterday I went to the Royal Academy's 241st Summer Exhibition
.

(of which more later)

life's a bowl of

2009-06-12T09:43:00.005+01:00

cherries. . .

(I knew that spittoon would come in useful!) (and of course there's coffee and Crunchies too) (and corn) (of the popping variety)

XXX

2009-06-11T13:46:00.014+01:00

I. . .
don't wanna be adored.
Don't wanna be first in line
Or make myself heard.

I'd like to bring a little light
To shine a light on your life

To make you feel loved
.
No:

Don't wanna be the only one you know. . .

. . .I wanna be the place you call home.
I lay myself down

To make it so,
But you don't want to know
I give much more
Than I'd ever ask for.
.
Will
You see me in the end?

Or is it just a waste of time
Trying to be your friend?
.
Just shine, shine, shine

Shine a little light

Shine a light on my life
And warm me up again.
.
Fool,

I wonder if you know yourself at all
You know that it could be so simple.
.
I lay myself down
To make it so

But you don't want to know
You take much more
Than I'd ever ask for.
.
Say a word or two. . .

. . .To brighten my day.
D'ya think that you could see your way
To lay yourself down. . .
And make it so?
But you don't want to know.
.
You take much more

Than I'd ever ask for.

KEANE

yesterday

2009-06-11T13:30:00.006+01:00

no, not the song, the day

.
when I was walking from the shops with my groceries my heavily laden arm brushed against a raggle-taggle honeysuckle plant that was wending its way amongst the hedge above my shoulder

it smelt wonderful!

and a little further along the road I was walking my legs brushed against some lavender that was just coming into flower and had been planted so that it stuck out towards the pavement from under the railings of the space at the front of the house I was walking by

it smelt wonderful!

and then from under the gate of the back garden of one of the houses on my way home, I saw the snouts of two bloodhounds and as I walked past I looked back and saw their eyes curiously watching what was going on in the road from which the gate barred their meanderings (if indeed bloodhounds meander)

they looked so sad. . .

. . .but I think that is just the way
that bloodhounds look

and then when I'd almost reached the house, I heard some birds chirruping in the clear blue sky above me

a beautiful sound!

and then two of my three had a series of fights and arguments which lasted the whole evening and I went to bed exhausted and stressed and I completely forgot about the four little things that brought a smile to my face during my day

but I still smiled as I eventually drifted off to sleep because those I love those three so much and everyday I think how blessed I am to be taking care of them

(-:

having run out of things that rhyme with oon

2009-06-08T12:22:00.004+01:00

it's back to the tapestry, momentarily

excluding you lovely people, I have three friends who have stuck with me thruout the last two years - thru thick and thin and thinner and non-existantly thinnest, the good and the bad bits and the worse bits and the rock-bottom bits. . . (and I'm kidding about the "good" bits - there weren't any)

when I saw the Shaker Village needlepoint (up arrow) I knew it would be the perfect gift for one of them (one of the other two was the happy recipient of the Fasset Lobster; and I don't think the other one would "get" a tapestry gift, so she's not going to get a tapestry gift)

having taken a break from the Klimt for a short while, I've now almost finished the village (and this friend still lives in The Village, so it's quite apt in a way) (duck pond and all) but being my good self I couldn't just stitch what was there could I?

no!

so, the horse has a mane and a tail, all loose trimmed threads sticking out from the canvas; one of the picket fences has some extra white washed wood in it; the lambs are fluffier than they were originally intended to be; one of the trees has a multitude of little red French knot apples on it and one on the ground underneath (boys, a French knot is a stitch where you wrap the yarn around the needle to make a small 3-D bump on your canvas); one of the houses has pink climbing roses up the front (yes, also 3-D), and the corn in the cows' field is also raised; there are 3-D crops in the big field behind the red barn (can't remember the name of the stitch that I used); I struggled for ages to work out how to make the laundry on the washing line stand out, or up, blowing in the wind, but couldn't

and now I have the same problem that I have with these, I need to have the finished item made into a cushion. . .

. . .as dull and middle-aged as it sounds, I think I'm going to have to get my sewing machine mended

what has my life come to?

(actually - don't answer that!)

(please)

oh darn

2009-06-08T11:51:00.003+01:00

or, rather, stitch. . .

so - having done a little picture research to find the image for the above, I now find this:

and these. . .

help!

by popular request

2009-06-07T14:46:00.003+01:00

(and against my better judgement)

so, June, now where were we?

2009-06-06T12:49:00.020+01:00

ah, yes!

. . .racoon

and just in case you were wondering:

(I hope that helps!)

. . .cocoon (a moth's)

. . .cocoon (silkworms')

(why not do something arty with them?!)
and while we're on the subject of cocoons. . .

remember this one?

now - more things that rhyme with June -
your choice of:

. . .pontoon

. . .harpoon

. . .lagoon
(with little boats!)

. . .saloon

. . .Swoon
(a street artist in NYC)

. . .tomb

. . .more macaroons
(I had to - they are so yummy)

now, let's sit back

in our cocoon chairs
and admire the view:

. . .the cocoon nebula
.

. . .and listen to some tunes. . .

2009-06-05T15:22:00.001+01:00

(if only I'd had some earlier!)

pinch punch - doesn't time fly?

2009-06-01T15:47:00.017+01:00

first of the month - how can it be June already?

so soon. . .

. . .baboon

. . .hot air balloon

. . .cartoon

. . .a vintage crooner

. . .sand dune

. . .hired goons

. . .hand hewn

. . .on a lake, a loon

. . .macaroon

. . .full moon

. . .noon

. . .runes

. . .silver spoon

. . .typhoon

hmmmmmmmmmmm. . . what else rhymes with June then?

polo - the mint with the hole

2009-05-31T18:03:00.000+01:00

or a game played on a horse

up arrow: the mint

down arrow: the game

so - I had an unexpected day out today! for some reason, I was invited to watch people on horses, charging about after a small white round thing, which the people on the horses kept whacking with sticks that reminded me of mallets and playing croquet. . .

(I'm thinking of giving up being blonde,
by the way)

no, really, I'm not posh - both polo and croquet are really out of my previous social boundaries (my current social status rendering me somewhat invisible to almost everything) (apart from doing this - which is all I need really!)
.

anyhow, the odd thing was that before I received the invite a tune had been going round and round in my head - first time for ages - and I was going to share it with you yesterday, but became sidetracked by household chores. . .

2009-05-31T17:48:00.010+01:00

On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life

There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound

I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la, la ...

After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la, la ...

After nine days I let the horse run free
'Cause the desert had turned to sea
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The ocean is a desert with its life underground
And a perfect disguise above
Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la, la ...

AMERICA

a little late to the table, but

2009-05-29T11:45:00.009+01:00

an offering for Friday nonetheless
.

take one juicer:

and a blender:

and lots of gorgeous
delicious exotic fruit:

and we have fruit smoothies all round!

(and of course, there is coffee too!)

(-:

the thing about life is

2009-05-28T00:52:00.003+01:00

that's it's a constant work in progress

isn't it?

so sometimes it is important to remember to give people the benefit of the doubt, not be too quick to judge, not be too slow to offer support
.

(of course, this applies to oneself as well as to "people")

I,LTV goes up to town

2009-05-27T16:37:00.008+01:00

I visited Liberty

which is one of my favourite shops (and has been for a long time)

part of it is a Tudor building (mock possibly. but I don't know the history) and there is a wonderful gallery:I went to the haberdashery section (such is my love of buttons and ricrac and velvet trims and other bits and pieces that I think I must have been a peddlar of such items in a previous life)

I didn't go for the tana lawn, but I always love looking at the designs. .

and looking. . .

perhaps I should take a photo of my purchases and share the delights with you? (it was a kind of gift to myself, the trip; the purchases were an added extra!)

I hope you were able
to do something today
that brought a smile
to your face

(-:

a view

2009-05-25T22:37:00.005+01:00

so, I go to see a movie again

I can't recommend it, so I'm not going to tell you what it was
.

a little later, once home, I sat in the swing seat in the courtyard. . .
.

. . .there had been some early summer rain during the evening - you know, the sort that smells of thunder and drops out of the sky in big dollops, a little like melted icecream - and the seat was wet, but I didn't care
.

as I sat in the damp dark little courtyard - lit only by the twinkles of the fairy lights that I have twisted around the narrow trunks of the olive trees that the previous owners left behind, and in and out of the window box of herbs I have on a sill - I reflected on how fortunate I am, how much I have to be thankful for. . .

.
. . .my children, all healthy; their love; a roof over our head and food on our plates; friends - theirs and mine (mostly you lovely lot)
.

the going to see a movie provoked a conversation about a book and I discussed with The Teen how sometimes one has to go against one's initial thoughts, feelings and ideas about a situation or experience in order to be able to have a view
.

whether that view ends up being positive or negative
.

how can you say you do or do not like something, unless you have experienced it?
.

obviously this statement precludes a wide variety of aspects of life, so perhaps I am only referring to the arts - yes, I think I'm only referring to the arts
.

and, perhaps, love
.

choosing a situation, experiencing a situation, when one might love or be loved, or not, say
.

not knowing the outcome of a situation or experience until one has made the decision, going with or against one's initial thoughts, feelings and ideas
.

I'm rambling
.

I once read a book I didn't want to read, in order to have a view
.

but most of life is not that simple
.

I wish, for you, dear reader,
friends and relatives,
love,
a roof and food
.
not necessarily in that order

.
XXX

painting

2009-05-23T13:25:00.006+01:00

is very theraputic

a while back The Teen and I went to a demonstration of how to use acrylic paint, at an art supply shop that we occasionally frequent for supplies

it was fascinating

mainly because I've never been taught how to paint, or how to use different types of paint; the product was being sold at a promotional price (40% off!) so we invested in some of the different types of paints we'd seen demonstrated
.

yesterday evening, when the children went off to their father's for the weekend, I started messing about with the paint
.

it was wonderful
.

of course, I actually still have whole walls to redecorate, so quite how I could justify a 12"x8" canvas I don't know - but sometimes one has to opt for fun over sensible
.

I hope you have a good day today

and manage to have a little fun

somehow

.
XXX

let them eat. . .

2009-05-21T21:57:00.006+01:00

. . .jaffa cake!

for those not in the know, the only way to do this properly is to nibble around the edges, freeing the smashing orangey bit in the middle - it will peel gently away from the biscuity/cakey bit on the bottom so that you can enjoy its orangy juicy goodness. . .
.

(and, of course, the delicious dark chocolatey layer on the top)
.

and then you can ditch the rest
.
(cake or biscuit - who cares? the only good thing about a jaffa cake is the smashing orangey bit!)
and then help yourself to a cup of lovely hot coffee! (or tea, if you're Dave)

a great weight

2009-05-20T08:37:00.006+01:00

off my mind

so, as you may or may not know, there are many things that trouble my every waking hour and quite a few of my sleeping ones. . .

. . .probably the least important of these was where to go on holiday, with my People of Various Sizes

now I'm sure that there are those who cannot even begin to contemplate a holiday, due to the costs involved, so I have to acknowledge that in many ways I'm lucky to have even had to begin to think about what to do this summer

my three are all very different and the days when they were small and young enough not to have an opinion on these matters are long gone - plus, if you throw into the equation that there is another parent involved, providing a second set of choices, their options are multiplied. . .

I have spent the last few months being extremely careful with my budget, picking up brochure after brochure from the holiday shop, browsing the internet, pondering, thinking, contemplating, worrying

mainly worrying, if the truth be told

I'm sure that deciding on two weeks away should be a fun, exciting, pleasurable activity - but it was just stressing me out

I looked into France (too expensive, due to the Euro), Morocco (summer fogs on the coast, due to the heat), Tunisia (hot hot hot, due to the fact it's right next to The Sahara), Egypt (too many tourists trekking to the pyramids), Turkey (whatever I chose wouldn't match up to the gulet holiday we had a few years ago when we lived in The Big House in The Village), Scotland (I've always wanted to go back to Skye on the one hand, but on the other I do like a little sunshine in the summer) and then I gave up for a while

but yesterday it occurred to me that I have no need to worry about whether or not the children would enjoy themselves, whether I can be responsible for three young people all by myself in a strange place for two weeks, whether they'd hate the choices I made for them (despite lengthy ongoing consultations at every turn of a brochure page or click of a mouse)

I decided to take them to Polzeath

problem solved

a few hours of phone calls later (Polzeath is very popular it seems and as most people know this the place is almost totally booked out) I manage to secure a couple of the last available rooms in what used to be one of our favourite cliff side holiday residences

why am I writing "used to be"? it probably still is

let's hope so!

F. A. B.

2009-05-20T08:09:00.003+01:00

love ducklings?

check this out!
(1,261 views when I saw it)

a happy ending for all. . .

(-:

find your colouring crayons. . .

2009-05-19T10:33:00.001+01:00

. . .and get started on this wallpaper!

isn't it fab

(-:

waving

2009-05-17T13:37:00.000+01:00

(-:

the coffee's brewing

2009-05-15T07:51:00.004+01:00

(and some kind of tea, too, for Dave)

I'm half asleep (not in frog pajamas, I have to add, just in case there are fans of Tom Robbins reading), so I'll be back in a little with today's delicacies*

*(no, not Vicus - he'd be appalled if I called him delicate)

(-;

I'm back already!

2009-05-15T07:06:00.008+01:00

with strawberries and cream

courtesy of Dave! (thank you, Dave). . . that was his first and he's shared it with us!
.

. . .and while I was slicing the strawberries, sprinkling them with a little caster sugar, and ordering the clotted cream from Rhodda's of Cornwall, I managed to rustle up some cake (to go with the coffee, that's brewed now) - please help yourself to a slice (gluten and other unwanted ingredients free, naturally)

enjoy!

two things

2009-05-12T19:50:00.000+01:00

no, not a homage to The Good Doctor. . .

(but I couldn't resist)
(more things I can't resist to follow)

walnut whips

2009-05-12T19:49:00.000+01:00

are wicked

and while we're doing Ws

2009-05-12T19:48:00.000+01:00

why oh why

is it that biscuits go soggy when you leave the top off the tin, and cake dries out?

set your phasers to

2009-05-09T20:58:00.006+01:00

STUNNING

I rarely write film reviews, because I rarely go to the cinema: but, I have to (and will) say to anyone who grew up watching these guys. . .

. . .you must must must must go and see the new Star Trek film: go boldly! it'll be worth the investment of time and money - that's a promise!

and a spot of culture

2009-05-09T20:05:00.000+01:00

(equally stunning)

an exhibition at the Royal Academy
of the wood blocks of Kuniyoshi

no excuses

2009-05-09T11:40:00.000+01:00

I haven't had a coffee yet this morning. . .

ARNIE*

xx

another Friday

2009-05-08T07:48:00.005+01:00

(there's just no avoiding them)

today we're feasting on lychee. . .

YUM!!

(-:

ps:

XXX

2009-05-07T21:12:00.005+01:00

I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications
Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know I'll be alright
Perhaps it's just imagination
Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away
Alone between the sheets
Only brings exasperation
It's time to walk the streets
Smell the desperation
At least there's pretty lights
And though there's little variation
It nullifies the night from overkill
Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away

COLIN HAY

revision

2009-05-06T11:30:00.012+01:00

exam time is upon us

The Teen is studying. . .

*cough*

so, your starters for ten:

1. which slightly bonkers radio sports show host from a Seattle based nuclear family sit-com appears as a learned but erring doctor in a non-comedy hospital show?

2. which learned but odd slightly bonkers doctor from a sit-com in disguise as a hospital show appears as a plumber in a Seattle based nuclear family sit-com?

3. which creepy radio show host slightly bonkers talent agent from a Seattle based nuclear family sit-com appears as a creepy clone in a show whose subtitle fluctuates from "the truth is out there" to "deny everything"?

4. which one of the pair Jeeves and Wooster appears as a slightly bonkers cynical pain ridden doctor in a non-comedy hospital show?

5. which slightly bonkers radio sports show host from a Seattle based nuclear family sit-com appears as a slightly bonkers character in a show whose subtitle fluctuates from "the truth is out there" to "deny everything"?

6. what is my children's new favourite hospital based tv show? (clue: it's a sit-com in disguise)

7. what is my children's new second favourite hospital based tv show? (clue: it's a non-comedy hospital show)

8. what is now no longer my children's favourite tv show? (clue: it's a Seattle based nuclear family sit-com)

9. which show whose subtitle fluctuates from "the truth is out there" to "deny everything" do I never get to watch because I'm always helping People of Various Sizes out with their homeworks?

10. which general intelligence quotient knowledge (UK based) tv show is hosted by someone slightly bonkers who used to play the role of a valet* (*a gentleman's gentleman) (in a UK based comedy show about the differences between the upper and working classes - for wont of a better description of J&W) to someone slightly bonkers who now plays the role of someone else slightly bonkers, a cynical pain ridden doctor, in a non-comedy hospital show (US based)?

ps: any comparison of the role of gentleman's person (read mother), loosely based on that of a butler come valet in J&W, and someone "slightly bonkers", to persons in my life, or indeed my good self, is purely circumstantial and totally unintentional

errata: The Teen, who is looking over my shoulder rather than pursue his own studies, says that he prefers House to Scrubs, so reverse numbers 6. and 7. (the opinions of his siblings are not valid in this exercise); he also denies that Scrubs is a sit-com; he has never seen an episode of J&W. . .

2009-05-06T11:28:00.000+01:00

the Pine Topps Boogie Woogie
and the Honky Tonk Train Blues

J&W

2009-05-05T19:41:00.023+01:00

I'm just trying to get by, I'm just buzzin' on a sugar high
Yeah...
.
Everybody moves so fast, no time to wonder why
.
Yeah...
I'm just tryin' to get by
Is it all in my head?
.
Is it all in my head?
.
Could everything be so right without me knowin'?
I'm just workin' for the Man, I'm just tryin' to lend a hand Yeah...
.
And if I had a rocket ship, I'd never wanna land
.
Yeah...
I'm just doin' the best I can
Is it all in my head?
.
Is it all in my head?
.
Could everything be so right without me knowin'?
Is it all just some game, where everything stays the same?
.

Is it all in my, all in my, all in my head?.

Everybody needs a little love, to make it all work out
.
But I'm still lookin' to the stars above...
.

Hey! Hey! Hey!
It's all in my head
.
It's all in my head
.
It's all in my, all in my, all in my, all in my head
Is it all in my head?
.
Is it all in my head?
.
Could everything be so right without me knowin'?
Is it all just some game, where everything stays the same?
.

Is it all in my, all in my, all in my All in my head?

SHAWN MULLINS

two pennies to rub together

2009-05-04T09:46:00.010+01:00

we never had any, when I was growing up

don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, there was a roof over our head, food on the table and clothes on our back

one thing we did have was a large garden, full of birds - sparrows, finches of various kinds, robins, crows, blackbirds, thrushes, jackdaws and magpies, blue tits and great tits and coal tits, a spotted woodpecker and a green woodpecker; those are the ones I can remember. . . nature doesn't charge you for listening to the birds, as they say "the best things in life are free" (doesn't get much better than birdsong) - I used to love listening to the birds. . .
.

so, imagine my surprise when I sit in the tiny courtyard garden here, on the tiny step from the French doors of the living room, and hear - from another matchbox sized garden in the London suburbs - birdsong that I have never heard before!
.

I could just about see the bird in question at one stage, when it perched on the tv aerial on the roof of the house that backs onto mine, but it was too far away for me to be able to distinguish what it was - a small bird, I could make that much out, a tail that was neither long nor short, average small bird shaped body

I digress

I received two birthday presents this year - both in boxes: a box of asparagus from an old friend (enough to feed an army, which is a shame as I have no army that needs feeding and the members of this household, apart from my good self, don't eat asparagus) and from the People of Various Sizes the boxed set of dvds of all eleven series of Frasier
.

dear reader, I am on disc three and have just seen an episode that I've never seen before! the one in which Eddie has puppies. . .

I've never wanted a dog; three children, various fish (which I'm now feeding a little more often, so they don't have to resort to eating each other) and two cats (the remaining two of the twenty or so that have belonged to the family over the years) proving almost more than I can manage in my current circumstances. . .

. . .but Eddie's puppies were very sweet

I hope your day
brings you food for thought

and that you have a spare penny or two
with which to treat yourself
to something you need or want

and so life goes on

2009-05-02T10:19:00.005+01:00

on and on and on

which is probably a good thing, eh

and today the sun is shining really brightly, it warms my face

it's also drying out all the seedlings which have sprung up from the seeds I planted a month ago - the tap in the courtyard is leaking, which explains the puddle on the kitchen floor (but at least there hasn't been a downpour recently, so the damp patch in Teen Too's bedroom is not dripping), but having a tap makes it easier to water the pots of peas, sweetcorn, raddishes, cauliflowers, spring onions, tomatoes, sweet peas and sunflowers. . . all of which now need replanting into the next size of container up

I find it ridiculous to think that I've done all this when there is actually no garden, and yet when we lived in The Big House in The Village, with its huge garden, I barely did any gardening at all - but that's because I was off doing other things, none of which I do now

I wonder if the children even notice the courtyard plants - yellow pansies and purple violas, three different types of thyme (green, golden and silver), lavender and rosemary, the bamboo and the acer (a miniature Japanese maple, as above) and the olive trees. . .

I went out for dinner with them last night - a real treat on a Friday night - and then they went on to their father's for the weekend; when I got back here I sobbed and sobbed

but the warmth of the sunshine has dried my tears and is bringing a smile to my face this morning

I hope you are smiling,
wherever you are

XXX

Friday the First

2009-05-01T21:10:00.000+01:00

so, while you're pinching and punching

and all that, please help yourself to a slice of cake. . .

. . .of the birthday variety (special gluten free, vegan, nothing in it that anyone could be allergic to or not be allowed for whatever kind of dietary restrictions you might have chosen for yourself or been advised to follow by a medical professional)

with lots and lots
of love!
XXX

from a friend

2009-05-01T15:18:00.002+01:00

for Friday the First. . .

(-:

(isn't the internet wonderful!)

on the subject of penguins

2009-04-30T20:47:00.013+01:00

this one's pretty cool (even tho he did come acropper)

and there are other birds beginning with P who I think are excellent. . .

and while we're doing P words. . .

and another P. . .

oh!
(yes, I'm feeling a little off right now)
- but if we're doing O. . .

(-;

can I just say that

2009-04-29T08:33:00.005+01:00

penguins are amazing?

no, not these kind of Penguins (wonderful tho they are). . .

. . .much as I love the merchandise (remember the deckchairs from a while back?). . .

these sorts of Penguins:

amazing - I think I can say that!

smile and wave boys,
smile and wave

the mystery of the missing

2009-04-28T10:58:00.004+01:00

goldfish

you can just about see the three of them in this image - two are in focus at the front and one is lurking about in the gravel a little way back

well, now there are only two. . .

. . .one has disappeared completely

no bloated body floating around at the water's surface, no spiney skeleton sunk into a corner - no evidence of its demise whatsoever

a mystery

but, given the state of the world right now, not a very important one!

I hope your day was full
with meaning and purpose
and, if not, I hope you had a relaxing one

XXX

life's a

2009-04-27T07:59:00.009+01:00

rich tapestry

so, you may recall that I was working on this one (up arrow) - well, she's finished. . . as is the following:

and the next:
and now I'm stitching this one:

altho they may seem expensive, at around £40 each for the kit (needle, threads, canvas and instructions), I've decided that that is incredible value for money given that each one takes hours and hours and hours of stitching; and of course, if you're so inclined when you've finished you could turn the tapestry into a cushion. . .

. . .while I sit and stitch it occurs to me that it's a very slow way of passing time, and part of me quite likes that

I sometimes wonder if I'd rather be back where I was a couple of years ago - bookbinding, the band, my friends in The Village - a faster pace. . . but then I do that "stop, listen/look, learn" thing and take a breath to think about where I am and why

why being the operative word

so, I then stitch the next stitch and take a breath and stitch the one after that, and the next

it's only recently that people have thought that life should be jam-packed full of stuff, isn't it - for centuries life has been far more sedate than we find in the C21st (there's nothing wrong with the pace of life, don't get me wrong - it's just that my life lacks it)

and - of course - it's entirely due to the C21st that I can sit here and do this and google images of what I'm talking about. . . I'm not knocking it

it's just not knocking on my door right now

and I've realised recently that I don't have a problem with that

everything takes time, and that is what I have at the moment

a stitch in nine saving some, and seeing as how I've been doing hundreds and thousands of stitches recently I must have saved myself years!

make the most
of your time today
I know you will

coffee, popcorn and Crunchies. . .

2009-04-24T07:56:00.003+01:00

. . .must be Friday

I thought we'd have campfire coffee today - the corn is about to pop (butter, salt or sugar at the ready) and the Crunchies are in the cooler so that the chocolate doesn't melt. . .

(-:

2009-04-21T15:12:00.009+01:00

Give a little time for the child within you,
Don't be afraid to be young and free.
.

Undo the locks and throw away the keys
And take off your shoes and socks, and run you.
.

Run through the meadow and scare up the milking cows
Run down the beach kicking clouds of sand.
.

Walk a windy weather day, feel your face blow away
Stop and listen: Love you.

Roll like a circus clown, put away your circus frown
Ride on a roller coaster upside down Waltzing Matilda,
Carey loves a kinkatchoo, Joey catch a kangaroo: hug you.

Dandylion, milkweed, silky on a sunny sky
Reach out and hitch a ride and float on by.

Balloons down below catching colors of the rainbow
Red, blue and yellow-green: I love you.
Bicycles, tricycles, ice cream candy.

Lollypops, popsicles, licorice sticks
Solomon Grundy, Raggedy Andy,
Tweedledum and Tweedledee, home free.
Cowboys and Indians, puppydogs and sandpails
Beachballs and baseballs and basketballs, too.
.
I love forget-me-nots, fluffernutters, sugarpops
I'll hug you and kiss you and love you

La, la, la...
Love you.

FREE DESIGN

soporific dreaming

2009-04-20T19:40:00.008+01:00

this was my horoscope today:

"Your dreams seem to be as real as the ground you stand on today -- and this can be a bit disconcerting. You prefer to build your house out of sturdy bricks, rather than flimsy straw, so it can be disturbing when the real world is infused with the runoff from your imagination. You can consciously wake yourself up from your soporific dreaming, but it won't be easy. Paradoxically, you'll rest more easily once you do."

.
not that I hold any truck with horoscopes (altho the above makes me think of a nursery tale from my childhood - not one of my favourites). . .
. . . .but I do need to wake myself up a little

I had a little glitch with the change of meds from a while back, and the most recent regime sees me sleeping far too much and sedated the rest of the time - all of which is better than the anxiety and panic I was experiencing, but makes for a very dull life
.

so I've had nothing to say!

today, however, I saw a haze of bluebells and two robins and heard birdsong and felt the warmth of the spring sun on my face. . .
.

I hope the sun shone
for you too
.

XXX

2009-04-13T12:20:00.003+01:00

("I want to write to you,
and I have nothing
to say to you. . .")

it's not that the muse has left me just that everything is a bit crap at the moment and much as I don't really want to dwell on it, neither am I able to distract myself from it

I know it will pass. . .

. . .I'm just waiting until it does

(-:

XXX

pearls of wisdom

2009-04-11T11:25:00.002+01:00

anyone got any. . .

stop all the clocks

2009-04-07T10:30:00.000+01:00

time is a strange phenomenon sometimes

it seems to speed up, slow down, stop. . . anyhow, this morning I was thinking about clocks and that (the Dali, above) was what came to mind - and the poem (under) (hence the lobster, below) and then I thought about Magritte. . .

and then it occurred to me that I never really liked surrealism after all - and I ended up dwelling on the lanterns in Carnation Lily Lily Rose instead. . .

I hope you have a good day

(-:

2009-04-07T10:27:00.001+01:00

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
.
WH AUDEN

sharing the good stuff

2009-04-06T11:10:00.004+01:00

a friend showed me a couple of things recently

anyone else seen Free Hugs yet?
it's very sweet!

and as for Where the H*ll is Matt. . .
just marvellous!
(click on the YouTube link to enjoy)

something for the weekend?

2009-04-04T15:40:00.005+01:00

bring me sunshine. . .thru trees or clouds. . .

wherever you are,
I hope the sun
is shining for you

(-:

food on a Friday. . .

2009-04-03T13:39:00.008+01:00

I'm a bit of a loss at the moment. . . . . .so we'll just stick to coffee, Crunchies and corn-on-the-cob: lots of "c"s. . .

I hope that's alright?

and the corn? I like mine with butter and lots of freshly grated black pepper. . . or we could just stick to the popping variety. . .
.

however you fancy that!

I hope you
are having
a good day

xxx

and since we're doing C

2009-04-03T13:02:00.003+01:00

Fraiser sometimes mentions his Chihuly. . . (the above is not Frasier's, but is similar enough) (I prefer the colours in this one tho, I must admit - couldn't find an image of Frasiers for today's Show 'n' Tell) and it occurred to me that I ought to know what a/who Chihuly was/is - and I do. . .

Dale Chihuly is the glass artist who created this for the V&A in London (one of my favourite museums, you might recall)

and then it occurred to me that this must be the same artist who created work that was displayed at Kew Gardens, a short way along the river from where I am. . .

but I only put two and two together because shot and sorrow mentioned Chihuly a while back when I was writing about something else
.
sometimes these things take a little while to bed in. . .
.
. . .a bit like life really
.
(sometimes I just wish it would hurry up and settle down tho)

2009-04-02T09:01:00.000+01:00

I closed my eyes again
and chose another random image. . .

(-:

2009-04-02T09:00:00.003+01:00

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only cause you're lonely they have blamed you?
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?
Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?
Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa
.

NAT KING COLE

pinch punch

2009-04-01T09:01:00.002+01:00

and all that

(says it all really!)

2009-04-01T08:30:00.002+01:00

Day after day alone on a hill,

. The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,

And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Well on the way,
head in a cloud

.The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him,
Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice,
But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

And nobody seems to like him,
They can tell what he wants to do,
And he never shows his feelings,
But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Round and round and round.

And he never listens to them,
He knows that they're the fools
They don't like him,

The fool on the hill sees the sun going down,

And the eyes in his head see the world spinning 'round. . .

. . .Round and round and round.
.. .
THE BEATLES

revisiting a current favourite (still)

2009-04-01T07:34:00.000+01:00

I woke up this morning, hated to get out of bed
But I called up the weather man and this is what he said. . .
"Yes it's a good day for singing a song
And it's a good day for moving along
Yes it's a good day
How can anything go wrong?
'Cause Monday thru Sunday
You gotta find it someday
There's gonna be a good day for you".
.
Yes, it's a good day for shining your shoes
And it's a good day for losing the blues;
Everything to gain and nothing' to lose,
'Cause it's a good day from morning' till night.
.
I said to the sun,
"Good morning sun - rise and shine today!"
You know you've gotta get going
If you're gonna make a showin'
And you know you've got the right of way.
'Cause it's a good day for paying your bills;
And it's a good day for curing your ills,
.
So take a deep breath and throw away your pills;
'Cause it's a good day from morning' till night.
.
PEGGY LEE

2009-03-31T11:29:00.003+01:00

I closed my eyes and chose a picture at random. . .

(-:

boat race biscuits

2009-03-30T17:45:00.002+01:00

or the "credit munch"

at some stage I am going to tell you about my recent weekend, but right now I ought to be cooking tea. . .

. . .so you'll have to wait

(but it's really not that exciting) (so don't hold your breath) (!)

lemons

2009-03-29T11:35:00.000+01:00

what do you do when life throws you lemons?

why, you make lemonade of course

it must be wonderful to live somewhere warm and sunny enough for there to be a handy lemon tree from which that someone* (*whoever he or she is) can snatch a lemon and throw it at you

(I'm not imagining a train of thought whereby they* [* ditto] are in a supermarket by the citrus fruit section - let's face it, if that was the case they should have thrown a grapefruit)
.

now, presumably, if you were clever (thoughtful? inspired? driven? caring? ambitious?) you'd not only make the lemonade, but sell it too - and for that you'd need a stall of sorts. . .

all of which makes me think of Charlie Brown and how, when I was little, I used to look forward to being able to read the Peanuts strip in the Sunday paper

the other day I was talking with someone about the course of my life and said that I accepted where I find myself - the someone (it was a she) said "not just accept, appreciate?" and I agreed. . .

. . .totally

I'm fairly sure that there are
many things in your life
which you appreciate
and I'm fairly sure that you do

I hope so anyhow

have a wonderful day

(-:

2009-03-29T10:00:00.000+01:00

I'm sitting here in the boring room
It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
I'm wasting my time
I got nothing to do
I'm hanging around
I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens
And I wonder. . . .

I'm driving around in my car
I'm driving too fast
I'm driving too far
I'd like to change my point of view
I feel so lonely
I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens and I wonder
I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
.
I'm turning my head up and down
I'm turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just another lemon-tree
.

I'm sitting here
I miss the power
I'd like to go out taking a shower
But there's a heavy cloud inside my head
I feel so tired
Put myself into bed
While nothing ever happens and I wonder
Isolation is not good for me
Isolation
I don't want to sit on the lemon-tree
.

I'm steppin' around in the desert of joy
Baby anyhow I'll get another toy
And everything will happen and you wonder
I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just another lemon-tree
.

I'm turning my head up and down
I'm turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
And I wonder, wonder
I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see,
And all that I can see,
And all that I can see
Is just a yellow lemon-tree. . .
.

.. .
FOOL'S GARDEN

Friday. . . another one

2009-03-26T20:50:00.004Z

nachos, folks, today we're having nachos

don't ask me why, I'm not quite sure! and mine don't look exactly like that, and they are certainly served on a nicer plate (a girl doesn't get anywhere in life without having a nice serving dish or two, I can tell you) but that's the nearest you'll get to what I'm offering up today

if you want we can keep all the topping separate and you can just dip and pick as you wish - altho personally I like mine with huge dollops of sour cream, generous spoonfuls of fresh tomato salsa, loads of sliced up mini gherkins, masses of finely grated parmesan and coarsely grated emmental (definitely none of that orange "cheese" so popular over the pond - sorry folks!) and then stick it under the grill until the emmental melts and the parmesan crisps up. . .

of course, I'm not making it compulsory and I know a plate of nachos won't be to everyone's taste, but they had bags of the corn chips going two-for-one in the supermarket and I had a jar of gherkin lurking in the back of the fridge and I just got carried away. . .

. . .if you'd rather stick to Crunchies, pop corn and apples, that is absolutely fine. . .

. . .I just fancied something a little different

have a good day

perhaps your day will have
something a little different in it
for you to enjoy

I do hope so

XXX

heads, shoulders, knees and. . .

2009-03-26T10:14:00.006Z

and no, I'm not going to launch into a song about Mother Brown. . .
.

knees-up just reminds me of dreadful family parties, held in village halls; great aunts, who should know better, trying to recapture the spirit of The Blitz; small children escaping kisses by hiding under fold-out tables covered in cheap cloths - sitting cross-legged, eating piles of sandwiches from which they've extracted and discarded the parts of the filling that they don't like; teenagers feeling awkward and embarassed and wishing the floor would open up and swallow them; the moaning Minnis in the kitchen, making endless pots of tea whilst serving the barely warmed up sausage rolls, then sweeping-up and mopping-up the bunting that has fallen down from the walls and become mushed into a pile of crisps knocked out of a bowl onto the floor and there mixed with spilt orange squash spilt from a plastic jug because Susan couldn't pour straight on account of her shaking hands - yes, she inherited that from his side of the family - whilst complaining that noone else is pitching in, but not accepting any offers of help with the washing-up or clearing away; the mad uncle in the corner trying to add generations to his family tree, laid out on five pieces of scrappy paper tentatively stuck together with ageing peeling sticky tape, which is missing the branch where grandfather on mother's side should have a half sister who married Jim. . .
.

. . .and for some reason they all end up singing and dancing to a slightly confused rendition of The Oke-Koke
.

sorry. . . where was I?
I haven't a clue!

(no change there, then)

I hope you know where you are today
and that you like being there

sleepy head

2009-03-25T08:03:00.012Z

(you know:
"'to bed! to bed!', said Sleepy Head
'tarry a while', said Slow. . ."
that one)

(and for those who don't, in full:
"'to bed! to bed!', said Sleepy Head
'tarry a while', said Slow
'there's food in the pan', said Greedy Nan,
'let's sup, before we go'"
that's how I learnt it, anyhow!)

.
comfy bed. . .

garden shed. . .

change of meds. . .

TGD (The Good Doctor) changed my meds a while back but I was sick and unable to get the prescription; yesterday I felt well enough for a short walk in the sunshine (it was quite lovely! almost cheering!) and collected the new drugs; I switched last night, didn't get a wink of sleep; far too early to tell, but no doubt I'll be reporting back; not a huge issue in the bigger scheme of things, but right now I'm living in the smaller scheme of things, the miriad of tiny details that keep a life ticking over. . . and that's fine; but look - hey - I'm sitting here, doing this. . .

. . .sleepy head, comfy bed, garden shed what else rhymes with the sound "ed" and could be added to that list? "crusty bread"? that would work! (it has to make sense, not just be something like "pillar box red", which wouldn't make any sense at all)

"under the weather"

2009-03-23T09:40:00.009Z

we're always under the weather really, aren't we. . .

or in the weather, or surrounded by the weather - quite difficult to be on top of it really (unless you're an astronaut); but under the weather pretty much sums up my last few days

it was pretty scary being very poorly and all alone for quite a lot of the duration

I suspect that being scared made me feel worse; but the worst seems to be over now and I need to be disciplined and apply some focus and get my week going. . .

. . .at the very least I'm hoping for some more sunshine

and you?
what are you hoping for. . .

2009-03-19T09:58:00.002Z

everything is a little blank at the moment - one of those colouring in moments, perhaps. . . I think I need to find my box of crayons. . .

(-:
.

I hope you find something
that makes you smile today

the sun has got his hat on

2009-03-16T15:32:00.004Z

hip hip hip hooray!we are having a (very short, according to the weatherman) spell of unseasonably warm weather. . .

if I had a lawn I'd be out in it, flopped in a deckchair reading a book drinking a cup of afternoon tea and probably admiring the weeds in the borders (all lawns seem to have borders, in my experience, and this early on in the season no doubt they'd be full of weeds, especially if I had such a garden)

but I don't

in a previous life I did - lawn and borders and far too many weeds to contend with. . . sometimes window boxes can prove the easier option. . . but I do miss the green green grass of a lawn - so I went for a walk in the park. . . wonderful! someone else has to mow the grass, someone else weeds the borders. . . it's not quite the same, but needs must (as they say)

these deckchairs are rather fun, aren't they? if you may recall, I have a rather wonderful swing seat and an equally adventurous hammock. . . so I feel no need to wish to acquire a deckchair. . . which is somewhat of a relief. . .

and if I did - which one would I pick? I don't know. . . what about you? any thoughts?!

it's a beautiful sunny day out there. . .

2009-03-15T09:59:00.011Z

so what am I doing in here?

getting ready to go out there!

you have a good day
wherever you are
whether the sun is shining or not

(perhaps I'll have something interesting
to write about when I return. . .)

(we live in hope)

(well, I do)

men are from Mars. . .

2009-03-14T12:56:00.004Z

. . .women are from Venus

our good friends at google inform us that today is the 174th anniversary of the birth of an Italian chap, Giovanni Schiaparelli, who was the first to draw pictures of the surface of Mars. . . due to a mistranslation of the Italian "canali", meaning "channels" but mistranslated as "canals", there eventually arose a debate about whether intelligent life existed on Mars. . .

. . .words have a lot to answer for, don't they?

sometimes we say or write things we don't really mean, by accident; sometimes people misconstrue the meaning of what we have said or written, because it's not clear or because they want to read something into it; sometimes there just are not the words to describe what it is we want to say; sometimes it's all too clear, but we don't write or say it anyhow because seeing it written or hearing it spoken makes it all too "real". . .

. . .sometimes what was real then is not what is real now - because things change, don't they. . .

. . .and some things just don't change - whatever was said

I think I need more coffee!
have a good day!

(-:

would you think you'd failed your child if

2009-03-13T09:05:00.001Z

they didn't know what a knickerbocker-glory was?

if that's a bit much, you're welcome to either the fruit or the jelly or the ice-cream (we're skipping the squirty cream - I don't do squirty cream) individually. . .

. . .or popcorn, Crunchies or an apple from the side bar

(-:

just another Friday the 13th. . .

2009-03-13T09:03:00.001Z

2009-03-12T10:20:00.006Z

You cool your bed-warm hands down on the broken radiator,
and when you lay them freezing on me,
I mumble "Can you wake me later?"
But I don't really want you to stop
and you know it so it doesn't stop you.
And run your hands from my neck to my chest
.

Crack the shutters open wide,
I wanna bathe you in the light of day
And just watch you as the rays
Tangle up around your face and body.
.
.
I could sit for hours finding new ways
to be awed each minute
'Cause the daylight seems to want you
just as much as I want you.
.
.
It's been minutes, it's been days,
It's been all I will remember
Happy lost in your hair and the cold side of the pillow
Your hills and valleys are mapped by my intrepid fingers
And in a naked slumber, I dream all this again
..

SNOW PATROL

dodgy "i"s. . .

2009-03-11T15:45:00.011Z

back to the kitchen window sill

2009-03-11T09:01:00.000Z

the little man is out of the weatherhouse. . .

. . .which means more rain
.

)-:

but the kissing couple are still kissing
.
(-:

and the kissing couple?

2009-03-11T09:00:00.004Z

they're these guys

and funnily enough this morning I was having a coversation with The Teen about this piece of music. . .
.
(but those two facts are pure coincidence - entirely unrelated)

homework is fun!

2009-03-10T22:00:00.011Z

so The Teen and I have an inspirational chat. . .

or rather, he listens to something I've said (wonders will never cease). . . and takes a small degree of inspiration from it - his thoughts fly in a direction he hadn't anticipated and he is pleased with the result. . .

which is all a bit weird, because usually he treats me and my suggestions (should that be my suggestions and I?) with a tolerable degree of derision. . .

he's currently planning his art work for his upcoming exam and has had idea after idea after idea (I knew dragging him along to those exhibitions was not a waste of my time or his); one of them involving Che Guevara; I gently point out that perhaps the visual iconography of Che is an artistic area within which he feels comfortable because so many teens do and thus he is familiar with the image - over-familiar, in fact - and perhaps he could be more original. . . ?. . .

I did point it out very gently, I hasten to add. . .

never one not to want to be original (which teens aren't?) (it's kind of a paradox, isn't it? they either want to all be the same, or they all want to be different and are thus all being the same anyway) (is that a paradox, or just irony? or perhaps I need a thesaurus) he looks at me curiously and seems to think about what I say and goes off to do a little more thinking. . . he comes back and we talk a little more and we end up discussing the printed word and fonts (a subject close to my heart, as you, dear reader, know) and I look thru my art cupboard for supplies and then on-line for something else which leads me to a place where I even manage to find him a MetallicA (sic) typeface. . .

. . .found myself a Coca-Cola one, too

somehow a small degree of brightness enters my heart and I genuinely smile for the first time in days

it's a good feeling

for want of anything better to write about

2009-03-10T16:53:00.000Z

did you know. . .

it's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. . .

elephants are the only animals that can't jump. . .

oak trees do not produce acorns
until they are fifty years of age or older. . .

the tentacles of the giant Arctic jellyfish
can reach 120 feet (36.6 meters) in length. . .

if you eat a bar of chocolate,
every day for 36,500 days,
you'll live to be 100 years old. . . .

*

and then I started thinking about keyboards and keys
(the QWERTY type of key). . .

bag

rug

blog

no, no, no, not the end of the blog
just a really weird keyboard!

(-:

as requested

2009-03-10T16:52:00.001Z

(-:

"Life is Long"

2009-03-10T16:07:00.002Z

Ev'rybody says that the living is easy
I can barely see ‘cause my head's in the way
Tigers walk behind me - they are to remind me that
I'm lost - but I'm not afraid

Soul to soul - A kiss and a sigh
Sawed in half - by the passage of time
Halfway home - from a window you see
Chains and bars - but I am still free

People on the outside - I remember sweet times
This old rose - is always in bloom
Ev'rybody is happy - to be a baby daddy
Stone love - with nothing to lose

Life is long - if you give it a way
So stay, don't go - ‘cause I'm fading away
Soul to soul - between you and me
Chain me down - but I am still free

Now I can say - those three little words
And ev'ry day - I'm dreaming a world
Soul to soul - a kiss and a sigh
Holding back - the waters outside

Life is long - if you give it a way
So stay, don't go - ‘cause I'm fading away
Soul to soul - between you and me
Chain me down- but I am still free
.
DAVID BYRNE/BRIAN ENO

borrowing a good idea. . . the letter L

2009-03-08T11:09:00.017Z

lederhosen

letterpress

locket

a leap of faith. . .

liquorice all sorts

love hearts

Lennon and McCartney's
lonely people

lighthouse

light thru trees. . .

. . .lit campfires by the lake

laundromats. . .

. . . laundry on the line

your choice of. . .

2009-03-07T11:50:00.003Z

. . .baggy jumpers? bob dylan? football?

oooh but look!
I can just about spot
eddie izzard and a catchy riff. . .

your choice. . .
?

Friday fare. . .

2009-03-06T14:18:00.003Z

. . .well, I know what I need

(-:

now. . .

popcorn!
can't go wrong with popcorn

bacon sandwich for Dave. . .

how about a banana split?
just to make a change

no, silly
not The Banana Splits
a banana split. . .

actually, looking at that so early in the morning
is making me slightly queezy. . .
let's ditch the split and just stick with the bananas, eh

oh!
and what else were we looking for?

I remember - SPRING!!!

hmmmmmmmmmmm. . .
wrong sort. . .

.
oh well,
it's all swings and roundabouts really. . .

and especially for shot

2009-03-06T14:18:00.002Z

(-:

all those letters. . .

2009-03-05T10:00:00.006Z

. . .to choose from

strange how the word vers work out sometimes. . .

(what I want to know is
why doesn't it pop?)

(I refuse to believe that there is a word ver
about a teen picking his nose)

"where there's a will. . ." (#2)

2009-03-04T15:35:00.009Z

<------ finally gets to tick a boxbut what I don't understand is why when you cross things off the list there are always more items to add to it, so the list never actually gets any shorter. . .

well, reading that back I suppose I do understand

and this is my first response:

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH. . .

and this is my second response:

and my third response will be to put something enjoyable at the top of the list. . . .

is that allowed?

I hope your day wasn't as frustrating as mine. . .

"where there's a will. . ."

2009-03-03T15:36:00.000Z

v "the best laid plans. . ."

so the other day I invested in a trowel and fork (not with bent handles as above, but I do like those watering cans!) and left them out, rather subtely, on the kitchen counter. . .
.

. . .it was a hint to The Teen that the time has come for him to put his plans into action and make some progress on the roof terrace. . .
.

he's off to Borneo in 18 months time, to help and work with under-priviledged children, all arranged thru a self-development scheme at his school (which is a little like The Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme, but slightly different); the participants each have to raise a huge sum of money thru sponsorship to pay for the whole thing
.
he was initally very excited and we chatted about how to raise the money and I ended up making those helpful suggestions that mothers make (have a yard sale, a second hand book sale, I'll make cookies and cakes and you can sell them on Boat Race Day, for example - wouldn't raise much but it would be a start); the one he liked best was my idea that if he wanted he could turn the plant containers on the roof terrace (currently full of dead bamboo, dead grasses and dead lavender because noone watered anything when I was in hopsital last summer) into vegetable plots, then I'd sponsor him for his time in exchange for the vegetables - and if he planned his planting carefully and produced more than we need, he could maybe sell the excess to the neighbours. . .
.

so, for xmas as part of his present, I bought him a guidebook to basic vegetable gardening and a whole bunch of seeds. . . now comes the difficult part - he has to find the time to actually start the work (or I'm going to do it, as I quite like the idea of a vegetable garden on the roof!). . . of course, a teen brain is very different from a mother's brain. . .

where I see windows of opportunity (it's light now for a couple of hours when he gets back from school - he could start with an hour an afternoon) he doesn't (he's tired when he comes home from school and wants a break before he starts his homeworks)

he's with his father at the weekend or out with his mates, so weekday afternoons are really his only chance. . .

.

so, my dilemma is - how long do I leave it before I tell him his time is up and I am going to do it myself instead. . .
.

we discussed planting the seeds indoors back in the new year and he decided that he'd rather just plant things straight out as it was easier (no "hardening off"). . .

and now it's March already and I just know that a whole bunch of those little seeds need to be in the ground pretty soon. . .
.

then again, perhaps, if I made a start he'd then decide to help and would get going himself. . .

I guess I do know that if one of us doesn't do anything, nothing will get done. . .
.

and none of those lovely vegetables will be growing on the roof later in the summer. . .
.
.

and I do so like fresh vegetables. . .

I heard this and thought it was fun

2009-03-03T15:30:00.004Z

I got the feelin' I'm a-fallin' Like a star up in the blue Like I was fallin' off Niagara In a paddle boat canoe I got the feelin' I'm a-fallin' And it's all because of you; Like I was walkin' on a tight rope Swingin' in the breeze And though I tried to keep my balance Well, I just weakened in the knees; I got the feelin' I'm a-fallin' Lover, help me please Like a leaf falls from a branch Like a rock slide avalanche Like the rain on a stormy day I never thought I'd fall this way I thought that love could never touch me; Yeah, I was mountain high And then my ivory tower toddled And I tumbled from the sky; I got the feelin' I'm a-fallin' Lover, you're the reason why; Like the light when he met his pole Like the walls of Jericho Like Delilah's home in town When Samson tore it down I thought that love could never touch me Yeah I was mountain high But then my ivory tower toddled And I tumbled from the sky ;I got the feelin' I'm a-fallin' And you're the reason why
.
Ooh, you're the reason why Yeah, you're the reason why ;Mmm baby, you're the reason why. . .

CONNIE FRANCIS

.
(couldn't find it on the tube, but here she is singing "who's sorry now")

so, only yesterday

2009-03-02T20:12:00.006Z

I was thinking about Dr Seuss. . .

. . .and it turns out that today is Dr Suess Day! he'd have been 105 years old today if he was still alive - that's pretty old

I once went to a great-grand-mother's birthday party, she was 95 and had 95 candles on her cake and I remember that someone - and uncle, I think - lit them, starting at the back of the cake, and by the time he'd reached the ones at the front those at the back had burnt right down onto the icing and singed the sugar flower decorations (now I'm a grown-up, I can see that the error was only to have the one person lighting the candles - as a child I just thought it was a terrible waste of icing and sugar flowers)

I digress. . .

. . .back to the good doctor - here's one I like (it's rather long, so this is a little shorter - kind of the edited highlights)

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

.
*
.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
.

*
.

You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3⁄4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
.
So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby
or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So... get on your way!

say what I feel? well, I have to admit that I'm not really liking the being alone on this journey of mine - and plenty of things along the way scare me. . .

. . .but! by some wonderfully bizarre coincidence, as I sit here doing this, Teen Too (previously known as Middle One, before he turned 13) is sitting at his desk asking questions about his art homework - he's studying Roy Lichtenstein. . .
.

. . .and I know I'm not all alone - I have my lovely children to look after; it's not the same as having someone look after me or having a Brad about (whether I'd choose to ask him to help me, or not) but there you go. . .

. . .or there I go. . .

. . .well, here I am, I guess. . .

and, actually, I oughtn't be here at all - there are chores to be done. . .
.

what is that old saying?
"no peace for the wicked"

hot off the press

2009-03-01T22:40:00.001Z

a morph memorial for Tony Hart

when I was a child, I used to eagerly await the day when Vision On was shown. . .

my parents weren't the sort to encourage televisual participation - my brothers and I were only allowed to watch certain things that were deemed "suitable". . . (they didn't even tell us about "the other channel" for years, as they were concerned about the effects the adverts would have on our young minds) - so I was never allowed to send in a picture for the gallery. . . but I did in my dreams!

oh, how I dreampt of one of my pictures being chosen by Tony Hart - it's not that I wanted to see it on screen, just for Tony Hart to have seen my attempts at art

(come to think about it, I always wanted a Blue Peter badge too: only my mother didn't approve of sticky backed plastic or Peter Purves or Lesley Judd - she liked Valerie Singleton who was very sensible and wore sensible shoes and she just about tolerated John Noakes - so I wasn't ever allowed to write in or even make anything they labouriously showed how to construct. . . "and here's one I made earlier" never featured in my childhood apart from seeing it on the box. . . I sneaked a go at John's Cheese Flaps once, a kind of fried cheese potato cake, but my mother told me off because they were too cheesey) (I digress)
.
so when I heard of Tony Hart's death a while back now, I was very sad. . . when Oliver Postgate died I was equally sad, but receiving a Knit a Clanger tag on FaceBook made me smile. . .

. . .but noone tagged me about the event at Tate Modern today - I'd have had a far more interesting Sunday if I'd known about it!

nonetheless,
better late than never. . .

. . .this is what I have found to share with you: click on the link on the right "Morph 'flashmob' at Tate gallery" to see it in its glory and hear the tune that I hummed all those years ago as I went to sleep. . .

they kind of remind me of Antony Gormley's miriads of tiny terracotta people. . .

sometimes I think about my childhood

2009-03-01T22:39:00.007Z

and it makes me laugh

what a mish-mash!

The Elves and The Shoemaker, The Clangers, Morph, Noggin the Nog (above), Mr Benn, Hop on Pop with Dr Suess, Rapunzel, Pogle's Wood (below). . .

. . .The Ladybird Key Word Reading Scheme with Peter and Jane, Swallows and Amazons, The Observer Book of Trees, The Princess and The Pea (as follows - the only true illustrations, much as I do love Dulac). . .
.
. . .and, of course, not forgetting my favourite!
.

(I'm only sitting here doing this because The Teen is out at a gig on the other side of town and I'm worried sick. . . I mean, I know he'll be fine - all 6'3" of him, along with his mates. . . it's not like he hasn't gone out before. . . I know he'd call me if he was in trouble. . . but I can't bring myself to take my meds and go to bed without knowing he's safely tucked up and asleep. . . when is a mother supposed to stop worrying?)

pinch punch, first of the month (belatedly)

2009-03-01T18:05:00.004Z

is it today? was it yesterday?

I think it was this morning, but I missed it
.

oh well. . . that's one in the eye for me, eh

but quite why I'm thinking of rock paper scissors I don't know

here is a b♥x, a ♫♪ musical ♪♫ b♥x

dolce far niente

you saw, he's sore, we all saw the

Friday morning at the RA

doctor! doctor!

life's a bowl of

yesterday

having run out of things that rhyme with oon

oh darn

by popular request

so, June, now where were we?

pinch punch - doesn't time fly?

polo - the mint with the hole

a little late to the table, but

the thing about life is

I,LTV goes up to town

a view

painting

let them eat. . .

a great weight

F. A. B.

find your colouring crayons. . .

*waving*

the coffee's brewing

I'm back already!

two things

walnut whips

and while we're doing Ws

set your phasers to

and a spot of culture

no excuses

another Friday

revision

two pennies to rub together

and so life goes on

Friday the First

from a friend

on the subject of penguins

can I just say that

the mystery of the missing

life's a

coffee, popcorn and Crunchies. . .

soporific dreaming

pearls of wisdom

stop all the clocks

sharing the good stuff

something for the weekend?

food on a Friday. . .

and since we're doing C

pinch punch

revisiting a current favourite (still)

boat race biscuits

lemons

Friday. . . another one

heads, shoulders, knees and. . .

sleepy head

"under the weather"

the sun has got his hat on

it's a beautiful sunny day out there. . .

men are from Mars. . .

would you think you'd failed your child if

just another Friday the 13th. . .

dodgy "i"s. . .

back to the kitchen window sill

and the kissing couple?

homework is fun!

for want of anything better to write about

as requested

"Life is Long"

borrowing a good idea. . . the letter L

your choice of. . .

Friday fare. . .

and especially for shot

all those letters. . .

"where there's a will. . ." (#2)

"where there's a will. . ."

I heard this and thought it was fun

so, only yesterday

hot off the press

sometimes I think about my childhood

waving