Still Life ?

Well not exactly Coco Chanel or David Bailey for that matter, but all my own design! I needed to suss out the use of the flash on my camera before I go out tonight, so I had a practice this afternoon.

In the art world does this qualify as still life perhaps ???

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel

1883- 1971

I watched a programme on television last night about 'Coco' Chanel. I thought I would take a look as I have contributed to her fortune over the last 35 years, I wanted to see how it had benefited her!

Chanel once told 'Harper's Bazaar' that "simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance". How true that is. Chanel always kept the clothing she designed simple, comfortable and revealing. She took what she considered poor fabrics like jersey and upgraded them. Not that I have never owned any of her designs obviously, I have never had the money to do so, but I am addicted to her perfume, and that is where I, and millions of other women, helped with her fortune! I suppose after this length of time you could say Chanel No.5 is my 'signature fragrance'. However depleted my circumstances I don't intend to change that fact at this point in my life.

In 1921 Chanel No. 5 was the first perfume to have a designer name attached to it. She was the person who set the standard for future designers to do the same. I had a bottle of Chanel No.19 given to me at Christmas, it must have cost a fortune, but I am not impressed with it at all. To my way of thinking it does not come close to the fragrance of No.5, but we are all different.

This lady, from very humble beginnings, born in the poor house, abandoned to a convent at six years old to have a harsh upbringing with nuns started sewing in her teens, went on to make a huge mark on fashion all over the world, all her own designs and ideas. I really enjoyed this programme, it really is a story of rags to riches. It was on the History channel if any of you Chanel users, or wearers for that matter, want to watch this programme as these things are always repeated!

Art ....again!

Claude Monet

Arriving at the surgery at 7.45 this morning to have my bloods taken, we were let inside early because of the heavy rain. I was there before the nurse so started leafing through some magazines. One was a cultural publication, not the sort of thing you expect to find in this area of the City. My recent interest in art has taken a back seat since I started two courses after Christmas, but I found myself reading an article about Claude Monet. I liked the picture above and made a mental note to look up more about this artist when time permits.

Pablo Piccaso

Lithographe 1v

Upon turning the page, I found some lithographes by Pablo Picasso 'some of his earlier works' it said. I am obviously wasting my time in creative writing, I must get my pens out and have a go at something like this!

Simply Beautiful ........

This picture is beautiful isn't it? It was taken last week, unfortunately it isn't one of my photographs, it was taken by a friend. I hope we get some more frosty mornings, I have enjoyed photographing in frosty weather.

The plight of the Robin

The day started well, I watched a robin red breast in my back yard this morning. It's not often we see one of those in the inner city. I read in the last RSPB publication that 'the second wet summer in a row in (2008) has been disastrous for our best-loved birds. It was the worst breeding season since the British Trust for Ornithology began collecting records in 1983'. Other birds have fared badly too, but not like the Robins.

Today was a grey, dull, cold typical January day, it never really got light. However, after a few false starts with arrangements, I went off to see if I could get the publication I wanted for my writing class again and this time had success.

My Cardioversion has been re-scheduled for next Wednesday 4th February, I shall be glad when it is over now. I feel as if this situation has been around forever, but it is actually only seven months. I am still not very comfortable with it as I have no faith in this particular hospital. However, the alternative is a lifetime of medication, so .......... Cardioversion it is I suppose. I feel I have been served badly by the medical profession over this issue. There will be more to say on all this after next week, I suspect!

A day of happenings ......

Today in pottery I lost control of my pot. It started life as a pen pot and then had a metamorphosis and became a bud vase. It is a very wilful piece of clay, but I have to believe it will come through for me in the end.

On the way home from pottery, I was stuck behind a jazz band (yes, that's right) and couldn't overtake. They were parading around an area of the city where a very old, famous pub had closed down and this was the 'funeral march' arranged similarly to a funeral procession following a hearse, to make the point to the brewery that this pub was a piece of history, enjoyed by a community and was now boarded and shuttered because of their greed. BBC Wales were there and people handing leaflets to pedestrians and through car windows. I have had a similar experience to this before when I lived in the Cotswold's, my nephew and I were blocked in a parking space ........ by Morris men.

Eventually extracting myself from this situation, I met a friend for coffee; I was given a small present, a bar of hand made Welsh chocolate. I thought I had better eat it before Lent (as I am giving up chocolate for Lent) which I know is a month away, because if I took it home and put it away, I might discover it during Lent! It was super. The firm is called Castle Chocolate, hand made in Caerphilly http://www.castlechocolates.co.uk/ for further info. Nice for presents and so on ....

On my way out of the City, I saw the chap who I had lived next door to in Monmouth. .... odd. He waved and I felt I had to stop. He had been to the Tesco's local to me, said he comes down from Monmouth often to go there. It takes all sorts ........

After trying to buy a new cartridge for my printer, finding the shop did not have what I wanted and then failing to find the pottery supplier I needed, I eventually I got home. There was one of those leaflets on my mat from the Jazz Band people, supporters of 'The Engineers Pub' that had closed down, so I felt I had come full circle. Then on with more reading for my Creative Writing course.... Life has sure stepped up a notch!

Junk Mail

Like everyone else I get a lot of junk mail, however I get a substantial amount about planning my funeral. This started when I reached 60 years old and my pensions matured, and is just escalating.

I am fairly 'young at heart' for my age and just re-cycle these things tongue in cheek, but what about people who are a lot older, are they targeted too? How do they feel? Do they want their mortality spelled out in unsolicited mail a few times a week.

One of the paragraphs in the most recent letter starts ....... By freezing the cost of your funeral at today's prices you could make a substantial saving ....... How insensitive. What do these people think they are selling? A lot of people plan ahead, myself included; this was done when I was married. I find this unpalatable to have letters like this landing on my door mat. I like to think I have a long way to go yet and object to having something that is sensitive and personal coming through my letterbox

Diets and weight watching

One in four Britons is currently trying to loose weight. Two in five women say they are dieting 'most of the time', so why don't diets work? Well according to the hospital where I am under supervision for another problem, diets do work, but over a long period of time. The 'Quick Fix' method is a recipe for disaster. The hospital says that we undertake diets with very unrealistic expectations and that just planning to use a 'Quick Fix' diet makes us eat more. I will go along with this statement. Each time I plan to go to a slimming club, I eat more in the lead up to my start date than I would normally.

So what do we do? Healthy eating we all know is the key. I have been reading a book by Ian Marber and he advises against counting calories and says he is against the 'wagging-finger' approach to dieting. He advocates, eat sensibly, small amounts but often, do not get very hungry, and you can pair food to get maximum benefit from the combinations. It has to be worth a try as all else is failing for me.

Lent begins on February 25th. Last years I gave up chocolate and any product containing chocolate and I succeeded. If I can be sensible for the next month and then repeat my Lent commitment then, maybe I will see a difference in my weight by Easter. The message seems to be slowly does it!

Sunday -Burns Night Supper.

When our group arrived at the venue the evening was well under way. It was a riot of colour. All of the Scotsmen were either in kilts or tartan trews and a few of the ladies in swirling tartan skirts and black patent shoes. You could spot the Welsh a mile off, conservative and low key in smart casual wear, me and my friends among them!

The music was all Scottish bag pipe stuff being played from a CD at this point. I was introduced to the host who was very welcoming, but I couldn't understand a word he was saying, so I had to seek clarification from my friends. I somehow got into a conversation with another Scotsman about currency and he tried to give me a Scottish five pound note as a keep sake! (he was well away on the whiskey you understand!)

Next we were serenaded by the pipes (yes, for real and I suspect not very good, but how would I know?) and the Piper piped the haggis into the room and onto the table. Our host recited Robbie Burns poem 'Ode to the Haggis' when it arrived. Next there was the pouring of the 'sauce' onto the haggis, which turned out to be neat warmed whiskey which was set alight. There was dishes of swede and potato mix on the table, which was moreish, but I just tasted some haggis off someone else's plate due to it being doused in whiskey and me being the driver!


After supper there was a quiz going on in the conservatory, but my friends and I dipped out of that because it was a 'Scottish Facts' quiz and we felt unqualified to enter .... but apart from that the two males in my group were more interested in the malt whiskey tasting session going on somewhere else!

As the evening drew to a close we all sung Robbie Burns most famous piece 'Auld Lang Syne' which was quite an emotional affair when sang with the Scots. After thanking the hosts we left. Well, that was my first Burns night dinner, and I sincerely hope it won't be the last. It was nothing like I imagined it would be, I thought it would be loud and bawdy and everyone having too much to drink, and I suspect it can be, but this evening was nothing like that, it was a super evening, to be recommended if any of you Blog followers get an invitation in the future.

Creative writing course - Week 3

Creative writing was very intensive this morning. I am not expecting an easy ride, it wouldn't hold my interest if it was, but I certainly had to concentrate. The lesson dealt with Characterization and Plot. Students had to decide what was the most important to a story, the character or the plot! When the decision was made you had to write a short piece saying why you chose that particular train of thought ....... explain yourself I suppose. It certainly was challenging.

I was 'cock-a-hoop' with last weeks homework. My tutors comment was 'Excellent critical analysis - well done'. I hope I haven't 'set the bar too high' for this week! I spent hours on the homework last week, I am going to have to modify my time I think.

A pleasant day

Enjoyed a nice day with Miss L in Monmouth. We went to Midday Eucharist at the nearby Convent, it was lovely. There was just the priest, five nuns and my friend and I. I have worshiped there many times but today with such a small gathering it seemed more intimate, more personal, just like a group of friends sharing something special.

After lunch we went into Miss L's garden. I have learned to keep my camera close to me and I was able to photograph some very stark, bare trees. One of them (photograph above) has clumps of mistletoe in the top branches. I had lots of lush greenery and some wonderful wisps of Wychazel to take home to arrange in my sitting room.

My friends daughter and her husband joined us for the afternoon. While hubby was doing some jobs in the garden I was being taught to crochet by his wife! It was all good fun!

After a deep discussion about the National Lottery and how we are covetous of winning but rarely enter, I decided to invest a few pounds on the way home. Let's get things moving, we both need some money! The next I remember about the Lottery is when the numbers are put on the television screen some hours later. Damn ....forgot again! Never mind, we are rich in other things.

St Dwynwen's Day ?

After a day completing my homework, doing other tasks pertaining to my classes, and needing to meet up with my landlord regarding the defunct radiator in the kitchen, I went out late afternoon, more for a break than anything. I went to Tesco's and started looking around their store for some inspiration for Robbie Burns night. Whiskies, greetings cards, anything tartan I could wear, but there was nothing! However, in the greeting card section I came across St Dwynwen's Day cards! Who is he?

Well he is a she! (picture above). She is the Welsh patron saint of lovers and her special day is January 25th, a sort of Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine. I chatted for a while to the assistant who was re-stocking the greeting card section, she told me that she had not heard of St Dwynwen until a few years ago when Tesco started stocking these cards. I decided to find out more about Dwynwen.

I went home and with my new found skills on the Internet I found her, St. Dwynwen. She lived in the 5th century, the prettiest of the 24 daughters born to Brychan Brycheiniog. She fell in love with Maelon a local young man; but her father had arranged a marriage for her to another man. Dwynwen was so upset that she was not allowed to marry Maelon, she begged God to make her forget him, so God turned Maelon into a block of ice! God then gave three wishes to Dwynwen and the first thing she wished for was that her lover be thawed; her second was that God meets the hopes and dreams of all true lovers; and the third was that she never marry anyone at all. All three wishes were granted and Dwynwen devoted herself to God's service for the rest of her life.

Dwynwen later founded a convent on Llanddwyn, off the west coast of Anglesey where a well named after her became a place of pilgrimage after her death in 465AD. Visitors believed that the sacred fish or eels that lived in the well could foretell whether or not their relationships would be happy and whether love and happiness would be theirs. You can still see today the remains of St. Dwynwen's church (see picture below).

So instead of waiting until St. Valentines day on 14th February, you can simply make your declaration to your loved one three weeks earlier than you thought!

This fable has become big business in Wales (I don't know where I have been ....not paying attention obviously!). In the National Slate museum for Wales visitors can purchase hand crafted slate hearts for St. Dwynwen's Day (see picture below) and they are on sale right up until St Valentine's Day for those of you that miss your chance on 25th January!

After all that, I did not find a single piece of tartan or anything to do with Robbie Burns on my trip out this afternoon. Perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough ........ my my attention being somewhat diverted to St. Dwynwen!

Burns Night Dinner.

I have been invited to a Burns night dinner on Sunday 25th January to celebrate what would have been the 25o year anniversary of the birth of Robbie Burns. I have accepted, but have to admit that apart from the fact that he is a Scottish Bard and wrote 'Auld Lang Syne', I know nothing about him.

I am told that at a formal Burns night dinner the haggis is carried in to the sound of the bagpipes and Burns 'Address to the Haggis' is read before the haggis is cut open for consumption. The evening traditionally ends with a rousing chorus of 'Auld Lang Syne'. So ..... we will see. I don't think this is a formal affair that I am attending, just a friend of a friend who happens to be a Scotsman and celebrates this night every year.

I must look up something about Burns before Sunday night. I don't want to be the only person there who does not know anything about this guy! I am sure there will be more to Blog on this!

A Happy Birthday!

To my lovely grand daughter who is 19 years old today, I wish you many, many happy returns. You will always be special to me.

A gentle prod!

I always remember my shopping bags (the ones all safely tucked up in the boot of my car that is ....) when I get to the checkout. Last weekend was no different. I called into the Supermarket, local to where I was browsing and had to carry the purchases out under my arm because the re-cycle bags were still in the car!

A young man of about eight years old, dressed in his scout uniform handed me the above. Okay I get the message. The leaflet is now on my dashboard where I can see it all the time. There are no excuses now!

Pottery Class - Week 2

I love this class. It is so relaxing, friendly, full of brightly coloured pots and pieces, work from pupils who have long moved on and left behind a legacy of fine work, odd objects and a bit of themselves.

I painted Clarence my cat this morning, he is very amateur and because I did not like the subject matter, I don't care for him too much, but then I graduated to coasters, which I took much more pride in. The first one I am doing has a leaf embedded in it, which I painstakingly went out into the garden of the Education block to find and the second one has a piece of coiled copper wire in the middle. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

I saw some tiny ceramic Christmas trees this morning, tree decorations I think. I must try and make some of those later in the year.

After the hard work of the Monday class in Creative Writing, this one allows me to wind down. I have made a good choice I think in what I have chosen to do. A good contrast.

Jack Frost !

Rear Sun Roof of my car

There was a very heavy frost in the City this morning the worse we have had this winter! The car was iced up so badly it took the best part of fifteen minutes to De-ice it and I could not open the refuse bin to deposit the rubbish!

The pictures above and below are of the sunroof of my car. I got the idea to photograph the frost from a friend who did her car roof, but when I saw the patterns on the sun roof this morning I simply had to photograph it for the blog. Just look at the detail. Beautiful!

Front Sun roof of my car.

Cardioversion

Earlier I took a telephone call from the local hospital. The procedure, due to be carried out tomorrow, has now been cancelled! That was short notice. The reason stated was that there has to be six people undergoing the procedure to make it viable to open a theatre. Only two people (of which I was one) blood counts were acceptable. Surely they knew that before now. The Bloods were taken on Friday morning. I was told they were not prepared to use resources for just two people so all procedures were cancelled.

Not my week this week!

An MOT Morning

This morning was the morning for my car to have it's MOT. I got to the garage at 9.25, five minutes before the time it was booked in. It is a large place, like a huge warehouse with hundreds of cars for sale. I had to go to the desk at the far end of the showroom to announce my arrival. On my way to reception I passed six vacant desks and PC units, all waiting patiently for their owners to take up position but there was not a soul about!

The girls at the desk remembered me as I had a service done there recently. They were all muffled up in outdoor clothes, such was the temperature in this place. 'The MOT will take about 45 minutes' said one of the girls while the other looked on. I moved to the seating area and got out my book. I was wrapped up well as I remember this chilly place from the service! At 9.45 someone comes from the Test Bay to collect my keys. I have now been there 20 minutes and only now are the mechanics are picking up my car.

I looked around this huge place, apart from me there was no one else waiting. The work stations were still empty and there was one salesman walking around the showroom floor blowing on his hands as he walked. 'Bleak job' I thought.

10.30 came. I had finished the chapter in my book, read last weeks 'Sun' newspaper left on their coffee table and then someone shouted my name. Across the floor the receptionist shouted 'It needs a new windscreen wiper to pass' and then shouted out the price. I nodded in agreement. What was my choice here? If I needed that work done to get the certificate then I wasn't going to say no!

Someone else joined me and said companionably 'My MOT will all be done in 45 minutes and then I can go home and get a hot cuppa'. I smiled in return. It was now 10.50! (45 minutes, he'd be lucky!).

Eventually my car was ready. I looked at the bill. They had quoted me £35 for the basic MOT and had charged me £40. 'That offer was only on last week' said the girl. Rogues! I paid up. I was cold and bordering on being stroppy, so I just left. What is it with garage staff and women customers. Do we all look the same STUPID?

Charity Callers

This evening I have been trying to read and do some preparation towards my homework for next weeks Creative Writing class. The phone has rung twice. It wasn't friends or family ringing for a chat to break up the evening , I had two calls in one evening from charities trying to give the hard sell to members of the public.

I rang a friend of mine who is in tele-sales and asked about this kind of pressure selling and he told me that some training forums are geared just to sell Charities to the general public. Any person who says that they maybe thinking about giving money will have their names passed on the Charity concerned and the Charity themselves will follow up that lead themselves with a letter and a free pen or printed name and address label to try and coerce the recipient to give money.

The Charity Commissioners have launched a formal inquiry into these practices and a report will be published on the findings in due course, but in the meantime they advise if you received this kind of phone call, ask for the name and address of the call-centre and the name of the caller's manager, tell them that you are making a formal complaint to the Charity concerned, and then follow that up with a call to the Charity itself.

A few weeks ago I had an animal Charity knock on my front door in the evening asking for money. In my book none of the above is acceptable. People should not have their private space invaded by people begging for what used to be a voluntary gift to worthy causes.

Atheism on the buses .....?

Bus service in Southwark, London

There was an atheist bus campaign launched last week which I keep reading about. I hope those buses do not come to this City, but as the last report I read was in the 'nightly rag' I guess I am wishing in the wind!

The slogan on the side of the buses reads ' THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD' . Well I don't understand why this is happening anyway, but why 'probably' no God. The definition of Atheism, according to all my dictionaries is: the belief that there is no God. So, why 'probably'?

Just as Christians and other groups believe that God exists, so atheists believe there is no God. So what is that statement saying. 'We are hedging our bets?' I read that this campaign is organised through the British Humanist Association but exactly why I am not sure. The night I read the article I looked on their website ....yes they have a website .... but it was unavailable due to a 'bandwidth issue'. What is that? I haven't looked since and am not including their web address in my Blog.

So, Probably no God, what does that say about the organisers? Maybe the people that set up this campaign are a bit insecure in their atheist thoughts!

More about the hospital visit ......

Driving into the hospital grounds the sign said CAR PARK FULL. Great ..... that meant at least a mile walk for me, anyway I was committed to driving into the car park to turn around, so I pressed ahead. There in front of me were six or seven parking spaces. Typical I thought, how many people turned around and went back out of the hospital? The next step was the main reception area. Empty. I asked a passing male nurse where the receptionist was 'it's lunchtime' he replied. I got into the lift and went to Floor 1 and asked directions from the receptionist there.

When I got to my destination I was seen fairly quickly. I asked if I could speak with the Consultant, and to my amazement he agreed and came almost immediately. Together with the nurse they explained the procedure to me, what causes the heart rhythm disturbance and why it is advisable to put the heart back to normal. I was able to discuss the actual treatment and recovery with both of them. This was all good stuff and not what I am used to at this particular hospital. Feeling dreadful now about my uncharitable thoughts about the car park attendants and the admin staff I went off to have my bloods done. Everything okay, even BP normal which is unusual for me in medical surroundings.

So next Wednesday is the day ....Cardioversion day! This is a very safe treatment, with a success rate of approximately 80%. Am I worried? YES!

Slimmimg Club ......

I forgot to say .... When I went to weigh yesterday had I lost 2lbs last week. Not good compared to what I did with my first week with Weight Watchers last year (4lbs) but as a friend said '2lbs over 7 weeks is a stone, so keep going!' This I shall endeavour to do!

A visit to the Hospital .......

I am going to the hospital today for a Pre-assessment for my Cardioversion which is for scheduled sometime soon. I am taking this opportunity to explain it in the hope that by putting it into writing will make some sense of it all for me too.

Since last June after having an anesthetic administered for removal of a polyp I developed arterial fibrillation which is an irregular heartbeat. The Cardiologists want to put it right, so do I, but I never had a proper explanation as to why it happened in the first place. I was put on a huge amount of medication to keep the blood thin as this condition can cause strokes and heart attacks. Having taken this regularly and have blood tests every week to monitor the level of thinning in my blood, I should be grateful that I am at last on their radar for correction of this condition. However, I am still confused. All requests for clarification of what they intend to do have fallen on deaf ears, both verbally and in writing. Add that to the fact that I have no faith in this particular hospital does not add up to confidence.

So they want to perform Cardioversion. What is it? It is a procedure that attempts to restore an abnormal heart rhythm. It is conducted under a general anaesthetic ( Remembering I got it from being under anaesthetic in the first place) this does not fill me with confidence.

A defibrillator is used to apply a controlled electric current to the chest wall which will hopefully restore the heart back to it's normal rhythm.

I have asked what the success rate is with this and not surprisingly get no direct answer. What are the long term effects of living on medication. No answer. What happens if the procedure fails. No answer. It is not surprising that I am cautious of having this done. I would have a lot more respect for someone who sat me down, talked me through it and explained the consequences of it all. I shall have one more try this afternoon to repeat these questions.

I find it slightly frustrating when people say, 'Oh I know someone who had that done and they are fine' but is usually the person making that statement that has the least knowledge of what is happening! Small comfort!

Pavement gooble de gook!

I stayed behind and had lunch with some of the pottery group today to try and get to know them as I am one of the late starters, and the 'sole guy' was there. He is from a smaller town further up the valley and asked where I was from originally. I told him Tredegar and he said 'The pavements in Tredegar are far superior to those where I live'. Being at somewhat of a loss to know what to say in reply, someone came to my rescue and went on to remark that local authorities deal with different provisions in different ways (Why didn't I think of that instead of being gob smacked by the remark?).

When I got home I rang my friend, who still lives in Tredegar. When she recovered from a giggling fit we decided that I will go up on Sunday and we will take a good look at the pavements and see how they compare with other pavements in the area. (as if ... it's just an excuse for a get together!)

What a strange thing to talk about! Watch this space you may be able to learn something about pavement provision and cost shortly!!

Pottery Class

What a week this has been, this is my third class. Slimming, creative writing and now pottery! I have set my alarm clock for the first time in years and it feels pretty good ....... once you are out of bed and having a cup of tea that is ...... getting out of bed is the point where you ask yourself 'Why am I doing this? I actually had to turn down an invitation this week, the first time in quite a few years, which was a pity.

Getting out of the City in the rush hour traffic was another blast from the past, no changes there, but it is not in my nature to be late so I had allowed for traffic.

The class was welcoming and airy, full of brightly coloured pots, tiles, lots of different experiments going on and mostly people my age which was nice. Very different from the 'Pottery Taster' course I had attended in the City earlier in he year. This was more like I had imagined.

I was taught the basic 'pinch pot' method of pottery and the lady who introduced and enrolled me on the course was doing all sorts of experimental things with wire and clay. Some other ladies were doing pots from moulds, both of these techniques attracted my attention and I thought I would like to try both. The one male in the class who was obviously well educated, was also a dreadful 'know all', trying to show off to a 'clutch of lady potters', I am sure this will be lots of fun. Hopefully there is going to be plenty more to write in this class!

Roadside Floral Tributes

As I was heading out into the countryside to meet a friend for lunch today, I passed another roadside tribute site. This was one of the most upsetting that I have seen to date. Along with the usual bouquets and candles was a full size 'wreath' spelling out the persons name. We are used to seeing these in hearses and in cemeteries, but I personally have not seen one on the roadside before.

I don't feel such roadside memorials are appropriate, but this practice has become almost customary in this country.

I read in the local paper recently that the Police and Highway chiefs in Wales are trying are to restrict floral tributes at fatal accident spots, allowing such memorabilia only for short periods of time. They view these displays as potential hazards.

I thank God every day of my life that my own two sons are safe and I understand how emotive this issue can be, but is this how people want their loved ones to be remembered, when the flowers have rotted and the cellophane is blowing around the area, and mud splashed soft toys, cards and so on are just left to rot ?

Slimmimg World

I forgot to say last week .... for all of those of you who followed my Weight Watcher dieting efforts last year and the 'Spectacular Failure' after loosing a stone, I am off to have another go! This time it is with Slimming World where there is no converting points to calories and vice verse! I started last Thursday morning and I go ,of course, this Thursday to be weighed. I have made a moderate effort this week, but can do better!

I was listening to Anne Diamond on the radio this morning, who has had a very public battle with weight, and she described weight gain as 'fat being not your fault, but your problem'. I think I agree with that. With all the ingredients that go into our food today and the '4 box syndrome' that is life as she calls it, we don't stand much chance. Anne Diamond says ' We get up in the morning, turn on 'the box', go out on the school run and get in another box this time with wheels, then off home/office to work, switch on another box called a computer, and lastly after eating supper, switch back on the first box for leisure!' No wonder we are an obese nation!

I tend to agree!!

Creative Writing Course.

I commenced my creative writing course this morning. I have been looking for a course for nearly two years. This one is a Certificate of Higher Education Combined Open Studies Programme delivered by the University of Wales. A s well as learning to write I think it will also be good for my personal development. I was not seeking this level of challenge but it was all I could get, so rather than dismiss it I have decided to give it a try.

Once I am issued with my Identity Badge I will be able to access the University Library. Think of the pleasure I can get from that! I am sure that I will face challenges of one sort of another during this course, but I think it will ultimately prove to be an asset in writing and literature terms.

I have my homework for the coming week, 'a short setting piece using all five senses in the article - sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste'. I can't wait to begin, but at this point I have no idea what to write about which isn't helpful!

I think before this course is over my phone bill will have increased quite dramatically as I shall be seeking out my sister for guidance!!!

Blogging

A friend rang today and asked me about Blogging. How did I find it? What is it exactly and did I find it therapeutic? I had to think on my feet.

Another friend introduced me to it some four or five months ago. At first I couldn't see the point and then decided I had nothing to say, but was eventually persuaded to try. I have twice nearly given up and although not addicted to it, I enjoy it more. So what is it?

The idea of a diary as being good therapy has been around for a long time, imagine a diary without out the personal bits, but what you like to talk about or state your views on and that is Blogging I suppose. Some people do use blogging as therapy and talk about their angst, but I don't see it as that. I suppose when you live on your own, as I do, then it is a way of 'talking through' a subject that you enjoy taking about, or are worrying about or rambling on about your interests. I suppose instead of exchanging or exploring issues with a partner I do it with a cyber community! Different people use it for different things. Well this is how I explained it to my friend anyway!

I regularly read the Blog of a lady in the USA who's husband is very ill, another one is a young man who has married into different culture and moved to the other side of the world. I think that Blog therapy is a healthy thing, after all the cyber public don't have to read them. I think this culture will continue, after all it fills a need.

However, it is good to remember that life is precious and it is important to live it to the full. That does not mean always in front of a PC!

Simplicity.

First Light by John Waterhouse

The catalogue pictured above was given to me upon the purchase of the picture on the cover. It was a Wedding Anniversary gift a long time ago. A Limited Edition print, I still have that picture on my living room wall, I keep it now only only because I like it - nothing more. The artist is a modern artist - John Waterhouse.

Solitude by David Lorenze Winston

I chanced upon this second picture earlier when I was looking for something else. It was so eye catching in it's simplicity I thought I would include it in the Blog. The artist is David Lorenz Winston and it is similar to the painting I have in my living room.

I think the simplicity in both paintings reflects my tastes. Simple and uncluttered. I must find out more about both artists.

Through the post .....

Today I had a letter from my opticians to tell me that it had been one year since my last eye test and another one was now due. A standard and ordinary thing to happen.

I read the letter and all was very clear regarding what I had to do to arrange my next eye test. It made much of my being a senior citizen and what benefits I get for being over a certain age. What I could not fathom out was why there was a rubber band tucked inside the letter. My friend was with me as we had just come in after being out for the morning. I said 'What do you think this is for?' and showed her the letter. 'It's to put on your wrist to remind you to make the appointment ' she said. I could not believe it! I said 'Well, it doesn't say so, maybe it got in the letter by mistake'. 'No' said she 'that's what it is for ... to put on your wrist as a reminder to ring them'. I was most put out!

Now who was it that was telling me that 60 years is the new 40 years ? I prefer that version of things! Whatever next ?

Treasures stored in Wales.

The Cove, Aberystwyth

I heard on the Welsh news this evening that the Di Vinci exhibition currently being held in the Welsh coastal town of Aberystwyth at the National Library of Wales is not the first time that these great works have come to Aberystwyth.

It was revealed last night that works by Di Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo were taken to the town at the commencement of the second world war in 1939. They were evacuated from London together with priceless historic literature, and housed in an underground repository that was built into the hillside beneath the National Library. They were kept there until 1945 when the war ended. How fascinating is that?

The current exhibition, on loan from the Royal Collection at Windsor, is to celebrate the 60th Birthday of the Prince of Wales. It opened at the National Library of Wales in September 2008 and finishes on 7th February 2009.

Alpaca Suprise !

Driving along a country road, in the middle of nowhere, on a cold January day, up popped these beautiful Alpaca's from behind a hedge! My friend and I were flabbergasted! It was amazing and a beautiful site. I didn't know that there was an Alpaca farm not many miles from where I live. What a good thing my camera was in the car!

It's true what they say .... you never know what is around the corner!

More about Whistler

The artist's mother - James McNeill Whistler

I have now finished my book on the painter James McNeill Whistler. An American artist, wit and society figure, he lived most of his life in London and Paris where he becomes quite good friends with Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

What have I learned from reading this book? I like some of his paintings, I know something of his life which is all I wanted from this publication, but I somehow feel it is all surface stuff. After I read the book on Turner, I felt I had a small insite into the man himself and also felt that when I read about W.H.Davies the writer and poet, but this book left me 'up in the air' feeling I hadn't really got to know anything about the man himself. The information provided was that Whistler was a man who liked to live life in the public eye and was very concerned about his public appearance and the critical reception of his paintings. That made him sound a bit shallow to me, not at all as I first perceived him.

One of his most acclaimed works was 'The Artists Mother' painted in 1871 (Picture above -famous under it's colloquial name 'Whistler's Mother') It is not a picture that I personally like. It has no attraction for me, but surely this journey for me as a beginner, is a discovery of what I like and do not like , and I reiterate what I said previously, (Blog: Monday 5th January 2008) I am not going to be a fan of portraits.

It is said Anna McNeill Whistler posed for this painting while living in London with her son and rumour has it that she acted as a replacement for a model who couldn't make the appointment. Whatever the history, it simply is not my 'cup of tea'. All this reading, is doing me good, at least I have an opinion on these subjects now, which I wouldn't have known anything about a few months ago. This has to be good ?

The Common Cold

Annoyingly, no-one can avoid getting a cold. It is something that happens to all of us. I have a humdinger of a cold , and have had it for nearly three weeks. No matter what I do, it doesn't seem to clear up!

Colds are very common and they occur mainly in the winter months, although I keep reading that the cold weather itself is not the cause of a cold. It is said that limiting contact with those who are cold sufferers can help the risk of catching it, but then another theory is the germs are air bound and are spread by the droplets that are expelled when we cough or sneeze, and that it is all a lottery anyway. We further read that washing your hands after sneezing and coughing will help kill any germs that may be hanging around. However, there are no articles available describing how wretched we all feel when we have these viruses, on how to stay focused and not become paranoid about these infection ever going away!!

My particular cold is almost three weeks old and I am trying hard to remember life without it. I am feeling a real grumpy old geezer tonight. I cannot spread my germs via the Internet and I don't want to spread my misery around ....... but us common cold sufferers can't help it.!!!

Newport Castle

Newport Castle

Newport Castle is such a familiar land mark, that it almost goes unnoticed in ones day to day life. On the weekend I was a passenger in my friends car and we were heading for the supermarket that is situated virtually next door to the Castle. I managed to get a good look at it instead of having to concentrate on the traffic. It made me pause and think, what do we who live in the City know about it. The answer, for myself, was very little.



So what do I know? I know that the castle was established in the 14th century and it has a stone fortress of which only the east front survives. The remainder of the castle belongs to the 14th and 15th centuries. I remember looking all this up when one of my sons had some homework to do on Newport historic buildings project. I have said this before, it is surprising what you remember from homework days!!

I read in the 'nightly' paper some while back that access to Newport Castle is closed for the foreseeable future ( no photographic opportunity there then .....) This has something to do with Health & Safety issues as the place is considered unsafe.

In my mind it exists as one of the forgotten treasures in South East Wales. I must make some time to see what else I can find out about the Castle and see how close I can get to it for photographs.

One of the good things about retirement, is there is plenty of time to do all these things because retirement is hard if you still have an active mind and are the kind of person that needs to be busy!

Whistler - 1834 - 1903

The Ocean - 1866

I walked around to the library yesterday to see if I could borrow some books on Turner and Gustav Klimt. This was not to be as there were none available. However, I did find one on James Abbott McNeill Whistler. I was enthralled by his work. I sat and read some of this book before borrowing it (there is a first time for everything!). I came across some sketches that I liked enormously too. I am discovering that I am not too fussy on paintings of people. I call them in my mind 'Stately Home Pictures'. I like the land and seascapes, the more gentle pastel colours.

Speke hall

It seems that he is most famous for his large oil paintings and moody night landscapes, but the ones that I kept going back to were the seascapes and the lovely sketches.

I read that he was born in America but his childhood took him around the world with his fathers work as a civil engineer. He had learned to draw at an early age and the painting progresses from there.

I think there is going to be a lot more to say about Whistler, but for now this is all I know.

Sleeping Beauty

When I was compiling my New Years resolutions this year, one was to go to the theatre more often. I did not mean to a pantomime, but that is exactly where I found myself on Saturday night.

Mrs. H had read in an early Blog entry that I hadn't been to a pantomime for years so suggested we go. Another friend joined us and off we went 'tongue in cheek!' It was Brilliant! We laughed, sang, wiggled our bottoms and clapped our way through the whole performance!

The cast were magnificent. My favourite was 'Muddles' who was the 'sop' to the pantomime dame, Nanny Thorogood. What talent ...... what energy! The guy who played the dame was also excellent (Phylip Harries) and SO funny. When 'Morgan the Bad' (Brian Hibbard) came and sang to Mrs. H, my other friend and I were laughing our socks off! We were surprised to see the traditional principal boy was a man, it seems this is usually the case now in the 21st century. When we were children that role was always played by a women, but were delighted to see the tradition of the dame is still going strong. Well worth the price of the ticket and a good evening's entertainment.

There were lots of children there obviously, they all seemed to be having a good time. Sometimes pantos can be overpowering for children who do not understand the concept of joining in and booing, but the crowd last night seemed happy enough. We were surprised at the number of adults, like ourselves, that were unaccompanied by children. I believe that going to a pantomime is a good grounding for children, it is their first introduction to the theatre and if the cast make it fun for them, children want to return. This has to be good and an encouragement to want to return to the theatre as adults.

I think a good time was had by all! Oh yes it was ............!

Another Painting by Turner.

Richmond Hill - J.M.W. Turner - 1808

I am now coming to the end of my book on Turner .... a Christmas gift. I have had so much pleasure from this book. I am drawn to the above picture but would not necessarily want a print of it. I am not sure why. It is an early one of Turners paintings, according to my book, and he had not yet arrived at the audacious use of colour.

It is more gentle on the eye than some of his later works, but does not have that extraordinary technique that became his trademark.

That's the trouble with us Welsh valley people, read one book and you become an art critic ...... I do hope my sister doesn't read this entry!

Creative writing.

I have been looking for some considerable time for a creative writing course but without success. However, now I think I may have found something compatible to my requirements. It begins in mid January and the first session is a 'taster' session (free of charge) which means if it is not what I am looking for then I do not pay the full course fee.

I have also learned of a 'Story For Children' competition. Now I do not expect to win this, but I do have two children's stories waiting around for me to do something with them so I thought would send them off. What do I want from this ? Comment and guidance.

I find writing exciting, challenging, fulfilling and fun, especially with writing for children where you can put yourself in the mind of a child. I am finding, as with this Blog, it can be a satisfying craft.

Of the two stories that I have written, I found one easier to write that the other. I have held one story in my mind since I was expecting my second child some thirty seven years ago. I found that easier to write about ......something you know about ...... rather than to make it up completely from nothing, which is what I have done with story number two.

I had some difficulty in deciding what audience I envisioned. Somewhere between two and three years I think. These are bedtime stories, not 'Learn to Read' stories. Anyway we will see what happens to them. The deadline for this competition is 31st March 2009, so I have plenty of time to 'tweak' these stories.

No doubt this Blog will be recording my progress ......but I will try not to be boring!

'Dorothy' Shoes

Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

If anyone out there read my Blog on 29th December 2008, I had intended to use this picture (sorry it's a bit grainy!) as my subject picture but had inadvertently taken a video. This has now been sorted out and a photograph has been created from the video with the help of a friend of a friend who lives in TOKYO! Blogging is an International hobby .... It is really satisfying when someone living the other side of the world helps out!