Great Works of Art Revisited Part II

When I was at University I was never particularly fond of Dutch 17th Century art,

seen one ship in a storm seen 'em all...........

oh good, another bunch of flowers with creepy crawlies........,

but I always had a soft spot for their landscapes, broad sweeps of empty countryside with cows........... lots of cows. They appealed to my need for peace and silence and there was probably a subliminal influence from the industrial quantities of Babybel I ate in those days (good for hangovers)

Anyway, a few weeks ago, walking the dog I took this picture

but I saw this

(it's alright, I wasn't reading Veterinary Science)

My Return from the Wilderness

It is 5 months since I last posted here. 5 months exactly and that is far too long to leave something I enjoy. I have no valid excuse either, if I were to put my bum on a chair and my fingers on the keyboard eventually something would appear, for heavens sake monkeys can write Shakespeare.

The trouble is I got spooked, since finishing work so "I could write" the blank page has hung over me, like a banner pointing out my pretentiousness. I got writer's block before I could even pretend to be a writer. It was easier to scurry off to daytime television and sock sorting, but finally the time has come to get my arse in gear. No longer can I pull a face like a horse in a thunderstorm, backing away, eyes rolling.

Empty screen you don't scare me....... Much.

I have lists of topics to ponder on, some may require thought, others are more Pooteresque ramblings, daughters, the fluff from ones navel found as you contemplate it and why there is never quite enough to knit a jumper, the loss of my Edinburgh virginity, trips to the great Wen. Even, if I'm feeling particularly brave, the joys of decorating with Geekdude or the fatal addiction of Twitter.

So here we go...... time to push the "Publish Post" button

Oh, and thanks to Doug Savage for the cartoon, he does some great stuff. http://www.savagechickens.com/

Technology and the Technofailyphobe

I have never been somebody who copes comfortably with technology. I can do floaty fabric, splashy painty, random talky stuff, but when it comes down to the precision required by physics or computers I allow my brain to turn off. My husband is an engineer who understands numbers (even sums that use brackets) and our son is reading Computer Science at uni. I have used these facts as my excuse not to bother to learn more. (Also if I ask either child anything about the computer they rattle off the information so quickly and with so much flouncy eye-rolling somehow it just doesn't seem worth it)

Now I am the proud owner of an i-phone. The sheer excitement I feel about it is very uncool, but I actually feel as if I understand it, the whole thing is remarkably intuitive and other than one or two glitches (making the map huge and then not being able to shrink it again and telling it I didn't want it to talk to my i-pod ) I have found my way round it. For the first week I just looked at it askance and felt nervous but now I tweet, email, shop, watch films, read books and answer questions. Sometimes I even make phone calls. It has been a great ice breaker too, on my last 2 train journeys I have been given tutorials by the guys I was sitting next to. (Thank you Mr Gold Futures man and Mr Philosophy student man) Lots of help, albeit with a little metaphorical patting on the head, from people who used theirs in very different ways. Is there anything this little beauty can't do ?

My lovely, shiny new friend welcome to my life.

The Fragrant Mrs H

This morning I had a shower, which, fortunately for those I live with, is not in itself worthy of comment but as I applied gels and unguents all guaranteed to make me younger, smoother and calmer I idly totalled the products.

Shampoo

Conditioner

Soap

Facial Exfoliant

Shower Gel

Body Moisturiser

Serum

Moisturiser

Frizz Ease

Deodorant

Perfume

Eleven products for heavens sake and I don't consider myself particularly high maintenance.

World Book Day

This year I am on an economy drive. Having left work money for anything other than necessities is scarce. It would appear I consider books to be necessities. All the books in the picture above have been bought this year, along with half a dozen others that are already "visiting friends". Admittedly I was given book tokens as a leaving present by work and I allowed myself a treat with some of the money I got at Christmas but it is still a healthy haul for only 9 weeks.

At this rate the bookcases I am drawing up for the joiner aren't going to have space for long.

Postscript. The books currently on tour include "Kill-Grief" by Caroline Rance, "Blackmoor" by Edward Hogan, "Night Music" by JoJo Moyes and "Letters to Sister Benedicta" by Rose Tremain and then the postman has just brought me "Ottolenghi, the Cookbook", "Human Traces" by Sebastian Faulks, "Samuel Palmer, Vision and Landscape" and "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.

Twitter, please stop recommending books

Today is less dynamic

Well, after yesterday's flurry of excitement today has been rather more relaxed. Snoozing has taken place.

In my head I want to look like this

this

or even this

I suspect it was more like this................with drool

Displacement Activity

Today was going to be the first day that I knuckled down and started to blog on a regular basis. Not regular as in once a month, or even once a week but words on a page (almost) every day.

So far I have :-

Twittered, a lot

Tidied my e.mails- all 11 pages in my in-box

Made bread - last done over a year ago

Hoovered behind the sofa - well I did do it in October when the new one was delivered

Updated my address book - using cards we received at Christmas 2008

Folded all the bedlinen - possibly never done before

Tidied my underwear drawer - mists of time

Cleared the lawn of dog poo - man's job

Ironed his shirts - it's 4 years since I last did any ironing

Transferred stuff from last years diary to this year's (and worried about that apostrophe)

Displacement activity ? Oh yes, but having made a start perhaps it will get easier.

If not, at least the house will be tidier.