The intelligence of birds ...

This morning I was up with the lark (well nearly). Why? Because I had to move my car. There had been a hard frost overnight, the pavements were all spangled and it took me a good ten minutes to clear my windscreen.

I returned to my little flat, out of breath because of the cold air. It felt warm and cosy and I made myself the first cup of tea of the day and sadly smoked my first cigarette.

Most mornings, after breakfast I throw the left over crusts and crumbs out onto the flat roof below my window for the gulls and crows.

This morning, I guess they must have seen my light on, as I was enjoying the above cup of tea and cigarette, there was a loud tapping on my window.

Oy, you in there, tap tap, we're hungry ...

Ring out the old...

Well it has been a while, not sure why. Christmas I suppose and all the leading up to it. Well it is over and not to sound too humbug I'm glad.

Last year had its moments of great sadness for my loved ones and I am pleased it is over.

One momentous thing that happened just before it ended was that I sold a painting. It was my first original sold to the general public and (even better) it was for reasonable money. It was an exciting and delightful moment. A real acknowledgement that others like my work. I'm pretty chuffed actually.

There is a lovely cafe, just around the corner from my flat, which has kindly allowed me to hang two of my paintings on the wall. They have been hanging there, among many others painted by local artists, for the last three months or so. It was of 'Sunflowers in a Terracotta Pot.' I therefore have done better than Vincent, even though there is no comparison, in selling at least one of my paintings before I die.

Just think how things come about. If I had not gone into 'The Refuge' I would never have realised I could paint. Thank you dear Alison!

The New Year will hopefully bring more of the same as the money is pretty useful. I intend to join an art class to learn how to be more free and experimental and to learn new techniques. I am self taught and my work is pretty naive.

A sad note is that I heard today that the above mentioned cafe is to close. She just couldn't make it pay. It is moving to Hove, so I hope to pop along there sometime in the future. If you are ever out that way, take a look. It is called 'The Artisan', the food is good and the staff are really friendly and the arty ambiance is really lovely. I do hope it works out for her.

I do hope the New Year brings better things for my loved ones and, selfishly, for little ol me too.

To those who are reading this my best wishes go to you too.

Happy New Year! xx

Somewhere...

This was taken from my little window in my flat - a view of the downs.

Ouch!

I have tooth ache ...

Cluck Cluck Cluck .....

An interesting week-end.

On Saturday I entertained a handful of friends, and amazingly, there were no arguments!

However, it may be said that I 'over hostessed' them. I love entertaining but I cluck.

I worry if they are warm enough, if they are comfortable enough. If the music is too loud or not loud enough etc etc. Is the soup too salty, not enough flavour and on and on and on.

On Sunday another gathering of lovely people.

They were wanting to take my friend out to lunch for his birthday. They came to my town and so immediately I felt personally responsible for everyone having a good time, that wherever we went it would be my fault if the surroundings, service or food were anything other than perfect. I fussed and flapped and worried and probably made everyone feel uncomfortabe with my over felicitations.

It was, however,lovely to see them all and I pray they forgive me for being such a mother hen!

The best thing about the week-end was a conversation with my youngest son.

My goodness he amazes me!

He is a teacher at a London college for 16 - 19 year olds. Recently there was an observation, pre-offsted, of the teaching standards and abilities at the college and my son achieved a grade one, which apparently is pretty good.

Also his proposal for the college to do a foundation degree , for the first time ever, in Sport Science, has been given the go ahead.

He also is very involved in the promotion of his college in relation to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. He has actually been quoted on the official website !

Where does he get the energy for all of this, as well as his ordinary teaching I wonder?

He certainly doesn't get it from his mother!

I am so proud of him!

I may delete this by morning

I don't want to look like Joe Brand - much as I love her...

How many times do I have to stand by with a friend while men chat her up and tell me how much they fancy her and to be told I look like Joe Brand and they not even think or care that I might not like to be told that? Then, when I am bored with standing there being ignored, I decide to go outside to have a fag, I get a text saying "come and rescue me, he won't take no for an answer" I am thinking, chance would be a fine thing that anyone would want any answer but no from me! But I go back in and rescue the 'damsel in distress' and she says "What kind of friend are you leaving me on my own with a weirdo like that? Please don't leave me." So I don't. Obviously, after a while, he comes over again ( a bit the worse for wear in the alcohol department) so she tries to hide behind me and I stand between them and he says " that is really weird" and I say (trying to make a joke of it) "well I am a bit weird." He says "I understand you trying to protect her but that is truly weird."

So now I am a weird Jo Brand look-a-like. Great!

Well this friend ( who was in the refuge with me, is now a bit freaked out and wants to go home) I understand this, but so much for my evening out which doesn't happen very often, so we leave. I haven't had a drink because I am driving ( she offered to put me up for the night and then couldn't at the last minute because family needed the sofa) so I take her home. ( We sit in the car for a while and she gets upset saying "why do only weirdos find her attractive") I commiserate thinking apart from, the as for mentioned weirdo person who told me I looked like Joe Brand, nobody had spoken to me all evening, anyway I hug her and then drive home.

Where I live I have a permit to park in only designated areas. When I arrive back all the spaces are taken. So I have to park in a car park and pay for a ticket to take me through until ten o'clock the next morning.

I go off to bed feeling pretty fed up and I know I have the electricity people coming the next day somewhere between 8.30am and 5 pm and also my landlord is coming in the morning to mend the door on the freezer compartment on my fridge. So I set my alarm and go to bed.

I am up at 7.30, to make sure I am dressed and breakfasted by 8.30 just in case. At 11 am I suddenly remember the car ( f-ck!) and low and behold I have a parking ticket. I wait in all day for the electricity people and they don't come. I can only assume they forgot or, more than likely, came when I was parking the f--king car.

I may look like Joe Brand but right now I do not have her sense of humour.

'Ode to 'Bright Star' ...'

I went to see this film at lunch time today.

It was stunningly beautiful to watch (the lighting was perfect) and the performances of the two lovers, Keats (Ben Whishaw) and Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), were totally believable and very accomplished.

Their conversations and letters about love were interwoven with Keats' own words and vision, and the cinematography matched the beauty of his poetry.

Jane Campions film was based on Andrew Motion's biography of Keats and I for one will be putting that on my Christmas list.

There isn't much story to tell that isn't already known and therefore I can't ruin the plot for anyone but if I have one criticism it is the ending when Keats goes off to Italy and dies. I could spoil the film by telling you why I felt the end was lacking so I will leave that for you to discover and to agree or disagree as you see fit.

This is a tiny criticism which, to my mind, unbalances the film a little. But apart from that my favourite poet's un-consumated love and tragically short life is beautifully represented in this film.