Where Do You Go To My Lovely?

Where do you go to when you are not reading blogs?  I am still an avid blog reader but so many people are dropping out of the blogging World.  Blogging is particularly lonely in the summer months when people go away on holiday or spend more time away from the computer.  Sometimes I think I am blogging to myself - but that's OK.  I enjoy writing and looking back over my old blog posts to see what my interests have been and how I was feeling at the time.

I have been building up a book collection to read over the next few months.  It takes me ages to read a book (so easily distracted) so this little lot should last me well into Christmas!  I have read a few pages of each but not enough to give a review on any of them. 

In a weeks time I will be on annual leave from my job.  Time to catch up on doing all the things I love to do.  Hopefully I will have some things of interest to report back on here.

I have a significant post coming up in a few posts time and it would be great if you could join me on that day!  Keep watching! :)

Artist Trading Cards

I completed my first set of Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) and am quite pleased with how they turned out. 'I am safe in my place in the Universe' is a mantra that I often say when I am feeling overwhelmed or in need of reassurance.  I repeat the words silently in my head, take a few deep breaths and then resume whatever I was doing! 

Are there any sayings or words of wisdom that you call upon when in need?  I would be interested to know.

Hydrangea and Purple Hues

I was creating some 'Galaxy' ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) which are UFO's (unfinished objects!) at present and realised that I had seen the colours recently in my garden.  The hydrangeas have deep violet and rich indigo shades.  I think I was subliminally influenced when I got out my watercolour paints.

These cool shades appeal to me as I am finding the heat and humidity a struggle at the moment.  As I have said on here before - I am really not a fan of the summer months - unless I am on holiday with a cool breeze and fresh mountain air (not that I have ever had a holiday with a cool breeze and fresh mountain air!)

Life is whizzing by at hyper-speed at the moment.  I have limited time to post or read blogs.  Can you believe that I have been in my job for almost three months now?  My week days are busy and my weekends are precious.  I am still trying to find ways of having a good work/life balance and am slowly getting there.

Wishing you all a harmonious weekend and week ahead.

An Afternoon Break

Today is my idea of a perfect summer day.  It is not too hot, there is a lovely breeze and the sky is blue.  I have taken advantage of this clement weather and done some dabbling with paints under the dappled shade of the plum tree.  

No one else likes this part of the garden.  I tuck myself away from curious eyes and just play about with paints without being judged.  Time passes quickly.  I must do this more often.

The Year of the Poppy

It has definitely been the year of the poppy in my garden.  Self seeded pink pom poms had made a cleared patch of earth their home.  The profusion of pink petals was short lived and seed heads are now holding next years potential.

It's funny how when you clear things away something else comes to replace it.  A void in your life, a space in the home, a hollow waiting to be filled.........nothing stays empty for long............

Beans

Scene

In the school diner there are two hot food serving counters.  Two people work alongside on each.

First Food Counter

Server 1: We’ll be running out of beans soon.  You can take some from the container on the other counter.

Server one prises the bean container out of the steaming bain marie. 

Server 1: Take that over to the counter and get some beans put into it.

Server two takes the container over to the second food counter but can’t find a way into the bean pot as two servers are in the way and serving a busy queue of people.  Server two returns without the beans.

Server 1:  What’s the problem?

Server 2: I can’t find a way to get to the beans without disrupting the servers.

Server 1: (Tut) Just MOVE the trolley out of the way and get them.

Server two returns to the second food counter.

Server 2:  Excuse me.  Sorry.  Can I just squeeze in between you both to get some beans from the front? 

The flow of production ceases and the queue comes to a standstill whilst server 2 ladles a few scoops of beans into the container and hurriedly gets back to the first food counter to slot the replenished beans back into the bain marie.

Server one watches intently as a flustered server two struggles to get the container back into the hot water bath without splashing hot water up her arms.  Service is finished. 

Pause

Server 1:  Looks like we didn’t need them after all. 

Server one turns off the unit and hangs up her oven gloves for the day looking triumphant.

Server two blinks a teary eye.

The Smallest Snail Shell in the World

This is probably NOT the smallest snail shell in the World but it is certainly the smallest one that I have ever found!  I placed it inside a bottle cap so that you could get a feel of the scale.  Isn't it cute?