Friday, February 20, 2015

Vein...Drawing Challenge


Very sudden decision to add myself to Veronica's  Drawing challenge of  'Vein' as the subject...

I actually made this photo art a month or so ago... using several different programs on my phone and lap top... The original item in this photo art is the white part... it was... believe it or not...

Actually.... I will also add the original photo I took!


It was a piece of pith!  And very vein-like in appearance don't you think...  It was from the satsuma orange I was eating at the time, which fell by itself onto my Kindle Fire on my lap... as you can see above!

And from there birthed a new piece of art...

TTFN
Marian

Tuesday, February 17, 2015







My beautiful grand daughter, and she really really is, this Nana is so proud... This love I never knew, I've said it before I will say it again, no one can explain how very different this grand parents love is, so totally different, so even more unconditional, if this is possible...








Now some heavy talk....  This afternoon had a bit of a debate about this country with a friend; various options that could happen in the future if the wrong people get into power... about how millions of people have moved here to get a better life... Just as, millions of people born here have left, to better themselves in other countries around the world...  To work - to try to work, to retire, to vacation... to get away from bad things... unfortunately some people want to bring they're way of living with them in a more obvious way than others, some of which seems negative.  Then others, who gently slide into a new way of life, of living, taking on the country they wish to aspire to... when in Rome as 'they' say!  And proud to becoming British.

When I returned here from living in Spain, by the way, as an immigrant, as I was not born here, or even in Europe... I was entitled to nothing, nada!  As I had not worked here in the last two years, I had no entitlement, and that goes for other people too, I'm sure they couldn't have just picked on me!

I had paid into the British system since I was 15, contributed to a pension I will one day receive, god willing, I have never claimed jobs seekers allowance... I was probably unemployed a couple of times and didn't even think of doing so...

Franco works with many people who have chosen to come to this country to work, to live, to expand they're lives, for whatever reasons, most of these people didn't even know when they came that they could claim job seekers allowance, as coming from within Europe and being born Europeans they were entitled to, just as a British person you can move to Spain for instance and claim six months unemployment benefit, and you get much much more than you would here!  And that it seems is also true of many other European countries, they're benefits are much greater than that here, and of course they're cost of living is a lot less... Franco has asked many of his colleagues if they left work would they claim money here and none of them could understand why they would, when in their countries they would get more and be home too!

We talked of the Old British Empire and where it went, and whom it took over as its own! Colonizing as it went! We talked of the British around the world and how those countries think of them... I remember how the people in the bar we were having coffee outside one morning, cheered and clapped very loudly, when they saw an Englishman being arrested and hauled away by local police! Shouting "Inglés, Inglés, muy bien!!"

We went on to talk about huge amounts of excess oil now in the US and the power stations having to close there, fracking is supplying the country with power now...

Fracking here is on hold in some places, mini earthquakes, undermining peoples homes, no pun intended!  Wind farms are growing and supplying many many people...

We talked about computers then... they control everything, in some homes, many homes already, the heating systems, the alarms, security, televisions.... Our cars, machinery... never mind the computers and mobile phones etc... Our lives are run and controlled by computers...

And, if the whole lot blows!!! What then, wipe out! Totally...

And my memory of this mornings car park rage, followed by road rage... How small these things, how small so many of the things we take on board every day and hold on to for hours!!... and what are they nothing, why do we still complain about things that are not worth a second thought, why hang on... they are nothing, we should just shrug and say, "Whatever!" and move on...

And all this on Shrove Tuesday! Pancakes anyone?  Okay, its not about pancakes really is it! Its about giving up something? Food, a bad habit?? My religious instruction seems to be lost somewhere in the dark recesses of school fog!  But today is supposed to be the day we stuff ourselves full of something we are giving up!  So I am thinking as I am giving up chocolate for March, on behalf of the British Heart Foundation... maybe I will stop eating chocolate tomorrow, forty days... will that take me through to the end of March?  Let me look.... bare with! Mmmmm two days over, but I suppose if I can go 40 days without chocolate I can do 42! Shall I??? Heck hadn't thought about it, but if I take all of the above heavy duty conversation to mind, it really is only chocolate, and if I can't go without chocolate for 42 days, well its very sad.... My mind is made up, whats left of the huge box of chocolates I have here I will chuck down my face as much as I can today, I have a few hours left, then that's it!  I will take photos of chocolate instead!







View of Mumbles, as seen under bridge archway.









TTFN
Marian [now off her soapbox!]

Sycamore seed pod


On one of the steps going up to the back garden just now... life beginning... a tiny green shoot, making its way from the seed of a tree...

A seed pod from a Sycamore tree further up the garden... I have temporarily planted it near those steps... It wouldn't last long on the steps with Pipster up and down a hundred times a day forsure!


And it was nice coming home and seeing this new life... Firstly I  dropped some things off in town... parking right in the heart where its 'pedestrians only' after 10;30am... exceptions excluded!  I had gathered a lot of things, that I don't need any longer, and someone else can now make a new home for them, I hope, already one item is calling back to me from the store!! Oh no!!! I have had that little ornament for longer than my boys!!! But I am trying to de-clutter, I feel choked by all the stuff I have accumulated over the years, and I get too attached to each and every one of them, that's why the sooner I can also pass on my mom's things the better, except certain items of course!!!

I want to travel lighter from now on!

From town, I took the M4 off to Fforestfach, its such a beautiful sunny day, wall to wall blue skies and the sun feels warm to the skin... lovely!

So I drove there and sat inside [tables in the shade!], and had a wonderful Chai Latte in Costa!  I had walked around Home Sense... One of my favorite stores in the UK!  It is very difficult not to buy something every single time I go in!!  So I shop on ideas instead!  And today I got plenty of them!!

Things for my new Pinterest board on Plants!  And I saw somewhere on the net an idea using magazines tightly rolled up in small pieces used to make frames, boxes, art and decor... they had some there!!! Who saw what first!!  I always want to shout out "I'll have one of everything in assorted colors please!"

In Costa the barista was very happy! In fact she was extra happy and singing a song 'Pure Imagination' [from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory], to everyone she served!!  I thought I would come away singing it... I did! :-)  Not a bad song to get stuck with!

Now back... Third day off, back tomorrow! Feels like such a long time!  Especially as I have to fit in a full weeks hours starting from Wednesday afternoon ending on Saturday!


TTFN
Marian

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Aqua - Mystical Magic!




Veronica Roth's challenge in the name of Aqua!


nounplural aquae 
 [ak-wee, ah-kwee] (Show IPA), 
aquas.

1.
Chiefly Pharmacology.
  1. water.
  2. a liquid.
  3. a solution, especially in water.


So for me, for you, its photograph art!

Well, this was a toughie for me this week, started a new job on Sunday, a twenty nine hour a week rota should be the norm, but you know how it is, and this week, my first, was a forty hour week plus a sleep in! Panic started setting in yesterday, all I could think was Aqua... with no answer forthcoming, my 'Toast' was almost waiting for me to make it happen... but with new job, new location, new routines to learn, it was blankety blank!

So today, finished work at three and we went off to Porthcawl, a beautiful seaside town here on the south coast of Wales... I took a few photos... and earlier at work, seeing a strange item on the staff room dresser, which had to photographed by myself as I thought it looked strangely camel like!!!

Back we came, stomachs full of fish and chips bought at the fair ground!  And I started playing with a couple of different systems on my lap top and above is the result...

So what do we have!? A giant camel sea monster afloat off the Welsh coast! Sea monster... and plenty of the beautiful aqua off the Welsh coast...

Apologies! LOL But I couldn't just do nothing :-/

TTFN
Marian



Monday, February 09, 2015


Above was what faced us on the road back from Nottingham... M50 had been closed and we chose the road less driven!!! Not intentionally... and very glad the snow stopped at the kerbside and not on the road itself!


Beautiful sunset last night over Swansea, preceding this beautifully sunny day today!  Yesterday I started a new job... This is the third job I have started since June of last year by the by!

Same industry, a support worker, I was this time last year working locally, only a couple of times a week sleeping-in... I moved onto live in, on a two weeks on and two weeks off basis, nearby to Windsor;  Then onto live in wherever the need was, and over four months this only meant three weeks in Liverpool area and just over two in Cheltenham area...  My fault to some extent, not wanting to work over Christmas as our beautiful little grand daughter was due then, and also not wanting to be away for a few weeks, back for a few days and off again, I wanted to have a week or two here!!  So my next placement would have been in March... but... I applied for a couple of jobs nearby, exactly as I was a year ago :-) So, I went for an interview last Monday, a week today!  And started yesterday, I cancelled an interview I had for this morning, similar position, working as a PA support worker, but this would have only been a few hours a week...


Feast or famine... On our way up to see family in Nottingham on Friday got another call about another position!! He said to contact him if I wanted to at any time for a job with them... and then!!!! LOL a friend offered me a live in, week on week off later in the evening, but too far... Middlesborough is, with a half hour break, about six hours drive, 24hrs of driving over the course of a month... I can't, just can't!!!

But was feeling very happy for all the offers nonetheless!!! LOL

Today is a day off!! And making Chelsea buns... or cinnamon rolls as I am not in Chelsea??? Is it a trades description thing?  Wish you could smell them though!!


TTFN
Marian