I never posted this 2

The sea is after Hokusai - it's Whitby as is the cormorant - and is aquatint, the bird is hard ground. The sea on the 2 together is upside down but it does show off the reflection better!




I like the sea better than the bird and used it later for some chine collee but they didn't quite work either.

At the last week of the first term I did the moon and grass- that only sort of worked too. Jonathan suggested that I aquatint on top of the grass plate - later.

I never posted this 1

This is where I go for lunch on my way to Creative Writing. It makes me feel comfortable, I think because it is more borough than bistro. Brass lamps and bottle green outside, but a smell of stew and gravy inside.

And it kept me going all through the course too, from pensioners' special to

jacket tater and beans.

One more Obama

plus - beside him Gordon Brown

does seem decisive.

Mum was happy to be photo'd but it was hard work to get her NOT to pose. This one is so like her and so warm, but I don't think it will work in black and white.

We went into town this morning to get some wool for winter jumpers and the first of the Christmas presies and I used my bus pass!

The wool shop was chaotic - only one member of staff 'cos two have left and are not going to be replaced. She was up and down the stepladders three times while we were in. Mind you, as always, it took longer than I thought because of all the beautiful wools - they just have to be felt as well as looked at.

We finished up at Ainsley's buying mince pies - it might be early but that's one bit of Christmas that doesn't get stale.

This came to me on the bus to creative writing yesterday ( so I didn't practise my Chinese vocab)

I see an advert
to deter benefit thieves
and think of MPs.

Reading out was scarier than expected - partly because I was the 13th out of 14 to do it and we were over an hour into listening to attempts - if I were teacher, I'd have a tea break half way through!
The pair either side of me continue to intrigue. Left says he's dispraxic autistic and Right says she's never read a book because by the time she gets to the end of a chapter she's forgotten the beginning - I still haven't worked out what she thinks the class is for or why she chose to take it.

Angel is a real dog (what is an unreal one?)

On Woman's Hour they're talking about stereotyping women with small dogs and someone has just suggested:
dachshunds are real dogs - what are unreal dogs?

women with dogs are seen as mad whereas men are seen as manly

- it reminded me of some writing I did years ago (when I had cats):

Thoughts in the bath

They burnt as witches

the women who had cats

as those who had dogs

were wooed as widows.

Thus we state independent or not.

The arch of a girl's eyebrows has

caused hearts to flutter.

The raising of a woman's

is a cold slap across the face.

Thus we state tractable or not.

Here's Angel's history:

she's the one with the buried head

the day she arrived with me

bringing outside in (it isn't always mud)

helping in the garden or mining?

Falling behind already

Where do you get the time, Em?

Do I type too slow, take on too much, spend too long walking Angel, sit dreaming for too long?

Whatever, it's creative writing today and I've only done half I intended, Angel is sat at my feet doing her"What have I done to not deserve a walk now" look and the house group homework last night was to find five things a day to be grateful for (ignoring the fact that the homework for a fortnight ago is started but not finished) and I have to remember to order more wool, food and chase up the hospital results.

But I've written my blog:

which will act as a to-do list,

prompted my daily photo

reminded me that multi tasking is real!

She's no angel

She's such a little trollop:

hanging about on corners,

posing under street lamps,

dawdling past gates.

Oh to be young!

Sunshine magic

Sunshine after seven days of rain, and me with my border fork off to meet our 'in bloom' group to tidy up the garden in the park.

Tidy up? It's more like chop down but 'the one in the know' says it'll be better for a winter haircut so ... As you can tell from my header and footer, I'm not much of a one for getting rid of anything that will grow.

After ..........................Before

There's always time for tea

Aquatint rules, OK!

Aquatint rules, OK! I had a great time at printmaking even though the coffee machine would't come out of audit mode and I got my sea upside down twice. I felt competent and even pleased with the sea. I've not brought it all home yet because I'm still adding to it. This is my best register lino-cut though.

Welcome to Earth

A lovely morning on Radio four. The crossword's not done, Kakuro unfinished.

"What planet is this hateful man (Sir Christopher Kelly) on?" asked the annonymous MP."I feel powerless and insulted"

Has he never thought of himself as an employee in the public sector? Most of us have had years of limited pay rises without the benefit of expenses and a bad press.

"We do live in the real world," said Stephen Hester, justifying the Royal Bank of Scotland.

But in which universe? It's not mine and it's not Pratchett's - Vetinari would talk to you about angels.

On Earth, in this universe: my bin men are on strike because it's the only way they can show their unwillingness to take a pay cut that they have no other power to refuse, radio 4 tells me that workers are out of work because their employers have gone bust because the banks won't lend and the interest on savings - ie. the money that the bonus paid bankers use and risk to make their bonuses and their savers' interest - has fallen by 4%. Are bonuses are limited to 2 1/2% of salary?

I can't understand why MPs think deciding thier own salary and conditions of service is fair. I can't understand why banks can be in the private sector and yet be granted immunity from the forces of that sector - 'too big to fail' ? outgrown their usefulness!

This time yesterday, I was sitting in the library basement listening to the town hall clock. I went to my first creative writing class - no judgement as yet but I intend going back next week saying I've written every day, even if it's only (is that rude) blogging. And I've joined a poetry forum and written two opening paragraphs (homework in progress) so I'm into gold star territory today.

Tonight, it's printmaking, which is a great class - etching and aquatint this week. I've done the plates so tonight is the printing. These are from the first week - monoprints. What gets me is the way the same picture looks different the other way round.

The problem with hand free mobiles is I can't tell whether people are talking to themselves, a mate or me. When in doubt I operate on teacher's rules: if I can hear you, you're talking to me. Ooops - I was wrong, again.

What to do? Angel is 'in season'

What to do? Angel is 'in season' , she's bleeding but I don't know how to tell what stage she's at. I'm keeping her on the lead but it is raining and so no-one else is dog walking. How can I tell when she is out of season - am I getting the terms right, this seems more like buying veg - without dog interest?

And do I get her neutered. She's a lhasa apso, I don't want to breed but I don't want to change her character either.