Another New Years Eve...

Here we are again, another New Years Eve. Christmas is all but over and in the blink of an eye we have arrived at the last day of 2012. The pine needles have fallen off the Christmas Tree, the chocolates and Christmas cake almost gone and the cats finished off the turkey on Boxing Day.

I'm not a big fan of New Year celebrations, when I was younger I loved a good party but now I'm quite happy with a relatively quiet night in - must be something to do with getting old.

I hope you all have a good 2013 and that you all experience times of joy and happiness x

Winter Solstice 21/12/2012

Well not only is it the Winter Solstice but the 'end of the world' if you read all the scary stories. However it would seem that maybe it is an ending as such but also a beginning - maybe the human race will finally take a good look at itself and it's actions and decide that change is needed, that we need to create and nurture and not consume and destroy - I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


(memegenerator.net) (http://www.grumpycats.com/)

Almost Christmas

It's almost Christmas - I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Just before I go to sleep I'll remember those who aren't here anymore but are always in my thoughts - friends and family and cats who will live in my heart always x

30 years in the NHS!

30 years ago today I started working for the NHS - strangely enough I'm now sitting opposite the person I sat opposite on my first day - funny how things go in circles!

December time again

Such a long time since I last posted. I've been busy with major changes at work, not only the splitting up of our department but sending us to another NHS trust and another hospital! Things are slowly beginning to settle down but I don't know if we'll ever be happy where we are at the moment.
Anyway, it's the 1st of December - World Aids Day, the beginning of the Christmas season, the beginning of the frosts and also my birthday month, I'm sure more things will come to mind.
I'm going to try and post almost every day of December - see if I can focus my mind......

New Years Eve 2010

I don't know why but I find New Year depressing - it may be post Christmas Blues, it may be the fact that a new year means I'm getting older. This year has been tough, my other half lost his job twice and is now unemployed as well as having had to undergo major surgery, the NHS is being dismantled bit by bit which causes problems as my wages are now frozen for two years so there are no rises to cope with inflation and my old school friend died leaving a gap in many people's lives.

I'm hoping that 2011 will bring some better times although I can't see it yet.

Regardless of how I feel I wish everyone a happy 2011 and I've posted some random cat pictures just to cheer things up.

50 Years of Coronation Street

Coronation Street was first broadcast 50 years this week - 6 days before I was born. I remember my Mum watching it when I was a toddler and I suppose I just got sucked into it. It's not the most glamorous of soaps but it's like a nice warm cosy blanket, and that's why I'll be glued to this weeks episodes. Just watched the explosion and tram crash, so we're trying to work out who's not going to survive. So far in the running to die are Ashley, Max, Molly, Rita, Sunita, Peter, Ciaran, Graeme, Fiz's baby and of course bunny boiler Charlotte has already been dispatched by John.

There's a live episode on Thursday and I'm so upset because I'm on a very rare night out - an early birthday night out in fact - never mind will have to catch in on ITV net.

More snow

1st of December and there is more snow chaos - it takes hours to get to work and back and I just feel knackered by the time I get home.

On a lighter note it's only 15 days till my 50th birthday - I always imagined I would have a great big party with loads of old music and lots of dancing - it hasn't panned out that way for various reasons, so there's a good chance it will pass by like a wet Sunday!

What a surprise, we've had a few days of snow - haven't had very much December snow for the past few years. It looks great but it's not so much fun trying to get to work - especially on public transport.

1st of December - here before I even realised and very frosty

Jasper's Feline Abstract ACEO

Sarah's ACEOs

Haven't had much time to paint recently but we did manage to snatch an hour this afternoon to do a little fun painting. I had some ACEO size pieces of gessoed watercolour paper so I got a few acrylic paints out and got my daughter Sarah involved. I only finished one before our tom cat Jasper decided to leap onto the paint and one of the prepared ACEO cards. I've posted my piece here and will post Sarah's and Jasper's in separate posts.

I find new year a little bit depressing but I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Thought I'd mention a couple of art technique books which I like. The first one by Claire Harrigan I have mentioned before in a previous posting 'Abstract and Colour Techniques in Painting'. I can't find a website for this artist but you can find examples of her work on the web. The book is illustrated with numerous colour illustrations of her work and gives a good insight into moving towards abstract and semi-abstract art and the use of colour. Being a 'colour junkie' I love looking through this book.

Another book which came my way recently is 'Collins 30 Minute Acrylics' by Soraya French. She is a professional artist and was the 2005 winner of the SAA Artist of the Year award. This book is a little gem which covers the basics as well as providing inspiration in small bites. It is also full of lots of colourful illustrations to whet the appetite. Her website is - http://sorayafrench.com/wordpress/

The weather has been wet and windy - not quite 'Christmas' weather. The snow - if we get any - seems to come later now, between January and March.
All the cats went out to play before the rain got too heavy so the house is now covered in hundreds of muddy cat prints - amazing how they even get them on the walls!

I've never been ice skating before and today was my first attempt. I went with my daughter to The Centre for Life in Newcastle where they set up a temporary open-air rink during the winter. http://www.life.org.uk/.
It took me a long time to leave go of the side and the boots were killing me but I finally managed to get round the rink on my own - I never fell over once, which really surprised me. It's only something small but I feel a real sense of achievement and I tried something new!

The only problem with the days after Christmas is 'post Christmas depression' - that sort of empty feeling you get when the celebrations are over (or is it just me!) Could just be that I'm tired and need a rest - I just don't seem to have the time.

On Boxing Day there was often a tradition of fox hunting in more rural areas – while some people call this a sport I could never see anything sporting about a group of grown men and women with a pack of savage dogs chasing a frightened animal and tearing it to bits – not to mention the occasions when they invaded peoples gardens and ‘accidentally’ killed peoples pets.

A few years ago a law was passed in England to make hunting wild mammals with dogs illegal though this often seems to be flaunted by people who think they are above the law. I know my views won’t be shared by some people but I’m sure there are more humane ways to deal with foxes and other animals if they become a problem, anyway today I am mentioning the website for the League Against Cruel Sports – always worth a look. http://www.league.org.uk/index.asp

What we seem to forget is that the human race is encroaching more and more into the wild areas that are left leaving nowhere for our wildlife to inhabit – we seem to cause most of the problems, I just hope we can come up with the solutions.

Well , Christmas Day is here at last. We've opened presents, eaten and drunk too much and will spend the evening as 'couch potatoes' watching soaps and the Doctor Who special, then we'll all most likely fall asleep on the sofa with the cats.

My Daughter has spent half the day playing 'Brain Training' on her Nintendo DS - I did try it but found that attempting it after a few glasses of wine is not good for your score! The cats have been playing with the wrapping paper and Christmas crackers and my partner has been chilling out as today is his only day off this week.

I hope you all had a good Christmas.

I know it's a bit of a miserable subject to talk about on Christmas Eve but my Dad died late at night on Christmas Eve 1979, and for all it's 28 years ago I still think of him every Christmas Eve. It's a bittersweet time for me as I also lost my Mother in December 2005.
It's about this time of day when the sun has gone down and it's dark outside that I think about all those people I miss, whether they are just a distance away or gone forever. Spare thought for all those missing someone at Christmas, whether they have passed on, or are elsewhere and can't be with you, maybe they have to work over Christmas or maybe they're in the armed forces and posted abroad.
And as it's Christmas Eve and a special time for children let's remember Madeleine McCann who disappeared on May 3rd and hope for a miracle.