Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April (at the museum)...

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...





Sorry I'm not replying or emailing, I will will I'm better but I just don't have the energy to keep on top of that as well as the all the pressing urgent things I've got on just now. As soon as this damn neuralgia settles I'll try and catch up on reading and posting properly.

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...

Pictures not words

Thanks for you sweet messages xox
Can't give you words so I'll give you pictures for a little while.
My April...

Bit poorly

Sorry I'm not here, combination of being extremely busy and quite sick but I hope to be back in full swing soon. Until then I hope you are all well.

I'll try and get some of my draft posts out to you soon (wrote them but don't have the links put in place yet). To end on a good note, new dog Lucy is still dreamy and slept with her hot head on my crampy belly today, so eco-friendly, no need to heat a hot water bottle or wheat bag, and she stays hot for years!

People are strange

It always amuses (and yet horrifies) me the way the British (not all of us you understand) drive to beautiful places in the countryside, then sit right beside their car, in the carpark, usually facing the road. They eat their lunch, read the paper, maybe even sleep a little. And all a stones throw from a beauty spot!



The photo above is particularly amusing to me, as I always imagined that my old neighbour (when I lived in Edinburgh) was probably doing this whenever she went driving for the day. I wondered if I was being mean, but I based it on the fact that our flats were beside a park but she always put her deck chair out beside the road near our houses.

Turns out I was not being mean, that's HER in the photo! Sitting in the carpark 30 seconds walk from the path onto the Pentland Hills on a warm sunny day. Worst of all, if she faced the other way she would be looking at a view over the whole of Edinburgh and across the water to Fife, but no, she sat facing the row of cars on the other side of the carpark (not shown in photo). C_R_A_Z_Y. Luckily she was so unaware of her sourroundings she didn't spot me, the fact that I almost crawled on the ground behind a car helped - naughty.

And speaking of crazy, it's crazy busy here, I may need a bloggy break but thanks to all for your comments on dog (L has renamed her Lucy) and all other things. You people brighten my days immensely! Oh, and today, I took Lucy to met the folks at the farm shop, and she was so chilled out she sat (attached to rail) and waited quite happily while I nipped in for brocolli and nuts. We went to the dog place today and she is now officially ours!



Oh, and some cat sitting coming up too, so more of this to be had. That's Mo, he's growing up fast now, but still skinny with long legs. I had to put a bell on Mr P's cat today after he nearly caught the 1st blackbird chick of the season in my garden. Mr P hates him having a bell on, but it's just for a short while to give the chicks a fighting chance.

Another dog

Happy cheery little weed. Everything is bursting out at a frightening rate. Frightening, mainly, because I've kind of missed it happening. But things are about to change again. Not sure how my neuralgia will handle it but... L has chosen a new dog!!!

Her name is Tia, a 5yr old black Lab who's owner got ill. So far she seems like a dream compared to Marley, none of that dominant puppish energy that was so hard for L to deal with. In fact, she's a bit overweight from lack of excersice in recent months so she plods around a bit, no sign that she'll run into the road after rabbits, or anything that blows.



She seems happy with a gentle walk, which is lucky since I literally couldn't handle anything faster than a granny jkust now. But jmust knowing there will be a dog in my life again is making me feel better mentally, which should have a knock on effect physically. Let's hope it happens soon as in this warm weather I'd really love to take her for country walks like these feilds at the back of my parents house...



We have her this week as a try before you buy. It's a bit of a spanner in the works as I had so much work planned over this weekend, and this week, and now it's all going to have to slide a bit to accomodate the new visitor - but I think she is well worth it. L is back at work this morning so it's just me to be with her while she settles in. When I went round to get her this morning she hadn't chewed anything, a very good sign. And she was so soppy and happy to see me. Ah, can you feel the love? :0)

So if I'm a bit tardy with posts, replies etc. (well, more than usual), you'll know why.

Shepard Fairey - street art

Shepard Fairey - via Galerie Magda Danysz, France 2006

Too tired & busy for a personal post but luckily I have this one I meant to post on Friday (red day) I meant to about the gorgeous bold propaganda style graphics and street art of Shepard Fairey.
I love that such strong anti-war and anti-consumerism works also contain such beautiful pattern and apparent age. The one above has subtle layers of imagery showing through. Simply stunning.


Shepard Fairey - via Galerie Magda Danysz, France 2006

I had never heard of him till I spotted the two works above here at the Galerie Magda Danysz in France (shown last June) which is bizzarre as he appears to be the Amercan Banksy and probably you all know him well and can't believe I'm new to his work. I should try and get hold of his stickers but until then, the nearest piece to me seems to be this one, what a beauty...


Shepard Fairey - Newcastle, UK

One last thing, I have to mention the amazing 1930's animation that Alyssa gave Gracia a link for. It's here on You Tube (8mins) and I just watched in amazement. To think they had none of the technology that we have yet this piece is so amazing and creative and gets right under your skin. I can't imagine what it was like for audiences of it's time, mind blowing, especially on a big screen.

Colour week - red

Pallets at the farm shop in red, for the last day of Julie's colour week - it's been fun posting and even more fun hopping around to see what everyone else has been posting. Thanks to everyone who visited and comment here this week, it's been a blast.



Cartwheel at the hill pub



Found this frosty can lying near the Santa I showed in January

Took a trip beyond my four walls today to have fun with Daphne. Details later, I'm pooped and need to sleep, but I have a smile on my face, Daphne is ace.

Kako Ueda - paper cuts

'octopus' hand cut paper 2003

Wondering what to do this Saturday?
If you live near Brooklyn and love paper cuts then wonder no more. Head to Brooklyn Botanic Garden between 1-3pm for the official opening reception of 'Hana to Mushi: Flowers and Insects' featuring the outstanding work of Japanese papercut artist Kako Ueda as and prints by April Vollmer.

Kako Ueda 'tree of life' detail, hand cut paper 2005

The show is on until May 6th but further show dates and venues can be found on Kako's website, which you should visit anyway as it is filled with wonders. I particularly love the greenish head, so nice to see such use of colour in this kind of paper work. Alas an ocean prevents me attending but she said she'd love to see some of you there, so do let me know if you attend, and tell her Cally says hi!

Kako-
I seems so normal to me that I forgot to say in that last email that my mum works in this castle and lives 5 mins away from this tower! So you see, you're images of green and castled land are still true in certain places :0) Speising's Scotland 2006 Flickr set shows the Scotland that exists away from the cars and traffic (or sometimes right beside them) so there's lots to see if you come, like highland cows, there are some 10mins drive from my house, I LOVE them. Have fun on Saturday.

Colour week - yellow

Julie's colour week continues - today is yellow and once again I cannot limit myself to a single photo. No sense denying my true nature! I posted recently on how yellow was my favourite colour as a child.



So much yellow around. Some of it subtle...



Some of it bold...



Some of it utilitarian...



The last two made me think of Lisa and Shari's word this week - routine.
I used to love visiting my Grandpa because he would give me all his piles of loose change and let me sort them into money bags (in the days when they were nice colours). This bag is my memento of him.

And the other photo? That's the scraper for the glass on my stove and the colander I use to sift the wood pellets to get any sawdust out of them, so the stove runs better. This needs done every day I use it and I have a love hate relationship with that routine. It's incredibly satisfying to get it done, but it makes fine black ash dust go everywhere.