Demolition

My elderly neighbours both died last year and their house was sold. It was demolished this week and I went across the road so I could see what was happening. It was sad to see a 100 year old house razed to the ground. You cannot imagine how much dust in clouds settled on my own house, they had to hose the roof and now it's covered again as they move the piles of rubbbish onto a truck -- and now have 10 months to suffer noise and mess before the new house is built.

On a brighter note, I'm waiting for a delivery of seven antique dolls that I won on ebay - exciting!!

Plucked up courage...

...to go to see the doctor. After four weeks of hobbling around and convinced that my hip joint was on its way out, it appears that I have pulled the ligament. I really don't mind if it's something that is going to get better and will have probably another 4 weeks on pain killers - just as long as it's not my hip joint!!

Has anyone noticed that yellow acrylic paint turns into scrambled egg - this has happened often from expensive heavy body paint to craft paint. Very strange.

Visitors

My niece is here with her children from the US and is coming to see me today. I had to clear the dining room of all my painting stuff last night. How much mess can one person make?? And now there's a mess in my 'art room' - do I admit that I use two rooms in the house?? YES!! OK now I've said it, I feel liberated LOL.

Spring is on the way, and after a silent winter, the birds are chirping again and the bulbs are sprouting. Spring is definitely my favourite season!

A Film to Remember

Yesterday I went to the cinema (do you remember when we used to say 'the pictures' or 'flicks' -- ah those werethe days! I saw Slumdog Millionaire and I can see why it has won so many Baftas and is on track for many Oscars. It has probably never happened to me before but I'd go back to see it again. If it comes to a cinema near you, you have to go!!

I think I'm a dunce

I have waited ages to approach a gift shop in town in one of the most expensive areas. So I went today having made an appointment first. She didn't really get enthusiastic about anything apart from the comment that she'd make greetings cards from my fabric wallhangings.

Did I really think that she'd be waiting there with open arms for MY stuff when the biggest recession ever has hit the UK and little shops are closing down everywhere. Will I ever learn? I came home in a rather depressed state of mind and all the usual doubts came creeping back. But as Tara said in Gone with the Wind - tomorrow is a new day. So without a doubt, it'll be chocolate tonight and a positive state of mind tomorrow - but I need that chocolate first hehe!!

Time to ...

... decide what's important for me right now. I know I haven't given it much time but I'm going to close my shop at Folksy - it's just a waste of valuable time elsewhere. I've got the painting bug big time and must throw myself into it now. I did spend ages yesterday looking at ways to better my Etsy shop, one of which was lowering my price for shipping large paintings to the US and have made it the same as to the UK - so that's about a saving of 50%. If you want to see look here.

The other thing I've been doing (and this is not saving time or money LOL) is bidding on ebay for vintage dolls. I just missed a favourite by 30 seconds and was outbid - but that's another important lesson so will make my maximum much higher when I really really want something.

 And finally, Suzi Blu has a mixed media Ning group and part of that is her Book Club:

excerpt-- 
** I dig the book club we've started and I want to invite you to participate. Its free and its cool. We read a chapter a day (or 7 in a week you can break that up any way you want) and make art about what we are reading, put up photos of our idea of the characters, really make the book come to life. 

ORPHAN TALES

http://www.amazon.com/Orphans-Tales-Night-Garden/dp/0553384031 **

I love Jeanette Winterson and Angela Carter and the author of Orphan Tales, Catherynne M. Valente writes in a similar fantastical way so I think this'll be fascinating.