Sitting on the sofa having had a lovely Christmas ,
my chill blanes have subsided after a few days off from the sapping cold of my shed .
The festive season mostly consisted of the usual culinary deluge held weakly in check by a single outing to a winter "wonder land".
There was a great irony in both the words used by this attraction as neither really applied .
Whether a half empty shed selling a drink that was only coffee in name and an assortment of N-Dubz hats can be called a world is open to debate .
As far as winter is concerned the plastic ice of the expansive rink was far less slippery than the hazardous path used to reach it. Even with it lacking ice like qualities a faltered step and a slip from one side would rapidly bring the practitioner to the groin high shaky plywood wall of the opposite side .
The final blow to this attraction with such high aspirations was one delt by Mother Nature her self ! When a real winter consisting of snow and ice was delivered free of charge to this wooded clearing, health and safety deemed it unsafe to park cars let alone frolic in the Narnian land scape !
This was never going to be the main purpose to our trip , meeting a good friend and sharing lifes continued dramas and adventures was always to be it's goal , we all left warmed by both the brown wet stuff and by the laughter we had shared .
Monday, 27 December 2010
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Edge of the seat
Last week the great blanket of snow descended and almost suffocated our Christmas party .
Managed to have a extremely cut down version in Winchester instead of at my mums in snow bound Petersfield. As a result we had a combination of people one may have not combined originally . Nothing like an old friend becoming a patronising arse to another newly acquainted fellow to build up steam and keep one on ones toes !
Wolfie also has a quiet effective way of keeping me on my toes other than turning on the gas on the hob and hanging off the tv.
He is of course fascinated by the toilet and it's roll in the family .
On needing a quick visit I will often find wolfie lurking by the loo brush helpfully lifting the seat ( obviously he is well trained in a family of women )
The experience though is never relaxing as Wolfie allows little time past his strictly rationed allowance . After a peaceful initial period lapsing me into a false sense of security , without a blink of an eye or even a tiny smirk he brings the whole ablution to a shattering end as the jaws of porcelain and plastic crash together narrowly missing any retreating subject .
Managed to have a extremely cut down version in Winchester instead of at my mums in snow bound Petersfield. As a result we had a combination of people one may have not combined originally . Nothing like an old friend becoming a patronising arse to another newly acquainted fellow to build up steam and keep one on ones toes !
Wolfie also has a quiet effective way of keeping me on my toes other than turning on the gas on the hob and hanging off the tv.
He is of course fascinated by the toilet and it's roll in the family .
On needing a quick visit I will often find wolfie lurking by the loo brush helpfully lifting the seat ( obviously he is well trained in a family of women )
The experience though is never relaxing as Wolfie allows little time past his strictly rationed allowance . After a peaceful initial period lapsing me into a false sense of security , without a blink of an eye or even a tiny smirk he brings the whole ablution to a shattering end as the jaws of porcelain and plastic crash together narrowly missing any retreating subject .
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Movements
We have a crack above our fire place in our sitting room . I think it really should be called a "creak" as crack is the sound of something sudden .
This "creak" has taken four months crawling up the freshly painted wall from the mantel piece and is continuing the process in which our house is trying to shrug off the mantel piece ! It has succeeded once and is , I reckon , restlessly trying again.
My young Son and I generally always share a bath
together before his bed time, this is a lovely time for
us both but it also provides an oasis of calm for the
rest of the family.
we have a number of regular shared rituals and jokes ,most of which are welcome and happily repeated .
Once too many times I have though made the mistake of relaxing maybe a little too much and have let pass a little bubble or two much to his fascination.
Unfortunately his determination to bond in a shared male moment has led to maybe a little extra unwelcome contribution. It hasn't been helped much to his delight and humour by the bazar sight of Dad madly scooping around him with the soap dish .
This "creak" has taken four months crawling up the freshly painted wall from the mantel piece and is continuing the process in which our house is trying to shrug off the mantel piece ! It has succeeded once and is , I reckon , restlessly trying again.
My young Son and I generally always share a bath
together before his bed time, this is a lovely time for
us both but it also provides an oasis of calm for the
rest of the family.
we have a number of regular shared rituals and jokes ,most of which are welcome and happily repeated .
Once too many times I have though made the mistake of relaxing maybe a little too much and have let pass a little bubble or two much to his fascination.
Unfortunately his determination to bond in a shared male moment has led to maybe a little extra unwelcome contribution. It hasn't been helped much to his delight and humour by the bazar sight of Dad madly scooping around him with the soap dish .
Sunday, 12 December 2010
2 for Tea
Christmas is coming , we are are about to properly enter the full festive feeding frenzy .
It starts with the birthdays , all my girls have them back to back ending with Daisys in Janruary .
The fiscal battering has been well planned by my better half and all I have to do is provide the odd opinion and the cash !
Good job I am still hanging in there with the racing driver commission but only just .
During this time of stuff I have noticed a parallel of Noels desk and fly tipping ! It starts of clear with computer keyboard and beautifully aligned pencil case . The odd cd is deposited and maybe a jumper on the chair , slowly a coffee cup materialises and last weeks news papers .Then the slide is relentless , nativity donkey ears join the pile nestled between wet wipes and hair bands .
Unless the process is staunched with in a week the towering piles of exercise books and theatre programs could bury a small unwary child in an avalanche of domestic flotsam.
Planned to create one of those perfect domestic moments in the kitchen today , Phoebe was to bake a cake and I to make a cottage pie for supper (a bit too appropriate !) before inviting friends to join us for afternoon tea. All seemed to be going well until I sent out the text invitations to partake in freshly baked cake and jammy doggers ! I shall never be able to look at those particular biscuits in the same light again and I'm sure neither will our unsuspecting friends.
It starts with the birthdays , all my girls have them back to back ending with Daisys in Janruary .
The fiscal battering has been well planned by my better half and all I have to do is provide the odd opinion and the cash !
Good job I am still hanging in there with the racing driver commission but only just .
During this time of stuff I have noticed a parallel of Noels desk and fly tipping ! It starts of clear with computer keyboard and beautifully aligned pencil case . The odd cd is deposited and maybe a jumper on the chair , slowly a coffee cup materialises and last weeks news papers .Then the slide is relentless , nativity donkey ears join the pile nestled between wet wipes and hair bands .
Unless the process is staunched with in a week the towering piles of exercise books and theatre programs could bury a small unwary child in an avalanche of domestic flotsam.
Planned to create one of those perfect domestic moments in the kitchen today , Phoebe was to bake a cake and I to make a cottage pie for supper (a bit too appropriate !) before inviting friends to join us for afternoon tea. All seemed to be going well until I sent out the text invitations to partake in freshly baked cake and jammy doggers ! I shall never be able to look at those particular biscuits in the same light again and I'm sure neither will our unsuspecting friends.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Quick Sand !
Yes , it official , it's quick sand !
Recarved base of corbel and found out really how much needs to be taken away and redesigned . It's wooden butchery , the client likes the top bit , but totally wants to change the rest ! It's only been about a year since I did the first drawings !
So more drawings , more money I suppose but how long is the Dragon going to take,I may have to carve more heads than on a Hydra !
Recarved base of corbel and found out really how much needs to be taken away and redesigned . It's wooden butchery , the client likes the top bit , but totally wants to change the rest ! It's only been about a year since I did the first drawings !
So more drawings , more money I suppose but how long is the Dragon going to take,I may have to carve more heads than on a Hydra !
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Art Attack !
What a freaky Saturday !! I have just been judging an inter house competion at Winchester College . There are stories of students storming out after the decisions are announced , judges hiding in toilets and one judge suffering the wrath of the head master after miss pronouncing house names . Last year two houses were missed completely and the event only discussed in hushed tones .
Having said all of that it was really good fun , some really interesting work and very pleasnt boys ,the only really scary bit was when half way through , maybe getting a little cockey , my mind went blank and everything seemed to slow down ! Tumble weed had blown by and I swear a clock chimed thirteen before Emma ,head of Art saved me !!
Hope what I said made sense ,it all passed in a blur.
Having said all of that it was really good fun , some really interesting work and very pleasnt boys ,the only really scary bit was when half way through , maybe getting a little cockey , my mind went blank and everything seemed to slow down ! Tumble weed had blown by and I swear a clock chimed thirteen before Emma ,head of Art saved me !!
Hope what I said made sense ,it all passed in a blur.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Load of corbels!
So the saga of the corbel continues !
I think colour has been approved but the elegant length must be shortened by a quarter .
The dragon I'm carving for them has yet to be finished , I dread to think how the sands will shift on that one , as long as they don't become quick sand .
Went to concert in the cathedral last night , Phoebe was singing in a choir . The snow was falling , so was the temperature in that ancient pile . I was told off for being hatted in that sacred space , felt unusually feisty on account of the corbel crisis and challenged the fact that only men had to remove head gear !
Did what I was told then slowly froze for the duration .
I think colour has been approved but the elegant length must be shortened by a quarter .
The dragon I'm carving for them has yet to be finished , I dread to think how the sands will shift on that one , as long as they don't become quick sand .
Went to concert in the cathedral last night , Phoebe was singing in a choir . The snow was falling , so was the temperature in that ancient pile . I was told off for being hatted in that sacred space , felt unusually feisty on account of the corbel crisis and challenged the fact that only men had to remove head gear !
Did what I was told then slowly froze for the duration .
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Slugged at 6 !
Friday morning , 6.45 am , removing kamikazi slugs from conservatory plug sockets to restart electrics.
Clients buttocks slightly too generous on the sculpture so spent day slimming them down . This piece could go on for ever as nothing but near perfection will be good enough , may never get a chance to sculpt such a theatrical piece again!Who said that perfection was like the light cast by a carried candle and never reached ?
Spent Saturday night waving a stick at the lethargy that can be "middle aged socialising" . Giggled copiously and Harriet achieved hero status as champion chocolate orange catcher from forehead ( no hands!) See the footage for yourself!
Winter is really here , carving on a bramble bush for one of the Queens lady in waiting is going well, after this week I'll be on the berries carved out of black walnut and purple heart.
Clients buttocks slightly too generous on the sculpture so spent day slimming them down . This piece could go on for ever as nothing but near perfection will be good enough , may never get a chance to sculpt such a theatrical piece again!Who said that perfection was like the light cast by a carried candle and never reached ?
Spent Saturday night waving a stick at the lethargy that can be "middle aged socialising" . Giggled copiously and Harriet achieved hero status as champion chocolate orange catcher from forehead ( no hands!) See the footage for yourself!
Winter is really here , carving on a bramble bush for one of the Queens lady in waiting is going well, after this week I'll be on the berries carved out of black walnut and purple heart.
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