My New Mantra

So, to save yourselves the pain, bloodshed and tears, and potentially a trip to A&E, .... take a good look and heed my words!
linocut etching tools are molevalent devil's spears in disguise. one unlucky placed hand and one misfortunate slip off the lino and you'll be mopping blood off the kitchen floor for days (unless you manage to stitch or superglue the thing).
Top tip, if you don't feel like being bothered with amulences or hospital trip... SUPERGLUE :)

I'd never be a surfer

Once upon a time there was a little person called Joey. Joey loves walks out come rain or shine. One day she stepped out in the drizzle for some fresh air. It was damp but not too wet. As she walked she got damp too, but not too wet. She was quite happy.
Some time later, not far up the road behind her, a white-van-man was speeding along merrily in his big white van. Suddenly the happy white-van-man noticed a huge puddle in the road and though 'What fun would it be to make a great splash!' So he charged his big white van through the big wide puddle, and he was so pleased with the wave that it made!

At the same time, Joey was strolling by the big wide puddle daydreaming to herself, thinking 'I do hate water, I'd never ever be a surfer!' SUddenly, she snapped out of her musings and gauped up where the sky had been, to see a great big tidal wave looking over her head. She stared in amazement, thinking she must be daydreaming.
Then she realised she wasn't dreaming when the great wave came crashing over her, drenching her head to toe!
'... that was a very cold, wet daydream', she thought, 'I hope i don't have that again.'
... poor joey could not have been wetter if she'd fallen off her surfboard! So now she was very soggy, and not quite so happy...

The Well of Souls

24/09/18
last week i found myself engaged in some deep discussion about souls and spirits from the subject of mindfulness and energy.
This has been my belief since the moment my tiny baby brain could function, i cant explain why or where, its not been taught, or learned or forced... it just is. Our bodies are merely things for our souls to take physical form in, a soul is everlasting and once it is finished with its body it returns to a large pool of souls (or a well). When its time, it shoots off across the galaxy and finds new life in another form, be it animal, plant, human or even alien (we still dont know whats out there on other planets)

Brother, you are like a boomerang

Joey to brother: "You are like a boomerang. you can throw it as far as you can, it will always come back. And if youre not expecting it you end up with an all-mighty concusion!"

All things bright and beautiful... and utterly painful!

19/09/18 - All things bright and beautiful... because most things are.

This ink today is invaluable for two reasons.

The biggen - It's full of memories of Grandad (be at peace <3 ) , it ignites visions of him as a child, memories that come in youthful, fleeting snapshots, as its the one hymn that stamped in my young memory at his funeral, if nothing else. That is the heart <3

Second: I've found myself telling many people they are worth a lot, they should think more of themselves and others consider them on kindness, energy and not on appearence. Beautiful on the inside makes beauty on the outside.

But i dont actually take my own advise. So reason #2 is to give me this unavoidable.... unerasable! note-to-self .... and to others that catch me in my usual short-shorts get-up!

Love yourself, you are worth it..... worth the sheer agony of a thigh tattoo and THAT is something!!!

If sleep had an on-off switch ...

The SPOOKY Swallow and Swift

if posting the same post from this day last year wasnt enough, now we had to go and paint the SAME bird we photographed this day 2013
Swallows and swifts, if you've ever wondered the difference, wonder no more! they are very distinct. Also these two are on a 140mph (70mph each) collision course! not the intention but what the hey

Don't slide over a crack, or you'll break grandsnail's back!

Question the Everyday

??? No one cares or ever notices a tiny woodlouse on a wall. WHere do these intredpic land crustaceans come from? The ocean of course, like most creatures. Life comes from an elite few organisms in the distance past, before the history of time and in the Earth early stages.
Or maybe they are just cute :)