Letter from home

Well, France, Canada and the UK have finally said something to Nethanyahu and I’m thankful, even if it is a year too late. Let’s pray that concrete action will indeed follow.

My thoughts return to Gaza throughout every day, and I look for every opportunity to sell my cards, with all the profits going to Medical Aid for Palestinians. 

A selection…

Dave just told me off for trying to make every occasion a marketing opportunity. I suppose he’s right, and people should be able to visit us without being pounced on. 

On Wednesday I went on an ‘introduction to oil painting’ course. It was held at Chatsworth House

…in the old potting shed. It was interesting and enjoyable and convinced me I don’t like oils! They take too long to dry and I am too impatient. I want to get on with my paintings, not do a bit and then wait 24 hours before I can do any more.

Acrylics are my medium. Having said that, I’ve been finding it hard to get started lately. And I’ve discarded my two latest paintings as failures. I don’t know if it’s because my health has been sub-optimal, or what. I feel as though I’ve lost faith in myself.

Maybe it’s the sunny weather making me think I should be doing something more active outside. I find painting outside too distracting. The trees and the flowers are so beautiful. Everything around here is gorgeous right now. May in England is the best month of all. The trees are lush, the cow parsley along the lane is high, the skies have been blue for several weeks.

But now every gardener and farmer is longing for some rain. I’d like it to rain every night and be dry by breakfast time.

The best thing that’s happened on the home front this week is the blackbird. For weeks he’s been somewhere else, and I was pining for him, but now every teatime  he sits on the chimney and sings to us in the garden.

Here are two poems that relate to this rambling post…