What was your fasting blood glucose? (full on chat)

[Muddy Cyclist]

@dunelm two more very well created ink drawings from yourself today, clever additions of buildings in the first and people in the second to give an idea of scale.

Busy walks I think is how it maybe for some time, the shopping crowds have discovered the great outdoors. It's only Monday and my Muddy Cycle ride on Cannock Chase found all sorts of age mixes serious walking, ambling walking, running, Cycling and generally busier than weekends before Covid, I can still find remote but only by venturing into thick forest or some heathland areas that are too boggy for most. I now have to have my whits about me when trying to find some quiet place for a Pea, never a problem in the past, Lava Trees are such a rare breed, all Douglas Fir, Oaks, Beech, Silver Birch and Larch trees.

 

[Muddy Cyclist]

I managed a wonderful sunny three hour Muddy Bike Ride this morning. Passed some Alder Trees casting long shadows on frosty grass thought I might paint this but have realised I can't paint Alders for toffee. So here is a very poor attempt at not capturing what I saw, Pastel and A4 size, terrible but you can't win em all..

Out of frustration I have started an A4 watercolour of a familiar view over Birches Valley, thin light and distant patches of Larch you can see where they will be and also the Silver Birch to the left and right in middle ground and foreground will finish it Tuesday. Need peace and positive creativity with music, Mandolin and guitar maybe Bass recorder and Practice a good old Cornish Carol 'Arise and Hail the Glorious Star' in good old Sheffield Carol tradition.

PS Any musician or singer who fancies having ago at recording themselves to this carol and sending the recording off to be mereged with many other musicians drop me a PM and I will send links to music, instructions and sound files.

 

[ianpspurs]

I had been having quite the day when all goes so much better than I could have imagined. My fbg , weight and resting pulse were spiffing. My first ever visit to an optician was lurvly - eyes good, very safe and escaped with only £10 bill for the enhanced test. My beloved Range Rover all fixed, MOTd and came in under my bottom estimate. We saw some beautiful horses in Newmarket, smelled all the Emirates money there and found some yellow stickered loveliness in Waitrose. Then, @dunelm and @Alien Aspie go and let real reality invade my rant against The Gumpster. Thanks for nothing chaps

 

[Muddy Cyclist]

It was beautiful at sunrise, but absolutely freezing with a hard frost in the night.

My wood shredder is up and working. Makes a satisfying early morning noise. But my fingers were frozen, and so I came in to warm up.

But not before I'd had an idea. My bamboo is nice and thick (for canes next year), and needs thinning, and cutting down somewhat before we have a wet snow. Bamboo with heavy wet snow on it gets pushed to the ground. And can break and flatten any structure in its path. The bamboo however, once the snow melts, returns back to upright again. I know this, because it flattened a pagoda I had spent weeks and weeks that summer in my garden.

I have just cut some bamboo right down to the ground, and pre-tested my idea a bit, which is self-explanatory (I hope in my painting for today).

If you can't beat them, then join them. This will face his kitchen door and window. He has Xmas decorations, then I will have Xmas decorations. No Xmas lights on my side however. Just a barrier of colour and shapes and tinsel and baubles, which will be added to, until no flashing lights reach my bedroom window...

It was me saying to myself this morning, I can't do a thing about these flashing lights yet again from my horrid neighbour, BUT the rebel stirred up inside me, and said YES YOU CAN!

(Did I ever tell you about a teacher who whacked my head several times with the side of a ruler when I was about 5 years old? I was still in infant school then, and I was in the class for children who were backwards. I sobbed all day, my head was banging in pain. I didn't have the speech then to tell my parents, I hadn't been taught how to speak then. I was powerless. The next day I crept into the woodwork room. We had real children's sized saws, hammers, and nails in those days. I sawed the back legs of the teacher's chair as far as I was able. Hid the saw back in my skirt, and returned it to the woodwork room.

And went back outside in the playground. The teacher rang the brass handbell and we all stood in line and filed into the classroom. Then she sat on the chair. One leg collapsed, and she fell...

No one in the classroom dared laugh, and neither did I. The other children in the class had no speech, or not much speech. So she couldn't prove anything. No one had seen me do it, so no one looked in my direction.

Now, if my spirited 5 year old self can do this, what business have I saying to myself at 71 years old that I am powerless? ).


View attachment 45651

A plan!!!! And colourful also, brilliant, send photos.

 

[Muddy Cyclist]

Then, @dunelm and @Alien Aspie go and let real reality invade my rant against The Gumpster. Thanks for nothing chaps

And to make it worst, will we know which one we will be given, 90%, 70%, placebo or something totally inferior, the great experiment begins..

Late edit WORST???? Sorry Worse. Us Black Country folks gramma is appalling I blame predictive text.

Other than that sounds like your day was bostin.

 

[gennepher]

A plan!!!! And colourful also, brilliant, send photos.

I will

 

[gennepher]

I managed a wonderful sunny three hour Muddy Bike Ride this morning. Passed some Alder Trees casting long shadows on frosty grass thought I might paint this but have realised I can't paint Alders for toffee. So here is a very poor attempt at not capturing what I saw, Pastel and A4 size, terrible but you can't win em all..
View attachment 45658
Out of frustration I have started an A4 watercolour of a familiar view over Birches Valley, thin light and distant patches of Larch you can see where they will be and also the Silver Birch to the left and right in middle ground and foreground will finish it Tuesday. Need peace and positive creativity with music, Mandolin and guitar maybe Bass recorder and Practice a good old Cornish Carol 'Arise and Hail the Glorious Star' in good old Sheffield Carol tradition.
View attachment 45659

PS Any musician or singer who fancies having ago at recording themselves to this carol and sending the recording off to be mereged with many other musicians drop me a PM and I will send links to music, instructions and sound files.

I quite like your pastel of Alders.
But I know what you mean when something is frustrating...

 

[Muddy Cyclist]

I quite like your pastel of Alders.
But I know what you mean when something is frustrating...

Thank you.

 

[geefull]

good evening all

4.4 this morning

a chilly day here but we still managed a walk before the wind and rain arrived

Hope your day is treating you kindly

@Alien Aspie - that's a wonderful winter scene, very accomplished

@Muddy Cyclist - I like your tree pastel with it's lengthened shadows
I'm ashamed to say I have no real idea what an alder looks like

@lindisfel - very handsome the bullrushes and foliage are nicely drawn too.

@gennepher - many hugs for the horrible neighbour, I think your idea of utilising your bamboo has real promise, pictures please

@dunelm - two effective cliffscapes, I enjoy these very much I like how you're never fazed by trying new materials

art bit -
thank you for the compliments on my sparkly sea, done with dry brush and luck I know what I wanted and sometimes it works

after my snow attempt of the other day today's attempt is looking at the colour palette and is after a snowscape by an artist called Maria Ginzburg. Slightly larger than A5 and done with my white nights watercolours.

 

[JohnEGreen]

Hi all my fbg this morning was 5.1

 

[SaskiaKC]

good evening all

4.4 this morning

a chilly day here but we still managed a walk before the wind and rain arrived

Hope your day is treating you kindly

@Alien Aspie - that's a wonderful winter scene, very accomplished

@Muddy Cyclist - I like your tree pastel with it's lengthened shadows
I'm ashamed to say I have no real idea what an alder looks like

@lindisfel - very handsome the bullrushes and foliage are nicely drawn too.

@gennepher - many hugs for the horrible neighbour, I think your idea of utilising your bamboo has real promise, pictures please

@dunelm - two effective cliffscapes, I enjoy these very much I like how you're never fazed by trying new materials

art bit -
thank you for the compliments on my sparkly sea, done with dry brush and luck I know what I wanted and sometimes it works

after my snow attempt of the other day today's attempt is looking at the colour palette and is after a snowscape by an artist called Maria Ginzburg. Slightly larger than A5 and done with my white nights watercolours.

View attachment 45664

That is beautiful!

 

[RFSMarch]

Morning 6.1
I ended up binge watching the BBC2 documentary The Trials of Oscar Pistorius ... haven’t changed my opinion of him since his conviction ... understand to a point the criticism of the documentary that it forgets about Reeva except for a couple of the people involved who deliver timely reminders. Overall glad I watched it to make up my own mind!

I am two floors up and listening to the lovely sound of the bin men and hoping that the wheel of fortune with regards to the earth sciences degree we need in Richmond to use the recycling bins serves me well. Then will be the sport the whole street can play in - where did you leave my bins.

Happy Tuesday!

 

[dunelm]

@dunelm two more very well created ink drawings from yourself today, clever additions of buildings in the first and people in the second to give an idea of scale.

Busy walks I think is how it maybe for some time, the shopping crowds have discovered the great outdoors. It's only Monday and my Muddy Cycle ride on Cannock Chase found all sorts of age mixes serious walking, ambling walking, running, Cycling and generally busier than weekends before Covid, I can still find remote but only by venturing into thick forest or some heathland areas that are too boggy for most. I now have to have my whits about me when trying to find some quiet place for a Pea, never a problem in the past, Lava Trees are such a rare breed, all Douglas Fir, Oaks, Beech, Silver Birch and Larch trees.

Thank you @Muddy Cyclist. The zombies are invading Cannock Chase then - peddle away quickly, it’s surprising how fast they can move

 

[UserABC2021]

5.3 to begin the day and as it seems to be a warm start at 10C I think I shall spend some time outdoors.

It is comforting to know that bin men nationwide are cast from the same mold. I had considered glueing my old phone to the most errant of bins so I could call it to save some time. Perhaps those keyrings that beeped when you whistled might also work

Enjoy the day

 

[lindisfel]

Bin day today, it was nice putting the bins out in a howling gale and pouring rain last night. The wind was still howling like a banshee at bed time.
We have four wheelie bins and a bin day with 3 out results in enough exercise for exposure to the elements for an old man at night.
It is absolute pitch black outside but the house lights come on, I still have a head LED light. In fact I have two and they carve a circle in the darkness, I can charge one and use the other when one is flat.

Fortunately all the bogarts run away when they see a giant struggling with his bins!

Another wet grass day in prospect that required a change in prediction from the Met Office again. They would do better with fir cones.

 

[dunelm]

Good morning everyone on a crispy cream start the the day in the dark and dangerous north

The wonder wheel of what can you cram into a three egg omelette came in at a flat fence sitting 5.0 this am

@Muddy Cyclist - sorry that you had such uncooperative Alders and look forward to seeing the larch and silver birch - they tend to make better sitters.
@gennepher - good luck with Bamboo-tinsel-wall - she is building a wall and they are paying for it.
@geefull - thank you, the acetone/ink drip is interesting. White nights watercolours looking great, I can hear that snow crunching under my boots - cold and crisp and even.

Listening to the news - so many people in tears about the upcycled tiers for next week - I will be listening to my simple clockwork data file in the depths of my noggin - stay away from everyone - wear my mask - wash my hands like Melvin in the film “As good as it gets”. Like Dracula, the virus needs to be invited over your threshold to do any damage. I recommend garlic. Sad that there seems to be more people now skewing the bell curve west of the 16th percentile.

Finally managed to watch the 2nd episode of Rob Rinder’s - My Family, The Holocaust and Me - desperate but well put together. I became a witness in the 1970’s when visiting Dachau and then again at Bergen-Belsen and lately at Auschwitz. The Rinder family lost most of their family at Treblinka.

Youngest granddaughter again today - what fun! Art today on rice paper and then again after applying a blue wash, to the back. Time for koffy. Have a great Tuesday.

 

[Muddy Cyclist]

good evening all

4.4 this morning

a chilly day here but we still managed a walk before the wind and rain arrived

Hope your day is treating you kindly

@Alien Aspie - that's a wonderful winter scene, very accomplished

@Muddy Cyclist - I like your tree pastel with it's lengthened shadows
I'm ashamed to say I have no real idea what an alder looks like

@lindisfel - very handsome the bullrushes and foliage are nicely drawn too.

@gennepher - many hugs for the horrible neighbour, I think your idea of utilising your bamboo has real promise, pictures please

@dunelm - two effective cliffscapes, I enjoy these very much I like how you're never fazed by trying new materials

art bit -
thank you for the compliments on my sparkly sea, done with dry brush and luck I know what I wanted and sometimes it works

after my snow attempt of the other day today's attempt is looking at the colour palette and is after a snowscape by an artist called Maria Ginzburg. Slightly larger than A5 and done with my white nights watercolours.

View attachment 45664

Thank you, whilst doing this sketch it became obvious I don't know what alder Trees look like either.

That's a lovely snow painting from you, a minimal choice of colour and lots of unpainted paper and very well executed. So that's your Christmas cards sorted.

 

[Muddy Cyclist]

5.3 to begin the day and as it seems to be a warm start at 10C I think I shall spend some time outdoors.

It is comforting to know that bin men nationwide are cast from the same mold. I had considered glueing my old phone to the most errant of bins so I could call it to save some time. Perhaps those keyrings that beeped when you whistled might also work

Enjoy the day

I remember the days when Bin men walked to the back of your property, carried Bin on their backs, emptied them and then took them back to the rear of your house where they found them, what could be simpler?

 

[gennepher]

Fbg 6.3


Horrendously windy here.
But it is warm at 12 C

Late yesterday evening after I cut down the bamboo, I leant it on my glass door bedroom window. As a temporary measure it cut out all the flashing lights to my bedroom. However the wind has blown it all down this morning (the wind has opened the bamboo curtains for me in the night).

However, when I went to the bathroom in the evening, the flashing lights nearly caused an intense visual migraine, and was like someone had punched me in the stomach. It is the frosted windows which intensifies those alternately flashing lights a hundred fold. It is a torture.

So I need to address that today.

My horrible neighbour doesn't know how close he has come to this being his last year on this earth...

I have come to the conclusion however, that I will only cut down my trees and bamboo in November, and line the wall between him and me, for the Xmas flashing light period, and then remove (or maybe not...) then in February and shred the cut branches of trees then.

It is a pity that between me and him is a concrete driveway where I cannot plant anything in the ground.

I did some years ago, buy some large plastic dustbins, and planted evergreens in them that should have grown to the height I needed. But his looks over the wall withered the tops of them, and they never grew higher than the top of the 6 foot wall.

Blue skies emerging outside and pink fluffy clouds....

An idea is emerging...I need more plastic dustbins...they are relatively cheap...about five should do it...I wonder if Amazon do cheap plastic dustbins?

I haven't cut down my Buddleia yet, and there is a white one that was particularly vigorously growing this year....

Ah, I did post awhile ago that my Amazon deliveries were being turned away from the Liverpool Amazon facility as undeliverable. There was too many of them, and although Amazon had said they would automatically refund my account, they didn't, and consequently I had to chase each one up, via their chat app. Finally I threatened I was not going to use them again and close my Amazon account. Now my parcels are being delivered to the Chester facility, just a few miles from here, and then they are distributed to the van drivers and now delivered to me from their Chester facility. No more problems.

A friend told me her husband was working from home, just being employed by Amazon to deal with phone calls etc, because of a lot of delivering problems with Amazon at the moment. There are a lot of temporary drivers at the moment, using their own cars, and hoping for Amazon delivery jobs. The Amazon distribution facility in Liverpool is in Knowsley, more than half an hour away from Liverpool and then to go through the tunnels to get over the water to here, and then another more than half hour to get to this area in Wales. You would not be taking on this particular delivery job, which adds on over another two hours on to your daily delivery rounds before you can actually deliver. Consequently the poor temporary drivers were being handed these jobs, and ended up refusing them, and more. So, that was the answer to my parcels being returned or refused from the Liverpool Amazon facility.

Right, the day is calling me from outside now...don't know how long it is going to stay nice, but it is getting warmer despite a lashing wind...

I think a coffee is calling me first, and play catch up on here...a painting will happen when I come in for a rest...

 

[karen8967]

5.1 for me