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

alf_Josiah said:
Evening all possibly fake news, but just had notification that sprouts are going to be rationed over Christmas, but also due to multiple local lockdowns Christmas could be brought forward to Nov, not sure of the date yet.
Best get your orders in for sprouts.
Again I cannot verify this news.
When and if I get confirmation I shall let our fellow posters and painters know.
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Worse yet @alf_Josiah. Father Christmas will need to quarantine after all the countries on the blacklist. He needs to set off now to be here by December 25th. He also has a problem fitting a mask over that beard:angelic:.
 
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Muddy Cyclist said:
A busy day then, take care, I see you managed to practice some graffiti style art before your big city adventure, are you taking your spray paint? :)

Interesting lettering, any meaning?

Edited, post had reply twice, removed one of them
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Oh dear. This lettering is the word Mu (pronounced moo) or in Chinese Wu (woo). In it’s simple term it means “no’ or ‘not’. But in Zen (in Chinese, Chan) it’s a bit more complex - a bit like saying ‘what is the sound of one hand clapping” - Mu - probably not-one-thingness is thusness. I am not steeped enough to to explain better but Mu is probably the gateway meditation to Zen. I wrote it in what is called Running script. In Clerical script it would look something like this:
upload_2020-8-30_18-17-2.jpeg
 
alf_Josiah said:
Evening all possibly fake news, but just had notification that sprouts are going to be rationed over Christmas, but also due to multiple local lockdowns Christmas could be brought forward to Nov, not sure of the date yet.
Best get your orders in for sprouts.
Again I cannot verify this news.
When and if I get confirmation I shall let our fellow posters and painters know.
Click to expand...
That should reduce the greenhouse gases, Alf.:)
 
dunelm said:
Oh dear. This lettering is the word Mu (pronounced moo) or in Chinese Wu (woo). In it’s simple term it means “no’ or ‘not’. But in Zen (in Chinese, Chan) it’s a bit more complex - a bit like saying ‘what is the sound of one hand clapping” - Mu - probably not-one-thingness is thusness. I am not steeped enough to to explain better but Mu is probably the gateway meditation to Zen. I wrote it in what is called Running script. In Clerical script it would look something like this:
View attachment 43641
Click to expand...
Thank you, something new learnt yet again.
 
good evening all :)

was 4.2 yesterday and 4.2 today

Chicken stuffed and wrapped in bacon today for lunch ;)

It's a mixed day of weather with a few showers, not warm but pretty windy so we may end up having to water some things growing in pots this evening :sorry:

Hope your day is treating you kindly :)

@dunelm - loved the misty pagoda :joyful: and that's some interesting calligraphy, it's amazing how difficult that deceptive simplicity is to do :hilarious:

@gennepher - cute starlings, very much like the ones we get on the edge of our roof, there are a couple of families have taken up residence in a bush outside our house and they come out one at a time to join the line on the roof edge then all fly off at once :)
Very effective beachscape, very spacious :)

@lindisfel - lovely countryside you have there and an impressive painting of the drake :)

@ianpspurs - nice art, there is something very satisfying about that flat distant landscape. We have our own version of 'fendom' nearby, it's mostly farmland and salt marsh.
Glad you're here, keeping on keeping on ;)

@Alien Aspie - both your digital paintings work well :) Urquhart Castle is sort of in my locale, we've been here for years and never seen Nessie either :D the water in the second picture is very effective in the foreground and the distant hills give good depth to the scene :)

@Muddy Cyclist - lovely ride, that's some really delightful countryside :)
That's an amazing painting for 15 mins. you really show us some very accomplished work :joyful:

art bit -

this is from a photo I saw on the net, using the resist ;)
upload_2020-8-30_19-0-11.jpeg
 
Krystyna23040 said:
Oh no. I love sprouts so will rush out today and stock up the freezer. I used to hate sprouts but lately have noticed that they are much sweeter. Probably makes them higher carb - but for me they are now edible.
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Sprouts have been bred to taste less bitter over a number of years. There is a suggestion that they may be slightly less nutritious now, no idea whether the carb content has changed though.
https://www.bhg.com/news/brussels-sprouts-less-bitter/
 
dunelm said:
Oh dear. This lettering is the word Mu (pronounced moo) or in Chinese Wu (woo). In it’s simple term it means “no’ or ‘not’. But in Zen (in Chinese, Chan) it’s a bit more complex - a bit like saying ‘what is the sound of one hand clapping” - Mu - probably not-one-thingness is thusness. I am not steeped enough to to explain better but Mu is probably the gateway meditation to Zen. I wrote it in what is called Running script. In Clerical script it would look something like this:
View attachment 43641
Click to expand...

Just to add to your excellent explanation of 'wu'.

'Wu' is best known in the west as in wu wei one of the noble expressions of Daoism. It directly means 'action through inaction' and is often associated with the western idea of not pushing the river.

To do without doing can be easily expressed as in breathing, a semi-autonomous process that we all undertake from birth. Most humans do not even think about breathing most of the time and during those times we say that the breathing is in a state of wu wei, it is happening without effort.

To live ones life in a maximum state of wu wei is a daoists goal but doesn't mean 'doing nothing', it means more that we become so accustomed to each act that we can achieve it effortlessly - like breathing.

Whilst wu or wu wei is useful in a spiritual journey it is not defined as such, as a noble truth it belongs to everyone from the lowest to the loftiest to be used each moment. A skilled blacksmith, artist, or warrior can all present as wu wei. :)

wu wei.jpg

When you enlarge your mind and let go of it,
When you relax your Qi (vital breath) and expand it,
When your body is calm and unmoving:
And you can maintain the One and discard the myriad disturbances.
You will see a profit and not be enticed by it,
You will see the harm and not be frightened by it.
Relaxed and unwound, yet acutely sensitive,
In solitude, you delight in your own person.
This is called "revolving the vital breath":
Your thoughts and deeds seem heavenly.
~ taken from Wiki
 
geefull said:
good evening all :)

was 4.2 yesterday and 4.2 today

Chicken stuffed and wrapped in bacon today for lunch ;)

It's a mixed day of weather with a few showers, not warm but pretty windy so we may end up having to water some things growing in pots this evening :sorry:

Hope your day is treating you kindly :)


@gennepher - cute starlings, very much like the ones we get on the edge of our roof, there are a couple of families have taken up residence in a bush outside our house and they come out one at a time to join the line on the roof edge then all fly off at once :)
Very effective beachscape, very spacious :)


art bit -

this is from a photo I saw on the net, using the resist ;)
View attachment 43643
Click to expand...

Thank you @geefull

Wonderfull cliffs and seascape.
 
Alien Aspie said:
6.2 this morning and I'm hoping the rain holds off so I can cut the grass.

I still don't think I'm an artist, more a technician. The reflection on the lake is a good example, I simply merged the layers I had which were the background and trees, then duplicated the layer and flipped it upside down. Used a smudge brush and warp to make it look like water. So the top half is painted and the bottom half is just technical.

There is another way in Procreate to mirror things like that but it happens whilst you're doing it and it's a bit weird :)
Click to expand...
another lovely painting.
and nice explanation of HOW, it was created.


and not to distract from the skill.

My eye is drawn to the 'beach', centre left,
that looks like Cactus Dan,..
 
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