Too tired to think

I sat sketching some of my china pieces, in pencil and I think I made them too dark when I tried to darken them. Just a small hodge podge of what I have, cheese dishes, spill vase a Staffordshire dog and a glass hen on a nest. oh and I forgot the little Staffordshire house I bought in London in 1971.
I had a good day today, tidying up the house and washing and doing things that needed to be done around the place, it is going to warm up but at the moment it is a lovely evening.
Weaver had made some comments about ageing and I have replied in my other blog Back Valley Seasons which you will find a link to in the side bar. I thought it was a good topic but I am not sure I know how to deal with it.
Perhaps Soseki in his Haiku comes near to it.
Dreaming of shouting
cicadas,
I waken parched
from my noonday nap.

Naughty hen

I went up to feed the hens this afternoon and left the door a tiny bit open while I filled the water up and one wandered out, normally they just peck around my feet but this one decided to have fun with me and shot off at a great rate with me in pursuit as the old male pug loves killing chooks,you wouldnt think they could but they do so he normally is kept well away from them, so he went off after her as well and there she was trying to fly squawking and carrying on as she went. I did finally manage to round her up, after shutting Tuppy, the dog away.
Such silly things but I do like the eggs they give me, but drawing them! I still havent got the knack. I suppose if I had time I should go up and practice when they are out but at this time of the year!!
I managed to wrap a few presents this morning after going in to the farmers market and I finished another bracelet. Only about 2 more of those to go but will I have the time.
I felt quite wicked this afternoon doing the bracelet and watching the Kirov Ballets tribute to Nijinsky, I only saw the Polotskian (?) dancers and the Firebird, I missed the other two, but the costumes and the dancers were so lovely. I saw both of these ballets here in Australia as a teenager and have loved ballet ever since, I once thought I might like to be a ballet dancer but my toes were not right and I am sure I would never have had the dedication. Unfortunately I dont see it these days, it is so expensive and would mean a night in Adelaide.
Shiki is the writer of tonight's Haiku
Enviable leaves,
becoming
so beautiful
just before falling...

Angels angels every where

Wherever I have been lately there have been little girls scurrying along, usually with a parent in tow heading for the end of the school year nativity plays. Mostly dressed in some form or another as angels.
I remember that during my early years at school I really wanted to be something other than an angel, but an angel I was, dressed in white muslin and holding a Christmas lily who always made me feel faint as I stood in the sun on some wooden staging at least 2 feet from the ground in the sun. At our school it was always outside, and always in the late afternoon when the sun was at its hottest as in those days schools did not have halls, this was during and just after the war.
This all came back to me this afternoon as I sat trying to get my aching back into some form of submission after a busy day, again. (I will be so glad when I am on the Island and can relax.)
I started drawing an angel who is by the tv and it went on from there.
Cake no 4 is done and I have sorted out some of the Christmas presents into bags, I dont think I am going to make any more, I seem to have plenty of left over ones from last year and there is no point in stressing.
I walked over to take a photo of the latest foal this evening, and the camera had a non existent battery, very annoying but the light wasnt terribly good any way.
I have put in a request for a new Haiku book but was told I could get them off the net, somehow its not the same and I like books.
Tonight's is by Onitsura, there is more to this one than you may think.
A voiceless flower
speaks
to the obedient
in-listening ear.

The tree is up and from the kitchen marvellous smells are coming

I have spent most of the morning finding all the tree decorations and all the other things that normally go into one cupboard and obviously last year had to go into two. It is only a little tree but it is the first one we ever had and it fits into a very cluttered room reasonably well.
I did the sketch of all the things on the kitchen table that were waiting to go into no 3 boiled fruit cake. One possibly two more to make.
I have had a terribly tiring few days, and so blogging has not been at the top of my list. I came home from Adelaide pretty tired and although the rain we have had has been wonderful the changeable weather does make joints ache.
My mother was really quite with it when I saw her, but it was virtually one of those drive up and almost straight home again although I did call into a friend who gave me lunch and then I decided to drive the less stressful but longer way home through the hills. I noticed as I drove in that we had another foal, I think we are up to 20 odd, far too many, and about another 2 I hope to go, although a colt got in with the fillies and goodness knows if he got many in foal or not.
I have written out almost all the Christmas cards today too, the overseas ones must go or they wont get there. I always worry that as I have written them a few will come in from people I decided not to send to this year! Much easier if we were all on the net.
I would like a new Haiku book for Christmas but I dont think I will get one.
This one is by Kubutsu
Gazing at falling
petals,
a baby almost
looks like a Buddha.

Actually at a certain age most babies look like a Buddha!

My Christmas doodle

When the brain feels like mush but one has finished a Christmas stocking, baked another cake, baked a loaf of bread and had blood taken perhaps one is entitled to sit on the new couch with the cat in the sun room and do a doodle which special people might get as a Christmas card.
Then again I might do another one, we will see.
The forcast is for rain this evening, I hope so as although it is not very warm it has been dry and every drop of rain will count this summer.
I am afraid if you want to see the stocking you will have to go here, I do run two blogs and this one really is for sketching and the other is for all the other stuff. I do hope people sometimes go to both.
Tonight's Haiku is by Buson
When the autumn wind
scatters peonies,
a few
petals fall in pairs.

I have been busy.

There is a bit of this and a bit of that in this blog post. We went for a walk late this afternoon and I did this quick sketch of Wright Island and the beach and a few granite boulders, the beach has a lot of sand on it here which normally it doesnt, we have had a few high tides but also the new breakwater built for the boat landing facility may be making a difference.
It was a glorious day and afternoon with boats in the bay, a cool breeze and if my knee wasnt being such a pain I really would have enjoyed it more. I am beginning to think that falling off that table was the worst thing I could have done.
Then there is Oscar, about to jump into a sink full of fish, he was so excited he made a great lunge, as you can see John had a good day fishing and we had a plaki (Greek fish dish) for dinner last night.
Then there is a photo of what I did yesterday, as well as feed ponies, I made 3 tote bags to put Christmas presents in instead of buying paper bags , I aim to make a few more, they were so easy and they are lined. I am using up lots of material that I dont use.
Then the first of about 4 boiled fruitcakes that I am making as Christmas presents for the children. This one has rum in it and came out really well, so easy and it is called a boiled fruit cake as you boil together the sugar, butter, fruit, golden syrup and rum for a minute. Then make as a normal cake, it is always so rich and not in the least bit dry. Yum.
If you want more photos go to my other blog here.
Finally tonight's Haiku is by Shiki
Frog- school competing
with lark-school
softly at dusk
in the art of song.

De commissioned Church in Kelso

Well I dont quite know what else to call it as it is one of the many in the UK and I presume Scotland which have been sold as they are no longer economic, or there are too many churches in one place or perhaps they amalgamated, I dont know. I am not sure but I think this magnificent one, of which I sketched a pretty scrappy piece, is used for some sort of community thing.
What do you do with old churches? Not much fun to live in, cost the earth for upkeep and yet some are far too lovely to pull down.
I may not be on this blog much for the next week or so but I will keep up the other one, trying to find time to sketch or paint is not easy in the run up to Christmas, especially at the moment with the girls away and me having to do the feeds, of which there are an awful lot.
We had another foal this morning, thank goodness this one knew all about what he should be doing.
However my knee is being an absolute pain which is now transfering to my hip so I am being awfully slow.
The best thing is that I have had Gaby out with Mason helping me and although he is a very busy little boy he is also quite delightful.
I was also given a sofa bed I need another bed for when people come but this was rather larger than I thought it was and I have had to re organise the sun room so it can go in there, it did however make me do a thorough clean and tidy out which has been good.
A Haiku by Basho.
The oak tree stands
noble on the hill
even in
cherry blossom time.