Seven Random Facts

I always give my paintings a title, and this one I called 'Madonna and Cat'.

Mim has invited fellow bloggers to write seven random facts about themselves.
Here are my seven random facts:

1.) I am not a Madonna and I hate cats (actually I am scared of them!)
2.) I have been married three times - twice to the same man!
3.) I had anorexia nervosa and bulimia for more than 25 years and still consider myself as recovering from an ED (eating disorder).
4.) I have lived and worked in four different countries.
5.) I have two definite sides to my personality, and they can battle with each other!
6.) I don't like sitting in the hot sun (despite the fact that I was born and grew up in a hot country- or because of it)!
7.) I hate social gatherings and parties. This surprises people because I am such an extrovert. (See number 5).

Feel free to write your seven facts too.

Animal Wednesday and Giggles #80

"They don't keep you on a lead, because they want you to run away!"

Happy Animal Wednesday everyone!

I'm a Nobody

My dear friend, Human Being has asked fellow bloggers to write their own version of this Emily Dickenson's poem. I'll join you HB. Hugs and wfs to you.

Here's the original:

I'm Nobody

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there’s a pair of us — don’t tell!

They’d banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!

How public, like a frog

To tell your name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

Here's my version:

I'm a Maze

I'm a maze! Who are you?

Are you a maze(d), too?

Then there's a mass of us - don't tell!

They'd surprise you, you know.

How confusing to be somebody!

How puzzling, like a puzzle.

To (full)fil your wonder the livelong day

To an amazing b(l)og.

Giggles #79

"Can I send my baby an e mail?"

Giggles #78

"Don't believe everything you think!"

Cactus Monday

'Pastels Senita'....or maybe 'Fireworks Senita'.

Happy Cactus Monday cactuteers!

Wrinkles and Giggles #77

"Myrtle, you're still as beautiful as the day we met....by the way, have you seen my glasses anywhere?"

"No, Albert my dearest."

I posted this as my Giggles #17 and it is perfect for the IF topic this week.

I love seeing a long-married couple still holding hands, caring for each other and as close as 'two peas in a pod'!

There are more people over 60 than there are children (in the UK). People with wrinkles are now calling for more power (called the 'Grey power'). Demands range from a genuine regard for our skills and wisdom, to financial independence and a greater choice of housing in later years.

'Go wrinklies go!!!'

Giggles #77

"Be careful! Grandma's just had her nipples pierced!"

Meeting Mim

At last, we met. Hubby took me out to the airport to meet Mim at her hotel and we only had a bare hour or so till we had to be elsewhere. Pretty in pink, we fell into each other's arms giggling and hugging.

I just 'knew' Mim instantly. She is everything I ever imagined she would be and far more.

She is an attractive, chatty, effusive, homely, loving (adores her husband), kind and charming lady. We bonded immediately, had so much in common, and didn't stop talking for about 100 minutes without breath! I don't even remember finishing my drink!

And of course I had to take her out to the car to meet Neil and Snuffles - who then wanted to be in the photo with us.

Lasting memories, that is all that we can ask for in life.

I loved meeting you Mim, and wish your Dad a speedy recovery soon.

This is specially for you!

It is good to be a woman:
1.) We got off the Titanic first.
2.) Taxis stop for us.
3.) We don't look like a frog in a blender when dancing.
4.) We don't have to pass gas to amuse ourselves.
5.) If we forget to shave, no one has to know.
6.) We never have to reach down every five minutes to make sure our privates are still there.
7.) We can scare male bosses with the mysterious gynecological disorder excuses.

WAR

The challenge this week on Monday Artday is WAR.

A short word, but such an ugly word. Compared to fun, hug, sit, jog, wet.....

On 9th April 2003 Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled, and I painted this on that day.

We had been working in Kuwait for four years at that time and had come back to London while the war was on.

It was a very scary time in my life, living in the country right next to Iraq while war was imminent.... and afterwards when I got back to Kuwait, I decided I had to get out. So I returned to London, while Neil stayed another year and finished his contract.

I remember that day like it was yesterday!

Giggles #75

"Never go to bed angry......stay up and plot your revenge!"

Giggles #74

"You are what you eat."

NOT Animal Wednesday

Having been born and lived in Africa for the first 38 years of my life, I am passionate about wild animals. I have seen them up close, very close. Not as a hunter or on an organised safari, but from the back of a landrover, or sitting patiently waiting at a watering hole in the Kruger National Park, or floating down the Zambezi river in a small boat.

My favourite has to be the giraffe, vegetarian; graceful and elegant; calm and peaceful; long, lanky, gliding along on a breath of air.

I have just seen a documentary on Television about hunting and killing them as trophies to be taken back to boast about and hang over the fireplace, (usually by Americans). Although it is an economic reality in Africa these days, it sickened me.

If you've never been to Africa, do go, see these marvellous beasts, but please take ONLY photographs away with you when you return home.

Giggles #73

"Remember, you're unique.....like everybody else!"

Giggles #72 OR Animal Wednesday

"Oh no, Joe's got the 'hump' again!"

Animal Wednesday

When I first started learning to paint, I got a book out of the Library and copied things from it. This was one of the pages from that book.

I found it the other day and thought ' perfect for AW'

'Baa, Woof, Quack, Moo, Cluck, Grunt, Miaow.'

OR

'Happy Animal Wednesday!'

Giggles #71

"I could be trim and fit if I want to, but my friends would be jealous, and I don't want to do that to them!"

Giggles #70

"You have to eat fruit, it's very healthy for you!"

Cactus Monday

Senita left the desert and returned to London. They are all missing her there.
Happy Cactus Monday cactuteers!

Giggles #69

I love all trees, and have often wondered if they 'fancy' each other!!! Giggle!

Warm Fuzzies

Today is the last day of my two week holiday, and it's back to school tomorrow. I woke up feeling exhausted (silly really, after this lovely rest I've just had, but purely psychological).

As I've already mentioned before, I start a new challenge in my career in two weeks time. I am taking over the Nursery class (with 26 kiddies in the morning and then another 26 kiddies in the afternoon, so 52 different kids with different needs in one single day),as the teacher is going on Maternity leave for a year. Although this is my 40th year in this profession, one that has been rewarding (not financially but in every other way), pleasing, interesting, heartbreaking, playful and successful all in equal measures, I have had the least experience with 3/4 year olds. Having basically taught everyone from 5 year olds to adults in four different countries, I have avoided these little ones, considering them just tooo young.

As 'never say never' is one of the firm mottos in my life, it is no surprise that I am embarking on a whole new experience, with keenness and anticipation and lots of extra energy needed.

Becausethis is the last term of the year, they are well trained by now and in a marvellous routine (due to the excellent Teacher and Nursery Nurse's hard work). The part that I fret about is when the new batch come in this September, hardly 3 years old, crying, messy, babies really, torn from their mothers and thrust into this huge new world. Yikes, sometimes teaching is a heavy burden to carry, an onerous responsibility and any one who tells me that teachers do nothing, and get too many holidays should come and spend just one day with me in the classroom.

That is why I shall be giving myself (and them) lots of 'warm fuzzies'.

Warm fuzzies and cold pricklies:

When I saw a counsellor about 15 years ago for my Eating Disorder (I had had anorexia nervosa and bulimia for over 20 years), he told me about 'warm fuzzies' and 'cold pricklies'.

Too many of us give ourselves (and others) 'cold pricklies'...negativity, regrets, anger, chastisement and pain.

Instead we need to give ourselves (and others) lots of 'warm fuzzies' ....positivity, encouragement,welcome, kindness, warmth and love.

He taught me to stop looking for my mother's love and acceptance in everyone I meet, but rather to give myself the motherly love and acceptance in the form of 'warm fuzzies', lots of them and as often as possible!

And I do, and it works!

So, in preparing myself for the next 12 weeks at school, I will be giving myself lots of wfs today and during this time, and I am also passing lots on to all of you!

Try it, it really works, turn your 'cold pricklies' into 'warm fuzzies'. You will benefit and so will those around you!

Nursery class here I come. Life will never be the same with me around!!! grin

Primitive (IF)

I love African and Aboriginal Art. It is primitive, yet so modern!

Giggles #68

Uncle Samuel was going senile. He spent three weeks before the Passover trying to catch 'gefilte fish'!

Monday Artday (late) and Giggles #67

"What was it like in those days dad?"

Dinosaur: Monday Artday (late) and Happy Birthday Hubby!

Giggles #66

'Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself!'

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

It's my hubby's 60th today and this is the cake I ordered.

L-R: Him with the monkey (I mean his brother); him in his diving gear a few years ago; his late mom; him with our 'boy's in 1976.

We're all having supper together later, Steve's doing a fine lamb Indian curry (a la Madhur Jaffrey), with the cake for dessert adorned with a 'singing candle'.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY you old fart! and 60 kisses!

Animal Wednesday

Don't ask me what this is all about. I call it 'abstract animal thingies'! You know me, always dabbling and having fun!

Happy Animal Wednesday Mim and everyone. Mim is coming to London on a business trip and we hope to meet on Saturday 26th...if it isn't cancelled. I can't wait!

Giggles #65

"Promise me you'll look after my blogs, all 14 of them....Promise me!"

(I had to post this as a follow-up to yesterday's giggle.)

Giggles #64

"I hope you're not going to write about this on your blog as well!"

Giggles #63

"You started this by giving me a nose ring!

Happy Cactus Monday

Senita had a dream last night. She was growing proud and tall in the Senoran Desert, near Mexico and waiting for her flowers and fruit to appear!

Happy Cactus Monday fellow cactuteers!

Night

I love reading Human Being's blog, she is so deep, so mystical, so deep!

She has invited us to write a poem about the night...and this one just flowed out of my head in an instant and on to a scrap of paper:

Night

Oh how I feared the night when I was young,

Dark and gruesome

Fierce and full of woes.

Oh how I feared the night when I grew up,

Tummy empty, yet bloated still
Filled with pangs of remorse.

Now the night is fearful not,

Quiet, peaceful, all around

Sleep, rest, be still.

Fail (IF)

We are our own worst critics, and it's never more apparent than with our art.

The first painting I did on 'sugar' paper (that's what it's called here in the UK), which absorbed the watercolour too fast and seemed to smudge very quickly. ' What a failure,' I thought. 'Why do you even bother?'

'Try again, don't give up!' was my very next thought.
So I did the second one on a piece of art paper, using the same watercolour paints.... with no smudging and no absorbtion. Yet it seems so bland.....
'What the hell', I thought again.'I had fun and in any case, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and anyway, I learnt so much from doing them!'

So, I hadn't failed at all.

Don't fail to give your criticisms!

IF: Fail

Giggles #62

"I'm going to give you a sedative before you get my bill!"

Gamine

My hair cut this morning: short, practical, carefree and easy! (There are still bits of pink left here and there!)

Oxford Dictionary: gamine n. girl with mischievous grin.

I have always seen myself as a gamin/gamine. Although I can see how the 'dumbe blonde' or femme fatale can achieve what they want quickly and effortlessly, as men are attracted to them.

I am the impudent one, the down to earth, funny, don't take anything for granted sort, who has a lot more fun.

When people are bored with the empty, plastic sorts, I am the one they are drawn to, and remain with!

Just thought I'd tell you!

Giggles #61

'STRESSED' is desserts spelt backwards!!

(A 'follow-up' from #60.)

I can't believe I've posted 60 giggles already, how time flies when you're having fun! (oops makes me think of yet another giggle!)

Thanx everyone of you for your comments about this 'hobby' of mine, I do so enjoy reading what you write, although I don't often write anything in reply myself.

Some of you have asked me how I do them/think of them/get the ideas?

I have a very agile mind, that is always whizzing round and round (a blessing and a curse!) So when I see a phrase, or a word, or a comic strip, or someone says something, then I remember it or write it down and keep it to be used later. Sometimes an idea comes to me right away and I then go and draw something funny- or adapt what I've seen already, or just fool about...

I started it as a complete 'challenge' to myself and now am totally hooked. I promised you a giggle a day for a year...so you're 'stuck' with these now.

Hope they bring a 'giggle' into your day as much as they do into mine.

Giggles #60

Pico Award

What a surprise to receive this award from my good friend, Marianne. This lady lives in the Netherlands and soon after we 'connected' in blogland, I realised that I can understand her language, as many South African forefathers came from Holland, France, Germany and Britain.
The second language spoken in South Africa is called Afrikaans and it very closely resembles Dutch. I learnt it at school from a very early age and, altough I've lived here in the UK for the past 22 years, I am still completely bilingual.
Now Marianne and I communicate in Dutch/Afrikaans on our blogs and it's great fun. I understand almost all she writes and I believe she understands me too. She also has two adorable shih tzus so how could we not become friends? If you think that Snuffles is cute take a look at these two.

Thank you so much, my friend, it's a pleasure to receive this award.
Baie dankie, my vriendin, dis n plesier on hierdie verkenning to kry.

The Rules:
1.)Pick 5 blogs that you feel are deserving of this award, based on their.....
Creativity
Design
Interesting material, and
Contribution to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2.)For each award giver: include the name of the author and a link to their blog, so they can be visited.
3.)For each recipient: show the award with the name and link to the blogger from whom it was received.
4.)For both giver and receiver: show the link (http://arteypico.blogspot.com/)
5.)Publish these rules

It's very difficult to choose only five people, but here they are:

human being
beammeupscotty
teric
diana evans
studiololo
auntiemim
(Oops I can't count!)

All of your blogs are amazing in one way or another, actually in lots of ways, and you make my blogging world such fun to be in!
Thanks and hugs.

Monday Artday

Last week's theme was 'pirates' and I painted this lovely vibrant picture of the famous/infamous Captain Hook, and posted it on the Monday Artday site.I forgot to post it here...

This week's theme is Willy Wonka, another favourite character of mine.

I did a quick collage of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp.....but for me it will always be Gene Wilder!