I am now firmly back in the old routine, travel to foreign lands now being a thing of the past, and working very much a thing of the present.  It's a good job I have a friend like Juliette, who always livens my washing-up workplace, and on this occasion, beautifies my corner of the kitchen too.

As well as working for actual money, Monday continues to be my 'volunteer day'.  Monday morning is spent leading the 2 hour craft session at  'Andover Mind'.  Our first project there is nearing completion now, with some people finishing their papier mache bowls and picture frames.
This one below went on to be gilded inside and on its raised decorations too.  Wonderful things can be made with balloons, newspapers, paste and plasticine.
Monday afternoons continue to find me working as a volunteer at 'Trinity' in Winchester, for the Women's Service there, where I am part of their art group from 2pm-4pm.  It is a lovely way to start the week, with a day of creativity.

Whilst dining the other week at the Bluebell in Helpston (very delicious, excellent service too)
https://www.bluebellhelpston.co.uk/ I was captivated by the decorations on a house nearby.  Mr Cooper loved to see the golliwog in an upstairs window, but I was most taken by the mosaic decoration on the front of the house, which also included a ceramic crawling baby!
I am so looking forward to having a new house to play with, some time in the future.

As well as having a delicious time at the above Bluebell in Helpston, I had such a good time at another Bluebell, this time in Glinton.  http://www.thebluebellglinton.co.uk/  No food involved, but lots of chats and laughter as I caught up with my best friend from County Grammar, Deborah Ellerby that was.  As we swapped stories, we did both agree that life in 2A had not prepared us terribly well for all our life-adventures to come! Perhaps we ended up having more adventures than we had first intended!  Thank you for so much for such a lovely evening, Deborah, and I look forward very much to our next one.  Perhaps next time we might include Mr Hunt and Mr Cooper?

Talking of Mr Cooper,  earlier this month we sped to Leeds, to attend Henry's first birthday party.
 Henry wasn't too well on the day, which is probably why he is looking as if he had never seen 'Grandalph' before.

Luckily the toddler medication kicked in, and it wasn't long before Henry was entering in to the spirit of things.  Mr Cooper stuck mainly to beer, and entered into the 'spirit of things' when it was dark.

Our house remains for sale.  I did wonder whether to make it even more attractive by doing some gardening, but then I thought that spring had stepped in, and sorted everything out rather neatly.
  All you have to do is focus on the flowers, and not on the weeds in between.
 Perhaps Treagust could include that piece of advice in their brochure?

As well as enjoying the Spring flowers, it is always lovely to open post that is life-affirming, and not a bill.  Here is my niece Olivia's wedding invitation.  She is marrying Jon on the 13th July in Glasgow.  I would imagine their wedding will be every bit as funky as the invitation.  Luckily I have a suitably funky purple and silver outfit to hand, last worn on The Falklands.

As well as volunteering, and washing up (all be it for a very select establishment) I have been spending as much time as possible on a couple of commissions.  Today I have been painting Frida Kahlo and a monkey, as a picture as part of a larger painting, and last week I was painting beach huts and roses as designs for the wallpaper for the same painting.
I look forward very much to being able to show you the finished painting, but not before it has been seen by its future owner, my fabulous friend, Jan Norman.

Wallpaper designs.

It is a treat to work on a picture that includes Frida as part of it.  Soon I am going to paint some Ranunculas, and a couple of small teddy bears to add to it, as well as adding jewels to the crucifix.
Life as an artist is sometimes hard work, but never dull!  Painting Frida did remind me it was time for my 3-weekly eyebrow session at Tanique in Westbourne.  Thanks to the team there, I have never been mistaken for Frida.  https://www.facebook.com/Hair-and-Beauty-at-Tanique-527716203947570/

If you have a little dullness in your life, particularly in the kitchen department, put a stop to it right away by buying the book below.  A little while back, another fabulous friend made a fantastic feast for the ex-bookclub members.  I hadn't feasted so well, and with such enjoyment, for a very long time, and I bought the recipe book the following day.  So many thanks Diane, for a double delight.
So far, I have only got as far as reading it, from cover to cover, which is almost as delicious as eating the results.

Another book I am looking forward to reading from cover to cover arrived through the post today.  This is a very personal book for me.  I have known the author for a great many years, and got to know him very well.  I finished the illustrations for the book not long ago, another commission that I really enjoyed.  The book is called 'get Him out', by Nigel White.

I completed 12 illustrations for this book, and here is one I particularly enjoyed doing.

Only one of the illustrations gave me a clue to the contents of this book.  I drew a cheerful goat, discarded clothes, laptops plus fluffy balls and many others.
Here is a brief description from the front of the book.

'a soldier…a Doctor…a Linguist…an Empath

John Forbes and Peter White have assembled a team of specialists.  They are going to send their team back two thousand years…to rescue the most famous man that ever lived.

They are going to rescue Jesus of Nazareth from the crucifixion.'

I will let you know all about in in my next blog, when I have read it .  Not only all about it, but where to get your copy from.
In the meantime, I must just find a picture of a ranunculus, plus print off a picture of an elderly dog called Millie.

So do make sure that you are keeping dullness at bay in the week ahead.  Be adventurous in the kitchen, that would be a good place to start.  (Or pop round here one evening, and share some culinary adventures from 'Persiana)  Then follow that up with some wardrobe excitements.  Yes, you can plan to just  hide inside one, then jump out, but choosing a bright, possibly outrageous outfit is more what I have in mind.)
 I am just off to continue with my artistic adventures in the shed, where I am working alongside my old friend, Radio 4.  If you are a 55 year old artist, life does not get much better than that (and it suited me just fine too, when I was  a 25 year-old artist.)

Today we travel backwards one more time, then end up firmly in the present day.
This will find me in the same house (no buyers as yet) looking out at a spring day (overcast) but also at nesting starlings and my beloved shed, which houses several exciting projects.
 It may be grey in the sky, but the sun is indeed shining inside my shed.

When me and Mr Cooper used to travel more, we always made a point of taking a 'view from the bedroom window' photo.  Here is our bedroom window view in Havana, on the ninth floor of the Hotel Deauville, looking out over New Havana.  We were just a couple of blocks away from old Havana, and just a roadway away from the Caribbean.

This one looks a little more picturesque, doesn't it?  Mr Cooper thought I was quite brave to venture onto the balcony, as, like quite a lot of things about the hotel, it looked in need of repair.
 

Each day, after a most enjoyable breakfast (all the more so, as we always had to wait for it ) we set forth to Old Havana, which meant leaving the hotel and turning our backs firmly on New Havana.
Our chosen mode of transport was 'on foot', and daily we walked for hours.  Sometimes I looked at the bicycle taxis, and felt so sorry for the driver as they had to transport  overweight (usually) tourists in the heat of the day.  It was good to see these taxis able to have a rest between fares.

I would gladly return to Havana, and this time with many more memory sticks for my camera.
The colours seen on the streets were always incredible, and always changing.
One moment you would be in raptures about a pink scene,

and the next, you would be bathed in green.

And below, don't look at the chaos, but rather at the two areas of blue, and the two of red.
That is the good thing about being an artist, rubbish disappears as colours appear.

In the guide book what we read on the plane, we were informed that not many roads were lit at night, although they were safe to be in.  The roads around our hotel were definitely dark at night.  The only danger we came across were huge holes where drain covers had vanished, and holes where sometimes portions of the pavements had disappeared.
When we were in the more up-together parts of Havana, we realised that there were places where the street lights just got together at night to 'hang out'.

Each day we existed on a diet of culture ( amazingly good museums and art galleries, especially the Museum of Cuban Art) rum cocktails, and incredibly good food.
When we first got there and viewed our surroundings, we were a little anxious that the food would be a reflection of what we saw.  How wrong we were!
Wherever we ate, sometimes the facade was crumbling, and at times we had to avoid piles of discarded chicken's feet in the gutter on our way there, but once inside, we were in another world.
A main meal was the equivalent of five pounds sterling. This would be meat or fish, with rice and beans, plantains in many guises, salads and vegetables.  After our food in The Falklands, where vegetables were an expensive rarity, this suited us down to the ground.
And in between these culinary feasts, we walked everywhere, taking in the beautiful views.

On our last day, we ended up in the most touristy regions, where the facades were repaired, the sun was shining and the food was three times the price.  I preferred to wander away from this after a while, to where there were no 'pretty pictures', but rather glimpses of the living Havana.
Colour everywhere, a mixture of  dwellings next to dereliction and splendour scattered throughout.

I would gladly return, just to wallow in that glorious mix of past and present, rum and beer, rice and beans and always, always music.
This is where the Cuban photos stop, but do give me a call if you have an urge to see the rest.
Come round on a sunny day, and we can sit outside and enjoy a Ron Collins as we view them.

Then after that I can drag you into my shed, and bore you silly as I show you my current painting, and talk about all the ideas I have.  Perhaps I need to give you more than one Ron Collins, so you are more 'pliable' to this.

 So what is going on in my shed?
Last week, I completed a series of 12 illustrations for Nigel White, for his book which should be published around Easter time.  It was a very enjoyable commission, and I spent many a happy hour drawing smug-looking goats, and cheerful Guinea pigs.  I will show you these, but after the publication of the book.

You may remember that I completed another commission from Nigel, not too long ago.  This drawing was instrumental in getting the Mission Tent accepted as part of this year's Great Dorset Steam Fair. Exciting times ahead for Nigel and his team.   http://www.missiontent.co.uk/

 Knitted creations have also been produced.  Henry is a year old this week, and when we go to see him, I will give him a smart jacket and hat.

Beatrice is a long way from being one, and knitting for her does not take so much time, or wool!
 As I now possess all Mum's button collection, each time I a garment, I see if I have suitable buttons before going to the shop.  I did find 5 shiny metal buttons for Henry's outfit, but he needed 6.

 But Beatrice was luckier, and I found the last two remaining buttons on this button card.
There are not many babies today whose outfits include buttons that were 'Empire made!'

My latest painting is a very exciting commission, and includes Frida Kahlo and her monkey.......

Millie and Bertie.......

As well as flowers, Crucifixes, beach huts and teddies.  Plus I to listen to Radio 4 whilst combining these elements.  Being an artist is not always easy.  It is frustrating at times, and extremely lonely.

When you are not able to paint and create, it is hard too.  But there are times when it is truly enjoyable, which help to make up for the rest!

So, if I manage to get you in my shed, softened by the application of a few Ron Collins, I can also tell you all about this year's significant drawing.  This will include a dolls house and paper dolls, many changes of paper clothing, and a range of accessories....I can't wait to explain this in detail to someone, I think Mr Cooper would be pleased too, if I find a fresh victim!

Now I am once again tuned in to Radio 4, I will leave you with a radio snippet which struck a cord with me.  So much so that it has become the 'thought' for this blog.

'Try to spend at least a decade of your life wearing just what you want to.'  This does get easy as you get older, and today I gleefully added rainbow laces to my frosted pink DM boots,  Thanks Juliette for the laces, and Mark for the boots.  

So don't worry too much about what others think, it will never be exactly the same as you.  

Just please yourself in an area that you can, and hopefully also enjoy the sunshine.

See you all very soon.