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.)