annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary
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Keep our teeth nice and clean
I've been a good granny today, by and large, though I may not win any prizes for hair care:
While we were waiting for my acupuncture session, Grandson took one picture of me with each of the different settings on my camera and it's galling to admit that the one above is the most flattering. I'm gonna start looking for my hairbrush tomorrow, honest.
Some of us climbed trees in the park:
and some of us didn't.
It's been a good day - good pacing. Bloke brought GS back at about 11, just after I'd woken up. They brought me coffee in bed and we all hung out in my bedroom for quite a while, with the Bobcat right in the middle, purring loudly.
Bloke went off to do some work and me and GS got into our rhythm of amiable bickering and point scoring. He's cool to mooch about with - spots things I'd missed, like squirrels popping in and out of a hollow log and a cat in the kids' playground. He's much happier if I don't try and initiate the conversation - we just bimble along in comfortable silence then he'll come out with, "Granny, have you noticed that you can't tell the difference between boys and girls much more here than where I live?" which leads to a nice long analysis of clothes, hair, posture, city vs village, and god knows what else, with reference to everyone who catches our eye. In the end he said he still preferred it where he lives, where a girl is a girl and looks like one and vice versa, but he's twelve - he's sensitive to all that.
He's going home tomorrow - Grandad's taking him. I just don't have it in me. It's the computer games that kill it, that and the all day kids' TV. I don't have the energy to constantly wrestle him away from them and come up with alternative activities. My theory on childhood is that boredom generates creativity - given the choice I'd ban all the electronics, safe in the knowledge that he'd come up with something to do, but it's too hard when they're here. I'm just too tired and he'll play/watch all day unless I stop him. So he's better off at home with some mates and his bike. Shame though. I hope to do better next time, when I'll be in my new home, wherever that turns out to be and there'll be all sorts to explore.
My task for tomorrow is to read this fab book:
which I borrowed from my art teacher, with a view to doing some outdoor drawing/painting. Right at the beginning she says that most children (and some adult artists), are mainly concerned with form/shape/outline, whereas most (but not all), adult artists see things in terms of light and shade. This was such a relief to me. Most art teaching also assumes that tones are the most important thing, but I have a real struggle with all aspects of it. I shall continue to try and improve my use of light, but I won't obsess and get depressed about my struggle with it. Instead I will try and do lots more really free drawing, without considering that at all if it doesn't come spontaneously. That's the plan, at any rate, though when I read through this blog I am astounded at the plans I've had, most of which vanish into the ether the moment I've written them down.
When I googled that book to see when it was written (1966) and then clicked on images to see what the author had actually painted, a lot of pics from Victoria Wood's Made on TV (especially Acorn Antiques) came up on the first couple of pages. This is bollocks.
Grateful for: a good day with GS; the end of the feeling that in the immediate future more will be required of me than I can give without re-emptying my tiny supplies of energy; a growing feeling of excitement about moving; a productive chat with the nice housing benefit officer; that group I did, that taught me how to feel all right; and feeling a bit optimistic about ED.
Sweet dreams xxx
11:12 p.m. - 24.10.11
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