And by the way, which one’s Pink?*

It has been 3 months since one of our cats, Mackie, died and we have been thinking for a while that it would be nice to get another cat to keep our dear Grimalkin. Although she seems happy and settled, we think it would be nice for her to have someone to play with when we’re out at work.

So today we headed off to Battersea Cats and Dogs home to see if they had a match for Grimalkin (and for us). It was an open day, and because it’s the weekend and just at the beginning of half term, they had rehomed 16 yesterday and so there weren’t that many cats to see and none really that were suitable for Grimmy or for us. However, we will try again later on in the week – they have new cats coming in all the time.

As we were leaving, I took a few photos of my chimney of the day. For those who don’t know, these are the chimneys of the now decommissioned Battersea Power Station. This river-front area is being redeveloped and the latest plan for this protected building includes, I think, a cinema, a shopping complex, and homes. The world-famous chimneys (their fame partly due to their appearance on the Pink Floyd Animals album cover of 1977) have to be part of the design for the redevelopment, a challenge and a commitment for the developers.

*yes, I know that the title doesn’t relate to the Animals album but I didn’t just want to call this blog post Dog or Sheep.

Much rather be playing with these . . .

. . .but I left my essay so late 😉

Somewhere, out there

Cloud Sleeping

I am a woman of few words today, as I have been heartily rubbish in my work on my essay, and so must push on.  But I did manage to take this snap when I got home, after a day of emergency first aid training, with my fabulous friend (and now colleague – woohoo!) Barbara of JoBart.

I wish I was cloud sleeping.

It’s about time

Our friends, L and M have, for a long time, been suggesting we join them in visiting the south coastal town of Eastbourne. They insisted that the sea was a colour not matched anywhere else; that the beach had the most interesting pebbles and stones; that the Towner gallery was a treat; and the experience of eating at the Holiday Inn Fish Bar – well, there were no words for that, you just had to do it.

We hadn’t been putting it off, but there never seemed the right time, what with all the usual family commitments and the inability of all members of my lovely family to actually all be out of bed and ready to leave at an early enough time to make it worthwhile.

But somehow, today, we did it.

The sea was a magnificent colour.

The pebbles were intriguing.

The Towner gallery was inspiring.

The Holiday Inn Fish Bar was certainly an experience (tinned peaches and cream anyone?) and it offered a suitably satisfying, reasonably priced lunch. The photo of Jenny’s banana split is kindly supplied by Hubby.

All in all, a lovely day.

It’s snowing, so it must be Easter

Today, on Easter Sunday, we’ve had the closest to real snow that we’ve all year in our part of London. It didn’t settle, although at some point the flakes were big enough to start lodging in the crevices of the cars outside.

Nothing left now, except for the chill.

P.s. Interesting article at Times Online yesterday about the difficulties that photographers face when creating art beyond our own back yards.

Three for Thursday

No, not a celebration, although I have to say I’m glad I’m at the end of this particular week (it’s a Bank Holiday here tomorrow for Good Friday, so no school or work). No, these jolly balloons are part of a costume I made for the girls’ dressing up day today. It’s Science and Engineering week at the school and today the kids were challenged to dress up as something relating the theme of Floating through the air. Many kids dressed up as Buzz Lightyear, fairies and birds. Rosie and Jenny went dressed as hot air balloons.

They seemed pleased with their outfits, and Jenny won a prize.

Rosie’s Pastels

Art

is

not

what

you

see

but

what

you

make

others

see.

Edgar Degas

Gallery

I took the girls, and one of Rosie’s school friends, on a trip to the National Gallery where the staff run family workshops on Sundays and during the school holidays. It was an enjoyable afternoon, although Jenny got a little upset during the part of the session when we were sketching our ideas. I have to say I found the picture that we were basing our work on a little overwhelming myself, so I wasn’t unsympathetic to her tears. However, as I’d suspected, she cheered up once we were in the studio and had a paintbrush in her hand.

The gallery lies on the north side of Trafalgar Square, in the shadow of Nelson’s Column. After we’d finished in the gallery, we stopped to look at the fountains and the lion statues. I like this picture, because, although Jenny could step up quite easily onto the level that Rosie and her friend were standing on, Jenny’s arms weren’t long enough to reach the other side of the balustrade and so she had no way of keeping her up there.