Saturday Painter

did some mandarins (or were they clementines?) this morning. The ground looks a bit tinny but isn't really, I promise.

Keep trying!

(I may have some kind of obsessive/compulsive disease).

Lack of Progress and Ladies' Lunch

Quite an eventful day. Had just popped in to Lye Torng for a coffee and my friend Vic turned up. We had a drink and went on to the SE1 lunch club. Elsita, Plum and Nomad were there and we all enjoyed a good meal at La Bodeguita. I then showed Vic and Nomad the dress shop 'Sensational' so they know where to go for a bargain, then Vic and I came back for tea and cakes.

The weather was lovely and sunny and so spring-like that we had tea outside. I gave Vic some cake to take back for Chris, and she went back home to Hammersmith. She was quite taken with my paintings and was interested in buying some, but I said I wasn't yet ready to sell them.

I painted some bunches of bananas this afternoon and evening which was quite hard work. Annoyingly the first bunch look better than the second bunch, so I don't always improve. This picture is a bit blurry (camera shake) so may try and do another to replace it later. Or put another in somewhere else. We shall see.

Had invited my brother Tim on to Facebook and he joined, so sent him a cheery note to start him off.

Finished Terrine

here it is again with a similar ground to that on the marmite.

Terrine 1

One of my mother's 'fifties Le Creusets. She used to make a delicious pate in this terrine.

We had an interesting time at work yesterday: Romy finalised the Spring newsletter then we had a super working lunch at the tapas bar: lovely little bowls of pea soup with crispy bits of bacon and a crouton, followed by country bread toasted with tomato, and tortilla with peppers and chorizo with allioli. We discussed the benefits of various river cruises for the punters, and decided to take a taxi around several of the possible departure points to test for access. We did this, and Romy leapt out of the taxi and rushed about while I sat in the taxi and studied the brochure, feeling rather guilty. Interestingly there seem to be only a couple of places which are fully accessible to disabled people. There are other places with level access, but because buildings are in the way, taxi or other transport can't get near enough to the river. Romy had the rather brilliant idea of having the punters next Christmas party on the river, but first we shall try a trip in the summer with lunch on board.

Long Flowering

The white orchid I had bought for Julian and Dorothy is still flowering. I bought it for their anniversary, but they said their flat was too dry and the flowers would die immediately. My flat must be very damp as the flowers are still in bloom. I had not realised they would stay in bloom for so long, weeks and weeks. I shall definitely buy orchids again.

Tuesday

Just realised it is Shrove Tuesday - pancake day. In the old days I used to make them for Dorothy and put sugar and lemon on them. In later years Julian used to make little Russian ones for us all.

I am so tired, I had to get a cab back from work. I am trying to stay awake to watch 'Come Dine' at 9pm, but fear I will have to go to bed even earlier. My ex came to collect his things, and we had a rather awkward little exchange on the doorstep.


Malvolio is being rather sweet and dozing off next to me in front of the television. So comforting to have a cat to stroke.

Morning After

Managed to find a cab quickly in Long Lane so was home by 12.30. It was interesting meeting people from different countries and hearing their impressions of London, and of Southwark. It seems that our humour does not always travel: Lisa did not enjoy 'Little Britain' or 'The Green Room', favourites in UK. She told us about a short movie which many Germans and some Swiss people watch on DVD before they go out on New Year's Eve. It is called 'Dinner for One' and is all about some batty old lady and her butler. Seems it is a great favourite. I may try to see this to see if us Brits find it funny. Madeleine always refuses to go out on New Year's Eve, so maybe I shall send her a copy, and she can watch in solitary splendour.