Dear Stanley,

Unfortunately, neither Luthor nor i sold anything at the Art Exhibition.


These were our sad faces -> (p_p) (p_p)
& these are our little tears : : : :

But, it was nice to see the paintings up, and to nose at other peoples art (and to eat two slices of Polish Cake made by the lovely church ladies!) so it's not all bad.


My next project is to FINALLY finish Jon's jumper. i'm on the final sleeve!

Dear Stanley,

Fond Hearts.



Rose of All the World.



and Dianthus in Grey.




Naming paintings is my least favourite part. These three all came from googling the main focus of the painting (i.e. a carnation, hearts, a compass rose) and "poetry" and picking a line i liked.

If anyone would like to see Luthor's paintings they're here.

Dear Stanley,

i give you:

Curl.



(and a wider view which shows the edges)



This was a lovely experiment with my new tube of Impasto Medium.

Dear Stanley,

EPIC NEWS! Well, epic-ish.

i am to be in an Art Exhibition! Only in a local church, but it is (and i quote) "an opportunity for all local artists to display and sell their work". You give them six pieces and they display them to the public on the 18th, 19th and 20th of February.

It was Luthor who mentioned it. He's been going for a couple of years, and his mother (a slightly terrifying Scottish lady) put pay to my umm-ing and ahh-ing by phoning them herself.

Now all i need to do is finish six paintings by the 16th.

Five now!

Little robins think they are Big Men

The Li'l Bro is under the mistaken impression he is a Real Cat.

Yeah, okay, he's a feline. With whiskers, and a tail, and a furry bum, and the like. But.

He also plays Fetch. And waits by the door for his Daddy to come in. And he lies in the most unglamorous of poses*. And whilst he is most valiant about protecting the family from monsters like: the Dreaded Christmas Tree, the Terrifying Fairy Lights and Uppity Pieces of String, he has been rather lax on the Guarding the Garden front.

Until the other day. When he appeared at the backdoor with a tiny, feathery present.

MM is now watching him like a hawk. She informed me this morning that robins were teasing him, unaware that Softy-Ptol: friend to man and beast alike, had been replaced by Nimro-Ptol: Mighty Hunter before the Lord.


i've not received the text missive to tell me it's all ended in tears. Yet.





*No Time Lord cat would ever do a thing like that.

Dear Stanley,

i would love to say that it is my massive busy-osity that has kept me from the internet, but i cannot lie to you all like that.

Mainly last week i was made of fail. Though i did Sign On (dear gods, it only took an hour) and may soon be recieving some money for trawlling through the papers looking for jobs (and, admittedly, looking at pets for sale). Jon remains firm on how we are not getting a Bengal kitten (stripy and spotty!), a black pug puppy, or a piglet (who would eat all our biodegradable waste and be named Bland).

But that was about all i did *hangs head* This week has been much better. i have been up in (almost nearly) the morning (except for today, when i was up at 1030!) and have used my time most(ly) productively.



(OMGYAY, it is RhymeTime in the library and A HUNDRED BABIES JUST ARRIVED AND ARE SMILING AT ME. i must remember not to steal them.)

Dear Stanley,

We're all settling in well down here. Especially well this week as the weather keeps on being so marvy! Shorts have been worn, factor 50 applied - soon i shall be as tanned as the locals (who all seem v brown).

The ferry to Torpoint is now a regular part of my routine. Only yesterday i was over there visiting the Torpoint Continental Market; where i ate LOTS of starch-based products, bought the Jester's birthday present, and attempts were made to win my hand by attractive French boys. i'm sure i don't mean to encourage that sort of behaviour...

DD and others will no doubt be pleased to hear that i attended a Jobs Fair on Saturday. Mainly it was lots of people handing out web addresses, though a nice lady from the Early Learning Centre gave me an application form (and a compliment!). Now all i have to do is make "i will be good at recommending toys to customers as i will have played with most of them myself in the stockroom" sound professional :D
Other places i will be applying at include: the Post Office, Plymouth City Council and Plymouth City College. And a volunteering organisation. Fingers crossed!

Jon, meanwhile, is winning hearts and minds across Plymouth (and he's sure he doesn't mean to encourage that sort of behaviour...) Last week he was dunked in at the deep end with some actual students, and this week he's mainly attending University (and being bombarded with paperwork). But he does seem to be enjoying it, if the way he comes bounding in each night with tales of "the one who reminds me of a pink-haired Ace, from Doctor Who", "the two ballistics experts who I hope get together", and "the tutor group who don't actually hate me" are anything to go by.

Our little house (or Casamanca, as it has been christened) is looking quite Bohemian. The addition of a Third Wardrobe means i shall soon be winning the Battle of the Floordrobe. And then all our unpacking will be done.

Just in time for me to repack some of it and return to you, my darlings, for a brief spell next week. Having no Marvellous Charles the Flying Parson (why yes, i did just finish 'Cold Comfort Farm', why do you ask?) i must journey by Megabus, via the Great Metrop. - but for only £34 both ways i can endure much hardship.

xx