Just Catching Up Before I Go For The Night

Sorry, I am a little behind and this looked fun even though I have no American blood, it'll still be cool to know if I did have an American accent, what would it be? Thanks to Tucker for this, as you can see, I'm VERY behind:

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The West
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

See, I'm back to normal already! lol

E xxx

I Can't Think Of A Title

Hey everyone, just a short one because I am very tired and emotionally drained.

The funeral was of course a sad affair and keeping in with the mood it rained afterwards. It was very moving and when the curtains closed on her coffin I felt at a loss and so alone and that was it - I'd never see her again in this life - it was so final.

The last few days since have been in a daze. Well, of course it has.

Today was the spreading of her ashes and it's strange to think that a person can be reduced to a pile of soot. It was just myself, my Dad & Mum and Dad's sister-in-law Jill. This I think was the hardest part today, the more upsetting. She was sacattered by my Dad via a small bronze jar around her oldest son's grave (my Dad's eldest brother and Jill's husband, who died in 1985). We laid some flowers and even though we could see the ashes on the grass by now I'm sure the wind would have taken them.

Sorry to be so sad. I just about promise you all that this would be the final post on the subject - even though I'll never forget her and the memories continue to flood into my mind - I keep seeing her face in the clouds in the sky, but I suppose that's normal.

Tonight we went out to dinner and drank a few too many drinks in her honour. And I'm guessing I'll have a slight hang-over tomorrow. Oh well, such is life.

A photograph tonight as a leaving gift - well, only until tomorrow perhaps - to tell you all that I'm back to my beloved West on Sunday for a good 6 weeks and here's a Summer Devon sunset - enjoy!


Emy xxxx xxx xxx xx x

Today is the Day to Say Goodbye

I've made around 20 service leaflets - the top is the front cover and the bottom the back.
I am just about to start getting myself together - the funeral as you can see is 3:30pm, we need to leave by 2:45. I'm not looking forward to this, in fact I'm dreading it, but least I can finally say goodbye.

See you all soon and have a great weekend, not sure if I'll be back here for a few days.

Em xxx

It SNOWED!!!! . . . .

Well it did. At 8:30am it was all white yesterday morning. Beautiful. All the trees covered by a big thick blanket of whiteness. By 1pm it had all melted away. Typical.




So another blog in pictures, because really I do not have a lot to say. Wait until tomorrow is over and then I'll be back to normal - if it ever was normal that is . . .

Recent storm damage in Greenwich Park - Cedar tree in the Flower Garden

My Dad and I on the heath

A perfect cloud day

The towers from that view look so big and close!

The reflecting sun was stunning today

My favourite light - golden sunshine

Oh and that view - it's MINE!!!!

And that one too . . .

Spanish Chestnut - amazing, slightly bizarre shape!

Fallow Deer - desended from Henry VIII - or so we're led to believe

Fallow deer Buck (Red Deer males are called Stags)

A perfect perch to eat the nut I had just given him/her

One of the best winter sunsets I've ever managed to take

Stunning - makes me think of Devon . . .

Oh Devon - will be there Sunday week until mid March. Can't wait & hope it snows there too.

Em xxx

A Dozen Pictures

One of those skies where you are so glad you have your camera!

And it got better and better and better - car park at Bluewater, Kent

The towers taken from Greenwich Park - 2 more are planned

The Cutty Sark - or what's left! The nation's fantastic Tea Clipper sailing ship having a multi million restoration project completing late 2008 - bring those masts back!!!!

Although the firgure head is still attached, she still looks rather forlorn

They have planted a dozen or so Scots Pine in Greenwich park - I'm so happy!!!!

Brooding skies with Pine - after the mighty winds that up rooted so many trees last week

Classic car with same pine

The perfect Holme Oak in Greenwich park - a serious evergreen!!!

Freaky pink - sky over the heath in Blackheath. . . Pinkheath more like!

Again, it got better and better . . .

Busy, busy, busy - that's what my days have been. No time for all this anymore. Designing a service leaflet for friday - harder then I thought, I'm no graphic designer!!!

Heavy weather - gale force winds and snow approaching, hopefully not for Friday, although dressed all in black against white is very beautiful.

Gran's ashes scattering next Wednesday, then Devon for 6 weeks!!!! Need to paint hard!

Hope everyone is well.

Emy xxx

Not Much To Say

Hey everyone - sorry for not blogging for a few days, but as you know I have a good excuse.

It's still sad times here. What was left of my gran's life at the home is now in black plastic bags in our hall way, ready to be sorted out and her dress we have to give to the undertakers soon is hanging up in the bathroom to dry after a good clean. Her favourite dress. There, everytime when I have to go to the loo. I'm trying so hard to control my emotions, and that certainly doesn't help.

Apart from that, all's well. I haven't got any news, so why did I bother doing this? I find it threaputic - is it me or does anyone else feel that way sometimes?

The weather is about to turn wild and windy again. And I can't even enjoy it in my studio in Devon for a few more weeks as we're undecided when we want to scatter the ashes. Before we go or when we get back in hopefully the warmer days of March? Who knows?

Sorry guys - I won't be doing this every day now for a while, I'll try my best though.

Hope everyone is well.

Emy xxx

This Is Where I Want To Be

All is quiet. The wind has dropped, and the rain has stopped. It's strangely calm. I think it's beginning to sink in now although it's going to take some time and not only that as the funeral is on the 26th - apparently the under-takers are busy this time of year as everyone chooses this time to die and that Friday was the only 'available' slot.

Funerals. You know by the age of 12, I had been to 5 already, some I remember, some I do not. The one's I remember are Auntie Nell's and my Uncle Edward's, as my Dad's older brother died in the 80's, I can't even remember what year. But I think the only thing that gives me comfort is that she is with her family now - reunited with her sisters, brothers and son. Yes, I do believe in Heaven, I was brought up a Catholic and even though down the years I've felt myself being unsure with what was what, I think now I'm happy to believe - maybe it was because I was put off by my all girl's Catholic school where I went from the age of 5 to 18 - I think it would put anyone off and by the time I left there wasn't a shred of Christianity left in that whole school as most of the good, kind teachers left with us. But experiencing life outside school, going to art college, meeting nice people has made me believe again - not all nice people of course, but the ones met in the last 2 years have restored my faith, so all of my friends out there, thank you very, very much. Though I don't go to church every Sunday - not even at Christmas - and I don't pray, if I do, I put it down to talking to myself! (sorry Lord).

My Dad and I went for a bracing walk across the heath and to Greenwich Park today, to feed the pigeons and clever crows in the Flower Gardens - not to mention those naughty squirrels! It made us both forget about everything, which is a good thing, as it keeps coming back in waves, sometimes I forget entirely and then it hits me and I feel sad again. So in the coming weeks I'm going to be as busy as possible. I'm seeing my friend Shirley tomorrow for cinema and dinner. Maybe on Sunday I'll coax my folks to come out with me for a drive into Kent, into open skies and open fields, oh and a messy network of motorways, because unfortunately, the County of Kent, 'The Garden of England', has all but been destroyed by roads, congestion and pollution. For the next 10 days afterwards, I'll see what brings!

I'm very sorry for this sad post tonight - give me a few more and maybe I'll ok soon.

Lots of love to everyone and thank you for all your kind wishes and words and thanks for just being there, regardless of what country! lol!

Emy xxx

A Tribute to a Very Special Nanna

As the cursor flashes before my eyes - I'm not sure where to start.

I suppose the only way to start this post tonight is to tell you all that my gran, my lovely Nanna passed away this morning at 6:50am. The call came through at 7:10am - expected yet unexpected. She has been so ill for so long now, a vegetable in her own bed, asleep for days and nights on end with just a few smiles and tears to show us that she was still with us. But this morning she left us, apparently conscious with two night nurses by her side, in her nursing home in Streatham. Yet she died in peace - and as one of her friends said tonight when my Dad let her know, "Thank God for that!" Exactly, just what I was thinking. It has been so long now, her downfall slow, but constant and at the end she had no life anyway, long days and hours spent in her bed asleep and unconscious to the world going on around her - not always though, sometimes there was a faint glimmer of a smile or a tear in her eye but mostly asleep and away somewhere else.

Myself and my Nanna, Greenwich Park, London, 1988

Nanna was the last born in a huge east end family in London. She had 4 sisters and 2 brothers and 2 others who had died in infancy. I knew them of course as my great uncles and aunties (the great dropped to simple uncles and aunties) There was Auntie Lou (I never met as she died young in the 1940's), Auntie Edith (again I never met who died a few years before I was born but apparently I'm very like her), Auntie Lilly (who I just about met before she died when I was very young), Auntie Flo, Uncle Fred and my beloved Uncle Jum (with a wonderful first name - Walter) and they all lived in a large suburban house in Wembley. I remember Christmas's in Wembley, in the wood panelled dining room, trips over there every weekend for Sunday Roast and trips to Buckingimshire where my Uncle Jum moved down with his wife Nell (Auntie Nell) If there was ever a time in where I would like to go back and revisit my family, then that would be it. All gone now, all past and Nanna the only one left, now gone too.

Same day at Greenwhich park

When I was growing up of course she was a great part of my life. Always coming over, staying for weeks or just days, over for Christmas, for Easter, for school holidays and always bringing a naughty bag of sweets for me, well hidden from my mum (if only she knew!!!). We used to make up endless games, play tennis in the old house in Blackheath with plastic yellow rackets and a soft ball - a feat for a woman in her 70s! Hours upon hours playing cards from Whist, Rummy, Bismark and Oh Hell (which I changed to Oh Dear as I hated the oridginal name!) to days spent walking in Greenwich park and weeks spent in Devon - of course she was a regular guest in the cottage in Devon, I'm so glad she was able to experience our love of that place. I would go and stay with her myself in her flat in Streatham and we would go shopping in Streatham High Road to Woolworths and the department store Pratts (closed down 15 years ago) or go to the cinema and have popcorn galore. From someone who was born in the age she was she supported me 100% of the way at Art College, only ever wanting the best for her youngest granddaughter and loved my paintings. She would give me money every week from her pension when we visited her and tell me she had bought a special chocolate bar for me which was in her fridge, always Twix, as that was my favourite. I really am talking about a very long time ago, the last time she was all together was her 90th Birthday 2 and half years ago and then from then on it went rapidly down hill. She was no longer the Nanna I remembered, no longer the fun loving individual who could laugh and laugh on her medium sweet cider! She became very sad and all she ever wanted to do was to be with us. But we couldn't look after her. She fell so often in her flat that finally we asked her to consider living in a nursing home - it was the only choice - and then she fell again and finally agreed. She had very good spells and then she went down and in all truth we lost her months ago. So it's all very sad.

Weeks and weeks we've waited for this call and now it's finally come, I don't know what to do with myself. We were waiting all day for the doctor to come and see her and sign the death certificate. He finally did so around 3pm, so we rushed over there (battling through school traffic rush hour) only to find out that the undertakers had been and gone and taken her with them a few moments ago. It doesn't matter, maybe we can see her on Monday when we visit the undertakers and chapel. When we went into her room to collect some belongings, her presence was still so strong even though she had died there around 9 hours before. Even more bizarre I felt her with me on our way back home and whether or not she's still with me, I don't know, but I hope in a way she always will be.

Born Dorothy Margaret Pasmore (married name Clark) 11th Novermber, 1913

Died 11th January, 2007

I miss you Nanna and I love you.

E xxx

And With A Little Help From Someone Else:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Countess Emily the Mystical of Deep Throcking Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Thanks to masquerade maskarts (from Tuckmac's comments from his last post)

A very Monty Python end to the evening here in London Town.

E xxx (Throcking?. . .)

Great News and ChavFest

Hello all, first some good news and then something funny.

Good news:

Early in December I sent in an application form via email to a gallery in Exeter called 'Exeter Phoenix too' (I suppose they mean 2 but then I suppose they're trying to be clever) with 8 jpegs of my paintings and an artist bio/CV. Since leaving KIAD and my MA I've sent dozens of these application type things across the whole of the British Isles and have had nothing back or a note saying sorry my work just wasn't right. Well, since KIAD and since late last year I've changed my paints to oil - the right move and a few days ago I got a call from Exeter saying they had chosen me, me and 2 other artists out of a thousand applicants! Wow, I jumped for joy in the middle of John Lewis department store in Bluewater (and got a few strange looks). At last something good has come my way and instead of sharing it with the world - as I would have done once - I'm happy to be laid back and keep it under wraps for the time being (obviously some of the world reads this but not all my friends, so apart from this and my best friend Mary no-one else knows - yet). This is a chance to exhibit in corporate business, so not a gallery, something better. The opening in 2nd June (my mum's Birthday) and I need to do an awful lot of work for it and hopefully Devon on Sunday (depending on my grandmother who is on her way out - although has been for the last 12 weeks).

Ok funny part:

In recent years certain places in this country - actually most of the places in this country have been subject to 'Chav Culture' and the Chav definition:

(from Wikipedia)

"Chav is a mainly derogatory slang term in some parts of England for a subcultural stereotype fixated on fashions such as gold jewellery and designer clothing. The term appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005.^[1][2] The defining features of the stereotype include clothing in the Burberry pattern (notably a now-discontinued baseball cap) and from a variety of other casual and sportswear brands. Tracksuits, hoodies, sweatpants and baseball caps are particularly associated with this stereotype. Musically, chavs tend to like trance, house, and electronic dance music. Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism. The term has also been associated with delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", and "yob culture"."

I couldn't have put it better myself.

You see scores of these people everywhere you go, from the high street, bars, cafe's, parks, concerts - believe me they're everywhere and I can't stnad the sight of them and to really drive the message home on how hiralious they are and what they look like and get up to then these 2 videos that my friend Orla found on YouTube are classic:

Excellent.

I laughed so much when I first saw them I almost fell off my chair!

Cheerio!

Emy xxx

Hunger & Modern Day Jazz

So it was one of those nights last night - we're all still exhausted from Chrsitmas and New Year and now back on the detox diet - but last night - so tired to cook so got an Indian home delivery instead. It took a bloody hour and half and when we phoned up - twice - they lied through their teeth. Finally it came but with one dish missing - mine of course - and so the guy who dropped it off gave it all to us for free. Well, that was good, a free dinner but they have lost our custom. It doesn't matter as there are loads of Indians in the village, it gives us a chance to try them all! (of course after detox!)

Every New year's Eve we watch Jools Holland's Hootenanny on BBC2. Jools is a national treasure amd he always has less known or obscure people coming on the show to perform. Dear Jools, one damn fine pianist and with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, we dance the night away. This time he had a great jazz singer called Madeleine Peyroux - her debut album released 10 years ago, the first before the likes of Joss Stone, Nora Jones or Dido, but she then disappeared until her second album 'Careless Love' and then yet another disappearing act this time losing her voice, she said she couldn't sing or speak for 2 years. But now she's back with another amazing album, 'Half the Perfect World' where she has one song which she duets with K D lang called 'River' written by Joni Mitchell. Her voice has been likened to a modern day Billie Holiday and it's so sultry and beautiful and for anyone like me who loves women jazz singers, she's definitely for you and I predict she's going to be big this year. So go off and pop along to the itunes store or wherever else you listen to music online, trust me you won't be let down.

I hope you are all behaving yourselves and checking my other blogs every day, REMEMBER!

OPENSTUDIO

ANIMAL-EQUALS

Have just updated them now.

Hopefully off to Devon this coming Sunday as I seriously need to work. I've had paintings floating round my head for days and I need to get them down. Also I'm learning to write with my right hand (being left handed) and am doing 20 minute 'sessions' every day in a special notebook. So far so good, but have a nice big blister forming on my right middle finger. No pain no game they say!

Emy xxx

Here's Me I Thinking I Was Something Exciting!

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 90% Iron Man 75% Catwoman 75% Spider-Man 70% Green Lantern 70% Hulk 70% Robin 62% The Flash 60% Wonder Woman 57% Supergirl 57% Batman 40%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test


Goodnight (actually good morning - I will leave and go to bed - soon) xxx

I DEMAND . . .

EVERYONE PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER BLOGS:

OPENSTUDIO - NOW PHOTOGRAPHY & A NEW ONE EVERY DAY

&

ANIMAL EQUALS - AGAIN A NEW ONE EVERY DAY

AND PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS.

THANK YOU

So exhausted now as been shopping in the sales - dreadful time of year!

Emy xxx

So Many Plans and Already . . .

I can't believe we're already 4 days into the New Year - the time is fast disappearing again. And like all good new year's myself and my Dad have come down with a cold, after all the stress and excitement over Christmas, and all the over indulgent has finally caught up on us. Plus it's back to detox for a good 4 weeks - perhaps a break after 2 - or not.

My open studio blog is going through a major re-haul - even though it keeps it's name and purpose it's now going to metamorphose into a Photo Blog - with still a few paintings on the side. As I've explained on the blog already I have drawers and bags of hundreds of photos and they need an outlet! And only one a day too - the same with the Animal Equals Blog - one photo a day and I'll be happy. This one will keep going as it is.

A few things in the news today:

2007 is going to be the warmest on record - try telling me that when I'm freezing in Devon in a few weeks time in my studio.

Pit balls seized in police raids - following the death of a young girl, Ellie Lawreson, who was mauled to death by a family pet in the early hours of New Year's Day - why do people keep these dogs? Although I've met so many people swearing by their friendly nature, why is this world so deluded?

And finally - 4 x 4 vehicles demand falling - FINALLY people have got the picture, I HATE CHELSEA TRACTORS, all very well if you have a farm then you can buy one of them Land Rovers, but to drive a 4 x 4 around the streets of London, blocking up the roads and thinking you're so higher up then everyone else! Disgusting. (my arguments have got to get better!)

Ok, sneeze, cough, cough, sneeze - although I have to walk into the village for paper and then go off to Bluewater tomorrow to take back un- fitting clothes from Christmas (not mine this time!) No fair and I'd rather be in Devon. Moan, complain, cough, sneeze . . .

Emy xxx