#1420 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

The epitome of greige.

My cheery alarm call goes off at 7:15 with a local weather forecast. By this time most mornings I have already drunk the first cup of tea and will be contemplating the first cup of coffee. So it is not a wake-up alarm but more of a fleshing out the day review.

Today was forecast as intermittent drizzle throughout the day. Intermittent drizzle suggests very light rain with moments of no rain. Not the incessantly bleak greigeness enlivened by constant heavy rain that is my reality

My orange raincoat was the only bright colour in the landscape. Now I would not normally photograph my rain coat. But I threw my phone on the floor as I wrestled my wet clothes off and the camera took a passing shot of the raincoat as my fingers slipped on the wet case.

Instant sunshine

All this rain reminds me of a moment of enlightenment that I had in the National Gallery of Victoria, in Melbourne,  2 months ago.

I was on an amazing race against closing time in a gallery that I could have spent hours and hours in. This picture got less than 5 minutes of my attention but I think about it nearly every day

It could so easily be a regular swimmer walking towards the sea on a rainy day. He appears to be checking his phone. He isn’t. I was spellbound by the beauty and tenderness of this painting, entirely painted in shades of greige. An anonymous man captured calmly walking through rain, shower, or voile curtains.

I was shocked to see such a peaceful picture painted by Francis Bacon. Shocked that this picture cannot be of a naked man checking his mobile phone. I cannot unsee my first incorrect thought on seeing this painting, before I realised who the artist was and when it was painted. Shocked too that greige could be so beautiful. I would even hang this greige painting in my house. Which is a big thing to say in the depth of a very wet winter.

Greige has been slightly rehabilitated.

Travel, as they say, broadens the mind. 41 days of rain shrinks it.

#1419 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, SerendipityLeave a comment

Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

I think there are many activities and hobbies that have, quite correctly, lost interest in me. The big one would be Radioligy/Radiography. There was a brief flutter of renewed interest in me during Covid but now we are in agreement that making pictures with  X-Rays is in my past. Retirement from a scintillating career. The Physics definition.

On a good day I can be quite the scintillating conversationslist too. She said modestly.

I have kept my transferable skills and transferred them to other things.

Team games were never my thing until I discovered rowing. It was probably the only team sport I had an aptitude for. But we have had an amicable parting of the ways for some time now.

Drawing. Painting. Sketching. Printing. All things that have not given up on me. I was still at school when I realised that sketching a quick cartoon of a teacher was a pathway out of nerdiness and into ‘almost’ cool.

A skill that stayed with me during a long career in the N.H.S. A quick cartoon of an arrogant doctor or an ineffectual colleague handed over at the same time as a handover sheet was better than a hundred tactful words and lightened the mood considerably. I was never caught.

Everyone has worked or studied with a dick or two.

Acting gave me up.

Serious singing and dancing the same,  but lower down on that particular spectrum and I am quite the unqualified success! Art however, we are together for ever.

P S sometimes in the NHS other departments had the same problems with the same characters. There may have been cartoon requests to lift the moods of other beleaguered colleagues.

#1418 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Bobbing, Covid +1 Comment

For half an hour on Friday evening 12 Bobbers ( our cold water swimming group) gathered in our front room. Each one fully clothed, drinking fizz or tea. With thoughts of Comedy rather than freezing our t**s off.

The noise of chatter when we swim together is impressive. The noise when we were planning to laugh together was, when contained in one room, joyous. A curious, supportive and delightful friendship group forged in the dark days of the Covid Crisis that has evolved into a social group, predominantly for swimming but not exclusively so.

There is always laughter but 6 years in we are also there for each other for the sad and difficult bits as well as the life affirming moments. 

Less than a minute from leaving the house we were in a warm and welcoming school hall. A stage area designated by glittery curtains and the stalls filled with chairs and tables suitable for 6 year olds. The first laugh of the evening seeing 6 foot adults folding themselves in and out of childrens furniture.

The comedy was sparkling, words were said and songs sung that would not normally be welcome in a school hall.

One comedian would definitely get a school report of ” Could do better, and needs to enunciate” the rest were all  ‘A’ grade performers.

The bobbers had a great night out , for once with their clothes on.

#1417 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn London1 Comment

Trying to avoid difficult/sad/bad news I clicked on a picture of Cherry blossom thinking it would be a cheerful story about the coming of Spring.

But it seems even Cherry blossom cannot escape the doom cycling of international news.

When we lived in London we suffered  human defecation in our beautiful back garden. Our neighbour found human poo in his garage. All deeply unpleasant. Caused by a South London Rogue who was employing illegal immigrants in a reclamation scam and providing them with no facilities in their workplace. Not really their fault. However the city workers in their designer gear or corporate garments who nipped dowm our tiny lane for a quick wee after getting off the train should have known better. The pooing problem was cured by reporting the illegal workplace. The weeing problem had to be dealt with on a one to one basis when the culprits were caught luxuriating in a long piss on our wall.

Nothing is more likely to unnerve a urinating man than the arrival of a furious woman with a galvanised watering can intent on rinsing away his urine and hopefully cooling his gentleman area with ice cold water.

Residents of Arakurayama you have my sympathy.

My weapon, retired to Devon.

#1416 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Dartmoor, Serendipity1 Comment

Yesterday was a rare sunny day, at home. Two dog walks achieved with no changing of clothes needed. When a couple of free hours revealed themselves. I decided to do a quick sketch. What did I choose? A rain soaked pasture on Dartmoor. Misty enough to create a halo around the moon.

My only excuse for a rather sombre image, is the political storm that was billowing around me from the radio.

A classic tale of who knew what, when  in the world of powerful men, disposable women and lots of money and influence.

I wanted to use the word turgid to describe the political clusterf**k, that has been emerging for some time from the fall out of the Epstein Files on Britain.

The situation is indeed turgid with both meanings of the word and my picture is a bit turgid, but over the last couple of years turgid+badger is a phrase that reminds me of a happily eccentric holiday spent in Abersoch, Wales.

For no particular reason I think it would be a fabulous name for a rock band or a trendy coffee shop. Or a graphic novel.

We were staying with some friends in a large house. In the early evening I had spotted a badger snuffling on  the edge of a quiet path in a large garden. I mentioned it to our host.

“Ah ” she said.

“I have never seen a live one,but that does explain the turgid badger I found in my water butt”

Not a sentence I would expect to hear ever.

I wonder why it has stuck with me.

Firstly it was a lovely few days with friends that we don’t see often enough.

We were all slightly discombobulated by our surroundings and a way of life that we were unfamiliar with. Champagne at 4pm on an emptyish stomach gave none of us the maturity that matched our chronological ages.

The words themselves are delicious when paired together. So I am a little protective of the word, turgid.

I am not prepared to gift it to dodgy politicians and their even dodgier friends. I might just allow it for a painting.

Difficult times.

If badgers were not such lovely creatures the term could become a massive insult.

“You, Sir are a turgid Badger”

Turgid waters. Dartmoor

#1415 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, TravelsLeave a comment

Something is missing, and for once it is not the sun. A sea surge +high tide has completely hidden the sea pool. A promising day awaits.

If the sea was as clear and transparent as it can be, the picture below is what we might see.

With such a depth of water covering the pool  there will be all sorts of things swimming about, things that normally leave the pool to humans. I wished the sea was warm enough and quiet enough for me to explore the submerged pool. To be honest that would require swimming skills that I have never  possessed.

My mind was immediately transported back to 4th December when my swim in a sea pool in Australia gave me the surprise of my life when an early morning skinny dip came to an abrupt end when I realised I was not alone. Swimming with a Sting Ray was never on my bucket list.

Tranquil image, not so tranquil underneath. Bermagui, NSW.

Staring at a submerged sea pool  and imagining what might be in it, I realised that despite not having a bucket list. My bucket is extraordinarily full of bucket type experiences that I could never have imagined. I am a lucky woman.

Me with a bucket.

#1414 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn weatherLeave a comment

3rd Feb 2026 is not quite as inspirational as 3 years ago. Today has dawned as greige as greige can be. Hard to find my bloggers muse.

The day absolutely needs a touch of aqua to lighten the mood.

Aqua is an instant mood booster, particularly on a greige day. Not one of my favourite colours in the normal  run of things but greige is not my favourite place to be at any time of year. But in hunting out this picture of rinsing water some lovely aqua images popped up.

The sea at Monomvasia

Aqua or turquoise makes the world a better place. We are promised another couple of days of heavy rain so Lola and I took two morning walks  in the greige while the greige was dryish. There was no specific rain but the atmosphere felt wet. People seemed to be weighed down by the mud beneath their feet and the promise of more rain. The urge to get fresh air is a powerful motivator. For me and Lola it was a reward for dull jobs achieved in a timely way. Not that she was particularly involved in the dull jobs but she appreciated the R and R break afterwards.

I returned refreshed and ready to write about a dull day enhanced with images and memories of a bit of turquoise. She has returned unaware of my problem with greige. She is just happy to have been out.

A dogs actual view of life is somewhat greiger  than mine even on a fabulous day so she has no idea what I am missing.

This afternoon I will be more dog, just happy to be out.

#1413 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, WinterLeave a comment

Hard on the heels of St Brigids Day and Imbolc yesterday comes Candlemas on the 2nd February.

Churches often bless all the candles to be used in the church for the year . Other Christian significant things have been added to the day but just like Imbolc and St Brigid’s Day it marks the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox

We are frequent users of candles.  Especially fragranced ones, The quality of light a candle produces is one of the great positives of winter evenings.

Australia in December was an unusual scenario. Sunshine, candles and other-worldly fragrances in the run up to Christmas. Our return luggage had many essential oil blends that could be added to candles or fragrance diffusers that look like candles.

Candles are a true positive of the darker evenings of winter. The fragrances of Australia have added to the pleasure this year.

Candlemass a worthy Celtic and Pagan celebration.

#1412 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Cornwall1 Comment
February Dawns

February has arrived. I make no apology for using a new photograph of an old subject. My favourite old, green door in St Ives.

A little worse for wear, due to some building work but in all the right ways looking perfect as a portal from January to February.

If January is the endurance event of Winter then February is the beginning of a downhill race to Spring. And today it started very well with sunshine and another best seat in the house for our lunch.

Possibly the best cloud of the day too.

February thank you for a good start , keep it up

#1411 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment
Cobbles in St Ives.

We missed celebrating the Winter Solstice on the 21st of December in Penzance due to grief for our dog and a friend’s chest infection. But we are gathered here together in St Ives for the weekend of Inbolc.

The world does feel as if something is shifting.

The views from our roof terrace were full of early morning promises.

Just like last night we wandered streets and alleyways with no particular purpose or plans. A ‘good’ coffee was an essential but as a target for a day that was it.

A coffee with the best view in the house was a bonus. Double bonus and a gold star when achieved twice.

On a meandering cliff walk I found the perfect name for a character for a novel. (As yet unwritten).

Rusty Lovelocks

Who is Rusty Lovelocks? What genre?

Romance

Erotic literature

Adventure

Historic fantasy

Crime

Psychological thriller

For some time I have wanted to rehabilitate the name Beryl. Of all the lovely gemstone names, Beryl seems not to have floated back into fashion. And yet I have never met a bad Beryl.

How better to do that than write a novel featuring Rusty Lovelocks and Beryl Heliodor.

Beryl Heliodor brings gravitas and a touch of Skandi Noir. A strong woman.

Rusty Lovelocks, sexually ambiguous, softer maybe but with a fierce loyalty and intelligence.

Whatever sort of novel might I write. But  I digress.

Today is about the reality of sunshine. And Imbolc. Things to look forward to.