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So, here we are, about thirty days later. Thirty days of blustering and blathering and bullying. What else did we expect?  Does anyone know what on earth goes on in the mind of this man? I don't. I know that I don't like him, have never liked him. Intuitively, I think he's a wrong 'un and my intuition is usually spot on. I am very unlikely ever to meet him, I don't want to ever meet him but I'm curious to know more about him so I've done some astrological digging and written his report card. Here it is: Donald Trump. 14 June 1946. Queen's, New York. Sun in Gemini: Thinks he is rather good at expressing himself and boy does he like to express himself, noisy, rambunctious, he can be a disruptive influence in certain settings where a calm demeanor would be much more suitable.He can be difficult to control. He is easily bored and has a tendency to change his mind and his moods. He is not easily intimidated and this means he is quite difficult to get close to...

I would like to welcome everyone who reads this blog. I don't know who you are but my stats show me that you are spread across, France, Iran, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Russia, the US and the UK. I would love to hear from you, wherever you are. As my life progresses so my every day activities change. A lot of my time now is spent looking after my elderly father. He is eighty eight and a half ( this is how he describes his age) and is in reasonable health although his mobility is severely limited. Almost without realising it, I have become his main carer. He can no longer drive, walk any distance and cannot manage stairs very well, his knees are very painful and his bones creak. Yet, he's quite happy. As long as he can have his fire blazing and the television on, is fed and watered with various beverages and is allowed to moan endlessly about the government, then he's content. One might presume that dad and I have always had a close and loving relationship and my loo...

  I have always loved the Greek myths, this is my interpretation of Persephone and the pomegranate seeds. At the moment I am reading, 'Mythos' by Stephen Fry,  but I also have  'The Greek Myths' by Robert Graves on my desk. Stephen Fry is much easier to read and is quite fun. Anyone interested but not after a degree would be wise to choose Fry. I actually painted this picture a long time ago and I still like looking at it, which is unusual for me as I am prone to 'improve' my art work which is sometimes a good idea and sometimes not, for some reason Persephone has remained original. At the moment Persephone is 'above ground' and thoroughly enjoying herself with her mother, Demeter. The six pomegranate seeds in the painting represent the six months of the year that are spring and summer, or the six months of the year that are autumn and winter. You'll have to read up on Greek mythology for the full story. Maybe it's my love of the myths that keeps...

  The weather this year has been dire, this picture was taken on July 4th and is a rare specimen as it features sunlight glancing on the patio. I find it hard to get motivated when the sky is grey but usually when I get into my studio I can find my mojo. At the moment I am working on a few paintings and doing a course in psychic development. I like doing courses, I have diplomas in all sorts of things: mindfulness, CBT, counselling, intuitive healing, tarot, freelance journalism, spiritual life coaching and others. Years ago I did a course in counselling before it had even become a thing, I still have my certificate which is dated  2002. Life sort of gets in the way though, people need you, children need you, partners need you, schools need you, work needs you, parents need you, animals need you, and you need yourself. So, life is busy. But it's not so busy now, my children are adults, my animals have gone over the rainbow bridge, dad needs me, grandchildren need me and my hea...

This is my painting of a Divi-Divi Tree. It hangs in my bedroom, it makes me smile.  Aruba's distinctive trees have fascinating formations, they are shaped by constant trade winds, yet to me they seem to symbolise women, strong women, complicated women, women with tangled roots, women battered and buffetted yet still standing proud and strong. So, why. I wonder am I so drawn to them? I have a few in my gallery and I have sold one of the best ones so I have no idea where that one hangs now. I suppose I am what you would call, 'a girl's girl,' always interested in the stories of other women, their struggles, their highs and lows. Maybe it's because I have daughters and not sons.I have never been 'one of the boys', in fact I find that a bit weird, but each to their own. I have a lot of paintings in my studio of women, I've never really thought about it before, but now I am thinking 'what's that all about?'                      ...

  The first painting is my interpretation of a Miro. The second painting is my interpretation of the war in Gaza, based on a painting by Fernand Leger c 1927. It's maybe easier to put one's thoughts into a painting, in this one, the flag of Israel bleeds into Palestine, land is stolen, territory is taken, people are annihilated. I find it horribly, well horrible, that Netanayu seems to be following in the footsteps of the very person who set out to destroy his people. I just cannot understand how the world can step aside and allow this genocide. Sometimes I just feel the need to paint a picture.

This is a painting of, erm, the cancerous tumour that I found in my breast in 2021. It's gone now. I felt much better after the painting was completed, sort of serene. Despite the brutal treatment that is chemotherapy, I have depicted the cancer as drifting away, parts of you do drift away while going through treatment, and some parts return while others do not. That's how I feel anyway. I moved house last year. My rented house was too big with just me in it. It was fine when occupied with my daughters, a grand-daughter, a grand-daughter's dad and my lovely dog, but people grow and need to move on. My dog reached the end of his road. The day I lost him was the saddest day of my life. I know I probably shouldn't say that but he was deep in my heart and I loved him unconditionally. I won't ever get another dog, that 'going to sleep' business is a train wreck, one that you are watching and also feel responsible for, even though you are not. I am now living with...