Poor Celia

I don't know why I think of her as 'poor'...maybe because it's taken me almost exactly a year to get round to painting her up from the original scribble. And as I painted, I wondered (not for the first time) about why I drew her, what it all means, and all that kind of good old naval gazing stuff. Then I stopped, because there's some places I don't want to go. It's a toy bird. With a patchwork egg and hand knitted socks. End of story.

She wears her heart on her sleeve - literally. And like a lot of us, she's a bit saggy in places she didn't used to be.

This is a bit disturbing...it's the same driver from 'The Lost Balloon'. I never did like him. He drove a taxi previously, and is making a habit of turning up in my work, lurking in the background. What is he waiting for? Why did I put him in? What sinister secrets is he hiding? Stop. It's a toy bird. With a patchwork egg and hand knitted socks. End of story.

And here are some potential passengers...oh look, there's a tiny yolk on the sign...I spent a large amount of my childhood waiting for buses with my mum; I wonder if that's me as a little chick. So who are the other two characters? How long have they been waiting? Has dreamy Celia missed the bus? No. It's a toy bird. With a patchwork egg and hand knitted socks. End of story...

Wading through treacle with Celia dreaming

I've just read 'Stuntmother's' recent blog - where, with her regular drollness, she decribes how the state of chaos and confusion in her house usually reflects her state of mind/organisation. This is precisely where I am, at this moment in my week/life, and she has written it so eloquently, that I can only recommend you go and have a look. There are so many things to be done - I feel as if I am wading through treacle, and not getting anywhere with them. Here's just some of the things I can remember;

Finish 'The Lost Balloon',
Paint little picture as wedding present for friends getting hitched on Saturday
Label 20 jars of pear chutney
Find shelf homes for the thirty odd books I bought at a fete two weeks ago (bad move, but I couldn't help myself)
Put the washing on
Put the dry washing away
Paint another picture for more friends who are getting married in ten days time
(And prepare for attendance of said nuptials, both of which involve nights away from home),
Go into 'town' via long bus journey and get food and a new lampshade; our bedroom one is burnt to a shred, quite disgraceful
Wash and dust bedroom windowsill, sticky mildew and illegal spiders
Hoover whole house and dust
Design and print compliment slips
E-mail about five people who've been on the back burner for months, (so they're going to be long ones)
Tidy the back garden
Clean defrosted fridge and totally blitz the kitchen (whimper)
Backdate this blog, as we did Interesting Things at the weekend

My legs ache from the damp, Clover keeps going walk-about (is she being fed elsewhere?) the shop is particularly overbusy and understaffed at the moment, next door's ghastly great alsatians broke into our garden yesterday, all three of them...which finally gave me a chance to tackle the owners about the barking that starts up every time we go into our garden or put the kettle on. I'm moaning now and starting to bore myself now, so I'll stop there.

More pleasant things; another blog I visit regularly is 'Excellent Walker' and she has posted a 'to-do' list, for the whole world to see - I don't think I could live up to global scrutiny as I try to fight my way through all these things to reach my Nirvana - sitting at my desk, painting. Which is why finishing 'the Lost Balloon' is top of my list - I'll enjoy it the most.

'Woodland Creatures' has had the big OK from the top. The author and I are delighted.

A few days ago, I was admiring the gorgeous handknits at 'Jackie-Blue'. I do love knitting and wish I could afford nice wools and the time to get my old skills back. Next time I grabbed a 'cat nap', I dreamt a new friend - Celia. And she was wearing a pair of sloppy socks, obviously handknitted. Here she is clutching a stuffed/patchwork egg, rather wistfully. People used to put china eggs under 'bad layers' to encourage their egg production. Now all I have to do is get through my list...

First rough of 'Celia'