Another week of sketches...

I've been melting in the heat this past week 

and we're not even in full-fledged summer yet. 

I am definitely a cold weather gal!

 I don't mind a dry heat,
but unfortunately, we have high humidity here.

Anyway, more sketches below for the 365 daily sketch challenge.
I sketch directly with pen unless stated otherwise.

73/365 - My Buddha Belly (Jatropha Podagrica).

74/365 - I love beetroot so, when Beau told me about this juice,
I just had to try it.  YUM!

75/365 - I have one of these wooden HOME signs.
The colours are so pretty.

76/365 - Ginger beer is one of my favourite drinks.
When I think of home-made ginger beer,
I think of a stone-ware flagon with a cork.
Bundaberg ginger beer is my favourite commercial brand.

77/365 - This old bicycle is going to the roadside
for the council to collect so I thought I'd sketch it first.
I used the fast/slow method used by Danny Gregory in Sketchbook Skool.

78/365 - I'm in LAMY heaven!!!
My Lamy JOY pen with EF nib arrived  in the mail
and I'm thrilled with it!!!
I will always remember the fountain pen
my Dad gave me as a young teen.
I was a bit of a pen freak back then too
and I used it to write a lot of letters.
I wish I could remember what happened to it.
I'm guessing it was lost in one of our house moves over the years.

79/365 - The 'Sing for Health' choir that Bradley and I performed with
earlier this year are giving a Christmas performance.
We're quite excited!
While killing time until choir practise last week,
I sketched this potted palm at the Jacob's Well cafe
using my new Lamy JOY pen, of course.

I'm a little late but I'm linking up to Sunday Sketches HERE.

More daily sketches, a dog and a flower

Yesterday and today were absolute scorchers! 

The humidity was horrible! 

They say temperatures will be back to the mid-30's from tomorrow. 

I sure hope so or I may just melt away. 

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Another week of sketches for the 365 daily sketch challenge. 

We have strategically placed a few of these 

ornamental black cats with reflective eyes around our garden 

in an attempt to keep neighbour's cats away. 

Those naughty felines have been using our garden

as their own personal toilet and I am not amused.

Some very quick pen sketches of people at the food court.

I finished my quad-rule sketchbook! YAY!

I decided to start another Holcroft travel journal for the next stage 

of the challenge, however, this time on plain white paper.
I must admit I'm loving the white crispness of the blank page.

I LOVE this brand of coconut cream/milk!

Rich, creamy and perfect for curries.

I keep the coconut milk powder on hand as a back up.

I was browsing photos the other day and 

decided to sketch this noisy miner from one of Beau's albums.
I did this one in water-soluble graphite with a touch of pen to define.
Yellow watercolour on the beak and eye area.

I borrowed Michelle's carpet cleaner the other day 

to shampoo the carpets. 

They came up lovely!

A poppy for Remembrance Day!

I'm linking up to Sunday Sketches HERE.

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Just look who had draped himself over the arm of the couch the other day.

Me - "Mr Cody you are NOT a cat!  You could fall and hurt yourself."

His response -
"Life comes with risks and I'll take my chances.
Now, leave me alone, you peasants! "

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Check out this gorgeous crimson mandavilla/allamanda (?) flower!

They have a few tripods of these gorgeous vines
around the nursing home gardens.
So pretty!

Happy Sunday to all!

Remembrance Day

They shall not grow old,
as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
or the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
and in the morning,
we will remember them.

All gave some,
Some gave all.
Lest we forget.

Image above is shared from Facebook. 

LEST WE FORGET

More info on Remembrance Day HERE.

Another week of sketches - 365 daily sketch challenge

More pen and watercolour sketches
for the 365 daily sketch challenge

Perhaps I should have called this one 'Bench-warmers'?

An imagination doodle with pen while watching TV.

I LOVE coconut oil!
It has so many uses and I was delighted to see it is now available
in a pump-action bottle. YAY!

Aaron moved his fish tank into the lounge-room
so we get to relax while watching the fish.
The angelfish are so graceful but can be big bullies in the tank.

My tea of choice is Twinings Green Tea.
This is the only green tea I can drink on an empty stomach
and not feel nauseous afterwards.
I do drink other brands too...
just not on an empty stomach. 

Yet another Buddha I have around my home.

I like the Tibetan-style Buddhas the best because 

they have a feeling of peace and tranquillity about them.

I bought a pair of Birkenstock sandals in an attempt to relieve
the problem I have with painful, flat feet.
Apparently, these sandals are good for that. 

I'm a little late but I'm linking up to Sunday Sketches HERE.

A week of sketches for the 365 day challenge

It's hard to believe we are into November already! 

Carrying on from last week, 

here is another week of sketches 

for the 365 Daily Sketch Challenge.

A pine cone I brought from my Mum's place. 

What I learned - Pine cones are darned hard to sketch!

Mum has been sleeping over two nights a week 

and we usually play a game of Yahtzee in the afternoon. 

This black Yahtzee set is reasonably new...

I love the black dice with red edges 

and the cool shaker cup!

Alas, one of my favourite tops finally bit the dust. 

I've had it for something like 15 years and

it was worn regularly during that time.

It was made out of an airy Indian cotton

and I knew it wouldn't last much longer 

as it has been looking a little thread-bare of late.

I half expected it to fall apart in the washing machine.

Thankfully, it saved me embarrassment by tearing 

when I was wearing it here at home and not when I was out and about.

Poor Jack has gone through hell this past week with itchy, inflamed skin.

I'm assuming it was caused by the scented products the groomer used on him. 

It could be that the trimmer head was quite hot by the time she got to Jack 

after grooming Cody.  The affected area is on his right side and underbelly only.

I had to put the cone hat on him to stop him biting at the affected areas. 

He has had an array of treatments such as chamomile tea swabs, 

coconut oil, aloe vera, goats milk soap baths, and even cortisone cream. 

All of the above were effective for temporary relief.

I had tried a cold tar shampoo recommended by a dog groomer

 to my Mum for her dog's skin condition,

however, it had Jack feverishly climbing the walls
 so I had to quickly re-bath him 

with the Billy Goat goats milk soap. 

Thankfully, it helped. 

Me thinks he will have to be a cone-head for another week 

just to be sure it is fully healed.

He is not impressed!

I've been practising people sketching for Sketchbook Skool homework.

The X-ray on my foot was clear apart from arthritic changes in my toes. 

The doctor has suggested I see a Podiatrist next as 

he feels my flat feet could be the cause of the pain.

Linking up with Sunday Sketches HERE.


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We visited Dad on Halloween and look who we bumped into whilst there.

 This nurse is SO lovely! 

He goes out of his way to make the residents laugh and feel good. 

He even dressed up for Halloween.

I know it's not a holiday Australia usually celebrates 

but Halloween has been steadily creeping in over the past ten years.

It's a fun thing for the kids and the adults.

I love Trick-or-Treaters coming to the door!

I had my bowl full of goodies ready and waiting for the Trick-or-Treaters this year

but we only had three come knocking.  I was a little sad 

but I guess it was better than having none like last year. 

Michelle (my daughter) said they were bombarded with Trick-or-Treaters.

I'm going to put out a big sign next year.