Saturday, 19th August 2023 - Moon

I am very very very tired. We had a lovely dinner with Si and Lesley at Nick and Alli's last night but I was in bed by the time the calendar had turned from Friday to Saturday. I drove us home through rain, lightning and steaming roads. I had an early start tending to bnb guests adding to my tired state. Harriet, Herbie and briefly Hetty (Hetty was out with her archaeology group at Smallhythe Place) came to entertain me. We stripped the plum tree into Herbie's tractor trailer. I have made plum and redcurrant jam but it's looking a bit on the runny side as I type. I am hopeful of a perfect set by the morning.

The last day of Amy's challenge was yesterday so mine today is retrospective. The prompt was Moon. I used Daniel Smith watercolour paints Lunar Violet and Moonglow. Very appropriate I thought.

Thursday, 17th August 2023 - Art-Poem

I packed my painting easel, oil paints, brushes, canvas, watercolours and paper into the car and headed to meet up with other painters from WOKAS at The Trout Farm in Tenterden. I settled under a tree in the shade as it turned out to be a hot and steamy day. A watercolour painting went horribly wrong. I tore it into to four tiny pieces and turned it into my Art-Poem for Amy's Inchie Challenge. The poem is one that my sister wrote on a pottery bowl she made me. I love it very much. And my sister.

We celebrated the warm evening with wine and beer in the garden joined by a bnb guest. He has an interesting job where he works out a person's fat and muscle mass using a Dexa scan and advises how to optimise your body. That is very simply put he explained it a lot better. Interesting.

Wednesday, 16th August 2023 - River

Tim and I combined our talents to get guests breakfasted, then the table cleared (I love my dishwasher), rooms cleaned and a pile of ironing flattened so we would go to London. I left my robot hoover cleaning the kitchen floor for me. I have a Tate Modern membership and can take a friend. Today it was Tim. We went to see an exhibition of Klint - I had never heard of her and not that keen on her work, and Mondrian who I found very inspiring and have heard of. I love a walk along the Thames which was made even more glorious by the sun shining. We sat on a bench to people watch. So many people. I wondered what they were all doing? I thoroughly recommend the ice-cream cafe under the OXO Tower. I had coffee and pistachio which was the best I have ever had. 

Today's prompt from Amy was 'River'. I balanced myself on a pontoon and drew the Thames from four different vantage points.

Tuesday, 15th August 2023 - Fern

Sometimes progress through the day seems slow. It was one of those days today. I cannot blame it on my overindulgent lunch on Sunday still. Can I? My 'To Do' list is getting longer each day. One job crossed off and two more added. It's not been bad day but one where I felt the need to grumble and felt better for it.

Amy suggested Fern today. I got lost in patterns which was the perfect way to end my 'grumble' day.

Monday, 14th August 2023 - Box

I am very nearly ready for my book and bed. It's been a busy day and I am still recovering from the wine infused lunch I had yesterday which I am sure has slowed my progress. One room has been turned around and new guests are settled in. I had a meeting this afternoon with WOKAS. Future plans were helped with tea and custard cream biscuits. I took some dried allium head to scatter the seeds in the garden. On the drive home a lot got expelled onto the seat and floor. Wouldn't it be great if they germinated and I had a car full of alliums in the spring.

Amy's prompt today was Box. All were boxes that had a meaning for me. The lunchbox reminded me of my grandchildren. The tool box of my son-in-law. The Box Moth has rampaged through my hedge. We have bird boxes in the garden even though the birds prefer to nest in a pile of plastic plant pots. 

Sunday, 13th August 2023 - Touching

I squeezed a very quick yoga session in before cooking breakfast for a lovely family of five bed and breakfast guests. 

Tim and I took a train to London Bridge. It was a beautiful morning and we wandered along the river. Wow so many people. We stopped for a coffee and shared a chocolate Cannoli in a Sicilian cafe overlooking an amazing bronze sculpture called the Waterfall. We were then on time to go to The Ivy by Tower Bridge to celebrate Tim's friend and colleague Rowan's 70th birthday. We left five hours later and headed home. The first load of bed and breakfast linen is rumbling around the washing machine as I type.

I drew four Inchies on the train. The prompt from Amy today was Touching. The trees were touching each other as we passed by on the train as were the terraced houses. 

Saturday, 12th August 2023 - Four Knots

I have been doing bed and breakfast for over fifteen years. I still wake in the night to check that I have set my alarm and that I haven't missed my alarm and overslept. All was well this morning and I had plenty of time to prep breakfast.

This afternoon a tackled a very neglected flower bed under our dining room window. The shrubs have been trimmed to reveal a view of the garden.

Day 6 of Amy's challenge was Knot. I didn't know whether to do a rope knot, a celtic love knot, Knot the wading bird or knotweed ....so I did tiny pictures of them all while listening to an audio book. 

Friday, 11th August 2023 - Spill

It was a slow start after a latish night. If I go to bed after 10pm and I struggle to open my eyes in the morning. I am trying to keep the 'old' out Linda but it seems to be creeping in.

I made chocolate brownies and date and walnut cake in anticipation of the arrival of bed and breakfast guests. They declined my offer of tea and cake so we have a well stocked freezer.

I had a lovely time in my studio painting cards for a 70th birthday and a New Home. I could see Tim outside the window raking up leaves. We have a silvery leafed tree that likes to drop its leaves in August and unfortunately again in the autumn making a double leaf collection necessary. We are trying to build a heap of compost akin to the one at Great Dixter.

Today's prompt  from Amy was 'Spill'. I spilt some cerulean blue and then followed the pattern it created. 

Thursday, 10th August 2023 - Magnolia

It has been a sunny day to watch Tim cutting the hedge while I pottered.

A friend of ours set out at 4.30am and swam the channel. Ten hours and 40 minutes later he arrived in France. What an amazing feat of endurance. 

It was warm enough this evening to have a drink in the garden with our lovely tenants who will be leaving us soon.

Today's prompt from Amy was 'Magnolia'. Hmmm I had to think about this one.

Wednesday, 9th August 2023 - Bark

Our four new chickens are settling in well. They now come when I call them. Such an odd way of running. It amuses me. It won't be long before our burnt toast gets recycled into eggs.

Nick and Alli met us in Lamberhurst for breakfast at Teise and Coffee. I had halloumi, smashed avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast and baked beans, oh and a couple of poached eggs - some of my favourite things. 

This evening we went to The Lord Raglan. The Morris danced as the sun was setting which was quite poetic as it was the last night of the season. Not being a singer or able to play an instrument I had a very enjoyable time listening to a great variety of music and watching a tear fall during an emotional rendition of D-Day Dodgers

Today's prompt from Amy was 'Bark'. I had a couple of failed attempts that have gone in the recycling.

Tuesday, 8th August 2023 - Woven

I took advantage of a non bnb morning and took to my yoga mat with a Rinse session with Adriene before my morning shower.

We had a lovely day with hungry Hetty, inquisitive Raffy, full of questions Herbie and their every patient Mum Harriet. I bought them a second hand book about The Wombles. I love the Wombles. We looked for one on our walk but discovered loads of different fungi instead. We found a small patch of Amethyst Deceivers which are a favourite of mine - such an amazing colour,

This afternoon we popped into see Brenda who was in fine spirits and always love a trawl through my latest photos of her great grandchildren.

We carried on into Hastings to The Stag for an evening of musical entertainment before heading home with a bag of chips.

Today's Inchie drawing prompt from Amy was woven. I had a few minutes of mindfulness whilst drawing.

Woven

Monday, 7th August 2023 - Frothy

Tom and Fable came and stayed for a few days. When Tom left I said I would try and get back into making a piece of art a day and write my Blog so we can keep in touch. A 12 day challenge came up on Instagram. It is a kind of mindful/meditation drawing set by Amy who runs Mindful Art Studio. She emails a word prompt each day. Today it was 'Frothy'. On pieces of paper 2" x 2" you let your imagination go. After I had finished cleaning the bed and breakfast rooms and potted up some rather root bound plants I allowed myself to start. I got totally engrossed in my drawing. I am sure it is very therapeutic.

Frothy

Pen on 2" x 2" paper