Hi Colleen I've got a bit of time tonight don't know how so I thought I would drop in and say hello...cleaning day and now it's all over for a week...glad you liked the Heron like I said he sort of grew on his own perhaps I should give him a name given that he birthed himself...how about Henry the Heron...hope your Christmas preparations are going better than mine which are non existence...a new baby has been born into the King family at 3am Wednesday morning...our Nephew and his Wife from Kendal had their second boy...Alexander Owen nice name I think.

Hey Colleen have just been to your gallery and there's heaps on there that I havn't seen before...it's late as ususl here so I'll be back to have a good stroll through...a lot of lovely work too. Love Patsy XXX

That's cool I will amend that I usually cook by smell and not time...time dosn't really work for me on the cooking front...my old dog is slowly going senile she has been in and out all night and looks as if she dosn't know what she's doing...like why am I here...bit like me I think...we had a rather colourless but tasty meal tonight made by me...roast stuffed chicken, mashed potato and cauliflower the gravy added a touch of colour...I thought I had some broccoli but alas ate it all last week...they enjoyed it anyway...talk later it's bedtime as usual

It's a pleasure, Patsy. I should have said the oven temperature is 180 degrees celsius and to add the onion and garlic to the marinade. I think at the time I was marvelling at Phil's recipe being in such a cool oven and wrote that temperature by mistake. Sorry, all.

THANK YOU COLLEEN sounds scrumptious I have written it down...that is a way I could eat red meat...it's the smell when I'm slicing it that nauseates me and puts me right off...going to hit the sack now...isn't this larger format wonderful for aging eyes.

Hi, Here's my baeckoeffe recipe from Alsace. I hope it's GF. You could try just pork if you don't eat red meat. Bon appetit! Le Baeckeoffe à quatre viandes For 4 people : 400 grammes beef hock 400 grammes lamb shoulder 400 grammes pork shoulder 200 grammes of pigs’ feet or tail 1.5 kilos potatoes 1 large onion 1 small leek 2 good-sized carrots a few cloves garlic 1 litre of Alsatian white wine either Edelswicker or Riesling (I used Sylvaner, but then I was poor) bay leaves , cloves, juniper berries for the marinade The day before you want it, cut the meat into cubes, chop the leek and carrots into thin slices( I do carrots lengthways. Mix the wine and herbs together. Marinade the meat and veg in this overnight in the fridge. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius. Arrange a layer of potato at the bottom of an earthenware casserole dish slightly ventilated (Alsatians have their own traditional decorated ones). Cover potato layer with meat and veg. Season with salt and pepper, then put another layer of potatoes on top. Then cover with the marinade sauce to the top of the second potato layer. Put the lid on the casserole and put in the oven for 3.5 to 4 hours. Serve as soon as it leaves the oven with a glass of Riesling.

Hi Colleen how about that recipe you mentioned on Phil's blog sounds very nice indeed...we have decided to stay with the telco we have for the moment anyway...there isn't a special deal to be had at the moment but hey when there is I'll be there like a shot...I like the idea of getting rid of the land-line and having your home phone operate through the modem...that saves so much on the land-line which is about $30 a month at the moment so will wait and see. Lots O Love Patsy XXX

Hi Colleen just a quick drop in to say hello...hope you are cosied in for your winter hibernation...we are still having really cold nights here which is quite unusual still won't complain I'll do enough of that when the heat arrives...got into my room again today and got all of the stuff out of the drawers and with a bit of re-organisation I will get everything in giving me more space...it's a mess at the moment stuff all over the floor but I know where it's going...well off to bed now Lots O Love Patsy XXX

Hi Colleen and thanks for your comment on my blog and I'm glad I could be of help...I'm pleased your antennae are growing but like everything in life they sometimes go descend as a car aerial does...hope your connection is soon up and running...I don't know what I would do without my computer now even though it's been less than a year since we had broadband put on...I was a little scared at first but soon learnt...when in doubt read the small print...Daughter is home with a bad case of tonsillitis so I'm giving her a wide berth I've had enough germs to last for the next ten years this winter...I'm going to paint tonight and hopefully I will get the two watercolours I have on the go finished in this two week break...thanks for the tip on mixing darks...I remember being told not to over mix but somehow when I'm struggling to get a colour it does get over mixed...will talk later got to get tea ready for the workers...roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

Hi Patsy Thank you just doesn't cover it. A thousand thanks neither. Lots of artists say about darks being difficult. If you mix two transparent complementary colours as quickly and unfussily as poss, you should get a good clear dark. I want to try oils too, slow, tolerant, perceptive and forgiving they say and I am hoping! Thanks, Pats. Lots of love, Colleen xxx

Hi Colleen me again we will have to stop meeting this way...had a 5 year olds birthday party yesterday so I was a bit tired in class today so I actually allowed Tutor to help me get some darks in...he made me feel better when he said that most watercolourists are scared when it comes to putting the darks in...I've got news for him I'm going to take the oil course next year...I always enjoyed oils in the 80's but the smell of the solvent at home would drive me out so it will be good in a well aired classroom...hopefully...I loved your inclusion in GOSH lovely and colourful so congratulations

Hi Colleen good to here you in fine fettle...yes the dreaded greens Tutor is scared of them too...I notice when he has mixed some and loaded a brush he always twirls it a bit before he touches the paper...that's true but he did admit it...as to the chololate they sent me a very long email I suppose in the hope that I would get fed up and not read it but there in the last paragraph less cocoa butter and the inclusion of palm oil...and you know what they can do with it...I bought some Whittakers so will let you know how the taste test goes...will look out for French chololate but over here will probably cost a fortune...must off and get a bit of tea

Sorry Colleen go a stutter

Glad you are OK and painting...I'm in a painting mood too at the moment I find if I don't feel like painting I'll make a mess...class tomorrow which I'm really looking forward to so relaxing

Glad you are OK and painting...I'm in a painting mood too at the moment I find if I don't feel like painting I'll make a mess...class tomorrow which I'm really looking forward to so relaxing

Thanks, Patsy, I'm OK. Keep well and painting!

Hi Colleen when Daughter was a baby I worked all weekend as the nurse in a Dr's surgery...it was horrible getting home at 9pm the whole day was gone...I know I love my Saturdays and keep them just for me...I've got to know so many people whom I talk to and often have to rush because the shops close at 5pm on a Saturday...love the craic...Daughter tried that one on me when she was in the UK about having craic. and was quite disappointed when I knew what she meant...you seem a little down hope you are OK keep well

Hi Patsy, Glad you're feeling much better and enjoyed your night out. I've changed my Saturday shift, so have Saturdays free now for the first time in four years, so am hoping to get out more often for the craic. Thanks for your comments & keep well!

Hi Colleen woke up yesterday and realised the sun was shining and that horrible cloud over my head had lifted...a wounderous feeling...we went on a works outing tonight and I really enjoyed myself had some good laughs which is great for the endomorphs...it was an alternative gypsy resturant and we had the banquet...mostly vegetarian which I love and we had small portions of all sorts of foods and flavours coming to the table all night...I ended up the night with a lovely creme caramel with highly alcoholic cherries on the side and a lovely double shot flat white coffee wonderful...my painting for GOSH although not that good is actually moving along now and I might make it yet I know it would make me feel better if I did so I thought I would catch up tonight because it's painting tomorrow...the hard pieces are in now just a little to do then some pen work which should cover the mistakes...Hubby is in bed full as a boot which usually happens on a works outing because it's free...talk later and thanks so much for your thoughts when I felt so horrible it did make me feel so much better

Hi Colleen and thanks for the PM I've left one for you...I tried all the remedies over the years and I'm afraid at my age it's give me the pills and it's amazing what they can do for you they have everything so streamlined now...I refused for years until I had no choice...my Hubby was glad to have me back when the meds kicked in...funny you should say that about the tension of painting for something as soon as I told Beatrice I wouldn't make the deadline I started again and am 3/4 finished so I might finish yet but I'm not trying to...it's so long since I've painted that the confidence isn't up there yet and of course the artistic temperament to go with it dosn't help...gotta go Hubby's put a Pink Floyd DVD on love them...Money is playing at the moment

Hi Patsy, You probably know this one- but if you have a hot bath a while before bed, the cooling down process afterwards releases a chemical in your body- thought it was melanine, but can't be. Anyway, when high levels are in circulation, you fall asleep, so might counteract adrenaline in some way, as a remedy to sleeplessness. I empathize with all you say on nerves for the gosh painting. I think it's mine that won't sell though. How hard can it be to raise money? All the hospital needs is for people to hand over their dosh. It doesn't have to be to the sound of trumpets, so let's not get too hung up bout it, says she! I ain't at all satisfied with my efforts so far and I've been at it for ages now. I'm sure yours will be a delight though, like your work. Take care, now, no lemons or nasty garlic thingies!

Hi Colleen and thanks for the remedy I could do the ginger and garlic but unfortunately allergic to citrus big hives and runny appendages...so the lemon tree full of lemons is used only by Mum-in-Law who swears by honey and lemon and is forever boiling it up the smell gets me running for the tissues...funny I am an insomniac but I take a pill no amount of exercise will make me sleep my mind is like a tin of worms and comes alive at night...the pill treats depression which is probably why I can't sleep...there's nothing worse than getting up at 6am to go to work after just 2 hours sleep...I could blame the shift work but even as a child I had trouble getting to sleep...I go all quiet when I havn't slept well and loud noises really grate on me and make me wince...Mum-in-Law is a great chatterer but fortunately most of the conversation dosn't need a reply...one tip I did get form an old Sister I worked with was to have a glass of milk and a plain biscuit she said that it gives your brain something else to do other than try to get to sleep...it didn't work for me...I'm really nervous about GOSH painting and I think I'm jinxing myself...so I've stretched a piece of lovely Saunders Waterford 300gpm and that will be right cost me a fortune for me anyway so this one will be right...I've never done anything like this before...I wouldn't want to know if know if there were no bids for my painting...still gotta start some where I'm just hoping I get it done within the deadline...but I work well under pressure...I think all of us nurses are adrenaline junkies...I used to love working casualty...a big night of storms here we had a bit of quiet but it has started again hope the patio is still there in the morning

If anyone wants to lose weight, a tip is just add one raw garlic clove to everything you eat. Guaranteed to eat less! Since work colleagues now have family members with flu, I've started the drastic garlic clove treatment and one could construct an argument in which one could maintain that, although it might help in prevention of acute symptoms of the much-publicised lurgy, it does nothing for atistic inspiration and as a consequence, is not a treatment worth recommending! :) Congrats if you're still following and could you explain to me what I meant?!!

Hi Patsy, Nice to hear from you. Many thanks! Gosh, am sorry you've been poorly & it sounds nasty!! Hope you get over it pronto!! My advice is eat loads of garlic, good for respiratory system, eat loads of fresh parsley (vit C & neutralizes garlic odours:)) I'm a bit into aromatherapy, so I also do steam inhalation with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. This really has respiratory infections on the run, but it's NOT for asthmatics or epileptics, just in case ! I've been very tired recently & so haven't written much on POL, I've suffered "bouts" of severe insomnia since I was 17, so basic functioning can sometimes be difficult. I feel more Bear With Sore Head than Swine, I like to think so, anyway! The first thing that goes is diplomatic skills, sadly, I find. (My foot is permanently inserted into mouth; looking on the bright side, it is energy-saving, as don't have to constantly open said mouth to insert said foot :)) Best cure for insomnia is exercise and avoiding stressful situations, can't always be achieved by me as have CP and have to live, lol! I can't believe I'm telling all this to a nurse, like you didn't know!! Anyway, need to brace ourselves for the swine flu!! Keep painting!! Still working on the GOSH painting,myself, with huge butterflies (in stomach!) Best wishes!

Hi Colleen you are very quiet lately hope you havn't turned into a swine or has all of that wonderful weather taken every one outdoors...my Snowdrops are on the way up and as is typical of everything in Australia they are taller and bigger...I'll take some photos when the flowers appear...nearly over the dreaded pneumonia...it's times like this I wish I was still nursing I never got sick when I was at work...now the immunity isn't there I go near a hospital and come down with everything that's floating around...they should have signs outside warning you to enter at your own risk

Blimey, better watch me grammar now!!! (lol)

Hi Colleen when I went to England to live they couldn't understand a word I said so the accent had to change quickly because as a 16 year old girl you don't want to be different...but although I'm very slow to anger just watch out when I do it all comes out in an Irish language of sorts...Daughter thinks it's a scream...when I started nursing in the 60's there were actually some far South West Irish girls who didn't have a full command of English at least not the way the English spoke it...I could understand them so maybe there's a few Gaelic words in there somewhere...I love your blogs and Forum entries you inject some fun into often serious discussions...it's good to be brought up bi-lingual there are many different races here and you can hear little kids speaking two languages I think it's great...my sister and her Hubby lived in France for a few years and her two Daughters were taken into an intensive French class for a month and they spoke fluently still do

Hi Patsy, Sweet Dreams. You must be in bed by now in the happy land of nod! Actually, it must be nearly time to get up! Irish isn't dead, I think there are several thousand speakers now, as it's Irish (Republic) educational policy o teach it to secondary level, I think. There's lots of Irish telly on the internet with programmes on Irish trad music, which I enjoy & interspersed they have a chat in Irish which has lots of technical words in English. I love the sound of Irish so I can listen for ages without understanding it and that's really how I started with French as a girl. I didn't just wait to be taught at school, I just got a passion for the poetry of the sounds of French, as I was born in Canada, officially bilingual at federal level at least! I'm not particulary gifted at languages, just enjoy them. Knowing a language gets you closer to the people too, which is nice and it informs your art too. C'est tout! Slan! Diolch yn vawr!

Hey Colleen found you again...I thought I had left you a post but it must have been on the last one...are you really learning Irish I'm Irish but don't speak Gaelic they told us it was a dead language...I now have a set of stuff which was given to me "Learn to Speak Gaelic." now I've put it away in a safe place and now can't find it...it's not an easy language like Siobhan said Shivon...the mind boggles...before I pop of this mortal coil I'm determined to swear at someone in Gaelic...you must have a gift for languages teaching French which was double Dutch to me you have my admiration...must off now really late bedtime

What did Mel get up to in Turkey? Coll's mind is boggling (even more than usj?

Got it, Norah! A hundred, thousand welcomes! Le do thoil!

Hi Norah, ta failte romhat, does this mean you are welcome? Failte is welcome I know!

Mel & TM>>>Lesbos/Lesvos/Mytilene...The Dodecanese Chain of Greek Islands in the East Aegean Sea...swimming distance fro the Turkish mainland....after 15 years hopefully they will have got over the experience of Mel's first visit....

Thanks for the Avon insect repellant and painting tuition tips, Norah. Many thanks, Mel, hope the trannie is useful! :)

Oh bummer Colleen...Phil, 50 years of school in any language is enough to do anyone' s nut! Anyway, you got the message nearly, I said would you like me to translate it for you. So would you? If you say, Merci, that means, thanks, but no thanks, funnily enough! Stuck it on the webbie... I just knew I would be an International Incident...types in English...French language in mind...while thinking in Greek....sil vous plaît not merci....but thank you for understanding Mel. & Phil.....ah by switching language of the spell check I can get there...

coleen - having been eaten alive a few weeks ago in beautiful Roundstone in Connemara I heard that Avon "skin so soft" is supposed to be great for keeping midges away, apparently it is used for this even though it is a moisturiser and Avon have had so much demand for it as a repellant that they have developed one with added natural repellant and sun-screen which I have just ordered. google it and read for yourself and by the way the painting locations in Roundstone are great and I would highly recommend the tutor, John Dinan, very serious about painting and wanting you to push yourself so if you are ever looking for a nice holiday with painting ....ta failte romhat :)

Hi Ofelia, I started a thread on the forum under the Acrylics heading. The thread is called Acrylics Outdoors and the acrylic painters hve given their sound advice on there, so please have a look at the forum!

Your stretch sounds wonderful, too, Alan, for England that is! We can't all be so lucky as to live in Wales! :) Seriously I love the grass at the mo too, so many varieties and colours. It is just so inspiring to paint- absolutely wonderful. Thanks for coming by, mate, great to hear your story!

Phil, 50 years of school in any language is enough to do anyone' s nut! Anyway, you got the message nearly, I said would you like me to translate it for you. So would you? If you say, Merci, that means, thanks, but no thanks, funnily enough!

Mon amie Colleen after 50 years my formal school french is worse than my Greek....I will need to get the phrase book & dictionaries out...efharisto agapite mou...I think you are saying would you like me to translate the caption for Maniot Towers into French? Merci mon amie...Strewth this confused the spell check.

Hi colleen,I've just found your blog!! We have the same love of nature it seems. My favourite hideaway (nearby) is on a stretch of my local river Thames. The grass is allowed to grow and at the moment is past my head in height and there has been another fantastic show of wild flowers again this year.I was lucky enough to spot two hobbies feeding on the mayfly explosion last month but haven't seen them since, but what a beautiful site. I too have kingfishers on this stretch and they always brighten up the dullest of days. Last year I did a painting a week in a book and many of them were of this stretch of river, meadows and the wildlife that frequent this special place and I've carried it on into this year as well. Keep sketching/painting your paradise.

Ofelia, My palette for acrylics consists of one plastic white dinner plate with small wetted rags under a laye of baking parchment onto which I put the acrylics, then wrap it all in clingfilm at tea break time:) This is a bit cumbersome for the field. You could rig somthing up with wet oasis used for flower arrangements, but the forum guys probably have better ideas than this :)

Hi Phil, Many thanks, surprizingly, there aren't any biting ones just here. I noted on Springwatch, Simon King got eaten alive up at Vyrnwy. They've never bothered me there, either, strangely. It's the Irish West coast ones that are partial to my flesh. Agony! :)

Hi Ofelia, Why don't you try sketching roughish watercolours while outdoors and make written notes about colours, light and contrasts? Then, when you get home you can make a more complete painting in acrylic if you prefer. I'm by no means the oracle on acrylics. There are artists on this site's forum who specialize more in acrylics and enjoy just the same subjects as you, trees, hills. I'm sure they'd be happen to tell you how they do things too. What's the natural world like in Argentina? Is it temperate where you are?

Nice one Colleen and the midge population is?

I love nature as well and spend lots of time in our country house in Argentina. I have not done any outdoor painting yet as I use acrylics and fear they will dry up too quickly. Any suggestions on this? I love painting forests and the hills at the back.