Keep Calm & Carry On

Forget war-torn Britain, this quote was surely written for ME!

This week has tested me to the very limits of sanity. But it's had its rewards too (more on that later).

I have had to evict two unwelcome house guests. Actually, Mr H had to do the removing and said guests were actually rodents and not humans. Whilst away on a 'relaxing w/e' with a girlfriend, I received a phonecall from Mr H, informing me that we would be entertaining some 'visitors' for a fortnight. Now, for those who know me, my diary is organised with military precision and nothing and no-one gets past me and into the weekly plan without me knowing about it first (yes, it's a form of control freakish behaviour but I don't do surprises and am most definitely not comfortable with the idea of spontaneity).

It emerged over the course of the phonecall (luckily for Mr H, I was in another county and not face-to-face with him OR within a short driving distance of our house) that he had been bullied into looking after his niece's 2 pet mice, even though I had turned down a previous request to babysit her stick insects. My interpretation of an ideal house pet does NOT have a long, scaly tail and most certainly can't nibble any part of your body.

It took 2 days (ie. the entire length of my 'relaxing' w/e away) to drum it into Mr H that if the pesky rodents weren't removed from the house before I returned, then he would have to choose: me OR Micky/Minnie. Luckily for me, Mr H's family loyalties held strong and the day after I returned (not as relaxed as I'd hoped to be), we waved goodbye to our short-term house guests, before they were shunted off to another county (not far enough, in my opinion). The one thing that did make me smile (actually, I fell off the sofa clutching my sides) was watching Mr H clean out the cage and visibly gag at the putrid smell of mice pee. There is a God after all...

Now, onto nicer things. It turns out that I am actually slightly good at something. A while ago, a group of friends thought it would be good fun to enter a local arts/craft/horticultural show - the idea being to sweep the board with 1st prizes for efforts in every category, from home-grown giant marrows to floral arranging. So, with that in mind, I dusted off my easel and pastels and hurriedly put together a drawing of M for the Portrait category. For me, art is the Unknown - something that I want to be brilliant at and knowledgeable of, but alas, I was never given the tools or opportunity to explore. Coming from a family of scientists, I was practically laughed out of the room when I announced that I wanted to take GCSE Art as an option. 'Art?', my mother exclaimed, 'what on earth are you going to do with an Art qualification?!'. And with that, I took the Chemistry option instead (and flunked, unsurprisingly).

However, a couple of years ago, in secret defiance, I signed myself up for a Life Drawing class. With no art qualifications whatsoever, walking into that classroom and coming face to face with twenty other artists was incredibly daunting. But I knew straight away that I'd found my Nirvana. For 2 hours, every week, I would sit and draw with no interruption and no judgement. My tutor was a kind, talented and inspiring woman who took away my fears and inhibitions. I loved every second of the course.

Then, as with everything in life, things got in the way. With the course finished, I was relying on my self discipline to keep drawing. Which didn't happen, obviously. So, I was really, really happy to have an excuse to draw something again. What made it even better was winning 1st prize! I didn't get a rosette (unlike the giant marrow winner) but the satisfaction of being good at something was enough. It even took the edge off the mouse-house invasion. As my now favourite quote says, 'Keep Calm & Carry On'...I'm a great believer of Karma. Good things WILL happen to those of us who have been waiting very, very patiently, even if it's been a lifetime.