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Painting Walls and Stuff

A pleasant holiday, a chance for a rest... Not exactly. Our kitchen walls are now a delicate shade of vanilla, which complements the tiling, (biscuit and light terracotta). This took all day. Climbing up and down ladders and moving kitchen stuff out of the way then putting it back again consumed more time than the actual painting. One wall, which I had misguidedly painted a gruesome shade of nicotine, (see the video above), will need a second coat or three to hide the orange hint that has come through. But that's enough decorating for one day. I strongly suspect my right shoulder will be grumpy tomorrow. I have now finished transferring all my old Hubpages articles to this blog. Once upon a time, Hubpages served as a useful sideline for me, as articles published there earned decent revenue through the intelligently selected adverts placed on each webpage. However, Hubpages was sold, and the new owners had different ideas about the site, and moved away from the old magazine format ...
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Progress!

 
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Park Officials Cut Down a Beautiful Tree

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Book Review: Coal Black Mornings by Brett Anderson

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in March 2020. What's it About? Coal Black Mornings  is an autobiographical account of the childhood, teens and early adulthood of Brett Anderson, who forged a 30+ year career as a singer/songwriter with Suede, and also as a solo artist in the fickle and notoriously competitive music industry. This book focuses on Anderson's life before Suede carried him to fame with hit songs such as  Trash ,  She's in Fashion ,  Animal Nitrate , and  Beautiful Ones.  The narrative closes at the point where the Suede band members sign their first recording contract with Nude Records, and consequently excludes any events which unfolded later, such as the band's commercial successes and failures, inter-personal relationships and inevitable tensions, the band's demise, Anderson's solo career, and then the re-emergence of a more mature Suede. Anderson's father had various jobs over time but was primarily a taxi driver who...
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Fun Quiz About Ireland, With Answers: Quiz 19

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in February 2021. Test your knowledge of Ireland with this fun 50-question quiz. You'll be asked about the country's geography, history and culture, as well as famous people from Ireland. These fun quiz questions are perfect for St Patrick's Day or any Irish-themed event. 1. In which county is the Giant's Causeway located?  Antrim 2. Which river runs through Dublin?  Liffey 3. How many counties does Ireland have?  32 4. Paddy Maloney, Sean Keane, Matt Molloy and Derek Bell are all members of which famous Irish musical band?  The Chieftains 5. Name the three expanses of water which separate Ireland from Britain.  North Channel, St. George's Channel and the Irish Sea 6. Jack Butler Yeats, Mary Swanzy and Sir John Lavery are all known for what?  Fine art painting 7. According to  The Chronicle of Ireland , in which year did St Patrick arrive in Ireland?  431 AD 8. Which town is located at the mo...
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21 Fun Things To Do on a Budget

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in January 2021. 1) Get Moving! Walking costs absolutely nothing, so get outside and explore your local area. Head to parks to imbibe fresh air and green spaces, or walk down streets you've never strolled along before. Discover things which may be entirely new to you, or simply enjoy passing other people's gardens. You'll be burning up calories and releasing your body's natural feel-good chemicals, which is better for your health and much more fun than binge watching TV or doom-scrolling through social media. 2) Novel Indulgence Curling up with a good book is surely one of life's pleasures. Rediscover old favourites on your bookshelves or organise a book swap with friends. Browse second-hand shops for bargain-priced paperbacks, or make use of your local library. There is also an effectively infinite wealth of free fiction and poetry online. Try a genre you've previously bypassed. Give authors who are new to you ...
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Book Review: A Short Book About Painting by Andrew Marr

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in May 2021. What's It About? As the introduction to this book clearly states, this is not a 'how-to-paint' manual nor a treatise on art history. If you want those things, the text promptly encourages you to look elsewhere. Instead, in this book Marr asks what attracts a person to a particular painting which not only captures their initial interest, but continues to be inspirational after many decades of viewings. Life, he writes, can be beautiful but mundane, and art can help people to transcend the everyday world of dull routines. Why do we take the time to travel to exhibitions and pay the entry fee in order to look at paintings, when we're all surrounded by so many diverse visual experiences? What makes paintings special? What makes any painter want to paint, to struggle through untold failures in order to create their paintings? How do painters decide how to communicate the idea in their mind to their chosen suppor...
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