100 ABSTRACTS - NUMBER 35

Midway through the afternoon yesterday, I was feeling rather restless but Mr. HCB didn’t feel like going out for a walk, so I decided that rather than just sitting at the computer or reading, I would paint the lamp holders that are in our garden, dotted along the herbaceous border.

I collected them all and found there were nine in total together with five small round balls that used to be lights, but which had failed.  I had painted them a couple of years ago, but they needed doing again.  I found the old paint - small trial pots I had bought, and after a good shake, they were all fine, so I started painting.  I put a plastic cloth on the table, fortunately - those who know me, will understand that I am a “get down and dirty” sort of person, and wouldn’t normally do that, but thought that our conservatory table was too good to mess up!  I also put on some gloves, again I don’t normally, but they did look rather messy by the end of my session, so that could have been my hands!

My shot today shows the plastic cloth with a wonderful abstract painting - not even done by me, but just created from the fact that I painted the lamp holders then put them down on the cloth, before doing the next one.  So this abstract kind of dropped into my lap for the next one in my 100 Abstracts for the Mamie Martin Fund, which supports young women and girls and gives them the chance to have a secondary education in North Malawi.

Mr. HCB and I have just listened to a wonderful service from the Baptist Assembly, which was broadcast on YouTube.  The sermon was by Shane Claiborne and was inspiring - so if you would like to listen - and even if you aren’t a Baptist, I’m sure you will be inspired - here is the link.  The Bible Reading was amazing - but I won’t spoil it - but will just say it was very different!   Shane was speaking about “beating swords into ploughs” and I thought that the brown slightly towards the right of the shot looked like a scythe - so just humour me, please!

I was going to take Mr. HCB out for a drive today, but the rain is now hammering down, so I think it will be a picnic in the conservatory - but never mind, at least he’s now able to read, so he’s happy.  I managed to get out into the garden just as it started raining and took a shot of the finished articles in situ in the border, and I’m really pleased with them - see my extra.

Have a great week and I will leave you with a quote from Shane’s sermon this morning from the picture that is on his front door;  from tomorrow, as we cautiously come out of lockdown, may we be the ones who help to heal the brokenness around us in any way we can:

“Heal all that is broken
     in our hearts 
          in our streets 
               in our world.” 
Amen