The ear story from 2006

After much procrastinating I finally had my ears syringed.

I've actually been deaf for quite some time, it had got to the point of paintful embarassment, where by after the third "I'm sorry what did you say?" many less polite individuals were inclind to give up and walk away. Jordi's favourite and highly audible parting remark was "Oh, It dosen't matter!!!". Well poor little me was starting to get used to living in a world of silence, I would wile away my time writing and thinking with no inturruptions, except for occassionly being roughly shaken for not responding to calls and shouts. Well I decided to take the bull by the horns and go to make an appointment with the nurse. I arrived early, leaving my bike tied up outside I walked in, I heard a small voice ask where the nurse was, and apon recieving an answer I realised it had been my voice that had asked the question, so long had it been since I had heard that voice.

I walked up stairs and saw the door of the nurse's room ajar. I sat down infront of it waiting to be called, my natural English propensity to wait no matter what, with me as ever . She hailed me from inside and asked who I was, on hearing my name she admitted her expectation that I be black (??!!!) for reasons she kept secret. I apologised for dissapointing her. I heard the small voice again explain the problem. That good nurse took me almost apon her knee and sort the troublesome wax out. The popular expression of the region "deu ni do" meaning literally GOD GIVES escaped her lips in an exclamation at the state of my ears. She put her stout skirted leg on the stool infront of me pressing almost her entire body up against mine to get a better look. I can't deny the discomfort at having this large person at such close proximity, which only added to discomfort of having unnameable pointed objects thrust mercilessly into each ear hole.

Finally the water and other implements were gathered and the process of extracting the gunk began. After, what felt like, a sharp stick had been inserted roughly into my lug hole a jet of water emerged and the stick was removed. as the sound of rushing water subsided I waited for my ear drums to come back to life, alas the same muffled noises remained. The nurse exclaimed again, a huge quantity a hard brown wax had come out and that was only half of it. She flushed me out yet again only to stand back wielding the largest peice of congeald wax that ,I'm sure, anyone has ever seen! The nurse professed to 'never have seen so much come out of one so young'. I felt proud and elated at my creation. But that was just the beginning for then the sound came rushing in. An amazing, echoing, microphone assisted style noise reached my long hidden eardrums who vibrated joyously . Everything echoed and I felt quite dizzy. The other ear was quickly flushed and the job was complete. I could hear again. the nurse wondered how I'd been able to hear anything at all up to that moment. On my way home on my bike with the thunderous traffic roaring in my now liberated ears I wondered upon the same question, but happily put it down to the fabulous quality of my hearing.

Here my story ends the moral being: ears totally rock!

Perry the Falcon

Chicken 1 and Chicken 2

Two of my chicken friends for you today, one a little angry but definitely a good person, and the other just a bit doubtful, but that's probably because he thinks the first one is looking at him funny.

HealthyFridge

HealthyFridge, originalmente cargada por judyfarr.

This is a photo of our fridge looking extremely full and healthy. This is a very unusual state for our fridge, it spends most of its days utterly deserted, except for the odd ancient bean or scattering of crumbs, on a good day you may even find a bit of dried cheese dwindling in some waxy plastic.

This is a beautiful illustration by Lara Harwood, she's a printmaker, I don't know a whole lot about printmaking but looking at her work makes me want to jolly well learn. One shouldn't be jealous of the success of others, but damn it, I wish I was producing the kind of stuff she is. I love the simplicity of her work, it's something I strive for.

Pavement Rage

I've been feeling a bit low after Christmas, it's like a kind of pressure on my brain resembling a dark cloud. I've been moody and snapping at everyone. You know there's something wrong when you start pushing people out of your way on the street. Yes, for my shame, this morning I was walking up the hill to work and a woman came walking towards me, i was already at the side of the pavement next to the parked cars, there was the whole pavement for this woman to walk down. However I could see from the way she was walking resolutely towards me also sticking to the side by the cars that she wanted me to move, she wanted to squeeze through the gap between me and the parked cars, now come on, what is that about? She's not the first woman to do this to me in this town. Vindictive I call it. So today I thought, no woman you're not getting through, you've got plenty of room to get through, so if you try anything... well needless to say the ol' south London spirit came rushing to my head and as this woman, vindictively may I just add, walked past me I just didn't move out of her way and squarely knocked into her shoulder. I heard some remonstration and a yelp behind me but I continued regardless.
It was like a demonstration of power, it felt good, but then conscience returned and smacked me over the head, what is wrong with you Judy? Stop the violence. I'm just full of anger at the moment. This is no excuse for viciously bumping in to middle aged women on the way to work. Through this blog I ask that woman whoever she may be to forgive me for rising to her vindictive and antagonising behaviour.

The studio, before we changed everything around

This a bit of my studio, it's all different now and much better, although I love it however it is.

Portrait

My boyfriend's mother teaches at a primary school and this is a drawing of one of her pupils.