Blog - Ivor’s Daily Gallivant

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Monday April 3 2023 It was a bright sunny day. In accordance with my weekly routine I went to October Books for the Veg Out Lunch. Did a little sketching but wasn’t really in the mood. There was a singer with an electric guitar who was the entertainer for the session. Neil Kelly served me the food In order to get some money for my contribution for my meal I bought a pizza in Portswood Waitrose. A couple of days earlier I’d run out of cod liver oil capsules and I stopped off at Boots Holbury to buy some more along with another packet of masks. I thought about why my working life had been so unsuccessful: the problem was that despite getting my HND I didn’t know the basics of English and Maths. This came home when I was writing Thirty Mostly Quirky Tales.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Sunday April 2 2023 As is often the case I was reluctant to get out of bed this morning but somehow overcame my inertia and ran to the bus stop to catch the bus into Hythe. It was a sunny day and the first thing I did was to buy a cheese and ham toasty in Be Be’s. It occurred to me as I write this all things considered I spend a lot of my money there. I continued on to Marcella which today for me was uneventful, but it’s good to have somewhere familiar to go. After Marcella I did some shopping in Lidl and bought myself a piece of sirloin steak for my evening meal. When I got home I cooked it in my air fryer and did a jacket potato, mixed vegetables fried onion and mushrooms, with gravy to go with it. It was a good meal but disappointing the potato and vegetables were cold and the steak tough. If I’d cooked the steak longer and given the potato and vegetables longer in the microwave it would have been an improvement.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Saturday April 1 2023 Got up later than I planned- too late to go to The Soul Café. There was an item on Facebook saying how important it is to spend time wisely which made me reflect that much of my time hasn’t been put to good use. Eventually I went to Hythe- had lunch at Be Be’s (Scampi, beans and chips) and did some shopping in Lidl. And caught the bus home. There had been a major accident in Holbury Drove and the bus was diverted. Which meant I had to walk from the KFC bus stop back to my bungalow. (Some extra exercise which I hadn’t bargained for) When I got home I slept until about 9.00pm- caught up with friends on Facebook and had some tea. Not a day of great gallivanting.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Friday March 31 2023 I had breakfast in Be Be’s before my eye screening appointment. It seemed to go okay but my eyes stung and I remarked: ‘I’m glad this is only once a year’ As my recent blood sugar readings were pre- diabetic I imagine today is a formality. Before Andy came round I had a sleep In the afternoon I played Scrabble with Andy and much to my surprise won both games. We booked our train trip to Bournemouth for next Wednesday and have agreed to meet at the Subway near the station at 12.00 for our train which is due at 12.56.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Thursday March 30 2023 The plan for today was to go to Waterside Writers this morning and had a call from The Diabetes Nurse this afternoon. But I didn’t go to Waterside Writers, and don’t know why not. I haven’t done much writing recently and as I write this I’m not sure if I’ve got any talent for writing. My diabetes is nicely under control. It’s been one of my lethargic, apathetic sort of days. The sort of day I’ve had many of been sleeping rather than gallivanting. Couldn’t be bothered cooking this evening so went and got myself pie and chips. Tomorrow I’m playing Scrabble with Andy in the afternoon and have a diabetic eye screening appointment in the morning. Let’s hope I’m feeling more motivated tomorrow.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Wednesday March 29 2023 I was late getting to sleep last night because of the cold. And turned the heating on. So I was late getting up this morning. The air in my room must have been dry: I was very thirsty (or perhaps it’s my diabetes) Got a message from Andy saying he’s ill and to reschedule our Scrabble until Friday. I checked my mobile there was a missed call from the GP’s surgery. I phoned them and spoke to the secretary.My HB1c is low and I’m to recommence the Lantis injections Spoke to the Duty Pharmacist at Boots Holbury and it looks like my blood sugar is low (I’m shaky) she suggested I have a sugary drink. Added some sand mixed with PVA to my latest painting but it was difficult with my shaky hands.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Tuesday March 28 2023 The cable on my latest throw blanket is broken so that it no longer keeps me warm. I got up at six this morning and took my blood sugar reading which was within the target range. An email arrived from the Herald and Advertiser telling me my printing had been done. So I caught the bus into Hythe. It was a cold, wet missable morning. A Lady at the bus stop in Holbury remarked: ‘Wonderful weather’ I replied: ‘Do I detect a note of irony’ I picked up my printing and realised next I’d left my sketchbook behind, so bought another one in Pebbles for £12.70 which struck me as expensive. (In the article about artists sketchbooks I’d recently red it said it’s usual for artists to have three going at the same time. So buying another wasn’t out of order.) Then I went on to Black Wax Coffee and Records which was very crowed but I found a seat and ordered coffee. There was an old fashioned radio in front of me which I had a go at drawing but not very successfully. So my attention wondered and I did drawings of the details of the posters. At one point I wondered where my coffee was and was about to ask what had happened to it when I looked in front of me and there it was : I’d been so absorbed in what I was doing. On the bus back to Holbury I noticed (during my ride home) that after doing the drawing today I was more observant than usual. (Another reason for keeping a sketch book is it improves visual awareness) It was Waterside Art Group this evening I set up my iPad so that the alarm went off to tell me when to set out for the bus to Hythe and when to set out for my return journey home. At the art group I roughed out the basic areas of my picture using a graphite stick. And it’s starting to take shape. Although the finished picture isn’t likely to look like the place it’s based on. I had a few words with an Irish Lady (Bernadette) who was doing a watercolour of a group of penguins and showed her how to do highlights in watercolour by applying water. Got home and settled down with a cup of tea.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Monday March 27 2023 Early this morning I looked at The Jackson’s Art Supplies email and a piece about the value artists place on keeping sketch books and making daily entries in them. This prompted me to put my sketch book in my rucksack so I could do some sketching today. I went into Hythe to pick up the printing I’d required from the Herald and Advertiser, had a coffee and a cinnamon twirl outside of Number 15. It was a bright spring morning and the sun gently warmed my neck, which was very pleasant….. As it was a Monday it was Veg Out day at October Books. When I got there I was greeted by one of the young ladies who was serving the food. After I’d eaten I did some more sketching and Neil made a friendly remark about it. I bought some onions, mushrooms and pickled garlic in Roebridges a fruit and vegetables shop near October Books and caught the bus back to Southampton. When I arrived in Southampton I went to The Works and bought a set of water colours and brushes in The Works.(I wanted to add colour to my sketchbook drawings.) Then it was time to catch the bus home. My plan for tomorrow (Tuesday 28/3/2023) is to start an oil painting during The Waterside Art Group Session based on the lake in the park near to where I live. The painting will be based on a photograph which I shall .. email to The Herald and Advertiser for printing.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Sunday March 26 2023 A happy almost gallivant free day. The plan was to go to Marcella, and do some shopping in Hythe but I was in one of my inert moods and stayed in and did a bit more to ‘Anecdotal Evidence’ the part I focused on was the period when I was playing at being a Buddhist and met up with a group of others who were in a similar semi-delusional state. I messaged Kat and Kathy, ran round the block and did a little shopping in the Co-op. Bought some cheese and made a bacon and mushroom risotto. Went to bed early woke up (at about three in the morning) and had a chat with Patrick where I played at selling him my latest picture.) (See above) I now know what I’ll write about next time I’m working on ‘Anecdotal Evidence’

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Saturday March 25 2023 This morning I stayed in bed too long to go for my usual outing to the Soul Café. It’s the second Saturday I’ve missed it. I wanted to take my blood sugar but have lost the test strips for the meter. So I ran to Boots to get some more test strips using the lampposts along the way as sub goals on the way. What I do is run to the next lamppost and then the one after it each time running as fast as possible. The way to achieve any goal is to break it down into easily achievable sub goals. I have been thinking about writing rather than writing today which is an unsatisfactory state of affairs. It’s now getting on for six o’clock and all I’ve done is this blog post. It’s time I cooked myself something as an evening meal. A little while ago I bought a nut loaf as something new to try : that will be this evening’s dinner. By the end of the day I had been out twice: once to Boots to get a prescription and once to One Stop to buy cereal milk and chocolate. I had done no writing except this blog post.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Friday March 24th 2023 Today is another chapter in the stories of the treatment of my diabetes and my attempt to become a writer…… First I had booked an appointment at The General Hospital for a blood test for 2.00. I got up late and didn’t really want to face the day deciding that it would be possible to fit in a quick shower before my appointment….. It wasn’t so I cancelled it and booked another for 16.16. Which because of the roadworks on the bridge going into Southampton from the Waterside I made without a moment to spare. I decided the best way to get to Portswood from The General was to get the bus back to the civic centre and from there get another bus to Portswood….. When I got to Portswood I it was 5.30 and the Portswood Writers Circle meeting was scheduled to start at 6.30 so to use up the spare time I bought some fish and chips in a kabob shop with some Diet Pepsi. It was possibly one of the most underwhelming culinary experiences my my lifetime the outside of the fish was practically burnt to a cinder and it was hot enough to burn my tongue. I found the writing circle intimidating with the work that was read out of a very high standard I’d got my ‘Why do we dream of liberty’ verse out but chickened out of reading it. If I continue with them I will be able to learn a lot.

Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Thursday March 23 2023 In the early hours of this morning I woke up with disturbing thoughts and memories. When got up I did a little more work on my Memoir ‘Anecdotal Evidence’ and received an email from The Herald and Advertiser saying my printing was ready for collection. There’s a quote by Oscar Wild: ‘Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future’ On that basis I guess I’ve got a future. Nothing out of the ordinary to happened to me in Hythe. After getting my printing done which I paid for with cash. I went to the HSBC cash point and found someone had left their card in it. So I handed it in it to the cashier. She said they would destroy it. I looked in my rucksack for my sketch pad only to find I’d left it at home. I had a coffee in Black Wax Coffee and Records where there were no dogs and came home. I had a benefit check with Simon Cox from the RNIB which showed I’m getting everything I’m entitled to. Slept for a while and made myself a meal. Not the most action packed day of Gallivanting in all history…….

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