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Is that which should be the right of all children, whether infants or grown to adulthood.
A parents love should be forgiving, compassionate, understanding and above all else, unselfish.
It should not always be predicated upon good behaviour, having the same opinion, toeing the line, or never answering back. A child of any age has a right to their own views, opinions and ideals, no matter how much they differ to your own, and they have the right to voice them.
Parents are not faultless, they are not perfect, they are not without flaws, and they do have feet of clay.
A good parent understands that ones children are formed in the image of themselves, and that ‘they’ are their children’s role models. A good parent knows that a child’s character, view of the world and how they build and form relationships are influenced by they themselves.
A good parent needs to recognise when they are wrong. A good and intelligent parent needs to take responsibility for their own actions.
In as much as respect as a parent is a right. It is still a right that is forfeit if one is a bad parent.
A child’s love for a parent is not a bottomless well. It can wither and die. It does not always take abuse and cruelty to do it. Sometimes indifference, capriciousness, thoughtless vindictiveness, and petty spitefulness will do it just as effectively.
Last Friday I took my little girl up town to go to the park in Chichester and buy her a toy etc. We had a nice afternoon, played in the park, had a little picnic etc. I wore my new black wool/cashmere cap made by my friend Julie of Moaning Minnie fame (my second hat made by Julie, the first was a plum velvet Cloche hat). It was cold and eventually started to rain.
I chivvied Orla out of the park, via ELC (toy shop for the uninitiated). We make a dash for the car park. I managed to squeeze us back into the car, despite that the huge Saab next to me had left me literally inches to spare (do these people NEVER notice a child’s seat in the car and think ‘oh, they may need some room?’).
Anyway, having sorted out the urchin I start to drive out of the car park. It’s hectic, car parks in Chichester always are. I drive down a row in the car park and remembered at the last minute that the old exit/entrance is now blocked and so had to turn around, in very tight section. I begin to do so, backwards and forwards, cursing myself for my lapse in memory, and notice eventually I am being stared at by a man and a woman to my right, in a large silver Jaguar. His face, florid, hers horsey, and the signature hounds tooth alice band. I stop, as it would seem they want to turn around. The man to my astonishment jabs his finger at the space he was backing out of and shouted ‘SPACE’. I wound my window down and started to explain that I was actually trying to leave, when he just turned the car and roared off while I was talking.
I was enraged, and was ranting at how rude the man was, when Orla pipes up and says, ‘He didn’t like you because you had the wrong hat on”. ‘Oh’, says I, ‘Which hat should I have had on then sweety?’. “The red one Mamma”. ‘Aaaaaaah, of course littleun, you are quite right’. My mood was immediately diffused and I drove away laughing.
So, it would seem to gain the appropriate respect, one must have the right hat on. Naturally!
So Valentines day weekend came and went (over a week ago, yes I know), and as usual my hubby and daughter made a fuss of me as only they can do. I was given a cake.
 Luke's Cupcake Pressies.
 Valentines Day pressies And my friend Nicky, for doing her a favour, bought me a lovely orchid plant, a card and the biggest bag of Maltersers.
 Orchid from Nicky
SALE Scandinavian Matryoshka Art Doll Fru Glede by Ravenhill.
Isn’t this beautiful. I have decided I really love these dolls. Not the traditional wooden nested ones, but the fabric kind like these, so pretty. I find myself looking at them all the time, and would love to have one in my studio or bedroom for inspiration.
This one is made by Ravenhill, a UK based artisan. Her attention to detail, use of lovely fabrics and her light touch are easily spotted. I want this doll, and think I will be making a purchase soon.
Bill Weaver from The ARTISTS Center very flatteringly asked if he could use some of my blog entries to feed onto the site. Naturally I accepted and I am honoured. He has chosen to feature a short write up I did recently about why people give up art when they leave school, and the importance of drawing as therapy. Not only that, but he gave me a sterling endorsement, I almost don’t recognise myself.
Oh, and I speak fluent ‘Geek’ apparently. I didn’t know whether to be proud or vaguely embarrased (quite chuffed really). I always thought I was one of the ‘cool’ kids (and cool girls didn’t go out with geeky boys). But as my friend Ian aka zilla774 says, ‘its cool to be an internet geek.’
Lorrie Whittington on the importance of art — The ARTISTScenter.
Interview for The ARTISTS Center
Entitled ‘Lorrie Whittington talks about business and art’.
The lovely Bill has posted the second part of my interview, and it reads rather well. Comments and feedback are always appreciated.
READ ON…
with my Afghan slippers. Yes…you heard it right.
It’s been a cold, cold winter here in the UK, and downstairs from front to back we have hard floors. My feet have been freezing. None of my slippers were keeping my feet warm, and I got to thinking, the only time I ever had warm feet in winter was years ago when I had a pair of Afghan slippers. However, they were long gone, and I had not seen them on sale anywhere in years. My last pair were bought in the early 90’s from an Oxfam shop.
However, I stuck ‘afghan slippers’ into Google, and lo and behold, the first link on the list was Afghanslippersocks.co. uk . You can imagine my delight. It transpires that the man who sells them, was one of the original importers in the 60’s and 70’s.
I browsed the site and was delighted to find that not only the cost to be extremely reasonable (£7.50), but that postage was as well (£2.50). I have to tell you, that I don’t think the pair I bought all those years ago were much cheaper. Also, Alistair adheres to Fair Trade guidelines and the profits go to Afghan War widows who make the slippers.
They are well made, the yarn being a mix of pure wool and rayon, so they are a washable, soles have a soft leather sole sewn on.
I bought a pair, and included a note to Alistair asking for a fast turn around as my feet were freezing. He had them in the post same day, and they arrived the next. My feet were toasty. I have since bought another two pairs.
I can’t recommend these slipper socks highly enough. They are warm, bright, cheerful and the money goes to a good cause. I think I am addicted.
Check out the site. www.afghanslippersocks.co.uk
 Afghan slippers I  Afghan slippers II  Afghan slippers III
On the 11th January 2010, my friend Bill aka Generating Hype passed away. He died surrounded by love and amidst a setting of peace and beauty.
I had known Bill for approximately three years, and we met through deviantART. I can’t remember how or why, I think I was running a contest and Bill offered his support. We warmed to each other immediately, and became friends, which extended to Live Journal and Facebook.
Bill was a well known character on deviantART and an active contributor to the Literature community. He adminstered and contributed to more than one club, including Wordcount and LitNews, and for a while was one of the team of Literature Gallery Moderators. He judged in contests, critiqued peoples work, and submitted his own work for our edification and enjoyment. His efforts were…tireless.
I always knew Bill was not a well man. He would take the odd sabbatical from deviantART when illness became too much for him to cope with. Last year he had a major seizure and was a in a coma for some time. When he regained conciousness he had lost some of his memory. He had beaten cancer already and was determined to fight on. Bill was HIV, and had been so I think for much of his adult life, since childhood in fact I believe. He was in his mid twenties.
Late last year, it transpired that he did not have long to live. He took the news stoically and in true form, and subsequently wrote a journal entry the theme of which was ‘what are you thankful for’, which inspired a former entry in this, my own journal.
Bill was a lovely, gentle, clever, thoughtful and brave man. He was never bitter, raging, angry or defeatest. Despite his illness, he never allowed it, in as much as he could, to get the better of him, and remained determined to achieve as much as he could in the time alloted to him.
He spent the last few months of his life in London and Ireland with Brody, his partner, and they were married at Christmas. In those last months they travelled the world, even as far as China and the Great Wall. And, in the very last days of his life, him and Brody made it to Egypt, so that Bill could see the pryamids.
And now he is gone. Bill didn’t want people to grieve, but to celebrate his life and remember him with joy, and I do…but I will still cry. To me the loss of this wonderful, eloquent, erudite and beautiful man who was so young, seems crushingly unjust. I am left wondering what amazing things he might have achieved had he been allowed the full sum of life that he so deserved.
My thoughts are now for Brody, who gave so much of himself, in love, support and effort. For to be the one left behind is truly terrible. The sense of loss and desolation is also accompanied by days of emptiness and apathy. What does one do, when the whole focus of ones life has been the care and love of another?
I will never forget Bill, who so inspired me and many others to count our blessings, treasure the ones we love, and live each day to the fullest. Bill was a true testimony to the premise that ‘we are more than the sum of our parts’. I will always miss him.
Late last year Bill Weaver creator of The Artists Center approached me with a view to being a featured artist for the site. I was naturally thrilled and jumped at the chance. He sent me quite an impressive list of questions for an interview, which would be spaced out over the period of January 2010. I got to work, and despite one or two delays due to acts of God, illness and such like, I finished my interview yesteray and submitted it to him. He wrote back promptly, telling me how pleased he was, and that not only did he intend to feature the article, but that he would like me to be a guest writer for the blog, and that appropriate posts from my own blog would feed to the site.
It was quite a challenge, and the questions Bill sent me were pretty thorough and covered a lot of ground, but I really enjoyed it, despite that writing about oneself can be quite a daunting task. Here is Part I of my interview. Also on the site is a nifty video of my work spliced to some pretty funky music.
Thanks Bill for such a great opporunity for some fantastic exposure, and a very flattering introduction to the interview. Bless you.
If you do go and have a read, please do leave a comment, as it’s so appreciated by both Bill Weaver (who puts so much work into the site) and I.
It wasn’t an awful year, but it wasn’t that good either. Truth is, 2007 was infinitely worse, as that was the year that Orla had Pneumonia and had to be revived in A&E and also that my relationship with my parents broke down, irrevocably and finally.
But, it could have been better. Reviewing my years resolutions I can safely say that few of them I was able to accomplish. I did not lose two stone, I didn’t get fit, I didn’t spend less time on my laptop, I wasn’t significantly nicer to my husband. There are others, but these will suffice.
However, rather than being negative, let’s look at what I did achieve.
1. I built my own online shop on Zen Cart. A LOT of work, not just coding but understanding how a pretty nifty ecommerce solution worked.
2. I bought a new camera and filters, and learnt a lot more about the technical process of photography.
3. I improved my artistic skills and got better (in my opini0on) at painting, and sold quite a bit of art, both online and privately.
4. I entered two very big national competitions. One photography and one original art. I wasn’t placed in either, but it was a valuable learning experience from both, and I plan to re-enter this year.
5. Went to South Africa and survived the horrendous flight. Also, actually drove there, first time I have driven a car in a foreign country.
6. Bought the Gocco printer I wanted and worked out how NOT to make a mess.
7. Played my flute more than I have done for a long time.
8. Forged some new friendships and reinforced old ones. In particular, Nicola Humphries; a lovely warm and friendly human being. Also, Andrea Roberts; kind, patient and generous. Lastly, my oldest friend Felix Muckart. We ‘found’ each other and I was able to let go of ancient hurt and heal old scars.
9. Rebuilt two of my websites from scratch, one using a CMS and another (this one) on Wordpress.
10. Bought a very good printer and started selling my own prints for my artwork.
11. Coped better than expected with my little girl starting school, joined the committee and actually made things for the school fair.
So, not too shabby. Here is what I intend to achieve in 2010.
2010 Goals and Aspirations:
1. Be a better friend to my husband, who deserves so much more.
2. Be a better mother (always striving) to my Orla, and spend more quality time with her, and less time on my laptop etc.
3. Remember to count my blessings and live every day to the fullest.
4. Continue to improve my artistic skills both technically and spiritually, and explore new mediums. Go back to my roots somewhat and undertake new work with traditional subject matter, e.g. life drawing. Also, work my way through my Photoshop and Painter manuals and utilise my Wacom Intuos a lot more.
5. Find one or two good, friendly and trustworthy galleries to showcase my work.
6. Put on my own art exhibition. Not as hard as it sounds, I did it before when I was younger, I can do it again.
7. Enter three competitions this year, both photographic and art.
8. Play my flute every day.
9. Start singing again.
10. Lose two stone and start training and cycling again.
11. Cut down on my chocolate consumption and eat a healthier diet.
12. Build a fitted wardrobe in our bedroom and redecorate my studio/workspace.
13. Save up enough money for our trip to South Africa next Christmas.
14. Start hanging all the lovely art and photography I have collected in my own home.
So that’s it. Here is to a better year for all of us. Striving to be a better person, and more creative. On a positive note, a gallery owner recently told me that my art was ‘an antidote to the recession’. I take that as a compliment and to be very encouraging.
EDIT:
Jessica Doyle, my talented friend has just written her 2010 Goals and tagged me. So, later on today I will tag some friends also.
Were some FABULOUS things. Too many to list all, especially from my lovely hubby who tells me every year that ‘he didn’t get me much’ and then outdoes himself. Bless him he bought me some great dvds; ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ collectors edition complete with ‘Death Eater’ mask, ‘Hello Dello’ and ‘Night at the Museum I & II’. Here are a selection of the fantastic books he gave me, all about photography and as reference/inspiration for my art. He has also bought me a macro lens and a wide angle lens for my camera. Bless his heart. Can’t wait to get out and about with my camera in the new year…
 Books for Christmas And below were all carefully chosen by my lovely little girl, Orla. The green book in the middle is a lovely embroidered journal with indian Khaddi paper in, and the little pink square item on the right with a littlebutton in the middle is a tape measure, there is also a large slice of ‘cake soap’ and the bag behind is illustrated with Kokeshi dolls. The bag was bought by Luke, but everything else was chosen by her with some help and encouragement. She loved handing me my pressies and the ones she got her Daddy, and this is the first Christmas she has actively participated, and it was lovely to watcher her excitment, not only opening her own pressies, but in watching us open ours too. Hope all my friends had a wonderful Christmas. xxx
 Pressies from Orla
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