Hi and welcome back to my blog.

This has been a week of pushing on with two large special commission, while at the same time juggling day to day life. Let me try to explain – ‘when your in the groove’ to borrow a term, all you want to do is sit and paint, not go anywhere or visit anything.

However life doesn’t leave you at your easel for every hour of every day. I juggle time out with Yvonne (although always looking out for an artistic image or idea). And juggling demand on things to do. We have been bringing the house greener technology, Interacting with tradesmen and the kettle!

This juggling act for time this week was enhanced by my birthday. Does time play tricks and keep removing a week or two every year? They do seem to come round quicker. We had a day oot with yummy pizza and went to watch a movie,’The Sniper.’ When I chose the Army over the dole I found I was a decent shot. This film and the fairly accurate depiction of the beastings you go through to get from a civilian to a soldier and then through the horrific things you see and do in conflict, and then (PDS) post dramatic stress disorder troops can then suffer from.

This leads me nicely to the last thing I did on my birthday, being able to put something back into society. The Scottish Parliament where I sit on a couple of cross party groups this one on Veterans affairs. Where we are reported to and all try to make a positive difference to everyday lives of our returning Hero’s. No lavish salaries and expenses here, we all give our time for free.

I say’ Hero’s’ not in a conquering sense but in the way they lay down their lives for us on military or civilian operations like fire fighting or Ebola. Without ever whinging about deployment or even agreeing with why they are sent to areas of conflict.

Our economic cut backs mean theses veterans are then released from this rigid yet supportive life style structure without very much support from anywhere to cope with life’s demands.

On a lighter note, part of Yvonne’s birthday gift to me was to allow me to comment on her driving for 24 hours, without her telling me of. (I always been a critic and comment on her driving all the time – but she only puts up with it for so long). It was great fun, can’t wait for next year!

So an interesting, ageing week and all is well.Until next time. Have a great week and love and good luck, in all you do. I’m off to paint  –  BYE