Monday 10 January 2022

Photo diary: week 1, project 365

Chez Maximka, Witney


 It's chilly out there, not the dry crisp cold of the Russian winters, but the wet and humid weather which makes your bones achy and stiff. And the incessant drizzle. Rain on Christmas, rain on the new year's eve, drizzle almost every day during the first week of the year. 

Return to school was rather painful. It was hard to get up after two weeks of leisurely mornings. Eddie wasn't overly enthusiastic to go back to school. Only Sasha looked very happy to go to college. 

What have we been doing? Reading, sketching, baking, watching all Spiderman movies. Since Eddie and his father went to the cinema to watch Spiderman No Way Home, we decided to have a Spidey marathon and watched all the films, with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and, of course, Tom Holland.

The first week of #penandinkchocolate was all about great writers. You had to choose a favourite quote from each author. Do you agree with Oscar Wilde? Or is it slightly exaggerated, as per his lively style?

Chez Maximka, Galina Varese art

I finally managed to get the top nine snap on Instagram. I know you could find your own stats and do a collage, but I'm too lazy. The app didn't work for me for several days, as millions of people apparently wanted to do the same.

Funnily enough, five of my top liked images were from November and December ink challenges.

Chez Maximka, Galina Varese art

I was looking at my collection of Alexandre Dumas' novels. In my teens and early twenties I used to read a lot of Dumas. I was of a very romantic disposition. 
All the antique editions were a gift from my lovely friend. I also have a copy of Three Musketeers in Russian, which I bought at one of the yard sales in New Haven, CT, over twenty years ago, when we lived there. It was like meeting an old friend.

I was thinking Eddie and I should have a readalong, and read Three Musketeers. 

Chez Maximka

Did you notice that the days have started slowly to gain a bit of light, pushing the darkness that little bit further into the evening. I call my Mum every day around the same time, and noticed the change.

Chez Maximka, Witney

I accompanied Sash and his father to the cafe before running off on shopping errands. It was getting dark outside, and I snapped my boy as he was sitting by the window, looking out at the Christmas lights. It was the last day of the twelve days of Christmas, and the next day they would have been taken down.

Chez Maximka

I've finally opened the box of posh milk and dark chocolate caramels from Fortnum & Mason hamper which I won before Christmas. Have to ration the chocolates. Told my guys, it's not a tin of Roses, so don't expect to eat the whole lot.


Chez Maximka, posh chocolates

One more drawing, this one from Week 2, which is all about great artists. I liked the quote from Matisse, Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working.

It's so true. The nude is a (inferior) copy of Matisse. I have a fabulous edition of Leonard Cohen's poem/song Dance me to the end of love, illustrated by Matisse's works, and this nude was just there, waiting for me to copy her.


How was your week?



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16 comments:

  1. I am sick of this weather. It's just so damp even when it's not raining.
    The Spidey marathon sounds like fun.
    I gave up with the top nine on Instagram. It was just telling me my top 9 were my 9 most recent photos. Ugh.
    hahaha! That did make me chuckle about the chocolates. You do right making them last. x

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    1. Thank you, Kim, my men think if there is chocolate, it has to be eaten asap. No restraint whatsoever. :)

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  2. The temperatures in Romania are so low right now (gets to -18 in parts, about -5 where I lived), that I'm delighted with our 7 in L'pool. :)
    The chocolate looks fab. I bought some tea from F&M for my husband and I like it too, although I rarely have tea as I drink coffee.

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    1. Thank you, Anca, what tea did you buy from F&M? I do drink coffee every day, but tea is my main drink. I drink several cups a day. :)
      It's minus 25 in Russia now, where my Mum lives.

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  3. It's so lovely to see the lighter mornings, it's definitely helped my mood. As for the weather in general I'm glad to see frost this week rather than more rain! I'm not sure I've ever actually read Dumas, but I quite fancy The Three Musketeers too #365

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    1. Thank you, Mary, some of his books are probably quite dated, but Three Musketeers is a classic. I dare you to read it! :)

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  4. I have really noticed the light change and already feel so much better. It makes all the difference. My MIL had those chocolates and kindly shared them with us over Christmas and they were delicious. I know say this every week but you really do have a talent for drawing.

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    1. Thank you, Clare, those chocs were delicious, but my guys would happily eat any chocolate.

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  5. It is so nice to see the days get longer again.

    Spider Marathon sounds fun, we need to watch them all again!

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    1. Thank you, Fozia, the Spidey marathon was fun indeed. We're thinking of re-watching Agents of Shield from the start.

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  6. What a lovely selection of images for your top nine. I gave up on mine as the app was so slow! That is quite a collection of Alexandre Dumas’ novels! Lovely photo of Sasha looking at the Christmas lights. #project365

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    1. Thank you, Louise, I had to wait for several days before I was able to do the top nine, it kept buffering.

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  7. Not surprised that your ink drawings proved popular on your top 9! I never got mine as it never loaded :( #project365

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    1. Thank you, Laura, the top nine app might be working now that many people have done theirs.

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  8. Those chocolates look great. I didn't see any SM activity with my top nine this year, I don't get many likes anyway. love the pen and ink drawings and The Three Musketeers is one of my favourite books

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  9. I forgot to do the best nine this year. I really was in my own little Christmas bubble. Your artwork is amazing. Ethan loves Christmas lights, he keeps asking where they are. I wouldn't be sharing those chocolates with anyone #365

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