kew
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
I’m putting this picture up for my dear friend Abbie. I am going to America to see her on Thursday. She has been suffering and heroically living with brain cancer for the last five to six years. Last week she was told she had between 2-8 weeks to live – final. The horrible cancer found its way into one of her main ventricles and then transported itself via the brain and spinal fluid throughout the brain, into her brain stem and now onto the top of her spine. There really is no hope left which is awful. It is made much worse by the fact she has defied all medecine and prognoses so far although now we all have to put our hands up and give in to it.
I’ve put this picture up for Abbie and Charlie (her 4 year old gorgeous son) because Abbie loves Kew Gardens and loves spring which is exactly where and when I took this photo. Even though Abbie is still thankfully here and miraculously still able to hold a conversation I am rather selfishly panicking about how much I am going to miss her. I’ll miss her infectious laugh and encouraging wisdom. I’ll miss her hilarious attempt at opera singing and will miss her fabulously descriptive and often very old fashionedly witty letters and repartee. I guess I’ll just have to imagine she is somewhere else and that we will somehow get to meet again at some point. I hope her brain holds out in time for my arrival on Thursday. Something tells me she is hanging on and I am trying to prepare myself for a shock as she can no longer eat or move much. I’m actually quite annoyed with myself that I am worried about how I am feeling or are going to feel. I will have words with myself shortly to be strong and there for Abbie, that’s the least I can do. I know she is very scared to die and is not ready to go. I can not imagine how she must feel.
camilla ring
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
Yes. It’s true. Apparently Asda are now selling exactly the same ring that is being lovingly sported by Camilla Parker-Bowles – soon to be Dame Horsey Teeth – His Royal Accomplice Person for a champion £19 quid!!
So all those rumours about Charles being a cheapskate are obviously true!
ouchmyfinger
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
Yes. Ouch. I’m never doing acrylic nails again. They are all either falling or flaking off scrap by scrap – this is the last of my left thumb – sorry couldn’t get a decent close up but enough for all of you to see that my hands now resemble that of a slapper/leper hybrid. That’ll teach me to be all vain. Awful. I have been mentally and physically scarred for life – or for a while anyway. I have taken to gnawing at the last remains like a frantic rodent in a bid to be finally rid of the little critters. Terrible.
close up beautiful south bank
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
Went to the South Bank to meet a friend a week or so ago and was struck by how beautiful the South Bank complex looked. I have never been a fan of its drab, damp, dull concrete look but today the sun was shining and it hit the building in such a great way. It really enhanced the geometry of the complex and for once I can actually say I liked it.
I think I am cracking up – pardon the pun! I had a dream two nights ago that I was Pete Docherty’s girlfriend. I know – what? Does that mean that I think I am Kate Dross?? Please no. Any advice/insight welcome. We didn’t do drugs and we didn’t have sex. The tabloids have obviously got to me. Meanwhile, life goes on as normal in the land of a bored home-maker/unemployed tv person. 
2elviseschatting
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
Here is a still from my documentary that I shot at the beginning of this month at The (shabby) Queens Hotel in Blackpool at Europe’s largest Elvis Impersonator Competition. Here are two Elvii chatting – Paul Richie on the right (could he be a secret relation of Shane?!) came third in the Pro Final. He got a gold belt and £400 in cash. He seemed very pleased to receive his prizes and his wife looked proud.
raindrops birthday
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
Well, this was the view at lunchtime out of our back window on officially the most depressing day of the year – my birthday!
I have to admit – the weather was quite depressing. Depressing enough to make me go and get acrylic tips put on the end of my nails. Jesus – what ever for? Must have been the depression that made me do it. What a pullaver – don’t think I’ll do it again. Other than that – my day was quite fun and ended quite nicely by other half presenting me with an exquisitely wrapped ipod of the 40gb variety. Very exciting. I’m now going to waste my whole day when I should be working from home by faffing about with it.
Well, as if post-Christmas and New Year blues isn’t enough to be getting on with – I have just found out that my birthday Jan 24th is officially THE most depressing day of the year. Apparently it is all true and can be substantiated by some sort of mathematical formula. I was feeling a little depressed lately about this next birthday being the last one of my 30’s and consoling myself by cheerfully thinking about what I should arrange for my 40th. Obviously a change of plan is in order or maybe it won’t just be me depressed on my birthday but my guests as well? Sod it, I guess I’ll be staying in then feeling depressed like everyone else on that day. Yours slightly uncheerful but with hope, Rockmother.
Follow the link for the news item – what a load of b*llocks!
hallway
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
And this is the LEAST viewed picture. Yes, well hardly surprising really although strangely I quite like it for it’s banality. That’s what I like about flickr – you can just send out your ‘snaps’ into the ether to be viewed by absolutely anyone, anywhere, anytime. Cool. Coming shortly a choice selection of photo’s from my recent trip to Blackpool to shoot footage for my documentary about the largest Elvis Impersonator Competition in Europe – in Blackpool. It all felt very normal at the time but looking back at the interviews and footage I have got – possibly quite weird to people who aren’t particularly into Elvis. It was all a bit like a living Martin Parr installation – or how I would imagine it to be anyway.
bucharest coffee table
Originally uploaded by rockmother.
I am intrigued as to why this picture has had the most views on my flickr photostream. It is just a picture of the coffee table in our hotel room in Bucharest – taken last summer. maybe it allows you to be quite nosey – not that I think there is anything particularly interesting about the contents of the table top – empty wine glasses (they like a drink or two), a wadge of cash (they like to spend it), guide (they are mildly interested in exploring), mobile phones, tv remote, ashtray et al – NOT very exciting but maybe interesting to others around the world……
Rockmother 