A damp Highland morning

I was out and about with my camera this morning before I came in to get on with my sewing projects. (My daughter hates these plastic shoes of mine, but they are so comfy!!)

When the Earth was New

when the earth was new

was the sky bluer

the grass greener

the air sweeter

when the earth was new

did the brown soil thirst for the first rains

to quench it’s crumbling depths

did the flower have to be told how to unfold her petals at first dawn

when the earth was new

did the dew fall purer on every leaf

did the tree know where to push its roots

did the fern unfurl it's fronds in praise of creation’s beauty

when the earth was new

copyright Doda Smith

pencil boxes

This is my latest thing. Vintage encyclopaedia wrapped mini pencils. 

When I get around to it, I'll be adding some to my Etsy shop.

8 to a box - they are so cute!

a handmade box - of course!

I love little things! Don't you?


They even will come with a poem!


Age old book,
Tattered, torn.
Cover loose,
Pages worn.
Ruler, knife,
pencils, glue.
Turn it into
something new.


(Do I need my head examined?)

Twas the hooting of an owl...

It's an owly rambling I have for you today. We were woken last night by a screech owl. It was REALLY loud and it was ages before I got to sleep again, and as a result, I am a bit tired and grumpy this morning. It reminded me of a poem a wrote when I first moved to this house. Thing is - (and this is a bit weird) - when I wrote it, I heard the voice of Pam Eyres in my head. Now if you've not heard of Pam Eyres. She is a poet who became a bit of a household name in the UK a number of years ago. She's a bit like Marmite - an aquired taste. She's part of my youth, so I look on her fondly - and I like Marmite. Anyhoo, when reading my poem, be sure to embody Pam Eyres, otherwise it doesn't work so well!

Twas the Hooting of an Owl (With apologies to Pam Ayres)

Twas the hooting of an owl wot woke me,
Twas the hooting of an owl last night,
It’s wot woke me up from me beauty sleep
And gave me a terrible fright!

Twas the hooting of the owl wot woke me.
Woke me up in the middle of me dream.
Twas the hooting of an owl,
Wot ‘as made me feel so fowl.
It’s ‘is fault I’m so grumpy and mean.

Twas the hooting of the owl wot woke me,
Twas ‘im wot disturbed my REM
Twas the hooting of an owl
On ‘is nightly prowl.
Well, e’d better not do it again!

Hmmm, maybe someone will find that amusing!!! MAYBE !

(The owl illo is one I did a while back, it's in Karisma/Prismacolor pencil on black paper.)

A Warning...

Just one more crumb

to fill my tum

I've still a little room.

So she crammed them in,

till she emptied the tin

and then - alas

KABOOM !

PS. It's OK, I didn't really polish them off, but let this be a warning ! I think I might write this out and stick it on the biscuit tin. This silly poem woke me up at 5am this morning!

The Criminal

Every night by the pale moonlight
Into my yard crawls a thief.
No plant is free from his gluttonous glee
As he munches through petal and leaf.

It makes no sense to leave evidence
When committing so greedy a crime.
But my powers of deduction
Soon traced the destruction
It was easy – I followed the slime

The Works 8

I was delighted to get my copy of The Works 8, in the post this morning - along with a little cheque. My nonsense poem, the Num Num Bird is in the N for nonsense section, (not surprisingly). There are only 5 other poems in the section, and two of the other poets are Edward Lear and Lewis Caroll, so I feel rather pleased that John chose my poem to be amongst such names. (If you want to read the poem - sorry - you'll need to buy the book). It's full of some great poetry, and is definitely one to add to your bookshelf.

Blast from the Past

Or you could even say , a quack from way back! Groan!

My dad just came across this photo of my bedroom wall when he had stripped off the old Hector's House wallpaper. I obviously had taken advantage of this occasion and left my mark for posterity beneath the new paper. I must have been about 9 or 10 years old at the time.

When I was a kid, I invented this duck character named Peekiboo. Here he is with the little poem I wrote on the wall. It really gave me a laugh to see it. I think I've progressed a wee bit with the writing and drawing since then. I hope so anyway! The text reads...

I am me, I'm not you.
I'm a little duck called Peekiboo.
I've got a bright blue ribbon, that's tied in a big bow.
But how it actually got there, I really do not know.
I think I'm really handsome, though I really shouldn't say it.
I'm worth 500 dollars. That is if you could pay it.
I am me, I'm not you.
I'm just a little duck called Peekiboo.

My Morning!

The bed frame broke - it can't be fixed
The TV wouldn't work.
The toddler's bored and grumpy,
and I feel like such a berk.
Sometimes these little happenings,
start to drizzle on my day.
So I stop and count my blessings
then that rain cloud goes away!

A feather

I found a feather today.
And as I contemplated it's beauty,
I thought to myself.
If this one feather was the whole sum of creation,
I would still marvel at our awesome God,
who created such intricacy, such perfection.
And yet, this is but one small part,
in the construction of a bird.

And, if that one bird was the whole sum of creation,
I would still marvel at our awesome God.
who created so wonderfully,
this creature who commands the air,
and sings so sweet,
And yet, this is but one small part,
of God's whole creation.
And I marvel at our awesome God