On the one hand, and then the other..

Handedness seems to be around. The other day I had an interesting dialog with Darrell Wakelam, that artist who makes wonderful works with young children. I'd noticed on his videos he cuts with one hand, draws with the other.  I don't think he'd mind if I share

The bottom one is mine. The top is his reply. Then Mary Anne brought up dominance in the comments.

So I thought it would be fun to explain what I did with adult drawing beginners to show them that handedness is fluid.

We established eye, ear, hand and foot dominance. If you're right dominant with all, chances are you're good in sports, especially those needing aim.

Anyway to find out, I ran these again yesterday to see what was what chez Boud.

Do these without thinking. 

Roll up a piece of paper like a telescope, immediately hold it to your eye to look through. You'll hold it to your dominant eye.

Even if the vision isn't as good in that eye, the brain will insist. Handsome Partner was very amused when he tried this and the paper went to his left, blind, eye!

Mine: right 

Which ear do you hold the phone to? Mine is left, even though my right ear hears better. 

Which hand do you throw and catch with? Write with? Draw with? Paint with?  Deal cards with? Thread a needle with? I throw and catch left, draw and paint with either, write right, deal left, which my father described as the card sharper's deal, thread left, stitch right.

Your best foot forward now. If you can. Stand up, take a step. Which foot went first? And start to climb a step, note which foot. I step up right, down left. 

This is just fun, not to be taken too solemnly. But a lot of people get a surprise when they realize they're more complicated than they thought. Then when I suggest they switch hands to draw, it doesn't seem as unlikely.

In fact a lot of people draw better with the non dominant hand because they're less set on the results. It's just here goes nothing, a relaxed frame of mind which is good for making art.

So I hope this has resulted in a lot of people testing their assumptions and letting us know how it goes.

Meanwhile food on top of the stove is going.

This unlikely combo is the start of a stock. It began to smell heavenly and I remembered putting the ginger peelings in the bag.

Then I made a cream of carrot, cashew, ginger soup with nutmeg.

And later, not being able to bake bread till the stove's fixed, tomorrow we hope,  I made pancakes, using the homemade butter.

The butter spreads easily, doesn't melt, but does mix very well in a batter. Really good fluffy pancakes. Lemon juice and sugar with.

Breakfast this morning, too,  when I get to it 

I finished the First Purple Sock before my arm started fussing about the booster. And before a few waves of shivering and self pity.

Hoping for better today. 

Happy day everyone.