Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Day 20 — A hobby of yours

Ah, this is the longest 30 days in the history of these meme things, of that I am quite sure.  Still with the dogged determination that has hindered more than helped me over the years I continue regardless.

Hobbies, if only I had time for all the hobbies I'd like to do.  This is where my arty crafty side comes out.  Nothing calms the spirit more than ploughing through a design or turning a doodle into something that matters only to myself.  I care not that people think cross-stitch and the type is twee or that some might look at what I do and sneer.

Okay, I'm not in a happy place today.  That is clear from the focussing on the negative side of hobbies compared to just rabbiting on about why I enjoy things.  Some days are just crappier than others.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Day 19 — A talent of yours

I really, really, *really* wish I could say at this point that I can play the piano and it doesn't sound as though the cats were running across it.  There is a talent I wish I had but for the patience of practising.  When you are a child there is always much more interesting things to do than sit doing plinky plonky scales on the piano.  Having said that then I am sorry that the piano my grandfather gave to my mother was sold.

On to the subject at hand though.  What talent do I possess?

I'm quite good at arty things, I'm slowly getting back into the habit of sketching and painting.  There is always the crafty side of sewing things, my cross-stitch.  I also write, but not very well, although the Open University course I did showed that I wasn't all that bad at poetry - who'd a thunk it!

What I'm really trying to get here is that I have a distinct lack of talent.  I can do things, I can do things well but nothing stands out.  Like everything else I am running on mediocre here.  It's just the way I was brought up: don't shine, don't show-off, don't think you are better than anything.  I love that the Hobbits aren't like that though and they have talent by the bucket-load!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)

One of the Hobbits little friends asked me the other day if I was an artist.  I have no idea where he got such an idea from as I don't do anything big that neighbours might notice, I don't look arty - or at least I don't think I do. But he was quite certain, maybe the Hobbits said it, who knows.  Children tend to say the most inspirational things at times.

So I have pieces I like, pieces I admire, I go through stages of liking one style over another and then not.  I dislike intensely any snobbery over artists, all this guff about Jack Vettriano for example.  Heaven forbid an artist actually sells his paintings en masse.  Although not my favourites there is a sense of dark foreboding in his work and each painting, you could write a story about the characters within very easily. One of my art teachers in school was very dismissive of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  A particular favourite of mine at the time as it met my Gothic tendencies.  You see apparently I knew nothing as the background to the Mona Lisa is squinty for a reason plebs such as myself couldn't possibly comprehend.

Therefore I totally dismiss what art choices say about a person in a way.  They may give an idea of personality but in no way should that cloud judgement of the person as a whole.  Some people like the chocolate box paintings, some people adore abstracts, if there was no variety in tastes what a bland little world this would be.

Wait, what was this post about...oh yes, my choice for this...

I could be entirely predictable and choose something by Mary Cassett but I feel more like this today...



Childish, magical yes, but tomorrow I may lean towards something else.  That is how it goes.

(Midsummer Eve by Edward Robert Hughes)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)

This song was written about Agnetha's regret at missing so much of her daughter's life and how quickly a child grows.

Now I am a mother I totally understand it.  So although it doesn't make me cry it comes very close!  It just passes by, I look at the Hobbits and they are no longer those squidgy little babies, their limbs are all gangly, their faces changing and for a moment I'll wish I could go back.  There is so much I would do differently and to start with I would do it alone, on my own terms.  I would take more baby photos.  So many things.

But now it is too late, and here we are.  I am glad of how I've raised my boys and even at their hissy fitting worse they are not that bad at all.  In fact I'm rather proud of how smart they are, that they enjoy things, have their own interests.  Who would have thought I'd have children who loved kayaking.  Kayaking I tell you!

(I always wanted to be Agnetha when I was little but because I had brown hair I got to play Frida.  Which isn't bad, but it isn't Agnetha!)

Friday, June 11, 2010

Day 15 — A fanfic

Something I don't normally read although I like the concept in parts.  Taking your favourite characters and using them in ways that perhaps the author didn't think of (sometimes for good reason as they can skim close to pornographic at times.)

I had read a Doctor Who one once and while a pleasant to read it wasn't enough to make me a fan of fanfic.

However I did read one recently that was almost better than the original source material from whence it came.  Called Wide Awake it takes the characters from Twilight (yes, I know but it made Meyers a multi-millionaire for some unfathomable, addictive reason and yes, I did read all of them - in one week no less) and twists them for grown ups.

Don't think Meyers would approve.  Lots of her followers do though.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Day 14 — A non-fictional book

At first I was going to mention a book I am wanting to read at the moment but then I thought to a book I read and reread time and time again.  Each time I never fail to find the humour in the description of the book's theme - Australia.


In Down Under, Bill Bryson touches on some reasons that have puzzled me about the antipodes - namely the amount of things, both animal and plants that, if not actually able to kill you, can certainly maim you for life.  It is a reason I turned down a job there many years ago and when sometimes I question just how smart (or not) a move that was then I can read this and know I'm not alone in being a bit of a silly fearty about little crawly, creepy poisonous killing beasties.

See, see I wasn't completely mad to say no.  I mean, it wasn't like the job was in a city (fearsome spiders live there too) but in the country where one wrong step can be very, very painful if not life ending.

Monday, June 07, 2010

Day 13 — A fictional book

My god but the thought just crossed my mind -what if I had to write about every book I own.  It would take all week.  I hoard my books, in an ideal world I'd have an unlimited account with Amazon but it was ever thus - my favourite books are ones I've owned for decades but there is always room for more.  Come on in, plenty of space on the shelves, here I'll even dust it for you.

I've mentioned a favourite book previously so do I go obscure or mainstream?  Do I mention the fact that I have read and *deep breath* actually own all of the Twilight books? And the other one she wrote?  Do I mention the fact that if it wasn't for the stupidness that holds me back I'd venture to try and get some of my own scribblings published and on my shelves.

I'm digressing like crazy here.

A made up book as the Hobbits call it.  Currently I'm reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Huffinpuff - sorry I meant this one:


Unlike The Time Traveller's Wife which was enjoyable in some parts and just sheer frustrating in others this story is unfolding nicely although as the mother of twins it does get tiresome reading about freaky ones.  If anyone is the parent of twins they will know that reality would have her writing about fights and arguments and the impossibility of sharing.

Friday, June 04, 2010

Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy

For this I have thought about the frivolity of the phrase and decided that maybe I should go a little more indepth than just a frivolous comment.

So, what has been "tickling" my fancy of late.

The Carry-On quality of that very phrase is just screaming out for me to say something smutty again but I digress.

I'll just say that I am very sad that "The Pacific" the HBO series shown on Sky Movies Premiere has finished.  It made me ashamed, as someone who enjoys studying history, that I knew nothing of the extreme circumstances of that particular theatre of war.  And on that subject, why a theatre of war?  Where did that phrase come from?  It suggests that those who went through such hardships were mere actors playing a role rather than servicemen suffering horrendous situations.

These actors, in the mini-series, served to remind us, the greedy selfish generation, that once there were warriors of such a fine calibre.  These men, young men, spent years in what must have seemed to be an utter hellish existence.  And that came through.  I would say the series was wonderful but that is a very glib statement.  It was thought-provoking, challenging, heart-stopping, incredibly sad and utterly involving joourney.

Now, ten-weeks later, it is all over.  I think, in some places, the story felt a little rushed.  Maybe they could have eked it out to 13 weeks?  You know, for sad sacks like me who have no life.

Interesting point.  My dad was in the RAF, served some time in Burma where he was shot in the back of the leg by a Japanese sniper.  I only found that out when I was 15 because, like most of his generation, he never spoke in great length of what he went through.  We have little snippets of that large slice of his life spent serving in World War II, some photos and mementos but now he is gone there will be nothing to colour in the missing spaces.

I'm here because that Japanese sniper was a lousy shot.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently

No, I have to say I hate the captured image of myself.  I do have photos, less than ten, of myself taken over the past 10 years.  In most of them I am trying to hide behind Hobbits.  What can I say.  I wasn't blessed with beauty, or confidence, or an appreciation of who I am.  Honesty only goes up to a certain point.

Here is something else instead:

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Normal Service Will Resume...

...as soon as I have more than a minute to do so.

Just had one of those days.  You know, when everything kind of falls apart and you're left standing there in the middle wondering what the hell just happened.  Yeah, one of *those* days.

Actually was going quite well right up until the point where I came home from work.  I had forgotten, no, I was in denial over how much some people can be attention seekers.  If the world doesn't revolve around them....you get the idea.  So it is typical now that, at this time in the morning, when I really should be asleep so I can be ready and fresh for the next day, that I am here - trying to catch up.

I've let myself down most of all.  I had taken a break over the weekend, no computer at all, but I had done some regular old fashioned writing - pen and paper.  So the idea worked.  Pity life and all that crap keeps getting in the way.