Hey, It's Sunny!

Wheeee! Look at that yellow thing in the sky! Haven't seen that in a while.
That's it. No spinning for me today. I'm off down Neath to check out what the nutters in Church on the Move are doing on the town square. See ya later!

Additional below

Went to town to help V and Uncle Daisy do some street work. The carnival was on today and town was packed. We spoke to relatively few people but the ones we did.

A drug addicted ex convict currently living rough in the old abbey until the winter at which point he normally commits some not too bad crime, gets caught and jailed through the winter to be released when the weather gets fine again.He says it suits him. Catholic boy, prays, likes God, didn't want a cup of tea or a hot meal, just wanted to say hi I think.

And the man suffering depression with his little girl on his knee, slowly and undemonstratively weeping into her hair as Daisy prayed for him.

And the wonderful woman that encouraged me so. She was profoundly disabled, partially sighted, wheelchair bound, withered arm and a speech impediment but her mind was as light and agile as a butterfly. I am happy she said. I don't need prayer. We chatted for a little while and she gave me a bag of malteasers when she left. She blessed me with more than chocolate.

We are doing another one next month, just before the American trip. Possible dancing, drums and banners. I am looking forward to it

Just remembered this covers an item in my 101 in a 1001 days : no 70

Jessie's Diets

Jessie was a favourite character on a favourite sketch show of mine called The Fast Show. It didn't last very long and has long since been eclipsed by Little Britain, which passes me by completely, which is a sure sign of getting old.

Anyway, Jessie used to come out of his shed on his allotment, hitch up his grotty trousers and bark at the camera in broad Devon
"This week I have been mostly eating..." and then say the most bizarre ingredient like "Figs" or "pate fois gras" and then he'd scrabble back into his hut and bang the door closed.

I found it hilarious.

So I rather liked the swiping of it in This week I have been mostly reading...in the titles of some of my posts. Just wanted to clarify that for some reason.

The point of that was to let you know that this week I have been mostly reading...

Enchanted, erotic fairy stories for women
by Nancy Madore

Man, it is nasty. There are some glowing reviews on Amazon - don't believe them. This book is just yuk. And there I'm leaving it.

But it did get me thinking that I am certain that I could write better than that. I've loved Mills and Boon for many years and they can get decidedly racy in places so I know that erotica can be written well. So I got my serious writing hat on and away I went.

So then I thought some more and considered that this is a craft blog, but I put an awful lot of poetry and stuff on here. So organisation waved its tiny paw at me and suggested I start another blog for the creative writing that I have done. So I have. And I'm filling it up slowly with the stuff that I have had hanging around and had nowhere to put. So...there it is I've told you.

Link removed, see below

I've only put a snippet of the erotic fairy story up on the new blog and there is nothing to frighten the horses there, but I would be grateful if you could give a bit of feedback if you felt like it.

Also, and it is a valid question to ask, V - my arbiter in most things of sensible behaviour (as I foul up in that department so often) - doesn't like the idea of erotica at all and thinks that a good Christian woman should have nothing to do with it. This despite almost daily evidence that I am not very good at being a Christian anyway. I just happen to be rather fond of Jesus, that's all, I'm useless at listening to Him though.

So...what do you think? Should I be stoned for thinking up stuff like this? Or should I not be stoned, but let it go anyway, or doesn't it matter? I honestly want your opinion. Please share. I know comment moderation has been enabled but I promise to post up every ones point of view regardless of wht you say.

Thanks

Additional
Have removed link to writing blog as I really need to think about what I want to do with it. Thanks for the input guys, it's appreciated

More Silk Painting

Streamers

Horse on paper

Horse traced onto silk

Celtic knots

As promised, here are some pics of my attempts at silk painting. The streamers were very easy, just potched about and the colours were so glowingly beautiful that even I could not go wrong. But I also want to make a banner for myself when I am dancing in church. A large semi circle with a dowelling rod to wave with. They are very effective and especially useful when you have run out of breath with more energetic moves. Banner waving looks very kinetic with little effort!

Also I've said before that I am not an artist and the horse, (inspired by Rohan horse art - LOTR) lacks some of the fluidity I was after, the feet are rather shaky but not a bad stab in all.
The celtic knots are traced, taken from a fantastic book called the Crafter's Design LibrarySeries - Celtic by Chris Down. A really excellent resourse for all sorts of crafting stuff.

I'll post up some more shots when I've got the nerve to paint it up. I'm thinking green background, metallic gold horse and knots. Possibly marble it through with some red. I shall experiment but would welcome feedback if you are so inclined as I'm not that confident with colour myself (unless I'm wearing it). Thanks

Additional
According to my 101 in1001 I joined the Chocolate Tasting Club again. As Oscar said, I can resist everything except temptation.

This Week I am Mostly Reading...

Beloved Exile by Alexander Cordell. (Can't find an image sorry)

Thanks to Jethro, I have read this book in just over twenty four hours. Bad idea really as it is quite intense. It was written in the 90's, a long time after the Welsh Trilogy but it is centred on Iestyn, the storyteller in Rape of the Fair Country. It tells of the retreat from Afghanistan in1842 and every politician should be made to read it. I knew a little of the history as a great uncle of mine was shattered in Afghanistan just after WW1, but that's another story. Britain has crashed up against this rock time and again and we still haven't learned.

This book is not for the sensitive, it has all the casual brutality of some of the later Sharpe novels. The horrors are not described in lavish language, but the very starkness of the words allows the reader license to dwell where more florid images would deter. Anyway, it is a very fine book but I cared more about the characters in the Welsh Trilogy because they are my people: I know people like Hywel, Iolo, Morfydd and Mari. Durrani left me cold and the Royal messenger was a royal pain more like.

However the book had a different purpose for a different time. Our poor blood soaked little planet, mans inhumanity, luxury and poverty, perversion and beauty and against all odds and rather unexpectedly for Cordell, Iestyn ends up safe. He must have got fed up with bleak endings and lands our hero in safe haven in the end. At least one Mortymer ends happily. Thank goodness!

Painted Silk Banners

Lily and me (I'm tired by now) and the days labours behind us

Waiting to start the mayhem

Steph and Sara laying out the silk

Ness, the hero of the day

Today Vanessa earned herself a medal. Thirteen kids and their mums all congregated in the upper room and danced like lunatics. This is silk painting but not as we know it. Banners, dance and worship and children utterly unselfconscious in expression both in movement and colour. It was lovely to see.

Lovely too to see white habotai tissue fold into rainbow colours.

Colours galore

Inspired, I took some home myself. Will show you tomorrow with more pics

A Delightful Weekend

Happy day on Saturday when Faith and Jonathan got married. Dyffryn Church is easily the prettiest church in the area and then onto the Glyn Clydach for a ceilidh and cold ham. Fantastic. I've never enjoyed a wedding more. I danced 'til my feet bruised and then I danced some more.

Today was Tom's eighteenth. Family get together, quiet as usual but very pleasant. Curry, chocolate birthday cake and champagne.
Off to church then and more dancing. Settled down now with V, the Matrix and some sweet popcorn. Might do a row or two of the shawl if I can.

Nos da my lovlies

Thanks Iolo!

Iolo's cookies.

Two days late, sorry. But hope you enjoy the view from Bristol, Jethro. They are lovely. Stem ginger and dark chocolate chips. Eye wateringly sweet and buttery, you can feel your arteries going clang.

101 in 1001

(Number 52)

101 things in 1001 days

1. Make this list - 11/5/07
   
2. Learn to speak Welsh properly
   
3. Knit a lace shawl
4. Get a convertible, a triumph spitfire for preference
5. Start keeping chickens
6. Improve on the flute
7. Clear the attic - Sept 07
   
8. De-junk the kitchen
9. See America, some of it at least - August 07
   
10. Take a photography class
11. Grow my hair past shoulder length (again)
    
12. Sing in the worship band
13. Take Mustard Seeds to another fair
14. Start wine making
15. Attend a counselling class
16. Teach on prophetic/spirit dance- June 07? In Ffald y Brenin last time
    
17. Learn to ride a horse
18. Plant a willow tree in the back garden
19. Make a tree house
20. Get a writing den
21. Buy an ice cream maker and use it regularly
    
22. Write a will
23. Make a story sack every summer holiday
24. Make a family Christmas present every month
25. See the Aurora Borealis
    
26. Visit Italy again
    
27. Go on an anti war protest march
28. Put up more bookshelves
29. Fix the wardrobe
30. Draw a dragon
31. Customise my louet wheel
32. Finish spinning the Rosebasket tussah silk - 12/5/07
    
33. Take a massage and anatomy class
34. Send poetry off to the New Welsh Review
35. Write the first chapter of the Ruth book
36. Write the synopsis of the Ariannwen book
37. Write a good erotic fairytale - July 07 (cinderella)
    
38. Write two more folk songs
    
39. Paint the little room
40. Learn to play the harp
41. Make a gambo
42. Go to Woolfest - no go (maybe next year)
    
43. Take all the kids camping to Snowdonia
44. Read Paradise Lost
45. Read Beowulf - Seamus Heaney's translation
46. Get a dog
47. Get my garden under control - get rid of mess on the top half - half way done thanks to Matthew
    
48. Grow my own raspberries
49. Keep doves
50. Go sea fishing
51. Go parascending
52. Get Iolo's recipe for chewy cookies and make them - 15/5/07
    
53. Make my own ginger beer from scratch
54. Join a re-enactment society
55. Sort out under stairs cupboard
56. Visit Canterbury Cathedral
57. Visit Gavin
58. Learn to drive a horse and cart
59. Go on a gypsy caravan holiday in Ireland
60. Go on a walking tour of Provence with Lady Grace
61. Get my nose pierced
62. Take Tom for a driving lesson
63. Read Beloved Exile - 2/6/07
    
64. Go on a mission trip abroad - America August 07 comes under this I think
    
65. See Paul in India
66. Make the "Bark George" toy
67. Volunteer at Rose's school
68. Get away for a weekend with just my husband for company
    
69. Make a print of the kid's feet and hands
70. Do some open air service work
71. Get a banner workshop off the ground 1st June '07
    
72. Get the web codes for COTM off of Birdie and start the site again - early summer 07
    
73. Organise another Ladies weekend at Ffald y Brenin - all set for Jan 08
    
74. Enrole Rose in piano lessons
75. Ditto ballet lessons
76. Do the Cordell festival - April and September 07
    
77. Take "The Giant's Daughter" to Lulu and investigate further
78. Help a complete stranger
79. Make and decorate a Christmas cake
80. Have an open house on Christmas Eve
81. Throw a fancy dress party
82. Organise a barn dance and harvest supper in church
83. Ride in a hot air balloon
84. Start composting
85. Buy a house to rent
86. Organise a prayer and fasting session focused on the needs of the young people in our community
87. Tidy up the Upper Room
88. Have at least one go at archery
89. Have at least one go with a handgun - on a range of course and all supervised
90. Think of another 11 things to go on this list - 11/5/07
    
91. Go to a wedding - 26/5/07
    
92. Get a new throat plate for the fire and sweep the chimney (yes I'm scraping the barrel now)
93. Go out for cocktails with some of the girls
94. Join the Chocolate Tasting Club again - June 07
    
95. Get my waist back to 26 inches (30" at the moment - thanks twins) - 28" Oct 07
    
96. Sew an Elianor Mortymer skirt in a good sturdy material
97. Make that flippin' felt shawl
98. Go on two more spinning demonstrations
99. Visit a planetarium
100. Go to see a big musical production in London with Rose - Mary Poppins I think
     
101. Sleep undisturbed for as long as I want to

If I start this today then the finish day is the 5th February 2010 and fortunately I can cross one off straight away. Hurrah!

101 things in 1001 days - The Site

Check out here for the premise and a handy day calculator.
List to follow very soon indeed - I've been working on this for three days!

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Cross them off as you do them, and add the dates. Include the date you started the list and the finishing date. (You can use this handy calculator to help figure out the finish date.)

The above italicised is directly lifted off the mission site