Where Lies Sleep?

Half an hour past midnight and I have a sleepy Lily on my lap but there is little chance of me finding sleep for some time to come yet I feel.
Every time I close my eyes I see a particular scene from the latest film on my list of "Films I Wish I Had Not Watched". I don't know why I do this to myself, really I don't but if you have not yet watched I Am Legend, then try and keep it that way. Yuk. And that is all I am saying on the matter.

On the plus side and far more pleasant, one of my favourite things in the world is happening right now as I am writing. A blackbird is singing outside in the dark. Who knows why they do that but really, it feels like a blessing. There is a poem I believe...hang on... Yes here it is. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird - by Wallace Stevens. My favourite being the fifth stanza

V
I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The blackbird whistling
Or just after.

Haiku like in its spareness and simple beauty. I think I might try and go to sleep and dream of blackbirds.
Nos da cariad, sleep well.

Okay, so now I know

Haven't done one of these in months...that's cos I haven't had insomnia in a good long while. There we are, hope you are sleeping well...

What These Daisies Say About You

You have a spirit of pure optimism. Your view of the world is eternally cheerful. You are bold and vibrant. Incredibly striking, you always stand out in a crowd. You are adaptable and flexible. You can thrive in almost any situation.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

and another one

Mocha Frappuccino

Hyper and driven, you'll take your caffeine any way you can get it. Frappuccinos are good, but you'd probably chew coffee beans in a crunch!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

I would like to say for the record that caffeine has had nothing to do with tonight's bout of insomnia.

If

If I had £850 completely spare...THIS is what I would buy. Please do click the link as it is completely beautiful but it is someone else's image and I can't just swipe it.

There I was, driving home from work, thinking quite smugly of how I haven't had insomnia since giving up caffeine. Now, here I sit and have been so since 3 am. Arrgh!

I hope you are all well rested and peaceful.


Oh...and this is for Pippa and all my other Saesneg friends...For Harry and St George and all that jazz :o)

picture from Norfolk Tours

Bits and Bobs

Earth hour tonight at 8 pm. Probably the smallest thing a person can do to be a bit green, hardly even green at all, light peppermint maybe. Check it out here There is a sturdy amount of info and at this hour in the morning I am not prepared to do more than link.

Also, my thanks to UL for this...

“Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

I think I shall pass this on to my blogging buddies Dizzy, Pippa, Patois, Pilgrim, Greg, Jessica and Techno Doll. I love the fact that you drop by and your comments brighten my day. Thanks for that. xxx

I have finished the rabbit block and will post a pic later on today after I have finally managed to get some sleep. I hate I hate I hate insomnia.

I am off to bed now, to stare into the darkness and think.
Nos da fy cariad, hope you sleep well.

Sunday Scribblings - Sleep

Sleep is wonderful. I love dreaming, especially the ones where I fly. Sleep gives us the chance to sort out all the hectic thoughts that we don't have the time or the inclination to address when we are awake. It heals, it fills us. I fall into sleep with relief.

And getting into bed, lying down, feeling the soft cotton and the gentle hold of the duvet around me, pillows giving just enough under the weight of my head.
Staring up at the stars or the moon when it sails past my window. In summer, with the window open, listening to the waterfall or the distant hum of a car as someone makes the solitary journey up the valley. Falling into the darkness to the familiar sound of the house around me muttering to itself, tinking pipes, the creak of the bunk when Rose turns over in her sleep, the clack of the catflap as Zac goes off to, or returns from, a midnight adventure. I wonder where he goes, what paths he finds in his cat world, wide open to his night vision. The scents he finds, what it is like to push through bramble and fern towering above his head. A beast of prey on his mountain.
Before I know it I am asleep.

I wish sometimes I could savour the pleasure of falling asleep for longer than I do. To enjoy tipping over the brink in the same way as sinking into a deep, warm bath or melting chocolate on my tongue.
I wish sometimes that I could stay asleep. I miss sleeping and I hate the sucking dryness of my energy levels after a bout of insomnia. How poisoned it feels to know that the time I should have spent usefully topping up my body's store of strength instead has been given over to thoughts and worries that serve little purpose.
Sometimes however, the extra time is useful. I spin, write, imagine my other lives that I could have led. I pray sometimes, for those who also cannot sleep but for more serious reasons that habitual insomnia. I think how blessed I am. I watch my daughters sleep, like pearls in oysters, still and perfect. I watch them breathe, mutter, stretch and sink back once more. Rose laughs and I wonder what she is dreaming of.
I wander downstairs, make a cup of tea, snuggle up in a blanket and stare once more out at the stars. If I am lucky and I close the laptop soon I will get back to sleep tonight.
Funny that, writing about sleep when finding it is an ongoing struggle for me.
Nos da cariad, I hope you are sleeping well and are held in gentle dreams.

Insomniaaaargh!

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Genius Mathematician. Where You Lived: Scotland. How You Died: Hung for treason.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Insomnia means...

random blogstuff again! Yay!!

You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image. On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex. You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time. Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

What Donut Are You?

Crafting is on hold until my dyes and silk get back from Fibrecrafts so it is either food or poetry until then. But for now...House MD is on call :)

Nos da cariad. Hope you are sleeping well.

...and a Christmas one!

For the twelve days of Christmas, your true love will send you:

Twelve punk rockers drumming Eleven christmas trees a-twinkling Ten elves a-leaping Nine ladies yodeling Eight cows a-milking Seven rumballs a-drunkening Six Santas a-hohohoing Five golden toe rings Four calling telemarketers Three French chefs bearing escargot Two stale fruit cakes And a chimp in a peach tree

What Will You Get for the 12 Days of Christmas?

Insomnia Again!

Your Personality Is Like Acid

A bit wacky, you're very difficult to predict. One moment you're in your own little happy universe... And the next, you're on a bad trip to your own personal hell! At your best: You understand the world completely, and every ordinary experience is sublime. What people like about being around you: You say and do the craziest things. You're very entertaining. What people dislike about being around you: You're unpredictable. Your mood swings are quite intense. How addicted people get to you: They pretty much don't get addicted to you.

OK Now I Know

Yes folks it is insomnia again! And you know what that means...blogthings quizzes! Yay!

You Are a Fruitcake

People pretend you're sweet and precious, but they know how weird you really are!

What Holiday Food Are You?

Yes It Is Insomnia Again!

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Well My Friends

It has been a hellish day frankly. The kidlings are making stew of me and insomnia sucks big time. I am on my knees.

So what am I going to do tonight? Thats right...get out the glad rags and go out with the girls.

I am off out to Kellys with Sara and Ann, a recipe for fun if ever there was one, and I will attempt to have a ball unless the presence of sympathetic females doesn't turn me into a heap of teary jelly.
I will let you know how it went!

Have a great day and try and get some sleep for me will you?

Summer

It is Summertime and I realised last night that I have had the same look on my blog since Easter. Time for a change and brighter colours in the hope that the sun will come out and give poor soggy Wales a break from the rain.
Have had terrible insomnia again this night. Eden woke me at two with a spirited attempt at sleeping on my head, using my neck as her pillow. Unable to breath for sleepy baby crushing my throat, I woke up good and proper!

Almost six o clock now. Have spent the night travelling from Australia to Canada, Plillipines (some mad bloggers there, utterly eccentric) California and various places in dear old Blighty. Not bad for an evenings wander in blogspace. Learnt a few things only one of which I wish I had not read!

On the spinning front - the Winghams fantasy fibre collection stands thus so far

• Tussah silk in Seascape (100g)
• White mongolian cashmere (100g)
• Violet merino wool (200g)
• Delphinium merino wool (300g)
• Wool, alpaca and silk blend in grey (indeterminate amount)
• Yak down (sample as it is the very dickens to spin but so soft that I can't resist)

It may go up or down, most of the fun of shopping with Winghams is the sheer array of stuff that they have and the catalogue keeps me happy for about a week before I settle on the things I definately want. It might have been cheaper to actually go to Woolfest...maybe not, they sell yarn there too. Could you imagine me in a place of unlimited yarn, my wool budget for the year and no V to reign me in. I think I'd die right on the spot from sheer glee. No, far better to stay at home where I am safe from temptation...where did I put that catalogue?

See you later my lovlies to tell you what I succumbed to when I get back from Borders.
Have a fun filled, book lined day.