Falling From Above - Neil Young - Greendale

Grandpa said to cousin Jed
sittin' on the porch,
"I won't retire
but I might retread

Seems like that guy singin' this song
been doin' it for a long time
Is there anything he knows
that he ain't said?

Sing a song for freedom
sing a song for love
sing a song for depressed angels
falling from above"

Grandpa held the paper
pretendin' he could see
but he couldn't read without his glasses on

"How can all these people
afford so many things?
When i was young
people wore what they had on...and Mama said

'a little love and affection
in everything you do
will make the world a better place
with or without you'"

A little love and affection
in everything you do

Slammin' down a late night shot
the hero and the artist compared
goals and visions and afterthoughts
for the 21st century

But mostly came up with nothin'
so the truth was never learned
and the human race just kept rollin' on

Rollin' through the fighting
rollin' through the religious wars
rollin' down the temple walls
and the church's exposed sores

Rollin' through the fighting
the religious wars
mostly came up with nothin'

"Grandpa here's your glasses
you'll see much better now,"
said that young girl of Edith and Earl's
but Grandpa just kept starin'
he was lost in some distant thought
then he turned and said
to that young girl

"A little love and affection
in everything you do
will make the world a better place
with or without you"

With or without you
a better place
with or without you
with or without you

Hear that rooster crowin'
down on the double e
It's a new morning
dawning on the green

Bouncing off the towers
and the sun's heading down for the streets
the business meeting
window shades are drawn

Another morning edition
headed for the porch
because Grandma puts down the paper
before Grandpa raises his fork

A little love and affection
in everything you do
with or without you

Hear the rooster crowing
down on the double e

Greendale - Neil Young

Emily's at it again

I got another middle-of-the-night text with her latest picture.

She's had this done at the base of her spine.



If you happen to watch the Canadian Grand Prix this afternoon, look out for an excited figure wearing pink! Yup, she's back in Montreal at the moment, then I think it's back west to Calgary and she'll be home on the 20th!

Productive day so far...

I've managed to do quite a lot today, despite promising Phoenix I would take it easy so that my sciatica wouldn't flare up (couldn't walk on Monday so had to phone in sick).

I actually got a lie in until 8, then came down to play on the computer and listen to the news. The phone went at about ten and it was Brentwood Registry Office checking that we'd sent our marriage registration documents to them (which I had just yesterday) and saved me phoning them to check that was the right thing to do.

This meant I remembered I had a doctors appointment (just an asthma check-up) so I checked when that was and then went to hang out the washing.

Since it's lovely lovely weather here today (blue blue blue sky that hurts your eyes to look at) I hung it in the garden then decided to let the cats out to play while I sat in the sun. But then I noticed the hedge needed trimmin (it's the only green thing in our back garden barring my herb pot) so I fetched the secateurs and trimmed that back.

Then it was off to the doctors (a 5 minute walk) and when I came back I went and sat in the garden in a very skimpy top (and when I checked no-one could see, no top at all) and read Thornyhold and videoed the kittens pouncing on leaves, woodlice, bees and stray bits of air that caught their attention.

Then I thought I'd come in as I was going a little pink (despite the suncream) and that made me think I'd better wash-up.

Washing-up means finding sparky music to listen too and I turned on Magic in time to hear Drops of Jupiter, one of my favourite songs in the world. I washed-up until Celine Dion came on, then ran in here to turn off the TV and put Damh the Bard and CSN&Y on instead.

I also decided that since it's still so sunny I'd wash a load of bedding (can't dry it in the house, no room!) to add to the big load I did this morning.

So I have been productive on my quiet day off and I'm proud of myself.

Now for a little bit of Neopets and then some cross-stitch I think.

(spell check wanted to replace Neopets with neophytes and Celine with clone!)

Books I have been reading

Mr Mark Farley, blogger and fellow bookseller asked me what I have been reading.

So here is what I have been reading in the last few weeks...

The Moon-Spinners , Airs Above The Ground and Wildfire At Midnight by Mary Stewart. The Moon-Spinners was the "new" book I was reading in the bath. It's not really new, but I'd just found a copy on a second-hand stall in Bridgnorth and I hadn't read it for years. This then started me reading through all my other Mary Stewart books, I plan to start Thornyhold, (my favourite Mary Stewart book), sometime this afternoon.

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The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood and Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares. I love these books and bought the third one when I got paid. I just had to go back and read the other two and sink myself right into the world of Tibby, Lena, Carmen and Bee.

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Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday and Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix. Again, I bought the new book when I got paid, and went back to re-read the other two first. I've mentioned his Old Kingdom books in previous posts on this blog, and he added the brilliant Creature In The Case as a World Book Day book this year.

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I've also been on a Swallows and Amazons kick.
I bought Peter Duck and We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea when I got paid (notice a theme that occurs when payday comes round) as I'd gone through my bookshelves and realised I didn't own the complete set. I remembered afterwards that I'd had these two as library sale paperbacks and they just fell apart! I ended up with the first half of Peter Duck and the last half of WDMTGTS! I love those hardbacks so I bought them rather than the cheaper paperbacks.
I then re-read Swallows and Amazons, Swallowdale and Winter Holiday (which are old old paperbacks, but in good nick!)
I'm working on reviews of all the Arthur Ransome books for my website. They'll be here eventually.

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I've also re-read all the Casson books by Hilary McKay.
Saffy's Angel,
Indigo's Star,
Permanent Rose and
Rose's Flying Feeling.
I have no idea why Amazon has catagorised them all as audio books, I've checked the ISBNs and they all tie in to my paperback/hardback editions, they're obviously having a glitch.

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Other than that I've been reading all sorts of bits and pieces, most of which are books I've read so many times that they just wrap round me like an old comfy blanket.

Books?

Mr Mark Farley, Bookseller to the Stars, asked in one of the comments below what I'd been reading.

So I've written all about it in my book blog.

It's still a bit dusty in there but I did hoover!

Ok, maybe not that many!

I've always wanted a big family, at least 4 kids hopefully. Recently I've also decided that I might homeschool them, depending on what they want and local schools etc.

I saw a programme about these folks today, and got a little scared.

Ok first, I respect their right to bring their kids up how they choose, I'm just not sure that having that many kids (and giving them all J names), homeschooling them all and not really letting them mix with kids from other backgrounds is good. I just felt so sad when the 10 year old was saying that she looks forward to their new house cos it'll be easier for her to do the laundry.

I hope that no matter how many children I have, I can teach them to be open minded. I can teach them about all religions and let them make up their own minds. Most of all...I'm going to teach them to be children.

Todays horoscope

The astral energy at play is asking you to take a look at fear. You are certainly feeling a deep desire to advance in an area of your life, yet you feel held back by forces beyond your control. You could actually have a deeply embedded unconscious fear of being ridiculed for your efforts, which is causing you to hold yourself back. Remember that in order to succeed, you need to be ready to fall down again and again. The key is to pick yourself back up each and every time, and keep moving forward. If you are unwilling to fail in the short term, you will not succeed in the long term.

Very, very true. I've been hiding for a while now.

"We are on the brink of a new era, if only..."

(Beiderbecke quote, it just got stuck in my head!)

I don't think I've ever been quite so tired in my life. It's got to the point now where at 8pm I'm at that so tired you feel drunk stage! Last night it was still light when I went to bed and I've only managed to stay up this late today because I had a nap at work at lunchtime. I'm taking extra vitamins and iron and eating more veg and drinking more water and orange juice and I'm just getting tireder and tireder. Maybe I should just go back on the junk food diet. I want refined sugar!

I also keep waking up bang on 6am and then going back to sleep and having really vivid dreams.

They aren't dreams that make enough coherent sense for me to type them up, they tend to leave me with images and words rather than a story if you know what I mean. The last few mornings I've dreamt about cows, cooking, bootlaces, poppies, ballroom dancing, and sleeping on Glastonbury Tor (curled up with the kittens under lots of sheepskins).

This morning I had two rather more memorable dreams. The first one was about the Harry Potter midnight opening and trying to cope with the queue. We were selling the book (about two feet thick) in special baskets and it had no fixed price. I'd scan one book for someone and it would cost them £56 then the next customer bought three and only paid £3.60. I've been trying to sort things at work for this and it's obviously playing on my mind that we're not allowed to know the price til just before we get it (probably about 5 minutes before!).

The other dream was more of a memory as it's already happened. It was the day when Georgia was here and Mab took us all driving into Shropshire to eat chocolate biscuit cake and fish 'n' chips in Bishops Carsill/Cassell, to walk round the castle in Clun and then took us off over the mountains into Wales. I dreamed/remembered how lovely Georgias smile was, how I laid on the castle mound watching them climb up the other way, and how scared I was on the mountainside in Wales (not good with heights and crap night vision weren't a good combination then) and how I tried not to babble with terror too much. I dreamt/remembered the bits of the car ride home that I was awake for, rounding the side of the mountain and seeing what I can only describe as THE Harvest Moon, huge and gold in the sky. Watching the creatures appearing in the road in front of us getting larger and larger and waking up in time to sing at the traffic lights so they turned green and let us through.

I woke up feeling so so peaceful with the memory of that moon floating in my minds eye.

BuBu BuBu BuBu Bu

(That's the noise I make at the kittens btw)

I am intending to blog all about the camping, but just haven't had time! Work all day then sleepy all evening again.

Roll on Saturday! Then I can watch last weeks stuff that I taped, snuggle with the kittens, do some cross-stitch, spend time with Phoenix and post more on here too!

I did do some website tatting the other day, I've added pages for the Swallows and Amazons books...but I haven't put any reviews on there yet. I'm working on it!

Bleh, sleepy again. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

I'm Back!

I've had the most fantastic weekend! I've found my centre again, trusting myself once more and feeling secure.

I've partied with some very good friends and then been able to just sit round reading with them with no words needed.

I now have kittens all over me (I think they missed me), sunburnt hands (again) and a sunburnt nose, and I know that people have faith in me.

Now, a hot bath and new book are calling me, you'll get pictures later!

Holiday Holiday Holiday!

I'm going camping tonight!

I get to go frolic in the green wide open spaces of Shropshire with some of my bestest friends!

So I shall be AWOL until Monday night, and then I shall come back and post photos.

Woo! Hoo!

Todays horoscope

You are starting to come into your own personality and be more expressive of who you are, so don't make compromises at this time, KATE. These next three weeks are a very strong time for you, so don't waste the opportunities that are coming your way. Plan a vacation for yourself in the mountains and make sure to bring along your best friends in the world. Have fun while doing the things that you do best.

Does going to the Shropshire hills count as mountains?

Roll on the weekend!!!

Giggle

I found this on Morganna's blog and thought I'd see what I got...

You Are 26 Years Old

26 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

I'm so impressed that I actually got my real age!

Especially today when I really feel about 18, kicking back and chilling with M&S (healthy eating) chocolate puds.

Text message received 23/5 at 4.14am......

I got a new piercing! xx



(That's Emily btw, I have no piercings and don't intend to get any either! A new tattoo is always a possibility however)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'm a sleepy Kate...

I did spend a lovely lazy weekend though. I didn't manage to do any website work or reviews (sorry), but read some books, watched Grand Prix racing and did some cross stitch.

I also came up with an idea for a sampler for my library, but I'm making myself finish my current project first or it'll never get done and that would be a shame.

Still looking forward to the camping next week, it'll be great to spend time with some truly great friends, something I've missed during my withdrawn days.

I've had some replies to the wedding invites and although there are people who can't be there who I wanted to see, there are also people who I though wouldn't make it who will be there.

Oh, and if you ever need a fabulous place to stay in Derbyshire, try Windlehill Farm. My parents knew them when they lived in Butterow (in Gloucestershire, my parents moved there with me when we left Bahrain) and we stayed in The Chop House my middle summer of 6th form (nine years ago it must be, as my dad turned 50 then too). My bedroom was that top left one, and Emily used to play hen skittles (look at the pictures of the woman looking over the door, then make her a 10 year old who likes opening the door at speed and scaring the chickens!).

Ohhh, getting dozy again, time for sofa, kittens, cross-stitch and Phoenix.

But first a toast: "To Friendship".

Glah.

I know, I know, I'm crap.

Well actually I'm not, just very very very tired.

I wake up through the night at odd times and I'm awake early each morning, then by 8am I'm dozing on the sofa. I doze during my lunch hour and then doze all evening on the sofa.

I managed to stay awake last night to watch more Beiderbecke, I'd forgotten how good it was and definately need to get myself the DVD set at some point.

I'm also strangely apathetic about coming online, just don't feel like I need to twice a day so I've just been nipping on for ten minutes to clear my inbox before I head for bed. I'm only online now cause it's payday and I needed to get some bills paid before work.

I have got this weekend off so I shall attempt to do some work on my website, book reviews and all that.

But right now I'm going to go do some cross-stitch with a kitten on my lap, fabulous way to start the day.

Up early again

Ok, so 7 isn't early really, as it's the time I normally get up on my days at work, but 7 on my day off is early...I usually manage another hour!

So that means that I've already done most of my pootling around on the internet, including playing on Neopets (although I've saved some games for later). So now what?

Well I have some washing up to do....but I'm really not in the mood for that just now (oh and for any FLYLady peeps, I'm dressed to my shoes and my sink is shiny) so I think I shall just go play more Simpsons. I'm trying to complete each level to 100%, perfectionist me.

Oh, post just arrived...

...

...boring, bank statement. Yesterdays post was much more exciting: 2 Lush face-masks (to sort my skin out before the wedding), three acceptance cards for the wedding and a letter from my parents friends Frank sending his apologies (he's building an extension to an orphans house in Lusaka so can't make it) and our first proper wedding present.

It's earmarked for a gorgeous picture of something that makes me think of him and Theresa, probably a French-style painting.

Right, lets go get Bart captured by aliens.

Not really a morning person

I've never really been a morning person....I'm definitely an evening person. When I have time off and don't have to get up for anything my body clock sets itself to get up at about 11 and go to bed at 2. Good, until I have to go back to work and I spend the first few mornings in a blur.

The daylight clock that my mother got me for Yule has been working well and I've been waking up in the dark wintry mornings to nice light and have felt good. Now that the dawn is getting earlier though, I'm waking up at 5ish. It's not a huge problem because I can wake up, look at the clock and go back to sleep...usually. This morning I woke at 5 and went back to sleep for about an hour, then I was wide awake again.

So I got up at 6, and I've been puttering around and reading, using the playstation and checking email etc. It was nice to have the time to do all this in the morning, but now that I have to start getting ready for work, I'M KNACKERED!

It's like my body has just gone, nah...I'm tired now and I just want to go back to bed!

Good job it's the morning meeting today, we get to sit down for half-an-hour and discuss ways to sell more books and RichieFingers's fabulous Hitchhiker's window display complete with giant Marvin standee.

Never mind, day off tomorrow. Then even if I do wake up full of energy at some strange time, I do have the option to doze on the sofa at half-eight if I get tired, rather than heading off to face the delights of the Wolverhampton ring-road during rush hour (stopping at red lights seems to be a new thing here, meaning crossing the road is a definite experience).

Voting

Well I've been and voted.

I had a choice of five candidates: Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, UKIP (UK Independence Party) and BNP (British National Party).

I chose the Lib Dems, (mo surprise there then) but was intrigued by the BNP candidate.....

Our "local" BNP candidate lives in... Cornwall!
It's obviously legal...but very very strange. Perhaps he's well aware that if he was a BNP candidate actually living in a majority Asian/Black area that he wouldn't have many friends. I guess it makes sense though. He's a man who dislikes "foreigners" so he chooses to live in a part of England where there aren't many.

Pseudonym time

I was chatting about blogs with a colleague at work and asked if I could big up her fabulous talent for making CD's for us to listen to at work. She agreed, but then asked to have a pseudonym...

After a quick flick through some baby name books nothing much had suggested itself but then when another song of hers came on I knew just what it had to be.

So here's to the fabulous "Jolene" whose musical taste and talent for joking makes our days just flow by. We'll miss you!