Song Of The Week XXXXVII

It's not really a song this week, rather a beautiful piece of music.
Every time I hear the opening notes I feel like I could just drift off somewhere. I get lost in the memories of the movie, remembering the scenes and how powerfully acted they were.

Michael Nyman - The Piano - The Heart Asks Pleasure First:

I can't quite believe this came out in 1993. 16 years ago. I was a teenager and that really blows my mind. I still love this movie, haven't watched it in a while and I'm going to have to rectify that!

It's Hard To Photograph Your Own Arm

Today's title would definitely come under the heading "Things I Have Learned Today". I had no idea it would require a degree in contortion to photograph your own wrist, well that's my reason for the dodgy nature of my photographs. And I could not get one of the band that wasn't distinctly bleached by flash.
I'm going to need the help of a lovely assistant at some point to get a better picture I think!
So there it is, my new tattoo, a Claddagh with a Celtic band.
I know a Claddagh doesn't usually come with stars, but that was part of my design and it was important for them to be there.
I do hope you aren't suffering with some kind of blindness after looking at the last one!
I'd had this planned in my mind for ages and as I sit here, newly wrapped, again, in clingfilm (apparently you don't scab if you clingfilm and I am scab-less so far) and I love it. It's exactly what I wanted and makes me smile every time I see it. Which has got to be what a tattoo is about, right?

Ice & Ink

The snow is still hanging around, it seems perfectly at home on everyones front lawn. The only thing is that the roads are instead covered in ice. It makes for an interesting driving experience on the unsalted roads.
I went out to my barn today, I was a bit nervous about it because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get out again as the ice was pretty serious and I was preoccupied with that as I drove out. Then a hare darted across the road a short distance in front of my car and over into a field. I glanced to my right and the world was absolutely beautiful.
The field which is the barest example of a hill was absolutely white from the covering of snow, with only a few hare tracks across its surface. Sitting on the horizon with the sunset behind them were the silhouettes of two more hares. Absolutely still. It felt like the universe was screaming 'photo opportunity'!
My breath caught. I know I'm a big soft lump, but it was just beautiful. In that way only nature can be, you know?

I got a new tattoo today. Had I remembered I would have taken a photograph before I got wrapped in clingfilm and tape. A picture of that might just detract from the tattoo I think...
Anyway, I'm really pleased with it, but it's like any physical change and feels like an absolute surprise every time I catch sight of it. I remember when I had my nose pierced, every time I touched my nose or caught sight of it in the mirror I was almost shocked to find it was pierced, until it becomes a part of you.
The same was true when I had a gem attached to my tooth, the first few days if felt like someone had stuck a football under my lip. These days I have to run my tongue over to make sure it's still in place.

Miscellanea

I have to note two things.
Well maybe three.
The first is that it's only just gone 9.30am and I have already had two achievements.
I'm a high achiever. For today only.
Anyway, I went for a blood test this morning and you know what the nurse got that vein first time. First time I tell you! That never happens!
Normal events are like this:
"Sharp scratch coming up, oh no, I didn't get it/the veins collapsed/I'm sure I felt it, etc, etc, etc"
Repeat 4 - 5 times per arm.
Then attempt back of the hand.
Then send to County Hospital to let the phlebotomists there have at me.
See 1 or 2 or 3 (occasionally more) phlebotomists who attempt to take blood.
At this point I think they start to believe I am some kind of scientific miracle that exists without blood. (If only I didn't have so many injuries to disprove that theory!)
The worst, worst, worst place for a blood test - the inside wrist. Horrible.
Anyway, first bloody time! I'm so happy.

So happy in fact that I came home and the second thing was achieved.
I went up a ladder.
Nothing major I know, I mean people are up and down ladders every day!
It's just that since the time I went up a ladder and came back down without using the rungs, I have been a little afraid of them.
I did break into a cold sweat it's true, but I did it.
Check. Me. Out.

Word to the wise. Always use the rungs. Don't land on the ladder after it slips and leaves you to fall from the attic. That shit hurts. And breaks your ribs. I got a totally awesome ladder-shaped bruise though!

~

I have some things on my mind as well. Not important things, but maybe if I share them they'll stop going round in my overstuffed mind.

Mascara adverts. Somewhere in fine print during the ads are the words "Filmed with lash inserts and enhanced in post production". What? Why? Is your mascara so terrible that the product on its own is not worth seeing?
This bugs me. I mean I can't be enhanced in post production. Oh, I wish.....
But seriously. I don't have time for lash inserts, I want mascara that doesn't need lash inserts damn it.

I bought some drawing pins the other day, when I got them home I noticed that the back of the packet had this note:

Apologies for the terrible photo, but really, now we're being told drawing pins have sharp points? How idiotic as a society have we become that we need to have this spelled out to us? I'm only surprised some of those words have more than one syllable.

Yesterday I logged on to AOL and was greeted with the headline "Wildcat strikes set to increase".
I thought it was referring to incidents like this but was disappointed to discover it actually meant this. Which is not nearly as exciting.
I mean it's serious and all, but it's just not as exciting.

Lastly, I wanted to illustrate why so many think I am a picture of elegance and grace.
Mum & Tim were packing up ready to leave their house in the village and as I had a sudden unexpected free day I went to help. I found a number of small poles and I thought it would be a good idea to keep them all together so found some elastic bands which I placed round my wrist as I gathered the poles in my hand. Now, these were quite large poles and I could only just hang onto them, being small of hand. I carefully held them with one hand whilst (cleverly) slipping the bands from the wrist over the poles, in what was designed to be one fluid motion.
Except I had the poles a little too close to my face.
And gathered a good portion of my hair into the elastic band, thus joining the poles to my wrist, hand and hair.
Oh yes, this is no simple skill.
I'll have you know, in my time of need, Tim laughed from the back of the trailer.

Wait, this is the last thing. I've started chitting my seed potatoes.
Oh yes, check me out, I know the lingo and everything.

World of White

The predicted Arctic blast arrived yesterday and although it's not really that cold it is prettily white out there. I looked out of my window this morning and this was the view of the road. I have a love of virgin snow and leaving the first footprints, but someone or something beat me to it this morning.
Maybe they're walking round an invisible car? They're tiny footprints though!
By the time I got out there for a closer peer the snow had completely covered them over.
Look at my poor Beastie, all covered in snow, but she still started first time. She's such a good girl that way!See that virgin snow? On the path there?
I cannot tell you the willpower it took not to drop and make a snow angel right there. I wish I had now.
I'm thinking about making a snowman in the garden, but last time I was in there I found the deflated corpse of a mouse, thanks to one of the local cats, and I'm a little concerned that if I roll the snow around I'll suddenly be faced with said corpse. Which would be pleasant.

Song Of The Week XXXXVI

Every morning when my alarm goes off Mifford sits straight up, heads to the radio and stares at it as if contemplating where on earth all those people whose voices she can hear are hiding. After a moment she headbutts it and still they don't appear, then she will nudge me, paw me or flat out slap me for attention.
Normally I feign sleep for a while, but the other morning the alarm went off and a few moments later this song started.
I confess I virtually jumped from my bed and then proceeded to dance around my bedroom like a demon (how does a demon dance?) I just couldn't help myself, even now my toes are tapping and I feel like a bit of a boogie.

The Supremes - Keep Me Hanging On:

As with most kids I thought, when I heard this by Kim Wilde as a youngster, that it was the original, and when I established that it wasn't, I couldn't imagine that someone older could ever have done a potentially better version.
I'm so pleased to finally be older and realise that can definitely be wrong.
Not that Kim Wilde's version isn't good, sometimes going back to the beginning is just where it's at!

Postscript

I forgot to mention, I was out last week wandering round charity shops with Harriet and I bought a few books (like I don't have enough already). One of which was Nicholson Baker - A Box of Matches.
I really love Nicholson Baker, I adore his writing style and after finishing The Pillars Of The Earth I needed something easy to move on with. A rebound book if you like. Anyway, this was just wonderful. I love how easily he writes, describing the day to day thoughts that most of us have, it's a real skill to observe people so closely.
Even down to the way he describes trying to make a fart quieter is just so wonderful.
I read this in two days and loved every moment.

It does have to be said that some of his books are a little... err... adult in nature, but then he can slip so easily back into those observations in this or even in something like The Everlasting Story of Nory, where he writes as an 8 year old little girl. I loved that, remembering and imagining their view of the world.

And now Room Temperature pops into mind, another wonderful work of observations.

I'm rambling but I was so chuffed to find that book, as I didn't know it was even published, so now it's time for bed and time to choose a new book from the shelf...