Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The loss
What does one do when their hero dies? Bring back memories of what made that person a hero. When I was a child growing up, my hero or heroine as they used to be called was Elizabeth Taylor. I loved everything about her, admired her hair, her figure, her acting, her choice in husband, her lovely eyes and eyebrows. My room was full of her pictures and if I ws going to pursue another career, it would have been to act because she drew me to the profession with her wide array of characters.
Almost every news story today has been about her love life. It was wild but she came from a generation of women who did not live with men unless they were married. It is always the lead story. Let the lead be the wonderful actress and humanitarian that she was. Let's talk about her roles and what she brought to the screen.
I have seen so many of her movies, I have probably forgotten more than I remember. In that time of living differently, probably my favourite would be The V.I.P.'S. As soon as I saw her smoke a cigarette, I knew that I wanted to look just like her. I hope that anyone reading this will remember that smoking used to be cool.
She was lovely in that film and in my opinion at her loveliest. My favourite photo, her and Mike Todd and their little daughter, shortly after her birth.
She was great, a true legend, a gorgeous beauty and a fine actress. May she rest in peace.
Almost every news story today has been about her love life. It was wild but she came from a generation of women who did not live with men unless they were married. It is always the lead story. Let the lead be the wonderful actress and humanitarian that she was. Let's talk about her roles and what she brought to the screen.
I have seen so many of her movies, I have probably forgotten more than I remember. In that time of living differently, probably my favourite would be The V.I.P.'S. As soon as I saw her smoke a cigarette, I knew that I wanted to look just like her. I hope that anyone reading this will remember that smoking used to be cool.
She was lovely in that film and in my opinion at her loveliest. My favourite photo, her and Mike Todd and their little daughter, shortly after her birth.
She was great, a true legend, a gorgeous beauty and a fine actress. May she rest in peace.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Signs and omens
I do seem to spend more time writing than reading. I think I even spend more time buying books than actually sitting down to read, something which is troublesome but mostly due to work restrictions. Even if I only scan a book quickly, what is important is the message. I scanned a book about signs and omens. It would have been one of those that would have been lovely to read. I get its message. Really, just pay attention to things which happen in a day. There is always something to be gleaned from it, or something which will have importance.
Today, on one of my shortened forays into the big city, I did my usual round of hairdresser, dentist, shopping and just idly noting all the changes in my old neighbourhood. Towards the end of the day, when I dropped of my hubby for a long overdue haircut and I went to the Occult shop to browse for the 15 minutes it would take to trim his hair. By the end of the day, four things which hold some significance melded together in a message I need to assess.
In a newspaper my husband picked up earlier there was a story about the great Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila, my olympic hero. It was the anniversary of his olympic win. Imagine 50 years celebrated on September 10. How lovely to see this honour for him. Kip Keino would be my other hero. Their courage and stories were so inspirational to me as a young girl.
The Occult shop had an interesting book called Hekate Soteiro. It was expensive. I was told by the sales girl that it was Sarah Iles Johnston's PhD paper. I had to buy it. Hecate is my current hero. Although not new, I noticed for the first time, the Crow's Magick tarot deck. My book, The Will to be True/In the Shadow of the Blackbird depends heavily on the myths of the Blackbird, raven or crow in part two. An image of the crow sits on it cover. Finally, I have wanted to be a JP for a long time. I applied before and was not successful but they are looking for candidates again and I will try again.
Four signs/omens - things generally important or special to me. Where this is going I don't know. Lately, I feel change, a need to retire from nursing and move into something else. Maybe this is the time to make change.
Today, on one of my shortened forays into the big city, I did my usual round of hairdresser, dentist, shopping and just idly noting all the changes in my old neighbourhood. Towards the end of the day, when I dropped of my hubby for a long overdue haircut and I went to the Occult shop to browse for the 15 minutes it would take to trim his hair. By the end of the day, four things which hold some significance melded together in a message I need to assess.
In a newspaper my husband picked up earlier there was a story about the great Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila, my olympic hero. It was the anniversary of his olympic win. Imagine 50 years celebrated on September 10. How lovely to see this honour for him. Kip Keino would be my other hero. Their courage and stories were so inspirational to me as a young girl.
The Occult shop had an interesting book called Hekate Soteiro. It was expensive. I was told by the sales girl that it was Sarah Iles Johnston's PhD paper. I had to buy it. Hecate is my current hero. Although not new, I noticed for the first time, the Crow's Magick tarot deck. My book, The Will to be True/In the Shadow of the Blackbird depends heavily on the myths of the Blackbird, raven or crow in part two. An image of the crow sits on it cover. Finally, I have wanted to be a JP for a long time. I applied before and was not successful but they are looking for candidates again and I will try again.
Four signs/omens - things generally important or special to me. Where this is going I don't know. Lately, I feel change, a need to retire from nursing and move into something else. Maybe this is the time to make change.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Studying the circumstances
We are now well past the bloom of summer. My lovely clematis are struggling to still put out the occasional bloom and today I found new branches on my lavender. How nice to see even a dying plant struggling for the last gasp of warmth to remind us how beautiful it was and will be again.
Feeling much better about the future. My husband's recovering in a way which has been challenging but we are working towards a future which now seems permanent, where as before there was nothing to build on. Nothing is final yet. He still has a long way to go but it is one step at a time.
Publishing my book, The Will to be True/In the Shadow of the Blackbird and finally getting it on the shelf and hopefully selling has been a revelation. I am no longer excited. I am determined! The most exciting part was picking the cover and seeing the first hardcopy. Selling it is definitely not my strong point. I hope people will be kind and buy it. Just like my husband's progress, sales will be slow and require that I put in more effort than the writing but I am liking this.
Gee, it feels like giving birth to a baby and wanting to tell everyone its the most beautiful ever. We need someone else to do that without looking foolish. So I thank those who buy my 'baby' and tell me its beautiful. It warms my heart, as it should and makes me want to make another one. Fortunately, unlike caring for real babies which is my life's work, there will be no sleepless nights and I would be doing something I really enjoy in this fall season of my life.
Feeling much better about the future. My husband's recovering in a way which has been challenging but we are working towards a future which now seems permanent, where as before there was nothing to build on. Nothing is final yet. He still has a long way to go but it is one step at a time.
Publishing my book, The Will to be True/In the Shadow of the Blackbird and finally getting it on the shelf and hopefully selling has been a revelation. I am no longer excited. I am determined! The most exciting part was picking the cover and seeing the first hardcopy. Selling it is definitely not my strong point. I hope people will be kind and buy it. Just like my husband's progress, sales will be slow and require that I put in more effort than the writing but I am liking this.
Gee, it feels like giving birth to a baby and wanting to tell everyone its the most beautiful ever. We need someone else to do that without looking foolish. So I thank those who buy my 'baby' and tell me its beautiful. It warms my heart, as it should and makes me want to make another one. Fortunately, unlike caring for real babies which is my life's work, there will be no sleepless nights and I would be doing something I really enjoy in this fall season of my life.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
ON THE HOME STRETCH
When paul McCartney sang of the long and winding road, he knew. Even still, I consider this journey of mine and my husband' to have been fairly short in the scheme of things but long just the same. It is a winding road which right now seems to have landed right back where we started just over a year ago. Even if we are on the same summit I hope the way we move from here will have a different outcome.
The surgery to replace his hip was over 4 hours long. He was home in 4 days, weakened but the experience and not yet seeing a walking light at the end of the tunnel. We are back to wheel chairs and walkers again. He is just reliving trauma but I see definite hope for the future. His pain in combination with his experience last year is disheartening. I am seeing it differently and while I cannot now tell him that his pain is 'better', he is in a kinder gentler place and I have hope.
The surgery to replace his hip was over 4 hours long. He was home in 4 days, weakened but the experience and not yet seeing a walking light at the end of the tunnel. We are back to wheel chairs and walkers again. He is just reliving trauma but I see definite hope for the future. His pain in combination with his experience last year is disheartening. I am seeing it differently and while I cannot now tell him that his pain is 'better', he is in a kinder gentler place and I have hope.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Moving forward
I don't want to die now but I wonder sometimes if I did, how would any find all the bits and pieces of my life and how would they ever be able to pull it all together. Blogs, twitters and tweets, my spaces, and facebooks. I hope somewhere along the line to inspire someone in my own way.
What's it all for? My favourite time is still just sitting and writing stories and loving it. While I am driving my car along roads lined with verdant fields, chapters of books just form in my head and run away with me. If I can't sit and write when I get home I feel stuffed with the words and ideas. I have to put it down on paper before it stifles me. I can't move on until its on paper. I can't hold one idea while I gestate another. Odd for someone used to multitasking.
I have rediscovered Martin Page again, and found his latest album. His face and music have helped me to write and develop another story for fanfiction. What a beautiful magic carpet is music....the rides we travel on that carpet are wonderful. I have also rediscovered Ana Belen and her wonderful interpretation of Lorca's poetry. So much to inspire and so little time to absorb it all.
What's it all for? My favourite time is still just sitting and writing stories and loving it. While I am driving my car along roads lined with verdant fields, chapters of books just form in my head and run away with me. If I can't sit and write when I get home I feel stuffed with the words and ideas. I have to put it down on paper before it stifles me. I can't move on until its on paper. I can't hold one idea while I gestate another. Odd for someone used to multitasking.
I have rediscovered Martin Page again, and found his latest album. His face and music have helped me to write and develop another story for fanfiction. What a beautiful magic carpet is music....the rides we travel on that carpet are wonderful. I have also rediscovered Ana Belen and her wonderful interpretation of Lorca's poetry. So much to inspire and so little time to absorb it all.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Busy time
Well, publicity for the book is quite the event. I have 7 or 8 places to write and share information about my book and also connect with others who are avid readers, writers, or just lovers of prose.
On the social front, my beloved clematis are the most beautiful I have ever seen. This year the red ones came up first in massive bloom, overshadowing everything in the small garden space. I am not a gardener but i do love to see at least one or two types of flowers in abundance. Clematis is the most heartening to me. When my mother died, I took the Bach Flower remedy clematis to help with my grief. I must have an affinity for the flower essence. Even though I still grieve, I felt the lessening of my heart tension within days. I was actually able to view her loss, with love for her life, and struggles at the end. I will always love clematis and perhaps when I retire and have time to keep a real garden, it will be as full of those flowers as anything else.
In the meantime, for those who have read about my husband, he will be facing fix-it surgery, next month, I hope. It has been a long and tough year of recovery to even 45% of where he was. Let's hope the surgery will improve things a bit more. We'll see and will keep you posted here.
On the social front, my beloved clematis are the most beautiful I have ever seen. This year the red ones came up first in massive bloom, overshadowing everything in the small garden space. I am not a gardener but i do love to see at least one or two types of flowers in abundance. Clematis is the most heartening to me. When my mother died, I took the Bach Flower remedy clematis to help with my grief. I must have an affinity for the flower essence. Even though I still grieve, I felt the lessening of my heart tension within days. I was actually able to view her loss, with love for her life, and struggles at the end. I will always love clematis and perhaps when I retire and have time to keep a real garden, it will be as full of those flowers as anything else.
In the meantime, for those who have read about my husband, he will be facing fix-it surgery, next month, I hope. It has been a long and tough year of recovery to even 45% of where he was. Let's hope the surgery will improve things a bit more. We'll see and will keep you posted here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
