A list of reasons to run for the hills

a list of reasons to run for the hills:

because you've got new boots,
because that last big heist didn't quite go to plan,
because you accidentally unleashed the hordes of darkness,
because you want to know exactly how loud you can sing,
because you can see for miles up there,
because the hound of the Baskervilles is on your tail,
because your middle name is trouble,
because you'll be damned if they catch you again,
because you're convinced you could fight a bear and win but you have to find one first,
because you've forgotten why you ever came down in the first place,

In my last post I mentioned the embroidered picture I had entitled 'A list of reasons to run for the hills' and the lovely Mel said she was curious as to what was on the list so there you have it.

Six Senses

The lovely Fire Byrd did this last week and I loved the idea! I figured since I've been painting away like a wee fiend and not really doing much else I would do a version of my own so here goes...

I can see:
my current work in progress,
my fingers which I have managed to cover in paint,
the photograph we have of Carcassonne where Chris proposed,
an embroidered picture entitled 'a list of reasons to run for the hills',
the sculpture that my Mum bought me for my birthday,
a metal owl,
Lugs who is sitting on my knee,
the sun making patterns on the wooden floor,
and the trees blowing in the wind outside the window.










I can hear:
Gai snoring from the hallway,
rustling leaves,
the wind,
children playing in the garden next door,
someone clattering dishes,
our washing machine spinning faintly in the kitchen,
my computer drive whirring.

I can feel:
the weight of Lugs warm body on my lap,
paint drying on my hand,
the smoothness of the wooden floor,
the sun warming my toes,
a slight breeze coming in the window,
contentment.

I can touch:
Lugs's soft fur brushing across my arm,
the plastic springyness that is my netbooks keyboard keys,
the warmth of my netbook,
the cool of the glass on my drawing table.

I can smell:
the fresh air coming in the window,
acrylic paint,
a hint of glue,
jasmine green tea,
the Issay Miyaki perfume that I put on this morning.

I can taste:
the chicken soup I had for lunch,
the first mouthful I had of my tea.

It's important sometimes to just stop and really appreciate what is going on around us. Feel free to have a go at this if you fancy it....and don't forget to let me know if you do :-)

Why???

Apparently these are THE thing in Japan at the moment. Nope, the skirts are not see-through... the image is printed onto the fabric to look like they are!

Why?....why would you want to walk around pretending your bum is on display? (God, I hope they don't catch on over here!! *shudders*)

So you know what I think but what about you? Will you be rushing out to buy one?

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (I kid you not!) and Mama's Gun

If you had ever told me that I would use the words 'Ukulele' and 'like' in the same sentence I would have had you carted off to the funny farm before you could say....well, Ukulele...but I find that I am about to do just that! The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain were brilliant...and funny....and yes, I liked them (there I said it....but if you tell anyone I will deny everything!). I have heard the Ukulele played before and it was....how shall I put this....less than pleasant but these guys were amazing. The eight-strong ensemble took songs such as Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Shaft and Smells Like Teen Spirit and truly made them their own!! Have a wee listen....this is them doing the theme from the film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly....I challenge you not to smile



Mama's Gun's music has been described as retro soul and I think it's a rather splendid and very apt description. They fuse 70s soul with funk and a bloomin great job they do of it too :-). Uncut magazine described last year's debut album, Routes To Riches, as "a masterclass in blue-eyed bubblegum soul, as heart-warmingly catchy as anything from Stevie Wonder's '70s purple patch". I absolutely love them!



I won't bore you with any more music posts but I do have to share this (those with a nervous disposition look away now!). Jo, my lovely sister-in-law, was standing in the queue for the port-a-loo when one of the doors opened a little then closed. Intrigued she watched as the the same thing happened again....then about two seconds later the door burst open and a woman emerged backwards, arms wrapped tightly around a wriggling little boy. As she struggled out of the loo she uttered 'I don't care if you can still see it....your not getting it back'. Yes we laughed....we laughed lots.....

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions and Imelda May

Ever heard of the term 'death Jazz'? Nope, me neither....well, until I heard the Japanese band Soil & "Pimp" Sessions. I've always liked jazz and I've always liked heavy metal (or the great unwashed as my Mum calls it) but was highly suspcious as to what on earth a merging of these two styles would sound like....I shouldn't have worried....the music that Soil & Pimp produced was out of this world!! Beats that are impossible not to move your body to, trumpets and saxaphones being blown as if the next breath will be their last and a stageshow guaranteed to get the audience going.....don't think you like Jazz? Give these guys a whirl and prepare to have your preconceptions blown all over the place!!



Now if that wasn't your thing how about giving Irish rockabilly singer Imelda May a try. She is totally obsessed with the fifties and rock and roll....her voice is sublime and she uses a bodhran to give her songs an Irish twist. I thought she totally rocked (and I read an interview in which David Bowie agreed....recomendations don't come much higher!)



(PS. We have my Mum visiting at the moment which is why blogging and commenting has been sporadic...normal service will resume next week!)