In The Pink

Well the first month of 2008 is about to pass and we have not seen any bands yet this year! It's an activity I have stepped up over the past few years, and as it is a favourite night out it's something I am still trying to increase upon. It's Jethro Tulls 40th Anniversary tour this year and we are definitely going to see them again. Nick Harper can be relied upon to tour consistently thank goodness so we will be seeing him at some point and I am keeping my eye out for another Porcupine Tree gig. Hayseed Dixie are touring so I am going to get tickets for them. We have seen them before (different bass player then they have now)and they really are brilliant. I have heard rumours of a Led Zep world tour but maybe not until next year. I like them but am not passionate about them (I know, blasphemy) but Sunpat would do anything to see them and never has so that will be a must. Anyone got any concerts lined up or got any bands to recommend? Do let me know if you have. Keep Mus...

Ok I think this last one has cured me. I am now suitably depressed! Which Character on The Simpsons Are You? Created by BuddyTV

Ok indulge me, it's one of my favourite shows! Well this was a bit of a surprise.....I can't say it's all true but I can't say it's all not! There is a 'Which Simpsons Character Are You?' quiz I am tempted by.......I expect to be Marge but hope to be Lisa! Which Buffy the Vampire Slayer Character Are You? Created by BuddyTV

Umm, not sure about this one. How come I didn't get Sawyer! Besides he is far too young for me and he once played a total jerk in Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Who is Your Ideal TV Boyfriend? Created by BuddyTV

I have been visiting over at Lone Chatelaine and found some fun things to do including this. I don't usually take part in these things as so many of them try to be very defining and I don't need a random questionnaire to tell me who I am, but these are fun. I am however, not too impressed with being a lemon and the description is worse!! My thanks to Lone Chatelaine! You Are a Lemon You have a very distinct personality. And if you're not being sweet, you're a little hard to take. You're a bit overpowering, especially in one on one situations. And while you are very dominant, sometimes your power is needed and appreciated. You can liven up a dull situation, and you definitely bring a fresh outlook. You are a bit of an acquired taste, and you tend to grow on people over time. People feel refreshed and rejuvenated after spending time with you. What Type of Fruit Are You?

Stillness in me no thought roaming free and this I am content to be Hushed is my breath lulled my sway Peaceful I am, and for now will stay For mine is to soar, reckless in time. Searching for aspects of being and mind But here in the bosom of winters’ concern. Still I am, and stillness I learn.

image credit: Phylotopsis at Outdoor Webshots

I am afraid this is your lot for now, they don't have part 3 yet!

Porcupine Tree song of the month, as in it's been in my head for a month. It's been the soundtrack to a few nights dreams too.

Last year I registered for the Four Legged Friends Reading Challenge created by Kailana . The challenge was to read 3-5books where an animal was one of the main characters by February 2008. I picked five new books that I didn't own (Typical me!) and thought I would manage to purchase, read and review them...I was wrong! I do however have a great book that I can review where a dog is one of the two main characters. The book is Two Feet, Four Paws: The girl who walked her dog 4,500 miles by Spud Talbot-Ponsonby (a factual account). In an attempt to raise funds for the homeless, Spud sets off with her recently adopted rescued 'Pup' Tess, and walks the entire coastline of mainland Britain, for the most at a rate of 20 miles a day. In a pre-agreed schedule, friends, and friends of friends, volunteer to drive the support vehicle (a VW Camper) while Spud and Tess traverse the coastline. They bond quickly, as you would expect, and I think no pup may have ever had such a free and p...

Following on from my last post I have been thinking more, about poetry and writing, and reading back through some of the verse I have written over the past couple of years. The poems I have written and like bring me joy to read because of the connection with the original inspiration. They are perfect 'diary' entries for my life whether good poems or not however, impossible to achieve on a daily basis or even at regular intervals, as is required of a comprehensive diary I feel. Today was a key date regarding our prospective house purchase or possible relocation. We met with our current landlords and discussed things, we now wait to hear the exact valuation of the house. I came across this poem today which I wrote when we became aware that we may have to move out of this house and I enjoyed reading it. So, I thought I'd post it again, it all still applies. Our House With dawns emergence morning penetrates Through every portal in your shell that shields and dominates The early...

I have not done any writing for ages, not for a lack of want or trying, it’s just a blockage that comes and always passes. I do not like it all the same! Anyway I have been reading some poems…..it’s a funny thing poetry. It can be a very self centered exercise, it can be theraputic and it can be a glorious exploration of language and perception. It always surprises me that I do not find many poems that I really like. It’s been quite windy here for a while now. I like the wind, I like the invisible force that buffets me and plays with my hair. I like leaning into it and opposing its strength, and I like running in it and harnessing its power. So, I went looking for poems about the wind as I find myself unable to come up with something that does it justice. It didn't take too long before Jimmy Hendrix was playing The Wind Cries Mary on the old head duke box but beautiful though it is, it's not about the wind. Then I found this. I like this; this would have been the sort of thing ...

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is having their Big Garden Bird Watch this weekend. It's an annual event to monitor the changes in the bird populations throughout the UK and an excellent opportunity to take an hour out, relax and watch the visitors to your garden. You may also take part by noting birds within your local park. If you can spare an hour to participate and 10 minutes to fill out the very simple online form follow this link.

I have been having a Tull evening tonight and this is one of my favourites and the most beautiful song....have a listen if you have a moment.

This is a collage of the sky I was driving home towards today. I go to Norfolk a lot for work and it is always beautiful. I have a day out walking planned for next month and plan to return to Norfolk armed with my camera! It will be great to have a day there with nothing to do but walk and take pictures of the sky and masses of birds that I always encounter there. These were taken with my phone camera and the quality is not brilliant. The sky looked much more beautiful than this too but I like the colours my phone camera has captured.

On New Years Day this year I woke up with a clear head, having slept well, and following an all night party attended by a cocktail expert who shared his talents with us all about once every hour! I instantly knew it was going to be a good year! On route home that evening, Radio 2 had a show dedicated to Abba. Abbas top 40 songs. It couldn't have been more perfect and confirmed my earlier thoughts! They played this track which I love and had completely forgotten about. Enjoy!

Greetings! I have been busy blogging all day and am happy to announce I am now running three blogs: this one, which is pretty much my personal indulgence of pictures, poems and occasional ramblings, Evolved , which is my chance to explore world issues that concern or interest me, and The Green Man , a blog about Arboriculture. I anticipate a busy blogging year but the new blog is a good revision tool and will assist with my further study for the professional arboricultural qualification I am taking. Feel free to visit them if you have a moment. For now happy Sunday all! Bye for now.

Greetings. I am finding it a little hard to get back into the swing of things on the blogging front this year. There is a lot going on at the moment particularly with the potential of having to look for a new home and I come here often, create a new post and then don't know what to say. I have not written anything for a while either although the beginnings of a poem came to me on the way home the other night. Driving seems to be a particularly creative time for me! I am going to keep my Dictaphone on the passenger seat for such future moments as scribbling on the inside of my road map just will not do! I look forward to returning in full swing soon.

Just trying out a new thing.

It's been a hectic start to the year, as I suspect it has been for most folk. I am not a great believer in resolutions but the changing of the year never fails to make me think of things I would like to improve about my life. I would like to be more organised in order to achieve more in my personal life. Work is busy and great and I have a slightly obsessive but nevertheless reliable system at work for ensuring everything gets done, I would now like the same for home. The end of 2007 saw me getting up earlier and going to bed later just trying to cram a few extra things into each day and it made my head spin and was I think, a little counter productive. So, this year I am starting a sort out and prioritisation of personal aspirations, from seeing more of my family and friends to realising some personal business ideas and giving more time to my favourite personal pursuits of photography and writing. It means some things are going to have to go. I am considering getting rid of my pia...

I unfortunately cannot take credit for this picture, it came with a heap of others in an email at work to make us all smile and originated at: Goto Funpic but I wanted to share it. I have seen it before and it always makes me smile. It's what I could do with round about now!

Sometime ago I posted the following regarding the Click Every Day buttons in the side menu of my blog. You may have noticed 6 new buttons on my blog in the left hand menu that say click every day. If you are unfamiliar with these they are basically a link to another site where if you then click the big button you donate to various charities for free. The deal is that for every click they receive their sponsors donate to each charity. You are therefore just two clicks away from: providing reading tuition and free books for children, providing free health care for children, helping to preserve endangered habitat, helping to provide a free mammogram for someone, providing 6 bowls of food for rescued animals, or giving free food to someone who really needs it. If you can spare two clicks please pick any buttons of your choice and help these worthwhile charities for free! Thank you! I have been visiting the site today and clicking on the buttons, as well as registering which additionally do...

IMAGE CREDIT: PhotoLibrary.com ( Kingsmead Publications )