Blogpost No 10 October 2024
Each month seems to be getting speedier! Do you feel it, too? I will be a tad late with this particular Blogpost but I’ll get it done soon enough. It should be up and ready for your perusal in an hour (written at 3 pm Sunday, Oct 27th!:) - well that ain’t happening! However … I am here now, tap, tap, tapping away on my laptop, trying to dredge up memorable events from the past month.
I have my first reviews of Children Of The Sea … and they are both favourable! Hurrah! I am very grateful to Mike Davies at KLOF Mag and Ian Burgess of Friends Of Fairport. Thank you so much. It means a lot! It is wonderful to get positive feedback from the world at large.
The clearing of Mum and Dad’s home of twenty-eight years is concluding, though it will be a week or more before the last shred of evidence they were ever there is removed. It’s a strangely cathartic experience. At once sad and rejuvenating. Not to mention exhausting. At the same time, I’m prepping for the tour, which is now rapidly approaching. There is excitement in the air. Plus, I set up the PA etc in the empty lounge this week, so I can run through both halves of the show with ease. I still need to practise the guitar chords for the second half … most of the requested songs are getting into shape. A reminder here to get your requests in now, or it will be too late.
Songs so far requested and being honed are: Who Knows Where The Time Goes; It’s All Just Talk, Black-Eyed Dog, We Spoke Today, The Whole Night Sky and Last Chance Texaco. There is also a song from Love Is A Strange Hotel that Mike Andrews asked for, but I couldn’t remember ever doing it. I have since tracked down the original Paul Carrack version on YT to remind myself. I never played it, so there’s a chance I won’t be able to get it up to speed for the Bury Met show he’ll be attending - Mike, not Paul Carrack! But I’m giving it my best shot.
As mentioned before, I’ll be doing different sets of songs in the second half of each show as I’m trying to cover a forty-year span. All-be-it briefly. I’ll just about manage eight or nine songs per night. I’m not saying every night will be completely different songs, but there will be variations for sure. Wish me luck! Shows are selling well, in fact, Bury Met has only 13 tickets left as I type and Birmingham Kitchen Garden has a similar amount and I think Wavendon Stables II was getting close to a sell-out. Wouldn’t that be amazing?! What I’m trying to say is … please, do get tickets to a show sooner than later. I’ll be absolutely thrilled to see you in person - very soon! Thank you.
Here's a request and evidence of me practising! I posted this on Instagram and FaceBook last week, but here is the full-fat greedy ba****d 2-minute version! You're welcome!;-)
One of the more poignant phases of dismantling our home is the old, dishevelled Green House. I have LOVED being able to play within its cracked and broken walls. I’ve had many successes. Cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, French beans, chillies and peppers have all been amazing. The few duds were still fun to try: spring onions, Lemon , olive and date trees from pips. There were several apple trees (slight exaggeration on that front, though they’re still alive!) and a pear all sprouted into more than twigs. In the ground, around and about, I had various successes and failures. The first couple of years, courgettes were fantastic, not so much this year. And then, in my first year, I managed to grow not one but three purple sprouting broccoli plants, which were incredibly generous. Onions were very hit-and-miss, though potatoes were always fabulous. And garlic never quite hit the mark, though I loved to see them grow.
It’s been a privilege, to say the least. It won’t hit me till the place belongs to someone else and I will no longer be able to be there any more. That will be sooner than later. I will let you know when it's safe to do so. I'm sure you understand.
I’ve enjoyed early Sunday morning walks with my dear friend Izzy this month. We’ve walked around Druidale several times and more recently explored the gentle slopes of Snaefell, starting from the Sulby Reservoir car park. We’ve been gifted wonderful light and fantastic fungi. We visited and blessed a holy well, which was amazing. Life is filled with wonder. Numerous Green Hut Sauna dips have been experienced, one on the full moon Thursday, Oct 17th (the moon!! OMG!:) and last Thursday, Oct 24th when the sea was blazing orange as we dipped. I just LOVE these experiences. I had morning sessions again both Fridays following the evening saunas - I can’t recommend them enough. I feel AMAZING afterwards. You really should give it a go.
The Retreat Day with the amazing Rosemary O’Donohue last Saturday was simply Divine. The energy in the hall by the end of the day was incredible. We all left floating on air. More of this please.
OK, I think I managed to remember all the goodness that occurred during October. It’s good to be reminded that life is full and delightful much of the time. Thanks for that.
Next month, of course, I’ll be gigging! The Blogpost might be a little later, even than this one, but it will be packed with all sorts of joys to share. I’ll be uploading videos throughout the tour, so please do drop by FaceBook or Instagram if you’d like to see those as they appear.
Apart from that, till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turmoil.
Much love
Christine x
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