Blogpost No 6 2022 June 12th
Sitting down to write this month’s Blogpost it’s my mum’s 84th birthday - June 11th 2022. The last of the TT races are happening as I type - an extra day needed to fit them in due to our mercurial weather. I can hear them screaming through our usually peaceful village. It meant I was at M&S by 8am buying up snacks and deliciousness for tomorrow’s belated birthday celebrations. Hopefully the wild wind will blow itself out and we’ll have a perfect, still, early summer day to eat, drink and be merry. I may hold off posting this to include photos :-) x or more likely that will be my opening gambit for next month.
The last few weeks haven’t been as productive as I’d hoped but I’m still incredibly excited by the fact I now have 8 songs more-or-less completed. No one’s more amazed than me. Truly. Who knew? So in keeping with these Blogpost shares I’m delivering a slice of song No4 Which will be the first track on the CD when everything’s done and dusted. I had an idea to create a kind of invitation … an enticement into the magical, curious world these songs inhabit. It’s called “Lift The Veil” and is meant to pique your interest to move closer to the every day magic that’s everywhere all the time - honest! Anyway here’s your sneaky peek … see what you think:
In other news the greenhouse is now fully blooming with groaning grow-bags of tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and (my favourites from last years experiments) dwarf French beans, now well on their way to becoming edible goodness. A modicum of patience is yet required but the signs are good. I can’t tell you just how exciting it is for me to tend to these wondrous things. I mean, yes there’s an element of work involved but basically nature’s in the driving seat. I mean … seeds! They’re little miracles … even if you scientifically explain what they’re designed to do (whose design?!) … it’s a jaw-dropping miracle to me. I am blessed, and I deeply appreciate it.
I know there’s a lot of excitement about the TT but for those of us living “inside the course” it’s a fairly disruptive experience. Mum’s Day Care Centre closes down for 10 days which makes life … even more weird and wonderful than it can otherwise be. Mum usually has 3 days a week when she’s picked up around 10.30am, then it’s onto Peel where the fun begins, plus a lovely 2 course lunch, with more fun after that. Then she’s brought back after 3pm. We are hugely grateful for these services; no more so than when we don’t have them. Slips into other worlds for mum, are more or less constant when there’s nothing to break up the unremembered repetition of each day. We do our best to find entertaining things to do: watch movies; walk Sweep; paint ornamental garden objects etc but there’s only so much 2 people can bring to another’s attention when their perception seamlessly merges experiences we can’t be a part of. Yes I’m being cryptic! But that’s what it feels like all the time … like one giant cryptic crossword puzzle with no reference resources to help.
All things considered we do remarkably well. And I absolutely include mum in that. Life is never less than interesting … n’est pas?
One little thing I did at the beginning of June was plant up a lovely large, old, blue pot that had been home to some pretty weeds this last year or so. I picked up a number of beautiful flowering plants to adorn the pot and lo and behold it looks gorgeous. We now have a lovely, colourful thing to focus on when washing the dishes :-) x
I confess it was a challenge for me mid month when Daphne’s Flight took off on their much awaited twice-cancelled tour and of course they absolutely stormed it. I’m so happy for them, they’ve worked their socks off to make this happen and formed new and lasting bonds in the process. These things are hard-won and I whole-heartedly applaud it all.
When all’s said and done it’s just life. And for some mysterious, unfathomable reason it all matters. Every thing feeds everything else, good, bad or indifferent and while we are given the chance to keep breathing, we have the opportunity to experience whatever life has to show us.
I love it all!
This coming month could bring the writing process to a close. Well that’s my hope. I’m co-writing a beautiful song with Michael Fix which is progressing nicely and then, as far as I can tell there’s only one more song to do … you’ll have to wait to find out if I reach my target.
And on a truly positive and exciting note, I have a fabulous opportunity to tread the boards once more with my lovely talented musical “Friends”- Lindsay, Steve and Callum Rowe and Christy DeHaven and Jo&Juan Callister - at the Manannin Festival on Saturday July 2nd at the glorious Erin Arts Centre. Rehearsals begin the week after next and tickets are on sale HERE!
Thanks as always for dropping by. Till next time stay well and keep rising above the turbulence!
Much love and endless blessings.
Christine x