Fab, Feisty and Sixty (ish)

A couple of months ago I mentioned HERE that I was relaunching my vintage clothing business and that my home was rendevouz central for a fashion shoot, the clothes were sourced from my online shop for the Christmas fashion feature in the December edition of our city's glossy magazine Carlisle Living. It came out yesterday and l'm pretty pleased with it, if only a little disconcerted that a model is standing in the middle of the garden conifers, my conservatory couch is incongruously (sorry should that read edgey?!) on the wet lawn and a 'drunken blonde' is badly hovering my living room carpet! All's fair in love and fashion, I guess! www.sarasattic.co.uk if you click twice they will enlarge! all featured dresses & more available from or direct from Sara

The sound is full. Wide. Deep. Generous. Meaningful. Its pulse resonates within me. On several levels. It is a sound which is secure. Protective and comforting. A sound which satisfies. It wraps around me. A cocoon of sound. A while ago a group of us were talking about our favourite music. I wondered why some pieces of music, a tune. Moves me. Why does it reach into the very core of my being and for no understandable reason it fills me up. Making me catch my breath. I creep inside of myself. I quietly weep. Perhaps some melodies, tunes or compositions, reach us because the beat is in time with our personal heart beat. Our heartbeat of life. Our own rhythms. The first piece of classical music I ever really listened to and loved and retained.Was a piano piece. The first classical piece I heard live in concert. Was that same tune. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1. Almost any piece of music which has the piano as its key sound. Talks to me. I was pondering upon a tune the lovely ...

I really don't understand the current ritual bullying that is the voting british public's obsession of the moment. Katie Price has attracted criticism, tabloid headlines and vitriol that would be better directed in my opinion on sex offenders rapists, thieves, murderers! What has the woman done that is so awful? Has she left her children locked in at home, without adult supervision, without food and gone on holiday for a week? No. Has she stolen, lied, wrongly accused? Is her crime the fact that she spends her own money on pink cars, bling and luxe holidays, botox, boobs and benders. Is her crime the fact that she has seemingly built a multi million £ brand around herself? Is this to protect her from the rejection she appears to expect? From men, her father, her childrens' fathers. A self fulfilling prophecy I suspect. She may have different values or standards of dress. It may not be to our taste. She may have already found another man to replace Peter in her affections,...

On wednesday Larry had a business appointment in Glasgow, fortuitously I cadged a lift and I spent the day at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery A place l've been to several times and I always find it peaceful and stimulating it can be every busy, but as it was (typically) a rainy day, with gale force winds forecast, most sensible people stayed home and dry, so I had the place virtually to myself (click any to enlarge) sculpture: Queen Victoria welcomes... Sophy Cave's installation of floating head juxtaposed wildlife and a WW2 Spitfire Anna Pavlova, John Lavery Scottish Painters Room another quiet, empty corridor stunning Charles Rennie Mackintosh fireplace the main hall more sculpture as I left the building, the light was fading fast, the lamps and trees were twinkling through the rain

Yes another one! Scraping the barrel? Not really. Firstly I have to confess I really don't like the word Meme, unless it's pronounced as the french say it, Meme means the same and is pronounced MEM silent second E!! A me-me as some pronounce it, well I guess is releveant cos these things are all about ME! Anyhow I stole this one from the fabulous Fhina and the lovely Lime also completed it hilariously and I so refuse to compete with hers as she is a very funny haha heehee lady. I love the way she reads differently into the questions. A rebel quite obviously! Name Game Meme... 1.Your rock star name (pet, current car) DOG BERLINGO ( NOT very drugs, sex and more drugs and sex, a shame!) 2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe) PAVLOVA PUMP ( sounds rather rude to me) 3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal) PURPLE PEACOCK 4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born) ANN TANKERTON 5.Your Star Wars name (the f...

I have been pondering over our personal healing powers. The inner strength, we all have. We find it deep, deep within us. Often at times, when we would least expect to dredge up another vat of determination and energy. Other times it is within the things we cling to when we are in need of succour and comfort. The things we collect or unwittingly keep beside us. Around us. We feel secure within the blanket of our own surroundings. A haven. This shoring up of personal warmth, that keeps the fear at bay and our sanity in a suitcase by the door. The shopping bags of cheap tricks, to sustain and fill us when relationships sour or times are hard. Our personal favourites. Our hot water bottles of love. Casseroles, chunky soup and bread, chocolate. Smells pungent of memories. A tray set with a pot of tea and antique cups and plates. To warm. Crackling fires, a seat by the hearth, gazing into the flames of a sunset, that lasts as long as it is fed. To me, healing powers are in meals, prepared...

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, May 1915 In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

The prolific Scriptor Sinex has kindly given me an Over the Top Award. One of the requirements is that I complete a list of questions using only one word. Ouch! As you know l am a woman of few words, NOT, so it was a challenge to complete this list. 1. Where is your cell phone? Charging 2. Your hair? Unkempt 3. Your mother? Steadfast 4. Your father? Impassioned 5. Your favourite food? Pavlova 6. Your dream last night? Forgotten 7. Your favourite drink? Gin 8. Your dream/goal? Happy 9. What room are you in? Kitchen 10. Your hobby? Creativity 11. Your fear? Fear 12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Breathing 13. Where were you last night? Home 14. Something that you aren't? Focused 15. Muffins? Cinnamon 16. Wish list item? 2.55 17. Where did you grow up? Everywhere 18. Last thing you did? Drive 19. What are you wearing? Frown 20. Your TV? Online 21. Your pets? Gone 22. Friends? Fundamental 23. Your life? unsettled 24. Your mood? Neutral 25. Missing someone? Yes 26. Vehicle? Berli...

Monochrome Monday hosted by Aileni As it is very frosty and cold I am driving to work, shameful, yes, as its only 1.75 miles uphill down hill in nose to tail traffic. I park in the nearest car park, courtesy of the City Council, a perk of the job. Thank you very much. And this is what l see on my short walk from car park to work! silhouette of castle gate looking back over my shoulder where l have walked from the very ineffectual Millennium Bridge this is the entrance to the underpass, which takes us under the dual carriageway that separates the Castle from the city, the Museum and Cathedral this is the underpass decorated with old local industrial machinery and the Cursing Stone produced for the Millennium and inscribed with a centuries old curse it receives the wrath of locals as it is considered the cause of all our recent ills, Foot & mouth and the Floods the marble floor containing prominent local and Reiver's name the Whispering Wall, solid glass brick, come alive with...

In the spirit of true friendship, and as I am feeling so thankful for my blogland friends. Words of encouragement, support, advice and real friendship, has grown from the daunting challenge of putting ourselves' out there' and digging deep to find words of expression. Hands reach out and I am in awe of the generosity and selflessness out there! So I would like to give my very own Soulful Blogger award out to some seriously soulful bloggers. THE SOULFUL AWARD is for bloggers I find particularly insightful, original, humorous , inspiring and yes soulful! The online Dictionary definition of soulful is - full of or expressing deep emotion The Thesaurus offered up these synonyms - ardent, deep, expressive, feeling, fiery, fervid, impassioned, meaningful, moving, passionate, stirred, stirring, tender, touching Sniffles & Smiles - You are a courageous star, I adore you! The Blue Kimono - silent but violent! Nuts in Ma y- deep, often poignant and very eloquent Expatmum - I'...

I can hardly believe it was one week ago already since my lovely son accompanied me to see Freddy Kempf at The Sage in Gateshead. This is the wonderful ceiling, doesn't it remind YOU of piano keys! We had an outstanding evening! The room was not even half full which was a shock. But the BBC were in for the weekend and offering freethinking sessions on BBC3 so l guess that explained it. But to see Freddy live was something we had been looking forward to since we first heard he was to play in Hall one. If you haven't been lucky enough to see the Sage inside as well as out. Hope you like the look of it. My me last year to see and hear my favourite piece performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto and that was a treat too. HERE Beethoven's Pathetique sonata Adagio Cantabile, love, love it! This was the second piece he played, I almost forgot to breathe, my eyes leaked. Not sure why! His encore was a 'Chopin sonata' I think it was No 11, but not sure. THANK YOU son for m...