Golden Brown

Have you noticed that this song is getting a lot more airplay lately since Gordon Brown has been Prime Minister. I think the TV media just find it apt to play the part where the song goes "never a frown" just as Gordon's face hits the screens. It's quite amusing, however, the whole point of this exercise was to just mention that this song is my ring tone at the moment, and not because of the Prime Minister, but that defining moment in "Snatch" the movie. And if you haven't watched it, then, time you did then you will get what I mean. Very good intro in this song by the Stranglers.

Golden brown texture like sun
Lays me down with my mind she runs
Throughout the night
No need to fight
Never a frown with golden brown

Every time just like the last
On her ship tied to the mast
To distant lands
Takes both my hands
Never a frown with golden brown

Golden brown finer temptress
Through the ages she's heading west
From far away
Stays for a day
Never a frown with golden brown

Never a frown
With golden brown
Never a frown
With golden brown

day 89

What is your number one imperfection and what are you doing to change it?

To Think About You

by Tafnes di Font

Think about you all the time
I miss you so much
I long to see your face
And to feel your touch

I know you'll be back soon
But soon is far too long
To be without the one I love
And feel so alone

To be this much in love,
Has to be a sin
As I anxiously count the minutes
Until I'm in your arms again

Until I can look into your eyes
And hear you say those words
That make me feel I'm special
And know that I am loved

So until you come back to me
There's nothing more I can do
But wait for your return
And think about you...

day 88

how mature are you compared to your peers?

Scenes from Governess Storm

Last few weeks of our life we plod on with chores and to do list. Among my many things to accomplish, I have happily completed compiling the paperwork necessary for the children to come and join us. It’s a long in the tooth process that extracts every inch of patience you have and really wears you down if you’re not careful. Richard was dumbfounded at how much paperwork there was. In a nutshell I think the amount of paper strewn out on the floor amounted to a medium sized tree. And this is all to do with gaining entry clearances for the children to come here and live with us. Unfortunately, unlike the “much” more civilized system of EU family permits, the British system (and the only country in the EU that still does) still uses the Entry Clearance system for each and every member of a single family unit. Meaning if you had half a dozen kids and you were applying to have them join you here, then you have to prepare six sets of documents and prepare six separate fees. Ha-ha, there is no kiddie discount. Anyway, all that said and done, we just have to follow the system and our packaged medium sized tree was posted and found its way to the Philippines in record time. Hurray to the efficiency of Royal Mail and Phil-Post, or is that a fluke, ha-ha!

So back in Governess Storm, today Richard is giving her kitchen walls a facelift. He is putting up new tiles, and they’re called Country Coffee. But believe me it’s more like the colour of coffee creamer than coffee itself. Well whatever it’s called it will match our overall colour scheme of Jersey cream.

And did I tell you about the saga of the TV and DSL? So ok, we bought a TV from a company called E-Buyer. After 6 months of “normal” use, it suddenly just died!!! So after much hoopla, we did get a refund and got a replacement, (thanks to good after sales service of E-Buyer) but alas, one other item we got from the same company also just died. Oh dear, and it’s our wireless router. Aaargh! It’s like loosing the function of your right hand. For two hybrid couch potato geeks like me and Richard, our two most important appliances in life are our TV and laptop with the wireless connection, so we are both tied to the internet plug socket next to the wall until we get another wireless router. And what’s funny now about it, was going through all the kafuffle of finding out if it was the blasted Windows Security Update that killed our internet connection. So there I was going all hyper-techie with theories and solutions, only to find out the most obvious fault. Isn’t that typical? Anyhow, two good things that came out of this is, one, I disabled the automatic install of Windows Security updates. They are good but are a nuisance a lot of times because they conflict with some system files and mess up your computer’s settings without you knowing what’s happened. So if I were you make sure you’re setting are set to inform you first before they install so you “would” know if something goes wrong. And two, replacing our old Dynamode router, small and lightweight as it may be was a good 18 months old before it died, and performed really well under the circumstances, was only 58mbps, so we haven’t been exactly maximising our connection speed. So were off to hunt for the 108mbps router. Loads of them out there, but obviously, we are ever the hunter of that elusive bargain, and until we do, then we’re stuck next to the wall, scrolling on eBay, for now.

thought of the moment:

We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

day 87

what makes you feel important?

no such thing as bad weather

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and socialreformer (1819-1900)

Today 15th of April, we are still being teased with snatches of sunshine and warmth. Spring is definitely around the corner if not here yet, though how big the bend is I am not quite sure. Hopefully, there will be some comfort in the thought that IT IS April and the temperature will get warmer, otherwise, I will think that i fell asleep through spring and summer only to wake up to fall/winter yet again... 10.10am

day 86

do you ask for help in general or do you prefer facing success or failure on your own?

The Walrus And The Carpenter

I like quirky stuff and like one of my favourite songs, Muskrat Love, I find this poem by Lewis Carroll, very quirky, oddly, cutely, likeable in my own weird way.

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright-
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done-
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead-
There were no birds to fly

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "It would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept for half a year,
Do you suppose," the walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O, Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head-
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat-
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more-
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes-and ships-and sealing wax-
Of cabbages-and kings-
And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed-
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue,
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?"

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf-
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none-
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

day 85

Are you more sensitive than most people?

odd church bulletins

Ddid you ever used to go to church and read the bulletin board whilst waiting for mass to start? then you find odd messages posted by parishioners and clergy alike... all in good faith.
Here are some actual sentences found in church bulletins and news letters:

1. Don't let worry kill you. Let the Church help.
2. Thursday night - potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.
3. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
4. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
5. The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.
6. This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.
7. Tuesday at 4pm there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.
8. Wednesday, the Ladies Liturgy Society will meet. Mrs. Jones will sing "Put Me In My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.
9. Thursday at 5pm there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become Little Mothers, please see the minister in his private study.
10. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
11. The service will close with "Little Drops of Water". One of the ladies will start(quietly) and the rest of the congregation will join in.
12. Next Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and get a piece of paper.
13. The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind and they may be seen in the church basement Friday.
14. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall.Music will follow.
15. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
16. Weight Watchers will meet at 7pm at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
17. The 1991 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11.
18. Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary
19. Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
20. Mrs. Johnson will be entering the hospital this week for testes.
21. The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.
22. Please join us as we show our support for Amy and Alan in preparing for the girth of their first child.
23. Scouts are saving aluminum cans,bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
24. The associate minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours".

day 84

Do you think you are interesting or a bore?

the vampire Armand

I’ve finished reading this book about a forthnight ago, but now only found the time to write down my thoughts about it. The book is a piece of work alright, about a young life, so downtrodden then suddenly lifted to dizzying heights only to be tragically stricken down. To describe the narrative is to describe how the rain sounds on a really hot summer’s day. This book, like the entirety of the Chronicles, is very gripping; however, I find that, among all the Vampires save Louis, Armand has had the most tragic life. I guess all of them have had a tragic human life and if not for the Dark Gift, then their souls would be among the multitudes adrift in oblivion. The emotion and love between the two central characters, Marius and Armand is so tangible to me, it was so heart-rending and then what makes Armand’s life the more catastrophic is that instead of an eternal life with his maker and lover Marius, he ends up in the underground caves of the fanatical Santino and his cohorts. Armand is led to believe that Marius perished, when he was taken prisoner and their human companions all murdered by the rouge coven. Armand is then systematically broken down and the twisted beliefs of the coven inculcated into him. Santino satisfied that he has re-educated Armand sends him away to Paris, where Armand takes up his place under Les Innocents, and that is where he crosses paths with Lestat. As readers of the Chronicles will already know, Armand finds out that Marius is alive and well and they get reunited in the third book, the Queen of the Damned, however, Armand and Marius never really get together again in the same intimate level they were. And how sad it is, love lost, whether you are human or a preternatural being, does it matter? Love is love and once lost, maybe found but will never be the same again, and such is the chronicle of Armand.

Nevertheless, on account of what I have described, fret not for there is a lot more going on in the book and it also explains what happened to him after he went out into the daylight chasing after Veronica’s veil at the end of the book Memnoch, so it’s not all tragic, really as I describe. I am just a sodden romantic, and can’t get over Marius and Armand being torn apart. Well what happens to the two of them is also in the book. Just sad that the last chapters were more like an after-thought and not more in depth as the description of Armand’s earlier life. Apart from this little whinge, the book one of the best yet of the Ricean chronicles.

An afterthought… To my readers… I have been meaning to collect a pseudo cast of characters for the Vampire Chronicles; however, I need suggestions for some of the characters. Any ideas? Unfortunately, I have made up my mind about Tom C. and Brad P. remaining as Lestat and Louis. I think they are irreplaceable and a misdeed to even think of casting other people. That said and done, please be welcome to make suggestions for all the characters in the chronicles.

day 83

what is the one thing you have no self-control over? (i.e. shopping, chocolate, shoes?)

...once we accept our limits, we go beyond them...

...no one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another...