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Bedroom has 2 outer walls, a french window and ceiling that is someone else’s verandah, so is always cold. Even in this, a most mild winter we are waking up with the hint of the old glass leaf like frostings you used to see as a child when there was no central heating . When I was a fledgling teacher all those years ago and a complete nervous wreck about getting enough sleep before facing 100 or more inner city teenagers every day, I could not have the heating coming on an hour before we got up as the sound of it clicking in would wake me up, and the heat would send me back into a coma, so years later we continue to get up in the cold, which is probably much better for the constitution.

I would like to see those really lovely icy formations on the window again -like the one in this photo I found on the web, but do not really relish the thought of the weather that accompanies them. My  photo was taken as the ice was melting, so you can just see Mr P.’s green house and a couple of the large trees in the bigger gardens behind ours.

SONG OF THE DAY – Joni Mitchell – All I Want

A classic.

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I have had two incidents within 2 days when other people have subtly noted my ability to be ‘over excited’. What is the definition of over excited. When does the ‘over’ appear? Is it that you look silly? Forget where you are, and who you are? Cross some social boundary of behaviour? Mr. P. kicks me under the table as I talk to new people we meet by accident in a cafe and a creative partner slightly bursts my bubble of joy by suggesting all I might just be  looking for is a sounding board for my inane chatter ( they did not say that, I sort of filled in the gaps). Yes when I am excited I tend to chatter a bit    ( or maybe a lot), but I usually know when to stop, particularly as I have a parent who finds it really boring if I talk about myself for more than a few seconds.  I have spent most of my life with people either liking my, for a positive spin ‘unbounded energy’ and others who just find me irritatingly, over the top and attention seeking. I am not sure if I would classify what I am as ‘over’ excited and it is definitely not attention seeking (or is it?…I hear the twilight zone theme playing in the background). Getting and seeking are not the same thing. If I decide to dance in the street because I feel like it and people choose to stare instead of join in….Again, some people think that the reason I stand in front of a choir waving my arms around ( with my back to the audience) is a great way of getting attention…mmm.

I can be excitable, express my joyousness and pain and I often show it. The problem with showing it, being open, throwing yourself full headlights into life is that people have an opportunity to make a judgement. But you can sit quietly in a corner and be judged for being too quiet! Judging is just something that happens. No-one is forced to read my ramblings..and if anyone fancies judging me, that absolutely fine, as I will probably judge them for judging me –  “You are soooooo judgemental!” ha ha ha.

 I am  aware that you can spend your whole life adapting the way you behave to please others and then never really shine your own true light. I am reminded of  a quote that is incorrectly  sourced  as Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech but is actually by Marianne Williamson “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. RIGHT ON!!!!!!

There now…. enough for today.  Today  I made the mistake of moving something in the kitchen and then proceeded to spend 3 hours cleaning it and moving things around…again, and now my office looks like the remnants of a stationary car boot sale and there is so much work to be done so I had better get on to it. Ah life!

SONG OF THE DAY – Every Kinda People -Robert Palmer

The late great departed Robert Palmer, written by Andy Fraser who also wrote ‘All Right Now” performed by Free, as well as loads of other things……

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Hurrah! I have, I hope, if all goes well in my vocal arranging brain, found the final song for my  A Capella Harmony spring set. I have to arrange a song released in 2012 ( and one in 1952, 62, 72, 82, 92 and 2002) and the first number one of the year will definitely count! The video for this song is so sweet. I think Coldplay’s  lyrics are  finely tuned mastery – it’s the simpleness that touches you sometimes. It is that thing of what you leave out so often that makes something get to you. People who hate Coldplay will do that thing years from now where they will hear a piece  like ‘fix you’ and cry and realise all their hate was posturing, like I was about Abba when I was young..ha ha. So today 2 videos that feature elephants ….my  song – ‘Elephants (ha ha)’ which cost about  £2 to make and the wonderfully new ‘Paradise’ by Coldplay that probably cost squillions to make…but I love it! Watch them both if you have the time.x x

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So yesterday at the zoo while I was snapping away with my ever dented small Lumix, Mr P. is busily snapping away with his big lense. he ooo-ed and ah-ed about my photos and then I saw his! Drat! They are magnificent. We both took a few picture of the ‘common’ starlings which had broken into the Snowdon Aviary, and just about taken over.
I think it is a shame that we tend to dwell on the ‘common’ bit of their name and not the ‘star’ bit as they are wonderful looking birds, and we should be grateful that there are  enough of them  around to still class them as ‘common’, unless they have some nasty habits I don’t know about, like belching and showing their underwear in public.I have always wanted to see one of those great big starling waves. Huge flocks of more than a million Starlings are observed just before sunset in spring in southwestern Jutland Denmark. There they gather in March until northern Scandinavian birds leave for their breeding ranges by mid-April. Their flocking creates 

complex shapes against the sky, a phenomenon known locally as sort sol (“Black Sun”).(wiki)

So it looks like Jutland in March/April would be the place to go. Ah – at last! something for the (before I kick the) bucket list. Thanks for the photos Mr. P. x x x x x

SONG OF THE DAY– Elbow – Starlings

Yey!!!!! ‘then I’m spinning and I’m diving like a cloud of starlings’ what a poet! I am so chuffed that I found a song with the title and it is a beautiful song, Elbow are such a great band – so much heart and down to earth poetical reality in their lyrics.