Mud & Mischief

Let’s have a little hypothetical game, shall we? Let’s say, just for amusement’s sake, that you could take a year out of your life.

Say you could just pack up. That you could spend a year doing what the heck you wanted to. You’d have to take the kids with you, but you could rent your house out so it was there when you got back.

What would you do? Where would you go? We’re not talking money no object, but let’s assume you had a bit of money put by for just such an opportunity.

What kind of year out would you take?

A month or so ago, I went and did something just for me. I went and took my Grade One piano exam. I’ve been having lessons since the start of the year, as although I’ve been able to plink my way through most tunes since school, I’ve never done anything formal. I used to play the violin and was almost up to Grade 4, until I damaged my hand when I was 13.

So after five months of lessons, I went, and dithered my way through the entire exam. OMG, I cannot ever remember being so damned nervous about anything - not since my driving test! I was physically shaking, it would have been comical, had it not been so daunting.

I did my scales, played my first two pieces ok, then went onto the third and fluffed about half a dozen notes - and grade one pieces are very short! Next came the aural bit and I stuttered and stumbled through that. When the very nice, head-master type examiner told me it was over, I managed a small smile and muttered something about shaking my way home. He told me it was always worse for the adults than the children.

I then had to wait three weeks for the results!!

I don’t remember waiting for my A-level results being this nerve wracking. Daft, really. Just a grade one exam that is normally take by primary school age children.

Then, when away in Stockholm (yes I will blog pictures at some point), James got a text from his sister. My somewhat batty but lovely piano teacher had gotten the results.

I got a Distinction.

*cue mad leaping around and whooping in Stockholm hotel room*

Apparently, my score of 135 out of 150 was the highest one of her pupils has ever scored.

I’m what you might call fairly chuffed with that. Onto grade two! And maybe fewer nerves?

http://www.digicc.com/fido/

Please explain the logic behind this. I’ve done the puzzle a squillion times… well, a dozen or so. Fluke or no?

Apart from the smallholding, polytunnel and twelve acres of market garden, my wish list is actually quite sparse.

So I thought I’d add a few bits to it. First up being this. Now isn’t that the neatest gadget ever?

MIT figures out how to save the planet.

Not that I’m cynical or anything, but which giant energy corporation is going to buy up the rights to this to ensure that it never gets made?

September last year, friends of ours were involved in a truly terrible accident. Four children were lost - four lovely, funny, happy friends of our own kids who had only been here less than a fortnight before. You’d think that that was about as low as it was possible for any family to get.

Ten months and five days later, the idiotic bureaucracy that plagues this country managed to plunge the remaining kids into a pit so bottomless, it defies description. They’ve charged the father with causing the deaths of his children.

There’s nothing I can say. No words that can adequately describe the anger, confusion, outrage, pain and disgust at what the world is coming to.

Gresh, my WebFairy friend, we’re right behind you, and love you loads. If you need us, just holler.

‘Be kinder than necessary
because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.’

Space isn’t remote at all. It’s only an hour’s drive away if your car could go straight upwards. -Fred Hoyle

The more you think about that, the more your brain hurts. At least, mine does. Until it starts actually designing a car that can do just that…

Need

More

Vodka

Normally I can’t breathe when reading through the icanhascheezburger website. But today, a photo popped up and I found myself looking at it most thoughtfully. Anyone care to elaborate on why, exactly, this photo makes you stop and think?

more cat pictures