Music of a generation...

So, Duran Duran performed and the news said something about them being the music/voice of a generation. And I thought - yep, I was the right age & all, but they weren't MY voice or MY music. Apart from the required metal component (westie...) and a massive dose of 70s (not disco - Suzi Quatro - also visiting! - Slade - Sweet - Alice - Kiss)... My music was a-ha - and not just because they were cute. Someone even bought me an a-ha 1988 calendar (I still have it, with all my assignment due dates, the joys of 6th form cert).
So, I've been trying to figure out what my favourite a-ha song was/is... and it is a very hard choice, and I think it might be this one (choice subject to change)

Easter...

What I could have been doing over the long weekend - seeing old fav bands in concert - some again, some for the first time (band tees bought at concerts: Poison '89, Alice '90 and Kiss '91, Blackcaps a birthday present) What I did do... head north and work lots... And it was great. Time with the family is utterly priceless, and worth so much more in the long run. And, for those who read this blog ages ago - I remembered the buzzy bee & daffodils for Dad's grave this time!

Happy Easter!

Easter time - which means heading north for another weekend of family bonding and working bee at the bach... more weeding... So, in honour of the day - Eddie Izzard on Easter (& a touch of Christmas)

St Patricks Day

St Pats - an important date in my family history. 53 years ago on St Pats my mum & dad met at the movies. A day for reminiscence and sadness as Dad isn't with us to celebrate.
Okay - late - very Irish celebration of St Pats - thanks Fi! Bring out the tissues.

How does he do it?

Mass murderers... world wars... and it's funny...?



Circuitous route to get to this video... friend sent a couple of Lego Star Wars videos... and one of them was Eddie Izzard discussing the canteen on the Death Star... which led me to Eddie Izzard. He is great live!



Stonehenge...


Noah & the flood...

(Sean Connery was also Henry VIII in another clip)

Many happy returns...

This month it is Margaret Mahy's 72nd birthday - but I will be sans computer at that time (well, not with access to this photo... taken at a casual get-together to celebrate Margaret's Hans Christian Andersen award win, and soon after her birthday. That's me with Margaret, who is wearing the bracelet I'd made her. I even made the silver jump rings - it's Byzantine chainmaille.

Websites to love...

Cricinfo - the site to keep cricket fans sane while stuck at work... updated quickly, commentary fun
Literature Map - play for hours...

Book review time

M is for magic by Neil Gaiman.

A collection of Gaiman's short stories, chosen for teen readers - but as thought-provoking, creepy, funny... as any selection of his tales should be.

Favourite? "Chivalry" - with Mrs Whitaker buying the Holy Grail at her local Oxfam shop, and Sir Galaad trying to buy it off her. Followed closely by "The witch's headstone."

you tubing & fandom

Garth Nix... from his UK site (via youtube)

From despair to delight

the tale of 2 weekends...

Week one: making felted beads... end of 2½ hour class... despair at my disastrous looking pumpkin-shaped beads, with big cracks...

Week two: embellishing felted beads... end of 2½ hour class... delight at the beautiful necklace...

Result!

Is everything better with zombies?

Here's a lot of links to author Maureen's Johnsons Insert a Zombie - Win a Prize competition that went off, like a rotting zombie. Must say, best Pride and Prejudice version I've ever read.

The inspiration
The challenge
Zombie Idol: Bigger, Longer, and More Famously
Zombie Idol: Round One
Zombie Idol: Round One updated
Round One winner
Shakespearean Zombies
American Classic Zombies
Children's books Zombies - Green eggs and ham, The cat in the hat...
YA books Zombies - including Little Women
Zombie Idol: Round Two
Zombie Idol: Final
Your Zombie Idol