Romeo and Juliet

image via here

A lovestruck Romeo sings a street suss serenade

Laying everybody low with a love song that he made

Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade

Says something like, "You and me babe—how 'bout it?"

Juliet says, "Hey it's Romeo. You nearly gave me a heart attack"

He's underneath the window; she's singing, "Hey, la, my boyfriend's back.

You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that.

Anyway what you gonna do about it?"

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start

And I bet, then you exploded into my heart

And I forget, I forget the movie song

When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame

Both dirty, both mean, yes, and the dream was just the same

And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real

How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold

You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold

You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah.

Now you just say, "Oh Romeo, yeah. you know, I used to have a scene with him."

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry

You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die."

There's a place for us, you know the movie song

When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

I can't do the talks like they talk on the TV

And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be

I can't do everything but I'll do anything for you

I can't do anything except be in love with you

And all I do is miss you, and the way we used to be

All I do is keep the beat, the bad company

All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme

Julie, I'd do the stars with you any time

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry

You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die."

There's a place for us, you know the movie song

When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

And a lovestruck Romeo sings a street suss serenade

Laying everybody low with a love song that he made

Find a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade

And says something like, "You and me babe—how 'bout it?"

"You and me babe—how about it?"

Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits

♥♥♥♥♥♥

A few trivial, useless but nevertheless fun facts - you may or may not care to know. . . 

♥It's always been a favourite of mine

♥Yes, I'm a (shameless) eighties child

♥I don't care what anyone says  - the video clip IS cool  - enough random to be . . .  well . . .  random.           

♥I always loved that she chewed bubblegum

♥I also loved that the "chick seemed cooler than the guy"  - with so many horribly sexist video clips flying around in that era I'm not surprised I was drawn to the imagery in this one. Then again I also liked "Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse Of The Heart" so there goes my credibility.

♥The song contains (arguably) one of the greatest lines ever written . . .

"All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme, Julie, I'd do the stars with you any time"

(I'm a sucker for romance and an even bigger sucker for romantic lyrics)

and last but definitely not least . . .

I found out today that one of MY ALL TIME FAVES covered this very song, QUITE A LONG TIME AGO! How did this escape my knowledge? I do not know. 

Here are both versions for your listening pleasure . . .

I'm thinking of having a regular series of posts that play host to great songs with dubious video clips.

Suggestions are more than welcome! 

Attitude

Thank you so much everyone

I read your comments, your private messages and even your emails

Each and every word made my HEART SING

I have read many a blog post where the writer doubts and of course 

many of us in varying fields face this kind of challenge at different stages in our lives

The fact that you took the time to encourage me is such a gift

Truly

♥♥♥♥

So there are a few things that I've been made more aware of in the last few months* and 

I'd like to share them with you . . .

Attitude is EVERYTHING - after love, kindness and personal grooming

(these things make such a difference and now that I'm putting them into 

regular practice - it's making me a believer)

***

Nutrition follows suit pretty darn quickly.

Whilst some would tote that it's in fact the be all and end all to your health

I feel that's not entirely true

I've known too many smokers and lovers of red wine & cheese who've lived

past the age of 70 and seemed pretty satisfied with their lot 

The common denominator?

Yep - attitude - they LOOOVED life

(and I guess it loved them back)

Having said that - I have seen (and felt) the difference that good nutrition makes

also 

happy nutrition - treats are a must 

unique nutrition - everybody is different

tasty nutrition - kale you need help, I'm sorry but you just do, even if it is just lemon and olive oil

***

Limiting screen time

Try it

For a whole day

I did and all I can say is - wow. 

Clearly I had no idea how many times in a day I reach for my phone/pad/lap-top etc

My little experiment went like this:

Switch internet OFF

Turn TV OFF

Turn radio/I-Pod ON

If you have a smart phone - turn off browsing capabilities

and place it somewhere in the house where it remains for the whole day

Make tea, make food, stare into fridge, clean, washing, 

read (hello old friend!) groom, sort and so forth

Note how many times you walk past phone and check it

or catch yourself thinking of something you need to look up

I was amazed actually

I picked a day when I'm at home because studies show that even

though people browse the net at work it's even more of a temptation at home

(when no one is policing you?)

I wouldn't say I've hit status detrimental as yet

BUT

the habits have formed

the habits are hard to break

the habits, having been examined more closely, are up for change

***

And lastly  - Sunshine

Dedicating 10 whole minutes to standing in the sun 

If possible eating a piece of fruit or drinking a glass of water

No talking, no doing - just breathing and soaking

Just do it

I'll leave you with a brilliant quote I read last week

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."

says Anne Lamott in THIS wonderful piece

Thank you lovely people.

I am climbing again. I am feeling stronger and I am 

noticing more light than shadow.

♥Attitude♥

*Disclaimer - I've made a few promises to myself alongside my revelation 

regarding this little space - they are small manageable changes that

I truly believe are making a huge difference in my life

The interweb is so FULL of stuff - lots good, lots bad.

Advice is everywhere and I don't want to come across as a 

self righteous nerd - I just want to share the good stuff 

I'm no Doctor though - I'm more of a flower loving hippie

Just so were clear

Oh - and the image?

Couldn't find anything that captivated the essence 

of mid-life crisis morphs into turning point for life

So a green apple it is

I do love green apples though - more than red ones.

Pinterest ... the pros and cons

To pin or not to pin? That is really not the question here at all. The question is how not to pin for two hours (or until one's bum goes numb) at the expense of other more productive activities. Indeed no amount of pinning ever gets the ironing done, the dishes clean or the family fed - BUT  - it will show you how to make your own linen spray, stack the dishwasher effectively, cook a vegan feast for twenty in under an hour - I kid you not... If it can be done, if it can be seen, if it can be photographed, catalogued, made, visited, laughed at or stalked... it's on Pinterest. I think of it as a subscription to every known publication on the planet.

I have a few boards (cough cough) and yes, I've pinned a modest (cough cough) tally of images.
I tend to set a timer nowadays  - this way I avoid being judged by my sixteen year old who thrives on noting my "screen time" ..... and let's face it - it can be overdone.

So far I've come up with waaay more pros than cons. In fact, I only have two negatives to note:

1 - Time wasting - enough said.
2 - Bad pinning = bad linking = bad credit = ineffective information = rubbish = internet.

So as a general rule - always do your research. Check that credit given is legit and be aware of the fact that the digital era we live in allows ANYTHING on the web to be manipulated. (ANYTHING)

Having said all that  - I love it. Not as much as the written, printed, three dimensional word no, but pretty darn satisfying as far inspiration, organisation and gathering of ideas.

Here are a few of my pins...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166468205/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612161718267/

Obviously it's great for creating mood boards that inspire your dream home, sense of style, taste... love of white floorboards, linen and all things rustic... but did you know that you can find your DREAM bathroom too?

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612161879793/

... or perhaps you obsess over greenery... 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612165525359/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166406543/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166774807/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612163381839/

Need artistic inspiration?

Well look no further... Pinterest has you covered....

Paolo Reversi 

David Oliveira

... and if fine art is not quite your talent well then just get 

your craft on baby...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166608322/

... or pin just the movies & tunes you'd highly recommend

to friends and fellow pinners... 

Enigma 

Rhye 

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 

... then again if you fancy cooking up a few carbohydrate dense delights

(as I do)  then you you've come to the right place darling. In Pinterest land it's ok to be 

a lacto-ove-vegan-paleo-gluten tolerant-carbaddicted-foodie... 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612163940410/

... and plan the outfit you want to wear to that Spring wedding that's coming up...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612161768751/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612163274387/

... or just pin for the sake of sheer beauty... 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612165365724/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612164844616/

And if you're anything like me and you love a bit of wit mixed with a few giggles...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166339660/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166309197/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612163163785/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612166512382/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612164289773/

I know a lot of people are concerned about crediting images and content correctly.

Of course if you can give credit then it's deemed the proper thing to do.

Problem is the ball of yarn has been played with - the tangles are too hard to unravel.

When I pin artists I check the link first and then (if I can) 

I try to support their social media or link directly back to the source.

It's tough though. A lot of the time you can but when you are unable to 

it means deciding whether the credit is worth more than the beauty of the art

itself. Do you let go or do you pin and just love what you've saved?

And what about intellectual property - that meme that had you in 

stitches all day... who IS the comical genius behind that cat GIF ?

I love a good debate. I'd be keen to hear what you have to say on the matter.

As you can see I've provided links back to my pins but I'm afraid that's as far as I've gone.

I have cleared my conscience with one of my favourite quotes from the essay 

Death of an Author by Roland Barthes 

"To give a text an Author" and assign a single, corresponding interpretation 

to it "is to impose a limit on that text."

And on that note I'll sign off with one of my favourite pins..

(Author unknown but this does not detract from the giggle factor)

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/3729612165592450/

***

Last but not least - a huge, heartfelt and gracious THANK YOU to 

all the beautiful people who responded to my last post with care. compassion, warmth, 

kindness, humour and support. Emails, comments, flowers! 

It humbled me so.

 Indeed there's nothing like a huge dose of gratitude to transform ones mood. 

Wishing you all a fabulous and safe weekend peoples

♥♥♥♥

A little more … a little less...

There's a rhythm in rush these days

Where the lights don't move and the colours don't fade

Leaves you empty with nothing but dreams

In a world gone shallow 

In a world gone lean

Sometimes there's things a man cannot know

Gears won't turn and the leaves won't grow

There's no place to run and no gasoline

Engine won't turn

And the train won't leave

I will stay with you tonight

Hold you close 'til the morning light

In the morning watch a new day rise

We'll do whatever just to stay alive

We'll do whatever just to stay alive 

Well the way I feel is the way I write 

It isn't like the thought of a man who lies

There is a truth and it's on our side

Dawn is coming

Open your eyes

Look into the sun as the new days rise

And I will wait for you tonight

You're here forever and you're by my side

I've been waiting all my life

I can hear your heart as it's keeping time

We'll do whatever just to stay alive

Dawn is coming open your eyes

Dawn is coming open your eyes

Dawn is coming open your eyes

(Music and words by Jose Gonzales)

*****

Happy New Year to all of you lovely wonderful people!

Welcome to new followers and thank you from my core

for taking the time to read my humble "secret garden"

I have yet to collect myself and begin with my own words

so I decided to let these inspiring lyrics say it for me

What I can say for sure though is this:

I'd like my now, my tomorrow and my forever to have just 

a little more play and little less doubt 

a little more hope and a little less stress

a little more fun and a little less pushing

a little more Yessss! and a little less Noooo!

Maybe if I can just tip the scales slightly

I'll slide in the right direction

You?

Your new year?

What would you like a little more of and a little less of?

♥♥♥

On Motherhood ....

Modigliani

when they hand you your child...

(unless you were blessed enough to pull life out yourself)

they do not have any advice that suits

because they are not us and we are not them...

and this is not theirs ... and nor is it ours

National Geographic

what did Gibran say?

... something about ...

"They come through you but not from you

and they are with you yet they belong not to you"

but then why did I have them?

Dorothea Lange 

what love is this?

that robs me of my selfish senses

that guilts me into stifling tears of hellish exhaustion

that rips my heart out with every smile and hands it back bigger than before

Frederick Warren Freer

that confuses my career with things that matter

that draws from me a lullaby and reads to me of monkeys

and faeries and dinosaurs 

that halves me and then makes me whole again ...

Fine Art America

..... what love is this?

*****

I've been reading a lot about motherhood on blogs lately

It would seem a topic that raises many an eyebrow, an opinion 

and, more often than not, a passionate response

I found the above piece of writing in amongst my scribblings a few weeks ago.

I wrote it when my son was about two years old (14 years ago now!!)

(I dragged it out to use as a comment on Pia's heartwarming post about Motherhood, 

blogging and telling it like it is - it made me laugh to read just how overwhelmed I seemed)

Fact:

There are no facts. Parenting is just too subjective. It's human. It's diverse. It's fickle.

With the exception of love (immense, fierce and frightening love) there are simply

no hard and fast rules... just good intentions)

Fiction:

You'll feel the same way about parenting in three, seven, sixteen years - as you do now

Me?

I became a mother 16 years ago ... 

(I consider the very second I saw the "second blue line" the start of the journey)

I had already miscarried once ... quite late in term...

I was ecstatic, petrified and very hormonal

Upon giving birth I stared at this little bundle, with great trepidation, 

wondering if I was up to the task 

(I prayed that mothers instinct was NOT a myth)

We were a one income (small income) family

We were renting a closet

We were very young

We were exhausted almost all of the first two years

I was often filled with a longing to go back to work....

... that vaporised every time I thought about daycare

My dear mother ensured that Hubby and I were able to have a reasonable

(albeit diminished) social life and of course immeasurable support and love

We were happy. So very happy.

Ours was a healthy, content, chubby cheeked boy who lit up our hearts

I have stumbled along the way

I have made some hilarious mistakes*

I have doffed my hat to those who have more than one 

I made A LOT of it up as I went along and I have loved 93% of the task

(7% = sickness, sleepless nights, arguing with a teenager &
losing my child in Piccadilly Circus)

Although I'm not a new mum I truly love reading all about the adventures, emotions, opinions, misgivings and fiesty viewpoints of mothers the world around...

Pia writes about the challenge of balancing motherhood, blogging and career

Artemis writes about her feelings on mama-hood ....

Hannah writes about her views on gender stereotyping as a parent...

Kate writes about positive role models for her daughters...

Lisa writes about loving barefoot boys  .....

And I just love it all

To all the mums out there... whether today is a triumph or a struggle, 

 I salute you all with such immense respect and admiration.... 

... what love this is indeed.

* when our son was but a wee 8 year old he asked what a condom was... surprised and slightly taken aback, Hubby and I proceeded to stumble our way through a haphazard explanation that left him with the most confused and befuddled expression on his face. 

When we asked him what was troubling him he replied:

That makes no sense at all because on the tv show The Nanny,  

Fran says  "Oh Mr Sheffield can we live in a condo by the sea"

... yep we had heard wrong and confused condo with condom.

Happy days.... ♥

Restless....

I woke up this morning around quarter to five...

... the wind was howling and the rain pelting down so hard 

that I was sure my chickens would be floating around in their run

(can chickens swim???))

I had to get up and move

The storm rendered me grateful for a gas hob

Here in the hills we lose power during storms regularly

Tree branches (and often trees themselves) crash to the ground

... taking power lines down with graceful ease

Then heroes - volunteering heroes - come out from the safety

of their homes to assist in the clean up that ensues

This would be one of those stormy days for sure

I wondered where Spring had disappeared to

Why was she so shy this year?

We need the rain and I'm a Winter loving gal

Yet ... today I felt...

 I would like to see the sunshine at least once....

♥♥♥