Saturday 30 November 2019

30th November 2019 - Another Month Gone !

Thought for the day :"My wife and I went to San Andreas but we were in the wrong hotel. I guess I was at fault.."



So we end November and the Mythodea Playlist gets another airing...

Mythodea Playlist
Working on the studio version of "Frivolita" and "Wish I was back home in Deira"

Sorted the accounts for Ceredigion Council from last night ...

Greek Evening with friends tonight...

Happy Saturday !

Cheers 




Friday 29 November 2019

29th November 2019 - Frivolita - Work in Progress

Thought for the day :"I hold my wife’s hand in the shops – it looks romantic but it’s economics - it stops her shopping"

Got into the studio at last yesterday...


Work in Progress..  Frivolita ...

Frivolita

From Angleterra to far Mitraspera
I traveled the towns and the Taverns and bars
Night time would find me in some old Cantina
Singing for copper and playing guitar…

Oft times I’d sing of the loves I have lost here 
Oft times I’d sing of the ones I hold dear
Sometimes I’d sit close with some new young sweetheart
Most times I’d just drown my sorrows in beer

But then one night a gambler came in 
Sat at a table to play - ay - ee - aye
Out from his duffle he took cards to shuffle
After I saw them I could not look away…

Each of the cards seemed to tell their own story
Each of the cards seemed they’d something to say
Gently I reached out my hand just to touch one 
Snarling the gambler just snatched them away….

My pockets were empty no copper to gamble 
Sadly I left the room, leaving the game
Out in the warm air of old Mitrasperra
I knew that my life would ne’er be the same 

Out in the Tross I stumbled and fell
My head full of Cards and the Ga - aye - ame
To my surprise, Perfume and dark eyes 
Out of the darkness there whispered a name 

Sh!!!!!!   Frivolita!!!!!

What was that name and why did it matter?
Who was the shadow and what did she mean ?
I stumbled into a Tent full of leather 
Still mumbling blindly as though in a dream…

Out from the Backroom there came an old Trader
Studied me closely - he stared at me hard
But as I whispered that name that still haunts me 
He gave me a package the size of a card….
With trembling hands I peered at the seal 
Red as the blood in my heart -
With fear and with hope - a small envelope
And in my hands - just two of her cards..
Sh!!!!!!   Frivolita!!!!!

Out in the darkness I clutched my new treasure
Searching for traders who knew of this game 
Rumours abounded the Stadtmacht all hounded
The maker of Cards - and I knew her name
Sh!!!!!!   Frivolita!!!!!

I thought if I found her, I thought if I meet her
I thought I could somehow discover the rest,
I thought I could greet her this card Senorita
I clutched the two cards I had to my chest 
Sh!!!!!!   Frivolita!!!!!

And so for days, without luck I sought her 
Bribing and dealing and singing my songs 
But sadly ‘twas clear that those items so dear 
Could no longer be found - the cards had all gone !!!  

But as I played in Bad Norderby
A hand on my leg and a card - 
She pressed my thigh - a whispered sigh 
“You must write a song for her, Bard”
Sh!!!!!!   Frivolita!!!!! 

So from Anglaterra - to far Mitrasperra 
My journey was hard, my quest it was long
Though I’ll never meet her - this is for Frivolita 
My “Karte Geschichte” - told in a song…


work in progress...

Cheers !













Thursday 28 November 2019

28th November 2019 - Thanksgiving

Thought for the day :"If it sounds like a sneeze and it's made of leather, it's a shoe."


Last Thursday - or rather the fourth Thursday. St Teilo Lodge this evening with a lecture.

Happy Thanksgiving ... from Sesame Street ...



Apparently ...In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving from the fourth to the third Thursday in November! ...
In 1941, to end any confusion, the president and Congress established Thanksgiving as a United States federal holiday to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, which is how it stands today.

In other news, my social media feeds seem to have me targeted as a Labour voter as Corbyn supporting feeds seems to be pervading - also most of my contacts seems to hate Tories and are very vociferous - would like to find a decent filter that cut out all political posts - the language would improve I reckon..

Meanwhile -my eye was caught by this rather good "Augmented Reality" video - neatly explaining some simple chemical processes - I was impressed.. Water and Salt...



Cheers


Wednesday 27 November 2019

27th November 2019 - Banking on it

Thought for the day : "I looked for dates on tinned good – but they just wanted to be friends"

Bit of an online banking morning - with Barclays. Had to order a new paying in book as the other one has gone the way of the eyelashes and the other paying in book - searched everywhere but no doubt they will turn up when I do not need them ..

And no the on line log in is failing - all I wanted to do was get in to the studio this afternoon - oh well managed a short swim and the arms are aching...

In other news - the fall out from Andy's interview continues...


Also saw a nice comment upon those who put their trees up before December - personally I think that Christmas eve is the first date they should be up - but I know not everyone agrees with the the principle of Christmas Eve and stay up for 12 days of Christmas - but call me old - fashioned....


Even my sister puts a flying pig on her roof - so there are many ways of celebrating...

I will keep my Bah Humbugs for another day ...

Cheers



Tuesday 26 November 2019

26th November 2019 - Just a Thought

Thought for the day :"More people have been on the Moon than have won Takeshi's Castle."

Back from the South Coast and Unity Installation ...
So.. Just a thought

and a couple of pictures..



and a cover...




Cheers



12 10

Monday 25 November 2019

25th November 2019 - just a thought and teeth Pulled

Thought for the day :"Silence is Golden – but Duct tape is silver"


Down on the South Coast ..  A bad toothache for Vic means that an emergency Dentist is required. Sadly this also happened last week when we found a taxi and sent him there - but when he got there he did not know why he was going and apparently told them that his upper dentures were not fitting properly..  They cleaned his teeth and sent him home ...

Afterwards we had daily calls from him about not being able to eat over the weekend when nothing could be done ...
Finally - arranged an emergency appointment for 4.25pm so a trip down to pick him up and take him..
An x-ray and two teeth are so badly rotting that they required to be taken out immediately. Luckily, he had been up early that morning and his blood thinning medication was considered early enough to have worn off and the y agreed to do it there and then - a couple of stitches and off we went home for a nice bowl of Tomato Soup with a bit of soft bread ...

Managed 20 Chapters of American Gods !!! on Audio Books .

Cheers 





Sunday 24 November 2019

24th November 2019 - Hogs, Sheepdogs and Arlo Garbage

Thought for the day :"Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone."



Sunday, and Susie has spent the last couple of days making hedgehogs...


Took a few to the Craft Fayre in Llandeilo,and after the first day they sent her home to make some more to make some more!!!  And she did. Last night we had a session with the Madigans - teasing out stuffing for more hedgehogs. Well - they were teasing the stuffing, I was working at the computer and chatting a bit.. But Susie has managed to raise £64 for the Hedgehog Rescue Charity, adn they still have three more for sale today.

In other news - I like my labrador - but have always had a very soft spot for Sheep-dogs
Sadly the original video for this has been deleted by the user - so here is another one


Sheepdog Herding Sheep - View from the Sky

Don't do much fighting these days - but saw this and thought it was worth remembering that these are apparently real lines ...


On the subject of newspaper reporting of course - a friend sent me this last year so I thought I had
better record it for posterity - the Newspaper report of Arlo Guthrie and the fine for garbage / Rubbish

Seems like a song coming on....

Hoping to finish the Accounts for the year today and then get into the Studio to record "Frivolita"

Cheers !




Saturday 23 November 2019

23rd November 2019 - Getting up early !!

Thought for the day :"Deja poo – Feeling that you have heard this cr*p before "

There is a bit of a Meme going around with a look over ten years - From 2009 and 2019 ..
It was the tail end of 2018 for the second really but close enough - not much of a change there  really!!


And a bit of Welsh ..

So, I am up early this morning - alarm went at 7.30am and actually woke me this morning rather than my normal "wake up 30 seconds before the alarm goes off" but i think that is because it was earlier than I personally thought necessary. Last night I had a phone call from a colleague who wished to have a lift this morning to Bridgend. No problem with that. The Suzuki is in the garage having an MOT so I will be taking the Bothy.. Sadly, this person likes to get up at a little after midnight (or so it seems to a late riser like me -0 even though I am improving my early morning rising). I know that he has to assist in setting up the meeting - but I thought that a quarter to nine leave to get there at 9.30am was fine for a 10.15 meeting...

Complicated by this was that he would normally take another friend as a lift. So he arranges for the friend to pick him up at 78am to get to me at silly o'clock. But then asks me to confirm the details. So I do - telling friedn one to pick friend two up at 8.30am - to get to me for 8.45am and I would take them both in the Bothy!!  A thrill for them no doubt... And so it is arranged that wife of friend one would do the necessary so I could take firend one home afterwards while friend two goes off with his wife .. (his own wife I should say who happens to be in Bridgend anyway!)

Make sense ?  I thought so - until I get a text from friend 2 saying that he would make his own way.. And after having breakfast this morning getting a call from wife of friend one to say that he ad had a bad night and would not be coming....

But I got the Bothy out early to check that she started - which she did .. and that the clutch was working - which it was.. and so I can revert to leaving at 9am which is a much better idea and get a chance to look at my lines again ...  as I will be acting as Prelate 2nd Point today - a Party piece which would be nice to get right....

And so I am sitting doing the blog early ... It is almost 8.30am and I can  get Susie a cup of tea before I go..  She wants to be up early as she is producing hedgehogs like there is no tomorrow - I think she sold out yesterday at the Craft Fayre...

Grand Regalia
Seems that last year I decided that I could do the Meeting and get to teh Banquet in Bangor - will have to think about that one again next year ...


In other news - I saw that the first Direct Entry Superintendent has joined Dyfed-Powys Police. I do not know the details behind it or anything about the candidate but after spending a long time in my Police Career aspiring to that rank I can see a number of people who will be rather disgruntled by the concept... I know !! I am just out of date these days - but I have difficulty in seeing how this is a good step forward...   I remain to be convinced...

First Direct Entry Superintendent - 
 

Cheers !:



Friday 22 November 2019

22nd November 2019 - A bit of Saxon Night Out

Thought for the day :"It’s dark and cold outside. I’ve put up a marquee in my garden with flashing lights and funky music… It is the winter of my disco tent"



A quick reflection upon the Saxon Evening back in July - still haven't done anything with the videos...  but managed a couple of stills from the show....

The Vintner

Vollsanger & Castle

Chastity Belt

Coast of Caledonia

Laying down the conventions

Chastity Belt

The Widow - Castle & Vollsanger


DUNG !!!

Right this way !!

And the audience

Let us get started !!
Full list on Flickr...



High Resolution Copies for Download at


https://flic.kr/s/aHsmJwSNcp



Cheers


Thursday 21 November 2019

21st November 2019 - On being Welsh.....

Thought for the day :"Looking at the news - I have to stop saying how stupid can you be? I think they are taking it as a challenge"


Well - that crept up sneakily

over 3,500 "likes" and people following  - maybe it is because I am Welsh

Some Welsh Stereotypes - that may just be true ..

1. Hearing another Welsh accent when we're on holidays really excites us.
2. And chances are we'll know someone in common - because everyone in Wales knows each other
3. All bus and taxi drivers in Wales have forsaken their names and are simply known as 'drive.'
4. Rugby really is a religion that we get over-invested and over-emotional about.
5. And we find it hard to love our rivals.
6. Everyone knows someone called Dai.
7. And their surnames are likely to be either Jones, Thomas or Williams.
8. There is only one road (well motorway) in and out of the country.
9. And our hearts feel like they're going to explode when we see the 'Welcome to Wales' sign.
10. Our transports systems are a bit last century.
11. Some of our names can be a little difficult to pronounce.
12. And we LOVE being asked this one and never get tired of it
13. Tenby is Wales' answer to Tenerife and everyone has a had a summer holiday there.
14. Even though it ALWAYS rains in Wales.
15.  We are very protective over our culture and language and will be ready to battle anyone who mocks either.
16. Alun Wyn Jones is considered a god and everyone has to bow when they see him.
17. Our Mamgu's and Nanna's feed us unlimited Cawl and Welsh cakes.
18. A traditional Indian is served 'half and half.'
19. Drinking is a national sport.
20. And we can drink any other nation under the table.
21. Chances are your Mam or Dad know either Bonnie Tyler, Catherine-Zeta Jones or Anthony Hopkins. (or all three !!)
22. Tom Jones is like a distant relative who must be protected at all costs.
23. Gavin and Stacey makes us feel like home.
24. And we all know someone like Uncle Bryn.
25. Anytime we venture over the bridge, we must carry a Welsh flag or towel to let people know that we are Welsh.
26. Or if we don't have our flag then we must find any excuse to tell people that we are Welsh.
27. And explain to people that there is a clear difference between England and Wales.
28. This traditional sign is found in many Welsh homes.
29. Everyone's Instagram includes at least one picture posing with the sign from Pen y Fan.
30. We have the best sense of humour.
31. Our relationship with grammar is complicated.
32. We also ask a question and then ask it again - don't we?
33. We obviously ONLY speak in Welsh when an English speaker walks into the room.
34. Now in a minute makes perfect sense to us.#
35. Like 'John the Gas man' or 'Dave the Milk' people are named after their jobs.
36. Ear, year and here should sound the same.
37.  But mostly we are a patriotic bunch who truly believe that there's nowhere quite as special as home.
Cheers !!