henrik nordbrandt

thanks to swiss for bringing this wonderful poet and beautiful poem to my attention ...


you resting in me

like a secret
sealed-up water lily
you rise through the dream
my dream
while i sink down into yours
as if we were scales
endlessly shifting balance
the heavier
always in the other’s dream.

i rest in you
like dark waters
in your mouth, drinking of your dream
like a figure of stone
farthest down in the dream
you bear me, your face
bends over me, turns to stone
over mine –
as a light increasing in strength
dissolves, so i rise again
so you sink down again into the dream
my dream
for the roles are now reversed
and i am your mother
you my child

only midway
when we are equally heavy, in half-sleep
when we are weightless
do the dream mingle.
there you are my lover
and my beloved. there
we are born

as we brush lightly.

nostalgic felt

is what i shall be creating tomorrow!!!

lovely m has signed me up for a 'felt and nostalgia' workshop, a whole six hours of felting and being surrounded by similarly minded folk who don't look at you like you have two heads when trying to explain what a felt workshop is and why it's such great fun ... aaaahhh bliss :)

it's like a hug for my soul.

(no, really it is).

november is national novel writing month

or nanowrimo to give it it's more manageable if less pronounceable title!

so, it's a great idea, you log on to the above site and in the thirty days of november you write 50,000 words, or 1667 words per day, make lots of online buddies for support of the moral variety and use the forum to meet up with fellow nanowrimo-ers from your area.

given that i have a fascination for words and language, and used to write a bit when i was at school and am inspired by living with the most talented writer, i thought this would be a great opportunity to put pen to paper.

ironic then, that not only am i waaaaaaaaaaaay behind on my word count due to the word / thought vaccuum that is now orbiting me, i have also found myself unable even to write a few words each week on my blog.

hhhhmmmm, not quite what i was hoping for.

back to the novelling ...

24 hours in leanachan

so, 24 hours in the forest in october doesn't sound too bad? well, try spending each one of those 24 hours cycling round said forest! this was m's second 24 hour endurance race (first one being the toughest race in britain - try 24 hours in scotland in JANUARY?! talk about a baptism of fire or, to be truly accurate, of snow; hail; wind; rain; sleet!).

while m was cycling round the forest for 24 hours, getting in this state

i took my role of 'team support'

(or 'pit bitch' as it's known in mtb circles!)

very seriously by putting my feet up and drinking lots of lovely nettle tea

thanks to bill watterson

for so perfectly capturing my 'getting back on a bike for the first time since childhood' moment

five weeks after ...

watching '28 weeks later' i am sitting up in bed at 4am holding my eyelids open with my fingers to stop me going to sleep and going back into THAT dream.

it's officially winter ...

i had to scrape the ice from the car this morning!

why it's green to go vegetarian ...

being a vegetarian myself, and feeling quite passionately about the negative impact our way of living has on our plant, i do post this with a serious message ... however, i can't help being amused that farm animals' farts are the subject of this campaign by the veggie society.

postcards and a3 posters of this full page advert are available to order free of charge, email resources@vegsoc.org, or call 0161 9252000.

"Studies on world food security estimate that an affluent diet containing meat requires up to 3 times as many resources as a vegetarian diet"

"There were approximately 6.5 billion people living on earth in 2005*1,2, and as the world’s population continues to grow, our requirement for food will also increase. Worldwide food production requires 30% of the total soil available, 20% of fossil fuel energy and a major part of the fresh water flow*3. Raising cattle is one of the most damaging components of agriculture*4. They cause the most environmental damage of any non-human species through over-grazing, soil erosion, desertification and tropical deforestation for ranches, in addition to their gaseous emissions and manure products. Studies on world food security estimate that an affluent diet containing meat requires up to 3 times as many resources as a vegetarian diet*5.

Global production of meat has risen dramatically from 130 million tonnes in the late 1970s to 230 million tonnes in the year 2000*6. Meat is now the single largest source of animal protein in all affluent nations*7 and demand for animal flesh is expected to more than double by the year 2050*8. In order to meet this growing appetite, animals will no doubt be reared more intensively and cheaply with factory farming and aquaculture (fish farming) causing further pollution, water and land usage. If nothing is done, the environmental impact of meat production can only increase.

Diet is an important tool in working to achieve environmental sustainability."

full article and further info at - http://www.vegsoc.org/environment/index.html

saddam killed mandela???!!!

really???!!! why weren't we told???!!!

just as well george bush has alerted the world to this oversight ...

"I heard somebody say, Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas," Bush, who has a reputation for verbal faux pas, said in a press conference in Washington, Thurs 21st Sep 2007.

the full article, for the incredulous amongst you is at

http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN144024.html

in an attempt to lift my spirits at the impending change in seasons ...

things i like about autumn / winter

soaking in a lavender and tea tree scented hot bath,
the myriad of colours and shades in the changing leaves,
snuggling up under a cosy blanket on the couch with m to watch a film,
long, candlelit evenings,
climbing into a bed warmed by the electric blanket,
delicious soups, stews and casseroles made with squashes and root vegetables,
getting all wrapped up to go out walking in the forest,
the smell of woodsmoke carried on the crisp air,
the silence created by a fresh snow fall,
running through a pile of fallen leaves,
the anticipation of the first flurries of snow,
snowdrops breaking through the barren ground,
looking up to watch the snowflakes fall from the sky,
a big soup bowl of hot chocolate and a cinnamon bun in a stockholm coffee shop,
time off at christmas and new year spent with loved ones :)

bowling with the dude

so, friday 24th sees us head into edinburgh for lebowski fest!
http://lebowskifest.com/lfuk.asp?

we then head to portobello for the biggest and best take-away pizza with extra chilli sauce as a topping! we sit and watch the kite surfers on musselburgh beach which inspires m, i glance over but i'm too interested in my tea to pay too much attention!

then onto a club in the heart of edinburgh town for a screening of the movie. what a nightmare!!! traffic ... parking ... the horrible, grotty reality of a club when sober (neither of us drinking much right now) means we head for home!

we had looked at public transport options from perth to edinburgh so that we wouldn't need to worry about parking/traffic/taking the van. now, given it is summer and tourist season; that the edinburgh festival is on; that this is our capital city you would imagine that public transport on a friday wouldn't be so difficult? then you imagine wrong! i searched for buses and trains and the latest we could leave edinburgh by public transport was about 10pm!!! unless we wanted to leave edinburgh about 11pm.go via glasgow and arrive in perth around 5am!

saturday is an altogether more calming day :) we drive to dalwhinnie to picnic in the sun. m sets of on his cycle while i read a while and collect grasses to dry. we meet up again in bruar for m to swap bikes and then to pitlochry where we miss each other - signage!!! from there we head to dunkeld and birnam where we have a lovely walk, collect leaves then drive home together.

we have a bbq dinner and my thoughts turn to the garden, quite keen to get things started for next year.

if you haven't already seen 'the break up' ... don't bother!

sunday sees us heading to st. andrews for m to have a kiting lesson, with landboard too! unfortunately i'm not inspired due to pmt and hayfever so read in the van for a while, only venturing out to collect urchin shells and meet tom kat (the cool surfer cat who belongs to the folk running the kite surfing lessons, he comes along to the beach with them - how cool is that?!)

it's nearly time ...

... to go blackberrying! we went for a recce to a local hill the other night to check out the blackberry situation - still a little early, some green and some red berries but the black juicy looking one that i tried definitely failed the taste test for sourness!

here's a recipe courtesy of janet brinkworth and good food live ...

blackberry chutney
makes approximately 500g chutney

1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
3cm ginger, finely chopped
2 large red chillies, finely chopped
500g blackberries
45g caster sugar
30ml red wine vinegar

• heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. add the red onion, ginger and chilli.
• fry gently for 4 to 5 minues until softened.
• add blackberries and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring now and then.
• add in the sugar and vinegar, mixing well.
• bring to the boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened.
• allow to cool.
• if being stored, this chutney should be spooned into hot, sterilised jars, when still hot. cover with waxed paper discs and cool. once cooled, seal and store until using.

apparently it's perfect with cheese and crusty bread - can't wait for those berries to ripen!

feeling a little wistful at the more noticeable change in seasons just now. i certainly can't complain given that we've had a great summer and certainly made the most of the daylight hours but i couldn't help feeling a little sad at the thought of the departure of the martins. i watched a few last night from the garden but haven't seen any today, and they're normally quite active around the roof of the office building where i work. doesn't seem that long ago since we saw those first joyous harbingers of spring at applecross. and now their departure heralds the arrival of autumn.

i despair ...

i was hoping that the original rumour of developers starting forest fires was inspired by conspiracy theories but perhaps not!

From The Indepdendent

Outrage in Greece over secret plan to develop land in region ravaged by fires

By Elinda Labropoulou in Athens, Published: 19 September 2007

The Greek government is facing a major embarrassment within days of its re-election after it gave property developers the green light to build on an environmentally sensitive area next to forests ravaged by this summer's deadly fires.

Documents leaked to the Greek press show the finance ministry pushed through an agreement allowing building activity to begin in a protected area in the Southern Peloponnese, the region hardest hit by last month's blazes that killed 67 people and destroyed nearly half a million acres of forest and farmland.

Under heavy criticism for their handling of the inferno, the ruling conservatives blamed the inferno on unscrupulous property developers looking to exploit protected areas. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis vowed to avoid past mistakes where building permits were handed out in fire-affected areas and land was rezoned for construction.

The agreement, revealed this week, covers a valuable coastal zone in Zaharo, the area that accounted for nearly half of the deaths during last month's "national emergency".

The zone includes a rare pine forest, thermal springs, and a nesting area for the endangered loggerhead turtle Caretta-Caretta. Environmental groups say the agreement could come at a huge cost for the area's sensitive ecosystem. The district is protected by the European Union's Natura 2000 scheme, designed to safeguard the most seriously threatened habitats and species.

Greek MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis said the plans could also endanger ¿600m (£410m) in EU funding for fire-stricken areas. "What happened is a crime against nature, committed in order to buy last minute votes prior to the elections," he said.

Mr Papadimoulis has already raised the issue with Athens and Brussels.

"I put a question forward to see whether it violates EU legislation but also whether it could threaten the receipt of EU funding for the fire-stricken areas."

The Greek government has yet to respond.

Dimitris Karavellas, director of WWF Greece, said the continued absence of a proper land registry was at the root of the present crisis. "We are the only country in the EU that doesn't have a land registry," he said. "We get situations where there are forest fires one year and nothing but houses a couple of years later."

The Zaharo deal, if confirmed, would take place in two stages. Firstly, it would legalise nearly 800 buildings that have been illegally constructed in the area over the past 50 years. In the second stage it would permit the construction of hotels, restaurants and recreational facilities. Developers would be allowed to use the land for up to 69 years.

Zaharo's mayor, Pandazis Chronopoulos, who signed the agreement with the finance ministry's Public Real Estate Corporation, says that, if it became law, the agreement would generate much needed money for the reconstruction of the fire-ravaged area. " It would help the redevelopment of the area. We need to recreate a tourism infrastructure. We will fully respect the environment. We are thinking of small-scale tourism development. Maybe a children's camp to start with. And all the money the municipality would get will be reinvested in rebuilding Zaharo".

According to the agreement 75 per cent of the income generated would go to the municipality, the remaining 25 to the finance ministry.

Local engineer Kostas Tzamaloukas, said the people are still numb from the catastrophe "At the polling station on Sunday, one third of the people who were in the queue were wearing black, a sign they had lost a loved one in the fires. This is a small community, people are devastated. They would listen to anyone promising them a way out of the financial disaster."

The ruling New Democracy party held on to power this weekend with a reduced majority.

farewell my stripy furry friend

so, the day we are due to leave for stockholm i learn that our friendly little kitten from along the road has been hit and killed by an idiot in a red car. i know of, nor ask for, any other details, although i think i may have heard the car when upstairs packing but didn’t realise what had happened, however i know some of the neighbours came out into the street so hopefully you weren’t alone.

apparently the little cat had been a stray and some neighbours had been making sure it was fed and cared for and, of course, like a number of the neighbourhood cats came to us for cuddles.

i will remember your delight at being given a fuss, your eager little face, the sound of your purring, your beautiful markings – tabby and ginger stripes with a white and peach tummy and paws.

you will be missed my happy little furry friend.

and there went another week!

wednesday 22nd august
back on the bike this morning, trying to visualise cycling nearly 20k! and a hilly 20k at that!

watched the excuse that passed for a football game that england played tonight. well, i only watched a small part of the game. m was taping a tv program and our set-up means that you have to watch the same channel that you’re taping from, so, whilst in our local grocery store i noticed they had their tv’s tuned into the game – had to leave after a while though as shouting was about to happen – ok if you’re in the confines of your own home but not so ok in the aisle of the local supermarket!

tuesday 21st august
still hyper from my lesson yesterday and my violin practice tonight was SO much better – i bet the neighbours noticed the difference too! with my possible potential mammoth (!) cycle in mind i was motivated to get back on the bike today!

monday 20th august
my panic at the thought of my violin lesson was totally unnecessary (as it usually is), my tutor is lovely and once i told her where i was struggling she pointed me in the right direction and i had a bit of a eureka moment – like, oh of course, now that makes it so much easier and, more importantly, so much more pleasing to the ear!

scoped a potential cycle route, or a possible potential cycle route considering that it is an 11.7 mile (or 18.8 kilometres) round trip. ok, this probably doesn’t sound much to the cyclists out there but to someone who has been cycling for 15 mins at a time on a trainer in the kitchen …

wow, that was a quick weekend!

left work at one on friday to head to oban (which, i would like to point out, is just shy of 100 miles from where we live) to collect m who had decided on a whim to cycle there (as you do!). so, despite a lay-off of nearly a month with a stress fracture a hundred mile cycle was a cinch! oh i feel so lazy and unfit, this is great motivation to keep training on the bike.

then followed a weekend of mostly rain and greyness which meant not much outdoor activity but resulted in felt making, painting, and jewellery making (along with the boring stuff like housework). how lovely.

have a violin lesson tonight, which i'm not really looking forward to as i don't feel i have progressed very far from my last lesson. still, it gives my neighbours ears a rest!

it's the weeeeeeeekend !!!

two and a half days of freedom and fun :)

flapjack recipe

not much happening on the bike or violin front last night, m was off shift so we had a lovely walk and then watched 'the host'.

here's a recipe for flapjacks, these are great for post-exercise recovery! (think i got this recipe from the bbc website but have since tweaked it a little).

basic flapjack recipe

• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g caster sugar (golden caster sugar is nicer!)
• 50ml clear honey
• 200g oats

oats - increase to 300g if using additional ingredients
honey - try 100ml if increasing the oats and adding additional ingredients

• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6
• line a baking sheet with greaseproof baking paper
• heat the butter and honey slightly - this makes it easier to mix together with the dry ingredients
• mix all the dry ingredients together
• add the butter and honey
• add any additional ingredients *
• spoon onto baking sheet
• cook for 10 mins
• leave to cool slightly, maybe five mins
• freeze for five mins (this makes it easier to cut it into slices)
• then cut and enjoy!

* additional ingredients, try adding

• unsalted nuts and raisins
• chopped crystallized ginger with chopped dark chocolate, sounds odd, but try it :)

probably best to make the basic recipe first to get a feel for the right consistency then play around to your heart's content, remember though any additional ingredients will mean more oats to balance it and more honey to bind it.

try leaving out the sugar if you find this too sweet.

a virtuoso in the making

so, not only did i manage two training sessions on the aforementioned bike, followed by weights and stretching yesterday, i also picked up my violin again (much to the auditory discomfort of my neighbours no doubt). have had two or three lessons to date and am really enjoying discovering my so far undiscovered musical talent! progress has been fairly slow but, given the fact that i can't read music and haven't really played any instruments, i'm quite happy with where i am. and i've also been inspired to pick up the whistle and beginners book that m bought me a couple of years ago, which i'm sure is a real treat for the neighbours. still, we put up with their loud music, parties, screaming feral children, bagpipes, drums ...

cycling with lebowski

well, i finally got back on the bike last night. i dragged said bike and trainer into the living room so i could cycle whilst watching 'the big lebowski'. we're going to the lebowski fest in edinburgh soon and i'm starting to fret on the costume front! would like to dress up but deciding upon a costume is proving tricky given the dearth of female characters in the film, well those wearing anything remotely resembling anything i would like to be traipsing around edinburgh in at any rate!

find lebowski fest at http://lebowskifest.com/default.asp