Artist

Alexander Averin

Wednesday 17 October 2007

ME ME












Dear Diary,

To say this is late would be an understatement. I was asked weeks ago to do a MEME which I think is to write about myself using the letters of my name.

So here goes. I have, as my tutor would say, skied off piste, it is not in my nature to reveal too much about myself, or perhaps it is just that I am not in a the mood today to do so, but I think I have given a few clues.


C If I appear cool, calm and collected, my emotions are probably churning inside


A Art matters. The visual, the literary, the musical. It’s what sets us apart from animals I guess.

But why then do the birds sing?


I Inspiration. This goes hand in hand with ‘A’ above. Art always needs the Muse, the Source, the Supreme Consciousness, call it what you will. When artists inspire they breathe in the breath of this ‘God’.

I will sneak another one in here. Intuition. I live by it.


T Truth also matters. I named my daughter for it.
(Verity)


O Order. We spend our days trying to create it, out of chaos. So much time is wasted on this pursuit and it just reinforces my belief that less is more. The less ‘stuff’ we desire/consume the less there is to organise. The less we do, or aspire to, the less stressed we get. Simplicity is my goal.


C Children. They have so much to teach us as they are still touched with Spirit.


O Origins. I spent years and fought hard to discover my own.


N Nature
versus

N Nurture

I could write reams on this but there isn’t room!


O Oh No, not another one. I am a bit stumped.

It’s a weird choice I know but all I can think of is Obituaries and that leads me to the dear Spike Milligan‘s gravestone inscription, God rest him.

I told you I was ill!


Last but not least

R Rebels - and coincidentally Spike was one.

May there always be strong and spirited individuals among the ‘sleepwalking folk‘ who inhabit this planet and may their passion never die.



I was sent this today, what a lovely quote it is, wish I had written it.


If love does not rule your heart,
all activity is just the spinning of wheels.




And now for something completely different.

This is a fun thing that has come my way, it can be sent round to friends - if you want to do it, copy and paste your own, ask them to give their own answers and send on again into the ether.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

Being the first daughter of an Irish mother, I think it was my maternal grandmother.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

A few minutes ago. It was something I read.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Yes but only my ‘best’ writing, not my usual, illegible scribble.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAL?

I am not good at choosing favourite anythings as they change. Today it might be pasta, tomorrow it might be home-made soup.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Well they are Grown Up Kids now but they are still the light of my life, a girl, now aged 29 and a boy, now aged 26.

I am lucky enough to be a youngish grandmother too and have three very beautiful grand-daughters, aged 11, 9 and 7. They are also the light of my life.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I don’t know because I would be another person.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?

I used to, not so much now.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS

No.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

No - definitely not. I believe in self-preservation in all things.
My stairs have proved dangerous enough for me.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

PORRIDGE! I couldn’t live without it.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

(When I am not wearing wellies) I only wear one pair of shoes at the moment, they are comfy red slip-ons from Lands End, I call them my energy shoes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Yes very, both physically and mentally; it’s in my genes to fight back.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Chocolate of course.


14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Their eyes.


15. RED OR PINK?

A hard one that as I love both. Pink?


16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

Another hard question, where do I start?


17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST

My mother.


18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?

Oh yes please!


19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS (TROUSERS) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

(I had a funny phone call from a pervert once that asked me that first bit of the question!

but then I read on and see it is an American thing and pants are trousers!}

Blue denim jeans and my red shoes of course, keep up!
How would you answer this if you were wearing a dress or a skirt I wonder?



20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Porridge!


21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

Would you believe there is complete silence? If I was listening to anything it would be music but I am not in the mood at the moment. It would be Mark Knopfler or James Blunt or Annie Lennox (my latest CD’s).


22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Purple! Some people will understand and appreciate this choice more than others.



23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Garlic (cooking), lavender, rosemary, basil, mint, lily-of-the-valley, better stop there, I could go on. We witches have a strong sense of smell J


24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

My ‘relatively newfound’ brother Phil who lives in Essex.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

She is a cyber-friend who I have never met but I like her very much.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Football!


27. HAIR COLOR?

Well it varies………


28. EYE COLOR?

Blue


29. Do you wear contacts?

No.


30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Today it is a Sunday roast followed by apple crumble and custard.


31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Oh happy endings please.


32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

Miss Potter.


33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

A shocking pink three quarter length tee shirt.


34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Summer for all that it entails, I need not explain.

Winter for being cosy and hibernating: log fires, candles, red wine, comfort food and snuggly clothes. Snow, wind and rain.


35. HUGS OR KISSES?

Hugs.


36. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Blackberry and apple crumble with custard.
Vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.


37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

I haven't a clue!

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND

Men probably.

39. What book are you reading now?

Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris (delicious). But Chocolat must be read first.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

A rainbow of coloured stripes, bought cheap in Asda. Colour therapy and all that.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?

England v France playing rugby.
I’ll say no more.


42. FAVORITE SOUNDS?

Birdsong.

Uillean pipes, guitar, wooden flute.



43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Has to be the Beatles; I grew up to them and used to be a big fan.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Only been to Spain, France, Guernsey, England, Scotland and Ireland. Live in Wales now. Not much of a traveller. Ireland is my spiritual home

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

I’m a very good speller and I can read minds.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Lambeth, London.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?

Everyone’s!

48. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?

16.08 Sunday



Before I go, a poem, it seems so long since I posted one.

This is one by a young emerging poet who I admire, she is from West Cork and her name is Leanne O'Sullivan:


Self Portrait


This blank paper is the one good thing.
I want to fill it with colour, soundlessness
like a heart that shuts with slow murmurings.
I feel myself slipping into that whiteness.
My dumb legs, my red hair pale by moonlight
as I doze into a laudanum pod,
secretly happy, blooming in the night
though the cold surrounds my bed.

This is the woman as God has created her,
this is the woman I am outdoing.
She is a ghost the more I see her.
Her eyes dry against my breath. She is moving
from me into this true radiance while
I stare. I don’t move, the heart stops its flood
of rust and the mirror crackles to sand.
My babe, the brush is slipping from my hand.


Leanne O’Sullivan



Bye for now,
Caitx

11 comments:

Blossomcottage said...

I love your second "O" Spike Milligans quote, the other one I remember is the two Ronnies in a sketch in a graveyard.
Ronnie Corbett reads
Don't morn for me now
Don't morn for me never,
'cause I will be dead
For ever and ever!!
I am now going to go away and have a go at my name.
Great Blog and love the music, I really must find time to try and do it sometime.
Love Blossom

Hannah Velten said...

Those questionnaires are very revealing - not so much in an intimate way, but just about a person's general personality - I saw lots of colour in you (literally) and determination (finding brother, etc)...thank you for sharing with us. Mootia x
P.s. Did I miss something - you mention you are a witch; how do you know that and what does it mean to youu? (if you don't mind me asking?!) - we had a girl at school who was known as a 'white witch' but I never got round to asking her about it....

Un Peu Loufoque said...

Oh I do HATE those questionnaires they remind me of teen magazines but the answeres are very revealing! I am a great spike MIlligan fan he had an avante garde approach to spelling which I find refreshing!

laurie said...

ah, jessie wilcox smith. you pick the nicest illustrations for this blog.

sunday roast and apple crumble sounds good to me.

Kim said...

I love the way you took the name meme and made it your own. That is one of the reasons I read your blog.

After traveling to London and having apple pie with a crumble topping covered in custard, my husband asks for it for his birthday every year. It has become one of our favorite desserts. Very comforting and so delicious!

Faith said...

Enjoyed your blog as always Cait. My niece is called Verity- its a beautiful name.

Suffolkmum said...

I think I've said before that I love the name Verity too. One of my favourites. Love the Spike Milligan epitaph too! I enjoyed this, and agree that there is so much colour in your answers. My family call me a witch - I like the idea of being a hedge-witch.

CAMILLA said...

I just simply adore your Blogs Cait, everything so delicious.

Pictures are so lovely, and I think the Epitaph of Spike Milligan is wonderful. The Self Portrait Poem is so meaningful.

I can identify Cait with what you say for Inspiration.

Camilla.xx

Frances said...

Hello Cait, it has been a while since I have dropped by, and enjoyed the pleasure of what you write.

This was a beauty.

Your blogs always just set their own pace, and invite the reader to fall in beside you.

And, once again, you let me treat myself to a bit of Instant Karma.

As always, thank you!

xo

Chris Stovell said...

Well done for being brave and revealing so much about yourself - and it made beautiful and fascinating reading. I love the paintings on your previous blog too. (echoing Mootia - will you tell us more about being a witch or is that too revealing?).

Pipany said...

Lovely, Cait. I agree with you about the arts - they feed our souls and are present in everything around us. Love the name Verity; have you ever read the Poldark novels by Winston Graham? He writes of a gentle soul called Verity (they are stunningly well-written books too). Witches of the white variety run in my family and like Suffolkmum, I love the idea of being a hedge witch. Fascinating blog Cait xx