Snapshots

The Ness Melodeon Band World Tour / My AWESOME Bath holiday

So this is incredibly overdue.  In more ways than one.

But let's not dwell on that.

So far this week I've:

- Forgotten to set my alarm clock twice, but managed to scramble saunter into the office ON TIME.
- Ordered my first pair of Toms canvas shoes.  They are brown.
- Tried on 9 pairs of trousers for work at the local thrift shop. Two of which almost fit...but didn't :(
- Watched the new Jane Eyre and was disappointed.***
- Realized that I'm slated to perform for "special music" at church this Sunday.

 *** The cast was talented, the scenery was breathtaking, the music hauntingly beautiful, and the lines...well...it's Jane Eyre.  Even so, it was completely lacking in any believable relationships.  Jane and Edward said the same lines to each other for the most part, but at the crucial moment, when tears were welling up in Jane's eyes, I was completely tear free.  What could be more disappointing?  I could care less, and was having trouble figuring out why Jane did!  Yeah, Mr. Rochester was pretty attractive (way too attractive for his character mind you), but definitely not worth the tears.  Gaaah!

Guess it's about that time

September has begun, and that means fall is on its way...well...technically.  The 100 degree temps haven't helped it all to settle in...

Anyway...  We decided it was time to disassemble the Christmas tree!  Yay!

In other news, the bi-annual Flea Market is here this weekend!!!

Listener Wooden Heart

I came across this video the other day, in my internet travels, and I thought it was interesting enough to share. I thought the video itself was amazing, and the lyrics are the kind that make me want to read them for myself...more than once.

To make it easier, here they are!

WOODEN HEART (sea of mist called skaidan)
We’re all born to broken people on their most honest day of living
and since that first breath... We’ll need grace that we’ve never given
I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts
and it's not only when these eyes are closed
these lies are ropes that I tie down in my stomach,
but they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather
and my dreams are sails that I point towards my true north,
stretched thin over my rib bones, and pray that it gets better
but it won’t won’t, at least I don’t believe it will...
so I've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship,
to sail these blood red seas and find your coasts.
don’t let these waves wash away your hopes
this war-ship is sinking, and I still believe in anchors
pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart, I still believe in saviors
but I know that we are all made out of shipwrecks, every single board
washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores
so come on and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember

I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it
but we’re making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts
we all have the same holes in our hearts...
everything falls apart at the exact same time
that it all comes together perfectly for the next step
but my fear is this prison... that I keep locked below the main deck
I keep a key under my pillow, it’s quiet and it’s hidden
and my hopes are weapons that I’m still learning how to use right
but they’re heavy and I’m awkward...always running out of fight
so I’ve carved a wooden heart, put it in this sinking ship
hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks
because I am made out of shipwrecks, every twisted beam
lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea
so come on let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, just some tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember

My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water
I wear this tide like loose skin, rock me to sea
if we hold on tight we’ll hold each other together
and not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep
all these machines will rust I promise, but we'll still be electric
shocking each other back to life
Your hand in mine, my fingers in your veins connected
our bones grown together inside
our hands entwined, your fingers in my veins braided
our spines grown stronger in time
because are church is made out of shipwrecks
from every hull these rocks have claimed
but we pick ourselves up, and try and grow better through the change
so come on yall and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, were just tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember

http://iamlistener.com/listener/news.html

Wilderness & Paradise

On our awesome Kansas-Colorado road trip, my sisters and I experienced both wilderness and paradise existing side by side.  By the end of the trip we would have spent most of our time in the wilderness that is most of the state of Kansas, but honestly, it was more than worth it!

<-----  KANSAS

We saw some interesting sights...some that were interesting because of just how uninteresting they were...if you catch my drift.

So, after a day of Kansas traveling, we spent the night in Oakley, KS, then started off again crossing the border into Colorado.  It's a myth that all of Colorado is gorgeous mountains.  Eastern Colorado is even more desolate than Western Kansas, but you're just so excited to be in Colorado, that it doesn't matter!  Except if you have to go to the loo.  Then it can be a bit nerve-wracking.  There aren't even any bushes big enough to hide behind!  Strangely enough, I missed this bit of the country when I took my pictures.  So...  Here's the "paradise" section of our trip!   COLORADO ---->

I LUV Roadtrips!

I've been looking forward to our family roadtrip to Colorado all summer, and a couple weeks ago, we finally took it!  It wasn't exactly what any of us were expecting...  Instead of the whole family heading west, we (we being me, my sisters Robyn and Wendy, and Wendy's 4-year old Elena) found ourselves heading out on our own.  But oh what fun!  I had a blast!

We'd always meant to take a roadtrip on our own someday, but hadn't ever gotten round to it.  Elena ended up being an awesome traveler...even without medication of any kind!  Well...maybe there was a little medication, but it was near the end of trip and the poor dear was throwing up.  And...I didn't really mean to go into all that.

Anyway, there are a few highlights to come, but that's all for now folks!

Let the River Flow

Last Sunday I was invited to sing with the worship team at a local church, and one of the songs we sang was entitled: Let the River Flow.  Although the song had nothing to do with rivers...it seemed an interesting choice considering the recent behavior of the muddy Missouri river that borders our county.

Let's just say it hasn't been minding its boundaries.

Although miles and miles of farmland has been flooded, the major populated areas of Doniphan county have escaped disaster so far.  Many people predicted that this years flooding would be worse than the infamous '93 flood, but somehow it wasn't!  Some experts said that the river carved down into its bed as the water barreled south...crazy huh?  Crazy awesome!

Capturing the Elusive Sponge

     Not long after moving to the Isle of Lewis, I developed feelings for the queen of tea accompaniments, the Victoria Sponge.  The Victoria Sponge is amazing.  I wish I could translate the texture, taste and aesthetic beauty of this wonderful dessert into a description worthy of its splendor, but all I can think to say is that it's amazing.  It's perfect when made by experienced hands, even if those experienced hands are supervising.  That's right, back on Lewis, I successfully baked a Victoria Sponge under the careful supervision of a master.  It was...yeah...amazing.

     Anyway, back to the story.  I decided I'd make this dessert for my family last month, so after taking another look at a tested and tried recipe given to me by the best sponge makers on the island, I gathered my supplies.  It didn't take me long to find some holes...  Caster sugar?  What is that?  Obviously something that Americans don't see the point of.  Which would account for my never having met a cake worthy of the Victoria Sponge on this side of the pond.  Once I decided to just use regular sugar, I realized that we didn't have any self-raising flour handy, but I'd already set my heart on making it that second, so I used regular flour with some baking...soda?  powder?  Something along those lines.

     So, I made my cake.  I could tell fairly early on that it would not be the kind of sponge I was used to hogging at various music nights, and tea breaks on Lewis.  Here's the finished product...

     Well, it was spongy.  Like, dish spongy.  The taste was ok, and made it edible, but good grief what a let down.  Some people decided to forego the pleasure of my sponge...  Smart kid.