Throwing you a Curveball
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Since the last round up, we’ve been Wassailing (twice - once at Tony’s farm and the second time in the orchard that we’ve planted with Phil).
I was in charge of the proceedings at Phil’s and researched words and songs. I came up with this, from the Longest Johns. While we didn’t sing along, we played the video in the orchard and read the words on my printed sheet (laminated in case it rained) by the light of our head torches!
Tony’s Wassail was more organised (although less laminated - it rained, and I couldn’t read the words blurred by raindrops). There were flaming torches, music, a Master of Ceremonies with accordion, singing and singers, and sparklers! Afterwards we decamped to the Bull Shed for pizza and Tony’s famous, and without compare, home made chips.
The fire was burning, the place was full, we had live music, and I could imagine life 200 years ago. Community, companionship and conversation.
The Wassail was so popular that Tony’s hosting sing for your supper folk singing evenings - the next one is tonight.
Shedders
I’ve been spending quite a lot of time at the Bull Shed. We’re setting up a CIC which will include a care farm and a Men’s Shed.
When Tony first asked us to be involved, he told us he wanted to establish a Men’s Shed. Did we know anything about them? Chris and I fell about laughing. Tony couldn’t believe it when we said that Chris was the Patron of UKMSA!
Since then Charlie, the Men’s Sheds CEO, has visited the site of the new shed, we’re putting together a team to start building the infrastructure, I’m working on the website and techie stuff, and we’re motoring ahead.
There’s a lot of interest in the shed - there are very few in Derbyshire. People visiting will be able to get involved with all types of making, and enjoy the rural location, grow food or even help out with the goats.
Listening
My taste in music has always been eclectic. I think another term for it is catholic. My favourite source of new music has always been soundtracks. I hardly ever bought music (unlike Chris) - my CD collection was miniscule. I liked a song as opposed to the artist. Growing up we didn’t have a lot of music playing. No sound system, just a small cassette player. Early on we had a reel to reel - I still have my Dad’s notebook listing all the tracks on each tape.
I have phases when I need silence, and then phases when I want to play music. Chris doesn’t understand this as he listens to music every day, and always has, even before he lost his sight.
I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts recently, especially David Perell’s How I Write series. My favourites have been Riva Tez, Howard Marks, Amor Towles, and Steven Pressfield. All episodes I want to listen to again.
A bit of Country
Yesterday I discovered Jelly Roll. Never heard of him before.
And then there’s Luke Combs. Only spotted because of his duet with Tracy Chapman.
I’m always behind the curve when it comes to trends - I heard and loved Mr Brightside way later than everyone else. Luke and Jelly are now on my playlists!
What’s on my Kindle
I’ve never really subscribed to conventional narratives or ways of being. It’s just the way I am. I don’t always resonate with how others experience life. But, every now and then, I’ll come across words or ideas that do resonate.
My word of the year for 2024 is alchemy. It felt a little pompous when I decided on it. But then I started reading Hagitude and these quotes hit me between the eyes.
Our creativity as elder women isn’t about birthing others any more – it’s about birthing our own unique wisdom, our own unique gift to the world.
At the beginning of menopause, then, we are the substance on which its rough alchemy is performed. But as we pass through it and out of it, we become the Alchemist.
The archetypal qualities of the Alchemist reveal her to be a mistress of transformation: she’s not afraid to burn things back to the bare bones to expose what lies beneath. She’s both a visionary and a catalyst for the irreversible changes she conjures into being; in effect, she reimagines, and so recreates, the world.
I’m a long time Julia Cameron fan. This one popped up - currently only £0.99 on Amazon - so I added it to my collection.
What I’m Writing
I feel as if I’m still scratching the surface with my writing but I’m making daily inroads. My Digital Garden is definitely helping. I moved my Dickie Bush-inspired, what I wrote today, to Obsidian. It gives me greater scope to include links and resources, or pull in quotes from elsewhere. It’s keeping my accountable, and it’s part of my daily routine that I enjoy.
I created a writing hub for myself (above) using the Kanban plugin.
Following on Substack led me to David Almond and his writing process. One day last week I printed out a Death Certificate story called Sarah, and took it to a café in Ashbourne where I did some editing.
I was inspired by David’s use of notebooks. I’ve always adopted a very linear way of writing. I suspect this is why I’ve struggled with my book.
Other writers, including seem more relaxed about it!
So, I bought a David Almond style of notebook and I’m being more random!
Thank you, as always, for reading!
Nicola
P.S. Choose your News
This year, I’ve been organising my online and writing life. Here, on Substack, I’ve created some sections or newsletters to group my content.
As a Subscriber, you automatically receive Note Aloud. All of the other sections can be selected, if you wish, in your Substack Account Settings. (There’s a link to this on my Newsletter page).