Reading My Way Around the World

Friday 27 March 2020

March Photo Hunt

Like yourself Kate and everyone else I've read so far who've joined the Scavenger Hunt for this month, I wasn't going to join this month either - my energy has been so low and I'm still trying to work .... but after reading yours I thought ok, let's go for it ... keep the chin up.   While cancelling all gigs and classes I've found it hard to do more than knit, cook ad watch tv.   But things will go back to normal and some sort of routine will come together.  Most of these pics are from archive and it's brought both smiles and tears looking back through the years.  And some have very tenuous links ...

Birthday

2015 - on the road - Paris to Munich
Today, I'm missing not having any journeys to look forward to ... they've all been cancelled ... but on that day I was a bit glum - an 8 hour drive on a Sunday ....on my birthday ....  humph.   

 

Jazzy


I've been getting stuff off the needles these past couple of weeks .... and this was the first to be finished - made from Scraps of Wool - my Scarfy Thingy inspired by Beate at Hedgehog Fibres.... it was such a joy to knit and I've just found another bitsa project to do during self isolation




Flag


This prompt made me chuckle Kate because trying to find a non contentious flag around this part of the world is a bit of a challenge ... so archives to the rescue
Definitely not social distancing!! A walk through the Oktoberfest back in 2015


Three


This photo believe it or not, is in the crypt of a church.   It is in Annahuette in former East Germany and neither of these three gentlemen (who we nicknamed the Three Stooges) spoke English and we had the best night's craic I can (vaguely) remember after a concert.   Sadly only the man on the left is still alive now but they were wonderful the three of them.   How did we communicate?   Schnapps!!!  
We had done a concert upstairs in the church and afterwards there were drinks and refreshments downstairs.   And every time they said Prost! it couldn't do anything but say Prost! back - it would have been rude lol. 
The Three Stooges - Jan 26, 2003


Cushion


OK I admit this is a stretch 

A cushion of moss ?  

My own choice

We've been having the most amazing sunsets this past week - this was last Friday - 20th March.  



Again , thank you so much to Kate for organising this photo hunt every month - we really needed it this week.   
Going now for my virtual trip around the world to have a look at what everyone else has done... Photo Scavenger Hunt Link Up...

Monday 16 March 2020

Singing calms the nerves


Hi all, 

Just a wee tip - if you're getting anxious in the midst of all this crisis, turn on the radio or a CD and sing at the top of your lungs - don't worry about who hears you.... It will really help calm you down.  

I was in Tesco earlier today and got really freaked at how close people were standing to me... So, into the car and turn on some voice exercises and it really worked.  

If you're interested I'm posting a song a day on my choir Singmarra's Facebook Page to sing along with .... I'll add a link for the lyrics too.


Thursday 12 March 2020

Waiting for the call

We're in the middle of our run of performances of the Emigrant Woman and Border Stories and waiting from day to day to see if they're going to be cancelled while trying not to panic.

Because of Csilla's story of her escaping from behind the Iron Curtain and the extra play we've added in about homelessness which she also wrote, the Q&A after both the shows in Derry and in Rostrevor were very interesting and informative. One of the pieces we do is called Love in Paris - it's a poem of Csilla's that I have turned into a song and it describes her meeting a stranger when she and her boyfriend finally arrived in Paris after a week sleeping rough to get through the green borders from Yugoslavia to Italy and then over the Alps to get from Italy into France (as teenagers they thoguht that now they were in the free west they didn't need a passport!).   Anyway, the stranger in Paris looks after them and helps them find the right address.   But we were all shocked to hear in the Q&A a French friend of mine saying that nowadays to do that in Paris would be an arrestable offence ... for the householder!   Isn't that the most crazy thing ... What is happening to humanity.  

Today's audience are all school children (if the school isn't closed before we get there) - it will be interesting to hear their take on the different stories.