A REASON FOR LIVING

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worth while?"
Death thought about it "Cats," he said eventually, "Cats are Nice."
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery

ANOTHER 2 POEMS:

Both poems from: The colours of ancient dreams
B.C. Leale

A ROOM

There is a room possessed
by a locked piano
a black coffin
on a silent ocean.

There is a room crackling with flames
where the women you desire
unsheathe their vulvas beneath blankets of ash.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````

IN A LOCKED ROOM OF THE CHATEAU

Our philatelist uncle
with the towering crumbling eye
of a mortician
spreads out a sparkling
fresh set

of gummy vaginas

OFF THE SHELF:-

I don’t usually do these year in review thingy’s, but inspired by Dori and Tanya, and for lack on anything else to post, here too is my 2006 books in review :

ENJOYABLE READS:

1. Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami
Kafka is delightful. The puzzles enthralled me, the characters were colourful and the journey was never dull. It had a fascinating strangeness and even if by the end of it there is no great epiphany and it doesn’t necessarily all add up, it is still my favourite book of 2006.

2. Perfume – Patrick Suskind
Interesting book. The characters (especially the main character) are strange, complex and fascinating and reflect our (people) nasty sides with loads of irony and brilliance. I loved learning about the science and craft of perfume making and exploring and understanding the motivations and thoughts of the murderer, to the extent that I eventually sympathised with him far more than I did his victims.

3. The Night Watch – Sarah Waters
Not a favourite, (but not too bad either) especially because I don’t usually enjoy stories set in or about war and this is. But having really enjoyed her last 3 books, I took a chance. It’s a well-written book, she starts at the end of the story and works forwards, which does work, but I was disappointed with it as a whole and compared to her previous books, her characters seemed less interesting and a little plain. I also found the story unsentimental. I reckon if you enjoy war stories, then you’ll appreciate it more than I did.

4. Weight – Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette is one of my favourite all time authors so naturally I had to read Weight. It wasn’t easy to get into and I almost put it aside. Once it got hold of me, I was thrilled by the timeless questions it posed and by the end of the book, I was so glad that I did not put it aside.

5. Giovanni’s room – James Baldwin
This was one of Jane’s favourites and so I read it on her recommendation. It is beautifully written even though a little outdated, set in Paris, it’s the story (memoir) of a doomed affair of the heart and soul.

UNFINISHED READS… (not my thing) :

1. Madlands – Rosemund J Handler
The story of Carla Jensen who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder – I got just more than halfway through before giving it up. I found the writing childlike and the story rather self-indulgent and in the end did not really care about her (Carla’s) journey through her madlands…

2. I Lucifer (finally the other side of the story) – Glen Duncan
I thought I’d enjoy this book, being a lover of clever prose. But instead, I found the ramblings of Satan rather verbose (although also funny), I found it hard to follow the author's long narratives and stay on top of what point was being made or where 'Satan' was going with the lecture. This made the book inaccessible to me.

READS IN PROGRESS:
Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

READS ON THE LIST FOR THIS YEAR (so far) :
1. The Accidental – Ali Smith
2. The Mistress of Spices - Chitra Divakaruni
3. Dance - Haruki Murakami
4. Wind up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
5. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman - Haruki Murakami
6. PJ Harvey :Siren Rising - James R. Blandford

Halloween Blessing

Samhain (Halloween) is here, and it's time turn the wheel of the year, it is the eighth and final spoke of the wheel and on this night, it is believed that the boundaries between the spiritual and physical worlds are thin, less defined. The souls of either realm might look beyond the veil and glimpse at the other side or may even pass through.

So on this sacred night,, may those who have lost loved ones take the opportunity to remember their departed with love and courage and hope, and in so doing honour their memory.

And should you wish to communicate with those who have slipped beyond this life, may your efforts be successful if it is right that they are; and if you would prefer to meditate on good times had with friends, family or lovers that you grieve and miss, then I hope you are reassured through the blessed act of remembrance.

MIGHTY REPULSIVE MITE

ANDREW SYRED / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

THE EYELASH MITE:

This really grossed me out! The pictures above are of tiny Demodex mites that apparently live in our eyelashes. Mostly, all of us have them, from just after birth. They survive by eating the dead skin cells of our eyelash hair follicles.

Worse still, these mites mate on our skin then lay their eggs inside our hair follicles or sebaceous glands before as many 25 six legged nymphs (baby mites) hatch into a single hair follicle. Seven days later they become adults then move into new hair follicles. They migrate over our skin during the night, infesting the skin of the eyelids, the nose and ear canals. The adult mites eventually die and decompose inside our hair follicles or sebaceous glands. The cycle then begins again.

And we live with these parasites without even knowing they are there unless in the case of infestation that can result in hair loss, skin irritation and/or acne.

There are believed to be millions of tiny creatures that live off our bodies ~ eeeuw!

This is an image of the tail ends of these Eyelash mites feasting in the eyelash hair follicle:

Stephen Gschmeissner / http://www.visions-of-science.co.uk

Isn't she lovely?

Cyan (aka Sci-Fi),

enjoying the summer sun!

"Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat." - Mark Twain

My Celebrity Look-alikes

Option 1 : Hair down




Option 2 : Hair up

SOMETHING FROM THE 90'S

Remember these?

The Stereogram :



This stereogram is the work Michiru Minagawa, and was published in the book Stereogram (Cadence books.)

POETRY CORNER

Two of my favourite ee cummings poems:


i like my body when it is with your

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite new a thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh ... And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill

of under me you so quite new

ee cummings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

ee cummings

The Trouble of Oak

Yes it is spring in Joburg. Birds are mating, flowers blossoming and the sun is shining. Everywhere there is evidence of this beautiful fresh season full of sweet smells and vibrant colours replacing the bleakness of winter. At our little spot on the map though, we have shifted back from winter rather than forward. We are the not so fortunate receivers of an autumn décor to rest our spring eyes on. The magnificent oak trees in our garden have determined to cover the newly greening lawn with a blanket of their winter death. Every morning, we wake to layers of brown dry leaves spread across every nook and cranny of our garden – 7 refuse bags worth daily. And then there are the spring rains…. It is not the turning of these discarded leaves into mulch that worries us; rather it’s the return of the Parktown Prawn. This red terrorist awakes from hibernation to reclaim his reign of King of the outdoor creepies. It is their nature to lurch aggressively from cover at unsuspecting open-air activists sending them fearingly back inside. In a normal spring season one could see them coming and make an escape before their attack, however, in the autumn of our little landscape, they have the perfect cover. Now we watch as leaves rustle across the invisible lawn and wonder in horror from behind the safety of windows whether there is a spring breeze blowing or if the crusaders of dread are out at play.

The flora as at the start of day ... by day end, the leaves are the only visibile foliage!

GRRRR : IF IT AINT BROKE, WHY FIX IT!!!

My Cyan is an extremely particular eater. Her palate does not need variety and in fact will not accept any change of menu. The same food day in and day out works perfectly for her. This should make it a simple task to keep her appetite satisfied. Hmph, if only, but cat food companies have other plans for me.

The first feeding problem arose when after eating Friskies Fancy Feast Turkey in jelly for the first 10 years of her life, every day, our local importer decided that they would change their import menu by discontinuing this product variant in favour of a 'newly improved' sliced turkey in gravy.... after my little girl flatly refused to eat the new and improved flavour variant, I scoured the provinces many retail outlets taking up all their old stock of the original feast and even got in contact with an international stockist in preparation for future dinners as direct imports. But I was saved this last resort option when Cyan decided she actually quiet enjoyed the Whiskas chicken in jelly .... a huge victory for me.

So for the past two years it has been Whiskas chicken in jelly on her menu for dinner - that is until this week. My little angel is not eating ~ her usual dinner that is. She greats me with frantic hunger meows on my return home from work in the evening and has started pawing my eyelids in the morning so that I can wake to give her breakfast. I do naturally jump at her demands but to no avail - the saucer of food remains untouched and Cyan continues to behave like a kitty who has just arrived home from an animal shelter and really needs food.

Today I phoned the manufacturer of Whiskas, to be told that they had in fact changed their formula ~ improved on it ~ and that whilst they sympathised with my dilemma, they had naturally based the change on the results from a panel of kitties it was tested on who really did prefer the new formula..... so 'too bad' for me and Cyan. Mmm.... the panel obviously had no Siamese proof tasters on it, of that I am convinced.

And here begins my search for an acceptable Cyan meal.......

Birthday Photo's: The cake and the girls at lunch

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Today is my birthday and I have been made to feel so very special. My day started with coffee and a bag of lovely and thoughtful gifts from my love, served to me in bed. I had a cake baked in my honor (by Jane), was taken for lunch, had friends phoning with birthday wishes and then dinner served to me in bed. I have been truly blessed and totally spoilt. Ah, I could get used to this.
A few photos of today’s keepsakes will follow soon.

From Blogthings : What Personality Disorder are you?

Not tagging anyone, but if you are in the mood for a little mindless fun, join in.

My Results :-

You May Be a Bit Antisocial...

Antisocial? That may be a bit of an understatement. You think rules are meant to be broken - and with gusto! Having no fear, you don't even think about consequences. But people love you anyway... you've got a boatload of charm.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Our Humble Home:

Meet My Children:

This is Cyan, she is my first Love:

and, the lovable Hooligan - Jemima:

I'll MEME... too :

from : Tanya's post on 25 July 2006

Five Things in My Freezer
1. Mama's cheese puff pies
2. Pea and Baby Carrot mix
3. Blanca Pizza
4. Chocolate Ice-Cream
5. Ice Packs

Five Things in My Closet
1. Clothes
2. Perfume
3. Sentimental letters and cards (tsk - my skeletons)
4. Passport
5. Vibrator

Five Things in My Car
1. Drivers License
2. Crystals
3. CD's
4. Windshield Sun-Screen
5. Emergency reflective triangle - in case of a breakdown.

Five Things in My Purse
if taking purse literally (not handbag)
1. Money
2. Photographs of Cyan, Jemima, Jane and Ciaran
3. ATM cards
4. Restaurant Business cards
5. Old receipts

Tagged

I have been tagged by Dori and here are 5 things you probably do not care to know about me:

1. I don’t eat beetroot or salmon.
This is a childhood affliction against anything pink especially food.

2. The feeling of paper towels and freshly washed toweling gives me the heebie-jeebies.

3. I mostly can’t remember my dreams.

4. I love my cat more than I love my girlfriend.

5. I can stare into space vacantly for hours without needing to do anything else.

Can't play this forward as none of mine who are not already tagged have blogs .

Infected

Trust is a little word with a big heart. It is fragile. It can be damaged. My trust is not blind although for some it can be. My trust has been infected with parasites and there is no immediate remedy. The wheel turns. Let it turn. Let it turn but not on me! I feel the lies eat their way through my blood and into the fabric that becomes my skin. My skin holding it all together. Not such a thick skin. There is always a time, a moment, when life shifts and shunts into another gear. This time is now. We are travelling uphill slowly and the top is far from sight, too far to believe it is within reaching, too far to travel today. Trust without which we are nothing. Without which we are dying. Trust, without which we we are not.

"liberate yourself from the web of deceit

the spider wants to make believe you are a fly."

~Fetish~