Rah Goddess' Guide to Life

I love reading but have done very little for pleasure in the last few months. Longer than that even, probably. I have done reading for work, reading of the news online, and the occasional blog surfing but not the curling up with a good book variety. So I am taking Alicia’s Book Club quite seriously indeed, found the book and now about to start it. I am hoping that this leads to me finishing my rereading of War and Peace and allows me to put together a phenomenal book list for my bucket list. So if you have any reading recommendations - just leave a comment!

The book we are reading this month is “Too Much Happiness” by Alice Munro. Not read any of her work but read lots about her, she won the Man Booker International prize in 2009 and is lauded as one of the gems in Canada’s literary scene. I like to know a bit about the writers of the books I’m reading, and so found a couple of interviews for you guys to peruse with me. Got me excited about reading. So if you want to join us, there’s still time to read the book quickly Just pop on over and put your name down - here.

Reading can help with depression, relaxation, and above all joy. So I shall endeavour to make time for it, to prepare for it - I must go get an eye test, busy eyes = tired eyes, and to enjoy it again.

Happy reading xxx

A little late but I still had to do it

Nine - the the entire movie - sooooooooo excited - Be Italian!!! So many actors I love in this film and Fergie is in it! Hoping I will get to see this as it comes out, omg I have reverted to teen speak in my pure enthusiasm and joy about this film. Please don’t tell me it will be rubbish or is rubbish. I don’t care I’m there regardless. Joy. Dancing. Broody. Sexy. Glamorous. Musicals!!!! And I adored Rob Marshall’s take on Chicago, he had me at hello

Watch that and tell me you’re not shivering in anticipated pleasure I am dancing already. Happy happy happy. Bounce bounce!

2. Couldn’t leave Nine there! If you don’t like Kate Hudson, leave now. Gush, adore, she is a mini pop star! Love this And I do like the nod to the La Dolce Vita film fest black and white gorgeousness.

You HAVE to love her

3. My absolute new favourite actress Marion Cotillard, she is mesmerising - if haven’t seen En Vie en Rose make sure you do!

4. I really like Penelope Cruz - she is a superb actress and a pretty singer and dancer too

5. I have to stop here but I could talk about Daniel Day Lewis, Dame Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman… and all the other exciting names but I’ll leave you with the lengend that is Sophia Loren

I can’t wait, bubbling over, headphones on, staying up far too late listening to the soundtrack on youtube

I really enjoyed Fellini’s 8 1/2 (this movie is based on that classic just with more singing and dance numbers ). Now who is coming with me to see Nine? xxxx

To prove my commitment to this amazing story that is unfolding (so modest am I!). I give you chapter maybe one of “Eyes for the Moon".

Be gentle but no worries about saying what you think, I can take it. Hopefully it won’t only have a face that a mother can love

Drum roll please

——

Eyes for the Moon

Chapter One

Show nights were always preluded by an eerie calm. No manic dress rehearsals, no nervy arguments, and definitely no angst ridden tears. Those things were simply left unsaid. She felt them coursing over the site, through trailer upon trailer, like a river running through her, but nothing but a strained silence was demonstrated. Her heart skipped a beat when her mother took a sharp intake of breath, she willed her to restrain herself, to not draw attention to them. Choosing to ignore the invisible voices swilling around their cramped caravan, Deia closed her eyes to it all and wished herself far away. She felt time trickle through her senses benumbing the painful chatter and closing off the world from her. Warm sandy motion wandered deep down into her fingertips and she imagined a sun soaked vista caressing her away from greasepaint and water. Tears, vodka, raindrops, they were all the same, liquid existing to remind her than she really didn’t. Eighteen years worth of struggle massaged its way out, the light filling the abyss and releasing her. She exhaled and she felt freedom. She could taste it. No bitter sweet after-taste just life away from this prison.
Her mother dropped a glass, it shattered through her. The sound of the impact against the cool lino, the fear falling from her face, and the shudder it sent spiralling through the already grey air outside. Gone was the peace. Deia’s eyes opened immediately but she didn’t move otherwise. She looked intently at the ceiling waiting for her mother to speak. Dirty blonde hair swam in waves around her heart shaped face, her odd angular features were dulled by chocolate brown eyes that were fanned by fair lashes. She took to blinking by the minutes, waiting for her mother to venture a sad apology. Eyes closed and her breathing slowed, she could taste the resentment and pain shock waves brimming over from her mother’s locked away soul. She coughed to break the silence, and then it came, barely a murmur, a ticking clock of a well rehearsed apology, “Sorry”.
Deia raised herself up, first sitting and then searching through narrow eyes in the dark sullied cabin for the black eyes that belonged to Caragh. Wiry and small, her mother looked like fraying rope, hands and body constantly clenched as though she was ready to fight, hair in wild black curls left to their own devices. She was stood like a ghost, lurking in the shadows, all her being focused on existing somewhere else. That spirit she had passed onto her daughter, other than that they had nothing in common.
“You can’t be quiet for a hour?” Deia’s words were released in an irritated sigh. Caragh took that as a sign she could resume her usual volume and immediately her entire demeanour changed. Like a child she played percussion on cupboards doors and pots as she raced around the kitchenette, frantic in her searching. Deia stretched and coughed, “you won’t find any more, give it up”.
Her words stopped Caragh dead. She turned sharply and stared at her daughter as though her eyes could penetrate both fear and pain. Deia laughed mockingly, “ouch! That stung Mother”.
She waited until Caragh shrunk back to her pathetic excuse of a bed, in the corner of the room, until she let her expression slip into a worried frown. She was sad. Lonely and afraid. It was only Monk’s lessons on meditation that had saved her then. She set sail from her own experience for blankness, a shield against the emotions of others, because although looks couldn’t kill her, they could hurt. Searing hot pain if she let them in. She had to lock most people out in order to know what she was feeling was her own. Hesitantly she stood up. She had to leave. Her Mother’s breathing implied she had succumbed to sleep but the energy that surrounded her was poison. Agitated and prickly, it was enough to bleed tears just feeling it. She stalked out of the room, into the small porch. There she pulled on muddy boots and a tired weather beaten jacket. Wearily she looked out into the rain. The mood she was in seemed to make the world outside a darker place, night fell quickly in those short moments she took to decide where to go. Eyes open she scanned the camp. Like an expert marksman she tracked down some welcoming, happier emotions and headed towards the only caravan that had a light on. She went to find Monk.

——-

Tis rough but I am enjoying it!

Thank you for reading xxx

A tweet by Jen got me thinking.
“Words written? Bugger all. Words deleted? Bloomin loads. Reverse writing. Not the right idea at all. Ho hum, time to Do Things now.”
Yesterday I made the decision to not punish myself for not completing 50, 000 words for Nanowrimo. It was hurting me creatively as I was meandering everywhere without a plot, writing quite appalling crap and both loving and hating it at the same time. Then Dan said something to me. Along the lines of surely you’ve missed the point, the whole exercise is to get people writing every day. So I started to slow down, actually consider the plot, take some time for planning, deleted a little and here I am with a good story to tell. Feels great! I’ll probably get to my 50, 000 words in a couple of weeks. I feel good about it! November has been a busy month for me. I’d probably do better doing the challenge in October Awh well! Onward and upwards!

Book update - it is a magical love story with intrigue, murder and lots of journeys all thrown in. I love my two protagonists and will probably give you a little taster on here in a few weeks

However not to detract from the amazing task of finishing Nanowrimo, I’d like to say a massive congratulations - in addition to singing it on her answerphone to my good friend Laura for completing her 50,000 words, can’t wait to read it Chuck! xxx

Happy writing!
xxx

Copyright © National Palace Museum, Taiwan
Ode on Leisurely Living
Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), Yuan dynasty
Handscroll, ink on paper, 38 x 248.3 cm

For some that know and for others that don’t. My husband and I were married in December 2007 and for our honeymoon set sail on a voyage around the world. Phileas Fogg eat your heart out! We had no need to rush as our cruise took 101 nights to glide around the waters of the Old World (we missed out America - North and South). Some of the destinations and ports were not ones that I’d thought about going and also others were some I’d never heard of. Don’t judge me. I love geography, maps and have extreme wanderlust running through my veins but I never knew the capital of Taiwan is Taipei. Well after our trip there I did know, as Taipei was an interesting city if not a slightly confused one. Stunningly beautiful in parts and yet strikingly modern in others. Green spaces and steel construction sit side by side as do Chinese and Taiwanese inhabitants. Opinion shifts from person to person about whether their country is China or Taiwan. But my post is not about that aspect of a country divided, it is about instead the shared art, history and of course, calligraphy.

I have to say that Taipei’s National Palace Museum, located in the Waishuanghsi neighborhood of the Shihlin District, is one of the best museums that I have ever been to. It is a rare example of an educational and yet beautiful place . On the coach from Keelung to Taipei I read that visitors worldwide often just visit Taiwan to go to the museum and thought that it was hyperbole. It wasn’t, isn’t and you should definitely try and visit there if you’re in that neck of the woods. The building itself is amazing and stands out in the green of the parks around it.

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However, one of the major permanent exhibits, which to me is indicatively Chinese, were the rooms and rooms of gorgeous script. Handwriting as art. Ink flowing over reams of delicate wafer thin silky paper. Chinese calligraphy and painting. It was awesome. Trust me So much so, I HAD to queue up and buy the exhibit book - Marvelous Sparks of the Brush. Which made us a couple of minutes late for the coach, which absolutely pissed Dan off and then made me annoyed because we had had three weeks of waiting for latecomers getting on the coach and I was only two minutes late dammit! We had about a hour not talking to each other and I sulked and so did Dan. It was pants. However that inspired me to go twirling in my pink coat alone in an empty square. Rockin’, it’s one of my favourite trip pictures.

So the book and of course the museum. I am eventually reading it, remembering what we saw there and it is fascinating. How letters have become masterpieces and oh my God, the titles of some of them. ‘Calligraphing ‘Water Curtain Wave’ by a T’ang Poet, Chao Meng-fu, Yuan Dynasty’. I can’t find a picture online of it but the calligraphy looks like water on the page. I am in love with it. The patience and skill it must’ve taken, years and years to practice and accomplish, so no mistakes were made. It makes me recall a time when I was 12. New Berol calligraphy pen in hand, oh yeah, check me. I spent hours trying to write Old World stylee. To no avail. It was okay, just not perfect… story of my procrastinating life that is! Maybe I shall ink up (Dan and I have a lovely pen and ink from Spain) and have a go this Christmas. ‘Tis the season of lovely traditions after all. And what better way to celebrate than taking a bit of extra TLC with my cards. Until I get bored or too drunk that is. Well you can’t write Christmas cards without some Christmas cheer can you?! Tipsy in charge of a pen? My words will be looking like water for an entirely different reason!

Merry writing….

xxxx

Some Taiwanese treats to chew on! Well not literally as munching on your computer monitor might hurt!

*I did this through Picture2Life and it is cool for making collages - I am rahgoddess there too if you wanna check me out or add me! Really cool find xxx

ps - I am also going to add my flickr widgety thing (well, ask Dan to ) so you can see the pictures I’ve taken a lot better!

Cue the shame that at the half way point I am only at just under 15,000 words and the 50,000 seem a distant distant dream. Cue melancholic murmurs and sad procrastination. Thus time to pick myself up, brush myself off and celebrate that despite all the chaos and distractions I have written so much more in these past weeks than in the last year. I did need this so much and feel happy that I have started writing again, so failing one thing as helped me succeed in another. I am writing again.

What are you writing you ask? Maybe you don’t care but I’ll share anyway. I am writing a story called “The Wanderlust Journeys” about a young girl who travels away from home and discovers new places as well as a new her. It’s a coming of age tale, a romantic magical realism sorta piece. Gosh I am so vague. The title is a work in progress as is the plot and tale, bear with me and I shall update again soon. It does contain a journey around Paris as I spent some time there this year and was so inspired by the place.

Are you writing anything at the moment, maybe we could get a small writers’ circle together?

Happy writing/typing!

xxxx

I appeal for mercy for I really love this word. As I type tonight I am thinking only of words. Words not written, words of appeal, of want, of need. I am wondering about a journey. Pen to paper, ink rushing, threads of thought given over to the blank landscape of the page. Ah love!

Today was full of plans unfulfilled however it was needed. I am free tomorrow to commit to the art of writing. Both through my blog and my novel. There I said it. I am writing a book. No more hiding behind nanowrimo, this is where I want to be. I have always wanted to write and do it well. So there by the grace of God go I.

Today I was inspired by - golden autumn leaves against a stormy sky, shiny new buttons and new puzzles, doggy delight at finding an abandoned frisbee in the park, clean sheets, a tidy desk, new beginnings.

And one of my favourite poems -

Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

And watching Desperate Romantics, it was on ages ago and sitting in my sky+ planner. I love this period of history, and one of the artists that is portrayed in the show, one painting in particular. Sir John Everett Millais‘ “Ophelia“. It is breath-taking. I have seen it and it stayed with me. So dark and yet so light.

Swoon.

Inspiration beckons, as does the land of dreams xxx

Howday hope you are all having a creative Wednesday I am kinda, today has been such a weird one filled with crap feeling and restlessness. So to try and order myself out of verging towards negativity (read mardiness) I decided to make a few lists and plans - first of all my to do list for the rest of the year. Yikes! I cannot believe it is almost December.

Bucket List work in progress…

4. Grow my hair long
My hair has gone from short bob to grazing about 2 inches from my shoulders. It is a messy though, the condition is rubbish, I really need to do something to improve it. However, I am already feeling better about the length, it has more versatility this way. I should think about going to see the hairdresser though, it’s in dire need of a cut.

5. Get in shape – be a comfortable size 10
Already written a post about this. Fat photos from Halloween have been my catalyst. Eurrgggh. Sick of hiding in pictures and taking sooooo long to get ready. I want to be comfortable, so new exercise regime is being worked out as I type - brilliant multitasker me!

6. Try ice-skating outdoors
Whoop whoop! Finally doing this at Somerset House on my December weekend jaunt to see my Feltham Laydez. Cannot wait! So excited about this one

7. Complete my NQT year, and 32. Get a MA
Still applying for jobs, working around starting the MA with my teachers union ATL. I will update when I make a decision or I hear it about it further.

10. Make gorgeous handmade presents for Christmas
Working on giving everyone at least something handmade - one thing - I will take pictures as I work and post them post Christmas.

16. Play Fur Ellise on the piano
Just! I just started practising again and it feels really good to play, although it’s on my keyboard and not my lovely piano!

19. Research and make a family tree
I hoping to to start ordering all the information into books so I can chop and change genealogy sites without subscribing, yep I’m a tightwad!

25. Organise all my video and photo albums
A must before Christmas!!!! I am determined to start this, will post a project to do list, sorry if I’m boring you all with my lists

35. Be able to do a headstand and touch my toes in Yoga
Part of my getting into shape is to start Yoga again! I own quite a few dvds, my plan tomorrow is do one of them. Then maybe I will try and find a local class.

36. Learn how to make the perfect cosmo
Note to self, get Dan to teach me! He made the nicest cosmopolitans over the weekend

39. Finish and publish my book
Started writing again, doing Nanowrimo, really enjoying it!

40. Organise, sell and donate unused clothing, and items I own
Begun the massive task of sorting, filing, cleaning my spaces. Already filled one bag - going to do a car boot sale with my sister and then donate the rest to charity. The leftovers will go into the bin. Result.

68. Create and read a 100 book reading list and 69. Create and watch a 100 film watching list
Will post these shortly

70. Make gorgeous bags and 81. Make jewellery
Going to make a couple in time for Christmas - so watch this space.

80. Learn to count to ten in ten different languages
Started got 1. Spanish and 2. French - will post videos soon Working on 3. Russian and 4. Japanese

92. Make ten new good friends and take the time to cement ten friendships already gained
Dan and I made a kinda pact to make more of an effort with the friends we have, so we have been going out, having people over and being social butterflies. I forsee busy times ahead as we have no free spare weekends in November, all booked out - will be shattered by Christmas!

Done for now, expect longer update posts for each item as I journey through the last two months of the year!

Time flies…

xxx

I’ve made mistakes
but I won’t be ashamed
it feels like fate is liftin’ me
I can’t seem to keep my feet on the ground.

I no longer hide
so I let the sun wash over me
‘cause there’s no darkness left
to hold me down.
and I feel it’s light,
now I found the spark
that was missin’ in my life.

I earned these wings,
I was not born with them
& it’s no accident
how I walked through
the rain and the fire.

‘cause it taught me how to love.
it taught me how to fight.
& finally, I’m learning to fly.

when you lose your way
when your heart breaks
when you can’t escape
you feel just like a prisoner
of all the world says you will never be.
that’s when you can’t give up,
gotta hold on tighter now than ever
the answers will find you when you believe.
and I feel it’s light,
now I found the spark
that was missin’ in my life.

and I tried, yeah I tried, to get somewhere I’d rather be
but sometimes the fastest way is not so easy.

I earned these wings,
I was not born with them
& it’s no accident
how I walked through
the rain and the fire.

‘cause it taught me how to love.
it taught me how to fight.
& finally, I’m learning to fly.

Amazing song, I love her. Heard her first on “Private Practice” and now I’m addicted
Check out her site and her album. The girl can sing!

Love it - have spent the last hour listening to her videos on youtube

Catch ya tomorrow xxx

So I took this morn would be a good time to share some things I’ve found on the internet that I desire, oh yeah! This time teeees

I love this Gio Goi tee which is on sale at Ark Clothing for £34.99. Very cool!

I got an e.vil tee in Singapore on our world trip and I love it. I adore this one too, available to buy from Blush Baby.

I fell in love with Tokidoki in Hong Kong on our trip (where I picked up one of their bags ), I love the cute characters and quirky illustrations. They have some awesome bags and toys too! Buy directly from them Or check out ebay!

Hehe! I love quirky and funny tees. This was a new find and a new site - the t shirt is by Newbreed Girl at Jukupop. My fave from the range was actually the blue shark tee with Rah on the front (I love the Rah!) but they appear to have sold out. The site is so reasonable and I have found so many tees that I love! Including the dirty dancing one, check it out I have seen some of their t shirts on sale at Topshop too.

And now I’ve found another cool tee shop Where you can get the Newbreed Girl tees a little cheaper and more of them. But my favourite from Blue Banana is one of my favourite t shirt brands (love their jammies too!) David & Goliath. I already have the glow in the dark cookie monster one and I had the welcome to the dark side pjs so I love this

They also have a “The Freaks Come Out At Night one", very cool and topical for Halloween. And yet another new find I love this site too. The chicksrule David & Goliath uk site.

And finally, a topical one to finish. From the Rainforest Foundation. Buy one and support them in their fight against deforestation. I am really liking the Hot and Bothered tee.

*All pictures belong to the sites they are displayed on!