wytchcroft

you never give me your number,

As i mentioned before, these last couple of weeks have been very busy, hence my somewhat random appearances on and absences from all my usual favourite lj haunts...
here are a few excuses... !

you just give me your funny paper...

Fun things found or experienced this week include;

Two ration books - not only charming timepieces but useful for my story coming soon!).

Just flicking through them is a trip through time - there are clues as to what the owner (and their family) liked to eat, as well as what the common staples, dairy products of course but frequently the stamps for these are unused since eggs, for example, were far rarer than the powdered equivalent, oh and - Ministry of Food anyone?

I got to play a child's harp - not my usual harp as in harmonica! - more of a lyre really and a beautiful thing (the instrument, not my playing!). Now i really, really want one of my own!

A present; two candles in china cups, which really do look nice - that kind of thing can often look tacky or whatever but i love these and a big cheers goes to the giver!

Elsewhere, i have recently started helping out at a second hand store selling books and records.
this is nothing new in itself i've done so several times since the 1980s, most hilariously in Manchester
during my grumpy drunken phase when i worked in an old Irish bookshop straight out of Black Books.
I may have mentioned pochin and obituaries for Xmas before...

Anyway - a large amount of sorting has been done which is something everyone in the team can feel happy about.

Meanwhile, Yes! The play is done, big relief, lots of hurdles given the fact that it was all very last minute and i got drafted in when someone else fell out of the production.

Great fun though and much child genius conversation. Maybe the best of which was a young lad holding forth for some considerable time on the nature of time, space and motor oil to two exchange students that don't speak English.

They handled it very well, nodding and smiling.
The lad finished up his lecture and after i had congratulated him on remembering so much stuff he, without changing gears, watched as i turned my head away and then buried my hand in mud and fell over laughing.
Oh the joy of being that strange age of five or so!
Wonderful.

It should be pointed out that i am a TERRIBLE actor, ha ha!
A dreadful ham! But i don't let that stop me!

I was always more interested in the backstage activities (no not THOSE activities you deviants! well ok, a bit maybe... koff! koff!) such as set design and what have you.
This was outdoors and everyone contributed to make a great sailing ship out of nothing, just by turning tables over, and attaching sails to swings, things like that.

There may be photos once i get them and make sure there's no confidentiality breech.

I was surprised actually by the choice of text - that this is the second version of the Tempest that the children have performed, these kids really love that play, (probably because of the fantasy element, the magic and spirits and Caliban as Gollum), which is fine by me since it one of my very favourites.

Indeed the universe has rewarded me since after everything was done and dusted i actually stumbled on an audio production of the play with Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox and a whole cast of quality thesps.
Fab !

This is doubly good since i will need entertaining; last week i rewatched the first season of Dollhouse as my feet up and relax type thing. And it certainly did the trick, i enjoyed it a lot - with the exception of some glaring cuts and three episodes that i can't believe were considered worthy of transmission. Snort!
But, just like the hype said, the series picks up as it goes along and from episode six onward the whole show moves into high gear and the finale is a fantastic double, c/o Tim Minear and Jane Espenson.
Now i want season two...

and in the middle of the celebrations you break down...

Ok, in the somewhat major minus column we have the fact that i ran into a good friend of mine whom i love very much but hadn't seen in an age or more, only to be there when they collapsed and got taken off to hospital!
So, vibes and good wishes to them!

Aaah, She's stronger than she knows, so i'm hopeful.

...........................