It seems particularly appropriate to feature David Bowie in my #MusicMonday slot on my blog today. I think the whole country, and possible the world, is in shock today. No one knew David Bowie had cancer, that he'd been diagnosed with it 18 months ago, and knew he was going to die. He was busy working on a broadway musical, and a brand new album, Blackstar, which appears to be a way for him to say goodbye to his fans. So today's news of his death came as quite a shock. I have spent most of today listening to radio specials celebrating the life and music of David Bowie, googling him, reading his Wikipedia page and exploring his website. He's someone that's always been there throughout my life, and somehow I never thought of going.
I think the first time I really noticed David Bowie was as a child, when I first watched Labyrinth, the fantasy movie in which he played Jareth, the Goblin King. He was charismatic and otherworldly, with a hauntingly beautiful voice. I loved the songs and I loved the character. I've heard a lot of David Bowie's well known, and some less well known songs on the radio today, but very little mention of Labyrinth, and the amazing soundtrack he did. So today I'd like to share a music video from the movie, featuring one of David Bowie's songs, As The World Falls Down. A beautiful ethereal scene, which somehow reminds me of the mythical story of Persephone and Hades, when Hades attempts to seduce Persephone into staying in his world forever, never to return to the world above. As I think this video shows, it would be tempting to stay. Enjoy.
I LOVED this movie in the 90's, and I had no idea they were even going to make a new one, let alone that they have already done it, and created a trailer, for a summer (June) 2016 release. Wow!
The original movie was EPIC! It had Bill Pullman as the president of the United States of America, Jeff Golblum as a seemingly insignificant guy who wanted to save the planet - and he literally got to do just that, on a hugely epic scale! The original movie had awe, and huge spacecraft looming over our skylines, like the characters in the movie, you gaped open-mouthed at the marvels of a far superior alien race arriving to annihilate you.
Well they're back, and so are key members of the original cast, including Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and the guy who played his father (Judd Hirsch I think, loved his character). I haven't seen Will Smith yet, but it appears Liam Hemsworth is in this movie, possibly playing a similar role to Will Smith's daredevil pilot, and perhaps 'a little eager to whoop ET's ass!'
From the trailer below, the new Independence Day: Resurgence looks just as fantastically epic as the original, made 20 years later, and I can't wait to see it!
It's September and I'm starting to think about Nanowrimo 2015, that exciting and crazy month in November, where every year I attempt to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel. I think September is the earliest I've thought of my Nanowrimo novel, normally it's some time in October I start to think of it. But I'd really like to give myself a good go of it this year. Perhaps this year will be the first one I actually win Nanowrimo?
Feeling inspired by my Art Challenge earlier this year, where I created a fantasy image based on an idea of a British secret service covertly fighting alien threats in the Victorian era. How would Victorian technology fare against alien technology? Aliens, alien abduction, experimentation on humans, shapeshifting aliens, alien robots and monsters attacking Earth and it's inhabitants would all seem very alien and very strange to 19th century humans.
Although they could use Victorian guns, probably flintlock pistols and rifles, and gunpowder (most enemies don't fare too well against large explosions), I think they would still struggle against alien enemies. Perhaps they could make use of the occult knowledge that was so popular in Victorian times. Consulting psychics to determine when and where any alien encounters or threats had or would happen. They could also seek out witches and mages to do battle against alien enemies, summoning spirits and werewolves to do their bidding. This may make the battleground a more even one.
Their communication abilities would be very archaic compared to today, before telephones of any kind were invented, not even radio communication existed. Letters would have been posted, and if something could not wait 24 hours for first class post, messengers could be sent, like errand boys (or grown men if they could not trust them) to deliver paper messages that were urgent. Members of the secret service could turn up at an agent's house, or meet them at a pre-arranged time, such as at a park. They could pass paper messages that would need burning after reading. Or they could have some sort of code. Perhaps Braille? They could have secretly invented before it was released to the public to be used by the blind, it could have been used as a discreet code around the edge of postcards or greeting cards to be sent through the post to secret service agents.
Steampunk technology could have been invented in a similar way, to look like Edwardian technology, that was secretly invented earlier than was released to the general public. What kind of Steampunk technology could they have had? Electricity hadn't been invented, so it would have to be something running from a steam engine, or cogs like a wind-up clock mechanism, which could be very small like a pocket watch, or something very large like Big Ben.
Perhaps I can spend these 2 months leading up to Nanowrimo researching Victorian technology and what occult and superstitious beliefs they had, to give me plenty of ideas to go through in November. I find I struggle when I don't know what is going to happen next in my novel, I've tried winging it with absolutely no prep at all, and I've tried with lots of ideas seemingly carefully planned, and then run out of steam.
This year I hope to be more prepared with ideas I can pick at random, and make use of the Mythic Game Master Emulator, originally designed to emulate the Game Master (or Dungeon Master, if playing Dungeons & Dragons), and allow a group of friends to roleplay without a GM (or DM), or to play a roleplaying game solo, without any other players (which is what I originally bought it for). But when you read into the Mythic Game Master Emulator ebook, you learn that it can actually be used for writing a novel, ideal if you up against a deadline (such as Nanowrimo), and don't know what to throw at your characters next. I'm hoping it will help me keep pressing on with my novel, when I'm stuck and feel I don't know where to go next. It should also help it feel like a game too, making it more fun! I might even try having a list of ideas or events, up to 100, that I can then throw a 100 sided dice (1d100 or 2d10's), to pick something at random to put my characters through. I love challenging my characters, and seeing what they can survive through!
Anyone else thinking of their Nanowrimo 2015 novel? I'd love to hear what you're working on and any tips you have for ploughing on through 50,000 words in 30 days!
I’ve always loved anything
miniature and small. As a child, I loved
reading The Borrowers by Mary
Norton. I was intrigued by Arrietty, the
young daughter of a family of Borrowers, tiny people who lived under the
floor. When they emigrated in The Borrowers Afield I loved exploring
the great outdoors through her eyes, discovering giant grass and hedges to
climb, beautiful flowers, giant buzzing bees, mice and frogs. And so began my love of nature. I used to imagine my miniature self, running
barefoot across the moss in my garden.
This glossy green carpet is perhaps one of the most ancient of plants, having
no roots or stems, nor true leaves. Many
varieties of moss thrive in the ancient woodland of the British Isles. It grows over rocks and soil, tree bark and stone
walls.
Lichens also grow on the bark of
trees, and are similar in that they have no roots, and absorb water all over
their surface. They need moist humid air
within which to grow, and the best place to spot them is in damp ancient
woodland. Because they absorb water from
the air around them, many varieties of lichens cannot survive near motorways or
human habitation due to the pollutants in the air, such as sulphur dioxide and
carbon monoxide, which dissolve in the water in the air that they drink. In these areas only Pleurococcus, a microscopic alga that turns tree trunks a dirty
green colour, seem able to survive. In
ancient woodland you see a much more varied and exciting variety of lichens,
including Tree Lungwort (Lobaria
pulmonaria), one of the largest lichens with large light green leaf shapes
growing over tree trunks, whose presence is often an indicator of ancient
woodland.
Ancient woodland is rare in that
it has undisturbed, and very rich soil.
It has not been ploughed or turned over by man for centuries, if at
all. It often dates back to the last Ice
Age, and in deciduous woodland, has been fed every year with the falling leaves
in autumn. Deciduous trees also enable
the prolific growth of another key ancient woodland indicator species – the English
Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). They flower and leaf early in the growing
season, making the most of the available light before the tree canopy closes in
late spring, giving a beautiful carpet of colour so typical of British woodland,
and much loved pollen and nectar for our humble Bumblebees.
Ferns are also well adapted to
woodland, these shade loving group of plants are one of my favourite. I love how each leaf gradually uncurls from
the centre, extending out into beautiful light green fronds, it’s like
unwrapping a present. Large ancient trees
in Britain harbour many beautiful little rare treasures, like the Golden
Hoverfly (Callicera spinolae), large
furry hoverflies that more closely resemble a honeybee, except that they have
long black antennae that are white at the tips.
The adults are active in September and October, often feeding on nectar
rich ivy as it is one plant which offers nectar and pollen at this time of the
year. Golden Hoverfly tend to lay their
eggs in ancient trees that have been pollarded, where wet rot holes have often
formed, or in the snags and complex branch structures of these old trees.
Perhaps the most elegant and
beautiful creature of ancient woodland, is the Purple Emperor Butterfly (Apatura iris). This Butterfly can appear black and white
from some angles, but when the sunlight strikes the wings at just the right
angle, a magnificent purple sheen is revealed.
This Butterfly spends most of its time up in the tree canopy feeding on
aphid honeydew, although it’s rather unusual diet does bring it down in the
early morning and again in the late afternoon, when it will feed on animal
droppings, carrion, moisture from damp mud, and have even happily landed on
human observers to feed on their sweat!
Another beautiful butterfly is
the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis
paphia), a bright orange butterfly named after the silver streaks found
underneath its wings. This Fritillary is
most often found in woodland where it’s larval food plant, the Common
Dog-violet (Viola riviniana),
grows. As adults, they feed on aphid
honeydew in the woodland canopy, but also their favourite nectar sources, the
flowers of Bramble and Thistle. The Silver-washed Fritillary is a strong
flyer, hurtling along through the tree canopy searching for anything that might
be food, and investigating anything remotely orange coloured in case it might
be a potential mate. Their courtship
flight is the most spectacular of all though, with the paler orange female
flying in a straight line, whilst the male continuously flies in loops all
around her, before eventually landing on a convenient spot where the male
showers her in scent scales. How
romantic!
Important managers of ancient
woodland are the rare and often overlooked are the Narrow Headed Ants (Formica
exsecta), recognised by a deep notch at the back of their head. Even though they are only 10mm long, they
play an important role in helping to regenerate forests. Certain plants are dependent on ants for
distribution of their seeds. For
example, Small Cow Wheat (Melampyrum
sylvaticum), produces seeds with a small sweet attachment which attracts
the ants. The ants carry the seeds to
their nest, where they will consume the yummy food, before taking the seeds out
of the nest and disposing of them somewhere new where they will germinate into new
plants the following year. Ants must
have a sweet tooth too!
Narrow Headed Ants are also
surprisingly green in their way of living. Masters of eco architecture, they build large
dome-shaped nests around a tussock of grass or some similar plant, which
provides not only the foundation of the nest, but also heat as the vegetation
decays within their nest. They also
build their nests asymmetrically, with the larger and flatter side facing
south, so as to get the maximum heat from the sun on their nests. The worker ants also go out sunbathing, before
returning to the nest and using their now heated bodies to warm and help
incubate the eggs. They also thatch
their roof with a covering of grass, heather and pine needles, insulating their
home from the cold. I guess when you’ve
gone to so much trouble to make your home so nice, you can understand how wood
ants can be very territorial, and Narrow Headed Ants are no exception. They have been known to climb onto the backs
of other ant species, and decapitate them from behind, literally biting their
heads off! Perhaps they’ve watched one
too many zombie movies?
If you’re looking for more scary
creatures of the forest, there are a couple of rare bats, the Barbastelle Bat (Barbastella barbastellus) and Bechstein’s
Bat (Myotis bechsteinii). I think the Barbastelle Bat is probably the
scarier looking of the two, being mostly black and pictured here in caves. It’s kind of ironic to think that humans used
to live in caves, and these days most of us tend to have a fear of Bats
flapping around us, how did we ever manage to live in caves with them? Surely we must have come across them in the
past, or is that where our fear of them first came from? Did we inadvertently spook them with a noise,
or was it just their time to fly out, and we happened to be in the way when
they went?
Apparently, Bats roost in
different locations at different times, depending on whether they just want
somewhere to sleep for the day, a breeding roost, or a hibernation roost. For breeding, they prefer higher treetops,
just under the canopy, where the sun will keep the females and their babies warm. Non-breeding adult females, and males, prefer
hollows and damaged spots in older or dead trees to keep cool in for sleeping
during the day. But in winter, they need
somewhere cooler, to allow their body temperatures to drop, preferably quiet
where they won’t be disturbed, and somewhere with a consistent
temperature. Perhaps in the base of an
old tree, but Bats would also find caves ideal for this. Perhaps they would hibernate deep in caves,
whereas prehistoric man would be nearer a cave’s entrance making small fires to
keep warm. Then come springtime, a whole
swarm of Bats could come flying out, surprising and terrifying humans, who
would have had no idea they were there!
I think the cutest creature of
the UK’s forests has to be the Dormouse (Muscardinus
avellanarius), a quick search on GoogleImages brings up many gorgeous pictures to melt your heart. Dormice are so sweet, with tiny human-like
hands, cute faces, golden brown fur, and a fluffy tail. They spend most of their time sleeping, they
sleep all day long, and hibernate up to seven months a year. They wake up in April, and spend their
nocturnal lives searching for food amongst the branches in the trees, often
taking long detours and leaping from branch to branch rather than having to
risk the danger of predators on the ground.
They tend to feed on flowers and pollen in the spring, fruit during the
summer, and nuts in the autumn. Their
favourite food is hazelnuts and bramble, whose flowers and berries can sustain
them for quite some time, but they can also eat aphids and caterpillars. The trees really do hold all they need, even
giving them nesting material, and hollows within which to build their nests
close to the ground for winter hibernation.
Over recent years, Dormice are in
decline. Because of their specialised
diet, and because of their fear of crossing open ground, dormice are restricted
to ancient woodland sites, they cannot cross open ground to colonise other
sites when their woodland habitat is destroyed.
All the species I have mentioned today are especially adapted to ancient
woodland, many are rare and threatened.
Amazingly, only 2% of the British Isles is covered in ancient woodland,
and only half of it is in a semi-natural condition. The other half has been planted with exotic
and invasive species, such as conifers and rhododendron, spoiling the biodiversity
and making it difficult or impossible for our native species to survive
there. These woodlands need careful
management, with the maintenance of native species of flora and fauna, to bring
the woods back to what was originally here in these woodlands. We cannot bring back the species that are
already extinct, but we can use what we’ve learned to protect the threatened
species barely hanging on to our British countryside.
The National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) is meant to protect special sites like these, to protect the ancient
forests of Britain and its inhabitants from extinction. But their wording has provided a huge
loophole allowing any potential developers to bulldoze straight through the
land. This is what it says:
“Planning
permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or
deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including
ancient woodland and the loss of aged or veteran trees found outside
ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that
location clearly outweigh the loss.”
How can any benefit of
development outweigh the loss of such a beautiful habitat and the amazing
species within it, which could be lost forever?
The Woodland Trust believe this wording is as much use as a
chocolate teapot. The wording should be
changed to ancient woodland loss being “wholly
exceptional.” The UK government disagrees,
they believe there is adequate protection, despite there being absolutely no
evidence to back that claim up. What do
you believe? Do you want to protect our
amazing and precious species?
The Edge Chronicles - Doombringer Book 2 Of The Cade Saga
By Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
I stumbled across this book in
the recently returned section of my local library. I was drawn to it by the beautifully illustrated
cover by Jeff Nentrup, this
magically floating ship with it’s starry lights along the hull, and a delicate
plume of smoke coming from a giant metal-plated ball, which I later learn is it’s
phraxchamber, and this is in fact, a skytavern!
This is the first book in The Edge Chronicles I have read (even
though it is book twelve in the series), and it is the second book in The Cade Saga, a trilogy of books
focusing on the main character, Cade Quarter.
But it doesn’t matter where you join in, as the authors (writer, Paul
Stewart, and illustrator, Chris Riddell) do an excellent job of introducing you
to the series, gradually filling you in on the character’s history as you go
along. There are no lengthy sections of
backstory, just gentle titbits fed to you as and when needed. The language used just lightly challenges you
too, I only had to reach for my dictionary a couple of times, having not come
across a ‘coracle’ before, for example.
I had no preconceptions of this
series so I had no idea what to expect.
From the cover I assumed this might be a steampunk novel, and there are
steampunk elements, but I think this book really excels at creating a fantasy
world in the Farrow Ridges, a beautiful idyllic wild land surrounded by
woods. The novel starts off slow and
safe feeling, it kind of reminded me of my days reading The Borrowers by Mary Norton, when they first venture afield, the
lazy summer days admiring the natural beauty of nature around them. The descriptions in this novel are amazing,
you never forget you are in a fantasy setting, with materials such as ‘ironwood’
and ‘snailskin’, creatures like ‘Glitterwings’ and ‘Tilder’, give an
otherworldly feel to it, yet somehow they seem relatable too. The attention to detail, the different settlements
built by the different races of goblins, they all have different cultures and
ways of building their homes that sets them apart, they are unique and I loved
discovering so much. You feel fully
immersed in this beautiful world.
The illustrations by Chris
Riddell are brilliant, with such great descriptions in this novel, it feels
vivid and real to you anyway, and you could argue you don’t need them, but
Chris Riddell captures the feeling of the scenes perfectly. You feel the excitement, the joy, the calm
before the storm, and the immediacy of the action, not to mention all the
details in costumes and scenery. The
illustrations help to bring the story to life.
My only gripe, and it’s really
only a small one, is at least at one point, Cade Quarter’s dialogue sounded
just like the narrator, describing the beautiful scenery in exactly the same
style as the author. It’s almost like he
lost his personality and became the narrator.
It’s only one brief moment of only a few lines, it soon passes allowing
you to get back on with the story.
There is so much to enjoy in this
novel, there is danger, excitement, joy, halcyon days when the characters relax
and enjoy their life, and you have to see and experience the good, to realise
what they potentially have to lose. You
really get to know their characters, the land they live on, and the dangers they
face. There are some amazing creatures
too, and the writer cleverly ups the ante as you progress through the novel,
and often surprises you. This novel has
been described as original and unique, and I completely agree. It is refreshing, awe-inspiring, and exhilarating;
as a really good adventure should be.
You think you know what’s going to happen next, and you are surprised at
every turn. Fresh, fun, and you just
have to know more.
I love the ending of the novel
too, without giving anything away, the novel has a fully rounded up
ending. But just like any great movie, there
was a scene saved right to the end, like a teaser for the next instalment, and
it just left you dying to read the next one!
This was handled beautifully in this novel. I also want to check out the first book in The Cade Saga, The Nameless One. But I’m
not sure I can resist the pull to see what happens next, and where the authors are
going to take me next.
If you crave adventure,
excitement, beauty and wonder in a book, with characters you really get to know
and care for, then this book is for you.
This is basically my New Year's Resolutions list for 2015. I need to straighten out some bad habits and make myself and my environment more conducive to living an exciting and adventurous life. Baby steps to begin with, and build up some steam for the bigger more scarier things I want to do.
1. Declutter all my possessions
I have a tendency for impulsive shopping. I think I do it to cheer myself up. Only now I have reached the point where I cannot move for the teetering piles of stuff on my floor. Nothing is easy to get at or find in my home. Therefore, it needs clearing out, badly. I am going to declutter all my possessions this year, hopefully within the first 6 months. I want to completely sort through all the large reference books on my bookcase (and those stacked on the desk, and the floor, and the landing). I also have a filled double layered bookcase of novels I have never read. A huge mountain of CD's I've never listened to, and DVD's, and Video Games. I think they are a bargain when I buy them so cheaply from the charity shop, secondhand or electrical trade in store. But they soon build up into overwhelming insurmountable towers, threatening to collapse. So now they have to be vastly shrunk in quantity, and I have to choose what I like, quite like, and love. And only keep what I really, really love.
2. Lose 2 stone (28 pounds) in weight
For the first half of the year I intend to use my decluttering as my exercise, then develop an exercise programme after that. It will include Pilates, various Aerobics DVDs (of which I have collected quite a number, but never watched), and possibly some weight training (I have a beautiful collection of light blue dumbells under the bed, happily collecting dust). I would also like to explore some alternative fitness, such as contemporary dance, anything different and fun to try. Just because I am doing it in my own home, can I not emulate and express myself like the dancers on Strictly Come Dancing? In the meantime, I intend to eat fruit and vegetables as snacks in between meals, but eat plenty of them if out walking or doing exercise. They seem to contain so little calories that the weight easily starts to fall off. It's just mastering the self-control every day to stay away from the chocolate bars and fizzy pop!
3. Get up early every day
I am much more of a night owl than an early bird, this one is going to be very hard for me to stick to! But it does have the greatest impact in giving you lots of free time to accomplish all the other goals listed below. Plus I have more time out of bed, hence more time to burn calories to help with my weight loss!
4. Nothing New - Do not buy myself any luxuries this year
This will massively help with my decluttering, I tend to declutter lots of things from my home and take it to the charity shop, only to come back with armfuls of books and games I don't need! I am also a ferocious internet shopper. I once spent over £500 in one month on ebay, and only made £15 in selling some unwanted stuff. I should definitely never attempt to make my own business buying and selling, I would soon go bankrupt! This goal also gives me the opportunity to make or craft anything I actually want, or just draw the things I want, til the desire is satisfied and my impulsiveness moves on to a new target.
5. Be Kind, Be Patient, and Make Time for People in my life
Partly inspired by a radio interview I heard with Bear Grylls, where he explained how he begins every day on his knees by his bed, and gets his children to do the same. He says something like: "Be Kind, Do your Best. Come on, Let's Do It!" This motivates and starts his day the right way, focusing on what he wants to do. I really like the idea of starting each day focusing on Being Kind. I think it would make our relations to other people so much better. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with the famous character of Scrooge teaches us to carry the spirit of Christmas in our hearts all through the year, peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind. I would like to get on better with people, spending more time with my immediate family, and less time on my own in front of a computer screen. I believe being kind is a very good way to prevent the usual irritability and impatience that can get in the way of you getting along and making friends. Also making time for each other and having patience is good too.
6. Learn to play new Card & Board Games
This will also help me to spend more time with other people. I have bought quite a number of traditional board and card game books, to help me find fun new ways of spending time with my family. I have tried some of these games out recently, including Farkle and Pick Up Sticks, and I have found they also help with my Maths. My Maths skills without a calculator are not as good as I would like, but the main problem is that I lack confidence with them. Practice will make me feel better about it, and finding a way to have fun with them too will encourage me to keep at it. I also have some new Solo Games books which teach me many different ways of playing card and board games on my own, so I will never have an excuse not to improve my gaming and Maths skills, and can always relax and have some fun with them.
7. Start an Art Journal
I love looking at Art Journal pages online, I collect images of my favourite pages, but have never made any of my own. I have blank Sketchbooks and numerous craft store papers and embellishments to use, I have just never got around to doing it. I would love to start my own, as I believe once I have plucked up the courage to start my own, then I will be so happy and addicted I will make many pages and many journals! I am thinking of beginning to make an Art Journal for 2015, focusing on my 2015 Adventure List, with a page for each goal. Now I have several page ideas to work from!
8. Learn to play a musical instrument
I have collected various musical instruments, some cheap, some not quite so cheap, and I would love to finally learn to play at least one of them. Again, I have various music books to teach me, the odd DVD and CD, and of course numerous Youtube videos and About.com pages. I have everything I need at my fingertips, I just need to push myself to start!
9. Write a Short Story
I always have 'Write a Novel' on my New Year's Resolutions list each year. I want to write novels, I have attempted National Novel Writing Month every year for several years, without success. I have never finished Nanowrimo. Ironically, I have never tried to write a short story either, as I have no idea how to plot such a short story, I wouldn't know what I could fit into the story or not. Can I fit sub-plots or just one main plot in a short story? Can I develop much of a science-fiction plot, or not? I have the Teach Yourself book Write Short Stories and Get Them Published by Zoe Fairbairns, so hopefully I can find out how to plot and write a complete short story hopefully within the next 6 months.
10. Be more Adventurous in my Personal Style
I am not as adventurous as I would like with how I wear my hair and what clothes I choose to wear. I always wear my hair in a ponytail, spend the summer in jeans and a T-Shirt, and the winter in a Hoody, jeans and a T-Shirt. The only variation tends to be which colour hoody am I going to wear this week? I want to try wearing my shoulder length hair in different styles. Can a 30-something wear her hair in pigtails? I intend to find out! I know I am going to have to strictly stick to my Nothing New goal, and not buy any more clothing unless I literally don't have anything to wear, but people generally wear only 20% of their wardrobe, and I am sure that is true for me too. So there must be many new outfits I can make from my wardrobe as it is, without buying anything new. I am going to find out what these are, make some new combinations, and pluck up the courage to wear them!
11. Read 10 Novels and 10 Reference Books
I struggle to read my own books. I am more likely to read books from the library than from my own shelves. They are actually more neatly stacked in the library! I want to read 10 novels (that's less than one a month), and 10 reference books. I want to read what I have instead of leaving the same books to gather dust on the shelf, never knowing whether I like them or not, and never discovering the exciting gems that lie hidden inside. Also, as a writer, I need to read more novels, and find more methods of writing my craft.
12. Discover new music
I have had this one on my New Year's Resolutions before, and actually stuck to it pretty well. I enjoyed looking up the music videos of artists in the Official Charts. I also checked out the American Billboard Charts, I love their country music. This year I want to take that up again, get to know the music even better, and discover some new musical genres that I don't tend to listen to, and see if I like those too. This is the year I want to experiment and try something new. I may not like everything I hear, but at least I will know what I like because I have tried it.
13. Learn more about ancient traditions and beliefs of England
I have recently been learning about the ancient traditions and beliefs of England at Christmas and the Winter Solstice. I am fascinated to learn that ancient cavemen in Stone Age times were celebrating this time of year in their traditional way at Stonehenge and similar stone circles, observing the sunset and sunrise on the longest night of the year, feasting and merry making, dancing and having fun, whilst sharing the warmth of the fire and the food they had with their family, friends and neighbours. I had no idea they were so sophisticated. I would love to learn more about the other times of the year too, like the Summer Solstice, the Spring and Autumn Equinox, and the other ancient festivals in between, such as Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasagh and Samhain. I am fascinated to learn more of my English heritage, and keep that tradition alive today.
14. Keep a Sketchbook
I love drawing, ever since I was little girl I have loved to draw things around me, sometimes from what I see around me, and sometimes from imagination. As I've grown up, life has tended to get in the way, and I don't draw anywhere near as much as I'd like to. I would love to become a really skilled artist, becoming a fantasy and science-fiction artist. But I must improve my skills first, and keeping a sketchbook really helps with that. One office I worked in, when I would take my break at my desk, I would take a sheet of printer paper and sketch on it each break and lunchtime. By the end of the week I had filled the sheet of A4 with doodles and sketches of strange furniture with eyes in it, plants that were alive, superheroes and cartoon characters of people I worked with. I want to have more fun like this, and improve my skills. Art is fun!
This is my 2015 Adventure List, my New Year's Resolutions. I may have picked rather a lot, and I make struggle to accomplish them all, but I am hoping I can attempt some or all on different months, and make my life more fun and adventurous. I intend to post the results of my attempts on this blog, along with any inspiration, motivation and encouragement I find along the way, because I am really going to need it!
