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The long fantastic weekend, that never happened

By HealthNo Comments

Hello all, I’m still alive!

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted and the last few blog posts have been about books I’ve read, rather than what I’ve been up to. So don’t worry, I know we are well overdue a catch up. Let’s start with the weekend. I was all set to have a fantastic weekend. I had booked Monday and Tuesday off work, making it a long and exciting weekend. Here was the plan:

  • Friday – Finishing work and not having to work the evening, a chill night in front of the box.
  • Saturday – Meeting my long lost half brothers kids in the evening (that one’s a long story, sure I’ll blog about it sometime in the future).
  • Sunday – Going to Manchester in the day to see my granddad and his wife, to celebrate his birthday.
  • Monday – A chilled day (with a lie in) and then going to see John Barrownman with my good friend Simon.
  • So where did I end up? At home in bed. I had a bug and felt at points like I was dying. I couldn’t even tolerate at food at one point, which I know dieters would love, but believe me it was horrible. I had stomach cramps, a banging head, sleeplessness, vomiting and temperatures. I’ve texted everyone and apologised for not making my plans, explaining that I was ill. But do you know what the worst thing about this nasty bug? It’s like it knew I had a busy long weekend, filled with good times, because it struck Friday night and I’ve only just started feeling better today. I go back to work tomorrow. So I have aptly named this the long weekend, that never happened.

    Now you know what they say (who ever they are), “You must have caught a bug?”
    Well if you see anyone coughing, sneezing or looking like they’ve got the bubonic plague, get out of there sharpish! And then repeatedly wash your hands until they’re red raw (only kidding, that would be self harm).

    Don’t risk catching this one, it’s really not worth the 4-5 days off work for the pain (stomach cramps & head ache), the I’ve-not-slept-in-five-years blood shot, dark bagged eyes, the sweating one moment shivering the next. So apart from feeling terrible the only good thing is that this bug will help you shift that stubborn pound if your dieting.

    Take Care and BE HEALTHY all,

    Antony

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    Back in the UK

    By Friends & Family, Home, Life, Love & Relationships3 Comments

    Sometimes in life things don’t work out how you want, dream or hope they will. The last month or so has been one of these times.

    Boyfriend-W and I split up, things just didn’t work out and I returned to the UK. We have remained good friends. I learn’t so much being in Benidorm and being with him, more than I could write here (see A new design and a new beginning). So since I’ve been back what’s new?

    New Car
    I have got a Citroen C1 Splash in electra blue, which I’ve named Sam. I need a car for work and will be paying for Sam for the next five years. See:

    New Work Image
    In these difficult times in the public sector I decided to smarten up. Image is very important, not to me but to other people. Gone are the days of baggy jeans and t-shirts, come the shirts, waist coats, skinny jeans and shoes. A smarter look.

    Cooking
    I bought a cook book and have cooked a few meals from it. They haven’t tasted half bad, if I do say so myself. I have got great satisfaction from actually cooking something myself rather than popping frozen boxed food in the freezer. It’s called The Classic 1000 Beginners’ Recipes by Carolyn Humphries and I highly recommend it if like me you can’t cook a thing. It’s simple step recipes are so easy to follow.

    Work
    I’ve gone back to work with a renewed enthusiasm and some life experience.

    So…What’s next?
    I am moving back in to my apartment (see The Move) at the end of the month and will be glad to be home. I would like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to my family and friends, who have been a huge support to me. Especially to my mum and Simon who continue to house me until I move back to my apartment.

    Once I’ve moved back in to my apartment I intend to get a housemate to pay off some of my debts as well as continuing to try and live frugally (see Living Frugally).

    In the end of September I am going back to University (see Back to University, Six NOT Four, ———–Transcript————– and Promoting and Influencing Health module results) to do a further two modules, one on leadership and the second a dissertation module.

    October I am going seeing John Barrowman and have Samhain (see Pagan Festivals).

    The last month or so I have been having a quiet reflective time which has mean’t a lack of blog posts. Rest assured normal blogging will now resume, whatever normal is.

    Write soon,

    Antony

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    Susan Boulet’s Beautiful Artwork

    By Friends & Family, Inspiration4 Comments

    I recently came across Susan Boulet’s Goddesses Knowledge Cards, I instantly loved them. The artwork was beautiful and on the back of each of the goddess card’s was information about that particular goddess. The artwork was inspirational, so I went in search of other artwork Susan has done and found Animal Spirits Knowledge Cards.

    So impressed with this artist’s work that I wanted to know more. So I did some research:

    Susan Seddon Boulet, a San Francisco Bay Area artist whose work is widely known, died at her home in Oakland on Monday, April 28, after a long struggle with cancer. She was 55.

    Susan Boulet was born in Brazil of English parents who had emigrated there from South Africa. Her early childhood was spent on a large cattle ranch which allowed her great freedom and where she first developed the love of fairy tales and fantasy that would later be revealed in her paintings. She was educated in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, and later in Switzerland. It was here that she began her training as an artist. She came to the United States in 1967, but always retained a great love for the land and people of Brazil.

    Susan Boulet’s art has had a profound influence on many people. She was a prolific artist whose themes ranged from portrayals of medieval figures and fantasy characters in her early work to goddesses and shaman figures in more recent images. Working principally in oil pastel, inks and occasionally pencil, she developed a distinctive personal style characterized by the use of color applied in layers from which dream-like forms emerged. Susan Boulet drew her inspiration from a wide variety of sources: mythology and poetry, Jungian psychology and worldwide spiritual traditions, as well as a deep love of animals and the natural world. Underlying her work is a spiritual quality and a universality which strikes a chord in people from many walks of life. Her paintings have been widely reproduced and are held in collections around the world. Published works include Shaman: The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet (1989), and The Goddess Paintings (1994), both published by Pomegranate Artbooks in Rohnert Park.

    The inspiration that people drew from Susan Boulet’s work was often heightened by their meeting her in person. She loved to be present when her paintings were shown and those who met her, however briefly, were invariably touched by her empathy, gentleness, modesty and charm. Her ability to listen and make personal connections won her innumerable admirers. Indeed, one of her greatest challenges was to balance her artist’s need for solitude with her love of friends. At a recent gathering in her honor a large number of people paid tribute to her generosity, sense of humor and the profound influence her art had exerted upon their lives. Susan Seddon Boulet was married to Larry Boulet who died in 1980. She is survived by a son, Eric, and a brother, Patrick Seddon, of Oakland, California, and her step-mother, Naide Seddon, and a brother, Ernani Seddon, of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
    (from: http://www.well.com/~davidu/boulet.html, Last Accessed: 14th November 2009)

    I was saddened to read that she has passed away, such a talent gone off this physical plane. I was also disapointed that I was unable to find Gods Knowledge cards and couldn’t create some now that she had passed away.

    I loved both of the packs of cards and knew that two of my pagan friends would too. So I bought them for Simon and JL for Yule.

    If you want to view more of the truly beautiful and inspirational artwork by Susan Boulet you can google image search her name or click here.

    In love and light,

    Antony

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    7 by Eddie Izzard

    By Amazon, Gigs & ShowsNo Comments

    I recently stubbled on 7 by Eddie Izzard [DVD] which is goes on sale today and contains his seven live shows (including the most recent Stripped).

    I was introduced to Eddie Izzard by my good friend Simon and have loved him ever since. Here are some short random clips off youtube.

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    I’m intending to order the box set as a Christmas / Yule gift to myself.

    Write soon,

    Antony

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