Muse to Muse continually updated inspiration

Save the Old Town

The Edinburgh Old Town is part of a designated World Heritage Site. Its a curious urban landscape created by building on the tail of a volcano and bound by city walls. Thus creating some of the first 'skyscrapers' as to squeeze in as many people as possible early builders had to build upwards. Some times with disasterous results. Building engineering being ruidmentary one 16 story block topppled over. The results is an urban patch with tiny narrow vennels and closes which have access to back courts and buildings crammed together. In a remarkable society before the building of the New Town in the lat 18th Centuary every class was crammed into the same 'Land' (building) and each 'house' (flat/apartment) would run from the bottom mercantile to nobility in the middle (far enough from the stench of the street but not too far to climb) to the attic rooms where people would lie probably on straw or on rags. Things have improved somewhat in the intervening 200 years, indoors sanitation, a sewer system, electricity but this higgildy piddgily way of living is amongst other things thought of a factor in the creation of the Edinburgh Enlightenment. Now a section of the High street is being threatened with redevelopment into a 200 bedroom hotel and conference centre. We are to get 'piazzas' a completely alien concept to the geography and history of the area (not to mention rather windy I would have thought). This isn't a bloody Italian city... its a cold miserable glakit place with narrow passageways to hide in! A friend of mine lives in the Canongate and is tearing her hair out with her encounters with the planning authories, the local 'authority', at the moment local democracy seems to be completely by passed. If you go to the website there are 3 petitions which if you could sign would make the people fighting this feel a lot less alone.

suffering from bloggy guilt

Actually I've been doing quite a lot. A little action has happened to get a few essential projects moving forward. Meetings for work. A visit to see American Dreamz at cinema. Great fun film though me and my two mates seemed to be the only ones who laughed. Shopping to cook for friends - first time since September! The first rhubarb of the season. River Cottage website has a great seasonal recipies section if your culinary side is getting jaded. Beautiful day here sat outside, journalled and watched the cat do a tree climbing demo. Off to swim.

I've just had a very dull day working my way through errands eg pay bills, buy cat food, referee kitten sibling fight over a pice of ham... more interuptions from people coming to the door to try and make me change my electricity supplier. But dull days are there to make the other kind shine out. So instead I feel good about doing dull things and even better knowing I'm going out for dinner.

Visual Chronicles I've linked before - they're sassy.

Its good to leave the house...

The 'Artistic Garret' is a bad idea that just will not die. Miserable and pained creative people are supposed to lurk in them and come up with the goods. Well funnily enough I've found more inspiration out there in the world. Again last night this lesson was repeated to me. I went to dinner and may have found an idea for a documentary. I had a lovely dinner as well.

I think I've mentioned Crossroads Dispatches before - I'm doing it again as there are always interesting posts on work/money/spirituality/life purpose.

I'm half way through a super Easter Egg which I got half price - the rewards of doing last minute egg shopping.

I had a lovely evening - aided I must add by 3 glasses of fizzy wine. I may be 3 fizzy wine glasses under par generally.

I've realised that I'm a tummy tickling cat slave.

What a glorious day!

Not only is it finally warm enough for tough Scotch lasses to abandon winter tights - I've got one afternoon to hunt for my Easter Egg. Yum!

Screenwriter Course Edinburgh 6th May

Tutor Adrian Mead director/writer - people I know who have been taught by Adrian say he's an excellent tutor - more info here.

unshouldning

Its snuck up on my rather quickly. I got rid of one big 'should' my last job and suddenly I noticed how I'd replaced it with a whole lot of other 'shoulds'. I should get up at x time - I should do a, b, c, d, e, f, g... and before I know it I've failed to do all these things and I feel like a hampster with tiny legs running on a wheel and failing to get anywhere. I'm now trying to become more conscious of my 'shoulds'.

La Beany c'est arrive!

Sitting outside on my bench when the postie came. After opening the letter from the council informing me my neighbours were going to have a velux rooflight put in I spied the small padded envelope - tore it open and settled down to read The Beany. I love it - especially the 75 ways to Draw More list.

4 things blog tag from Michael Nobbs

Four Jobs I’ve Had


1. waitress
2. publishing assistant
3. Artist model
4. Teacher

Four films I can watch over and over again

1. The Garden by Derek Jarman
2. I know where I'm going - Powell & Pressburger
3. Whisky Galore - Alexander MacKendrick
4. On the Mountain - Margaret Tait
Four places I've lived

1. Pietermaritzburg, SA
2. Irene, Gauteng, SA
3. St Andrews Fife Scotland
4. Independent Republic of Leith , Scotland

Four TV programmes I love

1. Ivor the Engine
2. Nip/Tuck
3. Grand Designs aka house porn
4. Food progs aka food porn

Four places I've been on holiday

1. Isle of Mull, Scotland
2. Annecy France
3. Aran Islands/Galway Ireland
4. NY

Four of my Favourite Dishes

1. Summer Pudding
2. Roast Chicken
3. Roast lamb
4. coffee


Four Websites I Visit Daily

1. Hotmail
2. Gawker & Defamer (just checking up on husband to be)
3. Keri Smith
4. 52 Projects

Four Places I’d Rather Be Right Now

1. On the beach
2. In Bed
3. Walking in NY (or any other unknown to me city)
4. In a cinema

Four Bloggers I’m Tagging

1. Hendrix Cat
2. Catherine
3. Mrs Pom
4. Here Be

Four Books I Recommend

1. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
2. Pablo Neruda - POirot
3. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
4. Women of the Left Bank by Shari Beinstock

And I’m also adding…

Four Artists that have inspired me

1. Derek Jarman
2. Margaret Tait
3. Ruby Grierson4. Kaytee Horsman

Its no use with all this weird weather I might knit a sweater for my poor tree as well.

This is ridiculous... April and this afternoon the skies darkened hail rained down, the cats ran in and stood on the kitchen table in bewilderment.

playing 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon again

My tiger and spotted striped cat Diego talks to my neighbour Murdo (as Mrs Murdo is now pregnant he is banished outside to smoke) and he used to be in a band Cateran, who tourned the uk with this band.

things that make me happy

My best friend's film being called the 'best black british film' by Black filmmaker magazine.

Spring!

Finally stopping working for the 'fat controller' at the 10th largest employer in the world.

My friend K's daughter R telling me how she and her friends deliberately visit the physics tea room at her uni to see all the nerdy physicists try and discretely whip off their glasses when they go in.

Meeting an acquainance of a friend who is quite elderly and has dedicated her life to putting up plaques and memorials to things she feels ought to be remembered. 'I've got a brass plaque to Fletcher of Saltoun under the dining room table and I can't move it becuase its too heavy.' Somehow the picture of this little old lady trotting to the foundary to commission another plaque cheers me. The passions of people in play is cheering.

A reminder of the importance of being lovely.