What a day

So I am in 2 minds whether to go out on the min with Lucy this afternoon. I decide for it as I haven't been able to go out preaching for 3 weeks and I could go straight to the meeting afterwards. Its sunny outside,I can make it. After hopping down the 4 flights of stairs and onto Lucy's pasola,we drive to Odalis' house to prepare the meeting with her. My foot is propped up on the chair so all is well.
Then, out of nowhere.Hailstone! It started chucking it down.Thunder, lightning.the lot.I feel so depressed as I know my ghetto crutches are gonna make me slip. Not only am I gonna get very wet and i have no change of clothes and I cant hold an umbrella and my crutches.I'm probably gonna break my other leg in the process of walking to the bike.After praying for the rain to stop.by the time we are ready to go to the hall, it has stopped raining hard so we decide to try it on the pasola.Lucy takes me to a sis' house near the hall getting wet on the way as it starts to pour it down more half way there, and I wait there till the hall opens. I make it to the hall where I take control of the DVD system. All in all I'm glad I went.

Toilet Roll Wedding

At Emma's bridal shower, or Hen night as we Brits like to call it, Rachel decided to bring out several rolls of toilet paper. I had an inkling of the game we were about to play although I had never done it before and was quite excited by the idea. We were told to divide into 2 teams of 4. Nikki, Emma, Rachel and I on one team and Lilly, Jackie, Sasha and Raquel on the other. I designated Emma model naturally, it being her prospective wedding we were celebrating. Sasha I think was coerced into posing for the other team. Being in seperate rooms we had no idea what the others were planning to create but we got to work straight away to make the most of the 10 minutes that were designated. I didn't have a vision of what I wanted to create but just let my fingers run themselves. First I started by wrapping the paper around her chest to make a bandeau while Nikki had started on the skirt portion. Rachel was assigned to cutting tape duty which was probably more demanding than she first thought. While my fingers were working away, trying not to tear the paper as I was unrolling it,I had the idea of adding flowers for detail. To my surprise and I think everyone else's too, it was developing into a really nice dress.
Ten minutes up and an extra 1 minute for last moment taping we had a surprisingly beautiful, albeit impractical (could you imagine what would happen in the rain!) wedding dress. We waited anxiously for the other team to produce their amazing creation and they did not fail to take our breath away. This was mostly due to laughing so much we couldn't breathe. They had truly produced a toilet paper dress, complete with several accessories. While Emma looked like a Grecian princess, Sasha sported the look of a hippy bridezilla! It was a very clever dress they had produced as she had many parts to it. Bouquet, gloves, earrings, necklace,headdress and armband all to match the layers upon layers of paper in her dress. I just don't think she would want to appear in Bride's monthly magazine. Emma on the other hand didn't want to take her dress off although being made of toilet paper it wasn't long before it was getting ripped and used to wipe noses.
All in all it was a fun night and I went to bed dreaming of the future I could have in toilet paper creations that I could take to London's fashion week.

Diary

I do realize that I have been remiss in my blog updates. I had been wondering whether this would be like my diary. I do keep a diary. A furry tiger print little book with a padlock and key is what I like to think as a real diary. My friend Sue gave it to me as a present when she got back from France. Its not a souvenir one would expect from France but I was happy she had thought of me. That was a fair few years ago when I was still, at 18 years old, full of the possibilities of what my future would hold. It has been years but I like to think that I still have many possibilities for my future. Back then I thought I would write in my diary everyday and be able to look back at what I had written in the years to come and see how life had changed for me. Well, so far in that little tiger print book I have about 12 pages written. From age 18 to 31 I have 12 pages written. Does that say anything about my life? That I have empty pages to look back on?  Most would think so. The truth is though, I just always forgot to write in it. I have written in it once a year since I recieved it. Even with myself I am terrible to keep in touch. I do like writing. No. Not writing. I like typing. I find when I write I put such stress on the pen that my hand aches. I have started to write a book a few times. I have a very active imagination and have always wanted to shape my thoughts into a book. It is on my to do list along with a hundred other things that I would like to do.

A would like to do list I found out is not always about things that you would like to but never would do. Using my art to make a living is on that list and I am seeing with all the encouragement that has been bestowed on me that I can do it. That is what I have been doing recently. Using the time I am not out in service to paint and create. I have to finish a few paintings before I can put them together to show people. There are some works nearly complete. I was lacking inspiration so was getting a little discouraged, but then looking around my bedroom/artroom, it came to me in colours and shapes.

My bedroom is quite a colourful place. A lot of things cut out and created from other things. An anthropological world I like to think. I wish I had the resources to be able to try new things. That is one of the things lacking here in the DR. Accessibility to whatever materials you desire. The internet is a wonderful tool but the postage system is what is lacking here.  My mum tells me of the different projects she tries and it makes me somewhat jealous of her being able to do all these things. She tells me I will have to take back a suitcase full of supplies when I go visit. Until then I will make do with what is at my fingertips. 

There are many interesting things that I can blog about. My life, unlike my diary, is not full of blank pages. Living here certainly gives you plenty of material to write about. So I will make an effort to keep this going and not be shamed by my mother who keeps a more up-to-date blog than I do. What is life coming to when your own mother is on the computer more than you are.

Back to painting, while watching Smallville from the beginning.

Yorkshire pudding

It is sad but true. I forgot how to add an entry into my own blog yet again. After spending a good 10 minutes trying to find on the page where I would create a new entry I finally got in. I remember thinking, 'Oh that's so simple'. This afternoon I sat down and thought about what twisted new tale I could tell and opened up my blog. Where was the New Entry tab? I racked my brains but I could not remember how I found it yesterday. I finally gave up after clicking on all the tabs I could see. Giving up is not something I like to do so I decided to tackle it later on. Another 5 mins spent looking at all the different things you could click on. Finally I am in! The question is. Will I remember tomorrow?

So Jess is leaving. Tomorrow. I made a roast dinner for our last supper. Raquel and Emma were cordially invited. I would like to say cordially as is not often that I get to cordially invite someone instead of just plain old invite. In reality though, they were just plain old invited. It is Raquel and Emma after all. Part of the furniture really. The red wine we opened apparently tasted like vinegar but I didn't really notice as I don't drink that much wine so don't really have much experience in what is a good wine. I do have two wine tastings under my belt though. Good times. After the 4th 1/6th of a glass I had to offer up my remainding wine tickets to my friends. I am a very light drinker. Also I was jet lagged as I had only just arrived in Connecticut from London.Those 2 factors don't go very well together. 

Yorkshire pudding. To complement a roast dinner, you always need a Yorkshire pudding. My Dad is from Yorkshire so I have a claim to making them. I think the Mayor would ask for his recipe back though as it was a pitiful attempt I made tonight. For some reason I had in my mind that you just put the mixture in a tin that has boiling oil 5 mins before you are going to eat the dinner. It was only as it was getting time to bring out the beautifully bronzed crackling chicken that I looked at my recipe and saw it said cooking time -40 mins. Then I remembered 'ohhhh'... its the ones that are pre-made and bought frozen that you put in the oven a few mins before everyone arrives. So what to do?  I decided to see if putting it in a saucepan with hot oil in and cook it on the stove would work. I had my reservations but I like to try anything once. When the mixture hit the spitting oil, it bubbled promisingly. Hopes were climbing, but then readily declining as it turned more into what looked like a really thick pancake. It was really heavy as well. Guess what Jess is having for breakfast tomorrow! Im sure if she smothers it in enough maple syrup that it will go down a treat. 

I have to make clear to my many (I know you are many) avid readers, that I can cook yorkshire pudding. It doesn't quite turn out as good as my mums does but I don't do too badly. 

Most times anyway.

Funniest Speech ever..

Marky – “Even if you weren’t in my food chain, I would go out of my way to attack you.
If I were a lion and your were a tuna I would swim out into the middle of the ocean and eat you! And then, I’d date your tuna girlfriend.”

Pause

Will – “Ok, first off, a lion…swimming in the ocean?
Lions don’t even like water.
If you placed it near a river, or some sort of fresh water source, that’d make sense.
But you find yourself in the ocean, a 20 ft wave, I’m assuming its off the coast of South Africa, coming up against a full, grown, 800 lb tuna with his 20 or 30 friends.
You lose that battle. you lose that battle nine times out of ten.
And guess what, you wandered into our school, of tuna and we now have a taste of blood! We’ve talked, to ourselves. We’ve communicated and said, ‘you know what? lion tastes good. Lets go get some more lion.’
We’ve developed a system, to establish a beachhead and aggressively hunt you and your family. And we will corner your, your pride, your children, your offspring…”

Marky – “How ya gonna to do that?”

Will – “We will construct a series of breathing apparatus with kelp. We will be able to track certain amounts of oxygen. Its not going to be days at a time, an hour, hour 45. No problem. That will give us enough time to figure out where you live, go back to the sea, get more oxygen and then stalk you. You just lost at your own game. You are out gunned and outmanned.

That go the way you thought it was gonna to go?” Shaking his head. “Nope.”

Now if I could just memorize this speech I would use it as a rebuttal for any situation.

Long day

This morning was an early start on the ministry. I gladly woke up after dreaming that my fingertips were burning from playing chords. Remnants of my earlier dream were floating around my head. I doubt though that the governing body will be going down the road of having a mini concert in between talks at the assembly to keep people perked up for the day. People were really enjoying themselves, dancing on the stage even. I just felt it was wrong for an assembly. But if it ever happens I will humbly accede to the arrangement.

Jess' conviction to finally commit to going out early preaching might turn out to be futile anyway as she had the good news of possibly going to work out in Connecticut for a few months. If she gets the job then she'll be leaving in a few days which is very short notice. It doesn't give me much time to get all the crafty things together that she was going to take back to the states with her to sell. I have been meaning to get into selling my art and crafts for years but never knew a way of going about it so always left it. I really need to find a way to earn money to stay here though as it just isn't beneficial going back to Britain for so many months. It throws your life out. Although I love seeing my friends and family, it really isn't the best thing for me or my studies. So I am going to take the time out to really get into using my talents for earning my keep. It doesn't need to make me rich. It just needs to be enough for me to be able to stay here. Jessica is really buzzing about it. Her having so much enthusiasm of it helps me to get focused onto what I need to do.

Tomorrow will be a busy day trying to create beautiful things.

Guitar start

Tonight Jess (my flatmate) decided to try teaching me some guitar chords. Like a lot of other useful things, I have long forgotten the chords I learnt while in School. As I was trying to hold the strings down on each fret was proving difficult with having nails that are not even that long, I clipped them off all in the name of Art. Muscial Art. Although they give a better grip now on the strings, my fingers do feel a bit weird having them so short. I also still have dents on my finger tips from pressing the strings down so hard. I am sure that it will all be worth it when I am able to skillfully pluck the guitar like I were Sash in the making.
The first song I am learning, as it supposedly the easiest having only 3 chords to change. A, D, A,D, A,D, A, D, E. Can anyone guess which song?..  That's right. Leaving on a jet plane. Co-ordinating hand and brain was proving to be difficult for as soon as I would hold a chord I would forget the words to the song, even though I have sung it many a time and as often as I leave on a plane. But surprising to myself and I think also to Jessica, I picked up the changing of the chords relatively quickly and was able to sing the song while strumming, occasionally somewhat hesitantly. To say I am proud of myself and geared up for putting effort into really learning how to play, I think is not untrue.
When I get the keyboard, that is sitting forlornly by the guitar in the corner, working again, then I can form my one man band. I just need to put learning the bongos on the end of my list. First things first. I need to buy a 6th string for my guitar as a friend (whom shall remain nameless) broke it while having a wee strum herself. Without it, while easier to learn having less strings to put your fingers on, it doesn't quite give the right sound.

We shall see if 6 months from now I will be serenading anyone who comes by my street with some beautiful music.

Blog out.