Any other takers for a 3 day weekend?

[jadesfire]

Things I have done since I last posted:

~ Waddesdon Manor is just lovely, especially in the sunshine. It's not enormous, and the house wasn't open, but the grounds are nice to walk around, and there are lots of paths, an important consideration when it's been raining all week. Although there were so many people there that the car park was full, it didn't feel crowded, and we had a nice meander through the grounds to the Stables cafe.

And yes, okay, it all went a little pear-shaped there, since you shouldn't have to wait 35 minutes for luke-warm vegetable chilli on a jacket potato, but the surroundings were nice enough and once the family next door left, it wasn't too noisy. There was a Christmas gift fair down at the plant centre, so we walked on down there and found that their cafe was much nicer, so we'll eat there next time! The gift fair was fascinating, and we tried some gormet cheese and fudge, and some incredible oils and vinegars that could become seriously addictive. They've got a full-on 'Christmas food fair' in a few weeks time, so that one's already in the diary.

~ They closed the Ashmolean a year ago to finish the new extension at the back, but the building work started long before that. The library I used to work in is next door to the museum, and we went through a year of drilling, banging, dust and cracking (it turned out the old museum wall was holding up one of *our* walls, which caused some problems when they took it down...) before it all went quiet and they started to fit out the inside.

Although they haven't finished yet, the new galleries look fantastic. It's a bit of an MC Escher building, with walkways and bridges everywhere, and staircases in unexpected places, but for me, that only made it more fun. Lots of the gallery walls are glass, so you look through a cabinet of objects into the gallery below/behind/above. There was lots of light in some areas and a complete lack of it in others (for conservation) but the whole place felt modern without being intrusive. To me, it felt like they'd managed to keep the spirit of the building, while improving on its usability and design. Oh, and the cafe was great too :)

~ Sunday's remembrance service was incredibly moving. Also, I led the singing (unexpectedly) on my own, which is always nerve-wracking. It's a big church - about 250 people - and I try not to think how people are looking at me and listening to me to find the next note. Everything was going really, really well until we got to the 4th verse of the last hymn, and whoever had typed the service sheets had left the last line off. I tried to improvise something that rhymed, but TBH, everyone in the congregation cracking up was more than a little off-putting. Note to self: if singing, make sure you practice ALL the verses of long hymns...

~ Hoovered and tidied the flat.

~ Started looking at a January holiday. We've found that our vague plans are possible, assuming J has a job and we decide we can afford it.

~ Had a few minor melt-downs, but have kept on recovering.

~ I am ALWAYS HUNGRY at the moment, and am struggling to get a grip on it. I can't *actually* need the amount of food I'm eating, and I know I wouldn't in the summer, so I'm trying to switch to smaller, more frequent meals, in the hope of tricking my brain. I'm also trying to stick to healthy food, or I'm going to be out of even more clothes than I already am.

~ Signed up for yuletide \o/

~ Replaced most of my icons with old ones I'd missed and shiny new ones. I really need to rotate them more often and use some of the 800 that I have on file.

Things I have not done since I last posted:

~ Written a word on any of the fics due over the next few weeks.

~ Recorded any podfic.

THIS IS NOT GOOD. My brain feels full of barbed wire at the moment, and it hurts every time I try to do something creative. So my plan for this week is to write *something* every day, even if it's just a drabble. And I'm not going to cheat and post the ones I've already written. You're getting completely new words and stories, even if I have to bleed out of my ears to get them to you.

How was everyone else's weekend? Doing okay? My Monday so far has involved a surprisingly good work meeting and a whole lot of coffee. I'm hoping the rest of the week follows this pattern!

Comments

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

*waves* Yay for drabbles! My weekend was meh, but on the plus side I dyed S's hair for her (it's allegedly black-red, but actually came out kind of russetty and looks really good), although on the down side I also managed to dye my thumb and part of the palm of my left hand. Why do those gloves in home-dye packs always leak? I also, thanks to Jen, discovered a Canadian woman who gives makeup tutorials, so spent way too long yesterday evening being all O_O at her halloween witch makeup and other fancy dress makeup ♥ There will be experimentation later today, oh yes indeedy. For I possess LOTS of dramatic makeup, which I underuse mostly, but which I now feel inspired to play with.

In other news, the sun is shining and I discovered some excellent good not bad NCIS fic. I'm counting that a win...

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* It sounds like you're going to have a very pretty week! Awesome :D

Hope the sun stays out for you - we have fog here, so I've got my daylight lamp on and intend to bask for as long as possible :S

[nightporters.livejournal.com]

Woot! I love Waddesdon Manor and I really want to visit the Ashmolean so colour me green!

My weekend was fine except for my urgent desire to throw up or pass out if I stand for too long.

My son took himself off to his Remembrance service for Scouts while his dad and I had our own at different churches. At mine, where we have a tiny congregation, our leader didn't check if we knew the hymns - bad move with a bunch of non-singers. But I got to light a candle for my mum.

I'm desperate to finish one of my WIPs but just cannot move past a particular chapter. Not sure how to resolve this issue.

The fog has cleared up but the common was beautiful this morning. Sparkly cobwebs and shiny gorse.

*hugs*

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

We had fog too - it made everywhere very pretty.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Ack, sorry you're still feeling so ill. Any news from the doctor?

*rolls eyes* Yes, I get very miffed as a musician if the leader chooses songs that no one knows. I'm not quite sure how the congregation's supposed to learn them unless you teach them!

We still have fog, with a side order of rain just to add variety :S

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I opened consci_fan_mo, and that's about all really.

You have a fantastic bank of icons there sweetie - I'[m looking forward to seeing them on a comment near me, soon :D

And I think the food thing is definitely weather related I have been snacking dreadfully since the clocks went back. Honestly evolution needs to catch up with the idea that we have central heating now!


PS Please not to be making yourself be bleeding from ears 'kay?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

It was so hard choosing icons! I have an online folder of them if you want a browse ;)

The food thing *is* hard, becase I can keep telling myself that it's not real, that I can't still be hungry, but it doesn't stop my stomach rumbling or my hands shaking :( I figure little and often might do the trick.

Hee, I shall try. It might alarm my fellow train passengers otherwise...

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

doesn't stop my stomach rumbling
That. EXACTLY that. I had a stupid upset stomach thing over the weekend and didn't even want to be thinking about food but my stomach, did NOT care. So I was in this Catch 22 situation because I simply cannot eat more than about 4 slices of bread a day without it mucking up my system but toast was all I could face :(

My body hates me.

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

I will have to check out the museum when I come up to Oxford. I'm supposed to be taking a friend who has never been sometime before Christmas.

Ack - at the leaving off the final line. Just remember, the congregation probably didn't know what the last line was either, so they weren't laughing at you, they were finding amusement in the situation.

A song I find amusing is "Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate". People don't tend to clip their Ts so it ends up sounding like "Sell a braid Jesus, sell a braid". Which begs the question "Why are the congregation encouraging Jesus to sell a plait?" Very strange.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*giggle* Yes, there are some songs like that. It's the 'sound alikes' that get me. There's one that bears a distinct resemblance to "Herod's Song" from Jesus Christ Superstar, another that's like the Lord of the Rings theme, and my favourite which segues perfectly into "For Your Eyes Only"

On Sunday, it was "Crown Him With Many Crowns", so I really should have been able to come up with something, but my friend nearly falling over laughing in the back row was somewhat off-putting :D The last verse was definitely an exercise in self-control!

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

If you ever hear that song, I've totally ruined it for you now!

I looked up "Crown Him With Many Crowns" and I admit I wouldn't have fared any better than you, and I'm usually very good at remembering words.

"All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For thou hast died for me;
thy praise and glory shall not fail
throughout eternity."

(Which I know as "Thy praise shall never, never fail...")

Interestingly, I found a link with about 7 verses. I like multi-versed (with a "d", ;P) hymns, but seven! Too many!

*Edit* There's a song from Hillsongs in Australia, that actually uses the "Hallelujah" from the Leonard Cohen song of the same name - by which I mean the words are "Hallelujah" and the melody is the same. I knew the Hillsongs song first, so was bemused when I heard the pop song.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Thy praise shall never, never fail...
That's what I would have sung.

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Or "never, ever"?

Something like that. Whatever the old green Baptist hymn book says.

I can't work out why there are so many variations on hymns when the language is at a similar level (i.e. no rare or antiquated words), and the lines mean the same thing more or less. It's weird.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

mmmm Maybe... *tries it* No, I'm definitely getting the repeat.


Bearing in mind the age of some hymns and the 'poverty' of some churches when those hymns were new, I'm guessing it's going to be a word of mouth thing. This choir master learned those words from X, and a different choirmaster learned his from Y, who got them from Z who wrote them down as best he could remember after hearing them sung by A.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

A quick search brings up about 12 different verses for "Crown Him..." and none of them are what we were singing! My church quite often changes words around, since we have lots of people with English as a second language, and some of the older hymns are completely impenetrable to them. We had to go back to the original words of "Great is thy Faithfulness", mind you, since any kind of rearrangement is quite hideous to sing!

Heh, yes that sounds confusing! The main thing I know about Hillsongs is that they did the funniest (unintentionally) version of "My Jesus, My Saviour" that I've ever heard, since they put a key change in the MIDDLE of the chorus. I was singing along as far as "Mountains bow down and the seas will roar, at the sound of your name" and then it CHANGED KEY. This is rarely a good thing, but in the middle of a chorus? I had to stop singing to get my breath back from giggling...

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

I don't blame your church for changing some of the words. I remember being utterly baffled by some words when I was growing up, for example:

"ineffably sublime".

Both words commonly used by ten-year-olds growing up next to a council estate!

Ah yes! I know that version with the key change. Quite a challenge if you don't expect it. "Name" and "I sing" are all the same note. Even more of a challenge if the person leading the singing puts it in and you're playing guitar and had no idea she would do that, and have no idea what the chords are after the key change. :D

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* That's the one. Fortunately I've never had to actually sing it like that. Our music director sometimes decides that hymns are in too high a key and makes us transpose them there and then, but there are only a few hymns where he makes us do key changes for the last verse (to my infinite relief - there are none where it doesn't sound impossibly cheesy ;)) It's all fine as long as he *remembers* that he wants us to transpose it...

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

"ineffably sublime". Both words commonly used by ten-year-olds growing up next to a council estate!

Even worse when you live ON the council estate and the nearest thing you have as a reference point is your older brother yelling, "I'm going to EFF-ing get you!" ?

Although it must be said, I never had much problem with the language of hymns, not sure why.

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Heheehhehe!

I think there were just a few that had words that I've never heard any one use, not even while preaching.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

*g*
Oh yes, granted some of them have words that are never used anywhere else, ever.

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

There's a song from Hillsongs in Australia, that actually uses the "Hallelujah" from the Leonard Cohen song of the same name - by which I mean the words are "Hallelujah" and the melody is the same.

WANT.

I have a song called "Hosanna" that's set to "Rosanna", by Toto. It's actually not bad, although it's hard to get into it too much when you knew Toto's version first.

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Thinking about it - it's only the first three "Hallelujahs" that are the same, but they ARE the same, and it's only a bridge section.

It's called "Hear Our Praises" if I recall correctly.

I have a song called "Hosanna" that's set to "Rosanna", by Toto
That's hilarious. I'll have to look that one up.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

"Herod's Song" from Jesus Christ Superstar
And now I have an earworm...
hmm I wonder if it's on youtube - other people need to share in this suffering.

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with you on eating constantly since the time changed. It wouldn't be distressing -- I routinely gain three or four pounds in the fall and gradually drop it over the winter -- except I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and must face the dreaded scale with the big flashing red numbers.

Regarding mangled hymns, to this day my husband is apt to sing "lead on, oh kinky turtle" instead of "lead on, oh King Eternal" because he heard it wrong while singing in children's choir. :)

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

"lead on, oh kinky turtle"

*sporfles*

That's right up there with singing "Let angels prostate fall" instead of "prostrate".

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

So far this winter, I've gained about 7 pounds, and will go on gaining (based on previous experience) unless I put the brakes on it swiftly :S Hope the doctor's goes okay tomorrow!

*dies* Oh, that's just brilliant. We should start a "hymns I misremembered" series around here. We'd have enough material for a book!

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

Please to not be bleeding out the ears. That is not conducive to anything at all and we would not be pleased.

I've been way hungrier than I should be since it got colder, too. Something about our bodies thinking that they need extra fat to protect us from the cold, I imagine. I wish they'd catch on that we have clothes and central heating now...

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* My body is fairly convinced that it's going into hibernation some time soon and needs to stock up before then. The 'many small meals' theory is working well so far, and as long as my carrot and coriander soup tastes as good as it smells, I should be fine ;)

I will try not to bleed from my ears this afternoon. It might upset my fellow train passengers.

[naye]

So many things done! \o/ You are awesome. And it would be terrified to sing in church the way you do - amazing~! Even if the last verse of the hymn had gone AWOL.

And - drabbles! Good idea. Barbed wire around the brain is never ever fun. Good luck; good writing!

♥

PS - Your new icons are all GORGEOUS and funny and so inspiring...! Now I wanna switch mine around, too! Or make new ones. Mmm, change~.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The singing at church was something I sort of fell into - I do it when no one else turns up!

I got some writing done yesterday, which is definitely good, but apparently I need to be away from work to do it, which is bad, considering how much time I spend here at the moment :S

Thanks, hon! I have an online folder of 800 of them if you're interested *tempts*

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

NO BLEEDING ALLOWED!

But HOMG Yuletide. I signed up too *hyperventilates*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yuletide is awesome. It *is* a big deal, but doesn't have to be an enormous stress unless you make it one. I had a great time last year, and only got flustered because I left things too late (as usual).

Enjoy!

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

A trick I use when I get hungry but don't want to eat - drink a lot of water. It fools your stomach into thinking it's full, and it detoxes your system at the same time.

Congrats on keeping going during the service! Never mind people cracking up, t least you did something.

[blackmare-9.livejournal.com]

That doesn't work for me. The only result I ever get is that I'm not only hungry, but I have to pee a lot, too. Nothing gets done.

Coffee, on the other hand, will often stave off hunger for me for an hour or two.

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

*shrug* I guess different things work for different people. For me, coffee doesn't help with the hunger - I get hyper, and then I'm even more hungry.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I've gone with hot drinks rather than water, but yes, that does seem to help a little.

Hee, I was cracking up too - it wasn't *at* me, it was just so funny!

[tiggothy.livejournal.com]

As far as the writing goes, do you read meta_writer? They're currently running a series (of posts by different authors, both published & unpublished) which I'm finding very useful in inspiring me to write without getting frustrated when I can't.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I've actually been avoiding writing comms lately, since they've been giving me a deep sense of inadequacy. I'll add that to my 'when I'm feeling better' list, though :)

[smtfhw.livejournal.com]

They've got a full-on 'Christmas food fair' in a few weeks time, so that one's already in the diary.

We've done it a couple of times - well worth the effort. And if ypu're feeling like bein indulgent, a) try and book to see the house lit up for Christmas and b) see if you can get a table at the Five Arrows for lunch...

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*smile* I don't think we have the budget for the Five Arrows, but we're NT members, so we definitely plan to do the house. The Hans Christian Anderson theme a few years ago was just stunning, so we're really looking forward to it :)

[fish-echo.livejournal.com]

Yay, Ashmolean! Yay, Yuletide!

*hugs*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*hugs back* It's All Good :)