Laura's Rebel Journey

  CRAFT - I have completed this, although I still have a candle kit to try. CRITIC - I have completed this and blogged about it.  I also used this for the Quarterly Challenge. WRITER - three months done and into the fourth month. CONSCIOUS CONSUMER   Clause 2 - two months left to only buy myself second-hand clothes. Clause 6 - I have the printing blocks and need to make at least two more items. I'm using this for the Quarterly Challenge. FUNDRAISER - made a final bank donation today, so this complete. BAKER - I'm using this for the Quarterly Challenge. Banana Bread done - two more breads needed. Rock cakes and Carrot Cake done - need one more cake. No progress made on biscuits. Apple crumble made twice and forgot to take photos twice. Savoury Pie - I'm unsure what to do for this when half the family won't even eat it.  May need to adapt. No progress made on eclairs. Sweet Tart - I'm going to make a pumpkin pie, which is actually a sweet tart, despite the name. Spo...

 Saturday 8th October 2022 Nerina Pallot at Storey's Field, Cambridge I'm not sure how to start this.  How do I critically review Nerina except to say that it was wonderful?  I can't recall the last time I went to a gig, it was certainly the first time that A & B have had a babysitter that wasn't a grandparent, so it was already a memorable day. She had chosen her own support act, which she told the audience doesn't always happen, and she had chosen well.  They were a wife and husband band that started during the first Lockdown.  They apologised that this had caused more sober songs than upbeat songs, but let's face it, Lockdown was a sober time.  THe band is called T.I.G.Y. which stands for ' Thoughts I Give You'. I enjoyed them hnd bought their C.D.  Supporting a small business and being a Conscious Consumer! 😉 Nerina's set started at 9pm.  She came on stage, picked up a guitar and... there was no mic!  She chatted away while the sound...

 Time for a new quarterly mission! Complete one badge from every section of the book Make a birthday cake and eat a slice Learn to sing or sign Happy Birthday in another language Make a Rebel birthday card and share it on the group! The badges I'm choosing are -  Creative - I'm counting Critic as this is ongoing in this time period Global - I'm counting Conscious Consumer as this is ongoing in this time period Grown Up - Baker .  Happy to use this challenge as a reason to complete baker. Self Aware - My Collection .  I really need to sort this out and not just keep adding things to the collection! Wellness - Self Care .  I feel most of these Clauses are doable. Wild - Stargazer .  I'd planned to start this in the Autumn anyway. Making a birthday cake and eating a slice will be easy, this is my birthday month! I'm going to get my friend to teach me the song in Welsh. I'm sure I can come up with something!

 Holding myself accountable with a Badge Work update to head into October. CRAFT - over three months try five activities. I'm working on this badge through August, September and October. I have completed projects in felting, weaving, origami and block printing. So many ginger cats! The block printing was a Craft Along raising money for the Cats Protection League - Craft for Cats .  It was brilliant!  I immediately went and bought some more kits from The Arty Crafty Place to make Christmas presents. I'm still working on my Desert Escape cross stitch kit , but I'm loving this as well.  Even bought myself a subscription to the Cross Stitch magazine.  When this piece is finished, I will have completed the required five Clauses.  However, I do still have candles to make, so I'll end up with six new crafts. Stitchy progress! CRITIC - over six months write a review of five things I'm working on this badge between July and December. I've written reviews for two e...

 " So Much Cooking " by Naomi Kritzer Just as I was all set to quit this anthology, along came 'So Much Cooking'.  A wonderful story that the narrator just had to put some life into reading.  Another pandemic story before our own pandemic experience.  These science fiction authors sure can predict the future. In this case, humans have caught H1N1 - bird flu - and a high percentage of the population is getting sick and dying.  Supermarkets are only delivering to existing customers, toilet paper is running out, chemists don't have enough pain medication.  There's social distancing and staying home to stay safe. The story is told via the blog of a food writer.  As the story progresses, she starts to run out of food and has to make do with what's in the cupboards or what finally gets delivered once she is able to order online.  She is also looking after her children, some of her relatives' children and children of friends.  She has a house full. ...

 " Capitalism in the 22nd Century, or A.I.r " by Geoff Ryman 'Graca and Cristina want to leave Brazil and go settle on another Planet, but it's expensive, physically challenging and illegal.' I honestly have no real idea what was going on here.  The two girls have been injected with something that means they could give birth to cows in space?  Everyone is hooked up to an A.I. system that runs their lives, and, for some reason, nobody trusts the Chinese. The story is told from Cristina's point of view, and she backs out at the last minute.  So, she is stuck in Africa full of this illegal cow juice and her sister blasts off on an African rocket to an illegal life in space.  With cow babies, I'm assuming. Not for me. 🌟🌟 " Hold-Time Violations " by John Chu Read it here . I listened to half of this story.  Then I started again because my mind was wandering.  During that second session I realised my mind was wandering because I just couldn't gra...

 Before I start on the next batch of short stories I am just going to make a note to self about the Good Habits badge.  For the Fitness Habit I had chosen to get into the habit of doing the physio for my knees.  Last night I managed to injure my knee again and I know from experience that I won't be doing exercises for weeks.  I've decided to change the Habit into Closing my Rings , which I can back date as I have the information recorded. I have also used my monthly Audible credit to purchase The Power of Habit , so I can complete that Clause. 

 I have decided to use an anthology rather than a novel.  The chosen anthology is "The Best Science Fiction of the Year".  The year is 2015 and I'm using Audible so I can get on with my cross stitch at the same time.  Two lots of badge work for the price of one!  The cross stitch isn't as bad as I thought it would be, I could get into these crafty things. 😀 " Today I am Paul " by Martin L. Shoemaker An android caring for a dementia patient.  Not too bad, the narrator did a good job of the robotic voice, and the other characters were distinctive.  Not a happy tale, obviously.  The android takes on Family personas when the person cannot be there for the patient.  It also mimics the lady's deceased husband. He finally rescues her from a fire that wasn't really dramatic enough, and ends up living in the family's basement, waiting for the next generation to age and require his skills.  Melancholy. 🌟🌟🌟 " Calved " by Sam J. Miller Earth is...

  HARRY POTTER PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION - Friday 2nd September The Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition is in Covent Garden tucked away behind the Transport Museum.  Very easy to overlook if you don't know that it's there, but if you glance through the doors, you can see the flying car from The Chamber of Secrets .  The first thing we learnt was the fact that this was one of fifteen and a half cars they used for the film.  One car was cut in half to get the cameras in! The Exhibition covers all eight of the Harry Potter films, Fantastic Beasts and The Cursed Child musical.  Interspersed with props and costumes are clips from the films and interviews with the creative teams. Daniel Radcliffe's Robes Emma Watson's Deathly Hallows costume There were less costumes than I was expecting, but as it's an exhibition of the photography I suppose it was fine.  Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort costume from Deathly Hallows was on display with an accompanying explanation d...

 Keeping myself on track, here is a list of what I need to work on during September. ACTIVIST Clause 7 - study one example of how art was used to communicate a message and create cultural change. Make a scrapbook or similar about your findings . I'm not certain where to start with this, especially as making a scrapbook seems rather excessive.  Perhaps I'll make a blog post about it instead, that will save paper and printer ink! CONSCIOUS CONSUMER Clause 1 - Actively aim to buy as little as possible . September is the last month for this Clause and I am expecting it to be easier once the children are back at school and ice creams are no longer an essential sanity-saving purchase. (Overlap with Money Saver) Clause 2 - Buy only second hand clothes . This is month three of six.  I've done alright so far with two hand-me-down long sleeved tops ready for the autumn and a long skirt from Mind that I can wear in the autumn. Clause 5 - Learn to fix items that you would otherwise t...

  A Midsummer Night's Dream - Scholar's Garden, St. John's College, Cambridge Cast Oberon / Theseus - Edmund Fargher Demetrius / Starveling - George Barnden Lysander / Flute - Aneurin Pritchard Bottom / Egeus - Rob Goll Quince / Philostrate - Meg MacMillan Helena / Snug - Nadia Dawber Hermia / Snout - Tessa Brockis Titania / Hippolyta - [understudy] Puck - Amy Blanchard Booking and attending this play has been counted towards the Carpe Diem Badge.  I've looked at posters for this Festival every year and wanted to go.  Attending online would still be a carpe diem too far, but luckily this time they were performing A Midsummer Night's Dream and my son is going to be studying it next year at School. I am so glad we went.  I love The Dream anyway and it's such a good entry point to Shakespeare.  Adam had a wonderful time and is already talking about making it a group trip next year with a better picnic.  He would like to see The Tempest . All the actors were...

   ROYAL ACADEMY SUMMER EXHIBITION 2022 CLIMATE CHANGE by Phil Shaw We went to see the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Acdemy in London on Sunday 7th August 2022.  It's something we usually do annually, but haven't been since COVID. The theme this year is 'Climate Change', so lots of thought-provoking pieces, and (much to my sons delight) many swear words!  This year was particularly special as a friend had finally managed to get two artworks accepted for hanging. My favourite galleries were those curated by Grayson Perry R.A. who had painted the walls in a vibrant yellow.  Sir Michael Criag-Martin R.A. had three that I liked.  Untitled (Banana Yellow), Untitled (Prawn Green) and Untitled (With 2 Carrots).  He has work at the Summer Exhibition each year as he's a Royal Academician. Sadly, I didn't get the name or title of a pair of gorgeous landscapes of the Colorado River.  The artist had included rock samples in vials. My daughter loved a pair of...