16th January 2015

by John Willmott -
Rooster Call :


Awaking to a dusting of snow and what looks likes being a still crispy sunny day. I think I have started to recover a bit today, so back on the writing, tense deadlines now :-)     

Wishing you all healing light wherever you are..  

Weather :

Dusting of snow again this morning at Carrowcrory, blue sky, wind has gone, first of crispy sunny days with sprinkly snow during sub zero nights. 

It looks like this cold blast will be with us at least until the end of January, and maybe through to the first or second week of February. However, there are now some signs that Brighid's Day and Imbolc may pass through an ice and snow free time, though. Watch this space ...   


Moon :

13%  waning moon ....  at Carrowcrory, Ireland ... sets 13:22 pm, rises 05:27 am (17th)
sunrise 8:43 am, sunset 4:42 pm


Celtic Music :

Full of Grit ...

I'm Still sulking for not making it to the Celtic Connections opening
 ... but the tweets are in !!!  - I should have Nae Regrets :-) 

"Tonight's tribute to & reimagining of Martyn Bennett's music moving in every sense; mind, body and spirit. Glorious start to ccfest 2015"

"Wow never seen an audience so totally into a gig, lovely sweet audience singing too! Nae Regrets indeed"

"Wow. Just wow!! You know sometimes you feel SO privileged to be somewhere.Tonight was one of those nights"

"sheer brilliance ! Perf of Martyn Bennet's Grit was an orchestral triumph - a moment of history reaching into future of music"

"how are you going to follow that? NaeRegrets. The most amazing event ever!"

Soon I will venture away from this project, but I am still fascinated by the performance of Martyn Bennett's 'Grit' last night to open Celtic Connections. Though no actual journalist or blog views have been published, as I wrote here, I am picking up fragments of info. If you have more resources, please let me know :-) 

First, the whole thing done with orchestra and singers and no electronic or electric instruments at all!

Over 90 musicians and celebrity singers, yet un-named.  The Twitter response was amazing. It seems most people there rated it the, or near to,  best live show they have ever been to !!!

BBC are broadcasting the concert once on 22nd January, but I do not know which channel yet, or time.  

... twitter feed comments
... Celtic Connections blog
... Scotsman's interview with Celtic Connections director, Donald Shaw.


Sustainable Living :

Increased Native Woodlands and Hedgerows for Glens Of Antrim ...

Great news here from the UK Woodland Trust. A lovely woodland and hedgerow project with native trees allowed to attract and create their own biodiversity. Good to see many crab apples will be planted.

... more info, and article

native woodland for glens of antrim

Labyrinths :

Merging Horticulture with Labyrinths ...

"The labyrinth takes you into the opposite space, where you get the opportunity to let go of your mind and find your heart."

I enjoy this article, as many of the quotes share are the same as what people who visit and use our Tree Labyrinth at Carrowcrory say :-) . 

I like Healy's second design in the tree circle, though maybe tricky to keep clean of intrusive plants, 'weeds'

... more info and article

labyrinth dedign

Local Food and Drink :

Irish Whiskey museum ...

Irish Whiskey, from 12th century monks to 200 distilleries in the 1800s, down to 4 distilleries in the 60s and 70s and now bouncing back with local mico-distilleries, at least 20 in planning stages , and now a Whiskey Museum, with tasting, near Trinity College, Dublin, already rated the 2nd best place to visit in Dublin by Trip Advisor.  

... more info, and web site

whiskey museum with tasting


please subscribe (in the margin) and check out 
my Almost Daily Blog most mornings :-) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diwali or Samhain on this Dark Moon Night?

by John Willmott -
Image
New Moon time today was 5:47 pm in Ireland and UK. A few people have brought my attention to today, 11th, November 2015, which is a Remembrance Day, New Moon Day, Dark Moon Day and a day of Diwali, which is a Hindu generated Festival of Lights. Diwali is a beautiful festival, the biggest and brightest of all of the Hindu celebrations, but why am I hearing a lot more about it from more people this year than  ever before? Is this partially to detour attention from Remembrance of those fallen from battles? That is really a huge alternative topic that I will not include here. Hearing so much about Diwali actually causes me to have a 'flee from it' reaction, despite its beauty and relevance that I am certainly not fleeing from. I will rant  about this for a wee while now before talking of that which is known as Diwali. With many thoughtful things that bring our attention to seasons, weather and the interactions of nature, and our part of all of this, seem to be paid
Read more ... »

Mindfulness And The Natural World

by John Willmott -
Image
A lovely generous freebie for TODAY ONLY! For use on Kindle or your Kindle app on your devices. Mindfulness by Claire Thompson is probably familiar reading for a lot of you. If not, I believe it should be. Even being familiar it jogs a lot of reminders too. Very easy to read and flows very well.  My one concern with books like these is that I still feel the writer is dealing with an Us and Nature situation. Maybe, I do this in presentations too. I always feel the real exercise and training is how to train our ego into not thinking ‘Us and Nature’ and break down that illusion that we are either superior to it, or humble guests of it.  I tend to think it is not about connecting to nature, but about disconnecting from our refusal, or surrender, to recognise we are part of it all.  I look at this ‘connect with nature’ thought we carry and think it is like the ridiculousness of the branding of ‘Organic Fruit and Vegetables’ leaving us to maybe think all other veggies are no
Read more ... »

I Am Back - Visions For 2020

by John Willmott -
Image
Cut Down By Strokes I have been quiet because over Christmas I suffered two strokes. One on Christmas Day last year, and another more serious one during the early morning of the 27th December. After a couple of weeks in hospital I was transferred top the excellent St. John's Hospital Sligo for rehabilitation and lots of useful physiotherapy work. I was discharged and allowed home Friday 7th February, and was able to vote on 8th February. My current condition is that I am itching to get back into action but I still have some limitations that will heal over the coming months. I can walk around Carrowcrory Cottage without support, but still need a crutch to get around the gardens. I went around a supermarket a couple of days ago and was very comfortable shopping holding onto a shopping trolley. I want to get back to the local market though. Beyond Fatigue I had a more paralytic stroke 10 years ago but recovered from that quite quickly, and I do not remember the fatig
Read more ... »