tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853652036060030202012-01-30T15:30:12.247+01:00cross country ramblingsRosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.comBlogger3221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-29249754880174617142012-01-25T15:31:00.003+01:002012-01-25T15:35:52.554+01:00

For those of you yet to discover the brilliant John Finnemore with his radio comedy series Cabin Pressure, here is a link to the radio 4 iplayer which can be heard around the world for the next week or so.All of the episodes are of a similar high standard.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-70652829132209919262012-01-22T12:07:00.007+01:002012-01-22T13:07:25.748+01:00

The new kool drum prototypes waited patiently in the wings and large numbers of arty people, lots of the men wearing red scarves for some reason, accumulated downstairs wolfing down free arts council buns. Is there something I don't know about red scarves? We played in a hallway at the top of a stairwell, which gave us some space, but meant that every now and then there was a bit too much arty

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-50863453322130388872012-01-20T12:46:00.004+01:002012-01-20T13:09:55.134+01:00

I have spent the last week updating websites, except this one, you will have noticed!That and tapping away at xylophones and kool drums.Oh yes, and muttering lyrics in public whilst walking anywhere at all, rather like an elderly vagrant...with a golden retriever.And snapping at close family in my stressed condition.All because Singing Steel are playing on Saturday afternoon at our equivalent of

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-83682732922831680992012-01-15T19:26:00.004+01:002012-01-15T19:53:43.014+01:00

It was 5 am and I awoke to the sounds of creatures in great pain. It must have been loud, because I was right upstairs in the studio in the loft. I turned over and relaunched the BBC iplayer, which is my usual way of dealing with insomnia. I don't sleep very much at this phase in my life, perhaps five hours a night in periods which are rarely longer than an hour, often much less. The noise died

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-12520416103420721402012-01-07T14:57:00.003+01:002012-01-07T15:48:01.642+01:00

Half a kilometer away from us on a path at the back of the chateau is a small hamlet of houses. It is on a public right of way, which joins up to a quiet road.I think the houses all belong to the same farming family. There is an old shed outside the house of the parents, and there are about ten Breton spaniels, which are hunting dogs, inside it. I can see them through the wire netting, and they

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-39420402776499257782012-01-01T14:21:00.001+01:002012-01-01T14:25:38.493+01:00

Some cats will do anything to grab attention.Kitty started rolling about around Mysweet's legs as he was trying to photograph his new kool drum prototype.She seemed to be balancing it on her head. So I thought I might help her spin it too...By the way, don't be deceived by her coquettish expression. I was awoken this morning by wild wailing, hissing and screaming as she was chastising her

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-40716455957620821112011-12-30T21:35:00.002+01:002011-12-30T21:55:48.552+01:00

Well, here he is!But not quite the Aston Martin of his dreams.It is doing the trick for short journeys, but the lack of suspension means that it is not too good for people with delicate backs over any great distance, especially if it is a distance with pot holes. He has tried driving at lunchtime, when he can go in the middle of the road and avoid the pot holes because everyone French is at home

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-60756832986054335642011-12-28T19:39:00.003+01:002011-12-28T19:59:01.620+01:00

The mystery boyfriend came to call, so I thought that I had better get to know him, since it seems to be true love. We still don't know where he lives, but it can't be far away because he visits us only too frequently. Porridge has a gleam in her eye that I have never seen before.The down side to this is that she slopes off with him when our backs are turned, and then comes home limping so badly

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-41991461701377811512011-12-09T17:11:00.003+01:002011-12-09T17:25:30.828+01:00

Well the smug smile on my face was not there for very long. Disaster struck as I backed the car out of the drive and three things happened within moments of each other. 1 I was too lazy to walk to the end of the drive and open the gate completely. We are not talking about a long walk either; our house is no Pemberley and the grounds and pleasure gardens are not extensive. The high winds during

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-54591220351088948482011-12-08T18:19:00.004+01:002011-12-08T19:06:38.969+01:00

Mysweet came in from the garden with arms full of these little sweeties, which were a bit damp, (as was he...) All of them took up positions around the fire to dry out.The physalis harvest is usually well over by now, but he found this lot lying on the ground. They are conveniently protected by little Porridge proof (and insect proof) lacey containers, which are rather beautiful. I adore them

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-83581938897126583242011-12-05T17:49:00.003+01:002011-12-05T18:15:26.754+01:00

We went out for a very nice Sunday lunch indeed yesterday. It was my first social event as a normal(ish) person instead of a whining invalid. My liver did me proud as it dealt with wine which sparkled and wine which didn't, and in two different colours what is more...Roast meat and vegetables posed no problem, and as for the buttery sticky lemony pudding, I dealt with an enormous portion totally

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-88707747994529390312011-12-03T21:46:00.004+01:002011-12-03T23:07:19.899+01:00

The unseasonal weather is still encouraging things that should be long dead or dormant to buzz around the house annoyingly. Dishes of food must not be left unattended or suicidal flies dive into them within moments. It is war...My Sarracenia lurks on the window sill minding its own business. And its business is fatal attraction. I am glad it is on my side. We got it this summer and it has already

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-17583082788118125532011-11-26T17:38:00.010+01:002011-11-26T19:36:25.447+01:00

The sun is coming up, but it is still cold. I've been out here for hours now. What on earth are they doing?I've smeared my nose all over the glass. That usually gets the door opened quickly.Perhaps, if I serenade her, she'll hurry up. After all, she is always howling along with the piano.I'm sure I can smell breakfast.At last. I'd better be quick.A little nap before I have to face the day.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-2459162548852309542011-11-20T18:59:00.005+01:002011-11-20T19:29:36.524+01:00

The sun was so bright and beautiful today, we decided to risk our nearest beach, the bay of St Brieuc. Sometimes there are nasty piles of decomposing seaweed which can be dangerous because they give off toxic gases As you can see above, the seaweed was spread like a big brown cowpat over the whole bay. Some horses and dogs have died here so I am always very careful to stop Porridge running off

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-40350849647059841632011-11-17T16:39:00.004+01:002011-11-17T17:19:27.932+01:00

There has been a silence on my blog, but not in the living room, where this steely monster is now installed. It dwarfs the piano, and I like the way that it is unembarassed by the little rusty bits on its frame.I have been spending my time biffing and bashing it. Somehow the fact that it is homemade makes it even more inspiring, and releases me from insecurities about my technique. The

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-27526159588809417822011-11-12T20:53:00.003+01:002011-11-12T21:05:25.886+01:00

At last I have evidence of what Drummer boy was up to on his recent tour of Eastern Europe, from a small bar in Prague. There are three of them with sticks but he is the one facing the camera. Two of them are sharing a bass drum, hitting with a pedal on each side, which I have never seen done before.There is so much energy flying around the room that I am exhausted just watching it...

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-85762398453293437852011-11-11T22:40:00.004+01:002011-11-11T22:49:42.171+01:00

We had to take some more photos today, as the last ones were not sharp enough to reproduce for the theatre brochure.M had the idea that we should throw the drums in the air (and catch them!). This was not the ideal solution when it came to solving the focus problem, so our faces look a bit strange. But it resulted in the most amazing effect on the drums themselves as you can see. This is the

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-42614366381390463802011-11-10T21:38:00.004+01:002011-11-10T23:03:31.565+01:00

I am having trouble concentrating because Masterchef keeps parading wonderful dishes in front of me, eye candy indeed. I wanted to tell you all about my struggles to make my sound card work with my big complicated music software, and all I can do is lust after chocolate. Does anyone else suffer from instruction manual blind spot? I keep looking at the sentences, they seem to be in English, but

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-62854493482110737492011-11-09T11:51:00.003+01:002011-11-09T12:18:00.443+01:00

I get so much more than I give when it comes to my singing workshops. Coming out of the SoulTrain group last night, I drove home as high as a kite with complicated harmonies chasing each other in my head all the way down the motorway. This year, the numbers have gone up to 14, and we have some more experienced singers who are good readers in each section. They are able to help the less

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-2471855773912352992011-11-08T14:10:00.005+01:002011-11-08T14:27:35.459+01:00

It is back to work this evening. Three hours and a quarter of singing workshops after a two week break. I have kept depression at bay up to now, but I must admit that today the mood is grumpy and wondering how to cope. It is Steve Jobs fault. Soldiering on till 6 weeks before he died. As head of a corporation...or whatever it was... see, I am still confused! He has raised the bar too high for

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-9113147912430543092011-11-07T20:34:00.003+01:002011-11-07T21:16:43.862+01:00

After our recent visit to England, we came back to the quiet country roads of Brittany with a sense of relief. But tonight the phone has not stopped ringing. The front left wheel has flown off the car that the children have been using... while it was overtaking another car! Nobody was hurt, but everyone had a nasty fright.By the time the car came to a halt, there was no sign of the wheel.It is

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-34115870881322319932011-11-06T19:58:00.003+01:002011-11-06T20:05:25.830+01:00

Ouch... Didn't go to private school though...but I do go to bed at 9.30...

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-74689868066031586752011-11-05T20:50:00.000+01:002011-11-05T20:51:36.992+01:00

I am so tired, with a jelly head tonight. Perhaps the most appropriate condition to be in for Saturday night television. Children have gone back to University, but we are cosy and self contained in front of the fire. Porridge is steaming after getting wet in the rainy garden. Mysweet is listening to ragas and scales, trying to decide which to use for his next Kooldrum range.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-17313909372649740142011-11-04T17:45:00.002+01:002011-11-04T18:04:05.807+01:00

I am very excited. As part of the Singing Steel project, Mysweet is creating some new instruments for me to play on stage. I wanted some low notes. And it looks like they are in the pipeline...Literally:I think it is going to have its own legs too, which is what all those sparks are about. I can't help thinking that it will need some pretty sturdy ones...I can't wait. I've got twitchy mallets...

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-49574745524523329342011-11-03T18:16:00.003+01:002011-11-03T18:55:53.358+01:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Chaos, my favourite river, to do some publicity shots for a new project- Singing Steel. While we posed in the late Autumn sunshine, Porridge took advantage of the water ( you can see her swimming if you click on the photo).But while my back was turned she managed a sneaky beauty treatment and became...

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-4724539462305094302011-11-02T15:46:00.004+01:002011-11-02T16:10:51.531+01:00

Following my instructions for the prescription, I ate determinedly last night in readiness for a 12 hour fast, before presenting myself at the laboratories early this morning.My family doctor has been adding the services of a district nurse to my previous tests, so a cheerful young thing usually knocks on my door, takes the blood (if she can manage it) and I fall upon whatever food is to hand

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-9170364690793771152011-11-01T11:24:00.006+01:002011-11-01T20:03:22.599+01:00

I went to see my liver consultant yesterday.It was rather like a consultation with Hercule Poirot, (someone I have been spending time with while convalescing). By the way, what do you do when you have seen every episode? I suppose a full recovery is the only option, or madness would set in. Or perhaps you know you are well when you notice that you have seen the episode before, and actually

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-47034760149819128802011-10-27T18:00:00.006+02:002011-10-27T18:51:48.568+02:00

We went to England for a funeral, but as you can see, there were some smiley moments.The weather was warm and sunny, and we were accompanied by Lucy, (not the blogger but the efficient voice of our new sat nav). I don't know how we would have found the obscure places in Leeds for the funeral and various other little visits that we made without her. She did take us across London via Hyde Park

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-56066366611724739382011-10-15T21:07:00.004+02:002011-10-15T21:55:12.561+02:00

As Mysweet was in the garage, feeding the cats, he looked round and saw someone standing on the washing machine. Someone who must have been locked in there for a little while. Unfortunately, at the same moment, the cats saw it too.But fortunately, they are mother and daughter and don't like each other very much.So they embarked on a hissing and yowling competition, while Mysweet was able to

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-49378998780875715162011-10-07T14:52:00.004+02:002011-10-07T15:20:12.759+02:00

I had my first session with the autistic musicians on Wednesday. It was a great pleasure,( mostly!), to see them again, but was immensely draining. I am thinking hard about whether I can continue with them while my health is still not right. I have been photographed from every imaginable angle by most types of radiation known to man, and had strange dyes injected into me, which tasted very

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-89580320959136070832011-09-25T12:40:00.005+02:002011-09-25T14:08:19.084+02:00

In times gone by, we have often run a bath only to find it a strange muddy colour. This tends to make the aftertaste of early morning coffee a bit worrying, even though the water has obviously been boiled at least. The phenomenon is more dramatic when there has been a lot of rain, a situation far from rare in Brittany.So it was with interest that we had bulletins from Darling daughter while we

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-8998743141763102152011-09-16T18:21:00.003+02:002011-09-16T18:37:41.055+02:00

Today was my first proper day out of the house, driving, and a new job as a voice over artist for a French internet company. It was fun, and easy... can't say better than that!I'm still feeling a bit weak, but ready for some action as well.On Monday, I finally admitted to myself that my beloved kindle was getting stripey lines on it, and they weren't going away, and I should try and do something

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-41282062943876816812011-09-06T21:03:00.002+02:002011-09-06T21:07:40.959+02:00

Convalescence has to happen in a confined space. Life is stripped back to essentials. But what remains is curiously amplified. Tastes are more intense, even though my diet is restricted. Noises are louder. The sun is unbearably bright as it breaks through the clouds. The machine is being recalibrated. Hey, I’m still here, I think to myself with gratitude each morning. The absence of pain is

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-90264544341376334442011-09-03T04:20:00.004+02:002011-09-03T05:50:44.338+02:00

It is 4.21 am and this is my first night out of hospital. I have a few holes in my tummy, one of which is reluctant to close up, but we are talking discomfort rather than pain. When I got to the hospital, the nurses were horrified to see that I was a woman and not a man, and so I got a room to myself (at first). French people always seem to think the name Gillian is that of a man, and they had

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-20611660716435197662011-08-22T11:14:00.001+02:002011-08-22T11:16:53.677+02:00

So continues the strangest and longest of holidays: A month in the south of France, a day at home, a week in hospital, a day at home, two days in hospital, and back home again. My illness involves short(ish!) bursts of extreme abdominal pain followed by periods of minor discomfort. The nurses have a pain reference and they ask the level between 1 and 10. This is arbitrary of course, one person’

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-37055998490054430412011-06-19T20:12:00.003+02:002011-06-19T20:45:37.933+02:00

We are reeling about walking wounded here this weekend. It is the "Fete de la Musique" in France and a very busy time for musicians, both amateur and professional... My concert was Friday in Rennes, Kool drum exhibition on Saturday morning (early and 90 kilometres from here in the opposite direction!), Darling daughter played a concert on Saturday night, and then everyone in her group came back

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-38936112124679364472011-06-09T17:28:00.002+02:002011-06-09T18:01:16.679+02:00

There has recently been a television program exposing the ill treatment of mentally handicapped people in an institution in England. I am sorry to say that I could not bear to watch beyond the very first part of it, although I suppose that I should have done. I could not stop imagining my own students in this situation. For the parents of children like them, it must have been a confirmation of

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-29146104357875939142011-05-27T11:48:00.000+02:002011-05-27T17:44:53.406+02:00

I have quite enjoyed it, really…creating a website for the Kool drum project. There are enough tools available for the enthusiastic amateur to make something pretty, and I hope I have. The real difficulty was translating the whole kit and caboodle into French. Even with the help of Google translate and my very own nearly French children, it put up a bit of a fight…ongoing perhaps. The trouble

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-32035547406598733622011-05-19T16:30:00.004+02:002011-05-19T16:42:40.756+02:00

It was with some trepidation that I prepared to meet my students today, after last week's excitement and my abrupt shirt removal.One of the first people that I met on arrival was the house "father" where the shirt ripper himself is accommodated. He is a wonderfully gentle man in every sense, and he reassured me that he had reinforced the idea of no clothes removal with the boy who dribbles. He

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-60376866373647269792011-05-12T12:07:00.001+02:002011-05-13T23:24:24.962+02:00

It has been a morning of extreme highs and lows.I have had my shirt ripped off by the boy who dribbles, which, as you might imagine, was the low point. It was followed by a great high, however, when the girl who loves keys improvised a little song all about her beautiful nephew.It was all probably my fault...the good and the bad.It was only afterwards they told me that all the teachers have their

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-76524996431264890032011-05-08T19:29:00.003+02:002011-05-08T21:27:05.130+02:00

We spend every spare moment together. In bed. Even in the bath. It gets a bit steamy, but that hasn't posed any problems so far. Yes, I adore my Kindle. I am trying to ration my book buying by alternating the classics, which are free on project gutenberg, with on-line purchases which are very quick and only too easy to click on...So Zoo city (Lauren Beukes) has been sandwiched between Fanny

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-36273960105411752572011-04-14T15:53:00.003+02:002011-04-14T16:19:58.322+02:00

Mushrooms sprouting in the living room? No, it is the Kooldrum collection after their outing to see the autistic musicians this morning.The difficulty is finding somewhere to put them all at home.They got such a good bashing that you probably heard them from where you are.A trainée looked on in disbelief as we made noises like giants, fairies and bells.The boy who just says oui said oui into a

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-19023383331496683162011-04-12T11:57:00.004+02:002011-04-12T12:26:06.888+02:00

Those of you who have hung in here for a while will know that Porridge is susceptible to problems in her trousers. The fur is so thick there that it does not dry very quickly, and yeasts start to grow...Sunday being the first and probably only summer day we will have this year, I raced down to the river with my specially bred water-loving, supposedly water-proof dog.She has not been swimming for

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-9614758516387406802011-04-11T12:26:00.002+02:002011-04-11T12:38:53.585+02:00

I didn't manage anything at New Year, so these resolutions are a bit late.I must:1 Try and remember that when depression strikes it is likely to be shortlived, since I am fortunate enough to be a rapid cycling manic depressive, and will soon pass from lethargic and weepy to running round achieving very little and shouting at people and animals...and then back again.2 Write sentences of less than

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-60662342430202755672011-04-03T12:06:00.004+02:002011-04-03T12:30:33.653+02:00

The first whiff of Spring is in the air. Here in rural Brittany it usually takes the form of pig manure. At last my woodstoves lie dark and unlit for a couple of days at a time, and I wonder whether I am able to consider my relationship with them dispassionately. I doubt it. The power balance is too skewed in their favour. My mixed feelings date back to the late nineteen sixties when I

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-71729232824627920322011-03-07T11:48:00.002+01:002011-03-07T12:07:55.620+01:00

It is holiday time. The family is reunited, food is cooked, mess is made, and some of it is cleaned up again. Joking turns to bickering and back to joking again in the blink of an eye. Feathers are ruffled and smoothed down again, and four adults try to get on with each other. Two cats and a dog jealously demand attention which is usually theirs alone.I drop her off at the station and watch the

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-6714261620867227072011-02-23T12:45:00.003+01:002011-02-23T13:02:43.340+01:00

Only three days to go and we have a little holiday in France for two weeks. This is very welcome since the term has been a little longer than usual, and I am finding that what patience I have left is stretched extremely thinly. My head is still above the water but only my parting is visible.Last Saturday was jam night for my Cole Porter singers, and the ladies let their hair down in a big way

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-38495146565946932492011-02-12T10:01:00.001+01:002011-02-12T10:03:27.066+01:00

When I visit my autistic music students I am always struck by how many different ways it is possible to be human. They are officially described as low functioning. None of our gang can memorise telephone directories. Most of them are unable to speak. I find my time with them invariably refreshing because it is such a stripped down version of communication between human beings. We always start

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-29822185188929133652011-02-09T14:57:00.011+01:002011-02-09T16:36:14.240+01:00

When the wind puffed away Mysweets Kooldrum workshop, he surveyed the damage and got out his tape measure. The chicken house would have to go. It would be recycled into a new improved, and rather more solid workshop.Favours were called in. Children and their muscly chums were lured round with promises of spaghetti bolognese.Quite a lot of adolescent masculine posturing went on as they worked up

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-59691844022099099662011-01-09T20:33:00.005+01:002011-01-09T20:46:02.957+01:00

We could hear the wind buffeting the house in the night, but were still surprised to see the effect from a bedroom window the next day. The white thing that looks like a sail is the roof blown off Mysweet's Kooldrum workshop, which has landed on the chicken coop.He is busy drawing up plans to replace it. Never mind, I prefer wind to snow...at least I can get to work.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-75734703837247526562011-01-08T18:18:00.003+01:002011-01-08T18:26:31.163+01:00

When ever I feel that life here in Brittany has not turned out exactly as I might have hoped, there is always the consolation that it all could have been a lot worse....When things go wrong for expats

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-61548393174861177722011-01-06T15:57:00.001+01:002011-01-06T15:58:25.367+01:00

I make no apology for my absence. A girl can only do so much. Christmas shot past me in a blur of sheet music in preparation for my Cole Porter workshop. All I need now is for some students to actually turn up for it. I have a nasty feeling that I might be the only singer in France whose heart burns with a fiery longing to sing as much of him as possible. He had this terrible habit of writing

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-61641989152846585282010-12-23T16:22:00.001+01:002010-12-23T16:24:13.815+01:00

At last. The last concerts were last week. The Soul Train singers bravely sang, not only in English , but also improvising a wee bit, in a soulful way, and without looking at their lyrics. I belong to the egalitarian school of music where I make sure everybody gets to sing a little solo which corresponds with their skill level rather than piling it all onto one singer. There were too many of

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-37883922696662853062010-12-14T10:07:00.002+01:002010-12-14T10:16:15.095+01:00

Sometimes, slurp, it is really difficult, slurp, to get the last bits, slurp, left in the pan. Especially when it has lots of funny wavy lumps on it...If you click on the photo you will see the frighteningly efficient way that Porridge's tongue momentarily adopts the same shape as the ridges. Could this be a dog especially evolved to deal with corrugated pans, or have we finally irrefutable proof

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-7060712135724267802010-12-01T14:19:00.000+01:002010-12-01T14:20:18.202+01:00

I live near a château in a building which used to be occupied by their farm manager. The chateau has extensive grounds, which they use to raise game birds for the hunters who pay to use this area. The local hunting associations lurk on the borders of the chateau grounds, often in my hedge, where they ambush birds that stray out of the chateau’s domain, for free.. This is, as you can imagine,

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-73991163597065484522010-11-17T13:39:00.003+01:002010-11-17T13:53:11.266+01:00

Here I am, at it again. All those resolutions not to get back on stage again so that I could quietly dedicate myself to eating chocolate in private, behind closed doors. But the truth is, I miss it too much (singing live with great musicians, that is). It is possible to combine this with chocolate eating, I reckon, but you have to find the right balance.The other problems are that I just get

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-45239145215287811232010-11-14T18:43:00.003+01:002010-11-14T19:29:45.495+01:00

After a two week break, I headed off to see my autistic musicians.I unloaded the instruments from my elderly mercedes as microphone boy hovered in the heavy rain, peering through the vehicle windows and wondering whether he would be able to get in the car without me noticing; but the call of the microphone was too much for him and as soon as I put it down on the table inside the music room, he

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-66545973110057134022010-11-07T15:13:00.007+01:002010-11-07T16:08:02.773+01:00

Having to travel to England for a sad reason, a family funeral, it was still possible to find some consolation. Our little family of four was travelling and spending quality time together for the first time since the teenagers had left home. As is usual with teenagers, I got the impression that some of them hadn't eaten since we had last seen them...We went on a very fast boat which only took a

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-78964676372370488782010-10-21T12:32:00.005+02:002010-10-21T12:54:15.114+02:00

We have had a loss in the family recently. Mysweet’s mum, who lived to the grand old age of 98, has finally quietly left us. It doesn’t matter how much the event is expected, it is still shocking to be reminded of how brief (however long!) is our time here with the ones that we love. Here is a photo of her at her engagement, when she was 18 and in the full flower of youth. She was very beautiful

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-73092858600563686532010-09-24T09:46:00.002+02:002010-09-24T10:16:20.713+02:00

Yes, they are back. Or rather, I am back. I had taken on rather too much work in the last couple of weeks, so I couldn't get to see them until recently.The hospital area was surrounded by mountains of rubble as I arrived. Heavy machinery was throwing rocks about in such a cavalier fashion that I wondered whether it was one of the sheltered workshops getting some work experience. I know the

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-53978367214172318532010-09-11T15:28:00.007+02:002010-09-11T15:54:07.136+02:00

There has been rather a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth lately, at the top of our little green hill. In the odd moments when no-one was in hospital, the anguish of the long term has been gusting round the hill top and it's been feeling a bit nippy. Of course we all have to get old, if we are lucky, and adapt ourselves to waning powers. It is when this is combined with waning income and

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-60329457243780239652010-09-03T10:45:00.002+02:002010-09-03T11:12:08.951+02:00

Well, yes I have had to be patient with the patients.After the wedding celebrations, some of us found that we had lowered our immunity considerably and so it was that I spent a lot of time sitting in doctor/ clinic and hospital waiting rooms while everyone tried to decide whether Darling d had appendicitis...or just an enormous hangover. Apart from Naomi Campbell, she must have the most

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-90807970326300396592010-08-23T12:03:00.006+02:002010-08-23T13:24:04.507+02:00

...it is bound to be an international event.Here you can see Mysweet revealing his 10 years in California with his shirt choice, and Darling D is establishing diplomatic relations with a german punk, while a tyrolean looks on bemused in suede hot pants. The most impressive thing about that costume was the gap in his socks (summer version?).The bride arrived on the arm of her proud father, to the

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-72799510296545263142010-07-27T10:49:00.008+02:002010-07-27T15:22:30.338+02:00

We have at last returned from an eventful holiday in the South of France at Limoux.It involved meeting a nice new vet from Paris who looked about 12 years old, lots of worrying, licking of paws, enduring a smell like over-ripe camembert for hours on end in a small car, and trying to wash a large waterproof dog with deep treatment medical shampoo every two days under a weakly flowing tap.At least

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-58814129990455609252010-07-10T10:59:00.028+02:002010-07-11T09:27:18.849+02:00

Last week, Porridge and I stepped out for a walk to our favourite place, Chaos du Gouëtwith our chums Lucy and Mol. We were both armed with cameras, and I noticed, in the way of men in the changing room, that her apparatus was considerably larger than mine. I look forward to seeing her results on her blog. So I have decided to leave the arty blow ups alone for the moment and concentrate on action

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-48404600931859300542010-07-04T09:43:00.005+02:002010-07-04T10:12:37.082+02:00

The postman arrived from America yesterday(well, the post did), with a much appreciated early birthday present. The subtle hints that I have been dropping over the last few months have finally borne fruit. Small parcels are always the best...Mine contained a new camera.Since I am someone who cannot see very well, I need a camera with a MENSA level IQ which can take decisions for me. That way, I

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-30646430481200940492010-07-01T16:39:00.005+02:002010-07-01T17:08:13.324+02:00

Yes, the very last session today with my autisitic musicians and then I will be able to devote myself full time to cleaning up after my family. They are all back home at the moment, so now we are are four adults, two cats, a dog and three chickens. One of the adults is in severe party mode after finishing her BAC exams. She comes in at odd hours, leaves deep piles of clothes scattered unevenly

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-45830211282738656472010-06-17T20:41:00.004+02:002010-06-17T21:07:37.598+02:00

Phew, those holidays are very welcome. Everything is starting to wind down for French summertime, which is taken very seriously, sunshine notwithstanding. My classes are tailing off, and I am simply left with my autist music students until the beginning of July, when they disappear on a camping holiday. A party atmosphere was definitely discernable in our workshop this morning. The girl who

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-64152515778423555752010-05-31T10:07:00.003+02:002010-05-31T10:16:52.291+02:00

What a wonderful weekend!I would like to thank the 23 singing students who gave their hearts and souls this weekend and bravely sang throwing caution to the winds. Even on their own from time to time...Singing is a very personal way of expressing oneself, and improvising is a very risky business. Put the two together and the risks of humiliation can be seen as overwhelming. They all gave it

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-3153272724778698152010-05-27T22:14:00.003+02:002010-05-27T22:36:35.935+02:00

I am not sure that I am cut out to be a translator for press conferences. It seems to require more self effacement and patience than I am capable of. Some of the journalists were great and very professional, but there were some mumblers and ramblers that I found myself saying to briskly, "Well what is your question exactly?" It wasn't all their fault of course. There was an occasion translating

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-23870338414268246242010-05-17T18:33:00.004+02:002010-05-17T19:14:33.189+02:00

Mmm. Not so sure about the title now I come to look at it.But I am not trying to be salacious.It's just that when people ask me to do things, I tend to say yes.They are usually things I want to do, but I have an unrealistic grasp of the amount of time everything will take.So when I got a call from a saxophonist asking me to join a new funk project, I thought, that would be fun. And it is. And I

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-22504362204102599562010-05-08T14:33:00.007+02:002010-05-08T15:20:56.982+02:00

During my two week holiday, I didn't see my autist musicians. I was busy with lots of different projects, but in spite of this, a little up and down in mood.The boy with the red hair is still away in hospital experiencing the big dipper ride of constantly adjusting medication. Without it, he becomes violent at the drop of a hat. Most of the time his violence is against himself as he desperately

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-13958836925930282622010-05-03T19:23:00.003+02:002010-05-03T19:38:38.189+02:00

Here is an extract of darling D's concert at the Citrouille, as promised.It was her 18th birthday on Friday.Another one out into the world... not many of us left here at home in the wood shed now.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-36971953675922694712010-04-26T19:05:00.004+02:002010-04-26T19:54:24.545+02:00

Those of you who are worrying that I am working too hard and/or wasting away on a diet entirely composed of soya beans in various shapes and forms can now breathe easily.I have been researching a beauty spot which is a mere 8 minutes drive from my house, and, to my shame, I have only just discovered it after living here ten years!There are twenty kilometers of pathways along the valley of the

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-81852640723993381032010-04-11T18:34:00.004+02:002010-04-11T19:15:56.222+02:00

Mysweet never ceases to amaze me with his enthusiasms for making things.It comes upon him to a greater extent in Spring as the sap starts to rise, and is an irresistable urge. It can involve the garden, and when that means growing vegetables I am very happy to help him eat them. Sometimes it takes the form of tearing out walls - or putting them up - or both. I am then very happy to put things in

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-78250431423962521692010-03-28T15:50:00.007+02:002010-03-28T16:18:49.136+02:00

This week has continued to be rather odd. The virus that I have been fighting turned the heat down to simmer for the first part of the week, so I carried on working as usual, and went to see Darling daughter give her first performance in a real concert hall on Thursday night.I was a lot more nervous than she was.They had technical problems but she didn't turn a hair. When a performer is relaxed

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-37656695815522100642010-03-20T21:42:00.004+01:002010-03-20T22:04:53.442+01:00

Strange how things turn out.Today, I was supposed to drive 90 kilometres and record some vocals for a new project of funk music. But I woke up with a needle stabbing me intermittantly in my right ear. And a croaky throat. And a sinusitis. So it will have to wait...I'm wrapped up in a blanket in front of one of those bloody wood stoves, with the television mumbling in the background. Every so

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-8280285511988228972010-03-15T10:32:00.003+01:002010-03-15T10:47:44.867+01:00

The sun is shining. My windows are open. The wood stoves are cold, dark, and untended, no longer the focus of the house. The grime and grease from Porridge's nose is translucent on the glass of the front door, waiting for a squirt of cleaner (the door, not her nose...). My washing machine is full of agitating clothes soon ready to hang outside for the first time this year.Yes, the long grey

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-18964220643453616322010-02-25T14:31:00.002+01:002010-02-25T14:38:38.976+01:00

It is a holiday period in France, but the school stays open to help harassed parents and carers. My students are aged between 18 and 22 and some of them have gone home. Those who are still here work to a more relaxed timetable. They get up and breakfast when they fancy it. I wandered to the kitchen to get a cup of tea and see who was around. Noone… I went to the music room and set up my

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-73890351481233252972010-02-20T12:43:00.002+01:002010-02-20T12:52:25.461+01:00

Mysweet is very interested in making musical instruments out of recycled materials.He makes a KOOLDRUM out of recycled gas bottles, but this leaves him with other unused parts of the original bottles.A few days ago, I went out of the front door and found myself in this soundgarden:

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-23961786467953522912010-02-17T21:31:00.005+01:002010-02-17T21:49:35.321+01:00

I had a dream early this morning. Not a nightmare. Oh no.It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I dreamed that I was in my bed, which I was, but that I was at one with an infinite number of other beings in other universes, each part of me as I was part of them. Connected. A glorious part of a glorious whole. And I felt whole myself.Those of you who have passed this way before will

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-28269742614603511332010-02-14T16:55:00.002+01:002010-02-14T17:17:12.285+01:00

At last , a few days holiday, so I put my feet up on a cushion on the table, try to warm my lap with the lap top and switch on the television for background mumbling. Our programmes are restricted to dire French tv or the basic four English channels obtained by pointing an aerial towards the channel islands and putting up with snowy reception.And is there a girly romantic fiction to distract me?

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-89329100940248426342010-02-08T10:26:00.004+01:002010-02-08T10:47:03.577+01:00

I consider myself a hardened woman when it comes to Internet scams. I have sneered at offers arriving via Myspace, suggesting that I come and sing at a wedding in Nigeria (and by the way can I give them my paypal details so that they can forward my expenses).Would I like to invest in a rock solid company based near the Goldcoast...? Er, no.But this is the first time I have received hardcopy spam!

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-40955947179427787752010-02-01T21:36:00.002+01:002010-02-01T21:42:30.189+01:00

Here is Darling D performing one of her own songs with her trio.It was at a cyclists' convention, and their performance followed a rather long film in a rather cold hall about next year's race...and my chair was rather hard...Just as well they were worth waiting for.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-32443017767274161162010-01-28T14:11:00.003+01:002010-01-28T14:23:38.508+01:00

Ok, I give in. I am now getting an average of two spamming comments a day, sometimes in chinese, mostly without any sense (even business...). They are usually right back in old posts that people are most unlikely to visit. If anyone can tell me what these spammers have to gain, I would like to know. However, you will have to tell me using word verification now! Sorry.But it is just taking too

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-55963319201192297792010-01-23T13:09:00.002+01:002010-01-23T13:12:14.234+01:00

At last. I got to see my autistic musicians again this week. Last week didn’t really count. I managed to get there after sliding up and down hills with Mysweet driving me in his car because my own is too silly for country ice (heavy, rear wheel drive, and automatic- a very old Mercedes which would not be worth repairing, no matter how slight the damage!) We then turned round and came straight

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-27590125262108858082010-01-12T17:39:00.002+01:002010-01-12T17:45:53.775+01:00

Sometimes, when it is really cold, the only thing to do is to wrap up warm in front of the fire, and practise for the synchronised chocolate eating competition...

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-77844537562681475002010-01-08T18:36:00.003+01:002010-01-08T19:23:05.845+01:00

It has been an exciting couple of days here. We decided to walk to the nearest shops on Wednesday. We were running out of milk, and we get bad tempered in our house if we don't start the day with a milky coffee. Darling d came along because she gets bad tempered if she doesnt have enough sweeties.We live at the top of a small hill, and the car can't quite manage it....I am the one attached to

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-28913328297305632092010-01-06T11:10:00.002+01:002010-01-06T11:41:06.594+01:00

Porridge is on a diet. She is now on a regime of pig-bitingly expensive lite biscuits for over weight dogs (so it says on the packet). I haven't told her this since I don't want to undermine her self confidence, but the vet has recommended it...I suspect that she is supplementing her diet, because our next door neighbour keeps hanging balls of grease and nuts in his bushes for the birds, and he

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-71178730057811773972010-01-01T16:07:00.004+01:002010-01-01T17:07:27.919+01:00

Well, actually, it is more of a list of resolutions. I think the queen probably said it all as far as the speech goes, and I have no need to add anything. I am not ridiculously wealthy and so have no excuses to make...Christmas was strange this year because we spent it apart from our dear friends and I missed them terribly. This meant that there was less restraint on family behaviour which was a

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-22664589604039952692009-12-22T12:36:00.005+01:002009-12-22T13:11:13.968+01:00

I think I have mentioned before that Drummerboy first played drums at the age of six when he walked into a room with a drum kit and just picked up the sticks and started playing the kit.Since then our life with him has consisted of a continuous tapping noise on any and every surface his fingers could find. I recently found this photo of him taken six years ago, and was shocked to see how young

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-72160388733203844642009-12-21T21:55:00.003+01:002009-12-21T22:00:29.784+01:00

Here are a few notes from the maestro as a special treat.This is part of a symposium about music and the brain, which I found totally absorbing since it touched on cultural differences in music using Indian and Western music as examples...World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Improvises A Cappella, Song One of Two from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-39619222691493347962009-12-19T16:06:00.005+01:002009-12-19T16:34:38.620+01:00

Friday was my last workshop before the Christmas holidays. I was to drive 100 kilometres to a music school in Rennes to give a masterclass in the interpretation of jazz standards.I was a little nervous about the weather, slept very little during the night before, and almost singlehandedly brought down the website of meteo france by my constant visits there in hope of an improvement in the

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-69948484495484107992009-12-04T09:43:00.006+01:002009-12-04T10:11:36.165+01:00

The trouble with holidays is the coming back bit. Which is to say that yes, you got away from it all, but now it is all waiting for you and clamouring even more loudly for attention. Even my poor neglected little blog. Don’t get me wrong. I am involved in lots of projects which I am thoroughly enjoying most of the time. A new collaboration with a new friend on a teaching project. My singing

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-75418994381687739862009-11-22T16:39:00.002+01:002009-11-22T17:10:14.480+01:00

The boy with red hair is back. But changed. He is just here for the daytimes, and at night he still goes back to the psychiatric hospital.There is an underlying fuse waiting for a spark.He could not control his frustration that the whole music lesson was not focused on him. His body language radiated anger whenever he did not get exactly what he wanted. He hung in his seat like a question mark...

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-45523747686259892602009-11-15T18:08:00.005+01:002009-11-15T18:41:21.532+01:00

Since our return to France, life has consisted of trying to keep two woodstoves supplied with wood and dry four people's washing in the 90% humidity which passes for global warming in Brittany.There has been a bit of paid work and a lot of cleaning, since teenage standards and my own are not the same...and even mine are quite low...Drummerboy said that the vacuum cleaner had not worked in our

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-1593529004450086752009-11-12T15:31:00.007+01:002009-11-14T13:49:19.178+01:00

Hmm, our beach paradise was rudely awakened...well we were, in our beach cabana.We were staying in a place called the Full Moon on Unawatuna beach. The manager was charming enough but did not mention something rather important.Every Friday night, there is a rave disco next door at the "happy banana".The night before I had been unable to sleep because of the noise of the pounding sea on the beach

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-5544486475266811782009-11-06T11:13:00.002+01:002009-11-06T11:24:20.279+01:00

We arrived at Unawatoona, a tiny beach with a variety of romantic cabanas built nearly in the sea. We selected our romantic cabana and looked to the heavens to see masses of exciting black cloud boiling over the sea, which then released rain with tropical fierceness. This has been going on for about two days now and I am starting to get used to the pounding of water on the roof and the crash of

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-86725101463613325432009-11-04T12:19:00.004+01:002009-11-04T12:43:25.618+01:00

Today we went to the Rosie May foundation home, delivered our school books and Kool drum and heard many Tsunami tales of heroism and human greed. Where were you when the Tsunami hit seems to be something naturally enough deeply embedded in everyone's psyche.Already we had heard tales from Edward at Tescos. Tescos roof ended up on the sand behind the buliding. It needed to be reconstructed. How

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3785365203606003020.post-37877764670765032782009-11-03T11:27:00.004+01:002009-11-03T11:44:02.897+01:00

After a 5.30 am start we very unwisely caught a packed commuter train to the city of Colombo with our luggage, and were lucky to emerge in one piece. Never again, shudder...The train down South was very elderly but 2nd class was a bit more roomy. Mysweet found himself sitting next to a retired rail engineer who said that he remembered taking delivery of these trains thirty years ago from Romania

Rosiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211663940952195703noreply@blogger.com1