...by Shelley at The Mermaids Purse....
Here goes for 7 random facts about yours truly:-
1) been stitching and handling textiles for as long as I can remember. All the women in my family were needle-crafters, so it rubbed off on me too. I am apt to be a bit of a "butterfly" though, always flitting from one thing to another. That's why there are always several things on the go at any given time!
2) been playing music for almost as long as I can remember too... started playing piano at the age of 4... still playing... but also now with harp, bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, various whistles and recorders.... maybe it's a good thing that my house is isolated and next door to the town cemetery (no complaints from the neighbours!)
3) joined the Welsh National Opera early this year - did a new commission by Errollyn Wallen called "Carbon 12". World premiere at the Wales Millennium Centre in June. Terrifying, but really got a buzz out of it. Some of us wanted to stay together to sing afterwards, so "The Journey" was born - a new choir who meet in Brecon each Tuesday evening. Lovely people, lovely singing - makes your heart feel glad.
4) I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOve cheese! All sorts, shapes, colours - just all! Lived in France for a couple of years - The Land of Cheese! aka HEAVEN.
5) fascinated by all things "ethnic" - including all things related to "belief systems". Did history and religion first degree, then Celto-Roman studies at post grad. Would love to go to on of the "Buddhist" countries, but I don't like bugs - so I guess that one's out. Ended up at the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas in Burgundy this year though - that was something else! Will be including something from there in my Tribal Cloth series I think.
6) love reading poetry... but not ALL sorts. Particularly like the works of Kathleen Raine, Hilary Llewellyn-Williams, Ted Hughes and, of course Haiku. Although not always regarded as poetry, I also love reading Rumi and some of the other Sufi poets. Read some Wilfred Owen in college, but didn't really get it into my head until we holidayed in the Somme in 2007. Rows and rows of white gravestones - mostly of young men aged 18 to 25.......... began to read around WW1 when we came back home and it began to become horribly alive! If you want in intro., try Seb Faulks' "Birdsong" - it's a bit fruity in places, but the writing is superb.
7) I have THE most wonderful husband ... called "Bloke" - we renewed our marriage vows at the centre of the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in 2006. It's always been a very special place for us, and we enjoy re-visiting whenever possible. (Yes! we are a bit soppy!)
