¦ dialling in from the Sky Bunker ¦
08:26, the sun is painting the world outside in golden colours, but its still chilly up here in the Sky Bunker. Which I quite like. Divine snuggle with Jo this morning. She left for work and I indulged in a small lie-in. Rolled out of bed onto the floor, pulled on Starsky, did my morning Yoga routine, then downstairs, munching a couple handfuls of Oatabix whilst I waited for the kettle to boil. 1st cup of tea of the day...upstairs to Jo's room, sitting on the small wooden chair, waking up properly whilst gazing out across Bristol- the huge rise of Dundry hills lost in the early mist. 120 seconds of serenity. My eyes pulled-focus back to the tree right outside the window, a pair of blackbirds sitting side by side, looking like they were doing the same, just gazing out at the beauty of the world...turning heads during brief snippets of conversation. I saw the same two blackbirds yesterday morning stripping bits from the branches with their beaks. Spring cometh. I carried my mug of tea upstairs, grabbed my tarot cards for the 2nd time this year, sat down and did a 3-card spread. This deck is 21 years old now. 21 years ago I was going these mini-readings every day... and I'm pleased to get the same spiritual centering by doing them today.
A pleasant reading: Temperance ¦ 8 of Wands ¦ The World
Lots of positive energy and forward movement.
This weekend has flown by. Friday night was supposed to be my first backgammon session with Dan, instead he invited me out to join him, Rachel and numerous other new faces for dinner at Budokan. What a lovely bunch of people. Two couples in particular, eeek, memory loss, can't recall names, but one guy (ah! Jo) and his wife Coral?Carol?Carola? who had both moved to Frome 2 years ago... I thought his laptop was a whoopee cushion and luckily didn't attempt to try it out...he runs Random Function at w/shed, something I've been meaning to go to for months; another couple, soon to be getting married, recently moved to Wales, he just got back from Alaska lucky bugger. The kind of random strangers I like to meet, and to see again and get to know. Intelligent, friendly, open, interesting and interested listeners. Dan and Rachel were lovely company as usual..strange how we all met so many years ago through disparate streams. Bristol... a world inside an oyster.
Finally got hold of my sister who is back in Newcastle for a few days. I woke up Saturday morning with a deep sense of missing her (in my life), and looking forward to a good conversation. She's clearing out the last of her things from our old bedroom, before Freddy moves in as mums lodger. She's doing okay. Will be there until Thursday, then heads up to Glasgow to catch up with people from her years there. She made me very happy when she said she wanted to make arrangements to come and visit me in Bristol; I've been going to Stephen Covey's 7 Habits, and one of my long term goals in my role as "brother" was to improve the relationship with my sister to the point where she comes to Bristol to vist me on her own volition. After the grim years since 2001, I feel like she and I are back to being close again.
I had a short period of really missing Newcastle...Jesus Mound, Kitschen Cafe on Acorn road, walks through the Dene, strolling round to see Pete next door. I would love to have a lifestyle/income stream that allowed me to spend time both there and here in Bristol.
08:47, brrr, my hands are getting cold as they drift over this keyboard, nails turning blue, I'm going to have to grab another layer to put on. Jo and I popped over to see Vega$ and Tanya, which was lovely. The sun was shinning, we drank coffee, stood outside, saw the progress with his Lab. Jo and I headed off and found ourselves at Bowood House. Coffee and soup at their visitors cafe. Then back home. Cosey cosey cosey.
Sunday, Jo and I saw Sonja. She and Nic have pulled up all the patio paving stones to lay down decking: she got all the wood for £20, what a bargain. Was great to spend a couple hours outside in the sun and cool wind, shifting wood and drinking coffee.
So a new week begins. Sharky arrives here Wednesday night, he'll be staying with us until Saturday. I'm looking forward to it. It'll mean shifting into a different mental gear.
Good progress with Yellow Dawn 2nd edition. Last week was all about entities of the Mythos; the week before that was combat. This weekend I completed the revised rules for entering Dead Cities and the risk of Zombie attacks. This week will be writing up The World of Yellow Dawn, I'm looking forward to it as I'll be able to use more narrative flow rather than getting bogged down in the mathematics of rules.
08:54 jeepers this was only supposed to be a few lines.
Over & out.
Djr