Joyas Voladoras
Tiny reptiles, altered pages, and a giantess…
Wow! The first newsletter to my brand new little community (hello mum!). I feel quite honoured that you've all let me into your inbox, so thank you - I hope you like it. I'm not going to subject you to long paragraphs and rambling stories. But I do love a list. So skim and run, or delve deep - its up to you.
So, here are the top 10 things that have been filling up my logbook in the last few weeks:
The slipperiness of time and how we perceive it, "Unmoored from the usual rhythms of our daily lives, time feels elastic, stretching infinitely ahead and then, without warning, snapping back."
Kate Bingamen-Burt and her Daily Purchase Drawing project, which hit its 15 year anniversary this month.
We've all been watching Russell T Davies' 'It's A Sin', an unflinching look at the 1980s HIV/AIDs crisis in the UK. It had me sobbing into my sofa cushions, but it isn't dark - It’s a bittersweet roar of pleasure, pain and rage. My favourite story is that of Jill, and the real-life inspiration behind her character, Jill Nalder who actually plays Jill's mother in the show. La! #bemorejill
Because January is a rubbish time for resolutions, and pandemic-schooling steals your will to do anything, my word for the year became my prayer for the next 11 months.
Losing myself in the stunningly beautiful altered pages of Tom Phillips' Humament.
Chameleons are pretty popular in this house, so the discovery of a new species in Madagascar, thought to be the tiniest reptile in the world was met with squeals of delight. You have to admit, Brookesia Nana is pretty cute. And on the subject of cute animals, pandas playing in the snow have also been a big hit.
Bedtime read aloud: Fierce, Fearless and Free by Lari Don, introduced me to the beautiful story of giantess Neringa, and the legend behind the Curonian Spit in Lithuania.
Right at the start of lockdown version 1 (here in the UK), CBeebies presenter Maddie Moate and her science presenter fiancé, Greg Foot, started Lets Go Live - regular, educational and fun shows with a STEM theme. They now have over 70 shows on their you tube channel, and this weeks Spy Week has been the best so far.
The Great Big Art Exhibition pack of creative ideas and prompts from artists, such as Antony Gormley's after dinner clay sculptures, Ryan Gander's page-a-day exercise book, and inspiring treasures from museum collections across the UK. It led me to discover the amazing embroidered art and illuminated manuscripts of Pheobe Anna Traquair.
I don't usually celebrate St Valentines Day. My 5 year old calls it Happy Hearts Day (inspired by a much watched episode of True), and this year, after all our hearts have been through, I'm celebrating that. If you read just one thing from this email, make it this article by Brian Doyle, 'Joyas Voladoras'.
Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear what you thought - just hit reply and send me an email. And if you hear/see/read anything you think I'd like, send it my way.
Please share this with like-minded souls.
xoxo,
Cat