2011. Well. That was... mixed? Ah - 'polarised', yes, that's it.
What I've done...
Drank a hell of a lot of tea and too much vodka. (Dear me, apparently some things don’t change.) Got bored with smoking so stopped. Found a Mrs Lovett outfit, a Tardis console ring, a beautiful silver heart and a velvet party dress to wear. Written: short tales of what happens when Mad Artists et al visit, an ending for Valjean to go with Javert’s, a couple more Wretched Zombie songs, a little Arizona Tarot, a notebook of Undone, and a Weird West story that was a novel in disguise (possibly in two volumes, gods help me). LJ’d: a huge amount of bitching in between occasional valid discussions about art-vs-artist, ethics, and whether religion is actually moral. Drawn: a LOT of 18th C whores. Also some victorian zombies, some L5R characters, and some femmenist hentai. Painted: my brother’s flat and a butterfly jacket. Made: a pirate costume for my niece in one day (yep, still smug on that count) a steampunk coat and skirt, a necromantic guard’s coat, an Arker Captain’s coat from Undone, some weird necklaces, some money off ebay, and a lot of meals at the Oast. Catalogued the wine cellar. Dabbled in magics various and nearly gave myself blood poisoning doing a spell for my father. Also continued to warp time and space in the Oast and my room.
What I've learned...
Laudanum cough mixture cures mysterious ills. My father apparently can’t tell the difference between gold/cream and terracotta/biscuit in soft furnishings. I still really want a cat. Attempting to give advice to overly melodramatic shamblies at 4am leads to dripping and tripping in gutters and isn’t to be advised. Going to see idiot doctors is no fun. Acquiring a decent doctor is a chore but very worthwhile. (Meeting a doctor with a Tardis would likely be better, but no dice.) My stitches are still less apt to go scanky than the ones hospitals put in. Meds work eventually. ‘Eventually’ always takes far longer than it should. My sister is still the sort of crazy one cannot medicate and likes to make startling life decisions and then wonders why no one claps. It’s legal in the UK to be buried on land you own, ie, your garden. My dyslexia is stronger than Word’s spellchecker. I’m allowed to paint on walls and draw on windows. There is a thing called ‘Trock’ (discovered this yesterday and neurons are still giggling) about which more later.
Worst things...?
The WWI flashback of a shell blowing up Tescos. (Not because it was that awful but because it showed what a state my head was in.) Having to ask my father for rent one month. Losing my long-handled scalpel I’ve had for decades (although maybe it was time for it to be lost. Heh - Wraith fetter right there). Having some fantastically awful nightmares. Playing with staples again. Throwing a flid and not going to have tea at F&M. Seriously considering being committed. Only playing one Larp game. The Oast exploding into sog and me having to try to dry out the dining room. Hacking into my neck more times than I care to count, twice getting further than I ought and once going to A&E. Not being able to help my father as much as is required. Realising I’d taken on far too much work and stabbing both my hands just so I had a valid excuse why I couldn’t type or hold a pencil. My necromancy ending whether I wanted it to or not. People being dead who had no business being so.
Best things...?
Dressing up as a pirate and catching complements as I went. Sherlock Holmes, Hornblower, Black Books, Doctor Who, White Darkness, and the surprisingly good Holliday novel all being so brilliantly entertaining. Getting both useful and very cool stuff in the post. Getting a CheeseApple iphone. Being gifted an upgrade for Mercy. Making medals and turning them into badges. Seeing R&G Are Dead at the theatre. Winning pub quizzes. Playing swashbuckling games. Drawing an infected gouge on my leg with cheap facepaint and having strangers offer to take me to hospital. Having tea at the Savoy dressed as a gothic mad-lady Tardis. Staying at the Oast all on my own for a holiday. Introducing various sprogglings to Kee & Cher and CheeseApple and imaginary archery, murder ballads, inappropriate songs, pirates, and sundry monsters. Having a Mad Artist, a Victorian Doctor and a Consulting Detective as guests. Finishing All Down But Nine (vol. I). Discovering the song ‘When Matilda Came of Age’. Friends who put up with me graciously even when I am irreparably and inadvisably ‘me’. And (I said I’d get back to it) Trock as performed by ‘Chameleon Circuit’.
2012 - What I want to do...
I might as well refer you back to last year: To get the things I need. (A garret of my own, money from my art, someone I love who loves me, and regular doses of unreality and wonder.) I shall add to this, ‘Find out how to alter reality via quantum or arcane wibble so that my father, Gabriel, Aaron, and ClickSlide get the glorious results they deserve’.
=====
Me Generally: Cinnamon Page Wands / Prophet King Swords
Brilliance, enthusiasm, strange tidings. A strong friend or enemy, analytical, unbreakable, powerful and wise.
Path: Seraphim 3 Pentacles / Mr Khan 10 Wands
Skill and work is rewarded. A stage is completed well. Oppression, disruption, failure of plans or goal.
Past: Nephthys Queen Wands / Bast the Empress
Good judgment, weighing up potential, compassion and honour. Openness and contentment. Abundance.
Basis of the Matter: Tarot Ace Cups / Soulglass 7 Cups
The beginning of all that is good, dreams becoming reality. Dreams and imagination. An inability to decide or create.
Leading to: Peardrop 2 Cups / Nathaniel 4 Pentacles
A strong union, be it true love or friendship. Trouble with money, or necromancy.
Future: The DarkHalf / Nye Knight Cups
Don’t ask foolish questions when you already know the answer. Someone with a proposal or quest. Intelligent. Emotional. A dreamer.
Me Specifically: Crispin Page Cups / The Adversary
Compassionate and courageous. Dreamy, artistic. News. Frighted with false fire.
Around Me: Tehm&Seshtah 2 Pentacles / Ruthvien 2 Wands
Nimble wits are needed to keep harmony amidst change. Good news? Authority. Moving forward. Good planning brings success.
Hopes & Fears: Max Arturo King Wands / The Mourner
Good leadership. Noble, dedicated and strong. If persuaded his protection will be absolute.
Outcome: Irish Page Knives / The World
Grace, charm, unsettling news. A double agent? Triumph in all undertakings.
And then: Merlin 4 Wands / Jon Knight Wands
Gods send. Good harvest, prosperity and peace. Affluent, generous, hasty. A fine friend but perhaps a rival.
Translation...
I am capable of being both sane and corvidic. I may not have balanced artistic endeavors with practicality yet, but one can’t have everything. My path is full of plans and projects, one side of which will progress to my satisfaction, the other side of which will be disrupted and possibly derailed. In the past I’ve known with whom to trust and share things: mustn’t confuse cynicism for actual experience. In the future, if I don’t miss my opportunities through fear or other such rampant stupidity then I’ll have a very grand time thank you. For the present year, more things are working out, more ideas and dreams are coming true, partnerships are formed although there’s a shadow at the feast. (Or possibly the cards are talking about my path vs my sister’s, or possibly about the dangers and allure of dreams and ghosts, or possibly about what would happen if my father became extremely rich. I dunno.)
Art, craft and skills can improve this year if I don’t scare myself into a box. People will need good sea-legs to weather the worldly and financial changes of the coming year, but projects built with strong foundations will prosper. I want my father’s business to succeed more than ever and worry that it will not. In the end, unsettling news and maybe something slightly underhand leads to triumph. And then? Lie back and relax for a bit but don’t let neurons get too many ‘clever’ ideas.
And here's wishing that 2012 is a far better year for my family, friends, and keechers and neurons everywhere.
Drank a hell of a lot of tea and too much vodka. (Dear me, apparently some things don’t change.) Got bored with smoking so stopped. Found a Mrs Lovett outfit, a Tardis console ring, a beautiful silver heart and a velvet party dress to wear. Written: short tales of what happens when Mad Artists et al visit, an ending for Valjean to go with Javert’s, a couple more Wretched Zombie songs, a little Arizona Tarot, a notebook of Undone, and a Weird West story that was a novel in disguise (possibly in two volumes, gods help me). LJ’d: a huge amount of bitching in between occasional valid discussions about art-vs-artist, ethics, and whether religion is actually moral. Drawn: a LOT of 18th C whores. Also some victorian zombies, some L5R characters, and some femmenist hentai. Painted: my brother’s flat and a butterfly jacket. Made: a pirate costume for my niece in one day (yep, still smug on that count) a steampunk coat and skirt, a necromantic guard’s coat, an Arker Captain’s coat from Undone, some weird necklaces, some money off ebay, and a lot of meals at the Oast. Catalogued the wine cellar. Dabbled in magics various and nearly gave myself blood poisoning doing a spell for my father. Also continued to warp time and space in the Oast and my room.
What I've learned...
Laudanum cough mixture cures mysterious ills. My father apparently can’t tell the difference between gold/cream and terracotta/biscuit in soft furnishings. I still really want a cat. Attempting to give advice to overly melodramatic shamblies at 4am leads to dripping and tripping in gutters and isn’t to be advised. Going to see idiot doctors is no fun. Acquiring a decent doctor is a chore but very worthwhile. (Meeting a doctor with a Tardis would likely be better, but no dice.) My stitches are still less apt to go scanky than the ones hospitals put in. Meds work eventually. ‘Eventually’ always takes far longer than it should. My sister is still the sort of crazy one cannot medicate and likes to make startling life decisions and then wonders why no one claps. It’s legal in the UK to be buried on land you own, ie, your garden. My dyslexia is stronger than Word’s spellchecker. I’m allowed to paint on walls and draw on windows. There is a thing called ‘Trock’ (discovered this yesterday and neurons are still giggling) about which more later.
Worst things...?
The WWI flashback of a shell blowing up Tescos. (Not because it was that awful but because it showed what a state my head was in.) Having to ask my father for rent one month. Losing my long-handled scalpel I’ve had for decades (although maybe it was time for it to be lost. Heh - Wraith fetter right there). Having some fantastically awful nightmares. Playing with staples again. Throwing a flid and not going to have tea at F&M. Seriously considering being committed. Only playing one Larp game. The Oast exploding into sog and me having to try to dry out the dining room. Hacking into my neck more times than I care to count, twice getting further than I ought and once going to A&E. Not being able to help my father as much as is required. Realising I’d taken on far too much work and stabbing both my hands just so I had a valid excuse why I couldn’t type or hold a pencil. My necromancy ending whether I wanted it to or not. People being dead who had no business being so.
Best things...?
Dressing up as a pirate and catching complements as I went. Sherlock Holmes, Hornblower, Black Books, Doctor Who, White Darkness, and the surprisingly good Holliday novel all being so brilliantly entertaining. Getting both useful and very cool stuff in the post. Getting a CheeseApple iphone. Being gifted an upgrade for Mercy. Making medals and turning them into badges. Seeing R&G Are Dead at the theatre. Winning pub quizzes. Playing swashbuckling games. Drawing an infected gouge on my leg with cheap facepaint and having strangers offer to take me to hospital. Having tea at the Savoy dressed as a gothic mad-lady Tardis. Staying at the Oast all on my own for a holiday. Introducing various sprogglings to Kee & Cher and CheeseApple and imaginary archery, murder ballads, inappropriate songs, pirates, and sundry monsters. Having a Mad Artist, a Victorian Doctor and a Consulting Detective as guests. Finishing All Down But Nine (vol. I). Discovering the song ‘When Matilda Came of Age’. Friends who put up with me graciously even when I am irreparably and inadvisably ‘me’. And (I said I’d get back to it) Trock as performed by ‘Chameleon Circuit’.
Click to view2012 - What I want to do...
I might as well refer you back to last year: To get the things I need. (A garret of my own, money from my art, someone I love who loves me, and regular doses of unreality and wonder.) I shall add to this, ‘Find out how to alter reality via quantum or arcane wibble so that my father, Gabriel, Aaron, and ClickSlide get the glorious results they deserve’.
=====
Me Generally: Cinnamon Page Wands / Prophet King Swords
Brilliance, enthusiasm, strange tidings. A strong friend or enemy, analytical, unbreakable, powerful and wise.
Path: Seraphim 3 Pentacles / Mr Khan 10 Wands
Skill and work is rewarded. A stage is completed well. Oppression, disruption, failure of plans or goal.
Past: Nephthys Queen Wands / Bast the Empress
Good judgment, weighing up potential, compassion and honour. Openness and contentment. Abundance.
Basis of the Matter: Tarot Ace Cups / Soulglass 7 Cups
The beginning of all that is good, dreams becoming reality. Dreams and imagination. An inability to decide or create.
Leading to: Peardrop 2 Cups / Nathaniel 4 Pentacles
A strong union, be it true love or friendship. Trouble with money, or necromancy.
Future: The DarkHalf / Nye Knight Cups
Don’t ask foolish questions when you already know the answer. Someone with a proposal or quest. Intelligent. Emotional. A dreamer.
Me Specifically: Crispin Page Cups / The Adversary
Compassionate and courageous. Dreamy, artistic. News. Frighted with false fire.
Around Me: Tehm&Seshtah 2 Pentacles / Ruthvien 2 Wands
Nimble wits are needed to keep harmony amidst change. Good news? Authority. Moving forward. Good planning brings success.
Hopes & Fears: Max Arturo King Wands / The Mourner
Good leadership. Noble, dedicated and strong. If persuaded his protection will be absolute.
Outcome: Irish Page Knives / The World
Grace, charm, unsettling news. A double agent? Triumph in all undertakings.
And then: Merlin 4 Wands / Jon Knight Wands
Gods send. Good harvest, prosperity and peace. Affluent, generous, hasty. A fine friend but perhaps a rival.
Translation...
I am capable of being both sane and corvidic. I may not have balanced artistic endeavors with practicality yet, but one can’t have everything. My path is full of plans and projects, one side of which will progress to my satisfaction, the other side of which will be disrupted and possibly derailed. In the past I’ve known with whom to trust and share things: mustn’t confuse cynicism for actual experience. In the future, if I don’t miss my opportunities through fear or other such rampant stupidity then I’ll have a very grand time thank you. For the present year, more things are working out, more ideas and dreams are coming true, partnerships are formed although there’s a shadow at the feast. (Or possibly the cards are talking about my path vs my sister’s, or possibly about the dangers and allure of dreams and ghosts, or possibly about what would happen if my father became extremely rich. I dunno.)
Art, craft and skills can improve this year if I don’t scare myself into a box. People will need good sea-legs to weather the worldly and financial changes of the coming year, but projects built with strong foundations will prosper. I want my father’s business to succeed more than ever and worry that it will not. In the end, unsettling news and maybe something slightly underhand leads to triumph. And then? Lie back and relax for a bit but don’t let neurons get too many ‘clever’ ideas.
And here's wishing that 2012 is a far better year for my family, friends, and keechers and neurons everywhere.