This is not a book.....yet it is a book

Surrealism

Noun

A 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind. One of my favourites Surreal Adjective Having the qualities of surrealism; bizarre: "a surreal mix of fact and fantasy". (haha, that's me!) How it all began It was a normal working day, I have no idea which one, recently I think...I have slept since then! "Hey Sleepy, have you seen this? Keri Smith, she's done these books and you'll love them!" (I am paraphrasing, I reiterate I have slept since this conversation took place.) There on amazon (we occasionally use it as a search tool and I in no way encourage you to buy from them, use independent where possible or at least proper book people if not *stepping down off my soapbox*) was a list of books. But these titles were like cat nip to me: Wreck this journal Finish this book How to be an explorer of the world The guerrilla art kit For a full list see Kerri's Page When I got home I did a little tinternet searching and found her blog, which is equally intriguing but kind of left it at that. There was no chance of these books being in the library, and with 'wreck this journal' as a title it didn't take a genius to work out why. So I'd look into getting them at some point. A week or so passed and I found myself in a bookshop and after mulling around for some considerable time, having picked up something for everyone but myself, I saw it. A name I recognised but wasn't sure why. A title that was winking at me and tickling at my brain, whispering 'you know you want to read me....pick me up, go on what harm could it do?' Little did I know that this little book and its cute title would shake my little booky world! Cracking the cover Instead of a generic introduction Kerri starts with 'Notes to the reader/user' after a note about the book there are three things to remember  1. Trust in your imagination. It is the source of all true journeys 2. Things are not always what they seem 3. Anything can happen  Are you hooked yet? I was! It took me all of a day to read from cover to cover. Now I say read....each page is a task to be completed. But what she is suggesting is.....surreal. Cut out this page, draw on this page, stick this page.....It's just not what a book should be, but then it is called 'This is not a book' This book is dragging me kicking and screaming on a surrealist path; each task is seeking to release the creative potential of my unconscious mind! I am determined that, no matter how wrong it feels to rip out pages or deface a book, I will complete ALL the tasks in the book...and then move onto the next book, and the next (yes that was a hint to anyone who may feel like buying me a present). I think my mind could use some creative unlocking!! Where to start? I have no idea! I really don't want to cop-out and pick any easy task that doesn't challenge me. However I equally don't trust myself to do that so I have chosen this page to start with, but I am handing the reigns over to you. Yeah, yeah...cop-out, I know! All you have to do is choose a number between 1 and 221, post it in the comments and I promise to carry out the task this leads me to. If I get more than one response I will put them all in a hat and pick at random. Lets set a deadline of Sunday 12pm (GMT) and what ever the task I will report back on my progress next week. A little gem to end on ;-)

Day 15 NaBloPoMo - Prepare for Battle

Today has been a strange day, getting stranger by the minute due to the strong pain killers the nice doctor gave me ;-)

It is a strange feeling to go from complete panic to everything is ok within the space of half an hour. It kind of leaves you a little deflated, if that makes any sense at all. You set yourself up for the impending war, you make your battle plans, you psych yourself up for the fight. Then someone comes along and says, oops mistake, you can go home now. My brains initial reaction to this kind of news today was to do a William Wallace and pull a mooney at the opposition (sorry couldn't find a clip of Mel Gibson's bum). However as it was a nice doctor saying I wouldn't need surgery after all and she was offering drugs to go with the news so I accepted graciously and have now taken up residence on the sofa! Is it really bad that my first thought at the prospect of emergency surgery was, 'oh hell there goes November NaBloPoMo and I have nearly convinced myself to continue into December'

I do however have a huge amount of gratitude for the amazing support machine known as The Other Half, who today has been my all not just half. I am not sure I could have made it through without him! Not only was he a rock of support at the hospital, since getting me home he has done some Christmas shopping, folded some washing and thrown the vacuum round. I have been blessed with an angel today, I just wonder if his angelic ways will stick around for the weekend or not???

This is the most recent drama in the life of Sleepy, who is now feeling very sleepy. I think I just about have time to link up with Larissa and then off to shoot some zzzzzzzzz


How has your day been? Have any angels crossed your path today?

Small Stones

So apparently it is Mindful Writing Day today, find out more at Writing Our Way Home. Thanks Lou for pointing me in their direction.

As far as I can gather you simply have to slow down and notice life, then put it into words (put slightly better than my feeble description here)







This is my attempt:

A click, a pull

Warmth rushes to my face.

Black and cracked, ash and glow

Another log, crack and pop

You'll keep us warm a while longer

I'll miss you when we're gone

 In other news on this fine Thursday I have been given another award, this time I get to gush about the people that make blogging worth while....readers!

 

Who thinks I am worthy of such an awar? The Modfather of course and with a name like tthat who am I to argue. My most recent blogging crush, and she is, as she says, a fellow Lancastrian who makes cupcakes and doesn't shave over winter (unless certain celebs come a knocking). Certainly worth a visit!!

 

There are rules, but it is late and I have packing to do so I will revisit this another day this week. Great topic for one of my daily posts...Yep that's right, I was feeling left out, everyone else has signed up to something this month if it wasn't NaNoWriMo (sorry to much of a whimp this year, maybe 2013) it was NaBloPoMo. I don't like not being at the party so in a rash decision I have signed up to the November challenge (sorry Deb no novels this year, the blogging daily challenge)....Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh *runs screaming from the room* Wish me luck!!!!

 

 

 

Speaking of parties, this was all for Larissa's Tit Bit Thursday Link Up Party, visit her at Papa is a Preacher.