Category Archives: Short Stories

What would your life be like without music?

Modern obsession is not with Music but with those that create it.We are fans,we want to know what influences lead to the creation of such wonderful pieces.The love,the trauma and the inspiration.

Why did Bill Hailey want to Rock around The Clock and why did the Eagles take it anything but easy.

Memorabilia and Biography are complete industries in themselves,for all sorts of musical artists from Chopin to Taylor Swift

However,the Music, the notes,the best,the arrangement is what it is all about and a mathematical analysis and indeed copyright law will tell you that there is a finite resource of music.There are only so many notes and beats.

However,if we just look at the music,the joining together of notes, we find it everywhere, bird song, a whistling kettle,a busker playing in the street, choirs singing in Church and Bell Ringers at a Wedding.

My favourite songs on the radio, and on my various listening devices I use ,can reduce my  overthinking and boredom,along with the opportunity to move with a beat while prancing around the house performing the role of a domestic goddess.Thatbis invaluable to me.

Increasingly ,artists see performing live as being an integral and lucrative part of their repertoire.In truth, I love recordings,but if the artist on the day can match or better the quality of the recording,then that is a wonderful achievement and to be part of a cohesive group enjoying it is even better.

So life without music,,nor indeed musicians,be they human or from natural phenomenon would I think be impossible The birds will still tweet,no matter what

How do you celebrate holidays?

I do my best to Celebrate them all but there are so many! Therefore I Celebrate by remembering them and to do that I have to list them….here is the list

Ramadan which is  the 9th Month of the Islamic  Lunar calendar

Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent which is 4 weeks before Easter.

Eid Al-Fatr, commemorates the end of Ramadan

Bodhi Day 8th December,celebrated by Budhists

Christmas Day. 25th December celebrated by Christians.

Nowruz, the Iranian New Year,based on the Northern Spring Equinox,usually between the 19th and 22nd of March on the Gregorian Calendar.

…..actually there are too many to list…interesting fact though Hinduism and Catholicism have the most holidays as practically every day of the year has some special significance and is to be celebrated

That’s not counting my statutory holiday that is part of my holiday entitlement at work.So all in all there’s something to celebrate every day!

Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.

My epic bake fail happened as we were packing last May to go to Cornwall on a caravanning holiday.

I’d got up early to make some muffins so we could have some to eat on the journey and some to eat for the first few days of our holiday.

I made them with  any ingredients that might have gone off while we were away ,so like the good little recycler I am,when I’d finished the cupboards and fridge were bare.

The cakes after coming out of the oven cooled nicely on their wire tray and I packed them in a large pink  tupperware box ready to put in the car.

Then disaster struck, everything was packed except the cakes.They stayed on the kitchen table for the whole of the two weeks we were away.

It was torture on the journey down knowing the cakes were not with us,as I do make nice cakes. Looking at the selection in the service station made me even more unhappy as they were full of sugar and additives.

Then there wasn’t that welcoming bun with a cup of tea when we set up the caravan,all in all it was a crushing reminder of my forgetfulness.

When we got back ,the buns were just developing mould and sadly I tipped the whole beautiful box into the food recycling.

I was so heartbroken,at first I said never again,but after having been exposed to service station food,I think I have to be brave and try again.

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

There is no harm in wishing,but it is really for children.

Namaste

What are your favorite types of foods?

Fats are my favourite  type of food as they add flavour and homogeneity to all sorts of dishes.

Be it butter in a sandwich, cream in a scone,or olive oil in a dip.Flavour and texture are paramount.

Fats make other foods slippery so they can move around the frying pan

Mixing oils with eggs slowly and carefully is the starter for mayonnaise and don’t forget the full of fat avocado.

Fats are amazing and filling and don’t need to be unhealthy and are never tasteless.

How often do you walk or run?

To walk or run,easy peasey but for some it’s not a choice.

Actually for me,it has just struck me I can no longer run,it hurts my knees too much.I walk and feel incredibly blessed to do so and have discovered walking poles which means I can do long distances and get a full body workout at the same time.

For some who for whatever reason can’t walk or run,and have to get aerobic exercise some other way or indeed have their muscles stimulated to maintain tone.I’m curious how they feel about the above question.Please comment if you read this.

I read something about one of the Paris Olympic Games Torch bearers having a bionic suit to enable him to carry the torch.Sounds an exciting development.

Do you see yourself as a leader?

Cohesive interaction between consenting adults makes a successful team.Where are we now with our managerial successes.I tell you up the creek without a paddle.

People who want to be Leaders are two a penny.The numbers who make it to Leadership positions are largely responsible for business failures.

People who can Lead and don’t want to are more common,but will rarely lead as they know that it’s a can of worms.

People who can Lead and are actually doing it are rare.

No one in their right mind chooses to be a Leader.

Is it a dereliction of duty to have the ability but choose not to be a Leader?I would say not,as a good Leader is sensitive to the environment and the need for guidance and knows when to intervene  or not.The fact that their ability is not recognised is nothing to do with them.

Can leadership change within a group depending on circumstances and needs.Of course it can and there is no shame in that. In fact passing the baton backwards and forwards  under changing circumstances should be regarded as a leadership skill.

Modern Leadership in the Private  Business Sector (because that is what I am familiar with),has become a tick box exercise.Real Leadership qualities are not valued, but Parameters and Key Performance Indicators are.

A good Leader in the Modern Business Environment  is someone who keeps all their KPI balls  in a row and who produces reports on their balls  on  a timely basis.

The interesting thing is who decides what they want the figures to show and what effects it has on the working population.Is it Shareholders,Private Individuals or Government.? In their minds they are the real Leaders but they don’t do the dirty work,they just decide the goals and hoops others have to adhere to and jump through.

I am a Leader,though not a labelled as such. As in everything I do I make a difference,something that will improve whatever business I’m working in. That certainly involves interacting as a team member.

Am I happy,yes,I make a difference and help where I can,that is what a good Leader does..

What’s your favorite word?

Surely Peace must be everyone’s favourite word; and if not why not? It’s a five letter powerhouse of a word  encompassing every situation in life and history. Endowing moments with hope and a future for everyone to benefit from.A great leveller and a respecter of life and resources.

Peace be with you World.