the ice bear project

on 11th December in Trafalgar Square, london

a life-sized polar bear will be carved from ice

"As each Ice Bear melts it will leave a skeleton. . .

. . . . and a powerful environmental message"

folks will be able to reach out and touch

an "inspirational and iconic symbol of the Arctic. "

sculptor Mark Coreth saw the effects of climate change
on his travels to Baffin Island Nov 07 and so the

icebearproject.org was born

* * *

bears will be sculpted in other cities worldwide
using art to bring home a message

the fragility of our enviroment

* * *

info 1st found on the blog of someone

who's work i greatly admire

Terri Windling

autumn fruits & driftwood

wandering out beetween the showers

early autumn feasts met our eyes

bursting into richly coloured ripeness

tucked amongst the dripping hedgerows

and down on the evening lit, deserted shore we found a beachcombers windchime

of driftwood, twine & seashells

dancing gently in the breeze

tinkling its tune out over the sea

* * *

( tomorrow we bring baskets to fill !)

Gypsy inspired

Sketching gypsy inspired ideas for things to come
Time you old gipsy man

Time, you old gipsy man,
Will you not stay,
Put up your caravan
Just for one day?

All things I'll give you
Will you be my guest,
Bells for your jennet
Of silver the best,
Goldsmiths shall beat you
A great golden ring,
Peacocks shall bow to you,
Little boys sing,
Oh, and sweet girls will
Festoon you with may.
Time, you old gipsy,
Why hasten away?

My Grandma used to recite this to me when I was small
and I love the pictures it conjured.
written by the english poet Ralph Hodgson

here to read the rest, here for other poems of his.

found again . . .

today is a celebration, one whole year!

of this my blogging life.

i set out to find lost keys, to unlock parts of me

to find again my creative self

such twisting & turning steps i have climbed

yet at every turn found new treasures waiting

i have enjoyed my journey & learnt so much

found again the me i thought lost

and im standing here, one year on

feeling on top of this beautiful world

so i raise my glass and say thank you
for stepping with me along the way
for giving me courage & strength
& friendship
* * *
so looking forward to sharing the next chapter!
x x x
ruthie

the king of the gypsies. . . .

treasure from kirkcudbright cemetery

amazing patterns from nature

patterns man made, going back to nature

and tucked away in the oldest part

a carved & crumbling piece of granite dated 1792, the final resting place of

William "Billy" Marshall

king of the gypsies of the scottish western lowlands

it is said he was 12o years when he died

i set off home as the sun was setting

to discover more

of customs & tales woven around coins & headstones & such

* * *

some say the coins are to pay the ferryman to take the soul across the river Styx

* * *

some that the copper represents good luck

* * *

in fishing communities men wore a gold hoop in an ear

so if the ship went down the ferryman could be paid

as coins were in short supply due to poverty

and had to be left with the wives

* * *

a penny for your thoughts? 
A thank you to Antony Marshall, who left a msg below saying
" I am the Great/Great Grandson of King Billy Marshall,
The coins on the grave are left by gipsies for the next gypsy
who comes along in case it is needed, as a way of help."