The Enchanted Forest

Dr Anne and the Chairman of STBF attended Event Scotland Awards at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh.  The Scottish Traditional Boat Festival received a commendation.  The Enchanted Forest won all the awards.

Dr Anne and SS visited the Enchanted Forest on Thursday evening.  Dr Anne had booked two tickets online.  They had supper at the Victoria Restaurant with large numbers of families all dressed in wellies and waterproof clothing.  They then walked to Fishers Hotel and joined a short queue before entering the bus at their allotted time.  A short bus ride took them to Faskally Wood where they disembarked.  They walked around the lake guided by people dressed up as Druids.  The theme this year was Flow.  It took around an hour to walk around the lake stopping in particular for a light show at the far end of the lake.  At the end of the walk they paid an additional £1 to enter a tent to listen to a story teller.

SS and Dr Anne enjoyed the experience.  They commend the organisation of the project and the light experience.

Tandia

Courtenay, B. (1992). Tandia. Australia: Heinemann

For the last six weeks Dr Anne has been reading the Power of One and Tandia. One doesn't have to read both books but together they are awesome.  The world of the 50s in South Africa is portrayed in Tandia - the boers, the rooineks, the coloureds,  the mixed race, the various black tribes.  It is what they thought of themselves and each other - the good, the bad, the hate, the love, the rulers, the ruled, the laws of the land and the use of the law. Tandia, Peekay, Hymie, Gideon v Gelenhuis.

Together since the world began, the madman and the lover.

Small can beat big, you must remember only one thing, first with the head then with the heart. 

Does good overcome evil?  Does the head rule the heart? What is the future?

This is the first 10/10 Dr Anne has awarded.

The Power of One

Courtenay, B. (1992). The Power of One. Australia: Heinemann

Dr Anne read the review in the Saga Magazine and bought it used on Amazon with its sequel Tandia.

The book is set in South Africa in the 40s and early 50s.  As she read chapter 1 Dr Anne did not want to read further.  She thought it was going to be historical description of the country and its people, slow and boring.  No it wasn't...

Pisskop or Peekay's story from the age of four through to the 'gap year' after school was enthralling.  He went from being bullied as a young boy by Judge the Boer and his Nazi buddie to developed the power of one - head first followed by the heart. Along the way he met Hoppie, the conductor on the train who gave him the desire and motivation to become a boxer, Doc, the music professor who gave him lessons in piano but also knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, Geel Piet the Kaffir who taught him to box clever at Barberton Jail and who died to keep his secrets, Mrs Boxall the librarian who gave him a love of poetry and literature, Miss Bornstein who taught him the skills for secondary school  and her father old Mr Bornstein, a chess player and tailor, Hymie the Jewish boy at secondary school who became his best friend and Rasputin who gave his life to save him in the Copper Mines of Northern Rhodesia.

This is definitely a 9/10. 

RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF LIFE

Dr Anne bought this brilliant little book at the Jewry Church in the city of London.  The rules were written around 1740 but are so relevant for today's world.

There are 36 Rules:

1. Good purposes and outcome
1. Always plan what you are doing and the likely outcome. 
2. Good methods
1. Always work out how you are going to implement the plans.
3. Good practice
1. Purposes and methods must always be put into practice.
4. Look beyond this world
1. Eternity is unending so you need to plan for it.
5. Accept your mortality
1. One of the certainties in life is that we are going to die.
2. Plan for a good death.
6. Repent and live well
1. Be at peace with God
2. Don't go for death bed repentance .
7. Know and obey God's rules
1. 'Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think of these things.
8. Be resolute
1. Arm yourself with determination and resolution.
2. Reason is the rudder, religion is the compass, determination is the wind that moves you forward.
9. Do not seek praise
10. Live by your principles
1. Make sure you have clear and good principles and live by them.  Don't be swayed from them.
11. Appropriate action
1. Be methodical and careful
12. Be honest to yourself 
13. Be loving
14. Be friendly
15. Be generous
16. Contentment
1. Learn to live contentedly.
17. Do not meddle
18. Do not be argumentative
19. Be active
1. Lead an active life so that you be do good for others and yourself.
20. Grab the opportunities 
21. Do not over commit
1. Don't take on more that you can manage.
22. Use your skills
1. When you have skills use them.  If you know your weaknesses admit it and get others to help and use their skills. 
23. Do not delay 
1. Do what you can do today.
24. Prioritise
25. Time management
1. Be a good time manager.
26. Collaboration
1. If you can't do something get help. Many hands make light work.
27. Consider the consequences
28. Consultation
29. Do not be greedy
30. Relaxation
1. Take time of work to relax and then return refreshed.
31. Look after your health
32. Self control
33. Temptation
34. Choose your friends carefully
35. Follow good customs
1. Don't follow the crowd.  Consider your background, customs and culture.
36. Know God

Capital

Lanchester, J. (2012). Capital. London:Faber and Faber Ltd.

Gray Granite advised Dr Anne to get Capital for her Olympic read.  This, she dutifully did.  She didn't quite finish it over the Olympic period so settled today, a sunny day,  in the sheddie.  

This book was centred on Pepys Road, a fictional road in London.  It told the story of a number of families who lived on this street in houses all worth millions of pounds early in the 21st Century.

There was the elderly Petunia Howe with her daughter Mary, son in law Alan and sons Smitty and Ben. Petunia has lived in the house since it was built and was reaching the end of her days.  There were the 'goings on' of the Kamal family from Lahore with their shop and their extended family and contacts. The Younts, Arabella and Roger, their sons and Hungarian nanny lived an extravagant life style until the banks began to fail.  In addition there was Freddy Kamo a very talented footballer from Senegal who came to play in a 1st Division Club but had an accident, Quentina Mkfesi an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe who was trying to make her way in life, Zibigniew the Polish builder making his money to build a life in Poland for himself and his family, Smitty's assistant Parker French who was out for revenge all played their part in the scenarios.

The glue that held the book together - the post cards and other items sent to the residents.

Grey Granite, this was definitely the correct book to read in London 2012.  She awards it 8/10.  

Dr Anne on her Journey of Life.

Dr Anne is on her Journey of Life.  

This was taken at the end of the exhibition @ the Royal Opera House.

She does not know where she will be tomorrow.

Monday

Dr Anne was in London.  She had wanted to see the Ballgown Exhibition @ the V&A.  She took the tube to Knightsbridge.  There were ball gowns from 1950s - 2011.  There was Helen Mirran's dress from one of the red carpet dos, Princess Diana's dress with the short jacket all pearls and sequins Liz Hurley's dress for the advert 'Pleasures' etc etc.   There was the history of fashion from the 1700s - 2100s.  All in all Dr Anne didn't feel that this exhibition hung together for her very well.