My WeeMee's got style.

I was going to redo my FIVE THINGS ABOUT ME thing tonight but then I realsied, there really aren't that many things that are interesting about me. I'm a pretty dull person. So instead, I figured I just post one random fact about me. So here it is-

--A few months from the start of the year, I set myself the challenge of learning Sign Language. I'd stopped and started along the way, what with exams and other distractions but I took it back up propperly over the summer and now I'm almost fluent, give or take a few words. Best part of it is that I can have a conversation in class and noone except Lara knows what I'm saying. Its great.

Or maaybe thats just me being weird.

Anyway, as per usual I have a ton of things to do but have managed to find something to distract myself. I've given my WeeMee a room, an umbrella and glasses. How cool. If you're reading and you have a WeeMee leave me a message as I'm message-less. I've also uploaded a few pictures into my Picassa album, viewable by clicking on the swan thing to the right of this. Andd, partly due to Shaun shouting, "HELLO MRS DORNAN!" at my mum every time he sees her, I've created a blog for her. Its a bit.. empty at the moment as she's not posted yet but I'll soon change that. ;)

Music change today. I originally wanted Marc Bolan- Hot Love but its not hosted, so Metal Guru will just have to do. Hard to think he's been dead for 30 years already this month. Also shockingly, its only 19 days to my holidays, 95 days to my birthday, and 98 days to Christmas. Not that I'm counting..

One of those days?

I'm going to do what I do best- grumble and discuss the weather. Every month of the calendar year seems to have its own seasonal personality, to which we abide by during the weeks they contain. Clothing styles change with the weather, the colours change, the clocks change and our anticipation changes depending on what we're looking forward to. Reading my blog, you've probably noticed I'm a very visual person, most things in my life are associated with certain colours- like a human Mood Ring per se. So, I've been thinking, (s'becoming a habit these days, I'm getting worried) of what my year would look like if someone was to compose it visually.

-January and February are the bleak months yet they are filled with hope for the future year too. These are the months everyone is still singing from Christmas and looking forward subconsciously, with little spring lambs frolicking in fields of glistening snow drops. I think its best represented by cool blues and mint greens, like the coolness of toothpaste..

-June and July feel the warmest and brightest, when schools gearing up for the holidays and the atmosphere is happy. Summer sun, ice creams and adventuristic days at amongst every child's hopes (and expectations). Most likely to be represented by reds and yellows, which reflecting in both the heat and the energy levels presented in these midway months.

-September-October time is the transition into the cooler oranges, muted pinks and browns. I find this time of year to be both glorious in colour yet, personally, really really.. muted. Like, there are barely any big holidays to celebrate, other than Halloween -which in itself gives off a dark tone- and its the time of year when I start to lose all sense of everything and just feel perpetually tired, for no outstanding reason.

-November and December pick up the pace again as the build up to Christmas is on the horizon. Scarves and hats are dug out of cluttered drawers, Christmas decorations begin to take over the house and the only thing on TV is The Great Escape. (Maybe one year they'll surprise us by not escaping..) The nights become darker and wintry, where the only good thing to do is snuggle up with a good book and hot chocolate- great! I love winter. Everything happens in December for me; my birthday, then Christmas then New Year and not to mention the reflective days where all you do is talk about whats gone on over the past year. It can surprise you what can change, what you don't notice as you're too busy looking ahead.

I had one of these days today. A December day in September, (maybe Global Warming is creeping up on us) where the weather became instantly cold with a biting wind and all I wanted to do was think back to the summer and warmer times. I suppose its a sort of comfort thing, talking about what has been rather than face the future, I do it far to often- mainly in maths when I'm invisible.

The thought of Global Warming rather alarms me. I'm not a huge fan of change, even though I believe change is a good thing, and slowly but surely even I can see the effects we're having on this planet. Pretty soon, the weather system and our yearly calendar will undoubtedly change, and I cant say for the better. So far, we've had extreme flooding in the Midlands and Tornadoes in London;- it wouldn't surprise me if next Belfast was turned into a swamp and Scotland was ravished by spontaneous hail stones the size of coconuts. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but the weather's become so unpredictable not even my blog can control it.

Is there much we can do? Does obsessive recycling hold the answer, or even do enough? I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. Maybe when I'm having a barbecue and beach party on my birthday will everything make sense.

Judging Books By Their Covers.

In English today we started reading through the first Short Story I've studied in a very long while; "The Darkness Out There" by Penelope Lively. I like it so far, I'm an analysis-aholic as it is anyway so I'm intrigued at the prospect of studying it thoroughly. This, surprisingly, got me thinking: What is it that makes us read what we read?

Personally, I throw caution to the wind and often chose books by their covers. They intrigue me, I fall hook line and sinker for the advertising companies who design the covers in the first place. Maybe its just my mindset, or.. something but if I notice an interesting cover, I’m most likely to read the book. There are other reasons, obviously, like the author or raving reviews that I like to make my own decisions about but added with a great cover usually is a recipe for success.

Strangely though, the Daphne Du Maurier books don’t have very interesting and detailed Terry-Pratchett-like covers, yet I’m an avid reader. I like their simplicity. The plots and characters make up for this once you get reading however. (The narrator in Rebecca has my full sympathy, for obvious reasons.)

I'm a sucker for cover art, Terry Pratchett's being the worst. Or the velvety covers of children's books by Debi Gliori. Or those uber cool Pop-Up books about pirates and dragons... Anyway. Here are a two books that have caught my eye whilst blogging here:

<Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans. I think the simplicity of the colour and shapes in this cover is what I like. Pink umbrella FTW. Haven't read the book yet, so I cant comment on whether I can judge a book by its cover successfully.

Going Home by Harriet Evans. Wintry and Christmas-y, portrays the book superbly. >

They're both rather intriguing covers, I'm tempted to read A Hopeless Romantic already. The books that feature in my picture in the top of this post are just a selection that I love- especially The Interpretation Of Murder. Good books in my books anyway..

Sending Out An SOS.

Just a quick update today as I'm rather taken by a creative writing idea I've just decided to pursue- shall post more details once I get parts written. The outcome should hopefully be really really weird and funny and hopefully a good read (provided its legal of course.) Its set in Stranraer Academy aswell. (Says it all really dunnit)

I'm in the middle of trying to persuade my mum to write a blog post on here as she's just recently switched jobs and become a Learning Support teacher at the Academy, she has been for the past three years but now she's full time. I think it'd be pretty interesting to read. And make a change from mum reading all my posts. :P

Change of song today: The Police & Sting- Message In A Bottle. Incredibly catchy and I like itt.

Must get back to my plan before I forget everything thats in my head. More on the story later.