John Keats - 1795-1821

John Keats - 1795-1821
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing …

Saturday 7 July 2007


FIVE MOOD BOOSTERS



Grouse has tagged me, so as promised my five Mood Boosters.


Someone once told me, "You are so straight-laced", well the only lace I know is what's attached to my Petticoat.


HAPPINESS


I am never more happy than when I am walking with my dogs, no matter what the weather, if I am feeling a little down in the dumps this is a great tonic for me. In times of sadness they are always there for me, bright-eyed, and waggy-tailed. Animals I believe are so theraputic to my well being, and I am simply MAD about them. My adorable two grandchildren, who accept my dizzy eccentric behaviour, and just love me for who I am in a unconditional way.


BEING SOCIABLE


I loathe bad manners, people who do not have the courtesy to say thank you, that they are so wrapped up snugly in their own little world, it causes them to have a "tunnel-vision". People who judge others, ie., labelling, one cannot judge a book by it's cover. So for this reason it is important for me in my everyday life to say "Hello", "How are you", or even "Good Morning", or "Good Evening", I genuinly am concerned for others, and it fills my heart with a sense of warmth to be sociable, and gives me great pleasure.


PASSION


I have a tendency to be a tad "old fashioned", I have a great passion for Costume Drama and The Theatre. Here I have listed some of my favourite Classic Moments of Drama.


Sense & Sensibility

Vanity Fair

Pride & Predjudice

Emma

Wives & Daughters

Mansfield Park


Other films, Some Like It Hot. On Golden Pond, Breakfast At Tiffany's

Forest Gump, Educating Rita.


A deep interest in Literature, mainly Historical Fiction, I have a never-ending fascination with the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of writer's, artists, who were quintessentially English yet universally fascinating manifestations of literary and artistic culture in the 1930's, their relationships and their influence, which continues to resonate to this day.


MUSIC AND ART


If music be the spice of life- then it would have to be Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. If I am sitting alone at home and need cheering up I just put them on, and feel much brighter. I enjoy a mixed bag of music, Enya, Guns & Roses, Michael Buble, Glen Miller are some. I enjoy Art, cannot imagine a bare wall, my rooms are stuffed with them. I like nothing better than to go with a friend to visit a Gallery, cheers me up no end.


WRITING


The list would not be complete without this, I used to have a wonderful English teacher, Mr Edwards, a tall willowy chap with spectacles, and a magnificent educator. English homework - could'nt get enough of it, my compositions, essays would bulge in my enthusiasm for it. Some short stories and poems I have been thankful to have had published, but mainly many of them quite some time ago now, mainly in magazines. I dream of the day that I would be successful in having a book of poems published, ah, that truly would be the icing on the cake, but at least by way of writing it helps me to unwind.


Poets: Sir Philip Sydney, Thomas Campion, William Shakespeare, John Keats.

The Painting is by Charles Burton Barber, and is called - "SUSPENSE"


I have put here my poem which sums me up, told you I was passionately eccentric.!


Passion

I am passionate, puritans scold me

for running over breathlessly

of life's table of contents

and wishing and longing for everything.


They scold me for feasting

on joy and despair, together

with jugs of whipped cream

and wild strawberries

They object to me wearing

a diamond stud

for being sometimes girl

sometimes woman

and who knows what else!


Well that's my way

I'm hungry, I'm thirsty

I rush through the world like

A living sound

I refuse to walk slowly, to crawl

I'm passionate, I gulp things down

I fly,

and I'm proud that on my

small lapel,

occasionally, a decoration gliters,

call it rapture that golden rosette.


Camilla.x

13 comments:

Un Peu Loufoque said...

Pooh to the puitans!!What a fantastic list you have! I am so glad you mentioned people saying thank you. I feel like a dinosaur as I seem to be the only one left int eh world who says thnak you, peopel come to dinner or spend the day and those of the Englsih speaking world neve even nod in acknowledgemetn!! I do not expect flowers, which wehn I was a girl I was taught one should send to teh hostess by way of thank you for a veyr good dinner, but jsut a small mention of what a good tiem tehy had would do... I was begining to think perhaps that might guests jsut had such a rotten time that they didn't have the heart to comment until I saw your list!!

Faith said...

Excellent poem Camilla and list. Why don't you just go for it - get your poems together - and send them off somewhere.

I actually think we could do a book - Purplecoo Poems. What do you think?

Bluestocking Mum said...

That is indeed a great list.
I agree with others, that you should do something with those poems.

Agree totally about animals being therapeutic. In my times of trouble and even these days if I am ever feeling a little melancholy, my old labrador is glued to my feet...he knows exactly how I feel.

warm wishes
x

Unknown said...

I love your list. Totally agree about manners - I hate rude people! Animals are indeed very intuitive - my 2 cats pick up on my moods and can instantly lift my spirits!

Your poem is really good and I agree you should be in print!!

countrymousie said...

Wow - stunning poem Camilla. Yes, you must get your work together.

Totally with you on manners. All social manners really.
Despite being a mouse, I am entirely a cat person. love mousie

Anonymous said...

i love your list and poem camilla xx jep

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing it with us. A very interesting list. Walking dogs is theraputic isn't it, although I'm constantly shouting at my little one at the moment as she keeps me pulling me to kingdom come.

Being sociable, is very much what I would have said. Manners are paramount and unless you have them I think it's quite hard to make 'real' friends.

Crystal xx

Frances said...

Good morning to you Camilla.

The picture is sublime.

Your listing is helpfully full of very good sense and sensitivity.

And the poem. If I had read that poem without any prior info on its author, just coming upon it in a book, I would have been caught by it. I would have smiled, nodded, thought. I would have made note of the poet so that I could find more of her poetry.

Hope that you will continue to post your poems.

xo

bradan said...

Dear Camiila, I love your list. I agree with you about walking the dogs, it is one of the things on my list also.
I agree with you, too, about good manners. My children write thank you letters and also I recieve them from my nieces and nephews and of course it is important to thank any one who has invited us anywhere.
Your poem is wonderful, you are very talented.

Pondside said...

Great list, Camilla - we like the same movies!! I went to a launch party for Mansfield park, as the director is a friend of my youngest sister. Manners...yes, I value them as the manisfestation of a concern and repsect for others. I simply can't be with people who are rude or off-handed with the feelings of others.

Elizabethd said...

Camilla, good manners, to me, are so important, and they only come by being instilled from an early age....not by the govt. givng millions of £s to schools!
Have you come onto the other site yet? I cant find you there, and wanted to e mail you.
My husband is home!!

Cait O'Connor said...

I too love walking with my dogs whatever the weather and my granddaughters are the light of my life. That picture 'Suspense' I have in my bedroom!
I love the poem.
Caitx

CAMILLA said...

Thank you to all who left me comments. Cait, yes I have the same picture above Bureau in the Study.
Camilla.x