Happy 2016

‘For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice.’

~ T.S. Eliot ~

Happy New 2016 everyone.

May your hopes be bright and may your dreams come true xx

triple j Hottest 100 2015

For the first time since I’ve been voting in triple j’s Hottest 100 I have voted in record time having done so prior to the year concluding.

I commenced the process with a mammoth 105 song short list which was culled to the 14 I eventually voted for. Despite technically only being able to vote for 10 songs, I bypassed the rules and voted using 2 email addresses. My 7 year old daughter also voted, but only chose 6 songs, so I topped her list up to 10 by adding 4 of my own.

As confirmed yesterday, my #1 song was The Art of Escape by Hein Cooper. The remaining 13 are as follows in no particular order…

Flume ~ Some Minds (feat. Andrew Wyatt)

 

City Calm Down ~ Rabbit Run

 

Kurt Vile ~ Pretty Pimpin

 

Vallis Alps ~ Young

 

Ratatat ~ Cream on Chrome

 

Sufjan Stevens ~ Should Have Known Better

 

Harts ~ Aerial Love (Like a Version)

 

City and Colour ~ Woman

 

Hermitude ~ The Buzz (feat Mataya/ Young Tapz)

 

Father John Misty ~ True Affection

 

Lower Spectrum ~ Proxima

 

Purity Ring ~ Repetition

 

Planete ~ Altair

 

As mentioned previously my 7 year old daughter also voted. Here are her songs starting with her song of the year…

Grimes ~ Flesh Without Blood

 

Florence + The Machine ~ What Kind of Man

 

BOO SEEKA ~ Kingdom Leader

 

Marcus Marr & Chet Faker ~ The Trouble With Us

 

Nothing But Thieves ~ Itch

 

Major Lazer ~ Lean On (feat MO & DJ Snake)

 

Song of the Year

In May 2015 I began the Song of the Year? series of posts which tracked my thoughts on what may be my favourite song of 2015.

Now that I’ve voted in triple j’s Hottest 100 I can confirm my song of the year was, in fact, the one I first wrote about in May.

Hein Cooper ~ The Art of Escape

Lost Angel?…

 

‘Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light? Or just another lost angel… City of Night?’

~ Jim Morrison ~ 

Reading 52

Row 1 – Fox, Rider and Dog.

I interpret these readings in sentence form so, the 3 cards in each row/column/diagonal equate to a representative sentence. Usually pairings of cards have meanings. Typically, the Dog accompanied by the Fox suggests a friend is deceiving me. However in this situation the Dog and the Fox are not directly next to each other, so I’m unsure of how to read this sentence. Individually, the cards equal: Fox, I’m being deceived or I need to be more cunning; Rider, news awaited; Dog,  a friend.

Row 2 – Woman, Bird and Bear.

A woman (me?) has very big fears and alarms.

Row 3 – Mouse, Moon and Stork.

An event will be beautiful and lucky despite the presence of the robber Mouse.

Column 1 – Fox, Woman and Mouse.

I am being deceived by a woman in my life who will use trickery to get what she wants. She is also nibbling away at something that is important to me.

Column 2 – Rider, Bird and Moon.

News awaited arrives resulting in a degree of fears and alarms.

Column 3 – Dog, Bear and Stork.

An important event with a friend.

Diagonal 1 – Fox, Bird and Stork.

An event results in fears and alarms and the need for me to be cunning.

Diagonal 2 – Dog, Bird and Mouse.

Fears and alarms about a friendship that is costing me dearly or not fully reciprocated.

Summary

Well what a batshit crazy reading to end the year on!

The Fox is an ambivalent card and either means someone is deceiving me or I should be more cunning. I believe, primarily due to the presence of the Bird in the centre, that I’m being deceived and this is generating fears and alarms (Bird). The inclusion of the pesky Mouse just tops off this reading.

So beyond the people-are-screwing-me-over week, there is an event (Stork) which is funny since New Year’s Eve is happening and more news arriving (Rider).

Bah Humbug

I hate the festive season.

I don’t often use the ‘H’ word because I find it to be harsh and believe it shouldn’t be used flippantly, but I can honestly and genuinely say I hate the festive season.

It all stems from something that occurred when I was 18 years old. In the scheme of life, it was minor, but it was one of those events that I’ve never forgotten and one which has made me hate the festive season.

Even when I was with my ex, the father of my children, I hated the festive season because one of his brilliant ways of teaching me a lesson when he felt I had done wrong, amongst other things, was to not attend my side of the family’s Christmas lunch. I had to attend his family’s events, which I always did and enjoyed, but the next day when it was my turn he just wouldn’t go. For the first couple of years I made excuses. ‘He’s tired’, ‘he has to work’ and anything else that didn’t sound like he was punishing me or avoiding them. For our final Christmas together I was finally honest. ‘He didn’t want to come because he’s hung over and he hasn’t been in years so are you really surprised?’ And they weren’t.

The first Christmas after the relationship ended was hell on earth. He ensured that he had the children over Christmas and New Year, as punishment of course. What resulted was, after nine months apart, I finally had a breakdown. I hit rock bottom. The joy of that situation was I had nowhere further left to fall and I was able to commence healing, which I did.

The following Christmas I was able to take a stand with my ex and we came up with a fair arrangement regarding the children. An arrangement that still stands a year later.

Although I’m in a good place now compared to previously I still can’t help but reflect upon everything and feel a bit shit about it all. Add to the fact that I look around and am alone bothers me. Not alone in the sense of I have no boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/husband/wife scenario, but that the few friends I have that are aware of my personal history haven’t bothered to ask ‘R U OK?’ or even say ‘hello’ over the course of the month. It hurts, but it also makes it easier to know what to do in the new year regarding them.

So, I still hate the festive season, but I genuinely wish you all a safe and happy one and hope that you are all ok xx

Man’s Enemies

 

‘Man’s enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.’

~ Lao Tzu

Escaping Fear

 

‘To escape fear, you have to go through it, not around.’

~ Richie Norton ~

Holding On

 

‘Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.’

~ Buddha ~

Reading 51

 

Row 1 – Woman, Bear and Snake.

An important woman in my life is causing conflict.

Row 2 – Sun, Clover and Rider.

News will be arrive shortly ensuring a long patch of good luck.

Row 3 – Stork, Moon and Road.

An event in the form of a proposition concerning business or a lifestyle change.

Column 1 – Woman, Sun and Stork.

An event involving me will be optimistic and successful.

Column 2 – Bear, Clover and Moon.

Something import is extra lucky for me.

Column 3 – Snake, Rider and Road.

I need to keep the news about my short trip quiet.

Diagonal 1 – Woman, Clover and Road.

A trip will turn out well.

Diagonal 2 – Snake, Clover and Stork. 

At an event I should not disclose my full plan (or thoughts) to anyone to ensure luck is guaranteed.

Summary

An interesting reading primarily due to the ambivalent nature of the Snake and its positioning. In two of the combinations I think it is telling me to keep my mouth shut and not disclose information as it may hinder me. In the third combination I believe it to mean that I am being deceived. Time will tell if my interpretations are correct.

Otherwise the Clover in the middle of the reading and the presence of the Sun are wonderful indicators of a positive week ahead in particular in relation to a short trip (of which I have zero idea what this may be). News continues to arrive (Rider), as it has all year, and it’s looking to be important (Bear) as is an event that moves things along (Stork).