This week I've been thinking about colouring.
Colouring is an activity most children do from an early age when you take a drawing with the outline image in printed usually in black and colour in between the lines.
Colouring can be helpful in improving your hand to eye co-ordination as you learn to colour in tiny areas neatly.
It's also quite useful in encouraging you to exercise your own imagination, by choosing what areas to colour in whatever colour you prefer although for some subjects you may prefer to follow the examples such as drawings of Disney Princesses.
It came to me a few days back in part through an ongoing conversation and also while listening to a podcast, that I did very little colouring when I was younger and by the time I'd reached nine it was deemed to be 'childish' although I did draw in colour trees and houses cause that was called 'drawing' which was said to be 'okay' for me to do.
Colouring is in my opinion one of the easiest ways of getting into a younger headspace especially if you live away from any local littles community because you can do it pretty much anywhere making very little demands on apartment space.
You'll need a supply of coloured pencils (mine are Hello Kitty ones for extra cute appeal), an eraser to remove mistakes, and colouring books that you'll find most newsstores stock so you can get out of your chair and go buy it in person as after all it is for you!.
I tend to keep mine by the computer as a stress relief tool when the interwebs go wonky but generally after changing to my littles clothes, I either lay on my front on the floor or across my Hello Kitty festooned bed with the book and pencil case out in front of me. You could if you wished, sat at a desk to do this too as if you were in a play group or school setting.
I find it very relaxing just lying there colouring completly free from any groan up stuff that may be about affecting my head.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Frill free edition!
Well the idea for this post came to me overnight but as I sleep with Theodore rather than a laptop I wasn't able to type it up until now and anyway I think sleeping with teddies is much much healthier.
I've been talking away with someone on site I don't hang around a lot at for various reasons we don't need to go into here and I know I've talked to someone else at one place I practically live at around the same sorts of things.
We were discussing clothes sense and what sorts of clothes within a LG context we liked and a common theme that came up was we liked 'regular' clothes and for us it wasn't exclusively frilly stuff and indeed for us even skirt or dress related necessarily.
I guess that will produce a gasp but I know one person who is LG and came complete with the paperwork stating 'Girl' from the get go didn't spend much free time at least time in anything other than pants and for this other person (cos I ain't revealing who without their permission) also liked shorts.
I wore shorts too quite a lot during my childhood and later on I guess because apart from some things around practicalities they mentally transported me back in time too. I didn't have any gender issues about wearing them at the time, the only issues I had was contextual background stuff wrong pronouns, refusal on the part of others to see my inner girl and so on.
Now pants and shorts can be worn in feminine way too matching up with girly t shirts, socks & trainers and are part of some girls experiences too so it's all girl!
The great thing about being a girl is so many options depending on what suits you.
I've been talking away with someone on site I don't hang around a lot at for various reasons we don't need to go into here and I know I've talked to someone else at one place I practically live at around the same sorts of things.
We were discussing clothes sense and what sorts of clothes within a LG context we liked and a common theme that came up was we liked 'regular' clothes and for us it wasn't exclusively frilly stuff and indeed for us even skirt or dress related necessarily.
I guess that will produce a gasp but I know one person who is LG and came complete with the paperwork stating 'Girl' from the get go didn't spend much free time at least time in anything other than pants and for this other person (cos I ain't revealing who without their permission) also liked shorts.
I wore shorts too quite a lot during my childhood and later on I guess because apart from some things around practicalities they mentally transported me back in time too. I didn't have any gender issues about wearing them at the time, the only issues I had was contextual background stuff wrong pronouns, refusal on the part of others to see my inner girl and so on.
Now pants and shorts can be worn in feminine way too matching up with girly t shirts, socks & trainers and are part of some girls experiences too so it's all girl!
The great thing about being a girl is so many options depending on what suits you.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Classical birthday (Magical day pt 2)
Not before time here's the part two to the birthday entry with a few bits added.
As I mentioned I had a number of classical music cds this birthday which ties very well into the LG birthday theme as it always was big part of my childhood so I'll take this entry to talk about them.
I got two sets from Aaron Coplands "Copland Collection series" (1922-1935 & 1948-1971) on Sony that covers everything he wrote such as Music for the Theatre, Concerto for Orchestra and Organ plus his symphonic works.These were the pioneering recordings of this output where he conducts some even playing piano in others.
Copland was a major influence on my interest in music as he explored many differing forms all of which have a distinct American feel to them.
"Bernstein conducts Bernstein" Somy/Bmg 7 cd set.
Back in 1991 Sony compiled a nine cd set of all of Leonard Bernstein's works that he recorded himself which would of set you back about GBP £90 or more new.
In 2011 as part of their Masters series of box sets by Sony Music, this set was rejigged to fit on 7 discs sans notes for a very low price.
Included in it were his recordings of Candide, symphonic Dances from "West Side Story", symphonic Suite from "On The Waterfront" movie score, fancy Free, a selection from on the town, Prelude, Fudge & Riffs and heaps more.
I had the old 1986 CBS Masterwork cd with a number of these recordings on and this sounds much improved with respect to freqnency range and smoothness .
It's the kind of set you dip into at will.
Delius: Violin Sonatas 1 thru 3
Tasmin Little & Piers Lane
Conifer
This was a disc I had been interested in tghat originally came out at full price in 1997 having had a soft spot for English music from thge early part of the twentieh century.
Vaughan Williams is an English composer I've been aware of having heard performaces but hadn't collected recordings by and I got a set of his Symphonies a few months back.
Being rather impressed by them I decided to get used two discs of his orchestral works to complement it.
The Wasps wasn't dedicated to our Sammy I'll add but is a highly effective soundscape of that insect! It really buzzes in the overture!!!
The Lark Ascending
Five Variants of Dives & Lazarus
The Wasps-Aristophanic suite
London Philharmonic Orchestra cond Vernon Handley
CD EMX 9508 Issued in 1985 and one of the very first in Emi Eminence series to be issued on cd in 1987
Partita for Double String orchestra
Concerto for Oboe and Strings
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Royal Liverpool Phiharmonic Orchestra cond Vernon Handley with Jonathan Small on Oboe
CD EMX 2197
1991 recording on Emi Eminence
Sibelius was a very famous Finnish composer who sadly also had a drinks problem whose works I first encountered in the late 1980's buying on impulse a 4 cd set of his symphonies after playing to death a cd of his Tone poems such as Finlandia.
I decided to get the 1993 world premier recording of the entire music from the score set to Shakespeare's play
The Tempest
Lahti Symphony Orchestra cond Osmo Vanska
Bis CD581
Some of us had our minds blown on American music by people like Copland, Bernstein, Gershwin, Ives, Piston and this guy called Hanson.
I got this one used from a vendor in the same town I work in:
Hanson conducts Hanson
Symphonies 1 & 3; Song of Domocracy
Hanson Eastman-Rochestra orchestra
Mercury 432 008-2
plus
Symphony no3, Elegy & Lament for Beuwulf
Mercury 434 302-2
As I mentioned I had a number of classical music cds this birthday which ties very well into the LG birthday theme as it always was big part of my childhood so I'll take this entry to talk about them.
I got two sets from Aaron Coplands "Copland Collection series" (1922-1935 & 1948-1971) on Sony that covers everything he wrote such as Music for the Theatre, Concerto for Orchestra and Organ plus his symphonic works.These were the pioneering recordings of this output where he conducts some even playing piano in others.
Copland was a major influence on my interest in music as he explored many differing forms all of which have a distinct American feel to them.
"Bernstein conducts Bernstein" Somy/Bmg 7 cd set.
Back in 1991 Sony compiled a nine cd set of all of Leonard Bernstein's works that he recorded himself which would of set you back about GBP £90 or more new.
In 2011 as part of their Masters series of box sets by Sony Music, this set was rejigged to fit on 7 discs sans notes for a very low price.
Included in it were his recordings of Candide, symphonic Dances from "West Side Story", symphonic Suite from "On The Waterfront" movie score, fancy Free, a selection from on the town, Prelude, Fudge & Riffs and heaps more.
I had the old 1986 CBS Masterwork cd with a number of these recordings on and this sounds much improved with respect to freqnency range and smoothness .
It's the kind of set you dip into at will.
Delius: Violin Sonatas 1 thru 3
Tasmin Little & Piers Lane
Conifer
This was a disc I had been interested in tghat originally came out at full price in 1997 having had a soft spot for English music from thge early part of the twentieh century.
Vaughan Williams is an English composer I've been aware of having heard performaces but hadn't collected recordings by and I got a set of his Symphonies a few months back.
Being rather impressed by them I decided to get used two discs of his orchestral works to complement it.
The Wasps wasn't dedicated to our Sammy I'll add but is a highly effective soundscape of that insect! It really buzzes in the overture!!!
The Lark Ascending
Five Variants of Dives & Lazarus
The Wasps-Aristophanic suite
London Philharmonic Orchestra cond Vernon Handley
CD EMX 9508 Issued in 1985 and one of the very first in Emi Eminence series to be issued on cd in 1987
Partita for Double String orchestra
Concerto for Oboe and Strings
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Royal Liverpool Phiharmonic Orchestra cond Vernon Handley with Jonathan Small on Oboe
CD EMX 2197
1991 recording on Emi Eminence
Sibelius was a very famous Finnish composer who sadly also had a drinks problem whose works I first encountered in the late 1980's buying on impulse a 4 cd set of his symphonies after playing to death a cd of his Tone poems such as Finlandia.
I decided to get the 1993 world premier recording of the entire music from the score set to Shakespeare's play
The Tempest
Lahti Symphony Orchestra cond Osmo Vanska
Bis CD581
Some of us had our minds blown on American music by people like Copland, Bernstein, Gershwin, Ives, Piston and this guy called Hanson.
I got this one used from a vendor in the same town I work in:
Hanson conducts Hanson
Symphonies 1 & 3; Song of Domocracy
Hanson Eastman-Rochestra orchestra
Mercury 432 008-2
plus
Symphony no3, Elegy & Lament for Beuwulf
Mercury 434 302-2
Finally I got two Stravinsky cds:
Symphony no1, Symphony in C
Ode
Symphony in Three Movements
Symphonies of Wind Instruments *
The Fairy's Kiss (ballet) **
Scottish National Orchestra cond Sir Alexander Gibson * SNO with Neeme Jarvi
** Nash Essemble cond Sir Simon Rattle
Chandros CHAN 241-8
Note: 2 cd twofer re-issue of previous full price discs with stunning recording and playing.
Stravinsky:
Concerto in E Flat "Dumbarton Oakes"
Concerto in D from String
Danses concertantes
Cantata on Old English texts
English chamber Orchestra cond Sir Colin Davis
London Enterprise 425 622-2
These will complement nicely my collection of his ballet scores covering hislater more neo classical compositions.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Magical day
Whoo woo, guess what happened the other day? That's right I went around the sun again so here's the entry about this.
First of all I'd like to thank the GT people for making the day special in their own unique ways both in the forum and also in chat.
We'll begin with something that may seem trival but is kinda important.
I had a new fluffy goose filled pillow and a Hello Kitty duvet and pillow cover to further transform my sleeping experience because I find it so much more relaxing in a little girl headpsace surround by plushies, teddy bears and HK posters whenever I sleep complete with HK sleeping attire on or need to rest during the day in uniform being 'pawley'.
I have to say a day after having both rested and slept since petting it on, I feel more restful confirming that surrounded in this headspace I do feel smaller, having looked from the corner of too I see a little girl in her element and for me this feeling is priceless.
Also I had - and we have Sammy to thank in a way for this - a Disney colouring book as thanks to the Christmas colouring a number of us did I re-connected to colouring even though I can only do a little a day with my condition, I found it relaxing, being able to switch off from groan up stuff.
I also had some reading books by Jacqueline Wilson sho I think is wonderful and these were, 'The worst thing about my sister','The Worry Website' and 'Midnight' plus the dvd of Tangled
As Tracey might of guessed I had some classical music cds that I write a separate longer piece about later I think comprising of works and recordings I've wanted for a long time.
Finally I had some lovely flowers too.
First of all I'd like to thank the GT people for making the day special in their own unique ways both in the forum and also in chat.
We'll begin with something that may seem trival but is kinda important.
I had a new fluffy goose filled pillow and a Hello Kitty duvet and pillow cover to further transform my sleeping experience because I find it so much more relaxing in a little girl headpsace surround by plushies, teddy bears and HK posters whenever I sleep complete with HK sleeping attire on or need to rest during the day in uniform being 'pawley'.
I have to say a day after having both rested and slept since petting it on, I feel more restful confirming that surrounded in this headspace I do feel smaller, having looked from the corner of too I see a little girl in her element and for me this feeling is priceless.
Also I had - and we have Sammy to thank in a way for this - a Disney colouring book as thanks to the Christmas colouring a number of us did I re-connected to colouring even though I can only do a little a day with my condition, I found it relaxing, being able to switch off from groan up stuff.
I also had some reading books by Jacqueline Wilson sho I think is wonderful and these were, 'The worst thing about my sister','The Worry Website' and 'Midnight' plus the dvd of Tangled
As Tracey might of guessed I had some classical music cds that I write a separate longer piece about later I think comprising of works and recordings I've wanted for a long time.
Finally I had some lovely flowers too.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Hobbies
Before we start this week I'm the voiceless kid as my voice has given up again so I can't say much following last years severe flu infection that's left me with damaged voicebox.
Thankfully I can type a bit so I can 'chat' with you all this way while it recovers as my masterplan for next weeks Big Event comes to fruition.
Anyway one of my hobbies was Short-wave Radio where you can listen to stations from around the World, learning about people, places and lives often different from you own and maybe have a request read out.
If you gave a report of how well you received that station together with comments on the show you listened to then often you'd get colourful postcards and assorted goodies.
Doing this requires a certain level of organizational ability to recall where on the dial the station is and what the best time to listen happens to be because radio waves using these frequences aren't just received at a line of sight way, they're reflected making it easier to receive at certain times compared to others and also as the seasons change the best frequencies to reach people vary so you have seasonal changes to note down.
Lilian probably can explain this better but that's how it is in a nutshell.
Over the years I've had many receivers from older table top tube sets from the 40's & 50's right through until I became pawley(tm) some 15 or so years back a Yaesu FRG 7000 semi professional communications receiver with matching VHF convertor and antenna tuning unit that lent itself also to listening to shipping and 'ham radio' (those funny people the British comedian Tony Hancock sent up in a timeless TV comedy episode!).
Recently a family friend who was going through some major problems gave me scarcely used 'new' short wave radio as the nature of their condition's was such they'd just 'lose it' destroying anything they couldn't get on with a hammer. This was one a good many things at risk of destruction. It's made by Etón and it's called the E5.
Anyway it's a small unit covering both the traditional 'AM' Bands - I know Lillian would rightly say AM is transmission mode but AM to most North Americans is what you Brits call Medium Wave plus Long Wave - and continuous shortwave coverage right up to 30 Megahertz taking in the popular 49, 41, 31, 25 and 17 Metre shortwave broadcast bands.
It also covers the Ham Radio bands coming complete with the Beat Frequency Oscillator to resolve the way Hams transmit talk (using SSB) with a fine adjuster so it doesn't sound like Mickey Mouse as well as CB Radio although at least in the UK it sounds a bit dead around here.
For good measure it has stereo FM radio with a headphone output coupled with a output to plug into an external amplifier or recorder which is handy.
What I like about is it's very easy to tune stations in as you use a wheel while looking at the frequency display and you can store up to 700 stations in a memory in 100 pages of 7 entries which is sufficient to cover several frequencies used by one broadcaster per page.
It's less fiddly than my communications receiver to use as they've removed most of the knobs I struggled to turn although the performance isn't quite as good on the very noisiest signals but you can use as a portable for listening to local stations first thing catching up with travel information saving you from having to have a separate set just for that.
Reception with the rod antenna built in is surprisingly good.
Some have complained the buttons are a bit close most likely men with the build of a lumberjack but with my small paws they fit perfectly so I'm enjoying re-connecting to this hobby of mine on something I can now use.
Thankfully I can type a bit so I can 'chat' with you all this way while it recovers as my masterplan for next weeks Big Event comes to fruition.
Anyway one of my hobbies was Short-wave Radio where you can listen to stations from around the World, learning about people, places and lives often different from you own and maybe have a request read out.
If you gave a report of how well you received that station together with comments on the show you listened to then often you'd get colourful postcards and assorted goodies.
Doing this requires a certain level of organizational ability to recall where on the dial the station is and what the best time to listen happens to be because radio waves using these frequences aren't just received at a line of sight way, they're reflected making it easier to receive at certain times compared to others and also as the seasons change the best frequencies to reach people vary so you have seasonal changes to note down.
Lilian probably can explain this better but that's how it is in a nutshell.
Over the years I've had many receivers from older table top tube sets from the 40's & 50's right through until I became pawley(tm) some 15 or so years back a Yaesu FRG 7000 semi professional communications receiver with matching VHF convertor and antenna tuning unit that lent itself also to listening to shipping and 'ham radio' (those funny people the British comedian Tony Hancock sent up in a timeless TV comedy episode!).
Anyway it's a small unit covering both the traditional 'AM' Bands - I know Lillian would rightly say AM is transmission mode but AM to most North Americans is what you Brits call Medium Wave plus Long Wave - and continuous shortwave coverage right up to 30 Megahertz taking in the popular 49, 41, 31, 25 and 17 Metre shortwave broadcast bands.
It also covers the Ham Radio bands coming complete with the Beat Frequency Oscillator to resolve the way Hams transmit talk (using SSB) with a fine adjuster so it doesn't sound like Mickey Mouse as well as CB Radio although at least in the UK it sounds a bit dead around here.
For good measure it has stereo FM radio with a headphone output coupled with a output to plug into an external amplifier or recorder which is handy.
What I like about is it's very easy to tune stations in as you use a wheel while looking at the frequency display and you can store up to 700 stations in a memory in 100 pages of 7 entries which is sufficient to cover several frequencies used by one broadcaster per page.
It's less fiddly than my communications receiver to use as they've removed most of the knobs I struggled to turn although the performance isn't quite as good on the very noisiest signals but you can use as a portable for listening to local stations first thing catching up with travel information saving you from having to have a separate set just for that.
Reception with the rod antenna built in is surprisingly good.
Some have complained the buttons are a bit close most likely men with the build of a lumberjack but with my small paws they fit perfectly so I'm enjoying re-connecting to this hobby of mine on something I can now use.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Background capsule
I suppose today I've been thinking back to my past and how this whole topsy turvy life of mine started off and this is perhaps the best link I can give to it in that I knew around 4 to 5 years of age I really objected to that reflection of me in the mirror cos I knew I wasn't a boy.
People write books study to degree levels in gender studies and all with grand theories but I prefer to cut to the chase: If you don't feel plus you don't connect with your social gender and loath how you look wanting to curl up and and die first then you're trans, period.
The world in my head wasn't a million miles removed from that picture, the plushies, the dolls and above all that dress although I think there's nothing wrong with wearing pants or shorts either as it's about the how rather than if.
That whole hands on hips pose and the lovely print is very much me at the core (I'd of loved to worn it) and maybe that's what troubled some people who think it's their job to police the gender divide.
And that was it with the little side of me still loving the same things today as then pretty much so you see it's not like there's just one side of me, a side people get wrong often thinking it's all about a gender change rooted say nostalgia or having the childhood you didn't have. It's always been with me as apart of the trans side with the older in some ways more grown up side both female and intertwined with each other. We're one whole person just like my friends who are natul who also have a smaller side.
A dialogue between the two sides: LG=Little Girl, BG Big Girl/Adult
BG: Hi. Who are you?
LG: You know I who I am. I'm your younger side
BG: How old are you?
LG: I'm 12 thank you.
BG: Where did you go?
LG: You packed me away in the toy box with my teddies.
BG I did?
LG: You did cos Mommy wasn't happy with me around.She banished me and it hurts.
BG: I'm sorry.She had these issues.
LG: I want to come out to play but is safe now?
BG: If you came out to play what would happen to me? I keep you safe.
LG: Are you happy?
BG: No, I'm sad. I'd much sooner play.
LG Why do you want to be around? Can't you just look out for me instead while I play?
BG: If I played, I'd be you.
LG: That make you happy?
BG: Yes.
LG: Is this a deal. You just do big looking out not upsetting the grown ups.
BG: Yes! Let's make it our pact.
.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
A few more of my favourite things
While some of you are no doubt getting seriously excited at Camp running about, playing dress the Squirrel and more, I've caught up with things after Tuesday's unwelcome wrist ache so this is a few days early. Never mind!
I had this for a while but forgot - typical Joanne isn't it? - to write about it with having the damaged disc on arrival to deal with.
Arrietty is based upon the classic English children's book The Borrowers by Mary Norton, this adaptation takes the action to Tokyo where Arrietty's family are discovered in a mansion by Sho, a young boy.
The anime was developed by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi being released on dvd and blu ray January 9th in the UK.
This anime is well up to the Studio Ghibi standards being a largely faithful retelling of the original story but with a poignant ending as Arrietty realizes she and the Big People have to live alone departing with gifts from Sho.
Recommended to all.
Something else I got was this the Secret Seven Library a ten volume edition of Enid Blyton's classic children's books using period children on the covers from WH Smiths sales. I haven't see this particular set on Amazon only the 2006 set with computer generated modern illustrations.
I read some of these at school so it's like seeing old friends.
The Secret Seven are Peter the leader, his sister Janet and their school friends Pam, Colin, George, Jack and Barbara. The Secret Seven are helped by Peter and Janet's dog Scamper.
They enjoy having adventures in a club with just seven members it's own badge and password where they solve mysteries.
It has the following adventures (roars in approval):
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done, Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead, Secret Seven
Good Work, Secret Seven
Secret Seven Win Through
Three Cheers Secret Seven
Secret Seven Mystery
Puzzle for the Secret Seven
One of the great things about the Secret Seven books is how fast the plots steam along once they get going, with hardly leaving the plot of the story at all.
One of my favourites is Well Done, Secret Seven
The story begins with The Secret Seven needing a new headquarters so they build a tree house. The mystery starts when someone secretly sneaks in the tree house and ends in a chase of two thieves.
I enjoyed this book because it was exciting making me want to read it again which for a poor reader like me good going.
As well I liked the way the clues came together swiftly once the Seven started on the right track.
I'm slowly adding the last five stories in late 70's, 80's paperback reprints to round off this collection which while not having the nice period covers the new set had, at least keeps most of the text original baring decimalizing any reference to currency.
Arrietty is based upon the classic English children's book The Borrowers by Mary Norton, this adaptation takes the action to Tokyo where Arrietty's family are discovered in a mansion by Sho, a young boy.
The anime was developed by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi being released on dvd and blu ray January 9th in the UK.
This anime is well up to the Studio Ghibi standards being a largely faithful retelling of the original story but with a poignant ending as Arrietty realizes she and the Big People have to live alone departing with gifts from Sho.
Recommended to all.
I read some of these at school so it's like seeing old friends.
The Secret Seven are Peter the leader, his sister Janet and their school friends Pam, Colin, George, Jack and Barbara. The Secret Seven are helped by Peter and Janet's dog Scamper.
They enjoy having adventures in a club with just seven members it's own badge and password where they solve mysteries.
It has the following adventures (roars in approval):
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done, Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead, Secret Seven
Good Work, Secret Seven
Secret Seven Win Through
Three Cheers Secret Seven
Secret Seven Mystery
Puzzle for the Secret Seven
One of the great things about the Secret Seven books is how fast the plots steam along once they get going, with hardly leaving the plot of the story at all.
One of my favourites is Well Done, Secret Seven
The story begins with The Secret Seven needing a new headquarters so they build a tree house. The mystery starts when someone secretly sneaks in the tree house and ends in a chase of two thieves.
I enjoyed this book because it was exciting making me want to read it again which for a poor reader like me good going.
As well I liked the way the clues came together swiftly once the Seven started on the right track.
I'm slowly adding the last five stories in late 70's, 80's paperback reprints to round off this collection which while not having the nice period covers the new set had, at least keeps most of the text original baring decimalizing any reference to currency.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)