ONCE UPON A DREAM; Carousel Filly

If my life were a fairground ride it would be the whimsical whirlwind of a beautiful pink carousel, decked out in roses.

Each horse would be a unicorn and I would actually enjoy the notion of going round and round in circles. I would delight in experiencing the ups and downs.

It would be a magical ride; one which makes me smile and giggle as my hairs blows out like a banner behind me and the music waltzes me away to a dreamy fantasy.

All the ups and downs would be part of the journey, a vital aspect of the enjoyment, rather than something to be avoided or resented. If my life were a whimsical carousel ride the I would be the fairytale princess who makes it all happen, with a wave of her hand...

BOOK NOOK; Blogging from the Battlefield by Major Paul Smyth

"Offer an open hand in friendship to those who do not wish to fight...

For those who will not shake our hand they will find it closed into a fist.

They will be defeated." 

(Brigadier James Cowan pg 91)

Blogging from the Battlefield by Major Paul Smyth isn't the kind of book I usually read and it does look rather misplaced on my pretty pink blog, but it has been an eye-opening reading experience for me, so I wanted to share it with my readers. I stumbled across the book via the author Major Smyth, as we Follow one another on Twitter.  The title intrigued me, not least because I have friends who are soldiers (3 Black Watch; 1 Yorkshire Regiment and 1 Veteran) who have served in Afghanistan and I wanted to deepen my understanding of the conflict there.

I could not have read this book while ever there was a chance that they could have been re-deployed back to Afghanistan again, but now that the danger of that is over, I find myself wondering what it was all about in the first place.  What was so important about Afghanistan that my friends had to risk their lives for it more than once and was the fight against the Taliban really worth the loss of my friend's leg?  I wanted to understand what they were doing over there and why the conflict seems to have gone on forever and a day.

This book answered most of my questions. Our soldiers were busy building a secure and civilized nation from scratch, putting in trustworthy governance, creating and training an Afghan Army and Police Force where there was no such thing before.  They were busy building schools and markets so the locals could conduct a normal life - and protecting them as they did so.  They were clearing the land of poppy fields and bombs so that farmers could grow regular crops to sustain their families and make a living, rather than growing poppies to Taliban orders, under duress and threats of violence. 

Can you imagine living in a country with no police or armed forces, where civilians have absolutely no back up and the only governing force comes from the brutality of the Taliban? It doesn't bear thinking about.  Our soldiers were busy taking power away from the enemy, not to keep it for themselves, but to hand it back to the people of Afghanistan where it belongs. No wonder it took such a long time - civilization usually takes decades to evolve, so in that respect, the Troops have done an amazing job in a relatively short space of time. Suddenly it all makes perfect sense to me.

Blogging from the Battlefield is an emotional read. I have cried, laughed and cried again as I worked my way through the blog posts from a variety of Military Personnel, both male and female, which make up the book.  It is written in a very reader-friendly way, with the military lingo carefully explained on pg 19. As someone with no military knowledge whatsoever,  who doesn't know the difference between a Gunner and a Rifleman (is a rifle not a gun? I'm confused) this was a welcome relief to me as I was worried I might not be able to understand the book, but it was all made clear early on.  The book doesn't glorify warfare and there are no gruesome details, though there are heart-breaking accounts of soldiers being killed in action.  At one point, I simply couldn't read any more. I had to put the book down and have a little cry.  Every fallen soldier could so easily have been one of my soldiers and every fallen soldier is someone's soldier - that makes it painful; it makes it personal.  But alongside the heart-rending posts there are some funny ones too - like the one about Girl's Aloud - you'll have to read the book to find out how they feature!

My favourite sections of the book were the one about the Military Vet, volunteering to set up a clinic to care for the herds and animals of Afghan locals. He didn't have to do this, but could see that with a little information and training, the farmers could improve their livestock and so the quality of life for animals and people is improved.  I also enjoyed the post about Afghan women being trained up as WPC's in the Afghan police force - not an image that fits in with the stereotype is it? They are like Afghan's Angels and its fabulous to read about women being empowered in a country where they have been suppressed for so long.

This book also illustrates the effective use of word play and perceptions when Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson states;  "The enemy is out there and we are doing battle with him but he not at the gates." This is a fantastic and empowering use of language and word choice - 'we' meaning the Troops, being plural, strong, supported on all sides via safety in numbers, versus 'him/he' the enemy, being singular, outnumbered and therefore automatically diminished  in the mind's eye. It's a great way with words and as an author I'm impressed by it. 

Beyond all of that there is something more about the book which has really struck a chord in me and that is the amount of courage that can be found within its pages.  We all have bad days, dark periods in life and occasions when Fate deals us a bad blow.  That is true for anyone, in any job. But we also have a choice - we can choose to whinge and whine about it like soft-living civilians or we can choose to think and act like a soldier and just 'crack on'.  If you take the time to read this book slowly, absorbing its message you will be benefiting from a great store of knowledge, for behind the information presented in the paragraphs there lies a wealth of training, battle strategy, conflict resolution and sheer determination. The spirit of soldiering on lingers quietly beneath the words on every page. If you can absorb this and take it all in, you can use it in your own daily life.  If you want to learn how to brave out the dark days and face adversity with courage then you need only read between the lines of this book. Its all in there. You just have to find it.

A book is a meeting place between the author and reader. You become like those you mix with and I have been mixing with these brave, bold soldiers on the page everyday for the past week and already I feel stronger; I am reminded of my own capability; I feel inspired and motivated. When you are ready to learn the lesson the teacher will show up in your life.  Blogging from the Battlefield has certainly been a great tutor for me and I know I will dip into it as a self-help manual every now and then when I need a quick boost to my own personal morale.  I'm delighted that Serendipity led me to Major Smyth and his book on Twitter. It has been quite an adventure - albeit from the safety of my bed, late at night before I go to sleep.

If you want to share the adventure Blogging From the Battlefield is available on Amazon and all proceeds go to the Poppy Appeal. You can also follow the author on Twitter https://twitter.com/MajorPaulSmyth and me too, of course https://twitter.com/marie_bruce

ONCE UPON A DREAM; A Rosie Glow

"The first dew on a rose in bloom

The first time that I saw you."

It is the first beautiful sunny day we've had here in Yorkshire for some time.  Up to now it has been cold and snowy, but today it feels like there is the first hint of spring in the air.  As the sun was out I decided it was a good day to go shopping.  I had some Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket and now that the madness of the sales is over, I wanted to enjoy a couple of quiet hours wandering the shopping center, soaking up the pleasure of a bit of retail therapy.

I had a particular collection in mind before I set off and so I headed straight for super-model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's sumptuous lingerie displays.  Usually I spend my money on books; more recently I've been having to save up for course fees for the night classes I'm taking, so it has been a while since I treated myself to a few feminine fripperies. I'm so pleased that I picked the Rosie collection, as not only are the items just lovely, they had a few offers running too. 

I wandered around slowly, looking at everything, feeling the satin and silk, the frothy lace, the soft as a kitten cashmere.  I love that Rosie is inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites in her designs - this is clearly evident in the ad campaign where she recreates the picture above of a woman kissing a rose.  All of her night clothes and lingerie have a rose theme, which is my favourite flower, so I had to get a few new chemise nighties with delicate rose prints in shades of pink, pale blue and black. Even the lace is of a rose design. Each item is delicate and dainty, which I need because I'm petite - some pajamas just swamp me, but these little slips are just right.

I also got the new perfume, Rosie, which has just launched.  This is a stunning fragrance - like fresh roses on a dewy morning. It is delicate and feminine, without being too twee.  The bottle is weighty, with a rose engraved on the lid, so it will look pretty on my dressing table.  I love falling asleep to the dreamy scent of a rose garden, so Rosie is the perfect bedtime perfume for me.  I like to wear something different at night-time to the fragrances I wear during the day. My bedtime perfumes are usually full of rose notes that gently lull me into a state of calm relaxation and dreamy reverie.  I love this fragrance so much already - I know it will become a favorite.  

As a free gift I also came home with three small Rosie scented candles, in little glass jars. They are pretty trifles - the kind of thing you really don't need, but as a small treat now and then, they can make day to day life more of a fairytale. I plan to burn them in my bedroom, as I snuggle down beneath the covers in my new nightwear, enjoying the scent of a rose, amid a beautiful, fragrant Rosie glow.  See if the ad doesn't work it's magic on you too...

POET'S CORNER; Cauldron Charm

Cauldron Charm

In my cauldron a love spell burns

Glimmering brightly in darkest night

In my heart a longing yearns

Bringing forth a love of deep delight

As I stand, cauldron-side

Humming softly, a pagan tune

I dream a dream of virgin bride

By witching hour I cast my boon

In rising smoke, a scrying scene

Of lovers lanes, a misty glen,

Of rowing boats and moonlight beams

My mind swings back 'tween now and then

And so in my cauldron a summons burns

And in my song is a siren's call

By my power a lost love returns

By my charm he is held in thrall.

by Marie Bruce

It is that time of year again as Valentine's Day fast approaches and hearts and flowers are everywhere, so it seemed a good time to post a new love poem.  I wrote this over the New Year, inspired by The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse above.  I've often wondered what this witch was casting for and what Waterhouse had in mind as he painted her.  So I decided to answer my own question with this poem of a summoning spell for a lost love.  February is a great month for love spells and tonight is the full moon, so if you are single it would be a good time to work a little summoning magic of your own. Now, where did I put my cauldron...;-) x

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Anam Cara - Soul Mates

The Meeting on the Turret Stair

"In the ancient Celtic mystical tradition, it's believed that when two people born to cross paths, lives and hearts, do embrace each other, a third entity comes into being - a Spirit Companion that watches over the two souls to help them love each other into fullness..."

(from the book Something More by Sarah Ban Breathnach)

Oh, how I long for this to be true!  What a wonderful, beautiful concept it is, that when soul mates meet and hold onto one another, a special angel is assigned to watch over that relationship...to guide them as life rips them apart, as circumstances get in the way, as obstacles are thrown in their path to deliberately separate them...through all of this, an angel watches over the star-crossed lovers as they are repeatedly tested. Time ticks on and while they might not be getting any younger, it helps to think that an angel of love guides the lovers as they each find their way forwards, towards eventual reconciliation, in perfect love and perfect trust, keeping the faith that doing things the right way will lead to reunion, joy and fulfillment.

How many of us have wished that we had seen the truth when it was standing right before us, only to feel foolish when the penny finally drops much, much later?  I know I frequently feel this way as I fail, time and again, to recognize a soul mate when I see one.  For a woman who has an incredible and downright spooky sense of foresight when it comes to helping other people, I can be stupidly dense when it comes to trying to help myself.   In the past I have told expectant mothers they were expecting even before they knew themselves; I've given accurate warnings of infidelity and divorce up ahead; I have had fore-shadowing of bereavements to come...and yet when it comes to matters of the heart, I cannot seem to see past the end of my own nose.  

I am romantically blinkered and blind-sided and I am left to contemplate my anam cara driving away on a dark winters night in Oban, as I pressed my face against the glass of the hotel window to watch him go. Knowing him, he will understand my wary oversight, accept it as a challenge and keep on trying to get my attention.  Hopefully, one day the penny will drop in my mind while he is still standing right in front of me, rather than long after when he has driven off, blowing kisses to me as he goes!

But it is such a comfort to think that he and I might have our very own relationship angel looking out for us and that maybe, just maybe, my er...oversight, is all part of the cosmic plan because obstacles do still stand in our way. To everything its time and place; the love is constant and true; we won't fall out of love and anything worth having is worth fighting for, worth waiting for.  I know this. I believe this to be true.

The space between my forgetting and remembering is getting narrower - so I know things are coming right for me, slowly but surely.   It's not so long ago since I saw him last which means that things are coming right for us too, one chance meeting at a time.  At some point he and I are bound to find ourselves on the same page, at the same time and we will each be fully aware of who it is standing before us...

anam cara...soul mates x

ONCE UPON A DREAM; On Meeting Philippa Gregory

A favourite novel by a favourite author

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you will know that I am currently in a state of great excitement! Years ago, when I was a 17 year old groom working in a local stables, I met my favourite author Philippa Gregory, who lives in the same county as me. It wasn't a planned meeting.  She is a very horsey person and she had come to look at one of the hunters that the yard was selling.  I was  a YTS trainee there at the time and our paths crossed in one of those moments of pure serendipity.

I was already a fan of her work, having loved the Wideacre trilogy and I must confess to having a bit of a fan-girl moment when I heard she was coming to look at one of our horses.  Back then Ms Gregory was successful, but nothing like the household name author she has since become.  No-one else on the yard had read her books and I can recall trying to explain the sheer magnitude of her visit by saying "She's like the Harvey Smith of historical fiction!"  They still didn't get it.

Anyway, she duly arrived wearing jodhpurs, boots and a Puffa jacket, driving a 4x4 and looking every inch the Yorkshire horsewoman.  I was introduced to her by the owner of the stable yard, who explained that I was a fan and 'a little over-excited' - I was only 17 and completely star-struck.  After a few shy moments, common sense kicked in and I realized that my favourite living author (the Brontes being long dead) was standing right in front of me and I was never, ever going to get this opportunity again...so I plucked up the courage and said nervously "I really want to be a writer - it's what I've always dreamed of doing"  I expected to be laughed at, so it was a great relief when Ms Gregory actually took me seriously and gave me her advice.  This is what she said to me, 24 years ago;

  

"There are no guarantees; it's a lot of hard work; but if you want to write, then write." 

So of course I did and here I am, multiple books, columns, features, articles and an album later, having succeeded in my ambition.  I also remember Philippa telling me that she had been very lucky to get the kind of deal she had and that not everyone lands on their feet first time.  

It was one of those conversations that just happens, but that proves to be significant.  It was one of those moments that feels magical and guided.  They do say in magical circles that when you are ready to learn the mentor will turn up.  Now I am by no means saying that Philippa Gregory was my personal mentor - she's far too busy for that! - but her words stuck in my head and it was what I needed to hear.  I have all her novels and she continues to be my favourite author.  So I posted a quick message to her on Facebook last night, reminding her of our meeting and thanking her for the tip.  Again, I didn't expect her to really read it and again her graciousness shone through when she posted a lovely reply, congratulating me on my achievements and saying "Well done."  It is like getting a gold star in school!  You can see the post and Philippa's reply here in the Link 

So yes, it's safe to say that I am thrilled and delighted right now.  Magical moments happen in the midst of an ordinary day, but their effects can stay with you for a lifetime. I hope, in some small way, to inspire my readers as much as Philippa Gregory inspired me. 

BB 

Marie x

BOOK NOOK; Snow White and the Huntsman by Lily Blake

"So who will you be when faced with the end?

When the vultures start circling

And the shadows descend.

Will you cower?

Or will you fight?

Is your heart made of glass?

Or a pure Snow White?"

I love the film Snow White and the Huntsman so when I saw this book of the movie in the supermarket I had to get it.  I don't own many film tie-in books and those I do have are of films I absolutely adore, such as First Knight and Braveheart.   I bought this one because it's a novel length version of the fairytale and just like the film, this Snow White is much more than a pretty maid who keeps house for a few little men.

This is a nice novel; a classic tale told with simplicity and which has remained true to the spirit of traditional fairytales in style.  It is an aesthetically pleasing book, with pretty imagery throughout and charming poetry that you just don't get at all in the film, so that's an added bonus.  The quotation above is from the novel, not the film.  It's a nice touch which keeps the novel in the style of traditional storytelling.

There are no great surprises - the novel doesn't deviate from the film at all, except in one area where Snow White befriends a white horse, rather than the magical white hart as shown in the movie and in that respect I prefer the film, but only due to the personal memories that scene evokes for me.  The authorial voice is skilled and entertaining, while the short chapters make this a good book for busy days or for bedtime reading.  There is also a small fold out, double-sided poster in the back of the book that would make a nice print for an older child's bedroom wall.  If you, or someone you know, enjoyed the film, then you will probably enjoy this novel version too and it was a steal at about £3.00.  I have enjoyed reading it and I'm very glad it landed in my shopping trolley.