Scottish Unicorn

purple_unicorn_by_nightmare_v-d3gk29k

 

The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.

celtic_knotwork_unicorn_blue_225_button

 

A country’s ‘National Animal’ should represent the best, and defining, qualities of the nation who chose it.
Scots have a strong sentimental streak under that practical and reserved exterior, and Scottish culture is rich in superstitions, myths and legends.
So, choosing a heraldic symbol as awe-inspiring as the unicorn makes perfect sense!
The stories and legends surrounding the Unicorn go about as far back in history as the human race.
Unicorns were considered to be very rare and precious, a lunar symbol (ie symbolized the moon), and they were given differing characteristics depending on the culture and country that was describing them. These included:
•Innocence
•Purity
•Boldness
•Pride
•Healing Powers
•Joy
•Intelligence
•Virility
•Nurturing Powers

They grew to become an exotic creature… a magnificent horse with cloven hooves, the tail of a lion, and a perfect spiraled horn in the middle of their foreheads.
In Celtic Mythology the Unicorn of Scotland symbolized innocence and purity, healing powers, joy and even life itself.
It was also seen as a symbol of masculinity and power. Two sides of the same coin as it were, a blend of male virility and female nurturing – perhaps the perfect mix!
It was seen as a wild, freedom-loving creature. Fierce, bold, proud and intelligent. Beautiful and courageous. Dangerous if running free and impossible to capture alive – (except if lured into an ambush by a virgin.)
You might notice that when he’s featured on heraldic symbols, the Unicorn often has chains wrapped around him. This is a ‘nod’ to this medieval belief that he was a dangerous creature.
To a country as bold, fierce and proud as Scotland, one that was fighting for it’s independence from ‘oppressors’ this was the perfect choice as the ‘National Animal’ that would appear on heraldic symbols.It’s not quite clear exactly when the Unicorn first appeared in Scottish heraldry, but one of the earliest examples is seen in the ‘Royal Coat of Arms’ at Rothesay Castle which is believed to have been carved sometime before the 15th century.
Before England and Scotland came under joint rule, Scotland’s Coat of Arms featured two Unicorns supporting a shield.
In 1603 the reigning King of Scotland, King James VI, also succeeded Queen Elizabeth 1st of England and become King James the 1st of England. This was known as the Union of the Crowns.
Although the new country of Great Britain did not legally exist for another century, this union seemed to require a new Royal Coat of Arms, and work began on creating the design you see today which features the Unicorn of Scotland on the right, and the English Lion on the left.
This was supposed to symbolize the accepted union of the two countries. In real life the actual union was less than friendly.

Review – Falling for a Bentley – Adriana Law

17976279

Review - Falling for a Bentley - Adriana Law
 
"The basement is where I make my birds."
 
Victoria was a completely normal, overlooked teenage girl until she begun to date Colton Bentley, the most popular boy in school. 
Apart from her accident.
 
"A scar, a limp,  a bad hand, inept social skills, the list goes on.."
 
 
Whilst he seems happy, she seems more interested in keeping her demanding mother happy. Colton seems to want different things than she does, and he wants her to be something she isn't. 
 
"Every little detail has to be right."
 
Just as she makes the decision to put an end to their charade of a relationship, Colton's parents die. How can she break up with him just when he needs her most?
 
Encouraged by her mum to stay at his and help in any way she can, Victoria soon discovers her Bentley isn't everything she'd hoped. Nor is his uncle or cousins.
 
Sometimes she just wants to be herself, not to have to hide behind the carefully cultivated facade she has erected.
 
"I'm okay.
 I lied."
 
Everything was moving sedatley along until the death of Colton's family shows up. An uncle who clearly disapproves of her, one cousin who is a friendly, flirty type of character and the other cousin...
 
Sterling Bentley is everything mother's warn their good girls away from, so why cant she turn away? Sexual tension radiates within every encounter between them.
 
"I might combust in my seat if he doesn't stop staring as if he can see through to my soul."
 
Running away to his LA apartment with him she takes on the role of friend. Surprised by the ever increasing depravity of Sterling's life she is desperate to help him. Not just because she's falling for the brief glimpses of the real Sterling she occasionally sees, but because she really does want to be his friend. She really does care.
 
"And even though I know I shouldn't, I do. I do want him."
 
We flick between Sterling and Victoria's viewpoint. Sterling calls Victoria, Phoenix.
 
"But Phoenix isn't just any other girl."
 
 
We also meet Starr, who could have been something important to Sterling romantically if they hadn't both been drug addicts. Starr is now clean and getting on with her life. Victoria and Starr become friends as they hunt out Sterling who has been missing for four days. 
 
Then we get to go through home rehab with him. And experience everything from his and Victoria's viewpoint.
 
"Never in life have I seen someone's body drive them to intentionally destroy it."
Just when it seems the worst is over, just when Victoria and Sterling's relationship moves onto the next level, it all becomes too much.
 
"'Tu es mon feu' I whispered.
You are my fire."
 
Victoria's world crashes.
When you can't save the guy you love from himself, how long do you fight the facts? Then she suffers a family bereavement.
 
"I'm on autopilot with only one thought, and that is to get home."
 
Back at home, with her mother's support, Victoria makes the decision that any relationship between her and Sterling is over. Finished.
 
"He walks away thinking time will change things.
He's wrong."
 
Life moves on. About a year or so later Victoria has her own woodcarving store.
Volunteering at a meeting for recovering addicts she is surprised by the reappearance of Sawyer, then Starr. And who is in the parking lot?
 
"I take off running, throwing myself into his arms."
 
Sterling Bentley has come to share his story with other recovering addicts.
 
"Addiction doesn't discriminate."

P is for…

bubble-bubble-letter-p

P is for…..

thCACRU5ZT

Pandora.

Or Persephone, or Poseidon…

 

The point for me is the ancient greeks.
All the mythology, and the stories and lessons.

I love them, always have.

il_570xN_164512061list-of-greek-gods-goddesseschart%20of%20the%20greek%20gods%20and%20goddessesGreekMythologyFamilyTree

And it all stems to a point that I can actually name..
Mr street, primary 6, back in the 90’s. And one term of studying the ancient greeks and I was hooked.
thCA2O9KSLthCA0E750FthCAEIJD1YthCANPW85B

I am so fascinated by the various tales.
From the Odyseus, to Troy. From Medusa and sirens, the minotaur and Herecules…….

O if for…

letter_o_rainbow_print-re3a6bc4c03104e7b8418a183099f5a85_wfb_8byvr_512

O is for….

OHANA

lilo-and-stitch-ohana

But it also needs to be for all the other nice thoughts that Disney gave us.
I know there are those who see only the negative but sometimes yoou just need to look a little closely at the messages and morals….
0856bfc28e7641c1a63c5c69ec9619d5ccdfac0870832e6a69abff798b7be4b6disney-quotes-the-lion-kingf2e493184247cb812fbe786845af74d0Fiaryjpg-624x462jiminyMaryMufasa-624x372Mulan2_167-624x351Pocantas-624x349PeterPan-624x368SnowWhite6-624x489WinnieWreck-it-Ralph-624x352Walt-Disney-What-ever-you-do-do-it-well_-650x433

Review – Glynnis Campbell – The Shipwreck

a454b94dd486e4f82ef99dac7033fd27

 

 

Review – Glynnis Campbell – The Shipwreck

Outcast by her brothers and stripped of her home and lands for birthing her  “‘bastard viking spawn'”, Avril lives on the coast with her four year old daughter, Kimbery. They live on what they can scavenge from the sea. Theirs is a hard, lonely existence but Avril is coping well and is proud of providing a life for her beloved daughter.
The morning after a violent storm the pair comb the shoreline. Avril hopes to discover part of a broken boat, or useful kelp. Kimbery on the other hand is certain she’ll find mermaids treasure.
Neither expected their find..

“Mama! It’s my da!”

The half dead, wealthy looking, blonde man was undeniable in his viking origins. He was not Kimbery’s father but that mattered not to Avril. All viking men were cut from the same cloth. They all raped and pillaged and invaded.
All she could think of was protecting her daughter from this man and any shipmates who came searching for him.

That’s how Brandr came to return to consciousness tied up in the small home on the shore.

This tale shows that you can’t always judge one man by his countrymen. How Viking and Pict can come together. How they can discover love in the most unlikely of places and put past hurts behind them to create s stronger future.

“As improbable as it seemed, the two of them – captive and captor, mortal enemies – had somehow done much more than find common ground and an uneasy peace. They’d fallen in love.”

M is for…

The-letter-M-the-letter-m-22188729-2560-2560

M is for…

music

Music!

 

10300155_793791900661301_9117914076346593667_n

There isn’tany music, any genre, that doesn’t make you think. Every note and melody resonates something within you. All music touches people in various ways, it means something different to each and every one of us.
I love it all!
I don’t have a favourite genre, or a favourite song because I love it all!
Music touches me in ways words can’t explain. Not my words anyway…

eef5517fae63d92a54435308763b5d35Music_Quote_by_cho_okamusic-sayings-quotes-life-love-Favim_com-569263thCA7DOSLW

So many talented musicians are out there. I respect them all.
thCA30TXUOthCAFO9YRKthCAFOAFJQthCAHWAG8RthCAJ2UJWPthCAK3MZYWthCAMD011MthCAND1GRMthCARXZ0D0thCAX85H85thCAVD3BN5

In memory of Jazz

jazzde

Yesterday (Sunday 17th May) I lost my beloved dachshund, Jazz. And then this morning I woke for the first time without her.
Jazz 2013DSCF1153DSCF1150DSCF1057DSCF104110676292_841677759237907_7369654839343782323_n

My little Jazz is with me all day, every day. We spend every minute together. Literally!

Early on we found she was sensitive to my epilepsy and changing moods.  She became my constant companion and so the prospect of being without her hurts.

A lot.

241017037240021007 (4)

So now I need to learn to be without her. And i need to find a way to remember that she’s no longer in pain. Wherever it is they go she’s happy there.

020007 (3)003 (3)6Zf7aI (2)

 

So whilst I spend a while in my thoughts of my happy little doggy I leave you with some pictures of her.
To make you smile.

002 (3)002 (6)002 (5)002 (9)001001 (2)

Review – Stranded with a Scotsman – Serenity Woods – A short story

510twTvH05L__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX324_SY324_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA346_SH20_OU02_

 

 

Review – Stranded with a Scotsman – Serenity Woods – A short story
Cori and Ewan have a past that neither of them managed to really put behind them. Whilst Cori is visiting her friend Izzy, who just happens to be Ewan’s sister, she is shocked when it isn’t her friend who picks her up but was in fact her brother that she still has feelings for. They went to some causeway and got stranded by the tide leaving them stuck til it went back out. (I do think this was intentional on Ewan’s (behalf)
It’s sweet and caring and at times you want to bang their heads together till they realise they’re just waiting for one another.
The characters are portrayed well but a little wishy washy for me. But then I’m the sort of person who’d have stood up to her dad and would just tell the guy I liked him! That’s me though and I do like Cori’s naivety. She’d never of followed him and got stranded without that innocence.
Halfway through the book they finally kiss and admit they missed one another during  game of truth or dare.
The truth game continues and we learn about the high class type of lifestyle Cori comes from and how it feels stifling to her. And she admits the man she is expected to marry in a few months doesn’t hold her love.
He convinces her not to marry the fiance (Henry I think, at least something like that) and you get the expected moment when they confess their feelings for one another.
I don’t really know exactly how o feel about this. O knew it would be short, it’s a short story so it would be. However I was still strangely disappointed. I just want a bit.. more.

Review – Masturbation – Zachary Rowell

51lQMXYXPbL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX324_SY324_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA346_SH20_OU02_

 

 

Review – Masturbation – Zachary Rowell

Written in a sing song rhyming way it’s a lot of crude fun!
There are cheeky little illustrations as well to make you laugh. Crude but incredibly funny. Obviously it’s for more mature people as it does have sexual content. (If you didn’t notice this by the title you’re in serious trouble!)