2011 - Reading List

Novel(s) completed so far this year:

The Book of Revelation by Rupert Thomson. Odd story of kidnap and sexual domination. 

Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Finally I succeed in completing a Dickens novel. Really enjoyed it. 

The Diary of a Nobody - by Grossmith (George and Weedon). Short. Sweet. Funny. 

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. I liked it as it alluded to my university and did have some very entertaining moments. But he wins through!

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (abandoned - too tedious)

A Slipping Down Life by Anne Tyler - so well written; it resonates with my teenage imagination.

The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis. I started this before I went away and never really got into it. Think I was expecting more fruity scenes. I didn't dip back into it whilst away and thus I fear it has been abandoned.... oh dear. 

The Tin-Kin by Eleanor Thorn. Once my head had got round the Scottish dialectic I was completely absorbed. Well worth picking up on the off chance.

Recovery by Stephen Benatar. I got this book by virtue of the author being in Waterstones Bromley South when I was seeking books to take on my holiday. As it was I didn't really need a book on my tour in China, the company provided more than plenty of story material. This is a set of 2 novellas. And they stretch your idea of normality. Similar in theme to the Tin Kin - the stories are about finding yourself. The journey of who am I? Both stories deliver hefty twists. And I suspect I need to read them again to fully appreciate their skill.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Okay I could not put this book down. Nope not for a minute. Not sure if it was because I could identify with the place (Melbourne) or even the characters held within. There were a lot of observations that I could relate too. Maybe it was the plot. Delicately woven into 8 short stories told from the perspective of a key character  Belter of a read. And now I am lost as to what to read next!!

Michael Faber - The Crimson Petal and the White. Total contrast to The Slap. It's a modern day take on a Dickenesque novel. Focusing on the central character Sugar and how she elevates her position from a prostitute. It was a long read at 800+ pages - but actually didn't feel like a slog. The characters and places were vivid enough and unlike Dickens there weren't overt numbers of them. Set in London it adequately takes you back to the Victorian era and you can feel the mists and filth. Sugar inspires Mr Rackham who in turn becomes a fuller man, though I'm not sure I ever really liked him. Glad I read it as I was unable to see the BBC's adaptation owing to being out of the country!

F Scott Fitzgerald - Tender is the Night. I found this took a bit longer to read than a 300 pagers should have done in comparison with the 800+ ones that I have recently read. It's essentially F Scott's fictional telling of his life with his wife. It had a very solitary feel about it and made me contemplate loneliness: in spite of being with someone; of having lots of friends; being successful. Glad I struggled through to the end though. The sense of being in Europe helped bring some sunshine whilst London was rather damp in July.  

J.D. Salinger - Catcher in the Rye. This had long been on my list of must reads. Then JD died early last year and he was much celebrated. As a novel - its set across a 3 day period and covers the thoughts and actions of the central character - Holden Caulfield. I whipped through it in a week. Some of the language grated to begin with - but once I re-set my expectation and went with the flow of a teenager talking to me - it worked much better!

Sebastian Faulks - Birdsong. Mmm. An fairly innocuous tale. Fairly easy to read. A love story, and plenty of First World War mud. I guess the telling of trench life was the most revealing part... having to screw my face up on the tube when another leg was blown off or when the described smells and scenes all got a bit much. As for the central character Stephen.. not sure I ever understood what motivated him to be so cold.

Richard Yates - Young Hearts Crying. Loved this. Better than Revolutionary Road (though maybe I need to re-read it) more lively. Divided into 3 parts. The couple and then each half of the couple and how they survive/proceed once no longer a couple. The striving for being an artist and the pain it causes. The difference between having and not having money. The US dream. Or not as the case may be.

[Please note it was around here I joined the LIBRARY!!]

John Steinbeck - East of Eden.  Will let you know when I finish it. I did enjoy the Grapes of Wrath though many years ago... SO as a reprise. I couldn't put this down. It tells the tale of several families in the Californian Salinas. The theme of brothers, twins, good & evil underpin every chapter. I did not like Cathy at all and at times wondered if she was even a credible character. Vivid, opulent and arid at its heart it is all quite dark and ultimately quite sad. 


Don DeLillo - Falling Man. I read this over a weekend whilst having East of Eden still on the go. It was also the weekend of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. A remarkable observation of the impact of that day on a few individuals. Not sensationalist - just follows the daily lives in the days and months after the extraordinary day the towers fell. Highly recommended. 


Chris Guillebeau - The Art of Non-Conformity. I need a change in my life. So I read this for inspiration. Whilst I may not want to travel ceaselessly I do want to understand how I can find a happier place in this weird and stressful world. Some good tips and observations. 


John Harding - While the Sun Shines. Literally picked this up in the library because he shared the name of my Creative Writing course tutor. A novel whose use of words required me to pick up a dictionary. But in a good way. Still don't know what sinecure means .... All slightly outrageous but as fiction is meant to take you away from normal I really enjoyed it and it got read in under 4 days! Yes it really did make me laugh out loud on the tube - rare indeed!


Don DeLillo - Cosmopolis. This is a dark dark novel. Eric is rich and leads life playing the markets and in his stretch limo. It's set in NY but not one you or I would recognise. It's a day in his life. Haircuts, doctors, hotel rooms a wife whom he barely knows. Will losing everything and being stripped bare allow them to be honest with each other? 

Sister - Rosamund Lupton.  Sought this out in the library following a waterstones recommeneds feature. Advertised as a thriller I found it to be better described as a journey with a few non too pleasant scenes along the way.  Aptly titled, one sister is intent on discovering the cause of her sister's death. Was it murder? Was it suicide? A devilish twist towards the end made it a must read.  And in the world of coincidence - as this covered cystic fibrosis - so did an episode of 'The Body Farm'. So I felt ahead of the game and spooked by the fact the central character in each was called Tess....
Have now got 'Aftermath' out from the library to see how the author expands into the second tricky novel!

Aftermath - Rosamund Lupton. Read this before and after holiday to Kuala Lumpur. Not quite as intense as sister but a jolly good story line never the less.. I didn't work it out until too late!

Room - Emma Donoghue. I was intrigued by this book - and despite trying really hard not to get into it - I did. Read it before/during/after trip to Washington DC. Recommend it if you want to make your mind boggle and feel a little uncomfortable as you read certain bits of it..

The Road to Mount Buggery - a book given to me by my bro in 2001 - he was then in Australia and I'm now working through my plan of execution to be there by end of Feb. A couple are travelling the lenght of bredth of the country to visit all the places with odd/unpleasant or highly descriptive names. Certainly getting me in the spirit!!

It's true...

it has been the hottest recorded few days in October ever!!! Madness...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/02/indian-summer-brings-out-crowds

It's true... they came from Austria..!

October Opus

Capricorn

Even Capricorns who are hardened sceptics about matters astrological know that they are meant to be the tough sons and daughters of Saturn. Some might even have read that with Pluto in Capricorn for a small age (in fact, only until 2023!) they are being challenged to wield their powers with ever more consideration for the masses over whom they hold sway (Caps always rule). Today’s new Moon finds those two planets in powerful alignment, signalling a lunar month when your powers as boss (or wannabe boss) are put to the test for good or for…less good.

With Venus (on 30 September), Mercury (6 October) and Sun (13 October) all conjoining Saturn in the life path zone of your ‘scope, your long term career plans are either coming to glorious fruition or their inadequacies being painfully pointed out. Saturn has been pushing you to do more professionally – or at least survive, by fair means or foul – for the last 18 months. The next fortnight offers a reality check on your progress. For birthdays circa 24-26 December (take a bow Ed Miliband) and Jan 10-14, that goes double. As every Goat knows, there is always someone further up the professional totem pole, and right now, they may have to be appeased. Ultra formality serves you well, attempts to blackmail or bluff your way less so. Compromise – not your default position – is a good bet.

By way of compensation for the pressure from up above, the more playful side of your life – to which Capricorns are prone to pay less than full attention – remains buoyant. Jupiter in Taurus, a fellow earth sign, provides an ongoing reminder that parties, love affairs and (this month’s special) hot sex also have a place in your world. Perhaps against the odds, there also seems to be a chance of fast money – perhaps not even what you have slaved to earn – around the 3rd/4th – good days for you in any case

The full Moon of the 12th alters the mood somewhat, ushering in a month or so when your most sociable nature is called into play. Therefacter, and especially afer the Sun arrives in Scorpio on the 24th, it’s not ‘who you know’ but ‘who you like’ that counts most.

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Lucky Days: 3, 4, 12, 13, 23

Yucky Days: 10, 11, 17, 18, 24

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Off-White

October is a splendid mix of business and pleasure—your two favourite arenas, Capricorn. The Sun will light up your career sector until the 23rd, so make the most of this stellar period to let your projects shine. Venus enters your social sector on 8 October, inviting you to celebrate decadently with your best mates. Intimacy and passion are strong themes under the barrage of Scorpio planets this month, so expect to go deep. The New Moon in your house of long-term goals and wishes is the most opportune moment of the season to plant the seeds to your future success going into 2012. Have you revised your bucket list? This is the month to get clear about what you want to manifest in this big bad world before another six months pass you by. The only bump in otherwise stellar course for October is the arrival of the Full Moon in your domestic sector on the 11th. This fiery lunation could bring some family issues to a state of emergency. But trust that any little crisis will quickly pass, so there’s no need for panic.

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It is not always very easy to take it easy. Indeed, taking it easy can be very difficult. The more we feel that we ought to be taking it easy, the more stressed out we become when we realise that we aren't. Actually, you don't want to go taking it too easy in October. If you're willing to put in the right kind of effort now, you can accomplish an awful lot. Sometimes, people confuse being busy with being under pressure. If you're enjoying your chance to rise to this month's challenge, you're going to be fine. If you're not, relax a little and trust. It's all going to be fine.

Seek n ye shall find September?

Lucky Days: 6, 7, 15, 16, 25

Yucky Days: 13, 14, 20, 21, 27

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Grey

September has indeed arrived and with it, the pressures of the back-to-business hustle. Luckily this is what you do best—when the going gets tough, the Capricorn gets going. The Full Moon on 12 September (in your communication sector) could bring on a bit of email and text overkill. If you feel overwhelmed, you may need to pace yourself and take several tech fasts throughout that week in order to preserve your sanity. If relationships continue to be a source of strain and contention with the presence of fight-or-flight Mars in your partnership zone until the 18th, don’t fret. You’ll be happy to know that Venus, the planet of love and harmony, is on your side this month. On the 27th, the New Moon in your career sector is the perfect time to make your next round of six-month plans. Aim high but remain balanced in your expectations. The last thing you need is to set yourself up for any disappointments. You’re supposed to be the sign of patience, remember? The good things always take time to manifest. You may need to wait until spring to see all of the fruits of your current labour, but it’ll be beyond worth it.

Capricorn

The fear of being thought dull is not exclusive to Capricorn – your fellow earth sign of Virgo shares the same odd worry. Nor is your fear without reason, because a negotiated settlement with the world – and Capricorns are all bound up with the world – requires formality, decorum and a nod to the age-old powers-that-be.

Today’s new Moon finds you at a super-favourable stretch. A triangle of planets in earth signs – of which the Goat is one – puts you in the pink where matters of heart, soul and sincere (as opposed to self-seeking) ambition are concerned. Your best hopes and plans find easy purchase in the world. Old pals can be leant on, new pals are exciting. Meaningful travels hover in the wings.

With Jupiter powerful in your fifth house, romantic liaisons have a bloom to them, with good reason to stay optimistic about recent improvements or a new partner. A few squalls can’t be ruled out, not with Mars in opposition until the 19th, but the big clashes look over.

That negotiated settlement with the world (ie a career) remains as pressing as ever – with ruler Saturn in dignity in the 10th for another year it could hardly be otherwise. Here, the month of Libra, following the Equinox, raises stakes. There’s power in your words and actions in the last week of September, with the next new Moon, on the 27th, central to your future plans. You can’t sit on your hands until then, however – a charm offensive to wrongfoot rivals and jealous colleagues is one course of action opened by Venus. Another is to sit tight, follow the rules and nod to the powers that be. The 6th and 7th find you powerfully placed.

Auspicious August?

Capricorn

The question, as always, is how much of a burden you are prepared to shoulder and to what end. The march of the Goat’s planet, Saturn, across the roof of your horoscope, makes the nature of your professional quest an all-consuming question this autumn. You are certainly in a position to make your mark, and if you are still on the foothills of Mount Capricorn, then the next six months is a time to throw all your energies into The Job and emerge triumphant at a new peak.

On the flip side – and even Saturn has a flip side – comes the question of whether all the outward status and success for which you strive amount to what your fellow Cap Humphrey Bogart once termed ‘a hill of beans’. When, in short, does your hunger for public approbation become oppressive?

It’s a question you alone can answer. At least you have Jupiter, ‘the greater fortune’ to help you decide. The large and ‘lucky’ planet remains in spiffing position for you, favouring you not as grim career politician but expansive lover and bon-viveur. That particular role becomes almost irresistible in the last week of August, when Venus and next month’s new Moon complete a triangle of earth signs. You look like a world-beater then.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First there is the annoying matter of Mercury retrograde to contemplate – helpful to you principally as a time to re-examine finances, and go into your wall safe to ensure your portfolio of bonds and real estate investments is paying off. Since today’s new Moon makes strong contact with the root of your ‘scope, domestic issues and home security are up for a review.

Relations with principal players – spouses, lovers, business partners, ex’s, enemies – have been tested (perhaps not so sorely) over the last month. Six weeks of Mars in opposition, beginning on the 4th, is no recipe for smooth relationship sailing, but you can get issues out in the open and strike the correct balance with whichever other half is in question. It might be an idea to tread warily around the 10th/11th however, when it would be easy to overestimate your power or to use it inappropriately. Your ability to keep everyone happy is undervalued by others (it’s one reason you carry that professional burden – to be godfather or mother) but at mid-month it’s likely to be tested.

The month of Virgo, opening on the23rd, oils your wheels and enhances contacts with far-flung places and people. Away you go!

Lucky Days: 1, 2, 9, 10, 29

Yucky Days: 3, 4, 17, 18, 25

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Navy

August is a month of extremes. For starters, there is another Mercury Retrograde arriving on the second day of the month, stirring up trouble in all matters of communication through the end of summer. You’ll feel the chaos at first in your travel zone, until Mercury backs into your sector of resources and transformation on the 8th. Your inherent organization will pay off in spades this month, while everyone else loses their mind from the chaos. The Full Moon on 13 August takes place in your money sector, and it can bring unexpected expenditures, so don’t panic if your bank balance suddenly seems to dwindle. You’ll replenish it in no time because that’s just how you roll, Capricorn. The Sun and Venus move into your travel sector during the final days of August. You’re better off waiting until Mercury goes direct on 26 August before booking any extended or complex itineraries that the Mercury Retrograde could botch. The New Moon on 28 August is the best time of year to plan your travel plans for the next six months.

My Fav Moto GP!!

Laguna Seca - USA - Come On Nicky!

24th July

Summer Party 2011

Duly July....

Capricorn

Making progress? Since the month of Cancer, your opposite sign, marks the halfway point between birthdays, today’s new Moon is an apposite moment to assess whether your Grand Plan (all Capricororns have one) is on schedule. With the Sun in opposition until the 23rd, you are likely not at your most empowered – run down and in need of a holiday is more likely. Plus even a minor eclipse like today’s throws an element of uncertainty into any equation, especially one involving your beloved other half or tennis partner.

July’s is, though, a chequered planetary picture. Saturn, only now starting to inch forward (from our point of view on planet Earth) asks you to be clear about the next six months of your professional schemes, since almost all of you, and certainly January birthdays, will be feel the pressure to move up a gear and/or cope with the machinations of power-crazed bureaucrats. Those of you born around new year’s eve are those being leant on most heavily in July, and with the same birthdays also in firing line of the eclipse, it could mean quite a shake-up.

For all of you, the full Moon in your skies on the 14th and 15th should make the deal involving both job and partner/ex that much clearer. This isn’t the moment for rash decisions (not that Goats make too many of those) as emotions invariably run high with full Moons, but it does mark a high tide in your affairs, a point where you know exactly what or who you are up against.

Though there is an element of adversarial politics in these stars, there is also support and enticement. The presence of Jupiter and Venus in the relationship zones of your ‘scope is positive news for singletons, who may wish to break the ‘no rash decisions’ rule and jump into a romance. At the least you have relationship options. Those of you already in tandem are granted the opportunity to enrich your association, perhaps by pursuing a new mutual interest, via pregnancy/children, or by a romantic gesture.

The chance to make money, a subject dear to Capricorn hearts (if only because you tend to be surrogate banker round these parts), is also on the cards. The alignment between Jupiter and Pluto (both money planets) on the 7th is one signal. Mercury spending two and a half months in your resources zone is another – that the messenger planet goes backwards in August makes July the time to set affairs in place, August the time to tweak them.

Lucky Days: 4, 5, 13, 14, 24

Yucky Days: 6, 7, 20, 21, 29

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Tiffany Blue

July is one of the most dramatic months of the year by far. On 1 July, the New Moon Solar eclipse in your opposite sign of Cancer amplifies relationship issues. Whatever comes to light now remains in effect for the next six months. All of the questioning and deliberation about whether to stay or go will reach a fever pitch this month, and you'll be forced to make some heavy life decisions once and for all. When Uranus goes retrograde on 9 July, expect a slowdown in your domestic world. And to add more fuel to the emotional fire, the Full Moon on 15 July is in Capricorn. This is sure to bring dramatic closure to all unfinished business that you may have conveniently tucked away or compartmentalised. Mars activates your work sector all month long, making it difficult to remember it's summer and the living should be easy. You'll finally get a little playful reprieve at the end of the month on the New Moon in Leo on 30 July. Let this sexy New Moon set the tone for an amazing August and fabulous fall.

Your July Monthly Forecast: Most of us are good at talking. Few of us, though, are quite so skilled in the art of listening. There are times when we simply cannot hear what we are being told. We are too wrapped-up in our emotions and opinions - our passions and our prejudices. When, though, we can find some way to go beyond these, and to pay close attention to the people near us, we can make the most amazing and potentially profitable discoveries. In July, someone wants to let you know something. Ask the universe for what you want and you could actually get it.

Summer Party

Can't find anything to wear... oh well. Suggestions on a very swift postcard!! 

My new hero!!

Usually hidden in red leathers mind you!

Jolly June!?

Lucky Days: 7, 8, 16, 17, 25

Yucky Days: 3, 4, 9, 10, 24

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Army Green

June promises to both industrious and spiritual all at the same time. Change is a constant as the season for eclipse madness officially commences. For the first part of June, you're under the influence of the New Moon lunar eclipse in your work sector. Between now and your birthday, expect your everyday regime to change (and your profession itself may change too). If you've been meaning to make changes to your health or diet patterns, use the powerful energy of the New Moon on 1 June. Mars enters this same work/health sector of your horoscope on 20 June, revving up your productivity levels; you’ll have plenty of ambition to work and to work out. The Full Moon lunar eclipse in your sector of sleep, dreams and spirituality arrives on the 15th, urging you to take time away from the office and get in touch with nature. This would be the perfect week for a vacation or a retreat. At the very least get some time away in quiet solitude around this time. (A beach or spa would both do nicely).

Do they not know I have to deliver an Intranet this month - vacations?! I suspect not this month!

Your June Monthly Forecast: Is June going to be a month of deja-vu? Will you go through what you have gone through before and wind up in situations that seem uncannily similar to past experiences? Will you relive old dramas and revisit familiar scenarios? Yes. But there still can be substantial change, either from some dramatic leftfield development or through some determined decision on your part to start living life differently from now on. In that, your greatest source of power lies. Smile sweetly and say, nicely but clearly, what you want. And you'll yet break amazing new ground.

Oh dear if it's anything like June 2001 I am going to be very busy!

Capricorn

On cruise control, or at the start of something big?

For those of you born in December, your stars are fairly screaming the latter case. The rest of you …well, there’s never much of a coffee break for any Capricorn, but let’s say your stars are less urgent, unless you were born in the years of nineteen hundred and ’52, ‘68 or ’81, in which case you can count yourself a member of the Saturn Reconstruction Club, more of which later.

There are jolly plots afoot for all in June however. The arrival of Jupiter, planet of largesse, in your fifth house this week is a signal that matters of the heart will demand a far more prominent place over the next twelve months, not just love affairs but kids, grandchildren, personal passions/obsessions, and downright showing off. With Venus and Mars briefly in the same zone – in Taurus, fellow earth sign – June looks just the ticket for a spot of self-advertisement and partying.

You might also factor in some me-time of the mind/body/spirit kind. The total lunar eclipse of the 15th falls in the most private, reclusive sector of your ‘scope, where the reckoning is between you and your conscience/karma/creator and, frankly, no-one else’s business. A perfect time, in short, to confront skeletons in the closet and put in a spot of selfless service to deserving souls in your orbit.

Confrontation of a different sort arrives with the summer solstice, when the Sun shifts into your opposing yet associated sign of Cancer. The implications of next month’s eclipse in said sign will follow, enough to say that the Sun’s opposition to Pluto on the 28th is not the time to try and bully anyone, especially anyone close to you.

Pluto! Don’t be fooled by the loveable cartoon hound named after it, or astronomy’s downgrade of it – Pluto is the planet of players and plutocrats. Birthdays up to December 29 have already had a taste of its transformative powers, which can elevate and enrich or meltdown. In the former case, use your power wisely. In the latter, confront the darkness and reclaim the light (psychology can help).

Saturn, Capricorn’s no-nonsense governor, turns to forward motion after several months in retreat. For most of you this is either business as usual with added responsibilities, but those in the reconstruction Club (see above) are at a pivotal point when the consequences of decisions count for years rather than months. How much change do you want, and in what area of your life? Fearless honesty provides the right answers.

Auspicious day of the month: the 16th and 17th. Good for business at least.

May mirth?

Capricorn

Are you a bright of eye and bushy of tale mountain goat? Or somewhat bedraggled yet oddly invincible variety?

Your horoscope contains both roles. The first comes with today’s new moon in Taurus, signalling a personal renewal, a re-grounding of your most personal loves, desires and fond hopes.

The second role concerns profession. No way does any self-respecting Capricorn let professional issues slide, but when your ruling planet is stuck to the roof of your ‘scope, as it is 2011-12, it’s a given that people even higher up the totem pole are going play it awkward and by the rule book. You and your boss resemble two Capricorn Goats circling each other suspiciously.

Still, you have been here before, many times, slugging it out for your rightful share of respect (and loot), and this looks suspiciously like a month off from the worst of the battles. (Of course, you may decide to cash in your hand completely and begin again – December birthdays might be thinking along those lines.)

The need to turn your attention to domestic matters and family Arran gents, discussed in last month’s forecast, remains in place, along with planets in your house of home and hearth.

The bright and bushy role is the one to focus on in the short and medium term. A trio of planets move into Taurus, a fellow earth sign, in mid-May, opening an especially joyous spell when even you may be prepared to make it up as you go along. Fine time to seek out those you love, kids, family, and pursue your hobby of choice; scale model of the Nebraska railroad, ukulele yodelling, raising prize lupins.

Summer delights in part, then, but the soon-come arrival of Jupiter into this same zone of passions suggests this summer may have some extra delight up its sleeve.

Full Moon in Scorpio 16/17 May: Comfort in being one of the gang. A plush romantic prize.

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Lucky Days: 2, 3, 11, 12, 18

Yucky Days: 6, 7, 13, 14, 27

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Black

Spring awakening has officially arrived as a sexy convergence of planets take over your love sector this month. The sweetness begins on the 3rd with the New Moon in Taurus, so make your wishes known early in the month to get the party started. On the 11th, Mars brings the mojo. You’ll feel more confident about going after all you desire without being apologetic or covert. It’s not easy to convince overachieving Capricorns to just have fun for an entire month. You’ll have to think of it as “Project May” and challenge yourself to excel at pleasure with five stars. The Sun will enter your work sector on the 21st so you can get back to work responsibilities sometime after that date. But the first half of the month has to be devoted to sheer, unadulterated bliss. When Venus and Mercury join the love scene on the 15th, there’s nothing stopping you from an onslaught of fun and romance. The Full Moon in Scorpio on the 17th (in your social sector) will give you plenty of opportunities to get yourself all glamorous for the right reasons. No longer will you suffer from the all dressed up and nowhere to go syndrome.

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Your May Monthly Forecast: Some people make music. Others paint. Some read, some write, some dance, some design, some just dream. We all, though, have to express creativity. You may live in a world full of concrete and conformity, but you are a creature of nature; an impulsive, spontaneous being that has come to this earth to celebrate, not to feel stressed out. It has been a while since you last felt inspired to smile and relax. Events in May, though, will gently remind you of how good life can be at its best. Dare to do something different and a little magic will find its way into your every encounter.

Does my nose look big in this?

Post Darwin Deez 3rd March 2011 - smiling after a tops night!

April Showers?

Lucky Days: 4, 5, 6, 14, 22

Yucky Days: 2, 3, 9, 10, 30

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Sand

Get ready for a major reboot as Pluto prepares to retrograde in your stars on 9 April. On the bright side, you’ll have a chance to slow down and reassess priorities rather than just relying blindly on the good old go-go-go Goat mode. With a major conglomeration of planets in your domestic and family sector all month long, you’ll need a reprieve from the demands of career to get back to your roots. The planets are practically screaming at you to take better care of yourself this month, no excuses. No longer can you neglect your emotional needs in favor of taking care of everyone else. It’s time to cut out the consequences to your wellbeing that often result from overextending yourself. The Full Moon in your career sector on 17 April will bring the recognition you’ve worked so hard for over the past six months. This is another indication that you can take a little breather and get back to the simple task of actually enjoying some time off. You’ll sigh major relief when Mercury goes direct on 23 April, lightening the miscommunication load you’ve carried since late March. When the Sun enters your house of pleasure on the 20th, the emphasis on enjoyment is no longer a pipe dream; it’s a cosmic mandate.

Your April Monthly Forecast: When people are feeling tense, they often advise each other to, 'draw a deep breath'. How many deep breaths might you need to draw this month? Actually, you should make every breath a deep one. Not because you need to defuse anger but because you ought to stop, relax and appreciate just how magical and wonderful your life truly is. For all that's wrong, for all that's troublesome, for all that's missing, you've got so much to be glad of. Soon, not only will you begin to recognise even more reasons to feel a deep sense of gratitude, you'll actually start creating them.

Capricorn

Within every tough, over-achieving Mountain Goat is a retiring homebody. Your opposite and complementary sign is cancer, and just as the Crab likes its shell, so the Capricorn demands a capacious home in which to retreat after a hard day running the world, or at least, your professional patch of it.

Today’s new  (3rd) Moon in the sector of your ‘scope concerned with home, family and the clan brings fresh thinking to bear on your domestic set-up and the chance to expand your home quarters, or to even relocate. These things don’t usually happen in a rush, and with Mercury Retrograde, you might usefully avoid binding agreements until the 23rd (if you are signing, then double check the fine print). Still, withJupiter, Mars and Prometheus active in your home life, it’s a time of surprise packages and unexpected offers. For some of you, your homestead turns into Hotel Capricorn, with a whirligig of guests. For others, a new east Wing becomes feasible. Whatever the issue, this spring isn’t a time to be scared of change.

Your personal planet, Saturn, remains where it likes to be – at the top of your ‘scope, exalted in Libra, in a commanding position, albeit one that demands a more gruelling work routine than even you care for. Your legendary staying power will see you through, along with a dispassionate attitude to workplace politics. You didn’t make the rules after all (another Capricorn doubtless did).

Venus in Pisces until the 20th, and the Sun in Taurus thereafter both have a similar reminder that the Capricornus is a fish-tailed Goat that swims in the sea of emotion. Wherever and with whom you find your joy and pleasure – allotment, museum, cabaret hall – is where you need to spend more of your time this spring. The weekend of the 22-24, with the Moon in your skies, looks dishy. Enjoy!

The Shard - March 2011

Its grown a bit since last year - a focal point of a first date . . .

Holiday prep!

Away shirt

Bonus for season ticket renewal! Will wear soon!

Day Three

Almost there... get the first 3 days out of the way and everything after this becomes a bonus... sleep patterns have been a bit odd and I have been eating like a horse when I get home...but I have not had the strong urge to buy another packet... perhaps parting with 6.52 for twenty was starting to take a toll on my purse, certainly wearing out the leather.

Tonight I will be distracted by ballet - and tomorrow football.. and now I have something else to aim for... smoke free for my holiday...

A picture of intense office life!!