I went to Nantes for the Green line art trail but there was so much more art than I expected. This town is an absolute delight.
There was always something to look at, no matter where you went. 
Someone had recommended this so I thought I'd give it a go. Her opening rants did make me laugh. It's a bit of fun - it's obvious but enjoyable enough. Fun holiday read for older women.
I am, more or less, an existentialist. I say more or less as there are some things that I can't help myself believing that are illogical.
I have a terrible fear of flying. I have since I was about 16. It gets worse and worse each year. I think it started with an emergency landing due to a bomb scare when I was about 12, and then at about 15 I watched Hotel New Hampshire and the scene on the plane got merged into that experience et voila, my next flight was a nightmare for me....and so it goes. So to counter that, I have a St Christopher medallion that I wear when I fly and have done so since 1993 when a friend gave it to me for my first solo overseas trip - I don't wear it when I travel by any other means, and not while I'm overseas - purely when I'm in the air. I am aware St Christopher has been diminished by the church but it's like my lucky charm. I know it's nonsensical but I can't not fly without it. I didn't take it to the Maldives because they have rules about bringing in other religion iconography into the country but it really distressed me and I was agitated for the whole flight, almost to tears. I almost didn't board a plane in Melbourne when I thought I'd left it in the hotel, but fortunately I'd put it in my purse...
In Japan, I was told of this temple in Kyoto, Yasui Konpiragu Shrine - known for cutting off bad relationships, the stone also has the power to cut off growths. As I had a tumour that needed to be removed, I figured it couldn't hurt. I went and wrote the prayer and crawled through the hole and pasted the prayer to the rock. It worked! Well, it made the surgeon successful in complete removal and it hadn't spread. So this is 'do as well as western medicine not instead of' advice.
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| That's in the back of it |
A lot of superstition is just common sense. I was invited to go into a cave in New Caledonia that was rumoured to be protected by black magic in the 90's. I declined. When the Thai Cave rescue happened, I thought of the New Caledonian cave and thought that was probably why there was the warning to keep people away. Walking under a ladder is obvious why it's bad luck, boots on the table is just hygiene - most superstition is logical dressed as illogical....but for me, don't go asking for unnecessary trouble. So no seances for me!
If I have a run of bad things happen, I do try to fix my karma by doing some good for others - I think what really happens there is you fix your mindset by focusing on helping rather than your own misfortunes.
I have some weird personal ones, like when we used to go on skiing holidays, if you saw three people in the banana boats (stretchers), I had to go home for the day before I saw a fourth one, as I may be it! The first could be a one off, the second probably meant the conditions could be attributing to it, the third meant I probably wasn't a good enough skier to void the statistical chance of an accident. And that is really what superstitions are - trying to control the statistical chance of something.
May the odds be ever in your favour....
I'm pretty sure I won't be the only one who got this song in their head while writing on this topic!
I have since discovered there is this podcast on Superstitions called Jinxed. I've only listened to the He Huang as I saw her at the Comedy Festival and she was very funny.
Linking with #TellUsAbout, #SeniorSalonPitstop and #AwwMondays
Note all the temple photos are in Yasui Konpiragu Shrine in Kyoto.
Something that sustained me Had to give away my ticket to Crooked Colours just as I was leaving the house to race the dog to the hospital, so feel I haven't been out dancing in months. I keep cancelling time with friends and on top of all the sad reasons as to why, it just adds to the weight of it all. Tonight I'm off to see Bunt, and I know what a frenetic energy that will be. I can not wait! I'm also going with my eldest, so that's the cherry on top! The thought of that has kept me going all month. I've told my husband it's his turn to step up if needed so nothing should stop me!
I did get to go to the Max Dupain exhibition at the State Library while waiting to pick up my kiddo. It is excellent, and there's a photo journalist exhibition, Lorrie Graham also on there. Both free, both well worth a visit. Seeing art always lifts my spirits a little.
I didn't know the copyright on the photos in the exhibition so I'm not sharing those. Also some pics are from Mervyn Bishop Close Up. and Pamela Allen - a fabulous exhibition for the kids to play in! I did enjoy this quote as I feel this is what my Instagram is. It's my enjoyment of my environment, and it makes me happy to look at the pics in it. (Or it's a Diary, I use it as that too).
Linking with #ShareFourSomethings #MondayMusicMovesMe
I had to include this - if there are copyright issues I'll take it down asap - because I took this exact photo back in . Left is Lorrie Graham's taken in lockdown. Below is mine. (EDIT I can't find the picture, but when I do, I'll put it in - however this is one I took in 2021 of the same roof - the other one is exactly the same as hers)
