Winter

I trained to become a Zumba Instructor in Lockdown. Initially just to keep fit.

As we've emerged I've started teaching live classes - at first cover for other Instructors in my area - but now with my own local classes too.

It's kept me very busy and also very fit.



I have little time online except to write invoices and keep accounts. Now starting the work towards YMCA Group Exercise to Music qualification.

It's a shame not to continue with photoshop and creating art. Eventually when things settle down a bit I may come back. Though possibly not here.

Is there anyone on here anymore?

So for some reason I spent time today making David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust icons.

I spent my early teens obsessed with him. From Ziggy Stardust to Diamond Dogs. Then he went all American soul and I lost him. (Apart from Scary Monsters. And that single he didn't rate called, 'Time Will Crawl'- fabulous!)

I saw him on the Ziggy Stardust tour at Southampton Guildhall 11 March 1972 and it changed my life. I was fourteen. I remember seeing all the art college students on the front row. All looking so grown up n' cool with their Ziggy hair and gear. But as soon as the band hit the first bars we were up at the front, my ribs crushed against the stage center. He was right there in front of me. He toyed with the audience, and I remember holding onto his hand. I got some very intimate viewing's of his amazing costumes.

By the end I'd been crushed against the stage so long one of the bouncers pulled me up and left me in the wings, so I shot back to search for the man, I was stopped of course, pleading that I wanted to see, 'Mr Bowie.' Then he suddenly appeared to my left grinning at me, before disappearing back onto the stage for an encore. I managed to get thrown back into the frey for the finale.

To put this into context. Pop music had been pretty up-itself or bland for a while and GB was in a dire recession in 1972. Bowie hit the TV with his shock bright hair and clothes and Ziggy character. It was rock 'n roll - but not like anything that had been before. He played risky tricks with his guitarist, Mick Ronson. How we loved it. I was at my sexual awakening. Fabulous.

By the time I was fifteen I'd cut my hair Ziggy style and dyed it 'flame red'. My mother was in tears, but my father said, "It's only hair. It'll grow. Nasty men would stop me in the street get in my face and demand 'what have you done to your hair'. It was 'outrageous' then. It was my burst of creativity and I made some amazing artworks at school at that time. I was offered a place at Art College, but wanted money so never went. One of my worst mistakes of my life. They played, 'Rebel Rebel' on the radio and my father said, "Does he know you?"

Lots of my friends loved him - but weirdly I just wanted to be Ziggy.
...and I have done in my heart ever since. ❤ ☆¸¸.•*¨*☆¸¸.•*¨*☆¸¸.•*¨*☆

After all the awful goings on in the USA with Trump and his supporters over the last few days, Today he seemed to recite a speech from an autocue. Like somebody has written it for him and demanded he appear in public and read it aloud. All measures to calm his followers from further rioting and avoid 25th Amendment it seems to me.

We have our share of nasty people in the UK with power who have used dis-information to sway more feeble minded, racist and ill-informed members of the public into bad ideas/actions.

Actually - I don't feel that we are a United Kingdom any more. And it's a sad way to start 2021.

I think Twitter, FB and Instagram, and all other major social media platforms have a huge task ahead to try to halt the passing on of dis-information. It's going to become a major social problem now, alongside climate change, poverty and racism. Oh, and global pandemics as well.

Oh heck! Happy 2021.

Lets think of happy trivia and entertainment. I have some icons and artwork to share over the next few days. And I'm hoping to devote 2021 to improving my creativity. Especially spending a lot of time working on art.

Another commission for the amazing work of spiced_wine.

Portal is for a part of the tale involving Marcus and his twin brother of Leon - both original characters who first appear in: A Throne Of Shadows by Spiced Wine.




( Full size here )

Another commission for the amazing work of spiced_wine.

Marcus is the twin brother of Leon - an original character who first appears in: A Throne Of Shadows by Spiced Wine.



Vanimöré wishes to reunite Maglor and his son Tindómion, but their lives, waking and sleeping, are disturbed by visions of an ancient universe

( Thou art aware, I am sure, of the theories of many worlds, parallel universes, the theory of the Multiverse? )

A commission to draw an original character created by 'Tolkien' inspired writer spiced_wine.

Leon is one of her original characters who appears in: Last Night I Dreamt I went to Summerland Again by Spiced Wine.




Born in Norfolk to a landed family (son of a Viscount)

( Sauron tracked down Leon... )

My son Henry had to give up his musical career this spring at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

To his credit, he then applied to become a Healthcare Assistant at Southampton General Hospital, where he has been working ever since.

The group who usually organise presents for sick children in the hospital each Christmas can't do their usual fundraising events this year either.

They asked him if he would do a virtual performance to raise funds. It was recorded live, but I'm putting the link here, as it's still possible to listen and donate.

Give A Gift Southampton

Over the years I've made a few Winter/Yule icons, so I'm putting them up to share if anyone feels the need for some festive sparkle right now.



To credit put 'by mithrial' in your userpic description box. ♥

Another commission for the amazing work of spiced_wine.

This one to illustrate: Shattering by Spiced Wine.



Before the armies of the Last Alliance leave Mordor, there is one last thing to do.

( Just before Vanimórë leaves Mordor... )

“His eyes were of a gentler, darker shade. This was Lan Huan, the leader of the GusuLan Sect—ZeWu-Jun, Lan XiChen.”

I love Lan Xichen. First of the ‘Twin Jades of Lan’. With a calm and gentle nature. Also estranged from his father and mother. Managing a cranky uncle, the responsibility of the Lan Clan - all those rues - and still looking out for his younger brother whom he obviously loves dearly.

elwendell and I agreed that he seems very much like Lord Elrond in The Lord of The Rings. So I’ve put him here at the Cloud Recesses...or is it Rivendell?

( Cloud Recesses...or is it Rivendell )

I'm so sad that he ended up alone. Jiang Cheng might be a possible pairing? I don't know how that dynamic would work. Hmmm! Will have to check out some fic.