Featherstone Friday

I helped Moss with a “fusion” workshop with groups of people wanting to dance, drum and paint simultaneously. It was a good idea and would have been more successful if it hadn’t been in the morning: several interested parties hadn’t quite sorted themselves out by 10:30 lol. It was good though. Snail did a “Jackson Bollocks” piece after getting bored using his painted feet on the paper lol.

I was also down for kitchen duty so reported to Kaidos and made some hummussy concoction that went down well. Much pot-washing again. LOL there are people here who are regularly whingeing or offering “advice” but I have never noticed them actually contributing to the gathering. I only find myself even thinking about such things when I hear their improved ideas for this or that: usually things that had been thought about well in advance or done in response to issue the whiners haven’t thought about. None of what I’ve heard has been malicious- mildly mischievous at most or just stupid! For myself: I see something needing to be done and I do it out of “practical love” for the group which is cool until I observe people acting like princesses… Hmmmm… That IS a hard one for me: I crave community, but what if it ends up with people who effectively freeload off the rest? <sigh>. I think that for me there would have to be some community contract- NOT a document, but an agreement between the community and the individual about the principles of co-creation and community contributions. Laurieston have a process that takes up to two years. I’m not sure I’d be keen for it to be that long, but there is a misconnect FOR ME between Faeries telling everyone “come along and join in” we’re all going to take care of each other” when it simply doesn’t occur to some to pitch in.

Shokti reappeared today seemingly better. We’re all pleased about that.

After a busy and varied morning, I spent much of the rest of the day in the Gun Room having a series of conversations. That really is great for me! I live with guys who find discussion difficult- even of things we might be watching together on television! One raises his voice when he has something to say which can be quite wearing. I feel like I’m pigging out on intellectual discourse. I’ve met people with some “out there” ideas but what do I know?

Talisman and Anonaki are gorgeous, thoughtful loving people. They’re from Spain and both have dreads, Anonaki’s are long and beaded and oftentimes rolled up in a bun at the back of his head. He has a particular poise that makes me think of The House of Bernada Alba and I caught myself watching them lounging together in the gun room, Talisman stroking and playing with Anonaki’s long unravelled dreads as his head was in his partner’s lap.

By contrast (lol) my room became an impromptu disco for some bright young things at a couple of points in the evening, but when this old man retired at nearly 2am there were only two of them and they left. I have been sleeping surprisingly well considering the bed is too small and I’m sharing with guys who come to bed a couple of hours after me and sleep most of the morning. The dog’s no trouble at all, though he’s been left alone a little more than I find comfortable. There’s supposed to be at least one more dog coming “at the weekend” there were 74 of us here today!

It occurred to me that the Albion Faeries could be eligible for some money from the national lottery’s “Celebrate” fund that could go towards the International gathering next year. I could put together an application on their behalf via my own community interest company and then, if/when they get the money it might be enough to encourage them to become properly constituted and I will be able to do what I do to help their development. At the moment, such considerations are thought almost revolutionary!!! It bores me when “radical” groups rail against the authorities so much that they won’t even accept cash from pots to which they may have already contributed through taxation etc or accepting money from charities… Of course I wouldn’t understand having done so much of that work for so long…