It's a gong thing

I can explain everything.

Back in early January, I signed up to be a guinea pig for a research student who is completing a course in Sound Therapy. I was excited when I found out she was near Stroud, but then forgot all about it, what with giving up sugar...

She contacted me again the other day, and I thought, 
'Perfect! Sounds both relaxing and intriguing'. 
Steve drove me out to the venue this morning, amid a light flutter of snowflakes. It's a garden studio, where I life modelled in the noughties. The Nailsworth Stream/ river Frome runs through the garden, prettily, and the studio, which is set in a dingly dell, is large, light, and EVER SO COLD!

The student, A, wasn't there when I arrived, so I texted her then took some pics of her gongs. There were other instruments too: Tibetan singing bowls, Crystal Bowls, percussion. A turned up back from the loo, and we had a long, long chat about what I wanted to achieve (balance, calm) and then I had to lie on a bed, covered by a blanket, and A played various instruments over me. I had to keep my eyes shut. 

I went off into a sort of trippy trance, but can still remember quite a lot of it. Then we talked some more, and she made some suggestions for homework, and we agreed to meet again next Friday. I did find it very useful,  as well as a complete novelty. Made me realise how much I miss my massage swaps. My swapper moved to the other side of Stroud, a few years ago, and my other swapper emigrated, so I'm not in the flow any more.

I found it hard to go out in the colder air, on to the busy road, but decided to walk to Sainsburys to get warm and do some shopping! I got the bus back to town, and as I walked back through the streets, taking a slightly different route, I passed the independent record shop (yes, Stroud still has one) and popped in to buy a CD I'd heard at nursery the other day. When I got home and played it I found I liked the folk music but it was, well, nurseryish!
Ah well, I am supporting local artists (Ceilidh-Jo Rowe) as well as local stores. Further up the road, I met someone who is trying to book me to run a creative writing workshop for her and some friends. We agreed a provisional rate and date. I took this as a good sign. I've been wanting to get back into that sort of thing. I gave up my writing group for women ten years ago, because seven years was enough, but Never say Never again. 

Back home, I managed to import the CD onto my old broken laptop, but had to use a memory stick to get it onto my new one (which doesn't have a CD drive) and my ancient iPod. The internet connection kept dropping. I am looking forward to to the future of music technology, whatever it will be. Maybe I'll just be able to look at a music file. and upload it to my brain...I still like physical CDs, much as I used to like LPs.

Then I baked a batch of spicy almond cookies with dates, and Steve came home, and we lit the fire. It's brass monkey weather again.