Blogs
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Octavius Pitt's second novel, 'The Doorkeeper' is set in pre-World War II Britain, the story of an eight-year-old boy who goes to live with his grandparents in Wales. Jonathan Webster's mother has left him and his father for what seemed to her a more glamorous life in fascist Italy. Jonathan's father must briefly leave him also, for work in the United States. Jonathan goes to stay with his maternal grandparents on their farm in Wales, a part of his family his mother turned her back on and about which he knows next to nothing. In Wales, Jonathan finds the love and shelter of a greater family and a place in which he fits. The beauty of his new home can't dispel his concern for his parents but he finds an unusual and unexpected ally who comes to his aid. The Doorkeeper contains passages of lyrical prose which bring the landscape of its setting to vivid life. The rustic routine of daily life on the farm is described in many passages:- 'Peat, fuel for cooking and winter heating, they cut high up on the hafod land at Fawnog-fawr. Black, wet peat, sliced into rectangular blocks by Mr Williams with his special spade made for the purpose, whilst he sang out happily in the breezes in his lovely baritone voice. Each piece was then laid out by the boys for drying in the warm July winds - plentiful up there now, among misty mountains beyond the distant Conwy river in a picture book panorama. They returned when the blocks were dried, at least as far as the weather had allowed, Prince pulling the big wooden wain down to the hendre, it stacked high with partly dry peat blocks looking like solidified treacle and Jonathan as tired as a virgin navvy holding the reins manfully, the farmer, his pipe burning strongly, giving out gentle instructions to two loved grandsons among curling wreaths of cheerful blue smoke.' But there is much more here to intrigue and delight the younger reader. What is the secret of the old Mithraic Roman temple? What is the connection between Squire Bellamy and Old Mad Silas? The Doorkeeper controls access to the hidden world of 'Ansaurius' where the real power of 'Mother Earth' is revealed to Jonathan as he is prepared for future adventures he could little have anticipated. This delightful and occasionally profound tale is ideally suited for older children and younger adults. Mr Pitt has said that this will be the first of several volumes in the series. The reviewer sincerely hopes that volume two will be published soon.
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1) Contact your local radio stations by late February and ask them to play Welsh music and relay "Happy St. David's Day" messages to the Welsh in your area on March 1st. There is plenty of music by Welsh artists that are readily available on most radio stations play lists. If it is a rock/pop station ask for Duffy, The Stereophonics, The Manic Street Preachers, Jem, Catatonia, or Tom Jones, if it is a classical station, you might try asking for Bryn Terfel, Charlotte Church, Paul Potts, Katherine Jenkins or Karl Jenkins.
2) Email a 'Happy Saint David's Day/ Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus' message to your friends and family.
3) Wear a daffodil, a leek, or something red on March 1st.
4) Attend a St. David's day event sponsored by your local Welsh society; there are hundreds across North America to choose from.
5) If there are no Welsh groups nearby, hold a St. David's day dinner at your home or request your local pub to stock:
Welsh-American wine or cider (e.g. Cambria wines from California, AmByth wines from
California, Gales cider from the Thomas Family winery in Madison,
Indiana)
6) Sign up to AmeriCymru - the Welsh-American social network https://americymru.net/user/login
7) Hang a Welsh flag outside your house or put a Welsh flag bumper sticker on your car.
8) Change your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc. profile picture to the Welsh flag for the day.
9) Buy a subscription to North American's Welsh newspaper Ninnau www.ninnau.com
10) Forward this message on to as many people as possible!
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IRFT St David's Day Special Click HERE
We have linked all our St David's Day content from this page. We hope there will be something here to interest everyone. Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dedwydd! Happy St David's Day! BlogsAdd Your St. David's Day Greeting Here! 10 Ways to 'Thank the Lord You're Welsh' this St. David's Day! Second Chance to WIN 2 Tickets to Karl Jenkins Concert ' Music Masters of Wales' in New York City on March 6th New shirt designs for Saint David's Day in the AmeriCymru store St David's Day Events Around The USA Lets Send Laura To Wales! - St David's Day Appeal! St David's Day - 'Stories in Welsh Stone' Competition Americymru Welsh Pub Quiz Pack for St. Davids Day St Davids Day Menu Discussions St. David's Day Ideas Forum
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From a book called
'Disorder in the American Courts' these are things people
actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now
published by court reporters who had the torment of staying
straight-faced while these exchanges were actually taking
place.
_____________________________________
1)
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your
memory at
all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And
in what ways does it affect your
memory?
WITNESS: I
forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you
give us an example of something you
forgot?
_____________________________________
2)ATTORNEY: Now
doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he
doesn't know about it until the next
morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass
the bar
exam?
____________________________________
3)ATTORNEY: The
youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is
he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your
IQ
4)ATTORNEY: Were
you present when your picture was
taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting
me?
_____________________________________
5)ATTORNEY: So
the date of conception (of the baby) was August
8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And
what were you doing at that
time?
WITNESS: Getting
laid
_____________________________________
6)
ATTORNEY: She had three children,
right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How
many were
boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were
there any girls?
WITNESS : Your Honor, I
think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new
attorney?
_____________________________________
7)
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage
terminated?
WITNESS: By
death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was
it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a
guess
_____________________________________
8)
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the
individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium
height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was
this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless
the Circus was in town I'm going with
male
_____________________________________
9)ATTORNEY: Is
your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition
notice which I sent to your
attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I
dress when I go to
work.
_____________________________________
10)
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you
performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of
them. The live ones put up too much of a
fight.
_____________________________________
11)ATTORNEY: ALL
your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go
to?
WITNESS: Oral.
12)ATTORNEY: Do you recall the
time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The
autopsy started around 8:30 pm.
ATTORNEY: And
Mr. Denton was dead at the
time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time
I
finished
_____________________________________
13)ATTORNEY: Are
you qualified to give a urine
sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask
that
question?
_____________________________________
And
the best for last:
14)ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you
performed the autopsy, did you check for a
pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did
you check for blood
pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did
you check for
breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So,
then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began
the
autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How
can you be so sure,
Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was
sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I
see, but could the patient have still been alive,
nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is
possible that he could have been alive and practicing
law
THINK ABOUT IT!
MOST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE
LAWYERS.....
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Many thanks to David Parry of the Chicago Tafia for the following list of St David's Day events around the USA. For an event in your area check the list below. Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus/Happy Saint David's Day St. Davids Day Events in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Quebec, California, Alberta, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Ontario, British Columbia, Minnesota, Connecticut, Colorado & Washington St. David's Day on Music of the Isles Thursday, February 25th, 7:00pm WMNF 88.5 FM Tampa www.wmnf.org Friday February 26, 6:30pm St. Davids Society of Pittsburgh Pub Crawl Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Saturday February 27, 11:30am The Ottawa Welsh Society St Davids Luncheon Banquet The Royal Ottawa Golf Club 1405 Aylmer Road Gatineau, Quebec Saturday, February 27th, 12:00pm St. Davids Day Dinner Worthington Hills Country Club 920 Clubview Blvd. South, Columbus, Ohio Saturday, February 27 The Cincinnati Welsh Society - St. Davids Day Banquet Holiday Inn Riverfront 600 West Third Street Covington, Kentucky Saturday February 27, 6:00pm The Welsh Society, of Philadelphia 282nd Annual Banquet For Saint David's Day Merion Cricket Club 325 Haverford Avenue Haverford, Pennsylvania Saturday, February 27, 6:00pm The Saint Davids Welsh Society of Edmonton - St Davids Day Banquet Faculty Club at the University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Saturday February 27, 6:00pm The Vancouver Welsh Society- St. David's Day Dinner The Cambrian Hall 215 East 17th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia Saturday February 27, 6:30pm Calgary Welsh Society - St. Davids Day Celebration Fort Calgary Historic Park 750 9 Avenue Southeast Calgary, Alberta Saturday February 27, 6:30pm Montreal Welsh Male Choir St. David's Day Ball Delta Hotel 475 Du President Kenedy Montreal, Quebec Saturday February 27, 4:00pm Welsh Choir of Southern California St. Johns Episcopal 514 Adams Blvd. Los Angeles, California www.welshchoir.com Sunday February 28, 12 noon till 2 am March 2nd IRFT Celtic Radio St David's Day Special http://www.irftradio.comlu.com/stdavids.html Sunday February 28, 2:00pm Radio WVIA FM - Pennsylvania St. David's Day Special Sunday February 28, 11:00am Saint David's Day Feast St. David's Episcopal Church 701 N. Randall Road Aurora, Illinois Sunday February 28, 12:30pm St. Davids Society of Greater St. Louis St. Davids Day Meetup Dressels Pub 419 North Euclid Avenue St. Louis, Missouri Sunday February 28, 1:30pm Atlanta Welsh Society St. Davids Day Party Seasons52 90 Perimeter Center West Dunwoody, Georgia Sunday February 28, 2:00pm Saint David's Day Parade Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sunday February 28, 2:00pm St. David's Day Gymanfa Ganu Lafayette United Methodist Church 955 Moraga Road Lafayette, California Saturday February 28 St. Davids Society of Pittsburgh Daffodil Luncheon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday February 28 St. David's Day Banquet with the Welsh Society of the Suncoast Sunday, February 28, 6:00pm The Welsh Society of Fredericksburg St. David's Day Potluck Dinner St. Peter's Lutheran Church 1201 Courthouse Road North Stafford, Virginia www.welshfred.com Sunday February 28 Poultney Area St. David's Society's Luncheon Granville, New York Call (802)-287-5744 or Email: pasds88@yahoo.com for details Sunday February 28, 10:00am St. Davids Day worship service Poultney Welsh Presbyterian Church Grove Street Poultney, Vermont Sunday February 28, 1:00pm St. Davids Day Banquet Banquet Masters, 8100 Park Blvd Pinellas Park, Florida Call (727)-938-7561 or Email: naintaid@verizon.net Sunday February 28, 3:00pm St. Davids Society of Utica, NY Annual St. Davids Day Banquet Harts Hill Inn 135 Clinton Street Whitesboro, New York http://saintdavidssociety.org/ Sunday February 28, 3:00pm St. Davids Day Observance Forest Park United Methodist Church 2100 Kentucky Ave Fort Wayne, Indiana Monday March 1st, 6:00pm The Gulf Coast St David's Welsh Society St David's Day Banquet Heritage Oaks Country Club 4800 Chase Oak Dr Sarasota, Florida Monday March 1, 6:00pm The Charleston Tafia Welsh Society - St. David's Day Pub Night Madra Rua Irish Pub 1034 East Montague Avenue North Charleston, South Carolina Monday March 1, 6:30pm Saint Davids Society of Lackawanna County - Saint David's Day Dinner Trinity Episcopal Church 58 River Street Carbondale, Pennsylvania Monday March 1 7:00pm The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society St. Davids Day Pub Night Cawl & Cocktails @ The Emerald Loop 216 North Wabash Chicago, Illinois Monday March 1, 7:30pm St. David's Day Concert with the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir Glenn Gould Studio 250 Front Street West Toronto, Ontario Monday March 1, 7:30 pm The Vancouver Welsh Society - St. David's Day Open House The Cambrian Hall 215 East 17th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia www.welshsociety.com Monday March 1, 7:00pm St. David's Day Pub Night at NYC's only Welsh-owned pub! The Longbow Pub & Pantry 7316 Third Avenue Brooklyn, New York Monday March 1, 7:00pm St. David's Day Pub Night at Merlins Rest, a Welsh pub in Minneapolis Merlins Rest 3601 E Lake St Minneapolis, Minnesota www.merlinsrest.com Friday March 5, 6:00pm St. David's Day - Potluck, Poems & Pints Cultural Wellness Center 1527 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, Minnesota Saturday, March 6th, 11:30am The Cambrian Benevolent Society of Chicago - St. David's Day Banquet Carleton Hotel Oak Park 1110 Pleasant St Oak Park, Illinois Saturday March 6, 12:30pm The Welsh Society of Western New England St. David's Day Gathering Nutmeg Restaurant 297 South Main Street East Windsor, Connecticut Saturday March 6, 5:00pm Cambrian Society St. David's Day Banquet Addisville Reformed Church Richboro, Pennsylvania Saturday March 6, 7:30pm Burlington Welsh Male Chorus Wellington Square United Church 2121 Caroline Street Burlington, Ontario www.burlingtonwelsh.com Saturday March 6th, 6PM Cardigan Welsh Club & Madog Center for Welsh Studies St. David's Day Banquet Oak Hill Presbyterian Church 205 E. Cross Street Oak Hill, Ohio Sunday March 7, 2:30pm The Puget Sound Welsh Association - St. Davids Day Celebration St. Andrewss Episcopal Church 111 NE 80th Street Seattle, Washington Sunday March 7 St. David's Welsh Society of Greater Kansas City - Gymanfa Ganu Kansas City, Missouri Sunday March 7th, 2:30pm St. David's Day Kirk of the Bonnie Brae Church 1201 S. Steele Street Denver, Colorado www.coloradowelshsociety.org Sunday March 7, 2:30pm 122nd Saint Davids Day Concert Emporia Presbyterian Church 1702 W. 15th Emporia, Kansas Call (620)-256-6687 Saturday March 13 St. David's Day Welsh Banquet Harriton House 500 Harriton Road Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Saturday March 13, 12:00pm Iowa Welsh Society St. David's Day Celebration Monarchs Restaurant The Royal Amsterdam Hotel 705 East 1st Street Pella, Iowa
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Listen to Darren Parry songs on IRFTradio (California) on St David's Day
By Darren Parry, 2010-02-22
PLEASE DONATE VIA THE PAYPAL BUTTON ON THE HOME PAGE
(LEFT HAND COLUMN )
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( or mail checks to:- 606 St Paul St., Campus Box 673, Baltimore MD, 21202 )
"Hello! My name is Laura Stokes. I am currently studying Harp Performance at the Peabody Conservatory of music in Baltimore MD under Dr. Ruth K. Inglefield.
This April I will be traveling to Caernarfon Wales (UK) to compete in the Youth Competition of the Second Wales International Harp Festival. This is a wonderful and very exciting opportunity for me. Dr. Inglefield found the competition and urged me to enter because she knew of my love for Wales and harp. I was born to and English father and American mother in Charlottesville VA, USA. Throughout my childhood I spent each summer and many Christmases in Wales, in a cottage that my parents bought 18 years ago in the village of Llanrhaeadr-Ym-Mochnant in Powys. I began playing harp at the age of 8 after many years of begging my family for lessons after falling in love with the instrument while in Wales as a toddler. After 7th grade in Virginia, my family relocated to Wales so that my father, a blacksmith, could assist his brother, also a blacksmith, on a large ironwork project. I attended Welsh high school for a year and totally fell in love with the country and the people of Wales. I was overjoyed to learn that high school owned a harp and had a wonderful teacher who came to the school once a week and gave harp lessons. It was during the time that I really fell in love with harp and decided that I wanted to pursue it a career in music. We loved living in Wales so much that we decided to stay for a second year, during which I passed, with merit, the grade 5 Harp exam given by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Upon returning to the United States in my Sophomore year of high school, I finally bought a concert grand pedal harp. With this instrument, a Venus Paragon, I was able to excel in harping playing as I had never been able to before. I am now studying at the Peabody Conservatory of Music working towards a Bachelors of Music in Harp Performance and I am loving every minute of it.
When Dr. Inglefield approached me with the idea of competing in Wales I was simply over the moon with excitement. Sadly neither of us had heard anything of the competition until only a few days before the entry deadline. I still went ahead and applied not wanting to miss out on the great opportunity. The Wales International Harp Competition has many different levels. I will be competing in the Youth Competition a category for harpists under age 19. I am now 18 years old and will be at the time of the competition. This is amazingly timely and couldnt have worked out better time wise. Sadly being a freshman at Peabody I am ineligible to receive any grant money for career development/competition/travel from the school. It is my last possible chance to compete in this level of competition.
I am determined to get to Wales this April but this is not a cheap endeavor, as you know the price of cross Atlantic plane tickets is phenomenal and room and board and cost of attendance of this week long festival is also rather pricey.
I am now on a quest to find someone, be it community group, individual, foundation etc. who would be willing to help sponsor my trip. Every little helps no matter how large or small.
Thank you!!!!!
--Laura Stokes"
