Tano

...means "craftsman, smith" in Quenya.

I've been (very well-deservedly) spoiled with love the past weeks, well, love and all that comes with it. It was great to have one of my loves here, and not be working every day. We watched "True Grit" among other things and whatever I expected of that movie, that was not it. It's a great movie, really! I was continually surprised. So few clichés. Oh, and they randomly kick children. Love was also surprised, and we had a good laugh. In fact, we laugh a lot, and often. Such as when we yell Harry Potter spells at eachother with sticks (wands, of course) in hand, and discuss our favourite Hogwarts teacher. This might be a side-effect from listening to the HP audiobooks while painting, but regardless - we have a lot of fun.
For which I'm happy. I'll take any happiness and love I can get, and deal with the hurt and pain later. He's not entirely comfortable with me being how I am, much like fox, but what the heck, then I deal with that when it happens, and no "what if"s or worrying about it. There's been enough of that in my life.

My other love and I have been busy in our respective lives, so there's not been too much communication, but it does feel good to hear "I hope things work out for you two" from him - if nothing else then because I can write it here so that people can see that yeah, it does work out for some people. I've been reading a lot of tumblrs and blogs about poly and so on, maybe because it feels good to know there are more out there. I don't always need that knowledge, but right now, I do. Pea Brained Poly is one, as is My Poly Life. Neither is entirely safe for work.
To give you a bit of a perspective, though, I'll say that in the middle of trying to find words for the overwhelming emotion of love, I starteed crying helplessly, because with relaxing that much, came the sorrow that I've been unconsciously repressing. It still hurts. It will, for a long time, because it takes me a very long time to mourn for lost lovers.

I mentioned painting, and painting I have been. I'm shyly proud of my latest painting, a ver colourful phoenix. It feels almost indulgent and lazy - to sit down and PAINT, to my hearts content, and it's schoolwork! How awesome is that?

Yesterday I smelled something strange in the air - a whiff of spring. The light during daytime tells me of it too. Small things, changing now...

Am reading another de Lint - "Jack of Kinrowan". The first novel of two was nice, and as usual, surprising and delightful, but the second one is really, really good. I love it how de Lint makes the Otherworld just... feel as it should. It's a half-step sideways, and I seldom find anything that makes me feel "hey, that's WRONG", though I've already my very own view of the Middle Kingdom.

Been listening a lot to Placebo, especially "Every me and every you" and "Running up that hill". Not necessarily because the songs fit my mood or the text is meaningful at the moment, just... they're good. Them, and "Bullet" by The Dreaming (how could I NOT listen to a band with that name?).

Had a lovely and exhilarating and fun between-sessions Play By Text gaming with my Tremere character Karen, of Stockholm by Night. That smell? Yes, that's the smell when you're standing knee-deep in excrement, my dear. I look forward to seeing where this leads. Though I'd be much happier if she'd a bit more in the way of self-preservatory urges.

Regarding iaido, there's not been as much the past months as I usually like. Much because I've been in the wrong parts of the country, and then because I ran a knee into a chair, and then because my shoulder is a right bastard. What HAS been, however, has been good. Yesterday was all koryu, and indeed, all Chuden. I learned a new kata - yay, one more that, to the unknowing, looks like an advanced form of sword ballet! I so very, very much enjoy koryu. It's given me something to latch onto, just as I'm losing spirit, what with my damned shoulder never getting better. I don't feel bad about using the shorter, older iaito, because it's better for koryu anyway. The other one, he's a bit too tall for it, really.

Am also considering another trip to Scotland, just... because. In May, perhaps.