The relaxed LSG listening to Brahms & Beethoven

Having bought last year a Super Audio cd player that plays those discs in addition to regular cds and I have been buying a number to add to my classical cd collection that goes back to the early days of cd.

After a weekend spent out of doors exploring,  noting things  and a spot of reading too it's really time to just relax across the bed and chill

Fortunately I have a good number of dvd's and blu ray discs I can watch apart from the CBBC and CiTv channels on our television, a stash of comics stored in boxes and a fair number of books stored on shelves, some of which go back to my childhood.

One new disc I had is this three super audio cd set of Brahm's symphonies with some additional works to replace my older regular cds with recorded in 2009 and 2010 which has been compiled into mini box set.

This new set is very highly regarded for it's playing besting a recent similar set on Lso Live for the sound as well as the account of Symphony No. 2 even with both stereo and multichannel mixes being available on the sacd layer with just stereo on the regular cd player.

It's a lovely set to relax to.

I also picked up this disc of the young Swedish clarinettist Martin Frost of Brahm's Clarinet Quintet and Trio issued by the pioneering Bis label. His playing is simply beautiful.

Beethoven is a major composer and so a set on super audio cd of his symphonies was something I had been looking for.

This set is one I am familiar with as it was issued for the first time on cd in 1991 and I bought it in early 1992 during one lunch break putting it out of harms way until I got home
If you look the sticker indicates like most for Europe discs, it has a ordinary layer and the super audio cd layer on the one side so it can be played on practically any player

 There are six super audio cds in the set with two symphonies per disc on four and a bonus disc that has some thirty minutes of rehearsals for the Ninth

As you can see although this is called a box set apart from that bonus disc really all you get is a short booklet outlining the history of Herbert von Karajan's Beethoven symphonies recordings for DG is a slip case as the discs are otherwise identical to the originally released individual ones and just fit in.

There's no attempt to put them in as the 1991 mauve cd box set into space saving multi cd cases or of the use of card or paper sleeves.

The recordings date from 1961 through 1962 and were issued in early 1963 on stereo lp records and was the first stereophonic series issued by DG.

One reason I bought this is I am less taken to the combination of the use of replica original instruments  the sounds some of which I'm not keen on and of the tendency to play it faster and often less consideration than traditionally had been the case which is very much the current flavour in performed and recorded  classical music.

In general I would say these remain amongst the most consistent sets of Beethoven symphonies recorded with the Ninth being one of the finest I've ever heard for the singing of the Ode To Joy with only the Sixth, the Pastoral a little fast in playing although I feel it does hold together well even if it is different to most.

The recording quality for the period is very high and unlike a good number of modern recordings where lots of microphones are used and fed to multi-channel recorders before being mixed, this was done with simple stereo pair with just the odd 'spot mic' to aid the odd section of the orchestra which captures the scale of performance better in my opinion.

 Around the mid 1990's the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra began a project of recording a collection of central classical repertoire at low cost enabling people to build a useful self contained collection that would aid musical appreciation.

At the time they were issued in conjunction with Tring records on regular cd's a good number being well worth owning which I bought at the time but they were recorded at better than regular cd quality using the dsd technology used by super audio cd's and briefly issued on sacd in association with Membran Records.

One of the discoveries of that era was the Manchester, England born pianist Ronan O'Hora and he recorded a superb account of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas 5 "Spring" and 9 "Krutzer"  with the violinist Jonathan Carney. It sounds really smooth .

That title was one re-issued on sacd around 2005 which I recently bought  to join my increasing number of classical recordings in this format.

Winter wierdness

Sometimes the seasons seem well a bit weird to me  having spent part of last week with strong gales that blow rather a lot like next doors fence into the garden  and left the curb side here covered in debris.

Yesterday I even went out wrapped up well walking in the sleet getting very excited!

 Then, that being said having had only on Tuesday some sleety stuff, would you of expected to see the Catkins out? 

Well when I was out walking late last week as I find it good for my mental health as well as physical fitness I did spot them on our subsiding public meadow that had trees planted on to help stabilize things as everything was starting to fall in a hole.

 Equally in our subsidence hit village would you expect to see Crab Apples growing on the other trees in the middle of Winter although I think the top ones a bit off? Seemingly we do as the birds flutter past this oasis of calm by the main road.

 I was having very much the sinking feeling as I stood trying to steady myself as my shoes were going into the ground but as you can see some even fell off but it didn't look as if they'd been pecked by the local bird population.

No wonder the wildlife feels confused!

Making progress in the classroom

 

This November the Church of England that apart from being an Established religion of Anglican Christianity here in the UK is a substantial provider of both primary and secondary education though its schools that are open to all, made a pronouncement around gender equality in a set of guidance issued to Heads and others running them.

In it it was clearly established that a culture of humiliation, intimidation and ridicule was not to be accepted within school for children with gender identity issues or  have differing forms of sexuality  from the mainstream was not going to be tolerated.

This covered staff but also from other children in the classroom.

In this the issue of childhood exploration of roles and identities through play such as dress up was addressed by saying a boy who wishes to wear a Tutu or a Girl who wishes to dress in attire associated with boys roles  would be accepted without anyone saying "Don't be silly, pick something else" or with any acceptance of the same from that child's peers.

Some in the UK media read that as saying ordinarily in a class a boy might wear a Tutu but this wasn't about uniform so much as play and exploration of roles through it.

What was made very plain is in so far as presenting as either non-binary or in a gender different to that assigned goes, this is to be accepted and a child would be permitted to wear school uniform from with the range that in their opinion best suits them as that child.

In other words uniform was to be upheld but in a form allowing expression of a child's gender identity. Something socially liberal but fairly traditional sorts like me would agree with and indeed would of willing engaged with had it been an option for us at that time in our childhood.

While I'm not an Anglican I find much within this I can agree with as we do not send children into school to be intimidated or humiliated for just being the gender and sexuality they truly are. 

Boy me back thensuffered in school from that and it's about time we put a stop to it.

Twelfth year anniversary issue

 Actually in this year it will be the 12th Anniversary of this blog and so we may as well start by revisiting what it is about as sometimes people get that wrong because it was established to be about my needs, my issues with my behaviours and attitudes and how I'm getting better now.

It's the beginning of a New Year  that follows on from the last so naturally I'll be in the course of the year writing about how I'm feeling and how my behaviour is shaping up but it's a good start to the year to consider what a important part of my regressed life is about.

It's to match my developmental needs to a way of training me to do more for myself, to learn and apply societal norms as much as they may need to consider and sometimes adjust to better accommodate those things I cannot alter.

This involves being given one on one guidance and tuition on everyday life skills so learn how to do perform tasks and from then on assume greater responsibility for meeting them and where it involves working with people accepting and working with their oversight with them having the final say.

Because of my tendency to be lost in the moment oblivious to risks, to have difficulty in crossing busy roads safely and communication based issues I accept other people have to assume certain responsibilities in caring roles with me.

Part of that is as the adult-child being cared for involves the use of spanking to deliver clear consequences where agreed breaches of attitudes and behaviours occur.

Within that relationship the following general rules apply to the carer in looking after me

1. Give Affection at Least at a Rate of 10 to 1. 

As the adult-child, I have emotional needs such as to feel loved, wanted and cared for and to feel that from you as much as need you to spank me sometimes.

2. Never Spank a Adult-Child in Public. 

The act of disciplining is a private one between you and me that needs no extra public humiliation adding even if some of our friends know I am and I'm okay with that.

3. Never Use Excess Force.

The spanking I need needs itself to be proportional to what I have done, sufficient to deter me from that offence that I knew would bring it.

4. All Spanking Offenses Must Be Made Known in Advance, Carved in Stone, and Fully Understood.

It's important to know which of  those things that I do will result in a spanking, that there is consistency in your handling them and I have shown I understand the consequences of my actions.

If the going is tough, make eye contact with me. Say "Listen to me" "If you do x, I will spank you" and once it is clear I have understood that if I still do, then do it for me.

5. Be Truthful and Consistent, It Could Save a Life.

A relationship where you care and from that discipline me needs me to feel I can trust you and you will treat me in a fair consistent manner because those actions my keep me from dangers I am unaware of be they life threatening or likely to result in injury.

On the loss of an Aunt

 Today's entry was not the planned one but as one increasingly realizes not every eventuality lends itself to such an approach not least anything involving people.

We received a telephone call on Wednesday from Mum's brother in law saying my Aunt who had been unwell for a period moving into a care home about five miles away for about eight months following a fall, showed that she wasn't really safe to be 'at home'  even with some supervision, had died having contracted pneumonia on New Years Day.

That didn't particularly surprise me as I had seen over a two year period when I visited her, a marked deterioration in her condition an her moving from limited informal oversight from family and neighbours to more formal care workers coming in and a 'careline' being put in although she always looked after her personal hygiene and ate well.

My Aunt was one of the central characters in my life because I often visited her at least once a week if I was 'home' myself as it was a home from home where given the many issues and incidents on my weirdo family history that would break out. I go spending hours with talking about things as she'd try to settle me down from the drama around my home life having left often with a book, some money and my plushies.

She lived with her parents because she needed a some support although she worked for a good number of years at automotive factory locally until taking retirement and so that unit was in my ways an alternate family for me that did accept what we know would see as a more child-like regressive Littles side from my teens and older.

She and her neighbours knew I was a Little buying me selection boxes, children's annuals and the like.

They also spend a lot of time talking to me about pasts, my families pasts, their pasts and how we ended up where we did encouraging me to talk more about what was was on my mind and why it was troubling me.

This was a link I kept up for a very long time so outside of my regular at least once weekly  visits I go with Mummy around birthdays and Christmas, chatting along the way with her neighbours and indeed it did get to me this christmas past as it was a ritual I missed from the previous year.

The one thing I know is I'll miss her.

New Year Thoughts

As I sit here typing my minds thoughts move toward what I and this blog have been doing and what we are so looking forward to from this New Year onward and I think I know how I'll begin this even if only directly applies to a section of my followers.

The life we lead as age regressors matters more than the labels, their definitions and what different groups may think of what words we use to describe this thing we do and what by extension a good portion of this blog talked about last year.

A good thing is to spend as much time outdoors as you can switching off from the online world and allowing yourself to be in the moment with nature whither or not you walk as I have started to do more of, learning to reflect and take comfort from the everyday stuff of life. It's not just mental resilience and healing it will help either but overall wellness even if you face heath or disability related limitations.

One thing I do write about here is things like colouring which can help with de-stressing and improving your co-ordination skills which if they are like mine, poor and with reading which can cover things around the age range you regress to for sheer enjoyment or if you like me you struggle with reading by carefully selecting more upper junior fiction that stretches your vocabulary help in learning to read more for information and picking more the feeling of characters in those stories. The books I wrote about last year fitted that definition to a tee.

It's also about exploring my looks as a adult little girl and enjoying scouting.

You for me it'll be that I'll be doing this New Year, sharing it with you all here and for some fortunate folks even under the same roof together.