This is my very first Blog post, so I have Dreadlocks, mine are organic/Freeform/Natural whatever you want to call them. Basically I just stopped doing anything to my hair over a year ago, no brushing, no conditioning. I still wash my hair but I use a dreadlock shampoo about every ten days or so. When I started my dreadlock journey my hair was at the top of my waist, now its shoulder length, so I’m hoping now for it to start growing longer.
If you were unlucky enough to find my Diamond ring
you’d run dear, run.
This poem is one of many in my poetry book, ‘Return of a Whistle’ now on Amazon, head over and search R.J.Dunning to buy your copy and help support new authors.
So my first novel ‘Take me Away’, which has turned into a trilogy, should be out soon, but today I re-edited my Christmas story and sent it over to a publisher who works for Netflix, to try to get it made into a cartoon for Children. Here’s a little excerpt.
When she was nearer to the top she heard someone calling out to her “Megan, hey Megan” it called, she lifted her head from climbing the branch and began to look around and then she saw that it was a robin on a branch a little further across the tree.
“Megan, hey Megan! Over here, come here.” It called.
“Yes, Mr Robin what seems to be the problem?” she said.
“Do you think you could unclasp me from the tree, I would like to fly” it said.
“Oh, no, Robin, you would fall, you can’t fly you’re a Christmas ornament.” said Megan.
“But I’m a robin.” he answered.
“A Christmas Robin, I bought you so you could sit on our tree for Christmas and look beautiful, Watch I’ll prove you can’t fly. If you try to flap your wings, you’ll find your unable to.” said Megan.
But to Megan’s surprise his wings lifted and flapped, just like a real bird, but he could not take off as his feet were attached to the tree.
Megan rushed over and pulled the Robin’s feet free from the tree. When the robin was free, he hopped around the tree making the branches wobble. Megan grabbed on to a branch. She didn’t like it; she felt unsteady on feet and was terrified of falling.
The robin spread his wings looking very happy that he was free. He looked so beautiful and real. “Would you like to come for a fly, Megan” asked robin.
“Me, oh no, I’m afraid of being too high” replied Megan.
“Come on, you’ll be safe, the magic will protect you from falling, I promise you that you won’t fall.” said robin.
Megan thought about it for a while. She shouldn’t be afraid, she would never get to do this kind of thing again and maybe the robin was right, magic would protect her. Megan decided to do it. She ran over to Robin, nervous but excited at the same time.
“Jump onto my back then, Megan.” he said.
Megan climbed up on to his back, careful not to pull out any of his feathers on the way. “Hold on.” said Robin.
Megan was so scared, and she clung on to Robin as he walked to the very edge of the tree.
Then he jumped.
Megan held on as tight as she could and closed her eyes. She could feel that they were falling and feel the wind whipping her face; she started thinking that maybe the Robin couldn’t fly after all. But just as Megan was starting to panic that they were going to hit the ground, the Robin extended his wings, and they began to level out. They began to fly, Megan opened her eyes and was amazed, and she was really flying.
She was flying around her living room on a Christmas Robin decoration; no-one would ever believe her when she told them. As she was flying, she looked about the living room. All the Christmas lights were on and they looked beautiful. As Robin flew past the snow globes all the little characters inside their glass domes waved and smiled at Megan as she flew by. She waved back amazed and happy. They flew over Christmas teddies and the lights in the window, it was all so wonderful, but then as the Robin turned and headed back towards the tree, she saw the most amazing sight. The Tree all lit up and all the ornaments moving around, it took Megan’s breath away, so lovely, magic. They were heading back into the tree. Megan didn’t want the flight to end but she knew she must get to the fairy. Robin landed back on the tree. He gripped the branch and Megan slid off Robin carefully and fell into some tinsel, she was full of joy and laughing. “That felt so good, so freeing.” said Robin.
“It was amazing; I loved it, thank you for the wonderful experience. It was absolutely magical.” said Megan.
“It was, you’re welcome, it’s all thanks to you, and I could never do that before because my feet were always tied to the tree. Thanks.” said Robin.
“That’s right, I’ll remember for next Christmas eve to untie your feet.” said Megan.
“That would be brilliant, I’d be able to fly again.” said Robin full of glee.
Just as they were laughing and full of excitement at their flight together Megan noticed someone walking over the tree towards them calling.
I have been inside now since the fourteenth of march, university closing on that day due to three students and a lecturer being confirmed to have the virus. I don’t mind being indoors, I’m used to working at home being a writer. I do miss hiking and going off for the day, to the beach or the peak district with my friend Emily but we can go again once this is over. I am gutted that I shall have to push my road trip around Scotland back, I was due to go in my new Campervan Thelma, to travel the highlands, write my next novel, which is based up there and visit battle sites for my studies. I would have combined my leisure with my writing work with my university work, all from one three week trip, but it wasn’t to be.
The reason I feel deeply about this pandemic is because it was inevitable. This plague is Zoonotic, coming from the way we keep and eat animals. Just like all the other virus’s to come out in the last couple of decades, SARS, bird flu, swine flu. Humans never learn. I am Vegan, so when people use the term, “It’s my personal choice, it doesn’t effect you” Well, yes it does. ‘Carnists’ are forcing the whole world into quarantine, because of the worlds desire for flesh we all have to suffer. Have you ever heard of a Banana flu, a avocado disease, No. By going vegan we not only improve our health, the health of the planet, the health and well being of the animals, save water and leave a world behind for our children, we also stop plagues and virus’s like this from happening. The evidence is overwhelming now, we must go vegan. Please watch, Earthlings, land of hope and glory, game changers, forks over knives and ‘cowspiracy’. Educate yourself if you care at all for the planet and the whole human race before it’s too late, before we cause our own extinction.
Got a little more work done on Thelma this week, The ceiling is now stained and both sets of lights are in, one sets runs off the leisure battery, the other when I’m hooked up.
I also have a kitchen, a sink and a single ring gas cooker,
First The kitchen was measured out, and placed then I got the work top, second hand, and marked and cut the hole out for the sink. The sides were then fitted and the top secured on and the sink dropped in. The next step is to finish the walls and fit the kitchen with shelves and doors then paint it. The battery is now fitted in, it just needs the kitchen hooking up to it and then the hook up placing on the back of Thelma. It is slowly getting there. Don’t forget to follow @dreadibek on Instagram and get yourself a poetry book off Amazon, search R.J.Duning to find them. Or if you prefer a dream catcher head over to http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/dreamcatchmeco and support a student and Author. xxxx thanks for reading, next Thelma update coming soon.
Not posted on here in a while, but I intend to post my progress on my new campervan, Thelma. She is a tiny Peugeot Partner Teepee. She had seven seats and I ripped five out, so I’m left with the front two.
Here she is stripped back. After pulling all the sides off and floor up, an angle grinder was used to get some of fittings out of the floor then I cleaned everything. After I bought Kingspan rigid insulation board for the floor and a wooden board to create a floor. I insulated the sides and ceiling with a thin sheet of foam and reflective bubble insulation to create a moisture barrier, to get the insulation to stick I used a high heat spray adhesive. I also stuffed recycled plastic insulation in all the gaps in the walls and ceiling.
Once the wooden floor was in, the next job was cushion floor, which was glued and nailed in place, using spray adhesive.
After this I bought LED spotlights and wooden cladding for the ceiling, this was put up using self tapping screws into the metal frame not the ceiling itself and by putting a wooden baton across the back of the van and nailing the cladding to the wood.
I now need to stain the wood, fit my battery and attach lights, plug sockets and electric hook up to the battery, then it will be time to fit the kitchen. I cant wait to start travelling in Thelma, I love her so much already. Got the UK Vegan camp out in ten days time, I am camping but I hope to have her electrics finished for charging my phone and camera. She is excellent on diesel, I recently drove to London for the official Animal rights march in her. It was such an honour to march with my fellow vegans, 15,000 of us marching and blocking the streets of London and this year I took my little dog Ruby, who is also attending the vegan campout, we cant wait.
I will upload the next steps on Thelma soon, begin working on kitchen and electrics this weekend so photos and descriptions to follow. If anyone has any advice or questions about self built campervans then feel free to comment or get in touch, I’m on Instagram @Dreadibek if you want to follow Thelma’s story on a more regular basis. Also don’t forget if you want any dreamcatchers to check out http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/dreamcatchmeco and my poetry books are available on amazon.
Just a little poem there, inspired by all the changes that are happening in my life right now, my publishers are getting me ready to go out with my novel to bookshops in Yorkshire, to do readings and signings, so excited for that and also I have University coming up. Starting in September, so everything is changing for me. Still making and selling Dreamcatchers so don’t forget to check out, http://www.Etsy.com/uk/shop/Dreamcatchmeco and get yourself a dream catcher or a journal.
Also don’t forget my poetry books over on Amazon if you want to support me during my studies. Heres the direct link. I have good reviews from this one but my other two are also good and on Amazon so go get yourself a copy.
So, I have been making and selling Dreamcatchers for a while now, I also make custom orders, If you haven’t checked out my Etsy yet, it’s http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Dreamcatchmeco
I have recently been travelling in my camper to some Historical sites, the most recent being Fountains abbey. It was amazing, built in 1132 by monks. The abbey stands on the floor of the Skell Valley away from the outside world, it a peaceful place perfect for contemplation full of inspiring beauty. I will definitely have to go again as there was things I missed even though me and my dog Ruby were walking for five hours. Yes it’s a huge place, we walked miles yet there was still so much more to see. The Abbey was originally started by 13 monks who wanted to return to the simple teachings of St Benedict written down in the 6th century.. The land belonged to the archbishop of York and he allowed them to built the abbey.
“Idleness is the enemy of the soul. For this reason the brethren should be occupied at certain times in manual labour and at other times in sacred reading” From St Benedict’s rule.
It truly is a holy place, you can feel the History seeping through the stones, reaching out to tell the story of this majestic place.
The past is a Dream
from which we wake every morning,
Future dawning
And leave behind every night
feel my plight
For I shall not forget
To remember the voices
who call out through History
‘hear my tale’
‘watch my past’
and never forget
for they regret.
Historical places speak to me, they inspire me to write, to travel more and recently they have inspired me to seek higher education. I applied to the University of Sheffield to do a History Degree, I had to take a couple of exams and had some interviews, very exciting stuff. I hope one day to become an expert in some area of History, to travel and help others to see the significance of History in our day to day lives. When I visit these places my imagination ignites.
Cross the bridge,
make it over the ridge
let me follow the eagle
high into the mountains
let me follow the river
from source to ocean
just so I can say
I know
I know where it flows
cross the bridge
and head on towards change
cross the life changing bridge
and see what wonderful things happen.
To travel with my little girl, Ruby is what makes me happy, If only I could take her everywhere. She loves it when we travel in our campervan Albert. And I love getting out and about, for inspiration, for peace and for walking. One day I hope to travel uninterrupted in the van for a couple of months, maybe over the summer next year, because the other news I have to share today,
Is, I did it, I got offered a place at University to study for my History degree and I accepted. So from September I’ll be studying. I’ll have to work hard because at the minute I’m working with my Editor, on my second set of Edits for my novel which we hope will be finished and published by Christmas. I am also working hard on my web shop and on a new poetry book. But I know I can do it. I am over the moon at my acceptance to do my degree, I know there is wonderful things to come for me and my dream of being a best selling author is always one step closer. If you would like to follow mine and Ruby’s travels in our van then follow us on Instagram @dreadibek
Dreadibek 