Pete Waugh Recommends part 15 + 16

So I missed yesterday - today is therefore a double whammy!!

I was busy munching away on my new Graze box - their website is very user friendly and one I would highly recommend. 

I was encouraged yesterday in my writing - I had left my novel alone for about 1 month - and had started to write some short stories that I will make available on this website. This week I went back to my novel - to re-read what I have written and to endeavour to finish it. I wrote the short stories as I had got to a point with my novel where I needed a little bit more clarity in where I wanted to take the story and had hit something of a wall - so yesterday I was encouraged to smash the wall in. At times it seems like I am trying to climb over the wall - but yesterday I felt like I am now able to confidently smash it in! Come on!

Over the next month I will be making contact with a lot of publishers, both local and international, in the hope that they are interested in any of my manuscripts. I would love to become a fully recognised author in the public domain. If I am honest part of me would like to be famous and earn loads of money - so I could give it away and tell people another story. But I know I can do that now with the little that I have and then one day - To whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

You may think the second of my recommendations today is a bit of a cheat but alas I don't think it is!

On Tuesday(?) I recommended Foy Vance - today he released his new single 'Be The Song' - I spent my last few pennies of an iTunes voucher on it - you should definitely go buy/listen to it - words, beautiful words, tune, soulful tune.

Pete Waugh Recommends part 14

In my work as a Youth Pastor I have had the pleasure of meeting and being taught by a lot of people. Most of these lads and ladies are unassuming and don't have a website - local people who just live a life of love for young people. Learning and teaching takes place over coffees and activity sessions. Life lessons passed on through simply sharing life with others.

Some other 'professional' people have taught me a lot as a youth worker - and I have had the privilege of spending time with them - either a 5 minutes chat or a one-on-one lunch in an endeavour to glean some knowledge from them.

Mark Yaconelli  Glad to see he has got his website sorted - more importantly if you get the chance to hear him speak or train you then GO!!! He also recommended a Chinese restaurant to me in San Fran (Sam Wo's) and it was the best Chinese food I have ate since I went to China 7 years ago!

Duffy Robbins Stalwart/veteran of youth ministry - Have read and been fed by his books at college, laughed with him at different conferences he has been taking and had the opportunity to meet him a number of times. Brilliant communicator. 

Mark De Vries Met him for the first time last week at a youth ministry training day. His book on sustainable Youth Ministry is excellent. Nice man who also gave us some restaurants to visit in Tennessee when we pass through in May

Kenda-Creasy-Dean She gave me a rubber duck - along with a hundred other youth workers - I still have that duck - visual reminder of a great communicator and researcher. Her book Almost Christian gives a stark message.

Pete Waugh Recommends part 13

Rachel Ashwell is someone I never knew existed before I got married. Shabby Chic was something I didn't really care about (or know about). So today's recommendation is due to the influence of my wife and the change in my heart to embrace new things and discover new talents.

I have always struggled with being creative. I express myself through words and find that I am good at that. I can't draw that well or paint great paintings but give me some words and I will paint a beautiful pciture for you with them. Then my wife came along and expanded my awareness of what visual art is and combined with my love for being manly and doing stuff with my hands I started to become interested in restoring and painting furniture.

We started Pebble Lane - a furniture restoration business - where we source and restore bespoke pieces of furniture. There is a whole other blog post on the beauty of restoration that I am yet to write on this.

Anyway today I recommend the Shabby Chic range of furniture - or maybe just the idea of it - the philosophy - the vision. 

Enjoy

Pete Waugh Recommends part 12.

Today is Irish/Northern Irish band day ... 

Just a lot of links to a lot of good bands/artists

The Delorentos  Great name - solid band who will hopefully be on the rise in 2012

The Frames Pure genius - Went to a NYE gig in Dublin to see them one year and Damien Rice came on - as did Lisa Hannigan  with her angelic voice. Bell X1 - schweet

Then some Northern Irish treats Captain Cameron - I interviewed him once - it was awkward for us both.

By far the best Northern Irish artist around has to be Iain Archer. Gentleman, warm soul and pure musical and lyrical genius. Not far behind him is Foy Vance - glad to see he has got his act together and got a new site.

Going to see Snow Patrol on Monday night .. 

Two Door Cinema Club - the north down boys have taken over the world - new album in 2012 - can't wait to hear it. Everyone in North Down has a TDCC story - the most prominent of mine is that I drove them round Coleraine to someones house so they could buy an amp when I worked at a youth music venue up the North Coast.

There are plenty of other bands and artists out there - sorry to be mainstreamish - Enjoy listening ...

Pete Waugh recommends part 11

Let's keep it simple today

Ben Howard

I missed his gig in Belfast and have regreted it ever since!

Here are his gigs for the start of 2012

Enjoy.