Reposting another piece published elsewhere a few years ago . *******
She’d gone along with her older sister that day – an open day at an animal refuge.
She had taken a shine to him as soon as she walked into the enclosure.
She had looked at the dog with those large expressive eyes – please take me home they seemed to say. If only, she had thought.
Later her sister pointed it out to her. An absolute bargain, her sister had said.
A bit odd shaped but so full of charm. In good condition, so many rooms and a lovely big garden. It would be the answer to all your problems.
By the end of the day she had agreed to buy the strange shaped house that had been on the market for over a year. The biggest decision she had made in her life.
Such a noble deed, her sister had said.
It would solve the dilemma of her unit lease prematurely coming to an end plus an ageing mother who needed more constant care. Being single meant mother could live with her.
She just looked at the sister and smiled
Noble indeed – she thought
Yes, she thought inwardly, she would bring mother to live with her…..but as soon as she was able she would also bring the beautiful noble looking golden retriever with the large expressive eyes to live and share with her the biggest back garden in the street.
All things considered, it was the best decision she’d ever made
(Forecast Wednesday 26 February 36c/96f — 12c/53f) Northerly winds = hot. No rain – again!
Sunrise and sunset times are changing Very slowly the days are becoming shorter – nightfall is arriving slightly earlier.
I have to accept the season changes – there’s not much I or we can do about that….it’s the letting go of the light that bothers me, that gradual loss of daylight. I don’t mind the cooler temperatures (to a point, says she who can’t get away fast enough when the cold arrives) but that loss of light drags me down.
It seems like only recently there was light in the sky at 5.30am. Now ‘all of sudden’ daylight isn’t arriving until 7am…..how did that happen The evenings are starting to draw in with indoor lights being turned on about 8pm This lovely season is slowly coming to an end…. and whether we like it or not Autumn will be here in a few days.
To those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy it……but don’t forget to send it back when your turn is done😊
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This cold virus plus everything else that went on beforehand certainly had me living the quiet life during January/February I read quite a lot but did very little on the craft side – or even social media. I’m reading a few blogs but my comments are few and far between…thank you to those who’ve left comments here…..I’m sure (well I hope) my ‘mojo’ will return sometime soon
The front of little Mia’s woolly hasn’t grown at all – I’m at the start of the bow, began the first row, checked the chart several times but couldn’t keep the count correct so pulled back to where I was – and then cast on a sleeve instead. Nice and easy, no armholes so straight up and down, not quite mindless because of increases but not far off.
There was also some more finishing off of newborn cardigans for the social worker friend of a friend. She’s obtained some life sized baby dolls to familiarise young girls (some who have never been near an actual babe) with ‘handling’ and dressing. The suggestion for those who were knitting was…..keep the garments simple, no ‘frilly lacey’ ones or outrageous modern styles – soft colours are pretty – bright is good but not dark. These girls have enough ‘dark’ in their lives. I was happy with that!
I found it in a ‘free library’ – appears ‘alright ’ I thought – it also appears (as far as Goodreads is concerned) that I read it back in 2017. Maybe a reread will refresh my memory😊
Don’t laugh (and please do tell me this happens to others as well) …..but the same thing happened last week – I ‘fancied’ an Elly Griffith’s book recommended on a blog. Well according to my library history I have ‘previously read it’…….in 2021…..you’d think I’d remember that one 😟 . So just to be on the safe side, this week I’m getting comfortable with a couple of Claire Keegan’s I know I definitely haven’t read before – Foster (short story 2010) plus So Late in the Day (a collection of short stories 2022). I’ve heard good things about both of them.
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Kat hosts Unraveled Wednesday . which features Reading Crafting Chatting – you’ll find it all there – pop over, see what’s going on – stay and say hello.
(To comment please click on post title and scroll down)
I have missed my weekly walking in water exercise- it’s now about 3 months since the ‘pool’ was closed for what was described as ‘essential maintenance’ which has turned out to be a much larger undertaking than anyone expected. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering ‘when will it end’
As was – end of November
End of December
End of January
It’s been revealed reopening is now planned for the end of March which can’t come soon enough for me. I’ve been happy enough to use the gym facilities for the active adult’s sessions but it certainly doesn’t seem to have the same effect as the gentle fluid movements in the water does. I realise it’s a case of muscles being worked in a different manner but I’m a bit like the toddler who wants the red cup and not the identical but different coloured blue one in that I know what I like and won’t be happy until I get it 😊
When will it end…
I was muttering those words to myself after finishing this couple of rather long books. Both historical fiction – both 2024 publications The Wartime Book Club – 512 pages plus extra information . The Fallen Woman – 448 pages
I seem to have had a knack recently of finding things to read that ‘seemed like a good idea at the time’ mainly because others had said ‘they’re a great read, you’ll love them’. With these two, apart from not being able to connect with any of the main characters (all female) in either book I got the feeling that if the authors had researched something then it had to be included. Sometimes Less is more although I’m sure some publishers would disagree.
When will it end…..
I have been wondering when will we stop worrying if we have something more than we actually have?
It would appear all I’m suffering from is a common old cold!
My headache- runny nose – weepy eyes – sneezing- some coughing…..are just that……symptoms of a cold.
One of my very expensive antigen tests – well I certainly didn’t think $38 for 5 of these newfangled all singing all dancing ones was cheap when I needed them for The Golfer last December – has reassured me that (at that particular time yesterday) I wasn’t suffering from Covid or RSV or even Influenza A/B. That will certainly make life a little easier – hot honey&lemon with the odd paracetamol and maybe a slug of cough mixture now and again should see me through……..unless things turn nasty 🙁
How about you….what are you wondering about today?
To provide a little distraction from that heavy weigh me down feeling of sadness I’m prone to at this time of the year plus all the other happenings that cropped up, quite a bit of resting and much reading went on during the past few weeks ……our last month of Summer. And in the spirit of a certain games show I read (at least) 4 large and 4 small😊
After a couple of disappointments (which I’ll tell you about sometime) I moved on to others in the pile of books on the table
and began with Monica McInerney’s because it sounded a little bit crazy…….followed by one that began on an imaginary island in the South Atlantic then moved along to a much much larger real one called Australia. ***. On to a bit of fun (found in a street library) a book featuring a book blogger, finishing with a surprise loan from a friend (who does not usually let her books out of her sight). *** These ‘four large ones’ were interspersed with the ‘short ones’ making interesting reading all round. Family Baggage – Monica McInerney 2005. A funny, warm and moving novel of family secrets, dilemmas and dynamics
Such an easy ‘gentle’ read about family that sounded like fun with a little bit of ‘mystery’ to it as well. About a family who deal in travel, a family who stand up for each other, who have each other’s backs……the travel part was right but after one of them goes missing things turn out to be a bit more complicated than they originally thought.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first part, almost like a magical mystery tour of life on a remote island ‘run’ by females where single girls can claim shipwreck sailors as their husbands (once the men wear socks knit by the girl) – but lost interest when the storyline moved to Australia. It became more of a history lesson on times as they were, the thoughts and activities of ‘those times’ had to be added because the author seemed to need to write about everything she’d researched.
Main character Arwen Lark moves across country to be independent. Known locally as Winnie she’s become a successful book blogger (using a pseudonym) when her brother Strider (now a ‘famous movie star’) comes to visit. Unfortunately his visit coincides with the murder of a local newspaper reporter…..who he just happened to be with that very same evening. So she and a couple of friends set out to clear Strider’s name and find the killer. Easy to read, maybe a little too wordy at times but all added to the story. I certainly didn’t suspect the actual killer!
A comment from me about always trying to read the first book in a series first and how discovering it was the author’s actual first novel was like icing on the cake resulted in a friend loaning me her very old copy of this book. “It was my father’s” she said. “I know you will enjoy it but I do ask that you look after it”. Which I most certainly did! Last year it was my first Western…this year my first old style Private Eye
Delightfully drole, deliciously descriptive in simple sentences with acts and subjects that would’ve had any censors of the time scratching their heads. No wonder it was made into a movie – twice.
The full 1946 version (Humphrey Bogart) can be watched HERE. The 1978 colour version (Robert Mitchum) – similar but not the same- can be viewed HERE
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Blind Spot – Paula Hawkins 2022. (Mystery thriller) A short story by the author of The Girl on the Train – part of The Reading Agency Quick Reads series. Began well, slowed down then lost its way…..sort of had an inkling of ‘who dun it’. Didn’t see the ending though, wondered if better fleshed out as a full length novel.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s- Truman Capote 1958. (Classic/romance) A good read that flowed along and had you wondering…..”Oh Holly what are you going to get up to next”…..each time you turned a page. Like many things in life – sadly nothing lasts forever
Lastly two very short stories by female New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield (1888 – 1923). I’d seen her name mentioned on other book blogs and as I’m finding I really do enjoy the shorter more concise length I thought I’d see what I could find online.
I’m beginning to wonder (like just about every other person) when will these horrendous price rises end.
Remember the lemons ($9.90 kg December 2024) – last week they’d risen to $14.99 kg – almost double the price. Which is why little bottles like this one are flying off the shelves……you do wonder who’s making the money though
Also….I will admit to having a big grin on my face as I drove past the petrol station recently. There’s one thing we can’t get away from and that’s the ‘fuel up and down’ cycle that goes on here in many of our cities……unlike food prices that never go down after they’ve risen the cost of petrol will slowly fall a few days after what seems like – well actually is – an enormous jump in price.
The big sign said ULP 91 was $1.97 litre……I’d filled up the day before at $1.69. 😊 A 30¢ jump overnight can be horrendous for some drivers – especially those entitled ones who drive whopping great gas guzzling vehicles……so it’s best to be aware of how long the price has been low and top up before you discoverIt ended yesterday!
petrolspy – an easy to use app to keep an eye on prices Australia wide
I noticed it didn’t take long after the Reserve Bank announced (today) it had lowered the cash rate (which had been rising for several years) for some of the big banks to lower their interest rates on savings accounts. Not much has been said about when mortgage rates will actually drop (and by how much) which is probably uppermost in people’s minds more so than what they’d get on their savings (if they had any)
There is one group who won’t be too pleased about the cuts though and that’s self- funded retirees and those on part pensions. They are dependent on interest from savings and investments so will be looking at a loss in income.
I wonder if it will please the ‘cafe owners’ who have complained non stop about not being able to make ends meet……rising mortgages meant some regular customers were cutting out their ‘daily’ takeaway coffees – now some retirees who became regular customers won’t be able to afford them either.
Us…..well having no mortgage has meant no worries and the extra interest on savings has been good but we’re more interested in the currency exchange rate. Some of our income is from overseas pensions which can vary due to the exchange rate. If we receive more – our Aus pension is cut a fraction – so we never know exactly what we’re going to get . It’s been a constant amount recently- let’s hope it stays that way.
(Long post – skip to the end for the short version 😊)
I took this very early in February – thinking I was being clever by beginning a Christmas gift (at the end of January) ……one of my favourite knits – for little Mia. (Born Nov 2024)
Her mother has what you might call a shopping problem which means there is a full 12 months worth of clothes in the wardrobe just waiting for her to grow into so I’ve sized for 18/24 months……hopefully she’ll get some wear out of it the winter after next. (reminder – Winter in Aus is in the middle of the year not at the end😊)
And the state of play now – over two weeks later……exactly the same🙁. Well apart from reading the book – that’s finished
Actually there was a lot going on that day…..it was a scorcher, one from the heatwave that crossed the country that week – more fires were cropping up in the Grampian region (western Victoria) and in Far North Queensland towns along the east coast were being flooded – such strange weather.
Since then it’s been all fun and games (not) and being glad each of us has been there for the other – we’ve had more scorchers (which knowing my love of warm weather you didn’t hear me say I’m glad to see the back of)…..the rains seem to have to have eased off up north but the effects of flooding will linger for quite a while……and fires have been appearing in other places. There have been cooler days (one extreme to the other last Saturday when it was cold with a high of 11°out our way) but Summer really has been full bent on letting us know who’s the boss!
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Anyway I was certainly glad The Golfer was there the day I stood up and went whoopsie – not quite flat on my face thankfully – because he happened to be standing there right beside me when my leg just gave way under me. Oh lor did it hurt, swollen knee, any attempt to walk on that leg resulted in a tippy toe awkward hobble – much sitting around until I had an X-ray plus ultrasound.
Result ~ Small knee joint effusion. Bulging of the medial meniscus. Small amount of fluid in the deep infrapatellar bursa…..probably age related!
The Golfer was glad I was able play designated driver before that happened..….the car park at The Golfers eye specialist was full so I dropped him off, took my book and waited in a shady spot elsewhere – expecting a surgery date for cataract. He has a date but for injections in one eye. Not for macular degeneration but something that showed up during an X-ray (OCT) so that’s on the back burner for now until this problem is sorted.
Here’s hoping all is finished before June when the ‘long drive up north’ begins.
But wait – you know that saying about things coming in three…..yes, there’s more but I don’t think you really want to hear me moaning and groaning about the male of the house (there’s enough bloggers like that out there)
So let’s just say the panel beaters couldn’t fit The Golfer’s repair in for another few weeks….. thankfully the car is drivable so seeing the damage each time he gets in during that time should remind him of how close you can drive next to an immovable object without making a dent in your bank balance. Insurance covered it but there’s that rather large 💰💰💰excess to be paid.
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How are you all?
I’ll admit to not doing the ‘blog’ rounds – I needed a break from everything. I don’t have a book on the go at the moment but I did read loads during the time I was offline…..I’ll tell you about them sometime soon
Short version says – it’s been rather (a bit too) hot here, hotter still with consequences somewhere else and rained a lot up there.. ……I haven’t done much knitting but have read lots, stuffed up my knee (much better now) The Golfer ‘put a dent in both his car and bank balance, plus will get a jab in the eye soon 😊
Still Waters 