Things to think about that crossed my path recently
The Good:-
After a trial run here in Victoria last year one of our ‘large’ discount pharmacies (CW) in conjunction with another are now running a national collection service……collecting blister packs.
Unlike the little tubs/pots with those totally unopenable/unscrewable evil oh how I hate them ‘childproof’ lids some medications/pills come in which are recyclable the sheets of whatever (foil/plastic) left over after popping your pills out can’t be put in kerbside recycling bins so this scheme will keep them out of landfill.
Hopefully when I deliver this little (multi family) lot, the branch I use has moved its collection box closer to the entrance…..last time I dropped some off it was way up the back of the store, totally obscured by a pile of deliveries. I needed a staff member to point it out to me
A couple of cooler days last week meant instead of hiding away indoors from the heat alfresco lunches on the deck were back.
Raid the fridge, toss a few things together – there’s some carbs, protein, fruit and veg to keep me going. A crunchy favourite is Laughing Cow wedges spread on corn thins sprinkled with garlic salt. Out of apples so had cucumber to go with the mature cheese and Cheds…..and as it’s stone fruit season dessert was nectarines and plums. …..yes we’re all different with different likes and dislikes
The Goodish/Badish
After weeks of dry heatwave days and nights this is what it looked like when we arrived in the city yesterday- rain rain and more rain
It was bucketing it down as we sheltered in a small Lonsdale Street cafe – yes, theatre time again! An unusually empty stage greeted us as we settled down waiting for the rest of the audience to arrive before enjoying our Chrissy present to each other – one of the last performances in the Melbourne run of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
So it was good to be out and about even though a bit weary from lack of sleep…..fabulous show by the way – and no I’m not going to tell you ‘who dun it’😊…….weary after a scorching Saturday day then a warm Saturday night trying to sleep with helicopter water bombers flying around and about nearby as well as the strong smell of smoke because some little tow rags set fire to bush land 2km down the road from us! Thank goodness for emergency workers – (CFA – SES) – most of whom are volunteers and thank you Mother Nature for sending the rain.
Something that makes you realise time has passed by is when the renewal notice for your driver license is delivered. ‘Gosh that 10 years went by quickly – here’s to another one’.
Trouble is it comes as a bit of a shock when there’s a little enclosure in the envelope telling you that once you reach a certain age here in Victoria you are only allowed to renew your license for 3 years not 10 as is the norm. Unlike some of the other states, no medical or on the road test is needed, just an honour system of reporting any issues you may have
I wonder how quickly the next 3 years will pass by – and whether I’ll still be driving at the end of it?
The downright Ugly:-
A picture tells a thousand words!
Oh yuk……how could they 😦
Has anything interesting crossed your path recently ?
It’s always difficult to gauge what the food will be like at unknown pubs…..reviews are good but it often depends on the chef on the day.
Haven’t had a pie for a long time we said…….yes, they’re made on site we were told
The first one (on the specials board) at a well known country pub in Yarra Glen (just never visited by us) turned out to be a ‘pot pie’ – with chips and salad. I really should read menus more thoroughly as I wasn’t expecting that. Pastry topping was fabulous- light and flaky with edges rolling down the side of the pot. (Just as in some circumstances it’s not bad manners to pick up a chicken bone and have a nibble so I deemed it ok to pull the pastry off and dunk it in the gravy. 😊) The meat (that strangely was a bit chewy/could have been cooked longer before going in the pot) was in large chunks so had to be taken out to cut into more manageable pieces……I know I have a big mouth at times but. …. Anyway here’s a plus – a definite plus – it, the vegetables inside and the gravy were hot. – just come out of the oven hot. So all was not lost there
Chips and salad……unfortunately very tired
We ate outside in a sports bar area – rough wooden floor, bench tables, serviceable metal chairs! No one else out there except some cheeky sparrows who kept us amused ‘battling’ with each other over a chip that didn’t make it to my mouth
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So another Thursday rolled round, a free day for both of us ……oh the busy life these retired people lead…..where to today?. ‘What about we go to the pub down the road, the one on the corner on the way to Lilydale – another we haven’t been to for many a year ‘. I’ll try a pie again – my back and legs were killing me and I needed comfort food. Also made on site so better still.
Pub food is often standard fare, especially seniors menus like this one – snitzels,, parmas, fish & chips, sometimes roast of the day and presentation varies from place to place. I knew what my order was going to be……however you should have seen the smile on my face when the young man placed this in front of me. Stacking a meat pie on mash and placing onion rings so artistically on top of it all was a definite winner with me. The pie crust was crisp and flaky, the beef filling was pulled so no chewing necessary- it almost melted in my mouth, the peas might have been frozen but both they and the gravy along with everything else were piping hot.
The Golfer was not enthralled with his Nasi Goreng
The first cool day for ages so we decided to eat in the Bistro. A very large room with the visible kitchen and bar running down the room, basic tables and chairs with loads of room around each which encourages families to visit. Another quiet lunch because it was late when we arrived so there were only a few ‘old fellas putting the world to rights’ up near the bar – we shared a small alcove area with another couple at a table near to us.
And that’s my meat pie quota eaten for possibly a year or two 😊
Though nothing can beat them eaten out of a paper bag footy style.
So with the weather being what it is……Summer extending into Autumn (and how)…..it should be cooling down slightly by now especially overnight but nature seems to be thinking otherwise. A drop of rain- the first for a long, long time is forecast for Wednesday – forecast being the word. It could arrive or possibly like the recent cyclone Albert go walkabout, do a U-turn, and end up somewhere else. If it does turn up it’ll will be welcome relief from the heat and humidity
I’ve put the knitting to one side. Not because I was frustrated fed up with it but because my hands were getting sweaty…..knitting in the heat doesn’t usually do that…..’cept there’s always a first time for anything and this humidity was definitely proving that point.
So when I ‘explored’ a box of crafty bits tucked away at the back of a cupboard and found a xstitch embroidery kit…..no idea how long it had been there, probably bought on a whim to make a gift for ‘our little girl’ (given name starts with F) all those recent never again- think of the eyes thoughts were forgotten.
It’s begun – I’ve made a start- and surprisingly found there have been no sweaty palms…….
although I have found the grey cells are finding it more difficult to count up/down than they do sideways😧.
The plan is to finish the curly bits on the top and sides before the floral parts in the middle. That way I’ll be able to place the different colours without too many problems- like counting tiny squares!
Many years ago I read (and enjoyed) a book called Still Waters (Jennifer Lauck) smiling at the title being the same as my blog. And look at what I found in an op shop……another one with the same title- a debut novel (2008) by Australian author Camilla Noli . But I do wonder if someone would be interested if they only saw the very brief blurb on Goodreads……see how it’s described on Fantastic Fiction. Guess I’ll find out once I begin to read it
Hot weather rabbit hole time meant I discovered there are over 50 books listed on Fantastic Fiction with those two words as the title – many more with them included in the title. I lost count on a couple of other sites😊
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Unraveled Wednesday . .. is a link up hosted by Kat which encourages bloggers to chat about their craft, reading and life in general – pop over, see who’s come to visit- stay and say hello.
(To comment please click on post title and scroll down)
How do you think about where you live House v Home
If you happen to show someone the building Do you say – that is our house or that is our home?
There are lots of ideas out there on the WWW Most seem to conclude that A house is a physical structure with walls a roof and a door A home can be anywhere you live, that place, that structure made pleasant and safe by the people who live there
So what about you? What are your thoughts
Is it just A House – something that you are living in or A Home – the place where you are living but also where you feel comfortable and safe.
Are you content and thankful just to have a roof over your head or do you feel you must have things around you that you are able to relate to Things that prove this place is yours – give you a sense of identity
‘Home is where the Heart is’
We often talk about the ‘family home’ Does that mean that those who are single, widowed or divorced, those with no one to love or share their place with live in a home or is it just a house?
Do those owners of immaculate places have a house or a home ?
Does owning the place make any difference?
I know on the few occasions we have rented I found I couldn’t form an attachment to the ‘House’. That’s all it was – A House we were living in
Because of circumstances at those times, we were actually renting fully furnished so there wasn’t much we could do to make the place ‘ours’. Yes, we had some bits and pieces and knick knacks to dot here and there around the house but We could never change the paint colour, decorate or alter in any other form, and in some cases not even put a nail in the wall to hang pictures. So I never felt it was our ‘Home’
I’d love to know how others have felt if they’ve experienced living that way. Does being able to put your stamp on rented premises make it more homelike for you or have you accepted what has been offered as ‘this is it at the moment’.
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And what has put me into this ponderous mood? A friend’s grandchild is ‘moving out’ and was talking about this very same thing the other day. The youngster’s not going very far though……just to the bottom of the garden into the Granny Flat that belonged to the other grandma😊
And talking of homes let’s spare a thought for those in the path of Cyclone Alfred as it makes its way towards the Queensland- New South Wales coastline. Unusual (but not unheard of)to have one come this far south it’s forecast to cross land on Saturday morning
tr, adverb – to pass (time) idly and usually pleasantly…….source
When I was crook the other week I found it difficult to settle myself and concentrate on anything I tried to do
Reading didn’t go to plan because I’d keep nodding off instead of turning pages……the knitting didn’t fare so well either so that was put to one side. Crosswords and jigsaws were also non starters
I’ve had a little game app on my iPad for quite a while now…….one of those impulse downloads you mean to delete but never get round to it……it’s similar to ‘painting by numbers’ ……without getting wet. Choose a number- tap the highlighted area and Hey Presto it changes colour!
Yes, I know it sounds a bit old fashioned , but because it’s so easy to use –
turning grey/white designs like these into what one friend described as ‘works of art’ but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that – it’s also jolly good fun……. the developers describe it as a relaxing coloring book …..I’d also say it’s very ‘moreish’ (addictive even) in that once you finish one design you feel the need to start another almost immediately
Anyway I started tapping away filling in coloured areas one afternoon and became so carried away wanting to see what I could come up with next I didn’t realise how much time had passed until The Golfer asked – ‘what’s for tea’? . Tea ……he’d only just eaten lunch, how could he want more food?
It turned out I was in my own little world an awful lot longer than I realised…….this is what appeared when the ‘work’ was saved!
Yes the middle of last week saw me back in the business of living….
So off to my weekly date with 60+ other retirees who sing with a U3A choir. We have another new conductor- who is definitely keeping us on our toes and testing our thoughts on (and acceptance of) new genres and styles. . Show tunes are on the list again – we’re going to belt out a version of Cabaret (words&music – John Kander/Fred Ebb)….,maybe not quite so flamboyantly as this one sung by Liza Minnelli – the artist who made it her own in the 1972 film version.
Maybe not with the plunge neckline either……but then you never know. Growing old disgracefully is the name of the game these days 😊
And from one extreme to the other this is also on our program. Some choristers are familiar with it – others never heard it before….so it’s been a testing time for us all
It’s difficult enough at times to remember lyrics in English – these are in Latin 😦 . Let’s just say thank heavens for online rehearsal aids that allow you to practice at home……although it’s strange trying to get your part right without the other (higher and lower) voices around you.
Like many things in life – you can’t do it all by yourself – and this is one where it’s good to have a bit of help nearby
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 😊
January is the middle of Summer here in Australia…..when most of us sit back, relax and just enjoy life. Barring wondering if we’re going to have extreme heatwaves, bushfires or floods – which can always be just round the corner – many could be wondering how the cricket/tennis is going….. Or if you’re anything like me – what am I going to eat read next
There are three age old questions readers often ask friends and family
What are you currently reading ? What did you recently finish reading ? What do you think you’ll read next ?
As well as …..What have you been watching ?
Maybe you could pass on ‘your’ answers in the comments.
Because it’s the beginning of the year and see above 👆 it’s Summer……..most of what I’ve been reading lately has been short – not too taxing – Summer related (being the season) – found in my library catalogue or online using the keyword Summer However unread authors, new series, debut novels, novellas/short stories, Irish authors……these (and more) are what I have in mind for this year. No particular challenges like last year…..just see if it fits the bill.
On the go at the moment is:-
Shabby Summer – Warwick Deeping 1939. A struggling landscaping nursery owner fights to keep his business alive during a severe summer drought. His wealthy neighbor plots to drive him out of business so as to purchase the nursery land at a low price. A beautiful woman takes up residence across the river on Folly Island, adding spice to the story. That’s the Goodreads blurb however the ‘blurb’ on Amazon reads much differently- it sounds like a far more interesting and complex story HERE
Have just begun this which I’m enjoying so far. Set between two wars, small village gossip, a bit of obvious class distinction, older versus younger generation attitudes, The early seasons have been strange causing a bit of concern to the farming community.
(This quote makes me smile because it could be echoing words that many gardening bloggers have been known to come out with…)
……“this was one of those sanguinary years when the weather went mad, and played every sort of devilish trick on you. Evil spirits were abroad. The ruddy spring was bewitched“. “There ain’t no sense in it. A March like June, and an April like January. And dry at that,” and Bob spat to show his opinion of the weather.”
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What I finished ….over the past month
Summer – Edith Wharton 1917 This is the summer that 19yr old Charity Royall could not have predicted. Living in the small community of North Dormer in New England it’s the summer she meets Lucius Harney and becomes a woman. Filled with all the emotions of a young confused girl, the highs and lows of a passionate first love, descriptions of flora and fauna ……which might have seemed out of place to some readers but definitely added to the storyline…… plus social history of the time (early 1900s) An easy to read short book, one that made you ponder (about small town living, attitudes to women, unmarried mothers, abortions, marriages ‘because’…..and whether they have changed at all) one I enjoyed reading. *******
The Greengage Summer – Rumer Godden 1958. A summer of discovery. For the four children left in the care of an unknown adult after their mother becomes ill, the trip to France became a summer of discovering that some places are better than others, that growing up is not fun, that everybody has a private side, that all adults are not the same and do not always behave the way you expect them to. Another of those books that passed me by….one I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to others.
The novel is based on a summer the author and her sisters spent in France when her mother took sick and they were allowed ‘to run free’ . If you are interested This link takes you to an interesting article about BBC journalist Hugh Schofield’s ‘search for Rumer Godden’s French summer’.
I also discovered this 1961 full length film adaptation of the book (called Loss of Innocence in other parts of the world). Starring Kenneth More and a young Susannah York – like all adaptations…..similar but not the same
Mrs Lorimer’s Quiet Summer – Molly Clavering 1953. Mrs Lucy Lorimer (a successful published author) was looking forward to a nice quiet summer to enjoy with her friend (another female author) who lived in the same village….but her children along with young families (plus their various ‘problems’) were coming to visit for a week – all at the same time – and there just wasn’t enough room for all of them at her house. She rather liked the look of one (house not child) just down the road, which would have been large enough for them all but The Colonel (husband) wasn’t and then it was sold. In amongst sorting out sleeping arrangements, marriages, car crashes, accepting single son falling for girl from house down the road (notthe right sort), returning order to the lives of ‘downstairs staff’ there was also sections of the local show to organise. All this and more meant it ended up being a very busy sometimes stressful time, thankfully with an ‘all’s well that ends well’ ending One of those lovely easy family oriented reads with descriptions of country village life in a different time also proving that mothers never stop caring….and are a dab hand at giving advice and solving problems.
(Loosely based on the friendship of authors Molly Clavering and D.E.Stevenson who lived close to each other in a Scottish village) *******
Murder by the Seaside (Classic Crime Stories for summer). 2022 Edited by Cecily Gayford. It’s the height of summer. As the heat shimmers on the pavements and holiday makers depart for the coast, tempers begin to rise and old grudges surface. From an impossible murder on a remote Cornish beach to a coastal honeymoon gone horribly wrong, it’s not just a holiday that’s on some people’s minds…..it’s murder.
A set of short mystery stories – some longer than others – to be enjoyed during the summer….. the first one is The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle. Good reading – especially as it concerns a couple of fellas from Ballarat…..just two hours up the road from here! And here for your enjoyment is the dishy Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes
******* And now for something different – because of a recently ‘found’ photo taken on a trip we made back in 2006…..
Green Gables, ‘Anne’s’ home in Cavendish PEI – September 2006
…..I remembered a book that has been on my ‘must read sometime’ list – a downloaded version courtesy of Project Gutenberg has been sitting in my Books folder for a long time and thought maybe this summer is when I should actually get around to reading it
Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery 1908 A debut novel that turned into a series. What a fabulous way to close off this month’s post. This story (which had me chuckling more than once as well as a bit teary in places) about a little orphan girl sent to Green Gables by mistake, who never seems to stop talking, whose mind/imagination just keeps on working, who sees the bright side of her mistakes, who gives so much of herself to Marilla & Matthew as well as the people around her has to be one of the most ‘feel good’ books I have read for a long time – if ever. However I do wonder if it would have had the same effect/ if I’d felt the same way…..if I’d read it as a child rather than an adult.
….” there was no help for it; Anne, clinging to Gilbert Blythe’s hand scrambled down into the dory, where she sat drabbled and furious in the stern with her arms full of dripping shawl and wet crêpe.
Chapter XXVlll. An unfortunate Lily Maid
What might I read next:- . I’m not quite sure yet- it could be any one from this little pile that came home with me a few weeks back. I see Australian authors, historical fiction, a debut novel, a novel about a book club plus a mystery/thriller. I’ll let you know sometime 😊
They came from my ‘cup of coffee and biccy book club’….a gloriously casual very special group that I wrote about when I first joined them back in 2015
Which is so very different to my ‘read – think – discuss’ one. The one I enjoy in a different way because I get to read books I might not have read otherwise and where afternoon tea comes later
Slowanuary– isn’t that a wonderful ‘word’ I’ve seen it on various platforms and really feel it’s how this first month of the New Year should be approached
It’s easy for us who are enjoying the quiet days of Summer – this one here in Melbourne has finally warmed up into what we think of as summer. Hot enough on some days to go really slow….maybe full stop a couple of times. Those ‘way up yonder where everything’s icy and the white stuff is falling’ will probably be going slow to make sure they don’t lose their balance 😦
But that’s not what it’s all about….
Originally the idea was geared more for those in the Northern Hemisphere…..SLOWanuary – the warm up month of the year….. others have taken the idea and by expanding and itemising it have maybe simplified it …..but honestly like all good ideas it can be implemented anywhere and in any way
Some like to start the year off in a manner similar to lining up on the starting line…..ready steady go. That’s not my idea of fun We’re two weeks into the New Year and it’s obvious to me now from rereading this blog post……that without actually realising it, I’m a Slowanuary aficionado from way back.
I’ve always been an ‘ease your way in slowly’ person……
reading, bathing, eating, sleeping 😊
I’m still having a terrible time trying to comment on some blogs hopefully I’ll be able catch up with you sometime soon
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Sometimes I take photos just for the fun of it, sometimes it’s just something that’s caught my eye and I want to remember, often it’s something I’ve done/put together and is of no interest to anybody but myself. Going through folders I found one of those (taken 2019) and it brought back oodles of memories…… some good some not so. . Prepare yourself for a bit of a rambling Monday post🙂
There was a time….quite a few years ago now that I think of it….that depending on the season I would make a few jars of jams and pickles.
Then the plum tree came down in a gale so the jam production went down. Things were tight and I wasn’t going to fork out for fruit as well as the sugar. We were eating less and less of the sweet things so I didn’t miss the stack of filled jam jars in the cupboard.
I gave up on tomato and cucumber and some other vegetable growing a while ago… travelling and a back that has me cautious when digging as well as bending put paid to that. Besides even with making chutneys and pickles I gave away more than we ate.
These days I usually buy fruit and veg from the farm gate or at a good greengrocer. I can pick and choose and buy to our needs….. not have a glut when the season is good or worry about what we were going to eat if it was a bad ‘un
Food regulations meant that donations to ‘Street Stalls’ had to have ingredients listed and homemade recipes of ‘just a pinch of this and a pinch of that’ weren’t acceptable so in the end that part of my life – the productive housewife – sort of came to an end.
We now buy jams and pickles. Commercial food labelling means we are aware of all the included fats.. sugars.. salt.. you name it… so can judge whether it fits into our respective health needs. You know what I mean…..is it going to make me fat, raise my cholesterol even higher (even though we pop a little pill one must still be aware – or so the lovely GP tells me)… not do my BP any good (same advice from the GP)
Now healthy or not (depending on your point of view) we do like a cup of coffee. A Latte or Flat White when we’re out…..either plunger (french press) or (horrors of horrors, as some of my friends are inclined to remark) instant at home. The Golfer was given a little coffee maker with associated pods but it’s a pain to use so has sat on the bench for quite a long while now – the Bodum plunger is easy and depending on the brand of ‘proper coffee’ used makes an acceptable drink – the one we use…grown in Queensland tastes good to us – the taste of the instant brand we prefer isn’t so bad either.
Which brings me back to pickle making!
Like it or hate it…Moccona our instant coffee of choice – comes in big chunky jars which when washed and aired are great for dry goods storage. Because they are also airtight an old acquaintance would use the smaller one for pickles (pickle onions and gherkins mainly)
I rang her one time to say ‘I’ve got some spare ones if you’re interested’……then promptly forgot – and so did she.
Over a year later, a weekend of sunny weather – good for clearing corners of the garage – produced this haul of 8 Moccona 200gm jars. Plus various balls and cricket stumps!
May 2019
Sadly, when I rang this persons house to give her the good news (we had sort of lost touch but thank goodness for old address books) it was to hear her husband tell me she had died only a few months beforehand.
‘She would have loved them’ he said. ‘There was a time when….then he broke down. I said my goodbyes and also said to myself. ‘yes there was a time’. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It’s Monday morning and I’m in my ‘musing’ mode. Remembering and wondering
How about you – was there a time when you did…….and now just look back and wonder about the things you would do…..when you had the time?
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Just because the ‘picture in the book’ suggests it’s a girly knit most knitters know it doesn’t have to be. It’s often the actual knitting stitches plus embellishments that dictate how a garment is seen and there wouldn’t be many ‘home knitters’ who haven’t changed things around to suit
Here’s my first finish of the year – using as a base the stitch number plus measurements of what is presented as a cardigan for a girl but with a little boy in mind substituted the lacy stitch with stocking stitch/ 1×1 knit/purl every 4th row – mind you that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t suit a little girl
Over the years I’ve had a lot of fun with that basic chunky square style. Remember the baby sets made using up oddments early 2023
And of course the picture knits that appear now and again when I want to make something different
Not forgetting the stripey versions – another way to use up oddments
Being such an easy style to knit you never know what I’ll come up with next
🧶🧶🧶🧶
It’s the same with books – just because somebody says….. I’m lending you this book which you really must read – ‘it is riveting’….that doesn’t mean you will feel the same way
I tried, I really did…..but unfortunately found reading the question/answer style a little annoying. Yes it was a written record of an interview (questions/answers obviously) but the answers were a little quite long winded at times so on reflection think perhaps I might have enjoyed the audio version much more. It wouldn’t be like ‘reading a book’ where you have to listen and concentrate to absorb the storyline (and sometimes grimace at the narrator’s voice). I feel it would be like taking part in a conversation- a silent part – listening to the other people speak, nodding and smiling as the words are flowing.
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I’ll share this later on Kat’s featured post Unraveled Wednesday It’s usually full of lots of talk about craft, books and life in general….click the link to see what’s been going on
Oh, and what have you been making recently……and how do you cope when a ‘looking forward to reading’ book doesn’t thrill you?
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Still Waters 