Wyrd by Sue Gough

A novel written in 1993 that reminds me of Da Vinci Code. I am not sure why and will have to reread it but everytime I think of Da Vinci Code, I have a connection with Wyrd that I discovered in the school library and loved reading a couple of years ago.

Da Vinci Code (the movie)

It's so good when you hear negative reviews of something. It allows you to have low expectation and be pleasantly surprised. I loved the book, as obviously many others on the planet did hence the whole bestseller thing for ages. Anyway, I enjoyed the film too.

Cooking Dinner & Desperate Housewives

Tonight I have enjoyed cooking dinner. I like Monday nights dinners. I have to confess I love watching "Desperate Housewives". I finally got that it was comedy after watching my family watch it for months. I would scoff at them saying, that show is rubbish, why do you watch it. Finally their laughter drew me in. I really enjoy it now. The last time I looked forward to such escape was when "Ally McBeal' was on. I am not sure why but I don't like much in the way of TV shows.
Anyway, because I know I am going to sit and chill and watch this show, I put extra effort into cooking dinner on Monday nights.

Does that make sense?

Sand Surfer

On a cold day like today it is good to remember last summer. This is not me by the way. I stumbled upon this little family whilst walking along the beach one day. It looks such fun hey.

Happiness At Work

I read this blog last night. I totally agree with what the author is putting forward here. Work is such a central part of our life and if we aren't happy there it can be bad for our health. I love Riccardo Semler's books and I have also enjoyed Anita Roddick's writing on this topic as well as everything she writes.
I think happiness is always our own responsibility, yet having said that as an employer there are ways to encourage it and not. I look forward to reading Alex's book on this and watching his process as well.

I have lots to do today and normally this kind of workload would make me groan but I can't help feeling happy for lots of reasons.

My part time job - taxi

I am running the son to Jeeralang today. I used to hear parents complain about running their kids around and dismissed it. I never realised how time consuming and interupting it is. A parent should be able to 'just say 'no'' but in reality you are then stuck with a long faced teenager behaving like a two year old. It is emotional blackmail. It works effectively for them as it did for me when I had the services of my parents. Actually my kids are pretty good really. They walk around town to many of the places they have to go and although they sometimes complain about this, most of the time they accept it as reality.

Henna Powder, reading and lack of chocolate...

I have bought some henna powder. I remember back in the early nineties I used henna to color my hair. It wasn't grey then so I wonder how it will go. I know, all this obsession with hair is so unlike me. I wonder if the moon is in Leo or something, thus affecting my hair concern.
I have been continuing to enjoy my reading and have a pile of books that are distracting me from corrections. I really do find reading an effective way to cut off from stress. I love it.
I have ran out of chocolate tonight. I usually have a stash somewhere. The only chocolate in the house is Andy's dark chocolate Bilby that he has hoarded since Easter. I want to eat it .... it might go off!! I won't though because I respect others chocolate boundaries. I mean I couldn't very well scoff the bilby down and then expect that my own stashes would remain safe. I mean it is a fragile trust we all have with our individual pockets of chocolate.

I really ought to be correcting......

Ooh I found the Jedi Series funny. Yep, these are the kinds of things I do with my time when I should be doing mounds of correction...... Oh but this is really funny. Watch it and cry.


Can't say what happened to episode 2, but I promise, when I find it, I'll bring it to your attention.

Ahhh procrastination, such a lifelong habit, difficult to break.

Visiting Pa II

Pa is in hospital now. He has had some complications. His chemo is progressing well though, so that was good. I have visited him both days of the weekend and also another friend who is unwell at present. I feel really lucky to have my health right now.
Today I took the kids in to see him and as we were leaving he said to them he was so proud of them and they were a credit to him. Lucky it was on the way out because I got pretty teary after that. I hate seeing him in hospital. He is so positive though. He says he hasn't had a moment's pain, not even a headache and he praises the staff and the equipment, taking an interest in everyone and everything. I feel he is a real credit to me.

David Almond & Baci

Just finished reading 'The Fire Eaters' and I wholeheartedly agree with the reviews on the back cover. It was a delightful book. David Almond is a great writer and his books are always refreshingly different to me.
I love reading. I have a couple more Gary Crew books to read now.
I am tired tonight so I shall retire early with my book and my Mothers Day 'Bacio'. I love those chocolates as much for the love notes inside as the delightful chocs. I also like the silver and blue wrappings and I think the star design is divine too. I think they were created by someone with very similar taste as me!

Transformation

I received a free tarot reading for mothers day this morning. I rushed through it and noticed of all the cards that I got the Death card. It is so appropriate for me right now. I have had a seriously busy week and lots of things have happened around me that I won't go into because they are mostly other people's stories and not mine to tell. I'll just say that some of my closest friends have been through harsh times. It hurts to see people you love hurt. I feel changed.
I got an email from another Tarot site that I used to read about the Death card meaning transformation. I guess it was there to insist even if I had been too rushed this morning to register it in the reading. I got it.
I have made some decisions about small changes I am going to instigate in my life.
My long time and treasured friend, Jane bought me this gorgeous treat from the bakery as a gift for a small favour I did and I couldn't possibly eat it without photographing it. The anticipation and visual deliciousness of it deserves sharing. I'll let you know if the taste measures up!

A success but never again....

I was crazy enough to give my 16 year old son a birthday party on Saturday night. The guest list grew out of proportion, as they do and I existed through the night in absolute stress bordering on fear to be honest. I was cranky and uptight with many of the kids and watched as about 80 kids trouped through my home out to the back yard concealing amounts of alcohol beyond thier capacity. I watched as they swayed and heard the noise level rise until I could tolerate it no longer. I turned of the music and sent them all home. They went. It was over and I breathed a sigh of relief.
They forgave me my crustiness. Only one small thing was broken and the breaker quickly reported it to me and promised to return the next day to fix it, which he actually did to my surprise and delight. No fights or agressive behaviour. My neighbour put a card in my letter box today thanking us for handling the party so well, which was a really touching and amazing thing.
There were a handful of kids who drank too much and caused me concern. Interestingly enough none of these kids were listed when the invitations went out and were all people I let in at the door because I felt sorry for them and didn't want to turn them away as all their friends were there. I guess that is why they weren't on the list - because they behave themselves in such a way as to leave themselves out. It wasn't that bad though, just annoying mostly.
I felt extra stressed because I received some really sad news on Friday night, which I won't be writing about because it is private but it made me very sad and I would have preferred to spend the weekend alone with my reminiscences. Sometimes you just don't have that option.
I will not be having any more parties like that. It was too stressful for me and not necessary. I am sad to think kids that young are drinking alcohol to enjoy themselves and I don't want it in my face again. They are good kids most of them though. This has been reinforced to me again.
For parents reading this, the kids whose parents phoned me and said they weren't allowed to drink, did not drink. They enjoyed themselves just as much and were a pleasure to have. It is a shame more parents don't make that stand, including myself.

Gary Crew

I want to go to bed and read and I am about to after I write this. I love Gary Crew books. I am reading one at present called 'Edward Britton' that he cowrote with Philip someone, Nelson maybe, I really should check. If I was Philip I would be annoyed to read this. The chances are he won't so I will look it up another day because I can't spare the time right now to walk to my bedroom as it will deprive me of reading time.
I first 'met' Gary Crew's books in the picture book section of our school library. I loved his picture books and read as many as I could. I took 'The Lost Diamonds of Killercrankie' to Tasmania with me when I last went there on a holiday and it made the best holiday reading. I have used 'I Saw Nothing' with my year 7 classes for many years and I feel it introduces endangered species beautifully. I loved 'The Lacemakers Daughter' and was really surprised by it. Before embarking on the current book, I enjoyed 'Strange Objects'. I have used plenty of the other picture books, and there are plenty with my classes and the thing I love the most is that he has written so many. It's great.

Walking

I have been walking the past two nights. Andy and I are checking out homes around town that we see for sale in the local paper. It really is a great way to look at them. You can get a better feel for the area if you approach it on foot. I am also feeling more well. I have a little more energy in my day. This is not new information to me but I seem to always slip off the walking path and just stop. I feel too tired, it's too cold, I'm too busy are some of the excuses I use. I resist the urge to make any grand promises about never doing this again. I hope I continue to be this kind to myself.
Autumn is the best time to walk though. I love the leaves. The crunchy deep ones as well as the drifting ones that fall like confetti yet more elegantly and gently. I love the days that are sunny and clear yet have a coolness that allows you do do plenty. It is a great time of the year.

I haven't been writing many posts lately. Not entirely sure why, but mostly haven't had much to say. I feel contented right now and that is enough for me.