Friday around here

At the moment I am loving this collection of short stories by Tim Winton.

I am really feeling I need to get a move on with my winter quilt, for snuggling kids on the lounge and for lying under in the tent.

Studying seeds for companion planting.  The idea of planning what we want to eat in the coming seasons and adding a dash of colour which I know will also help things grow and give the bees a hand after hibernation.

Planning for a road trip and picnic gathering with friends.  So far on the menu is rhubarb and coconut muffins and roast pumpkin and fetta frittata.

Friday

I can almost hear the cries "heretic! liar!" I see the stones being thrown.  I have always been in two minds about it myself.  Much like my dilemma of book vs kindle.

Audio book.  Being somewhat of a puritist, I always felt I would be hypocritical if I say I have read a book, if I had listened to it on audio.  Not that I have really listened to any, other than The Enchanted Wood or Fantastic Mr Fox on cd with the kids....
But with my books to read pile ever growing, I thought this might be a way to get through a couple of books.

A woman in my book club was once discussing her favourite Jane Austen novel (Persuasion).  She has read the book many times, but she said that she also enjoyed listening to the audio book, read by Greta Sacchi.  That was enough to peak my interest.

The other day I read a conversation on the subject which was posted on Good Reads.  And many people were in my camp.  Life is busy, can't always get through books quickly, so why not listen to an audiobook while doing the housework (or sitting in a dark room waiting for a toddler to go to sleep).

Then someone commented:  "I am blind.  This is how I read."  That nailed it for me.  Why not?  And even better if it is well read by a familiar actress.

Wednesday

"Never since they were small children had they clustered about her so, and never since then had she been so aware of the smell of their hair, their softness, breathiness, abruptness.  It filled her with a strange elation, the same pleasure she had felt when any one of them, as a sucking child, had fastened her eyes on her face and reached for her other breast, her hair, her lips, hungry to touch, eager to be filled for a while and sleep."

~ Housekeeping (Marilynne Robinson)

Wednesday

Look at me.  Something I never imagined I would do.  I am reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

I remember when the first (of how many??) HP books was published I got on the bus to work one day.  As I looked down the aisles of the bus, almost every person was deep into the novel.  I thought at the time, what? And rolled my eyes (a bit high brow).

Nicholas saw the movie at a friends house about a month ago.  Admittedly I was a little surprised that it had  not been mentioned to me by the other parent.  Now Nicholas' teacher is reading the novel to the class, so I bit the bullet and bought a copy.

I have to say, I love that it has brought something new to our relationship.  Nicholas comes home and immediately says "did you read any more Harry Potter?!" 

And even more surprising, I find I do actually look forward to seeing what happens next!  
 
And Nicholas sweetly borrowed another book from the library he has been reading and thought I might like. Xo

I am still reading Woman in Gold.  Admittedly, I did what I prefer not too - halfway through the book I watched the movie.  Given I have past the point in the book that both Gustav Klimt and Adele Bloch- have died, I feel like I can skip through to various points of interest in the book.

All ready to read next (and may not have appeared in my earlier lists of books to read, nor are sitting on my bedside table) are All the Light We Cannot See by  Anthony Doerr,and The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman, which I definitely want to read before seeing the movie.

Finally, a book I have had for a while but not been brave enough to start, is The Child In Time by Ian McEwan.  I first heard Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales talk about it on their podcast.  Annabel Crabb said it is her favourite novel and she used to read it every year... until she had children.  Therein lies my problem.  The novel follows a family in the years following the disappearance of their three year old daughter.  Sometimes it can be too scary to face something that you know will bring sadness.  Still, I am intrigued.

No beautiful image of these three novels though, as they are all on my kindle.  I love my Kindle, and it is so practical and easy... but I do miss the feel of turning the pages in my hands, choosing the most beautiful cover, and lets face it, pulling it out on the bus to share with all (admittedly I have been a little more subtle pulling Harry Potter out of my bag).

And I haven't even got to books of faith and sewing!

 
 Books - everywhere you look!

Tuesday

The list... which I am sure will change before I have actually read through them, but for the moment this is what is currently on my bedside.

I am currently reading 'The Lady in Gold' about Klimt's portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer and its theft by Nazi's during WW2 and the family's battle to get it back from the gallery that got it after the war.  A movie with Helen Mirren is waiting to be watched after I have read the book.

'The Mitford Girls'.  When I was 18 my best friend gave me a book about Grace Kelly and her bridesmaids.  I expect the book about these fascinating sisters  - a fascist, a communist, a duchess and an author - to be the similar.  A tale of wealthy, fascinating and at times tragic women.

I have only read one Barbara Kingsolver - the 'Poisonwood Bible', which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Prodigal Summer has been on my bookshelf for a while, and has now joined the pile of "books to be read now that I do not study".  Similarly, Marilynne Robinson is a favourite author.  Her book 'Gilead' is just the slow story that I love.  Turns out Barack Obama is also a huge fan!   Housekeeping was her first novel and it keeps cropping up on other people lists of favourite books, so I am keen to cross it off my list as well.

Laura Tingle's Quarterly Essay has been on my desk for a while... 'Political Amnesia' about the inability to govern... not sure how soon I will read this one as I seem to be living it.  :(

And then my kindle... full of things to read.  Gloria Steinem's 'The Road'; Joan Didion's 'The Year of Magical Thinking'; 'H is for Hawke'by Helen Macdonald; 'The Child in Time' by Ian McEwan.  This one is Annabel Crabb's favourite book and she says she always read it every year... until she had children of her own, so I am not sure I will manage this one.  And 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr.  I am thinking I might leave 'The Lady in Gold' on my bedside to read in the minutes (seconds really) before my head hits the pillow and I sleep, then keep my kindle books for work and the bus trip home.

Saturday

Almost a month since I have posted?? 

Life has been busy, and yet I don't have a whole lot to say.  We seem to spend each week ticking the days off, with David busy with his studies, me back at work, and trying to juggle the kids activities in between, it is easy to see the pages of the calendar flipping over. 

I was looking forward to going back to work - being among more adult conversations.  But at the same time, I am aware it is the beginning of days away from the kids.  Especially Maggie.  But she seems happy to see me when I get home from work, and is full of smiles and cuddles.  David is doing a great job as stay at home dad.

This month we finally had Maggie dedicated at church.  At 10 months old.  I was mindful of the statement we were making in doing so, and in my ever present mother guilt I also thought about the same commitment I made for Nicholas and Audrey.

Maggie had a gorgeous Collette Dinnegan dress to wear, and Audrey wore Leona Edmiston.  :)  very fashionable pair!

I have decided I want to spend the year reading novels by Australian authors.  Well, what remains of the year!

I have just started Alex Miller's Prochownik's Dream. I am also reading Fictional Woman by Tara Moss.

Also on the list is Journey to the Stone Country, also by Alex Miller, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (shamefully, this has been on my list for a number of years).  Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, Death of a River Guide by Richard Flannagan. and Eyrie by Tim Winton..

So many books to read.  Never the time!  We'll see where I get to.

Another year begins

A new year.  With David away for the week I spent my first New Years Eve on my own in a while. 

I didn't stay up until midnight.  Instead I sent Dave a text at 11 and went to bed.  It is strange without Nicholas and David in the house.  I think I can understand why old women in nursing homes are fidgety in the afternoons, without children to pick up, dinner to prepare... being out of the usual routine.  The time alone with Audrey is lovely though.  Tomorrow I will take her to buy her school uniform.  Next week she has a couple of sessions at gymnastics.  We painted each others nails today. (I opted for a light colour!!) 

It is natural to think of new years resolutions at this time.  Everything I feel in my bones for this year leads to the desire to have a calm spirit.  I know one thing I have determined in my heart to do, which means more to me than anything else. Stop. Yelling. 

I want to be more intentional about my parenting.  I feel that last year I was constantly swept up in the busyness of "life".
I also need to start going to bed earlier.
I'd like to read three books from my own bookshelf that I haven't taken the time to read yet.  Starting with this new one.

Some big things there, but all revolve around the need to be disciplined when it comes to emotions.  There is more I could say here, but I'll leave that for another time.

* * *

Maggie will be in her cot in her own room in a couple of weeks.  Exciting times.

Wednesday

dreaming...

Wednesday

In no particular order, and with no promises made, here is the preparation for my reading over the coming year.  Let's face it, I am not one to shy away from picking something else up instead!

Tuesday

Day one, back at work.  All was good.  Truth be known, I felt a little anxious the night before.  I always do when it is the night before an event - before I travel, first day of school (for my kids)...

My Section had a lunch that day which helped make day #1 extra pleasant.  And now I am home again!

I was really tired yesterday afternoon though.  I actually fell asleep in bed last night with my current read, a few briefing papers from work and listening to this interview.  It seems Kate Morton has another book out and was in Canberra last week doing a reading and book signing.  I am annoyed I keep missing these things...  I went to a previous book signing and we chatted easily.  Her reading tastes are similar to mine.  Kate's new book seems to follow the formula of her other books, but if it works, why not?  Here is another interview (I love her haircut, although I wouldn't do it myself!)

 

I have another book on my wish list which seems similar to The Secret Keeper. Maybe I'll give both a go.

Tonight David has his final presentation at work and then the university semester is over!  I think a cake to celebrate is in order.  The semester becomes quite a taxing time for us all, which makes me worried about how we'll go if I throw myself into the text books again for another year.  We'll see...

Last weekend we went to the coast for a quick one night getaway.  We camped at the beach at a very comfortable caravan park only two hours away.  What I loved (aside form the kids thoroughly enjoying themselves) was a lovely Sunday market, with excuisate fruit and vegetables and a fantastic coffee van.  We'll have to go again.  :)

 

 ...and fruit mince is made for Christmas tarts!  I really need to start thinking about Christmas this year...

Sunday

This afternoon I finished The Road.  WOW.  It is no doubt one of the best books I have read.  How can someone write about the world after an event that has never occurred so descriptively?  It was so moving, at times frightening.  I could feel the emotions of the book as it followed the journey of the man and the child though a desolate place.

It is no secret that I love to read and I would have trouble listing my all time favourite books but I tried to think of ones that I've read that have have left me feeling this way.  Wuthering Heights, The English Patient, Cold Mountain.

If I was an English Lit teacher (something I briefly thought of doing 20 years ago) this would definitely be on my list of books to read.

Wednesday

This morning (after hanging some washing on the line) I sat in the sun to read a little.
At the moment I am ready The Road, by Cormac McCarthy.  The cover of my edition reads "a work of such terrible beauty that you will struggle to look away".  So true.  For those who have either seen the wonderful movie adaptation, or read the book, will know it is the story of the journey of a father and son post Apocalypse.  McCarthy's writing style lends itself beautifully to the sparse feeling of the book.  The language is beautiful - there are times that my heart aches when reading about the love between the man and the boy.  David was really affected when we watched the movie and afterwards just had to go and sit on Nicholas' bed and look at him, asleep.

There is a passage in the first pages of the novel that stayed with me for days:

The road was empty.  Below in the little valley the still gray serpentine of a river.  Motionless and precise.  Along the shore a burden of dead reeds.  Are you okay? he said.  The boy nodded.  Then they set out along the blacktop in the gunmetal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other's world entire.

 I found those last words beautiful.  Each the other's world entire.  The feeling of being alone in the world and wanting to do whatever you had to to ensure your child was safe.

Another passage:

They slept huddled together in the rank quilts in the dark and the cold.  He held the boy close to him.  So thin.  My heart, he said.  My heart.

The Road is a novel I would recommend that everyone read, even just once in their lifetime.  I am hoping that by the time Nicholas is in high school that it appears on the school reading list.  McCarthy's writing is extraordinary.  You would think he has lived the Apocalypse.  While the topic sounds dreary, I cannot emphasis how simply beautiful this novel is.  It is a pleasure to read and, although I am not yet finished, I know I will feel changed having done so.

I thought of adding the movie trailer to this post, but while the movie is outstanding, I felt the scenes in the trailer did not do justice to the movie if it was to be the first impression someone got of the story.  So instead, I'll add Viggo Mortensen interview about the book.  He played the father in the movie, and well, who didn't love his role of Aragorn in Lord of the Rings?? :)



On a lighter note, David and I watched a delightful French film last night, Delicacy.



It was a lovely story and beutifully filmed.  Anything filmed in Paris always makes me want to go back! :)

Tuesday

I am LOVING this weather right now! (really, who isn't)  When I came home from taking Nicholas and Audrey to school this morning I sat in our sunny morning spot with a cup of tea, a slice of David's bread toasted and read.  It was divine... I can hear the breeze blowing through the huge gumtree in our neighbours yard and the hum of traffic along the road behind us.

 

I am hoping this can be the beginning of a joyful ritual I endeavour to undertake when I am on leave.  5 working days to go, but who is counting?  Certainly not me when I think of the reports I need to have written and finalised before I finish...

 

 

 At the moment I am reading Romulus, My Father by Raimond Gaita.  I had seen the movie, but particularly wanted to read the book after David and I spent a little time in the area the book is set in.  I love the way it is wrtitten as I think we all come from families with everyday stories that have contribued to making us who we are.  I love social and personal histories.

 

Then with Nicholas I am reading the Borrowers by Mary Norton.  I read these when I was younger.  And Audrey is reading the Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Anderson.  When she likes a story she likes to read it every night.  For days.

 

At the moment I am cooking dinner, from my favourite go to family cook book.  I've made this sweet and sour pork before and one of my favourite things to do is to make the Chinese five spice myself.  Fennel seed, star anise, szeshuan pepper, cloves and cinnamon.  It smells fantastic.  We've also taken to eating more brown rice. Nicholas has a friend over from school today, perhaps the first time we've done this?  I can hear them squealing and running outside so I'll have some uninterrupted time to get this ready. :)

 

Today is Maria Montessori's 142nd birthday.  I love her educational philosophy.  You can read about her here.  I wonder what she would think of the fact that the method she developed while working with the children of low-income families is now really only accessible by a wealthier group...

Not to worry though, I had this book which is a great summary of the philosophy!

Talking of books, Nicholas had book week at school while I was away.  He enjoys reading Zac Power books so before I packed to go to Darwin I whipped up something easy - a Zac Power id card and a SpyPad.  Unfortunately Nicholas' school did not seem to have a dress up event for Book Week, but at least he now has them for play at home.

Nicholas LOVES his chapter books at bedtime and the threat of him going to bed without one always gets a response to what we need him to do beforehand!  We have been through a number of Enid Blyton and Rohld Dahl books and, well to be honest, I'd like a little break.  So I am going to introduce him to one of my favourite stories when I was younger - The Borrowers by Mary Norton.  Nicholas is looking forward to them.  I remember when I was younger my mum and dad took us to various public libraries on the weekends and it was always a thrill to go to a new one and look at books we hadn't seen before.  I can remember going to Kingston Library and borrowing a book on miniature houses - I dreamt of making the tiny furniture and accessories.  The houses in the book were all period homes and I remember I loved he Tudor House.  I can remember reading another library book that was about a girl that went back in time, I just can't remember the title - not Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park (another favourite).  I'm glad my kids love stories!

Friday

I hope to get through a few of the books in the piles growing on our bookshelves.  This morning while on the bus I finished reading The Hunter by Julia Leigh.  It is a remarkable first novel. The subject matter is quite different to what might be expected. I'd be interested in knowing the inspiration for Julia Leigh's choosing the subject. I found out things about the Tasmanian Tiger that intrigued me - things I would not necessarily have sought out about the extinct animal. The Thylacine was a marsupial, the same family as the kangaroo.  Both the male and female had a pouch.  Apparently they did not run at any great speed, but were able to continue moving for a long period of time, exhausting their prey.  Their jaws were elongated with a gape that could crush the skulls of their victims.  They had a jaw span of 120 degrees.  Fascinated?? :) 

And there are rock art paintings of Thylacine in Arnhem Land (where I will be in a couple of weeks).

Amazing that the last known Thylacine only died 70 or 80 years ago.

Leigh's ability to provide just the right amount of detail in such a brief novel was brilliant - whether about the Thylacine, or about hunting or the beautiful landscape of Tasmania.

The main character, the hunter, known as M is not necessarily a likable character but in spite of that I found myself eagerly waiting to see if he redeems himself. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the novel, and arriving there wished there was more to come.

I loved the movie - it was beautifully shot and I'm a great fan of Willem Defoe.  There are two significant differences between the novel and the movie.  I won't give them away here.  I can't say whether I preferred one over the other.


Now. What to read next?

wednesday

My reading list for the next little while.  I recently finished The Mountain by Drusilla Modjeska.  Given most of my work this year has been on Papua new Guinea, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  At times I had to remind myself the characters were fictitious.  Dealing with a lot of people who work overseas in the development field it was easy for me to understand some of those focused on in the novel, and particularly to empathise with those living within another culture.  I was fascinated by the history of the university in Papua New Guinea and PNG's independence, which is when a large part of the novel is set.  I still have my own questions as to whether independence came too soon, and particularly how Australia administers foreign aid.  But those are questions outside the realm of my blog.  :)

A little while ago David and I watched two movies, The Hunter, starring Willem Defoe, and The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen.  I am currently reading The Hunter, by Julia Leigh and am enjoying the third person narrative.  It tells the story of a lone hunter who is following a lead on the sighting of a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).  I keep going back visually in my mind to one of the last scenes in the movie.  The events were poignantly shot.  I can't wait to see how it is written in the novel.

I put off watching The Road for some time, knowing the bleak subject matter.  When we did watch the movie I found it a moving experience.  The story of a father and son as the travel the road, post apocalypse.  The acting was brilliant and the dialogue beautiful.  I have attempted to read only one Cormac Mccarthy novel previously.  About 15 years ago I tried reading All The Pretty Horses.  At the time I found Mccarthy's writing style a little challenging.  Mccarthy forgoes a lot of punctuation.  He does not use quotation marks for dialogue, no apostrophes and no semi colons (and rarely a colon). 

I looked at the first chapter of The Road online, and being a relatively short novel, I thought it was a Cormac Mccarthy novel I could finish, so it is in my pile of books to read.

I recently listened to an old interview with Raimond Gaita, author of Romulus, My Father.  Another movie I have seen before reading the book.  I know that it appears on many high school reading lists. 

I'll definately be in need of an enjoyable read of another kind, so have a couple in my pile "to be read" when I need to come up for air - another Isabel Dalhousie, care of Alexander McCall Smith, and a Geraldine Brooks, which is becoming like another old friend. 

And my bookcases are in a severe need of reorganising!

plans...

...with pictures.  I am feeling quite lazy so i am going to include a lot of pictures in this post!  So I have plans, to get things back on track.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been listening to thought provoking and inspiring messages and doing daily readings that have helped me see things a bit more clearly.  I've gained perspective.  have I said all this before?  I am sure I have a million times.  We are about to take some time off for a bit of a family road trip.  Which we have needed.  When we get back I need to get a significant program I've been working on at work out of the way and write a couple of reports.  this will take me to mid September which is when I plan to take TWO MONTHS off work!  The juggle has got to me seriously over the past two years and I can see that it hasn't been a positive influence on my family either.  So I plan to get things on an even keel, starting now.  With good eating and rest - a mental and physical pick me up to get things going.

I'm also going to start to focus more on things I enjoy.   Number 1, my husband and kids.  Priority #1.  The people that live under my roof.

Then I've got lots of sewing to catch up on.  I met Jennifer at Sew it Together and she is an amazing spokesperson for Oliver + S patterns!  Let's face it, I have the book, I have the patterns.  Must. Start. Sewing!





And that is not including the other WIPs tucked away around here!!

Then my reading.  I've almost finished this

and am ready to start this.

Not to mention introducing David to my three most favourite Audrey Hepburn movies:
 

Isn't he lucky??!!

Saturday

This is what happens when you leave it so long between posts.  A lot of random things to say.
Firstly and importantly, Nicholas scored his first goal in soccer today.  And as any mum would say, I wouldn't have missed it for anything - his smile made my heart feel like it would burst. 

One day last week while eating his breakfast Nicholas said to me: "Do you know what we have more of than anything in this house?”  “Books.  There are books here (the family room) books in the lounge room, books in my room and books in Audrey’s room.” I love that he noticed and I am thrilled that he is growing up surrounded by books. 


At a meeting with his teacher last week she said that he was not reading at grade level.  It actually shocked me because although I had been working diligently with him to improve his reading skills I didn't think he was behind.  It also inspired me to look more closely at ways I can help reinforce what he is learning at school.  A few weeks ago I started taking groups in his class for guided reading activities and it has  now become a regular Tuesday activity.  I came home and made up our own version of one of the games available at school.  I cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a fish bowl and then printed a number of Nicholas' sight/high frequency/magic words onto card.  I cut them into the shape of fish and the idea is that they are all laid out face down.  Nicholas turns one over and says it.  If he has read it correctly it goes in the fish bowl and if he can't read it, it goes back face down.

I printed groups of the words using this program so that they can be printed with dotted lines for him to trace and so get used to writing them and spelling them.  We don't do these each day, but I'll rotate them with with his homework for emphasis.  He loves stories and being read to, so I don't want reading and stories to become too much of a chore.  When we go away for the holidays I am going to take a pile of home readers so he can continue to do one each night.  I will also get him to write one sentence each day about something we have done.  So as not to be left out I also printed Audrey's name using the dots and she had a great time tracing it.  I'll also get her to draw pictures of what we do on our holidays so she doesn't feel left out and Nicholas doesn't feel singled out!


Since Sew It Together I have been inspired to get stuck into some of those WIPs!  First on the list are some Heather Bailey book bags I had told a cousin I'd make her girls... last winter!  We are about to visit the farm again so there is an incentive to not show up empty handed... 

I first saw these bags in a couple of years ago in a Mary Englebright magazine.  I emailed Heather Bailey to ask if there was a pattern, but she hadn't done one.  A while later they appeared, so I was thrilled.  I made Audrey one and cut out fabric for three more... and there the fabric stayed.   My old industrial strength Bernina has been set up on our table the past week.  Hopefully I'll have something to show for it tomorrow night!


Speaking of magazines, I came across this one on the iPad.  TreeFall's princess and the pea is on the front cover.  Something else on my list of things to make!  Subscriptions are a small fortune from the UK so I I've asked my local newsagent if he can order them in... I think he is going to, I can't wait.  :)