Harvest

Right - well this is the harvest of the accidental vege patch (aka - look what happens when you throw out stuff the guinea pigs haven't eaten). All of you what have good recipes for pumpkins please pass them on - pumpkin scones, pumpkin pickle or jam. Bring it on. Can you spot the real pumpkins? The fake is courtesy of Great Aunt Alice - a wedding gift to Robbie and me - isn't it special? The tablecloth is courtesy of my grandmother - Ethel. I wonder how long it took her to embroider that....

Life is very full - of movies!!! The AFI has sent me a stack of screeners to watch before the judging commences 1 October. On Saturday I raced to the Schonell at UQ to see "Disgrace" starring John Malkovitch and "The Last Ride" (starring my all time favourite actor Hugo Weaving). Both fairly bleak films I have to say. Of the two (and it is so unfair to compare I know)...I probably preferred Disgrace but because it was set somewhere about which I know very little i.e. South Africa and it had something really interesting to say which made me think ... a lot. Beautiful cinematography in "the Last Ride" and some great performances. Also watched "Lionel" last week which was about Lionel Rose - I was too young to be aware of that particular phenomenon so very interesting viewing. Hoping to see "Beautiful Kate" today.

How's everyone going finance wise? I always seem to struggle to save but maybe it's a time of life thing...housing two kids who are almost adults. I'd appreciate any tips you might have. And I know that finance is a very touchy subject but without revealing too much I'd be interested to compare how much we all spent on particular items...e.g. in the past twelve months to date this is how ours was divvied up - tax of course being the biggest expense, followed swiftly by groceries at 16%, 10% on school fees (and yes I realise that is absolutely discretionary spending which will end this year - hallelujah), 8% kids allowances (this is their clothing, bus money, pocket money etc), 4% health insurance (discretionary again I know). Petrol, meals out, gifts and home maintenance come in at 3% each. Rates, Hobbies, Doctor, Electricity and Entertainment come in at 2% each and pets, hair/makeup and my clothes come in at 1% each. The only saving I seem to be able to do is Super - and that's because it's taken out of my pay packet before I can touch it!!

Jessie

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. Almost summer. A good day for going to the beach. The jasmine is out and I have picked bunches for each room and am revelling in the aroma. Would there be a storm? Robbie came home from work after 2. He sat on the sofa and shared the minutiae of the day with me. Troops are thin on the ground at all his various jobs. Everyone is suffering from a lurgy of one sort or another. I am at the sniffling stage of a cold. Thankfully over the horrid sore throat stage. Jessie sits on her sofa listening attentively to him. She wags her tail furiously when he acknowledges her presence by fake smiling/snarling. It's a little game they play. Dirk comes home from TAFE. I go to pick up Cas from Indro after I post my second Ebay sale at the lovely little post office in Marshall Lane run by two gentleman whose blood is worth bottling, as my Mum would say. I buy Express Post envelopes for Dad's mail and stand there hesitantly - will I post the mail today or should I send the birthday presents for Friday as well? I dither. I decide. They are philosophical about the indecision. It is a village post office where nothing can go wrong. Almost a toy post office. I love it. Jessie greets us enthusiastically at the door when we get home. She is without fail always so genuinely pleased to see us. Bless her. What can we make for dinner? I'm now up to dinner number 48 since going on long service leave and clutching at straws. Cas manages to get me somewhat excited about spag bog. What about a bit of salt he suggests? I'm sure they said that brings out the flavour on Master Chef. Before I know it I'm adding red wine, sugar, bacon and parsely. I put garlic bread in the oven. I've got it all under control. I can go out on the porch and be a good wife with my husband and share a glass of vino. The guinea pigs need to be brought in. Dirk and Bel take Jess for her evening soiree at the dog park. Robbie spots a beautiful carpet snake in the garden. He's only young. And so mesmeric. We know he's eyeing off the guinea pigs. But they'll be safe. Cas makes a little shelter for him in the coming storm. A bit of masonite leaning against the fence. A clutch of straw. I vocalise the deep contentment I am feeling at watching my two blokes communing with nature. Robert suspects the wine's influence. I defer. The storm advances rapidly. We are glad because the earth is parched. Bring it on!!! The phone rings. It will be "Woosy Bel", we agree, ringing from the dog park. "Come and get me!". Her voice is stressed but she hangs up - someone is calling her. I think nothing of it. This is normal. The phone rings again half an hour later. Robbie answers. "She'll come home." he says reassuringly. Jessie has run off from the reservoir. Why are they at the reservoir? Oh well, it's not too far from home. We stand in the front yard and call for her. I wait some more. How much should you chase up a teenager for dinner? I decide to chill. I have wasted so much time worrying as a parent for no good reason. I read my very good book from the library. The phone rings. It's the local vet. Your dog has been run over by a car. She's still alive. Can you come down? Cas, ring your sister and tell her Jessie's been found. Robert rings shortly after. While I was reading he'd walked up to the reservoir. But it's the wrong one. We have two reservoirs and they were at the other one. The one on the busy road with no fence. I get to the Vet's. Some poor woman is trying to pay her bill with three declining credit cards. I wait patiently. Jessie is in a back room looking like a dead dog. Bel is with her helpless with grief. She has a badly broken back leg. They don't know what internal injuries she has sustained. The vet is marvellous. Professional. Compassionate. Her vital signs are improving but....we go home. Robert is furious. He can barely speak. A needle he says is what is required. So, we go back. This time with Caspar in tow to say goodbye. How do you say goodbye to someone who only ever greets you with unabashed enthusiasm. Who has trusted you implicitly? Who smells like a wet dog and yet ...At least we got to say goodbye and know what happened. How can a day of deep contentment turn so bad? Dear Jessie. Did I even feed you today? We were always conscious of your figure and giving you too many treats. All your gentleman admirers keep turning up. Jackson turned up tonight and I swear he knew exactly what I was saying when I blubbered to him that you were no longer with us. He hung around for a while to keep us company and obligingly licked my drippy nose. I have spent the day in bed with a suitably maudlin book to make myself cry as I come from stiff upper lip stock. Everyone was out walking their dogs this morning as we drove along the road to school where you were run over - exquisite torture. I hear whistling and know that I won't be whistling for you anymore. I lay on the sofa last night desperately thinking of who I could call who would understand and then realised that only you would be able to come up and nudge me with your wet nose as if to say "There there...it'll be allright." Such a good dog. The only one who ever knew when I was depressed beyond belief. And such a magnaminous host. Other dogs would come to stay for weeks and you wouldn't chuck a tantie. Every bloke that came to our house melted at the sight of you and turned to goo when they chucked you under the chin. What do we do with your sofa? It will be your altar for ever more. Enough. Enough. You were the best. Say no more. Rest in peace.

1961Glam

Yes, yes I know - it's been ages. Some of us have been having just too much fun to blog.....not really....some of us have been too embarrassed that three weeks of Long Service Leave have gone by with very little to show for it....what I have done? I finished a baby's jacket....and a tea cosy....and supervised four teenagers painting a teenager's room in a day....made grapefruit marmalade that didn't set....would anyone like some f..... grapefruit...pleeeeeeeeezzz take the grapefruit ....I am so over it....or send jars so I can have another crack at it....this time with a pineapple....so what does the 1961 Glam have to do with anything....well luvvies...I have been invited to the Opening Night of BIFF....which for the uninitiated is the Brisbane International Film Festival....opening night film An Education ......wot I reckon everyone should get if they possibly can.....Here's the blurb...Romance, drama, intrigue - (sounds good to me already)...."an entertaining portrayal of the growing pains that accompany early adulthood set in the London suburb on Twickenham"...1961 - the year I was born....I think I will need to wear a tiara and have a pile up hairdo and wear Thai silk - all suggestions gratefully accepted. Script by Nick Hornby - why is that name familiar ???? "About a Boy" and "High Fidelity" you goose. Right. So I am knitting with more Sublime wool - a baby's jumper for Michael and Maggie's baby - no idea what the gender is - am knitting steel blue because it is a great colour - it was knitted during Master Chef so I'm sure there are a few mistakes. I am SO VERY PLEASED that Julie won - a win for all the women that society casts aside beause of their stage of life - Poh was very very appealing but Julie got me - hook, line and sinker - that woman is real and how!! I am reading Frank Moorhouse's Grand Days which I didn't expect to enjoy and am ploughing through open mouthed - how does that man know how women feel???? He must have very close female friends... I've been doing lots of family history....lots of cooking....lots of sweeping...currently babysitting two adorable dogs who are very fluffy and bring in all the litter from the garden - aka guinea pig straw et al on their pretty coats....planning for my daughter's 18th for goodness sake....done my tax...haven't entered nearly enough books into librarything...where does the time go??? How did I ever have enough time to go to work????

Yesterday

was a pretty good day all things considered....a dear friend asked me to be her date at the Simon and Garfunkel concert. She said she realised she would have to put up with me singing and generally being the dag I am. Then I had a small win at work - something that I thought was going to go pear shaped didn't turn out too badly....then I got the phone call from the School...you've won the Music Raffle....no school fees for next term....how about that? Rushed home to cook tea for my nearest and dearest and then headed off to Boondall with Karen to see the iconic duo. Why did I ever think I would sing? All I did was cry - great blubbering idiot that I am. So lovely to be there and trip back to my youth where all was peace love and happiness - well, when you listened to Simon and Garfunkel. We did sing in the end - despite a cranky puss sitting next to me who claimed she hadn't paid to listen to all of us sing - get a life - feel the peace - ohmmmmm - feelin groovy.....

Stack

As I said to the tallier, "How can I feel so naughty and so happy at the same time?". UQ Alumni book sale! Wonderful wonderful wonderful. Do you know I got a copy of the Harrods cookbook with the famous pork chops and artichoke hearts recipe as an early birthday present for Ms Cutting? $2! Bargain. I also got Who's Who of Australian Women 2007 for $5! Bargain! And Gerard Millerson's Techniques of Television Production - $5! And...and....and...a word to the wise - take a shopping trolley with wheels on so you don't strain your back carrying around a box like I did. It's still going until Wednesday. OMG! I've just realised I can go BACK!!! I'm working tomorrow night so my day is free. This time I can be more organised and take my 50 Books for the Year list with me. I was looking for The Spare Room by Helen Garner - got everything else but - this review made me giggle - though I'm sure Ms Garner is not amused. Got Arthur Ransome's The Picts and the Martyrs though which I've never seen before so I'm pleased about that....(just realised that that is another Author's society I could join...I wonder if Violet Needham and Arthur Ransome would have got on????) and Crime and Punishment for $1.50 - Miss Pat and I will fight over that one. Honest to goodness - it's a booklovers dream. So very naughty today. Bought a coat for the big roadtrip to the Southern Highlands from Rivers. I have a coat already really but...it might get wet...best to have a back up. And the tax bonus has apparently been put into my bank account. It will go straight back out to dear Mastercard and other good creditors. I am like a pig in mud...only without the flu...thank you very much.

Pumpkinpatch

It's another beautiful day in Brisbane. I have taken the dog for a walk and cleaned Tweetie's cage and put her out in the sun to talk to the other birdies. If you look closely at the photo you will see the beginnings of The Day of the Triffids in our backyard. This is the result of our cheerfully scattering to the four winds the remains of the guinea pig food when we clean their cages. Pumpkin seeds have obviously taken root and gone mad. At least we think they're pumpkins - let us know if you think they're something else. Did you know that the BBC is currently making a new series of The Day of the Triffids starring the gorgeous Eddie Izzard no less and Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Priestly and and and....Did you know that you can follow Eddie Izzard on Twitter? But I digress..

What else? Well I'm still ploughing my way through Dostoyevsky's Humiliated and Insulted. I am indebted to Tomcatmurr for lighting the way in reading Dostoyevsky. I have renewed my vows to lose weight and have joined WW online - hence the walk this morning.

I am getting very excited about taking Long Service Leave from 1 July. Plans so far are knitting; librarything; golf; bridge; building a vege garden; writing a family history book; de-cluttering and travelling. Can't wait!65 days and counting.

11:11

It's 11:11 by the Playschool clock. Robert and I in our early years used to look at the digital clock often and be astounded that it was 4:04 or 10:10 or 12:12. Did anyone else suffer from this phenomenon?

What's new in our world? Well check out this fantastic painting painted by none other than my Libby-Bel. We went away for Easter Sunday to visit Great-Aunt-Alice and Nanna Fay, Uncle Michael and Aunty Kath and this is what we came home to...pretty special isn't it?

What else is new? Well I went to see Tulpan tonight. Courtesy of the wonderful people at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. . It is directed by Sergei Dvortsevoy and is set in Kazakhstan. If you've seen The Story of the Weeping Camel it is familiar territory.

I have been reading a lot of Dostoevesky lately - because of a group I've joined on Librarything. I'm up to Book Number 3. There are a lot of similar themes here.

The still you can see from the movie is the main character Asa who is filled with joy at the thought of winning a wife and living the dream of owning his own yurt, sheep and sundry other items e.g. Japanese solar panels. But Asa is blessed with unfortunate looking ears - rather like Prince Charles - and his dreams are thwarted. There are many great moments in this movie and so many interesting faces - with or without unfortunate ears. In the joyous still, Asa's friend is playing Boney M's Babylon on the truck cassette player - I suspect the only cassette he has in his possession.

Anyway - there are some wonderful scenes - perhaps you've heard about the birth of the sheep - 15 minutes of birthing - that sheep sounds like any woman in childbirth I believe. I liked the scene where the goat kisses Asa in the shed and the scene where the mummy camel gives the animal doctor on the motorbike with the sidecar a hard time. Her baby is in the side car. Yes, yes, I know - you're confused - just go and see the movie. You'll never complain about working in an airconditioned office again.

Back to Dostoyevsky. I am reading Humiliated and Insulted (can't get over a publisher accepting that as a title for a book - "you wanna lighten up a little Fyodor? - people want a bit of an escape you know - what about - For the love of Mike - now there's a good title.") So Natasha says to Vanya and I quote - "Somehow we've got to suffer our way through to our future happiness, purchase it by new ordeals. Suffering purifies everything...." Discuss.

I am meant to review "The New 50 Simple Things Kids can do to save the Earth" by The Earthworks Group. I was sent an Early Reviewers copy by Librarything - bless them. More than 1 million copies have been sold already - this is a reprint. It was originally published 20 years ago. Gosh.

The only way I think I can effectively review this is by taking action - which ultimately is what I believe the authors hopes happens as a result of reading this book...and given that I am an adult that should be easy peasy yes? So for the next 50 days watch this site and see how I go. First challenge - recycle glass. So easy. I already do that. So what can I do that I don't do already? Pick up bottles when I find them, the book says and take them home to recycle.

Thoughts so far about the book - is it preaching to the converted? What makes people save the earth? Reading a book? I don't think so. I think they need to be inspired by example. I handed out How to Vote Green cards for a friend at our last local election. I'm not a real greenie. Heck the real greenies were very reluctant to hand over the how to vote cards to me at the polling booth last election - "She wears pearls - she can't be a greenie!" Who inspired me? The mother of a dear friend when I was growing up. Mrs Davis. She would stop the car and pick up litter by the side of the road. Now that impressed me. She would write lists on the back of old envelopes. She would shop at St Vincents. My mother wouldn't be seen dead at St Vincents. Guess who's still alive?

And if you have a dream and think it is too late - think again!!! Check out the You tube clip of Britain's Got Talent from last weekend. Susan Boyle you are my hero!!!!Five and a half million people have viewed this clip already. When I first watched it this morning it was 3 million. Now that's a phenomenon.