2 Mar 2011
I find auctions very odd. The weird drama of it. The strangeness of the groups of people clustered around a backyard or a front yard or standing around a dusty room; all pretending they are not really interested in buying the house. All the real-estate stooges playing their roles. I am always tempted to burst out laughing at the wrong moment. Read More
25 Feb 2011
It has been a big week. A huge week. A bigger than Ben Hur week.
It was my birthday. I had my lovely amazing surprise dinner and then my lovely three course extravaganza birthday dinner. I had coffee dates, play dates, bookclub and more socialising than I knew what to do with. And I am grateful for all of it. For the delicious food, for the sparkling company, for my little boy. For the French champagne. Are you still with me or have you drifted off into the land of trite??? Because that what it felt like when I tried to write (more) about it. Trite pappy gratitude. Read More
22 Feb 2011
Today is my birthday. I do love a good birthday and I am especially pleased with this one so far, and it is only 07:45.
On Sunday, I received a text from one of my dear friends asking me if I would babysit for her on Monday night. The thoughts I had, in order, were: of course ~ out to dinner on a Monday? ~ is it a special occasion? ~ her birthday is in July ~ wonder what is going on? Read More
18 Feb 2011
This week I watched Life at 5. The synopsis from the ABC website offers this:
The LIFE series aims to unlock the secrets of child development to find out what gives a child the best chance at life. As these 11 young Australians grow up we’ll witness their lives, we’ll test their progress and discover what makes us who we are. Join us for the beginning of an extraordinary and groundbreaking journey.
I watched fascinated, and for most of the time with a heavy heart, as several sad tales were told of the 11 children and their families. Some of the families have broken up, some of the children have suffered great hardship. The first thirty minutes in particular were really hard to watch as the film makers summarised the past two years of these childrens’ stories.
Then suddenly, among all the pain and anguish, there was a little bright ray of hope. Read More
14 Feb 2011
Aw sweet!
Robert and I have had some lovely Valentine’s Days. While neither of us are particularly in favour of the day itself, we do chose to do something nice for each other. Today was quite a difficult day. It was Monday. We had visitors at the weekend. Our baby was sick. Here’s our Valentine’s Day 2011.
Text message exchange – 14/02/2011 8:53am
Him ~ Happy Valentine Day
Me ~ Didn’t anyone tell you? Romance is dead.
Him ~ Bugger, what have I been doing all these years?
Me ~ I love you more than valentines day.
Him ~ Do you love me higher than I can reach?
Me ~ Much much higher than even when I am on my tippy toes.
Him ~ Higher than I can jump?
Me ~ That’s pretty high.
Him ~ I can jump over the moon.
Me ~ Wow that’s pretty high
Him ~ But not as high as my love for you.
(with a few apologies to Sam McBratney, author of Guess How Much I Love You)
11 Feb 2011
This week I couldn’t work out what was the matter with me. This week was supposed to be great. I was supposed to be enjoying myself on my two days off, doing interesting things, being alone! Instead I walked past every single person with a child in tow thinking, oh what a lovely kid, or oh look at that poor mother trying to drink her coffee, or look at that dad with three (!) kids hanging off him. All the while all these people who I passed, and was rudely staring at, were thinking, my god, I hope that deranged woman doesn’t come and steal my children. Because, of course, none of them would know I had a child who I had just left at childcare. None of them know that I usually drag my toddler around just as they were doing. I wasn’t wearing a sign saying – yes I am a mother too. I was just me. With regular clothes on and a regular handbag – no nappy bag, no chuck down my back, no snot on my sleeve. Just me. Read More
6 Feb 2011
Why am I posting biscuit recipes? Well today I was going to bake them for tomorrow’s play date. I shared that on Twitter. Then I was going to scan the recipe and send it to the lovely Naomi. She made Anzac biscuits with chocolate in them today. Then I discovered that my seven year old multi-function device won’t talk to the new MacPro. Jealous much of new computer are you printering thing-o? That discovery took all the time and energy I had this afternoon, so here we are. I typed it. A recipe for everyone to share, no biscuits for tomorrow and a new scanning, printing thing-o to buy. These biscuits have oats in them. They are practically health food Read More
4 Feb 2011
Last night was bookclub. We discussed The Finkler Question. I have already declared my hatred for it. I won’t finish it. What did the rest of us think? Read More
1 Feb 2011
Books. Notice how close they are to the drinks.
It is not often I do not finish a book that I commence. Once I start, I am committed to finishing. I have finished one or two books I really didn’t enjoy. I have finished some of the most difficult books in the English language or in translation to English. War and Peace, Ulysses, Infinite Jest, Fox in Sox, to name but a few. I mean I’ve finished Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon. I have finished books that are emotionally difficult to read. Books like What is the What, The Book Thief, Outside Over There by Sendak. Late last year, I read Room by Emma Donoghue (incidentally also shortlisted for the 2010 Booker). That’s a difficult book, at an emotional level, yet I finished it in two days. I have rarely started a book and abandoned it. Dead Air by Iain Banks, looms as one I can immediately recall not finishing.
30 Jan 2011
Lovely cup of earl grey tea in an heirloom cup and saucer
There are a very few things that I am especially particular about. The rest of things, I am only mildly particular entirely obsessive about. The very few things are extremely important to my day-to-day well-being and overall happiness. They include; earl grey tea, in a nice cup, sometimes with a saucer, proper bread, Violet Leaf hair balm (oh how I wish I were a part owner of that one), good chocolate.
These few things are the things that I always buy. I need them. I have my specific kinds, brands, a handful of suppliers that I like.
What is going wrong at the moment, is that the specific brands and kinds I have used for years – without changing or stopping or going off them – are changing themselves.
29 Jan 2011
I just returned from a trip to Sydney. Was fantastic – but more about that later. One of the highlights was meeting the wonderful @mamabook. I have known her for a while now, but we have only just met. This story is brought to you by the magic of Twitter.
Duplo toilet and basin
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