For bookclub we did My Brilliant Friend - this is one of my mum's favourite books, and she's watched the series and read all the others. I don't really get that reaction to it. It didn't really grab me, beyond the curiosity as to why my mum loved it so much. It's not bad, I just felt I was working through it to have it read for bookclub. That said some of my book club have mentioned they are enjoying it the second time so what do I know?? I did get a buzz when she got a prize from the teacher and it was Jerome K. Jerome's Three men in a boat.
I've read a number of books written by climbers on the expedition, plus David Breashears book who was also there on the IMAX expedition. This is basically just explaining events at a children's level. I didn't really understand the point to be honest. I listened to it and I'm guessing there are drawings in the paper format.
Someone had recommended this so I thought I'd give it a go. Her opening rants did make me laugh. It's a bit of fun - it's obvious but enjoyable enough. Fun holiday read for older women.
Rereading this before sticking it into the street library. Just a little book on how to reduce waste - from packaging to reusing items. I clearly won't become zero waste in 30 days, as I didn't before, but I might be inspired to retry a few alterations in my behaviour....
Halloween reminded me of this play I saw in the 1980s at school. I discovered an audio version online and listened to it. A few attitudes had dated, on class etc but it still is very, very creepy and given the Manosphere, it still seems relevant. You can listen here if interested. I do think our school drama teacher really was smart to pick this play for school kids to perform, and for me to remember it 40+ years later.
This was picked at random - free on audible. It's really interesting looking at a family that is impacted early in the AIDS epidemic, and the fallout that causes, throughout the children's lives, well into adult hood. It's hard to talk about without giving things away. Non fiction, using recordings and interviews as well as journals and memory. I found it engrossing.
Went to see Jon Ronson live - he's always so entertaining. It was hilarious, and great to see some of the videos that went with the places and events in the book. (Review of book here)
Not picked it up since last time...so still not started book 3. Will read that before chucking it in the street library but it's not really motivating me to get back to it....
I am, more or less, an existentialist. I say more or less as there are some things that I can't help myself believing that are illogical.
I have a terrible fear of flying. I have since I was about 16. It gets worse and worse each year. I think it started with an emergency landing due to a bomb scare when I was about 12, and then at about 15 I watched Hotel New Hampshire and the scene on the plane got merged into that experience et voila, my next flight was a nightmare for me....and so it goes. So to counter that, I have a St Christopher medallion that I wear when I fly - not when I travel by any other means, not while I'm overseas - purely when I'm in the air. I am aware St Christopher has been diminished by the church but it's like my lucky charm. I know it's nonsensical but I can't not fly without it. I didn't take it to the Maldives because they have rules about bringing in other religion iconography but it really distressed me and I was agitated for the whole flight, almost to tears. I almost didn't board a plane in Melbourne when I thought I'd left it in the hotel, but fortunately I'd put it in my purse...
In Japan, I was told of this temple in Kyoto, Yasui Konpiragu Shrine - known for cutting off bad relationships, the stone also has the power to cut off growths. As I had a tumour that needed to be removed, I figured it couldn't hurt. I went and wrote the prayer and crawled through the hole and pasted the prayer to the rock. It worked! Well, it made the surgeon successful in complete removal and it hadn't spread. So this is 'do as well as western medicine not instead of' advice. I also got the relevant omamori, which I still rub on the site almost daily, but especially before having another 'look & see' gastroscopy. I did get my dog an Omamori for her health too in July but apparently the magic may not be powerful enough (but it can't hurt!)
A lot of superstition is just common sense. I was invited to go into a cave in New Caledonia that was rumoured to be protected by black magic in the 90's. I declined. When the Thai Cave rescue happened, I thought of the New Caledonian cave and thought that was probably why there was the warning to keep people away. Walking under a ladder is obvious why it's bad luck, boots on the table is just hygiene - most superstition is logical dressed as illogical....but for me, don't go asking for unnecessary trouble. So no seances for me!
If I have a run of band things happen, I do try to fix my karma by doing some good for others - I think what really happens there is you fix your mindset by focusing on helping rather than your own misfortunes.
I have some weird personal ones, like when we used to go on skiing holidays, if you saw three people in the banana boats (stretchers), I had to go home for the day - the first could be a one off, the second probably meant the conditions could be attributing to it, the third meant I probably wasn't a good enough skier to void the statistical chance of an accident. And that is really what superstitions are - trying to control the statistical chance of something.
May the odds be ever in your favour....
I'm pretty sure I won't be the only one who got this song in their head while writing on this topic!
I have since discovered there is this podcast on Superstitions called Jinxed. I've only listened to the He Huang as I saw her at the Comedy Festival and she was very funny.
How are we back here again so fast? What was meant to be a great month with lots of celebrations turned into a pretty terrible one, with none. Lots of cancelled events. So I will try not to dwell on the drama which is a snore for everyone, and squeeze out what joy I can. Should be brief, at least.
Something I loved Went to Benjamin Clementine on a whim and he was excellent - what an excellent concert! Also, The Diplomat and Slow Horses. Made being at home worthwhile again! Bonus points for The Diplomat being dropped as the full season so we could watch it all at once in a week.
Something that sustained me Had to give away my ticket to Crooked Colours just as I was leaving the house to race the dog to the hospital, so feel I haven't been out dancing in months. I keep cancelling time with friends and on top of all the sad reasons as to why, it just adds to the weight of it all. Tonight I'm off to see Bunt, and I know what a frenetic energy that will be. I can not wait! I'm also going with my eldest, so that's the cherry on top! The thought of that has kept me going all month. I've told my husband it's his turn to step up if needed so nothing should stop me!
I did get to go to the Max Dupain exhibition at the State Library while waiting to pick up my kiddo. It is excellent, and there's a photo journalist exhibition, Lorrie Graham also on there. Both free, both well worth a visit. Seeing art always lifts my spirits a little.
Something I'm carrying forward from this month to the next Hopefully none of the bad. Only the good. Or even something better.
Something I'm making space for Me. Sounds simple but it really hasn't happened at all this month.
I didn't know the copyright on the photos in the exhibition so I'm not sharing those. Also some pics are fromMervyn Bishop Close Up. and Pamela Allen - a fabulous exhibition for the kids to play in! I did enjoy this quote as I feel this is what my Instagram is. It's my enjoyment of my environment, and it makes me happy to look at the pics in it. (Or it's a Diary, I use it as that too).
I had to include this - if there are copyright issues I'll take it down asap - because I took this exact photo back in . Left is Lorrie Graham's taken in lockdown. Below is mine. (EDIT I can't find the picture, but when I do, I'll put it in - however this is one I took in 2021 of the same roof - the other one is exactly the same as hers)
#Allseasons linky runs from Thursday to Wednesday each week.
Link one post that shows something seasonal. Traditional weather wise, a seasonal nature marker or a seasonal celebration or event. Please link relevant posts only.
Make sure you link back to this #AllSeasons post.
Please comment on the post before yours and the host. Don't dump and run.
Our beautiful dog had to be hospitalised over the weekend, while waiting to pick her up, I wandered around the streets trying to distract myself.
We have spent too much money over the last three months because no one told us to do what I suspected needed to be done back in July and what I think we will be told after we get a medical specialist to take a (probably) final look over the medical history and many results from July until now. Back in July I said to my husband I didn't want to spend a lot of money to make her suffer, and yet that is exactly what we have done. I am angry about this so more will come on that, but for now I am just too sad. I kept getting bad advice from vets and doing more and more tests that ended up with her so sick she had to be hospitalised 3 months later, so much sicker than she was in July, and in so much more pain.
(Note for locals, we have changed vets, so these pics are taken near the good vet). We were given hope when we shouldn't have been and so far that has cost us the equivalent of the cost of a new small car. That would be fine if she was better but she's far from it. So we have basically paid to have her distressed and in pain for a few months.
At least she is home and eating. We can give her the love and comfort she deserves for giving us so much love and happiness over the years.
Sorry for the bleak words, feel free just to look at the pictures and go. My heart is breaking, for what we've done to her, what I KNEW we should have done in July but kept getting encouraged to hope that one more test would be the solution, and for what we will have to do. I'm also angry that we paid money we couldn't afford to spend to do this to her. I wish I'd just insisted at the time, instead of wanting so badly to be wrong and letting poor practice management misguide me.
Someone posted about royalty and Pineapples in the Victorian era and I commented that people used to throw parties so you could get a photograph holding the pineapple and some of our iron fencing had pineapples on them - here is one.
I can't find an official explanation but it is most probably a decoration chosen to imply prestige or to honour royalty (as I think a park near us has it too - will check on that)
Someone had recommended this so I thought I'd give it a go. Her opening rants did make me laugh. It's a bit of fun - it's obvious but enjoyable enough. Fun holiday read for older women.
