Then what happened?

Well you see it is like this, I just got distracted by other shiny objects.  Often it was this, and then it was this, and then I got a bit over cooking for a bit, and got really into this.  There were other distractions like Hey Day, the horribly addictive iPad game.  In my defense I did spend some time doing work at night on various projects.  But, online life became a series of time wasting exercises or tutuing around on websites of all types, helping out my friend Miriam on her marvellous new endeavour for SLANZA but also rather a lot of TV watching.

In the meantime though this blog continued to get hits, about 20 odd a day, people were coming to check what was going on, and finding nothing, and then the other day I bumped into a regular reader in the lovely University Book Shop and we chatted for a while and she said to me “What’s happened to the blog?”   I came home, had a think, thought I’ve done more baking, I’ve read a 100 odd books in the last year and I haven’t blogged about any of it, I’ve been collecting quirky stuff from around the web but just storing it for later.

I’ve got some books to talk about coming up.  I’ve got lovely things in my garden and I have plenty of opinions to share.  Best I get on and do something then!

Nigellissima

Reblogged from Photo 365:

New Zealand – land of exotic competitions!

A small proud moment for New Zealanders as we win more medals in the Olympics per head of population than any other country, we sell off our state assets willy nilly so that the price of electricity and, well anything else will go escalating up but we can win a medal or two.

Meanwhile back here at home we are dressing up possums as fundraisers.  Possums are evil and must be stopped, it’s good of them to have such lovely soft fur, which knits up so nicely into soft socks and hats but this may be taking it too far.  Bizzarre weirdness galore. Wrong on so many levels and yet, somehow, fabulous.  I’m almost sorry for sharing this with you, but I just can’t help it.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7392399/Best-dressed-possum-competition-sick

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Oh John Green, you are my book guy!  I have been desperate to get my hands on a copy of this lovely book.  I knew it would be great, I’d heard that it was sad and funny and yes it was all that.  But what sad and funny don’t capture is how deeply John Green makes you care about his characters.  He writes ‘real’ teenagers.  The kind of teenagers who aren’t in the media, aren’t on the tv, aren’t drawing attention to themselves through bad behaviour and weird stylings.  His teenagers are ordinary kids who have both ordinary and extraordinary things happen to them.  They live in unextraordinary houses in unextraordinary towns.  They are ordinary.  But they are also extraordinary.  They are quirky, they are wise and they are extremely funny.  In the case of the teenagers in this book they also have cancer, or are recovering from cancer.

The story is told by Hazel, she is sixteen and has been given a reprieve from her terminal cancer in the form of a miracle drug which hasn’t cured her but has given her some time.  She can’t go to school, she has to have an oxygen bottle with her at all times and she is bright, funny and a little lonely.  Her parents force her to attend a support group which meets at a church and she goes very reluctantly.  There she meets Alex, who has already lost one eye to cancer and is dealing with the fact that he will probably lose another, and she also meets Augustus.  Augustus who is handsome, a bit wacky and who has lost a leg to cancer.  Hazel isn’t too impressed by gorgeous guys, but she is impressed by great conversational skills, and Augustus has those in spades.  Hazel convinces Augustus to read a book she has read a gazillion times he gets as hooked as she is and they attempt to get the answers to the cliffhanger the author left at the end of the book.  Big themes abound in the book.  Love, death, the fact that a terminal illness defines the person and they lose their themness, loss of innocence in lots of ways, trust and truth.  It is all here.

This is a book to love, a book to buy yourself a copy of and to treasure.  My copy is kind of wavy on the edges because I cried so much while reading it.  Tissues will be required to accompany your reading.  It is a book to devour in a couple of sittings.  It is totally romantic, sad, quirky, funny and the writing is stellar.  I have no higher praise to give it.  Buy yourself a copy of this book.  There are some fabulous quotes from the book appearing on sites around the blogs look at this one, or this one, and on Goodreads too!

“That’s what I believe. I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it- or my observation of it- is temporary?”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Hark A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

Oh what a treat, I’ve been perusing Kate Beaton’s website for ages.  Ages.  And as part of my mision to get more graphic novels etc. for the guys this year I could finally justify buying Hark A Vagrant – the book.  Oooo it is so awesome, hilarious, disrespectful funny.  Already it is being poured over by the boys hanging about between exams, I can tell when they have found it because of their snorting and giggling sounds!  Kate Beaton gives historical figures and literary greats a modern voice, she makes them speak as they would if they were alive today – and had slightly filthy mouths.  Love it!  (Below are the t-shirts available from the website)

Best simple idea – and recycling too

This is just the most simple, and practical and why the heck didn’t I think of this idea I’ve seen in ages.  Those little bread holder things drive me crazy, all those plugs plugged into all those multiboards – oh yes I know the safety thing, don’t lecture me cos I know.  The fact of the matter is that there are four plugs plugged into the multibox behind my tv.  One for the tv, one for the dvd player, one for the stereo radio thing and one for the elderly video player which should go to the place that you send elderly video players, and would, only I don’t know where that is.  Anyway I pull out a plug and then wait to see which thing turns off, cos I can’t figure out which plug is which.  Those days are over.  I will now have to go and buy bread just for the taggs.  I’m very impressed with this idea.  It came to me via the Core Education Facebook page but they got it from here.

OK Go and the muppets – the video

Loving Okgo as I do it is a must to post this video. If you are an Ok goer you will know that the video is referencing their old tricks with buckets of paint knocking things down and treadmills etc.  Enjoy the muppety goodness.

Cake Wrecks – deliciously funny

By Cake Central member tguegirl via Cake Wrecks

Cake Wrecks is one of those websites you go back to time and time again because it is … well it is simply fantastic.  The sheer skill, and creativity that goes into the cakes is pretty amazing.  The tagline on the website is “When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong.”  These guys know their stuff.  For those of us with limited decorating ability this site will just make you feel insecure, but also very in awe of the skill in the cakes.  Other people’s efforts will have you rolling round in tears of laughter.

The last ‘decorated’ cake I made was for some friends who got married and the cake did not go according to plan.  I made a White Cake (but not that one mine had finely diced blanched almonds in it), one of the most yummy cakes known to man or woman, but icing the thing was a whole new mission.  I can make a cake alright but icing the thing in an attractive manner is somewhat, no completely, beyond me.  Luckily the photos of that poor cake are lost forever in the limbo of a laptop which will never work again – unless I accidentally with misplaced pride saved them to Flickr.

Lady Gaga and the video of awesomeness

It has been a while since Lady Gaga impressed me with her video antics but this time I’m her video watcher slave again. The video of You and I is cool.  If she is going to put in scenes like this (watch it and you will know what I’m talking about) I’m going to watch and listen and probably download/buy the cd.  Mermaids, Gaga dressed as a James Dean lookalike, gorgeousness galore.  I like!  Great tune.

The most beautiful words in the English language

Lots of things that Bridget likes tonight! 

What do you think is the most beautiful word in the English language?  Here are some to mull over.  This gorgeous thing came to me from Flavourwire which is my current fave website for browsing lovely stuff but the post is on The Huffington Post.  Great comments at the end of the  article.

What do I think are fabulous words:  I like Pomegranate, Shameless, Flowing, Wanty, Ramble, Sizzle and a whole bunch more.

 

Meet Phillipa Finch

Phillipa Finch – the heroine of the emotionally thwarted.  From the ABC this is a cute little film for a game you can play on the iPhone – if only I had an iPhone I would probably be playing it now. It is sad and quirky and those are often my faves.  Go to the website. Have a look at Phillipa Finch’s waking heart.  A drawing machine for the emotions.  Yes really. If you were in Australia and near an ABC shop you could go and try one, but on the website you can watch it happening.  Awesome!  Really!  YouTube has all the videos which have played on TV and they make gorgeous viewing.

Image from the movie

The Facebook Sonnet – Facebook as a Xmas card list

The Facebook Sonnet

Welome to the endless high-school

Reunion.  Welcome to past friends

And lovers, however kind or cruel.

Let’s undervalue and unmend

The present.  Why can’t we pretend

Every stage of life is the same?

Let’s exhume, resume, and extend

Childhood.  Lets all play the games

That occupy the young.  Let fame

And shame intertwine.  Let one’s search

For God become public domain.

Let church.com become our church.

Let’s sign up sign in, and confess

Here at the alter of loneliness.

Sherman Alexie

Words to ponder on.  I decided to post the poem above onto my facebook profile and to see if anybody amongst my 107 ‘friends’ on there would comment.  Nothing!  This was a bit disappointing because I think that Sherman Alexie has a point.  While Facebook does give you a connection with people you are sorry you don’t have contact with in any other way anymore, and whom you miss.  Facebook also connects you with a bunch of people you don’t ever need to be connected to anymore.  People  you might be delighted to be connected to, but by the same token might feel duty bound to accept a ‘friend invitation’ from if they send you one, not accepting implies that you don’t wish to be friends with them, this by implication makes you mean.  Facebook is fraught!

What do you do about the friends who post constantly, inane trivia that does your head in, more than once a day sometimes.  What about the ones who send constant links to things that really don’t interest you, do you make it so that you can’t see their posts, will they know?  Maybe I am this person to some of my friends.  Do I post too often?  Do I put on too many links?  Am I talking about my inane ridiculous life?  Who knows? 

• As for the reconnection with school friends and friends from previous times in your life.  This can range from the, frankly disturbing – how could I have been friends with this person, surely they weren’t like this when I knew them?  Who has changed me or them?
  
• To the this person is too cool for me, I’m not the funky hip person this person thinks I am.
  
• To the I’m only friends with this person because they are a newby on here and dear god if they send me another update on the Farmville or Zuma they are playing incessantly I will reach down the interweb cable and throttle the very life out of their mouse finger with that cable! 
• To the deeply christian churchy types who tell me how awesome their church services are – why did I click the confirm friendship button I knew this particular relationship wouldn’t work out.  Why the hell did they want to me my friend anyway?
• To those poor souls who search for meaning, happiness, and a purpose to life – you are just too lost for me.  I am too intolerant to be your friend, well I’ll be your friend but I don’t want to see your posts.  Actually you don’t like me anyway and don’t want to spend time with me, so why are we pretending to be friends on Facebook?

The last point is actually key, it is possible to be friends with all manner of annoying and irritating past friends etc if you can’t see what they are doing.  Block the buggers! I work on the principle that if they have something I need to know (I use the term need loosely here obviously) they will message me.

So, just like a high school reunion, people who knew an early version of you, feel like they still know you, and feel the need to catch up even though you have all moved on, and who don’t have anything in common with you any more, except memories of the previous you, want to rekindle something and befriend you in a Facebook kind of way.  Not in any kind of deeply connected real friend kind of way.

Facebook friendship is not the same as real life friendship.  It is a virtual friendship.  These are not the people you can pop round and have a coffee with at their houses, or go for a drink with on a Friday night.  These are not the people that you get together with at the drop of a hat.  These are a bunch of people, some of your nearest and dearest, and some who you will never see again but with whom you once had a connection.  These are the people that in the old days you would have been sending Christmas cards to and receiving them from.  Really once a year was enough!

So, go on, send me a friendship invite on Facebook.  If you know me well enough to go to coffee with me, if we have connections professionally and are actual friends.  If I would go for coffee with you.  We could be friends!  Or not!

Kitchen news!

The photos are coming, and the oven will work tomorrow. Then there will be cooking, baking, grilling and stirring going on. Happy days!

A month and a half without a kitchen means I have yearnings to be cooking. The builder and project manager have been awesome and photos will be posted – but not till it is finished so that everyone can have the full before and after experience.

Now back to the painting!

Thinking of Christchurch

A terrible tragedy hit the city of Christchurch today.  At 12.51 a very large earthquake hit the city and has caused massive devastation and loss of life.

People of Christchurch we are all thinking of you, watching the terrible pictures of the horrible event on television and watching it float across Facebook and Twitter and feeling helpless, sad and sorry for you.

You are in our thoughts.

 

Luis – creepy sinister and mysterious

This is so sad and beautifully sinister.  This movie recently won the big YouTube competition. The film-makers (Luis (2008) by Niles Atallah, Joaquin Cociña, Cristóbal León) are Chilean and this is the second of their films featuring Luis.  Turn your sound up so that you can hear the breathing.

I’ve just read a book called The courage consort where the main character in the book hears screaming nightly from  the forest where the house she is staying in is located, this video was in my mind when I was reading it.

SYNOPSIS: Luis talks about his life in the forest and his relationship with Lucía. He appears in charcoal on the walls of a room filled with broken objects that constantly shift around. Little by little the room clears up as the objects return to their proper places.

Changing Education Paradigms – great speech from Sir Ken!

Sir Ken Robinson – genius, give his opinionated fabulously wonderful talk wonderfully RSA Animated.  Sit back, fill your glass, listen and watch and chuckle a little cos the jokes are quite amusing too, to the awesomeness, sigh as you go to your happy place.  Want more?  His website is on the links on the sidebar.

Christchurch – we are thinking of you

This is just a message to anybody from Christchurch.  I hope life returns to normal very quickly after your devastating earthquake on Friday night.  It felt horrible here when Dunedin was rocking in sympathy with you, I can’t even imagine what it felt like to be in Christchurch.  I am thinking of you, particularly my friends who live there.  I’ve heard from most of you, only one I haven’t heard from.  Best wishes and warm thoughts.

I’ve been blogged and I like it!

Wow, fame at last.  Well famous on Adrienne’s blog.  I am very pleased to call the lovely Adrienne Buckingham my friend and she has done me the honour of mentioning me on her fantastic blog Dunedin Is For Lovers.  It is a great blog, cleverly profiling lots of things inherently Dunedin in an attempt to lure her family and friends from the cold of Canada to Dunedin in summer to attend her nuptials to the equally lovely Stewart.  You can read her entry about me here!

The thing is, if you have even the remotest interest in Dunedin you should check it out, she finds fabulous things to write about and it is just great to drop in there from time to time and find new exotic things to do, and in your own back yard at that!

Thanks for your kind words Adrienne, you are my fave!

Jane Austen’s Fight Club

Fantastic spoof of the book (and the movie) this is so funny. It is breaking out all over the place so thought I’d put it on here, given it’s literary merit! Enjoy – I did!

Queenstown – cold but lovely

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I’m just back from a lovely weekend away with my partner in Queenstown and surrounds.  What a treat.  We did not much, but what we did do was very relaxing and we had a good time.  Queenstown has much to recommend it.  The scenery is totally gorgeous, high rocky towering mountains, big tree covered hills right in the middle of town.  Yes, there are heaps of tourists and I know that turns off lots of people but for me they add to the feeling that you are in a gorgeous place, they wouldn’t come in their droves if it wasn’t good would they?

If you don’t have much money there are some fanblimmintastic things you can do in Queenstown and here are some:

1.  Go to the Salvation Army Shop on Lower Shotover Street.  They have second hand designer clothes at fantastic prices.  It truly is a great place.  The staff are friendly, it is warm and you will come out with something lovely.  For me a great black jumper and for Lesley Doosh pants and a Country Road shirt.  Nice shopping for $30.00.

2. Take yourself on a lovely walk along the shores of Lake Wakatipu on the Kelvin Heights side.  The sun shines on that side of the lake hours after it has finished on the Queenstown side, all those magnificent hills have a big drawback when it comes to sunshine hours!  The walk is lovely, there are fantastic crabapple trees and the views of the amazing houses on the lakefront are pretty stellar, well you are actually walking in their front gardens.  It’s nice, the people are friendly, the sun warm if a little watery and you can hear bellbirds and fantails in the trees.  Nice.

3.  Go driving and look at the houses – I mean seriously, these are some houses.  It is interesting to drive around and look at the total luxury of these places.  Some of them aren’t even lived in for large chunks of the year.  They are architects dreams and it is staggering to think that so much money has been poured into somewhere that you want to have for a few weeks a year.

4.  Go to Arrowtown and browse the shops.  More on that in another post.

5.  Sit around in your luxurious unit, use someones electricity to heat it up cosy and warm, watch movies on Sky TV that you wouldn’t have paid to go to, have a spa bath while your partner watches the rugby and read three books.  Well that’s what we did.  Bit of browsing in the shops, lovely sale at D.T.Carter for Lesley (only the scarves they sell fit me!) a lovely shop with truly lustworthy knitwear and stylings.

6.  Wander around town, check out the rich people.  Spot the celebrities, look at the enormous number of junk food outlets and pubs and sporting goods shops.  Wander up, wander down.  Notice the people on the hire Segways (that is pretty cool).

7.  Lounge around and read lots of books in an exotic location.  Good times.