Just finished reading #56

Last Summer - Kylie Ladd

This is the second of her books I have read and it was a page turner.  A simple tale of an Aussie bloke who dies too young and the fall out of his passing.  It really is just about a bunch of friends and their story and how their lives change because of or just because Rory passed away. 

There is no big story and there is no great epiphany but just a cosy story about people you might know or perhaps might be.  I think there are about 9 characters whose story we connect with in alternate chapters.

Set in Melbourne you get that real Aussie warmth and love of life.

 After the Fall I found a bit unsettling but this one was just a nice weekend read.

Library love

Comments like this is why I get out of bed in the morning, even when it is cold or grim outside.  People appreciating what we do, so lyrically, is what librarians live for....

"Dear Art Gallery and Library, I wish to acknowledge and thank you for a recent epiphany about Christchurch. Time was first spent looking at every panel of your "Conversations on a City " . I had a sense of both remembering and despair as I afterwards walked towards the Peterborough Street. The desolation was a reminder of why I've never been able to engage with any city plans, or sketches of the future. Everything seems not right without any hope of a new city. Gothic, NeoGothic, cricket ground,... all do nothing for me. I'm missing something. A 440 kV shock hit me when I saw the mural above the Peterborough Library. This is exactly what I've been missing since Feb '11. Colour, shapes that move from simple mathematical form at the centre through to Pacific forms growing at the margins. I could imagine the ends being joined. This was my first glimpse as to what a new Christchurch could become. Curves, colour and symbols standing out from straight lines of the past. Thanks for making such a strong statement despite not having a gallery or a large library. Art and books once again are vital for me to understand and engage with the complex changes that will be a new Christchurch. "

The art work by Richard Killean is what this customer was refering to...a treasure which we feel privileged to provide a space for

Just finished reading #55

The particular sadness of lemon cake - Aimee Bender

When lovely nine year old Rose eats her birthday cake she is astonished to find that she can taste the emotions of the maker...her mother.  This discovery, although interesting puts Rose into a place she never really becomes comfortable with.  Being able to feel her mother's sadness, her despair and loneliness is a heavy burden on a your girl.  She can also taste the angst of potato growers, can intentify factories all of the country and taste the happiness of one particular chef at a favourite restaurant.  Rose is an intuitive and gorgeous girl and the story of her life unfolds in a slightly sad and wistful way.  Her relationship with her father, brother Joseph and his friend George are all interesting, honest and strangely warm, considering how un-ordinary they all are.  Essentially this is a book of 'fantastic realism' along the lines of Like Water for Chocolate so you have to get with it and go with it to enjoy the story.  It is tightly written and draws you in to Rose's world kindly.  Someone said it was funny but I must have missed that bit .

Make a wish

Routine often punctuates the weekend and I do find that rather stultifying.  So, how lovely it was to spend  breakfast at my folks place with the family celebrating my dad's 78th birthday.  After a morning of fruit, bagels, pancakes, coffee and magazine and newspaper reading  I went out for lunch with 7 gal pals to Under the Red Veranda...a firm favourite with the must have fish of the day...yes there was food envy happening.  Nothing like a bunch of women laughing and enjoying each others company with good food in a nice setting.

Ben eying up the birthday cupcakes

Great having kids who still love candles too

Rainbow candles and cases...cyte

Nic's beach themed 'Best Grandad" card. 

Now home to sit by the fire before heading out to watch the Crusaders beat the Western Force.  Living Saturdays....

Art

Jeepers, you can tell that I have had the day off today with nothing much but thinking to do.  It really is amazing what a little bit of head space can do for your thinking and looking.  I work too hard, far too hard and give far too much of myself to my work.  Yes I do. 

I think I have talked about art before and how desperately I miss the gallery and art since the earthquake.  Almost every time I go to a gallery of any type I just start welling up and feel very peaceful.  YEsterday we popped into the L'Estrange Gallery in Sumner and I just fell into my world.  I just loved it.  The works were gorgeous.  I especially loved this one and exclaimed as much and the painter himself popped out of nowhere and said thanks...cool.  I is very much better up close.The detail in the 'widows' is special.

....as well as Tony Cribb, very funny 'tin man' inventor..funny and good looking.  Lots of his stuff there and I will own one, one day, need to save up as we are still hurting from another recent art purchase

While we are talking about art here is an image of the gorgeous woodcut on embossed paper by Michael Tuffery we bought in January while on holiday in Wanaka.  Put on layby we didn't pick this puppy up until April.  We have it hung low and large above our dining table so we can gaze at it all the time. 

 It is large so looks much better in our house than it does here. 

Just finished reading #54

Me before you - Jojo Moyes

I managed to squeeze Jojo in between Christian and Anastasia (more about them later).  My two besties both recommended this little tear jerker and I am so pleased I read it.  The type is large which is always appealing to me as I have to wear glasses to read these days...bugger.  Anyway, when I saw the big writing I thought how cool, no glasses.  Alas, not to be.  Instead it was just fuzzy big writing.  Back to the story. 

Louisa Clark is a mid 20's woman in a small town in England with a bit of a nothing life.  She has potential but no dreams.  Will on the other hand has dozens of dreams and a great big life behind him.  Sadly he has been made a quadriplegic by an accident and is living in his parents home.  Living is not really how he sees it, going from an action man to a deflated image of what he used to be. 

I don't want to ruin the story as it is too good to do that.  The relationship between Lou and Will is prickly and feisty and full of excellent dialogue.  Lou's family is great too.  I loved this book.  It really is one of those very easy reads that draws you in and envelopes you.  I had to sneak off and read it at every spare moment.  It is a bit of a tissue grabber. 

ho hum

So, I am  a few hours into a day off.  A thing so rare that I have not freaking idea what to do with myself.  My blog has become dull beyond belief and does not at all reflect what I am thinking about most of the time but is just a list of books and movies.  That is because, other than work, life is a little bit on the dull side.  Everything is broken and bumpy and decidedly grey so what loveliness is there to talk about?  Nothing much actually.

Nic is in Nelson having a blast I suspect with the Christchurch boys choir. Having library moles all over the country I heard the boys went down a treat in the library up there...standing ovation no less.

With all the voice coaching and being around dancing and creative people I wonder if Nic will come back changed, more expressive perhaps.  Will be interesting to see how or if he has been influenced.

I am half way through my Diploma in Interior Design but have nothing on the go at the moment but am loving the work and liking my development as a 'designer' .... I use that term very loosely.    For something a bit more interesting I might share some of those ideas in the future.

That's all, back to bills and homemade soup for lunch.