Just finished reading #21

The 10pm Question - Kate DeGoldi

Read it, loved it!! On so many levels this a great book - not a 'hit you over the head, can't stop reading, rave ' book but lovely writing, good ending, nice reveal, great location. A mix of Wellington/ Christchurch and if you have lived in those cities you will get that. Kate grew up in my neck of the woods and our paths have crossed in numerous ways over the past 30 years and I think this adds a little extra 'aha' for me. Such a good story writer!!! You would know this from listening to her on National Radio. She just so 'gets' story and I so LOVE that. I think I might have cried a little bit near the end and it was not particularly sad. I love how good writers can do that through clever, subtle and insightful writing. Thanks Kate, loved it! If you don't love it like me then that is ok, chances are you might not, but I think it is worth a try.

Frankie is 12 and it is his story with little adult intervention - how do people do that? Get into other people lives and write with their voice? I guess if we could all do that then we would all be writers and life would be a little dull. I am thankful that the world is not full of sparrows and that all birds of all shapes are out there. The bird reference will come clear. Anyway, off now to partake in the Sunday morning ritual of obsessive cleaning in readiness for the OPEN HOME! Aargh, please someone buy our house, it is getting boring and all consuming and I have other things I need to be doing.

Oops, another Gratuitous Dan Carter shot

Popp'n a cork at New Zealand Fashion Week

Blog envy

Just thinking about how I need to do a bit of a blog makeover. Shame you can't archive the current design for a bit of a record. However, looking around the blogosphere I know it is time to get a new image. This takes time and effort and more than a modicum of skill so I'm gonna give it a go, don't hold your breath. Hope it works, stay tuned. In the meantime I am just trying out a thing to see if it looks ok.

Credit: Stellen HernerELLE interior

Stylist: Tina Hellberg

Ahhh Family

Just waved off the last of our family guests after and extremely pleasant evening of chat and familial comfort. Cousin Gill and her folks and children plus my folks, sister and her family all came over for pizza and other tasty treats. As Gill lives in the North Is we always take the opportunity take a pic of 'the cousins' on the sofa. Lovely to have Hazel in the photo this year. What fun children they are, playing and dancing so well together and all sharing little gems of their personalities

Just finished reading #20

The Angel's Cut - Elizabeth Knox

Having loved the Vintner's Luck I fell upon the Angel's Cut in the hope of rekindling the love I had for Xas only to be a tiny bit disappointed. He has changed. Still lovable but a little lost to me as a reader. I really enjoyed the bits about him and loved the last 100 pages where I got what I wanted out of the story.

I sometimes wonder why I can't get the hang of some books and wonder if I am just hopeless and distracted being so slow or that some writers have a hidden monologue in their heads that doesn't quite hit the page.

Set in the 1920's - 30's in California the story is set around stunt flying and the movies. The story revolves around Flora a burnt and scared film editor (a lovely character) and Xas whose wings have been cut off by Lucifer his brother. The only way he can get to fly is on planes, standing on the wings to get that real buzz an angel needs. Of course he is fearless as he cannot die. There are a bunch of other characters including two people whose names are so nearly the same that I kept forgetting which one was which.

The story rumbles through the interesting time of silent through to talking films, prohibition, early hints of the war and so on. I thought the writing was good and inventive but I found the story a little distracted...or was that me? Although Xas has changed, he is still lovable and we get to see some new and tender sides of his personality.

When is a hunger strike not a hunger strike?

While drinking my coffee this morning I was flicking through 'The Press' using Press Display through the library website. I have mentioned this amazing service before....

Anyway, I came across this picture of Tinna Dockerty. I have had some interaction with Tinna 'the community activist' through my role at work but that is not why I am writing this post.

Tinna really believes in her community (Redwood) and is a real advocate. I also have personal connections to Redwood and know people in the photos. However, that is not why I am posting this....read on.

As you can see Tinna is really putting herself out there for this cause, again, admirable. Keith asked Tinna some questions about her hunger strike - I quote

KL: So, how long have you been on a hunger strike for
TD: 6 days

KL: So, are you eating anything at all?
TD: All I am having is vegetables and fruit juiced in a juicer and I am drinking that three or four times a day and I am taking extra vitamins, glucose drinks and energy drinks.

Well, this brings a lot of questions to my mind- a few of them are...
1. When is a hunger strike not a hunger strike? This might read like a diet to some people...although energy drinks are just nasty cans of chemicals and should not be considered food in anyones language.
2. Who decides what a 'hunger strike' actually is and is there a manual?
3. Energy drinks and hunger strike - not sure they should be used in the same sentence

I don't want to appear mean so I will stop now and let you ponder these thoughts. I think I might have a different interpretation of what a hunger strike might be. Perhaps I am a little harsh in this and I know I have little experience in food deprivation so am not really in a position to make any judgement. Interesting though isn't it?

Book group

Hosting book group is always a busy event...getting the books, making the nibbles, getting the wine, making the cake and tidying the house. Ask anyone, especially working women, and they will say book group requires a bit of effort. However, once the lovelies arrive, the wine flows and the laughter starts it is worth the little intense bit of work that is required. It was such a fun night and I can't even repeat some of the conversations we had. Nic is always astounded by the noise, he can't understand that a 'book' gathering could be totally devoid of quiet reading.

After a wine induced visit to the bookshop I bought....

...and I made a new cupcake recipe....will share later.

A day for the dads

We scooped up the dads today and headed for Wainui on Banks Peninsula.It had been years since any of us had been there so it was a tiny adventure. Pretty typical of the Peninsula bays it was quiet and very pretty. My mother in law Philippa lived there at some period of her life so it was nice for Jonty to go back and check it out. My dad spent many many summers of his youth at the YMCA camp there so again, nice for him to revisit.
We were delivered a stunning warm spring day and all loved basking in the sun, jumping the boat or playing on the beach. My nod to fathers day was making exclusively Jonty requested treats for the picnic. This included homemade apple turnovers and potato salad. I have been off cooking for a few months but enjoyed getting my hands dirty. Baking, on the other hand, is something I do about 2 or 3 times a week. Mellow balls, apple turnovers, orange cupcakes, date loaf and roast lamb have kept me very busy in the kitchen this weekend.

On the Market

So, what have we been doing for the last 6 weeks? Why the blog so dull? Well, we have been working every hour getting our little house ready to put on the market and today we achieved that goal. Here are some of our pics. We are selling on Trade Me so hope to get heaps of exposure and at least one person who will love our pad as much as we do. If you know of anyone who might be interested...pass it on. Thanks X