Gee what haven't we been doing?

I'll work backwards: took Mathew to Featherdale park, a lightning visit because we were delayed picking up his car seat from Eddie's work. Had fun feeding the kangaroos and dodging the feisty emus. Mathew thinks it's a farm. Piazza and beer afterwards with the rest of the family.
Before that we frolicked in the wild river run at the olympic aquatic centre, great fun

Yesterday I did aqua aerobics while Kathie swam laps in the outdoor pool on a sparkling day. Krista had quiet time at home. Maxine and Kit joined us at Belmore Leagues Club for yum cha. Kit and I checked out another good looking restaurant in the same club. Have earmarked it for another occasion. Went to Verona cinema later to see The September Issue, an interesting doco about putting together a Vogue edition. Enlightening.

The day before, Wed., Krista climbed the bridge while Kathie and I went to see Beautiful Kate, an Australian film about family secrets. Well acted and beautifully filmed. After lunch came home for a couple of hours then met up with Maxine and Dirk at Doyle's on Watsons bay. Food good (I had mussels) but service lacklustre. Went on to Seidlers for lemon pie made by Maxine and coffee. A lovely long day.

I feel tired writing all this activity. Tomorrow, who knows?

Jet lag is catching

They're here! Great to see them.

But now their jet lag is playing tricks and I'm up at 4am having conversations and making cups of tea. We planned to go to Manly yesterday but the wind came up, clouds came in and the temperature dropped so we settled on doing the city and Circular Quay.

Yesterday we went to Cronulla to see the big waves. I thought the high winds & coastal warnings meant waves would be crashing and there'd be all sorts of drama. Boy did I get that wrong. The Pacific Ocean was like a mill pond, and there was very little wind. It was serene and sparkling, perfect weather. Too cold to go in the water though.

Tomorrow Krista climbs the bridge for her birthday and later we celebrate at Doyle's. Yeah!

Nearly ready

Floors are washed, carpet vacuumed, three meals made and frozen. almost there. I think K & K might be in the air now although the plane is an hour delayed according to Kathie.

Had a night out to see Kate Ceberano with friends last night. She's a great performer, still got the power in her voice and moves like an eighteen year old. Mind you she's only in her 40s, not like she's near decrepitude or anything.

I just missed a train but listened to the Ashes test on the little radio I had thought to bring along. Three or four aussie players were out between Museum and Campsie. So depressing but great for the Brits. Guess what I'll be glued to tonight. The brits are 3 for 58. I hope the Aussie bowlers can get at least 3 batsmen out in the first session then maybe we'll get a sniff. If we lose this we lose the whole damn thing.

Glad I don't need the heater any more, gives me more room in the living room. Well that's enough idling around. got a little dusting to do.

Getting ready

Things have been quiet this week but I'll soon start gearing up for K & K's arrival on Sunday. Grocery shopping after Writers Dozen meeting this morning, cleaning up on Friday, pre-cooking a couple of dishes in readiness, fixing up beds on Saturday.

Am going to run the first few pages of the re-vamped memoir past the Writing group today, and looking forward to hearing news about the romance writers conference which 3 members attended at the weekend. Not my genre but you learn a lot about writing at these things. Also the article I wrote about our anthology Better than Chocolate has appeared in this month's Writers News so will pass that round & get copies made for o/s interested parties. (Must remember to go to Office Works to get that done.)

Had a pap smear yesterday. Yuk. The older I get the worse they are, puts me off going any more. Interestingly the two women attending me were a trainee well into her sixties with the trainer well into her seventies. Unusual at a Family Planning Clinic but made me feel at home! Had a huge nap when I got home, a combination of trauma, stress and tiredness after waking up at 4.30am.
The sun is shining. This is getting boring!!!!

Bolting and dog walks

So. 'The Bolt' has bolted...yet again. I've never understood the world's hysteria with how fast one can run over a hundred metres. You blink your eyes and its all over. Where's the achievement in that? I prefer stayers myself...if you know what I mean.

In keeping with the sports theme, my players in the English Premier League came up trumps this week, (61 points) only not as good as four others ahead of me in the local Fantasy league, darn it. As far as I can tell I'm the only woman playing. Gotta show those boys!

Had a lovely morning with Maxine yesterday, walking five dogs followed by brunch at Echo Point Marina. Yet another beautiful day, all the dire wind warnings coming to nought in Sydney at least. I believe Tasmania and Victoria copped it pretty badly.

Facing a day of writing today. Started reading the first pages of the memoir yesterday, and immediately started slashing and burning, rewriting in the margins. It needs plenty of work but hey that's what writing is about.

Letter to Barack Obama

I am burning up about health care reform in the USA, especially all the naysayers and fear-mongers saying the most stupid negative things about the English Health care system.

So I have just written Barack Obama an email supporting him in his endeavours and telling him of how I felt when I moved from the USA to OZ, particularly the relief at knowing we were automatically covered for catastrophic medical emergencies. Universal health care is good for the nation's mental health in that anxiety is relieved, and one can get on with life with less worry. It's surprisingly easy to do by the way, writing the president I mean.

I fell better now that I have that off my chest!

Getting psyched up for 29 degrees tomorrow. Gonna help Maxine walk five dogs before the sun reaches its height.

Enjoyed aqua today and the quiche afterwards even more. Over coffee in a discussion with one of the aqua women I developed a good idea for the second novel, something that will add drama, create tension and provide a circumstance that leads to resolution. BUT must do more work on the memoir first, did some when I came home so feel good.

Fifty two years ago

Noticed the date, Aug 14, when I went off to Sheffield to start pre-nursing school in 1957, the year my second husband was born. He would have been four weeks old! The train was full. I had to stand all the way, fighting back tears which surprised me. I'd been looking forward to leaving home so much. I was writing about this very thing a couple of weeks ago in the memoir.

Enjoyed aqua yesterday after which Kit and I enjoyed a healthy Japanese meal. We followed this with a very unhealthy pastry from Nick's Cake shop in Brighton-Le-Sands, a yummy French Vanilla slice. I'm looking forward to a cherry cheese strudel with afternoon tea later, a reward after my walk to the post box to mail off the latest short story.

It's going to be a warm weekend. Haven't put the electric heater on today although I'm still in my white fluffy dressing gown. (Thank you Kathie I love it!) It is officially Spring on Sept 1st although it has felt like spring for weeks.

The big magpie returned to the Norfolk Pine yesterday with something (looked like bread) in his mouth. He didn't stick around though. There must be a nest nearby. Better get my crash helmet on for when he starts bombing us.
I've had my coffee, made some medical appointments. Time to get back to writing now.

Life writing and gourmet sausages

Not a good day yesterday, a migraine which stopped me from going to aqua, very annoying. Tried to manage it with Panadeine but come the afternoon resorted to the Imigran which did the trick. Enough of that.

Am looking forward to my first excursion to the NSW Women's Writers monthly workshop and lunch. The weather forecast looks good so will enjoy a walk in the city, will probably call in at DJs to buy some gourmet sausages.

Am loving Obama's book. What a good writer he is, looks like a natural to me. His early life was anything but conventional. Although the sequence of events in his life are written chronologically it is not boring or stilted.

Like one of my writing group buddies said last week, writing 'scenes' like pictures makes life writing more vivid and interesting. I was doing that yesterday when writing about when Maxine, my sister, and I returned home after dad married our stepmum. I can't remember the details but 'imagined' myself back there and wrote it accordingly. Moe interesting than what I'd written before.

Managed to get the very short story finished yesterday for a writing competition in Victoria. Will mail it off this week.

clash of concepts and 4am phone calls

The word 'monetize' has crept up on me undetected until I started face booking. Is it a word of the computer age or has it been around for a long time? I sort of guessed what it meant but had to look it up to make sure.

Had a great over-nighter with the mini Hewers. Annika started building a huge Lego castle, intending to fill it with furniture. Mathew saw it as one huge parking lot and started filling it with Ferraris, fire trucks and buses. Talk about a CLASH OF CONCEPTS. Nature or nurture? We had a moment of tantrum, with slamming of doors etc but after a bit of negotiation we constructed a parking space outside the castle and Annika started designing living space and putting bunk beds together (boy does she want one, she's fixated!)

The Aussies did it! My premonition was correct although I didn't think they'd do it so emphatically. Now we're all square going into the fifth test in 10 days time.

Not much going on today. Memoir writing, laundry, and shopping for groceries and petrol.

Might catch a nap since my dear friend Joan called me at 4am. Whenever the phone goes at that time I know it's her. Funnily enough I was awake. We had a good chat, and are now on each other's facebook. Then I went back to sleep and dreamt I had a very chatty conversation with Toni Colette on a bus. Where the mind goes when one sleeps is a source of fascination to me!

My good feeling about the cricket was borne out over night. The Aussies played more like their old selves and thrashed the English. But tomorrow is another day and anything can happen, still...I have that feeling...

Am off to baby sit the mini Hewers soon while Ed and Cris go out tonight. It's always good to spend time with them.

Guess what! Clear blue skies...again. James Valentine did a funny radio show this week asking people to call in about the extreme balminess that has afflicted Sydney this past few weeks. It was done in terms of 'this must stop, it is driving people crazy' etc. He is a funny guy.

Truth to tell it is getting a bit boring. I think we need variety and the weather is not providing it right now.

Time to go, fire up the chariot and hit the road.

Car care and Guiness ice cream

I'm off to get the car serviced today; hours of wandering around Parramatta shopping centre loom. There is no film I want to see, so will cart the computer round with me, get some writing done. There's a 700 word short story that needs attention and there's always the memoir. Also I can start Obama's book, having finished Ms Walter's last night.

Hopefully I'll meet up with Melissa who's working there this morning and we can have lunch when she knocks off.

They're forecasting 22 degrees today. What is happening? This is supposed to be winter. Things are flowering early and the birds have been frisky for weeks. It is weird.

Had a great pizza at Mancini's with Kit yesterday after aqua aerobics. King prawns, as fresh as... along with a rocket salad, yummy. We followed that with a visit to the retail outlet of Serendipity ice cream, also yummy with intriguing flavours. I got a small tub of sticky rice flavour, and a more conventional wild berry gelato. Kit bought Tiramisu flavour and another which escapes me. Her favourite is Peanut butter disaster. They told us they made a special Guiness one for a party, to go with the sticky date puddiing. Not sure about that one.

Fourth Ashes test starts tonight. Speculation about the make up of the teams is rife. They're palying at Headingly in Leeds. I have a good feeling about this one. Hope I'm right.

Police sirens have been going on and off since I woke up. Wonder what's going on. More terrorists lurking in the mosque up the road perhaps?

egg bake, butter cake and terrorists

Tried out a new dish for my Writing Group buddies yesterday, an egg dish I sampled last year, brought in by a rather large lady to a brunch during rehearsal of my sister's Chorale in the USA. I think I wrote down the ingredients wrong, it was swimming with butter when Itook it out of the oven, I had to pour the excess off. It didn't look quite the same as the large lady's either but it tasted alright. It's like scrambled egg with cheese on top.

I also made my old tried and true, Danish butter cake. I think I found that recipe in S. Africa in the 1970s, it's an easy standby although heavy on the butter too.

We have more terrorists in Australia, Somalian muslims apparently, looking to kill a few soldiers. Much discussion about lack of security at these places. Naturally a couple of journalists tried their luck at a barracks in Sydney. They were there half an hour before being arrested, plenty of time to shoot off a few rounds and detonate a bomb or two.

This terrorism thing is very tiresome. Obviously born out of poverty, kids taken in by unscrupulous murderous minders who wouldn't dream of strapping a bomb on their bodies, way too smart for that. And all in the name of religion. No wonder I am a non-believer. It's much easier to believe that we are born and then we die, end of story.

By the way Obama's book is Dreams from my Father, picked it up yesterday. Looking forward to reading it.

laundry and serial killers

What a difference a non-migraine day makes. I've polished off a short short story to workshop at the WD meeting today, baked two items for aforesaid meeting, done a load of laundry and hung it on the line, with a second one underway, and all by 8.15am. Plus showered and had breakfast, cleaned off the accumulated dust on the fan above the shower. You get the picture.

Later today, I'm going to the library to pick up Obama's book, Tales from my Father. I reserved it months ago, and have heard tantalising snippets on the Book Show. So I'm looking forward to it. I now have 2 good books to read, that and Tim Winton's Breath, that Maxine has lent me. He is my favourite Australian author. But I have a little matter of finishing off Minette Walters' The Ice House first.

I've been reading crime fiction with a view to maybe writing it one day. She is the least offensive so far, can actually write. I'd proabably be more interested in wiritng true crime, something I watch on Cable TV rather frequently. I just about know all the renowned (not the right word is it) serial killers, most of the US and UK ones with an occasional Russian, Pakistani and Indian thrown in. Interesting sociologically and psychologically I find. But maybe there's some psychological need in me to watch these things!!!!! I comfort myself by remembering that I'm not alone in this interest although I would not want to write to one of them or marry one, like many women do.

Time to get ready for the meeting.

I hate migraines

Here it is August already. Having a migraine day today, can't get much done although I brushed up two short stories for local Aussie competitions, and will send them off tomorrow. Had a huge nap this arvo in my recliner so feel a little better.

On the weekend, met up with Maxine and her latest dog Rosie whom I found very appealing. Annie calls her 'the queen dog' because she is a corgi. Watched Fargo again, I love Frances Mcdormand in that role.

Last day of the 3rd test today. Can the Aussies hold it together and play for a draw, their best option? So far so good but there is a long way to go.

Looking forward to full health tomorrow, aqua aerobics and some productive writing.

swine flu and toilet roll holders [no connection!]

Now I've heard everything. Some pigs in Australia have caught swine flu...from humans I wonder what the pigs call it.

I was speculating the other day on recycling, yet again. Could I be developing a fixation I wonder?

As I was consigning yet another toilet roll holder to the recycle bin, I could not help wondering what it had been before. Was it the cornflakes box I tossed out last year or the reams of trashed novel I am constantly tearing up and discarding. Does the abandoned toilet roll holder become another toilet roll holder or does it become part of the ream of the el cheapo copy paper I bought yesterday on which to write my novel which gets torn up, discarded etc etc.....

Must be what we call the Circle of Life.

Seriously though at what point do these things deteriorate into nothingness? If I was a clever stand up comedian like Ricky Gervais or Jerry Seinfield I could make up some shtick about it.