02.23.09
Blogosphere Book Circle: February
I’m glad I spotted Penny’s invitation to join this online book circle. I love reading books and being thoroughly absorbed into them. As life goes by, it’s all too easy to find yourself reading nothing more than the junk mail that arrives in the letterbox. Some of that is great to read too…. how else do you find out where you need to purchase that next “must-have” from? Last year, reading was by and large text books, or study notes. And while they were “must-reads”, it’s not the same thing as reading for the pure enjoyment of reading.
So I was late on board the reading circle and only just found my copy of the book of the month, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societyby Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
Juliet Ashton lives in London after World War II and is trying to find a subject for her next book when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, who lives on Guernsey, one of the Channel islands between England and France. Dawsey has purchased a secondhand book by Charles Lamb that had Juliet’s name and address in the cover. He is writing her to see if she can recommend other books by Lamb.
Dawsey’s letters make Juliet interested in life on Guernsey, which was occupied by Germans during the war. She begins exchanging letters with other members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a hodge-podge group of readers who formed their society as an alibi to keep from getting arrested by the Nazis.
Through the letters, readers come to know and love Juliet and a variety of friends and foes on Guernsey.
What did I like / dislike about the book?
I loved the humour that came through clearly in the character of Juliet. The way the letters allowed the story to unfold in front of the reader made the story more cosy for me. I was able to easily be transported into the story and feel involved in the plot. I was impressed with how the story was upbeat, yet was dealing with subject matter much darker in terms of it drawing upon recollections of Nazi occupation and life on the island during the war. While not drawn to tears at what I was reading, it certainly was able to make clear the horrors people faced at this time. (Think starvation and deprivation, forced seperation from loved ones, uncertainty of life or death….) I think that it was the device of using letters as ways of reporting what was told rather than the more confronting first person style of writing that made the book much more accessible, up beat and very humourous.
If you haven’t already read this book, I could highly recommend it.
02.20.09
Growing up speedy
This little dude:
is growing up way too fast. He is my baby, Mr4. He had his first school visit this morning. I was sort of hoping that I needed to stay, that he needed me to be there, maybe for a quick hug or something. I think the fact I said I was staying for a little bit was all that was needed. He was greeted by his friends that had already started school and it seems they were pleased to see him.
I stayed for the roll call, and then the explanation of what activity they were to work on in the morning. The new entrant class then went to the big mat with the rest of the block where the other teacher filled in some more details. Mr 4 didn’t even check to see where I was. He just got on with listening and doing what he needed to do. The second teacher was surprised to see him putting his hand up to answer questions, and I was thrilled that he was giving the correct answers. Like he’s been there for months. Like this was nothing new.
My baby is growing up.
Two hours later when I came to collect him, he was telling me how cool school is. “How many more visits to I get mum?”, “I can’t wait til I stay the whole day”
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In other news….. the rain is coming down absolutely vertical. Not a breath of wind to move it one way or the other. And it’s constant. Constantly heavy. While I love listenign to the sound of it coming down, I need to see how a couple of spots are dealing with it. Yes, we have the fun of leaks in certain weather. I’m not sure if constant and vertical is the “certain” weather, but I’d rather not chance it… it’s in my scrap storage place!!!! 
And, I’ve got photos to share from a couple of weeks ago when I was in Christchurch for a flying visit thanks to Dad’s 60th. Yeah, really, I’m becoming a bad blogger!! 
Stay tuned 
02.13.09
Happy 9th
It was Hubby’s and my 9th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. We celebrated a little…. I bought a lovely pair of gold earrings for hubby to give to me, and a wee box of chocolates for him. Having looked up the sorts of gifts typically given, I see I haven’t gone for the tradition (pottery or willow) or modern (leather). I prefer gold anyway 
This is the card that I did…. very pleased to be able to use a new stamp (the heart) from a Sale-A-Bration set I got my hands on this week. Really enjoying the craft cardstock too – why haven’t I used this more before now??
It’s the dining room light making that red look more orange, so I took another picture too without lighting. It was so dark around here yesterday with the rain. We needed it for sure, but really…. it was just bucketing. Dead on school pick-up time too. Funny that. 
And that wonderful blurry look? I picked up the other camera and forgot to check its settings. It was still on macro. Bummer!! LOL Nevermind. Hubby liked the card and the chocolates and thought he had remarkably good taste in jewellery. LOL
And as well as enjoying a lovely indian meal and some bubbly a little later on, I’d also enjoyed the company of girlfriends in the morning. How much better can a day get??
Right, now to get my A into G. There is a layout sitting unfinished from last Friday night, and a few more besides I’d like to get on to. It feels good to be creating again.
02.10.09
Normal service will resume shortly.
Well, having given you a small insight into how our January disappeared before our very eyes, it seems February is set to join it just as quickly.
I’ve been meaning to get on to post almost every day – but something or other always manages to avert me from my mission. So, this really is just a very quick post to let you all know “Do Not Adjust Your Set….”
Two things that were on my must do list for today have been taken care of. We had a slow puncture – actually, must have had it for a while if the truth be told. But when it gets to having to reinflate the tyre almost daily, you really begin to feel it probably needs looking into. So I did. There was a nail stuck in it. Thank goodness for Tony’s Tyres and their free puncture repair service. Yeah, that doesn’t sound much like an ad does it now? Anyway, saved me having to change a flat tyre and funnily enough, the car drives a bit better now too. 
Plus, I took Angus with me and while they were fixing the tyre, I took him for a walk. Two birds with one stone. It was quite interesting because I realised that living in a hillside burb, he doesn’t see cars as much as I assume so. Being a little unsure of this new environment is good. He got a little too comfortable round home last week and decided on the one day he was home alone that it was a good thing to dig, and pull, and pretty much destroy the irrigation system. Yeah….muttley is lucky to still be amongst the living. I was a clever girl though and DIY’ed the repairs. And if he so much as looks at the garden again, he’s going to hear about it……..
I’ve not been too scrappy lately – but I have been working on various wee projects. Waiting for that mojo to come back. My first layout for the year is almost done – I started it on Friday night and almost got it finished. So you know that the procrastination queen will take, ohhhhhhhh, at least a week to finalise it. Sheeesh, I’m bad!!
So yes, I’m still around. I’m probably reading all your goings on – and not commenting much. Because I’m really bad like that
I’ve also been dumbfounded in the last few days watching the news about the fires in Australia. It’s just so devastating and heart-wrenching.
And so, because I can’t bear to watch anymore news right now, here is something a little uplifting for you. Enjoy.
02.02.09
Come on in February!
Because you all know January has gone by just far, far too quickly!!
We came back from camp and had just 2 weeks to go before the year started back at kindy for Mr 4 and today was the first day back for Mr 7. He is in year 3 this year, and is very pleased with his new teacher. He is now an “M-blocker” which forms part of the S-syndicate….which denotes being in the senior school. However, the truth is that a bunch of year 3’s are in M-Block and the rest are in R-block and it is probably more to do wtih the squeeze from both new entrants/Year 1 at one end and Year 6 at the other. No room for big heads in this household! 
So, I can’t remember what I last shared and seeing as January has been a truly busy month, and you all know I know how to chat on here. I’m going to try and let the pictures do most of the talking. Here goes:
Right, I think I got the gallery working OK (although you may have to click on each thumbnail to get a better look), so if you look left to right, here’s the run down.
- The camp kitty made friends with us – or at least our tent in the last couple of days we were in Napier. He slept two nights in the hidey holes under our fly, and hung around at the last breakfast. He got really brave when he decided to keep hubby company on the seats!
- Walking along the path during the Poet’s Park walk – part of the Kev the Wandering Kiwi series of walks. Mr 4 and friend P on the stopbank.
- We found blackberries growing – and most of us picked at least a few. Shame the thorns get in the way!!
- Drink stop! Mr 4 working out the best way to drink from the fountain.
- Look who we discovered lurking in Barton’s Bush!
- Awwwww! These two are great mates.
- Climbing a very cool tree on the way back to the car park
- Mr 7 and his friend were also on the walk – but usually so far ahead this is the only photo I got. He’s gorged himself on the blackberries – and enjoyed every single one.
- My attempt at the perfect cupcakes for a stampin up demo I hosted. I think I got pretty close – but you know, gotta keep trying!
- Printed out wallet sized photos and made some little books for Mr 4 and P to remember their adventure.
- Mr 4 has returned to Kindy as of last week so Mr 7 and I headed to the bead shop to get a little one on one time. He loves making his own necklaces and would not be told that the new one was very similar to his previous one. Just a few differences and he was a happy chappy. We also spotted the style for next time (oh, and of course, I made one too!)
- Walk Number 2 – into Belmont Regional park this time. A more strenuous walk, lots of hills and narrow paths. It was the first time Mr 7 and I had been into this park, and we’ll be going back again. We were taken on the Oakleigh St loop to Korokoro Dam. We all enjoyed it – and Angus did too. Great walk!
- The dam – we got up and personal to it, Angus had a wee paddle and it was very worthwhile.
- The weekend just gone was a hot one. When the BIL suggested hanging out at the river in Kaitoke Regional Park, we said YES! So Mr 4 helped build up the dam by throwing some more rocks onto it;
- Mr 7 swam;
- Uncle R showed the boys how to jump off the big rock into the big hole;
- and Mr 7 tried out his diving skills.
In amongst all that, the local craft group held it’s first night of the year and was pretty successful with Donna and I demonstrating working with serviettes, dog training has restarted, swimming is about to restart this week, I’m off to Christchurch for a surprise overnight trip for Dad’s 60th, and…..
Gee whizz, February isn’t looking any slower than the last month!!
