7/12/10

A return to the Day Book formula! Once I wrote a weekly diary but I found that a bit restricted. Since then I've been haphazzard, and that doesn't work either because it's all too easy to say 'I'll do it tomorrow'. I find writing poetry on http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/ more to my taste, but I enjoy other peoples' journals so I feel I must make the effort.

Outside my window... all is dark because this is mid-winter. Our 'dusk' time is almost non-existent though, compared with the UK. In both winter and summer the change from night to day is much more sudden. When we were over in the UK on holiday I really enjoyed the long, long evenings.

I am thinking......that I hope all goes well for our little Harry tomorrow. He has a slight turn in his eye and tomorrow he goes to have a muscle tightened. I'm not concerned about the operation as such, but I'm worried that he'll be frightened at being put to sleep and also concerned that he'll rub his eye once it's done. He hasn't got to stay in hospital, though, so it can't be considered too tricky.

This is a recent picture of Harry and his little brother Max, ready for soccer practice.

I am thankful for... all the good friends I have. Yesterday one of them had a 70th birthday party and about twenty of us got together to celebrate with her.  Her name is Betty Druzina and she's forever jetting off to far distant places with her boyfriend! It must be right what they say...... that 70 is the new 50!

Here Betty is about to cut the cake!

And here am I with the Guest of Honour.

From the kitchen..... I surprised everyone a the party by actually taking along something I'd made myself! I'm normally renowned for turning up with a packet of biscuits. I'd only made Rock Cakes, but they really were quite nice, and they were cut in half so everyone could have a taste. While I was in the kitchen making them I also put the slow cooker on again and made several meals for next week. I don't really mind cooking, but I'm not crash hot at it and I do get bored with the daily necessity to produce a meal! If I lived alone I'd buy one big cooked chicken a week and just gnaw on it till it was all gone, and then go out and buy a slap-up meal.

I am wearing...  A beige jacket with matching trousers, a purple jumper and cream necklace and earrings. We've just been out to my friend, Joy's for tea. Her daughter teaches Aboriginal children in a remote part of the state, but she was home for the holidays, and I wanted to share some thoughts with her about teaching reading. It turned out she'd already got my book on the subject though, and I don't think it will help her circumstances. I had ideas about how to involve a native language with English, but it turns out her pupils are some of the saddest among Aborignal  people. They have lost their own language and have just picked up the very worst of European 'culture'! In other words, swearing and walking out of the classroom are commonplace! She's passionate about teaching them, although she lives in relative isolation and her Mother worries about her.

I am creating... well, tidying-up three plays for a festival. It's called 'Short and Sweet' and no play must be longer than ten minutes! One of my plays is my old faithful 'Unhand Me' a ridiculous melodrama in verse, that I've shortened for the purpose. The other two are a monologue called 'Naked Ambition', and a thriller called 'The Old Block'. I don't suppose I stand much of a chance but I'm going to give it a try.

I am going... wherever my daughter, Rebecca, wants to go tomorrow. She's got a day off work because it's the school holidays and she's bringing Blake (11) over for the day. I suggested we could go shopping but she said Blake would hate that, so we'll see what transpires. We'll go out for lunch anyway. There's a new chef at The Leagues Club and we hear good reports of him. Blake will be easy to entertain as he's lost in some electronic gadget a lot of the time! I'm giving Rebecca a rug I no longer need as she has a cold floor in her office. She works for an Income Tax Assessment firm in the season and they've just moved premises.

I am reading... 'Year of Wonders', a novel built around the Plague Village of the 1600s. It's based on fact and very welll researched and I'm enjoying it very much. When I say 'enjoy' consider the fact that life was very harsh in those days. There are gruesome scenes of witches being drowned and people dying of the plague but the story is good and very well told.

I am hoping...my next Melodrama performance will go well. Most of the cast are off to the Blue Mountains for a Xmas in July excursion, so I've had to rustle up an alternative cast, some of them new to the game. Still, it doesn't really matter how we go. We had a great show last week at a VIEW club. We made an awful lot of mistakes but the ad libbing and asides made it funnier than ever and the audience was very receptive.

Here is Maisie (Me) being carted off to prison

I am hearing... a ringing in my ears! It sounds such like cicadas a long way away. The doctor says it probably means I'm going deaf! No sign of that yet, though, although both Malcolm and I put the sub-titles on for shows in which people 'mumble'!!!!!

Around the house.....we gave the two single beds to the Salvation Army and we now have a double bed in our spare bedroom. When I came home yesterday I found Malcolm had bought a bed-head for it. He was worried I might not like it but I think it's quite nice. I like anything wicker.

The new bedhead

One of my favorite things... is helping Harry with his school-work. I really do miss teaching even after twenty years of retirement. As soon as I start talking about it I get goose-bumps!

A few plans for the rest of the week:  A fairly quiet week this week. I should have Choir Practice tomorrow but I'm having a day with Becca instead. Then, on Wednesday it's the monthly Scrabble get-together but it's not at my house this time. Then the only other thing is the 'Tiddly Pom' rehearsal on Friday.

 Photograph and a Thought

A magnolia (?) tree in my daughter's garden this week! Mid-winter in Australia!

For some reason old comments have attached themselves to this new blog! And I don't know how to get rid of them!

6/5/10

I went to a friend's eightieth birthday party today. A one time I'd have expected it to be quite a sedate affair, considering her great age, but this was a lively 'hen' party with lots of laughter and chatter, and Kath, the 'birthday girl' was one of the liveliest there! The party was put on by her daughters, and she's having a family party tonight. We met at a club called the Phoenix Club, and our table was composed of past members of our Playreading Group. I no longer belong to it but it was lovely to see everyone again.

A Collage of Kath's life

Kath and the Chef with Ann, our delightful Somerset friend.

Kath makes a speech.

Me with Margery and Isobel.

*

5/29/10

This second blog of mine got off to a very uncertain start! I began it full of enthusiasm and then I had my camera stolen! This was bad enough, but Malcolm decided to help me out by installing one of his old cameras plus its disk etc. My computer rebelled! The actual computer was fine, actually, but I couldn't use the printer, a device I use constantly. So 'the man' came and said he must take it to hospital!

Here he is cogitating.

He brought it back on time, in perfect working order. And then he put my new camera 'in'. I was afraid I'd blow the whole thing up again! Everything is working now except that it's all small! I know you'll suggest I go to the 'control tower' and change the sizes, but I've tried that and it doesn't change! I suppose I'll ge used to it in the end. But all my blog 'stuff' is minute as well. I feel as though I'm typing this on a postage stamp!

I fiddled endlessly this-morning. Thankfully, we were asked out to lunch and that took my mind off my irritation. And what a delightful lunch it was! We visited friends, expecting to see mutual aquaintances there but everybody was new to us. The food was all vegetarian; maybe our hosts are vegetarian. In any case, the absence of meat wasn't noticed at all as the menu, which started with fresh green pea soup was superb. The company was excellent and Jane, our hostess, kept us all circulating. Alf, our host, is an artist, with his own brilliant almost cartoon style, and the house is decorated to complement his art works. Lots of brillant colours. He pots as  well, so we ate and drank out of his creations. We arrived there ar twelve-thirty and we left at five, and the time flashed by. Sadly, the superb view was dulled by storm clouds, but the vivid interior made up for that. So my new camera got a work-out. A truly delightful day!

A Colourful Corner

Someone cracked a joke!

Most of the party.

Why not visit my Poetry Blog if you have time

http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/

5/18/10

Having had my camera stolen, I feel quite bereft. Malcolm lent me his for the Book Group evening, but, at the crucial moment, I discovered I didn't know how to turn it on! We were the hosts this month. We take it in turns to meet once a month at each others' houses to discuss books chosen by the group. This suits me very well as I'm not a great reader. That may sound an odd reason for joining a book group, but the fact is that I like the discipline of it and I enjoy the discussions, not to mention the company. Most of the members have become really good friends. They're all much more well-read than I am, but I rise to the occasion with my verbosity at times. I can talk on anything, even if I don't always make much sense! But I'm afraid you wont be able to enjoy my friends' company by proxy because of the blasted camera (stolen, I suspect, from my trolley when I was shopping in the '$2 shop'!) This week we watched a video. We only have a small sitting-room but, by strategically placing the chairs, we can fashion quite a passable 'entertainment centre'.A couple of months ago we read the old thriller, 'The Big Sleep' and so we showed the old Humphrey Bogart film as a follow-up. We though it was a good adaptation, and very well produced for its  day, seventy years ago! We all remarked on Humphrey Bogart's short stature! In my youth I thought he was a towering hero! Anyway, I couldn't follow the plot very well in either the book or the film, but that was probably through lack of concentration! Malcolm had timed the film for me and assured me that it took an hour and a half,  and it took two hours, so, for the last half hour, my mind was on the refreshments in the oven! Anyway, all went well and the usual convivial time was enjoyed over the 'eats'.

 Earlier in the day we'd collected Max and Harry from school. This is quite a major performance as Harry has to be collected at 2.45 p.m. and Max isn't allowed to stay after 3.00. The two schools, Max's pre-school and Harry's normal school, aren't too far apart, but they're both mid-city so the parking is horrendous; Malcolm has to circle while I rush in and collect! It was raining today too, so that added to the confusion. I nearly left behind Max's painted model of a dinosaur, and I did leave behind Harry's reading list! Once home the two boys attended 'Grandma School'. I kid myself that my little sessions are for the boys' benefit but I'm really indulging myself. Once a teacher, always a teacher! But at least it gets Harry's homework out of the way before his Daddy comes to pick them up. I only have a short time left enjoying close proximity. They've been living next door in a rented house, waiting to move into their new house at the beginning of June. I'll still see a lot of them, but it wont be the same.

5/16/10

I spent a happy morning with friends, recording Melodrama music. Carole, our pianist, has to have an operation on her hand shortly and so I'm eager to get everything on tape. The two Pams were there, Pam Morrison looking very uncomfortable after a knee operation. It's not the knee that's troubling her, though, it's her lower back, so we're hoping nothing was put out of place during the knee operation! It didn't affect  her voice, though! We all have a slight problem in that our voices have lowered over the years and poor Carole has to transcribe most things to a lower key.Still, we're getting there.

Rebecca and Blake came round in the afternoon with all their NZ news. I hope to have some photos shortly. Greg's boys were beside themselves with excitement; you would have thought they hadn't seen Blake for years, and they were delighted with their NZ Airways model planes. I was a bit concerned as the planes had sharp wings and they were swooping them very near each others eyes. Becca showed her photos on our TV and we were all surprised to see how dry NZ looked. We always think of it as our green backyard! But NZ has had a bad drought ever since Christmas. They had a good time, anyway, and Blake looked such a young gentleman beside his two cousins.

We've all been horrified by a murder in Australia. It involved a young girl communicating with a young man on Facebook and him working on her love of animals. (She had been studying animal husbandry at Technical College). He pretended that he was part of a well-known Wildlife organisation and he said that  if she was interested in joining it she could attend a forest camp with other enthusiasts. Off she went ..... and her body was found a day later! How devious! How wicked! It shows how careful one has to be.

The Victim
I've mislaid my camera!! This is like losing an arm! So if I don't find it soon I'll buy another!

5/15/10

Homecomings have been in the wind today. The first was a national homecoming, as a local heroine sailed into Sydney Harbour after months at sea, circumnavigating the world alone! Jessica Watson is only sixteen so it's been a tremendous achievement. There was a lot of controversy about her voyage  before she went. I think the population was evenly divided between those who said 'Go for it, girl!' and those who thought it was a crazy, foolhardy thing to do. My mind was on her parents. They must be remarkably in tune as both of them said 'If she wants to do it let her try!' I can't imagine many parents being so trusting or risk-taking. I was certainly one who thought the whole idea should be shelved and I couldn't help feeling that her parents were just after publicity. It's a strange thing, really..... if she'd drowned at sea (and that was on the cards as her craft rolled over several times) they'd now be pariahs, almost considered murderers. But because everything's gone well, they're being feted and described as wonderful parents! Nothing can take-away the bravery and ability of the young girl though. I'm shortly going to switch on the TV to see her gala arrival in Sydney.

In our own little uneventful lives another homecoming has taken place. Rebecca, Brian and Blake have just arrived home from three weeks in NZ. I'm always relieved when people are back in their right slots! I could certainly never have mothered a Jessica Watson! We haven't seen Becca yet as they left NZ at 2.0.a.m. our time this-morning and they're all sleeping it off. We'll see them tomorrow, and give back their little dog, Banjo, who's been with us for three weeks.

5/14/10

The British coalition has been on my mind again today. Not because I'm in a particularly political mood either. In fact, my approach has been very frivolous. As I saw them walking together towards the dais (what's the plural of dais, please? There were two of them!) Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum came to mind. Both David and Nick are the same height; they were both wearing matching 'business' suits and ties; they're both of an age. And, from a distance they really looked like twins. Terrible Twins? Only time will tell.

But these frivolous thoughts were mot my only ponderings today. We had a run-through of my Australian melodrama at the Cricketers' Arms today. We were a small band but enthusiastic. Pam Boyd and I have decided to co-direct! (See the connection!) She wants to concentrate on the Aussie touches ..... the slang, etc. And I want to direct just because I want to direct! So we're in double harness and I think both of us are wondering how it's going to work! I visualised the play when I was writing it, but she has the stronger personality and more original ideas.

Pam

I once worked in double-harness as the co-President of a social club, and I resigned after only a short time because I found the situation intolerable after a while. So watch this space!

5/13/10

As usual, I lay in bed listening to the BBC last night and I heard a most interesting talk on the role culture plays in education. The speaker was referring to the cultures of various races, and he was concentrating on the cultures of Asia. He was visiting a school in Silicon Valley in the US, where nearly all the successful students come from an Asiatic background, including India. Of course, the standard of the area was high as most of the parents were academics anyway, but it was the proportion of Asian students that were at the top that struck me, because here, in Australia, we see the same statistic. Whenever newspapers publish the photographs of exceptional students most of them are Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian or Korean. Yet I believe intelligence is pretty standard throughout humanity. The speaker 'last night' put it down to the culture. Basically, he said, people of European descent worship at the shrine of individuality; students are encouraged to 'do their own thing'. In Asiatic countries students are brought up to consider themselves as part of a group and a family. They see their parents as fellow-travelers in the business of education. Thus, they are more biddable and willing to submit to hard work. If they succeed the whole group succeeds.

I was reminded of this when I read someone else's blog this-morning. (And I apologise for not recalling the name of the writer.) He wrote of the 'Broken Window' approach, which is said to have improved crime rates in New York. Rather than wait for serious crimes to occur, the police jump on lesser infringements, such as window-breaking, thus nipping crime in the bud, literally. It seems to me that the urge to break windows, scrawl graffiti, and generally be 'agin the government' stems from the cult of individuality. No doubt the perpetrators are 'finding themselves'! I'm quite sure young people in Asia commit petty crimes too, but do they do it to the same extent? I doubt it. They may riot for want of food etc, but pure self-indulgence must be rare. They don't break windows in a mood of 'this is me!' surely!

I was at Harry's school this-morning, helping with reading exercises and I found myself in a room buzzing with life and activity, but full of 'individuals' vying for attention. And I wondered.........

I have to admit that I belong to the 'individualistic' society too. I don't see myself as part of a group as much as an individual. And I know worries have arisen about Japanese children, for example, being hounded to succeed, and suffering from mental stress. But surely there's what my mother always called 'a happy medium' somewhere.

I hope Harry finds it!

5/12/10

Politics have been uppermost in my mind today. We had our budget yesterday evening so the papers have been full of pros and cons. It appears to be steady as we go for people like us; in fact, pharmacy items are going to be cheaper.The main thrust is taxing the mining giants enormously, and that could easily backfire. Already some of them are threatening to move activities to more friendly countries!

Then, of course, I've been captivated by the news from Britain, where I was born. I go to sleep with the BBC on every night, and it's still droning away when I wake in the morning, but I wake up with a start if anything of interest to me is mentioned. Consequently, I heard Gordon Brown's 'retirement' speech when it happened, which was deep in the Australian night. I found it quite moving, particularly as he must be such a disappointed man. So now we'll wait for the two parties in the Coalition to start squabbling!

I conducted my U3A Poetry group this-morning. Our numbers were depleted through holidays and sickness, but we still enjoyed reading and discussing. I took along two very different poems, one by Walt Whitman and the other by Joyce Grenfell to analyse and others brought their own choices, from C.J.Dennis to T.S. Eliot. I had to spend the afternoon in town having ultra-sound tests done on my carotid arteries. Because I have problems in my legs, an additional test was deemed necessary. It's quite unnerving hearing the blood surging through ones body!

5/10/10

 

I've just been gardening. Even after all these years in Australia I just cannot get used to winter in the sub-tropics, and preparing for it brings it all to the forefront of my mind. There's no 'dead' time of the year here. Of course, we miss the excitement of snow, the tingle of real cold, the delights of an evening before a blazing fire and the ecstasy of Spring, but I still get a thrill out of knowing that the 'leggy' flowers I've slashed this-morning will bloom again for me in winter! I shouldn't really call it 'gardening' though; it's 'postage-stamping' because that's the size of our little patch. It's a wonderful sun-trap in winter though and we often sit out there in the sun when it gets chilly indoors. Australian houses are draughty in winter. They're designed to keep the air circulating in summer and so they're not ever really cosy. We have a staircase leading down into our lounge, too, so that's always a source of draughts. However, who's grumbling? Our winter season is June/July/August but chilly weather lingers on a month or so after that. Our winter is the same length as an English summer, and we all remember how short that is! (Sorry!) I hate winter clothes, though. I always feel ten years older when I'm rugged up! Now I'm off to 'season' my wardrobe, packing away the really summery clothes for a while. Very virtuous!