New Year

Happy New Year! I most certainly hope this year is better than the last. I plan on living a healthy lifestyle, remaining well and happy. I am looking forward to a productive 2015 with lots of writing, reading and fun.

I am thoroughly enjoying Caleb's Crossing with a back story of racial misunderstandings, acceptance of tragedy, the role of women in the 1660's and the deep desire for education. Geraldine Brooks seems to have an understanding of language and minute detail that escapes many other writers. Her descriptions of the mundane along with the horrific roll through the plot rising up at unexpected times.

My kindle is running red hot with Touching the World
as I follow Cathy and Bernard's story of riding a motorcycle around the world. Having reached Peru and coming to the realisation their adventure is almost at an end I am very keen to finish this book. The knowledge gleaned from Google that Cathy died just a few years after returning from this adventure made me very sad as I had intended to contact her. Vision impairment and blindness give many a connection. We undertake adventures which others would never contemplate and seek out ways to experience the world differently.

Paddington Bear is a wonderful movie! Cherie and I laughed our way through it enjoying the antics of Paddington as much as the little girl at the front who imitated the bear whenever she could. Jay was not impressed, he slept in the cool and never moved, probably a testament to wonderful air conditioning.

New Year

Christmas has been and gone, the New Year is only 3 days away, we all need to make some plans for a happy and healthy new year. I am dreaming of a year where visits to the Doctor are few and far between, work is interesting and useful and I can once again have dreams which can be fulfilled.

I finished reading Whitethorn Woods a few days ago, the book ended very suddenly with a suggestion to road would go around the woods and grotto, it was almost a book of description, people's lives and mistakes, I never really found any meaning to it.

I have now begun reading Calebs Crossing on my VRS, a little difficult to follow when listening just once a day but nevertheless looks to be as good as People of the Book.

I have only listened to a couple of hours so far so have not even managed to link the themes and story although I gather it is based in 1662 around a young pioneer girl who befriends a native American and follows him to Cambridge as he studies at Harvard. A crossing of cultures and the desire of women for an education are two themes which have already presented themselves. I wait in anticipation for the story to deepen and become full and rich.

I am still reading Touching the World on my kindle. Last night I looked up the author on google only to be disappointed and upset to discover that six weeks after the trip she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died within two years of this wonderful trip. Very sad.

Christmas Eve

Christmas is time when people are meant to be happy, enjoy being with family and receive presents given with love and care. A phone call and subsequent texts yesterday shattered all that for me. My son's wife rang very indignant that I had sent her son a Christmas card in which I said I had donated money to a charity in his name. Subsequent texts shattered my day, she was vicious!! Ce la vie - that is life.

I am still reading Whitethorn Woods on my VRS, I must be nearing the end yet it seems to be filled with introducing characters at every turn. I hope it does draw to a conclusion soon, I have listened to it for many hours in the middle of the night. An increase in my tablets has made me even sleepier, I hope I can tolerate them if this proves to be the dose needed to stop the migraines. Even though they knock me out I still seem to wake up and need the soothing voice of a book to put me back to sleep.

Several new books have been recommended to me lately, all kindle books. 
  
This book looks to be the sort of thing which will make me read and reflect on my own life. I like this kind of book which lets the reader into a very private part of someone's life and allows them to transplant it into their own thinking.

This book was recommended to me by Amazon.com and looks to be interesting as well as exploring a part of the world I would like to visit. Holiday time is when we grow and explore new genres of reading. I will enjoy this, plus the fact I do not really need to worry about work until the 30th of January, yippee!! 

Such sadness

As New Zealanders we mourn with our close neighbours, Australia, as they come to terms with the loss of two brave people who died in the siege. To know that a mother of 3 young children - 8, 6 and 3 died protecting her pregnant friend is more devastating than we can begin to understand. The young manager who tried to wrestle the gun from the man holding them will always be remembered as a hero, but what loss to his partner, family and friends.
More grief for Australia who have lost so many people to the prejudices of others this year. We all mourn with you.

Last night I began this book.
 
Although I only listened to the first chapter it is much better than I had anticipated. Not normally a reader of novels churned out by a woman in large numbers, this adventure based around a new highway, St Ann's well and a priest looks promising.

I have not progressed anything I am reading on my kindle due to ongoing eye and headache issues, hopefully I can return to it soon. At present TV has taken precedence. Anzac Girls which was on last night is an amazing drama based around nursing sisters at Gallipoli, a real eye opener. 

I am worried about my retired guide dog, Chocolat. She seems to have aged dramatically in the last few weeks, I hope she gets her zing and energy back soon. 

Holiday

Holidays have arrived! I now have over 6 weeks to enjoy the non-arrival of our summer, good books, music and my garden. I am still trying to unwind and the plethora of things I have had to do since Friday have made my life a little stressed. Lunch out again today, coffee tomorrow and then hopefully it should all be over.

I heard a radio interview last Saturday with the author of this book.

The author has explored the world where girls are unwanted, uneducated and lost. Many of these girls are being disguised as boys to ensure they receive some education and can live as normal a life as possible. While I have not started the book yet I think it will prove to be a very interesting read.

My memoir writers group has now expanded to include some other Facebook sites that they have recommended. These include Writers Write and For Reading Addicts. I will follow them for a while and see if they provide me with entertainment and knowledge.

Lunches

Suicide leaves an impact for life. It is 17 years since my son died and the 10th of December is always a difficult day for me. It was soothed yesterday by a long lunch with a friend who had no idea until she hugged me goodbye that it had been such a difficult time for me and how much her kindness had helped me. Admonitions to forget the day, the time, the pain do no good and usually come from people who have little idea of the anguish this act brings. So thank you Lyn for your kindness and love.

I have finally moved on with my reading.
  
This memoir by Lloyd Jones was sparked by the destruction in Christchurch, a city which came tumbling down, and as he began to investigate his own world it crumbled around him. He uses such evocative language that one can see what he is talking about from both the real to the imagined.

  
I began reading this on my kindle yesterday, the story of a blind woman and her partner who motorcycle around the world. A truly fascinating read and one which will hopefully put paid to the idea that the blind cannot travel or achieve adventures such as this.

Still the Same

This last week has been one of waiting and continued migraines. The MRI scan was clear so now the race is on to find a level of drug which will knock the migraines out and allow me to continue with a normal life. I am not giving in to them any more, I just carry on with whatever I am doing and hope I will be ok.

Reading has been put aside as I search for a cure. I have managed to finish a big book on my VRS, it was fascinating. 


I have seldom read such a big historical book but I found the twists and turns of the Medici family and descriptions of places I have visited in Florence have added to my knowledge of this lovely city. I had no idea the Medici were such scoundrels, murdered so many people and influenced history all over Europe. A really worthwhile read.

I have also managed to finish on my kindle


This book allowed me to stop and start as my headaches waned, I was able to pick it up where I had left off with little trouble. I am not sure it was a very exciting memoir but certainly gave its readers an insight into a very famous bookshop. Now I need to find another easy to read book on my kindle and pursue my great delight of reading again.