The short sentence given to Rolf Harris, his victims have a life sentence, is appalling. 5 years is less than six months per conviction. Given his age I am sure he will be released in a fairly short time frame. This has been contrasted by the failure to convict the son of our Maori King who admitted drink driving, theft and other crimes. The outing of his disgusting Facebook page has shocked us all and the excuse that he may one day inherit the throne is nonsensical. he has an older brother, his aunt was passed over in favour of his father. Also, he is about to become a father, at 19, what level of responsibility does this show?
I am trying to understand When in Rome but keep drifting off to sleep and cannot find the theme of the book. Mario Lanza seems to be the main character which makes this book rather light in my estimation, but I will continue to read it as it seems to be a wonderful sleeping draught.
Last night I finished reading The Primal Wound and then spent half an hour cutting the myriad of post it notes shorter so I did not dislodge any of them from the pages. It has been a revelation, explains so much of my life, challenges me to change and deal with my issues and accept who I am.
A friend is travelling to Bali tomorrow and amid our jests not to take her stash of cocaine, marijuana, and lock her surfboard properly I still wonder at the risk people take travelling to this part of the world. There must be safer places to go for a holiday, ones where drugs do not become part of the daily scenario.
Another friend from work is travelling here, to Vanuatu, much safer. Perhaps I should be looking for a closer destination, perhaps even a part of New Zealand I have not visited before.
How many other people are shocked and stunned by the conviction of entertainer, Rolf Harris. We grew up and brought our children up watching this man who obviously thought he was above the law when he abused and interfered with young women. Shock waves have spun around the world and now one is left to wonder why we trust anyone at all, does risk manifest in every corner, every situation?
I am engrossed in The Primal Wound, only putting it down when the eye strain becomes too severe. I have been a little shocked when two people have told me they have read the book, why did they not recommend it to me, both knew I experience identity issues around my adoption. It is lifting years of pain and rejection from my heart, there is much work to do now.
I started reading this book by Nicky Pellegrino last night after a false start with another book on my VRS. Talking books are so fickle, what sounds interesting often turns out dull, this book offers me a light relief from my other serious reading. The story of Serefina, it explores life in Rome, the food, architecture, life as young women knew it in the 1950's. I am unsure if it has a meaty plot but will enjoy something light and uncomplicated.
Rome was not a place I enjoyed, probably put off by the many people who warned me of its dangers. I used the Hop on Hop Off buses and toured the city through a bus window, only getting off when I felt safe. Perhaps I missed the essence of the city through a veil of other people's fears but it is not a place I dream of returning to.
I never cease to be amazed at how quickly Amazon can get books to this small country in the South Pacific. Dealing with the downstream impact of my adoption so many years later has been really traumatic but it is wonderful that someone is listening to my feelings and thoughts which are apparently quite normal.
This book arrived yesterday and after rushing through my end of day tasks I sat down, magnifier at the ready, to devour it. I am sure I wrote this book and have forgotten. Why have I never been introduced to it before; descriptions of everything I feel and the way I act exploded from the page into my soul. After 30 pages I have a book full of post it notes, thoughts and ideas. This may even be a book I write in the margins of - it is stunning.
I also purchased this book and will delve into it as soon as I have completed the Primal Wound. I am hoping it offers me tools for my journey to self, authenticity and greater understanding of why I am the way I am.
I am also searching the Blind Foundation library website for travel books, mostly of Germany and France. I still believe I have much travel to do there and need to explore my options, the memoirs of other single women travellers, thoughts, anecdotes and ideas.
Tartettes, fondant au chocolat, croissants, oh yes. France may be my next destination even though one of the pastries has kiwifruit as a decoration.
I am having a DVD splurge and last night watched this movie. I was fascinated by the journey the two women were on and the unsolicited support they provided for each other under difficult circumstances.
Men can really be the pits - Ria's husband was a real lothario and the grief both women were living with could have destroyed them. A wonderful movie, a good book I am sure, and it has encouraged me to explore another genre of book I would not have considered previously. I love Dublin, therefore the setting was familiar, more books to read.
I am off to an important meeting that may bring me fame and fortune, more likely an ongoing role in the NZ disability community through my writing and reading skills.
Dublin is one of the cities of my dreams, I loved it, could live there, books, music, food. James Joyce seemed to be around every corner.
I read the book of Eat, Pray, Love when it first came out and I was on a journey of discovery of my own. I never managed to see the movie when it came out so last night I settled down, remote control in hand, what an amazing portrayal by Julia Roberts of Elizabeth Gilbert's journey. Stories of loss abound in my life and her experience of being lonely when first arriving in Rome resonated like loud dissonance in my ears. This journey, a very personal journey, has surely changed the lives of many women who wonder why they made the choices they did when young and live lives of unhappy acceptance. Now I am a woman who needs a word - French, Italian, English - a word which will embody my journey into new adventures.
This morning, with a new and invigorated interest in life I explored my Amazon.com kindle website and discovered her book Committed which I understand is about her new marriage, forced by the US Government to her beloved Brazilian and also The Signature of All Things which, from the blurb on Amazon, appears to be a novel about a botanist. I need to do more reading in the holidays, I have more books unread than read on my kindle, joys to be savoured and time to explore the memories and lives of others.
I really want to travel again and continue to explore the world. Perhaps I need to read more memoirs by brave and uncompromising women to get the joie de vivre back in my life and begin planning.
A small French village, my new travel dream, now all I need is a companion!
Friends come in many shapes and colours. Some remain friends, others cross boundaries into zones where they cause damage and lack the intuition to see the effects of their casual words. Last night I had to explain why I had not replied to another woman's texts. While she apologised for her words it is not enough as the damage she has caused with her ill-considered opinions and ignorant comments sent me escaping to friends of safety. We all need to consider that the old adage 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me' is completely untrue.
I have almost finished Saving the Queen and given that there are apparently 7 books in the series it was safe to assume that Oakes would survive the dog fight over London and live to fly under the CIA's command for another day. One of the fun things about talking books is the lack of influence a cover brings, a genre imposes or a review suggests. Many of my choices are a lucky dip gleaned from short reviews sent out each week to members of the RNZFB's library. I scour these emails and when short of good books also trawl the online catalogue. I like to have a selection of books to choose from on my VRS, just like any fully sighted person.
I am always fascinated to see the cover of the book I have in front of me appear replicated on the screen. The wonders of technology. I purchased this book along with others at the British War Museum in London two years ago. I have just begun searching it for poems which reflect the agony and wastefulness of war. With events marking the beginning of WW1 now occurring in France and Belgium, plans are well organised to mark the disaster that was ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli in 1915. War is so unnecessary and brings tragedy to lives far removed from its theatre. A poem a night is often all I can tolerate, reflection is paramount.
The title of this post is not about travel, tramping or penguins playing their way through hilarious adventures. My feet are sore; arthritis has caused an unbalanced gait and today I have an appointment at the Shoe Clinic with a podiatrist to discover if there is any type of walking shoe I can wear. I doubt my complaints have been taken seriously before, I intend making pain very clear today.
I have purchased several books on Paris for my Kindle recently. These include Paris, Paris, Journey into the City of Light and Paris Was Ours by Penelope Rowlands. This book is selections of writing by thirty two well known writers around their journey's into the writers life of Paris.
I reviewed this book several months ago but it has had a huge impact on my life. I found Paris daunting but this memoir, particularly Janice's letters, set my newly acquired artistic mind alight. A new convert to Art Journaling, her letters encouraged me to expand into single pages covered in collage and quotes. Words are my lifeblood - I was asked on Tuesday who I am and where do I live, not literally, my own response startled me. "I live in the pages of a book". Paris Letters has been a catalyst to exploring the mixed media of paint and words.
