The first few days of the New Year have been wonderful. A very wet day yesterday meant I made a decision to relax all day and read, plan, look for recipes and learn to meditate. An omelette with cheese, spring onion and tomato concluded a day which revived and invigorated me. I am learning to make the best use of my time to achieve the many things I enjoy. I have started re-writing the story of Chocolat and have searched high and low for her memorabilia. I think there will be a story and a wonderful scrapbook.
I am also starting to journal properly. I purchased a brand new fountain pen for myself for Christmas as I have so many difficulties finding good ballpoint pens. It is wonderful to write in a high quality journal, be able to read what I have written, and grow and expand my thinking daily. I do not need prompts yet but may resort to a book of journal prompts now and then.
I am really enjoying 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. A very long book, 531 pages, I am now a quarter of the way through. While it moves frequently from one time period to another it is easy to follow. Doerr's descriptive language paints a wonderful picture which is imprinted on the mind.
I am also beginning to catch up reading all the magazines which have come in over the last few months. having used by banking points I subscribed to Life and Leisure and NZ House and Garden. Both provide a wealth of information on NZ homes and lifestyles which one can enjoy and admire from afar. I am also several months behind on The Healthy Food Guide. I will need to read this more frequently, along with my plethora of cook books, as I hope to become a cuisine fanatic now that I have returned almost everything to my diet following the elimination diet I was asked to follow for 4 months.
Today I am going out into the country with a friend to have lunch at a country café. This is one of life's greatest pleasures and I hope I can enjoy it. The sun is shining again so life looks good. I am off now to practice meditating, I think this will be a very positive pastime for me.
Friday, 8 January 2016
Friday, 1 January 2016
2016
Another new year, I am still unsure where the last year went, it was filled with happiness, busyness, friendship and losses. I have written up a new lot of goals which I need to achieve - everything from finally being able to try new recipes now that I have put back most of the foods banned in my elimination diet to reading the online magazines I subscribe to. Most of all I want to write and paint, and I hope to avoid losing all my 'own' time to the demands of work at CCS. I intend to keep the list of 'to do's' right next to my ipad and check them regularly. Top of this list, which combines well with my desire to cook again, is to get healthy. I hope to lose weight, work on lowering my blood sugar levels and try to work towards a much healthier heart. I hope to keep blogging about this along with my reading and books I hope to buy for my kindle. Music also fills my soul and my days - it is a lifeblood I have always fed.
On new year's eve I finished reading 'A Harrowing Tale' on my VRS, an exciting book full of danger and travel. Avoiding Somali pirates filled up the majority of the book as this couple wended their way across the Indian Ocean and into the Red Sea. A book I would thoroughly recommend.
I have trawled up and down the 300 or so books on my kindle and decided yesterday to read the Pulitzer Prize winner - 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr.
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.
Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times).
I have only read a few pages so far but the descriptive language is fabulous. I felt as though I was in the room with the young girl and can of course empathise with her blindness. Although this is a very long book I am sure the pages will fly by as I become engrossed in the story.
I love the magazines the Blind Foundation sends to me but I tend to save them up until I have finished a book on my VRS. At present I am listening to the selections from the Readers Digest, it seems to be a thoroughly interesting issue. I just wish there was a key on the VRS one could press to discover how far one is through a book or magazine. I put in a lot of guesswork trying to discover how many hours I have listened to.
Jay is lying beside me hoping I will give him an early dinner while Chocolat has again retired to the rug near the door. She does not sense when I move, not does she see or hear me. She seems to be sleeping the last of her life away which is sad. I suspect I need to offer her a change of scenery and some fun in her days, perhaps this is something I should add to my daily list of 'to do's'.
On new year's eve I finished reading 'A Harrowing Tale' on my VRS, an exciting book full of danger and travel. Avoiding Somali pirates filled up the majority of the book as this couple wended their way across the Indian Ocean and into the Red Sea. A book I would thoroughly recommend.
I have trawled up and down the 300 or so books on my kindle and decided yesterday to read the Pulitzer Prize winner - 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr.
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.
Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times).
I have only read a few pages so far but the descriptive language is fabulous. I felt as though I was in the room with the young girl and can of course empathise with her blindness. Although this is a very long book I am sure the pages will fly by as I become engrossed in the story.
I love the magazines the Blind Foundation sends to me but I tend to save them up until I have finished a book on my VRS. At present I am listening to the selections from the Readers Digest, it seems to be a thoroughly interesting issue. I just wish there was a key on the VRS one could press to discover how far one is through a book or magazine. I put in a lot of guesswork trying to discover how many hours I have listened to.
Jay is lying beside me hoping I will give him an early dinner while Chocolat has again retired to the rug near the door. She does not sense when I move, not does she see or hear me. She seems to be sleeping the last of her life away which is sad. I suspect I need to offer her a change of scenery and some fun in her days, perhaps this is something I should add to my daily list of 'to do's'.
Saturday, 26 December 2015
Dream Catching
The Christmas season has been overshadowed by Chocolat's health. She lies next to me getting as close as possible without tripping me up when I make a move. I think she knows her time here is short and she is determined to make it as fulfilling as possible. She wheezes and snores as I run my fingers gently over the area where the lump appeared just a matter of weeks ago. An aggressive sarcoma will come back, when is the question. I just hope I can keep her as comfortable as possible as she continues her decline.
Reading has become my major pastime as I try to relax during the summer holidays. Just lying around sleeping and absorbing knowledge from an interesting book as well as eating good food and catching up with Facebook make my relaxation time wonderful. This morning I have a CD of Malvina Major singing some of her favourite songs in the player, perhaps this will be a day of music, who knows!
Fed up with a rather boring modern novel I was listening to on my VRS I changed in the night to 'A Harrowing Journey'.
A retired couple who spent many years living on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand purchase a yacht and save, plan and dream of sailing around the world. Eventually they leave, as part of a group sailing to Tonga, and carry on from there across the Indian Ocean which is frequented by Somali pirates. It looks to be an interesting read full of danger and adventures.
After a lifetime of city living, I fell for a farmer and, well, Love at the End of the Road. My memoir, a love story about life - present and past - on a remote coastal farm, features a very gracious old dame - our gorgeous villa. The book inspired an episode of the much-loved Kiwi TV show, Country Calendar, and was deemed "charming" (in a good way) in a NZ Herald review. Check it out here:http://www.raeroadley.co.nz/media-room/
Soon after returning to her hometown in Northland, New Zealand to work as a journalist, Rae meets farmer Rex Roadley through a rural dating service.
Rex’s beef and sheep farm at Batley, on the Kaipara Harbour, has been in his family for almost a century, however these days the only evidence of the spot’s fascinating historic past is a magnificent two-storeyed villa standing alone on the point.
Neither Rae nor Rex are youngsters and their love affair, developing relationship and life together go through many twists and turns before they eventually marry.
Reading has become my major pastime as I try to relax during the summer holidays. Just lying around sleeping and absorbing knowledge from an interesting book as well as eating good food and catching up with Facebook make my relaxation time wonderful. This morning I have a CD of Malvina Major singing some of her favourite songs in the player, perhaps this will be a day of music, who knows!
Fed up with a rather boring modern novel I was listening to on my VRS I changed in the night to 'A Harrowing Journey'.
A retired couple who spent many years living on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand purchase a yacht and save, plan and dream of sailing around the world. Eventually they leave, as part of a group sailing to Tonga, and carry on from there across the Indian Ocean which is frequented by Somali pirates. It looks to be an interesting read full of danger and adventures.
After a lifetime of city living, I fell for a farmer and, well, Love at the End of the Road. My memoir, a love story about life - present and past - on a remote coastal farm, features a very gracious old dame - our gorgeous villa. The book inspired an episode of the much-loved Kiwi TV show, Country Calendar, and was deemed "charming" (in a good way) in a NZ Herald review. Check it out here:http://www.raeroadley.co.nz/media-room/
Soon after returning to her hometown in Northland, New Zealand to work as a journalist, Rae meets farmer Rex Roadley through a rural dating service.
Rex’s beef and sheep farm at Batley, on the Kaipara Harbour, has been in his family for almost a century, however these days the only evidence of the spot’s fascinating historic past is a magnificent two-storeyed villa standing alone on the point.
Neither Rae nor Rex are youngsters and their love affair, developing relationship and life together go through many twists and turns before they eventually marry.
Meanwhile Rae, a lifelong city dweller, learns to cope with mud, managing a large house and garden, the intricacies of farming, and the frustrations of life in New Zealand’s backblocks, all the while getting to know the locals and an assortment of animals - from wild kittens to wild bulls.
Rae’s charming story is beautifully written from the heart and, not only does she find love with Rex, but she finds out more about herself than she ever knew. Woven through her account is the story of the great house itself at Batley and the history of the surrounding countryside.
Rae’s charming story is beautifully written from the heart and, not only does she find love with Rex, but she finds out more about herself than she ever knew. Woven through her account is the story of the great house itself at Batley and the history of the surrounding countryside.
This is a book which is not only easy to read but evokes memories of times spent at the beach, travelling in Northland, and the family tensions which predicate on a marriage into a family farm. I am enjoying it but have wondered if the journalist in Rae has cultured a need to explain things too simply. Much of the book is written at the level of a 12 year old, a rule often used by journalists to target their audiences.
Friday, 11 December 2015
Sadness
I have not posted in a while due to work pressure and huge achievements with our CCS project Measuring Accessible Journeys. Having received many accolades both nationally and internationally we are now invited to speak to the OECD. A huge honour.
Also, I am very sad as my old retired guide dog, Chocolat, is most unwell. Yesterday she had surgery to remove a lump I had found on her side but it could not be taken out as it was attached and through to her abdominal wall. I now await pathology reports to see what the next step is.
Reading has taken a big back step while life has been so hectic, I have only just finished 'The Little Paris Bookshop' and have now started reading on my Kindle:
A house and marriage violently disintegrate. Left along to raise an infant in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina while her husband lives it up in Miami Beach, Julie is surrounded by the rubble of her life - stripped bare by love and loss. It is a time of unprecedented clarity. She must acknowledge her own pain, while sharing the heartache of others in her community who are also rebuilding their lives. NAKED is a powerful true story of loss but also of triumph, a path to true love of self. Struggling to find meaning in her journey, Julie shares a remarkable story with humor and tenderness.
A member of my WLM group, Julie's story has been on my kindle for several months. I am always interested that members such as her, well educated and worldly savvy write such popular and plain English books. Not sure why I expect more, imagine such clever women would write more academically and in more depth.
An inability to concentrate for any length of time has meant magazines on my VRS are taking precedence as well as in real life. I have a huge pile of unread magazines I hope to get through this weekend which is given over to minding Chocolat.
Also, I am very sad as my old retired guide dog, Chocolat, is most unwell. Yesterday she had surgery to remove a lump I had found on her side but it could not be taken out as it was attached and through to her abdominal wall. I now await pathology reports to see what the next step is.
Reading has taken a big back step while life has been so hectic, I have only just finished 'The Little Paris Bookshop' and have now started reading on my Kindle:
A house and marriage violently disintegrate. Left along to raise an infant in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina while her husband lives it up in Miami Beach, Julie is surrounded by the rubble of her life - stripped bare by love and loss. It is a time of unprecedented clarity. She must acknowledge her own pain, while sharing the heartache of others in her community who are also rebuilding their lives. NAKED is a powerful true story of loss but also of triumph, a path to true love of self. Struggling to find meaning in her journey, Julie shares a remarkable story with humor and tenderness.
A member of my WLM group, Julie's story has been on my kindle for several months. I am always interested that members such as her, well educated and worldly savvy write such popular and plain English books. Not sure why I expect more, imagine such clever women would write more academically and in more depth.
An inability to concentrate for any length of time has meant magazines on my VRS are taking precedence as well as in real life. I have a huge pile of unread magazines I hope to get through this weekend which is given over to minding Chocolat.
Saturday, 21 November 2015
Forums and Twitter
Preparing for a large, and very important forum, in Wellington is very stressful. I am sure once it is over I will wonder what the worry was about but having to speak to influential people is rather difficult for me. On top of this CCS Disability Action asked that I open a Twitter account or be linked into theirs. I felt it was easier for me to write in my own account and then ask them to retweet. Unfortunately they are not as dedicated to passing on the results of our survey as we are. After I have spoken with them next week hopefully there will be more attention to the detail.
Audere, agere, auferre.To dare, to strive, to conquer.For generations, privileged young men have attended St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric Classics teacher who has been a fixture there for more than thirty years. But this year the wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork, and information technology are beginning to overshadow St. Oswald's tradition, and Straitley is finally, and reluctantly, contemplating retirement. He is joined this term by five new faculty members, including one who -- unbeknownst to Straitley and everyone else -- holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Oswald's ways and secrets. Harboring dark ties to the school's past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: to destroy St. Oswald's.
As the new term gets under way, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances -- a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug -- they are initially overlooked. But as the incidents escalate in both number and consequence, it soon becomes apparent that a darker undercurrent is stirring within the school. With St. Oswald's unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of its ruin. The veteran teacher faces a formidable opponent, however -- a master player with a bitter grudge and a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move, a secret game with very real, very deadly consequences.
A harrowing tale of cat and mouse, this riveting, hypnotically atmospheric novel showcases New York Times bestselling author Joanne Harris's astonishing storytelling talent as never before. (less)
Like all of Joanne Harris's books I am finding this book fascinating. The theme weaves in and out of the pages as one waits for the next event to befall this school. I am listening to this on my VRS and finally have a book I can stay awake to listen to.
I have been reading this book in short spans as there has been some good TV on lately. I am a little lost on some of the themes but am enjoying exploring the mind of Perdu as he takes his Literary Apothecary on a journey from Paris to the south of France. Many ideas are interwoven and I am sure I will have a better idea of where this books is journeying in the next few days.
Two neighbours are meant to be moving this weekend, it looks as though Sharon is packing and I am sure that Margaret will be very happy to see the back of her boarder. When Carolyn is leaving is in the lap of the gods. She has told one neighbour she is going on the 27th and another on Monday, tomorrow, so not sure.
The dogs are both well although Chocky is definitely reaching her most senior years. I hope she improves as the weather warms up and can enjoy the summer and just lazing in the sun.
Audere, agere, auferre.To dare, to strive, to conquer.For generations, privileged young men have attended St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric Classics teacher who has been a fixture there for more than thirty years. But this year the wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork, and information technology are beginning to overshadow St. Oswald's tradition, and Straitley is finally, and reluctantly, contemplating retirement. He is joined this term by five new faculty members, including one who -- unbeknownst to Straitley and everyone else -- holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Oswald's ways and secrets. Harboring dark ties to the school's past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: to destroy St. Oswald's.
As the new term gets under way, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances -- a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug -- they are initially overlooked. But as the incidents escalate in both number and consequence, it soon becomes apparent that a darker undercurrent is stirring within the school. With St. Oswald's unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of its ruin. The veteran teacher faces a formidable opponent, however -- a master player with a bitter grudge and a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move, a secret game with very real, very deadly consequences.
A harrowing tale of cat and mouse, this riveting, hypnotically atmospheric novel showcases New York Times bestselling author Joanne Harris's astonishing storytelling talent as never before. (less)
Like all of Joanne Harris's books I am finding this book fascinating. The theme weaves in and out of the pages as one waits for the next event to befall this school. I am listening to this on my VRS and finally have a book I can stay awake to listen to.
I have been reading this book in short spans as there has been some good TV on lately. I am a little lost on some of the themes but am enjoying exploring the mind of Perdu as he takes his Literary Apothecary on a journey from Paris to the south of France. Many ideas are interwoven and I am sure I will have a better idea of where this books is journeying in the next few days.
Two neighbours are meant to be moving this weekend, it looks as though Sharon is packing and I am sure that Margaret will be very happy to see the back of her boarder. When Carolyn is leaving is in the lap of the gods. She has told one neighbour she is going on the 27th and another on Monday, tomorrow, so not sure.
The dogs are both well although Chocky is definitely reaching her most senior years. I hope she improves as the weather warms up and can enjoy the summer and just lazing in the sun.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
Summer!
Authors keep writing to me when I have complimented their book asking me to put a review on Amazon, Goodreads and similar websites. I don't like writing reviews as anyone who googles my name can discover what I have been reading lately. My reading varies from genre to genre, I am reading far more fiction than I used to, but I am a little nervous of people I no longer connect with or a future job interview being impacted by my taste in books.
Summer is now here, well at least it is warm enough for me to pack away my winter clothes and hang the summer ones on hangers. I have kept out a few warmer tops, hopefully I can also store those in a couple of weeks.
Last Sunday I finished reading 'Born for Life' by a New Zealand midwife and started reading 'Hope in a Ballet Shoe'.
Orphaned by war, saved by ballet.
Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.
But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.
I am a lover of ballet so this story has really touched my heartstrings. Written with passion and forgiveness, this young woman's journey from war torn Sierra Leone to the Dutch National Ballet is a lesson in what persistence can achieve. I admire her tenacity and drive to achieve what she had so longed for.
On my VRS I am reading:
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet . . . So begins this debut novel about a mixed-race family living in 1970s Ohio and the tragedy that will either be their undoing or their salvation. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue—in Marilyn’s case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James’s case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.
When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart.
I have only just started reading this book but it is so interesting I keep rewinding my machine in case I have missed something by going to sleep before it turns off. It seems to be a very powerful novel and one I am really enjoying.
Summer is now here, well at least it is warm enough for me to pack away my winter clothes and hang the summer ones on hangers. I have kept out a few warmer tops, hopefully I can also store those in a couple of weeks.
Last Sunday I finished reading 'Born for Life' by a New Zealand midwife and started reading 'Hope in a Ballet Shoe'.
Orphaned by war, saved by ballet.
Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.
But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.
And then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture.
Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina".
And yet...
Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.
A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future. (less)
Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina".
And yet...
Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.
A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future. (less)
ebook, 272 pages
Published December 30th 2014 by Faber & Faber
On my VRS I am reading:
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet . . . So begins this debut novel about a mixed-race family living in 1970s Ohio and the tragedy that will either be their undoing or their salvation. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue—in Marilyn’s case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James’s case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.
When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart.
I have only just started reading this book but it is so interesting I keep rewinding my machine in case I have missed something by going to sleep before it turns off. It seems to be a very powerful novel and one I am really enjoying.
Monday, 2 November 2015
Life is Frenetic
I feel very guilty for not writing in this blog more often at present. I know some people only blog once a month or less but I like to put up a couple of posts a week. Blame it on work; the Measuring Accessible Journeys project has taken up a huge amount of my time, much of it unpaid.
I still take time in the evening to read - my VRS and Kindle are working overtime. I have almost finished listening to 'Julia's Chocolates' which has been at times bawdy and others sad, an interesting introspective look at how women interact and support each other.
Last night I finished reading:
A nurse aide position in the local maternity annexe at the age of sixteen gave Julie a love for being with women during labour and birth and caring for mothers and their babies.
Life could not have been happier until the tragic death of her own baby in the first hour of life, led to depression, loneliness and despair.
This true story tells of Julie’s struggle to triumph over adversity and follows her journey to fulfill her dream and become the midwife she was born to be.
I emailed Julie after I closed the book and discovered she is now living in Palmerston North. This book helped me remember all the small things that happened to us after having a baby in the 1970's, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the language was very basic but all in all an enjoyable read.
I have now started:
Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.
But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.
And then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture.
Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina".
And yet...
Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.
A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future.
As I only started this last night I am not sure of the storyline from my viewpoint but I have always loved ballet so assume it is a story that will enrich my life.
Spring is now here and the garden is full of roses, irises, honeysuckle and lots of lovely cottage flowers. It looks lovely and the scents are very special. Jay is enjoying it and loves lying in the sun on the newly mown lawn.
I still take time in the evening to read - my VRS and Kindle are working overtime. I have almost finished listening to 'Julia's Chocolates' which has been at times bawdy and others sad, an interesting introspective look at how women interact and support each other.
Last night I finished reading:
A nurse aide position in the local maternity annexe at the age of sixteen gave Julie a love for being with women during labour and birth and caring for mothers and their babies.
Life could not have been happier until the tragic death of her own baby in the first hour of life, led to depression, loneliness and despair.
This true story tells of Julie’s struggle to triumph over adversity and follows her journey to fulfill her dream and become the midwife she was born to be.
I emailed Julie after I closed the book and discovered she is now living in Palmerston North. This book helped me remember all the small things that happened to us after having a baby in the 1970's, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the language was very basic but all in all an enjoyable read.
I have now started:
Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.
But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.
And then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture.
Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina".
And yet...
Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.
A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future.
As I only started this last night I am not sure of the storyline from my viewpoint but I have always loved ballet so assume it is a story that will enrich my life.
Spring is now here and the garden is full of roses, irises, honeysuckle and lots of lovely cottage flowers. It looks lovely and the scents are very special. Jay is enjoying it and loves lying in the sun on the newly mown lawn.
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