Instead of making New Years resolutions I would
undoubtedly break, I made a list of 42 things to do while I am 42.
At the end of each month I have been blogging
about how I am going with the 42 Things and adding any other fun things I've
been doing.
A diary for me, and maybe of interest to
you.
So, what 42 Things did I manage in
April?
3. Have one night a week where I turn off
all electronics and read
Finally got to this one, mostly out of necessity
as I was reading Anna Karenina for Book Club (more on that next month). I do
want to set the same night each week aside for this, but have been too busy thus
far. However, it is relaxing to have complete silence with no other
distractions, just me and a book and more often than not a glass of something
something!
4. Walk more and explore my own
surroundings
Continuing to do this and making the most of the
still warm early evenings. Mostly at Warners Bay, Belmont and Swansea, but as
you can see there is much to see. It also got cool enough to reinstate lunch
time walks to the lake at Swansea.
5. Read more of my own
books
I've only really been reading Anna Karenina this
month and it is my own, albeit a second hand copy. Very much enjoying it, but it's
long (800 pages) and very detailed. But oh so beautifully written. I have bought
a LOT of books this month, went a little crazy in fact! So will need to work on
this thing in months to come
20. Get through my list of local
restaurants and cafes
I finally had lunch at La Petit Deux and it was
magnificent. My friend L and I had Le Plat du Jour, which was steak frites and a
glass of wine. Then we had to have dessert, I had Creme Brulee, L had a French
style Eton Mess. All of it was wonderful and along with the wonderful cafe
setting, transported us both back to Paris.
I've also been to two of my faves during the
month, Caves Beach Hotel for lunch and The Royal Inn at Waratah. Not sure if
I've mentioned The Royal Inn before, growing up in Waratah, it was not a place
to go, pretty feral to be honest. I still remember how mortified I was that my
school reunion was held there. And the pub pretty much is as it was, but you
don't need to go into it, just bypass and go out the back to the bistro and it
has an impressive menu including the best Pork Belly I've ever had. They serve
it with scallops in honey and a rocket and parmesan salad. Bliss!
26. Go to the Farmers Markets more
regularly
Yes, went to both at Speers Point this month.
Scored all sorts of amazing food and wares. Highly recommend going and I always
love my Gozleme for breakfast!
31. Have fun and laugh more at
work
Well we've been having a lot of fun at work as we
have a 3D printer. Bought for the entire Library system and will be shared
around all the branches. Swansea got it first and we have been making lots of
cool things to add to a Star Wars display.
32. Live up to my Librarian of Leisure
handle
I was lucky to have a few extra days off over the
Anzac Day long weekend, and really got back into being a Librarian of Leisure.
Lots of long walks, sitting around watching the world go by, reading,
daydreaming, eating out, going to the movies and a family dinner. Good for the
soul people!
33. Go to lots of fun, social
events
Pretty packed month with The Writers Festival
weekend, the first of my Film Society's French Fridays (complete with a French
market) and the Silent Film Festival. Plus lunches and dinners out with fabulous
family and friends.
You can read about the Writers Festival here:
34. Make sure those that mean the most to
me know they do
April wasn't all joy and excitement
unfortunately. We mourned the unexpected loss of the father of my close friend
J. Such things are always sad and gives you pause to reflect on life and those
around you. My friend is doing ok, all things considered, but I cannot even
imagine her grief. My bil had the first round of serious operations to prepare
him for a new, improved prosthetic leg. He is doing marvelously, but it's a
long, tiring road. My sister's magnificence in supporting him and her family is
shining through, and we of course are supporting them all. A few other friends
are having 'moments' in their lives...we all do, don't we? So, all we can do -
those of us lucky enough to be traveling trouble free at the moment - is to
support them, love them, lend a shoulder, and let them know we are here and how
much they mean to us.
36. Take time to do nothing and daydream
more often
I have been walking to lovely destinations,
finding a nice sunny spot, and plonking myself down to watch the passing parade!
Love doing that, do not do it often enough, even if it is only 10-15mins I find
it is the perfect recharge. I spent a few hours on the Sunday afternoon of the
Anzac Day weekend at King Edward Park. I used to do this all the time when I
lived on The Hill in Newcastle. I didn't realise how much I missed it and will
endeavour to get back again more regularly. I had my blanket, some supplies and
Anna Karenina, but there was so much going on around me, I only read about 10
pages. Weddings, interesting cars, birds, music, it was fabulous. My
grandparents always took us there as kids, the place is one of my touchstones, I
highly recommend a leisurely outing there, it is the perfect spot to
daydream.
So what else have I crammed into
April?
Books
I was reading Anna Karenina for my Book Club and
am about halfway through. Thoroughly enjoying the writing, it is beautiful prose
and slow paced like most Russian writing from that era. But in this fast paced
world, it is difficult to read, you do need to have a few hours at a time to set
aside to thoroughly synch with the pace. And at 800 pages with teeny, tiny
writing, and a bazillion long yet very similar Russian named characters
concentration is key. When I only had a few moments and was busy I struggled,
but when I put aside longer periods of time (very difficult to do!) and was more
relaxed I found it meditative and moving.
One a completely other angle, I have read Andrew
McCarthy's first book. Yes, Andrew McCarthy, Pretty in Pink, Weekend at Bernie's
and all those 80s classics. So in love with him back then...sigh. So, whilst he
still acts occasionally (and directs too, he directed a lot of Gossip Girl...how
appropriate!) he is now a travel writer, mostly for National Geographic! How
surprising, and you know what, he is really very good. The book, The Longest Way
Home, is mostly travel writing with a bit of memoir within. It is a great
insight into his complex character, never comfortable with acting (which I
believe comes across a little in his chosen roles), and mostly a loner who
prefers his own company, he has always traveled and started writing articles a
while back, he has won awards for his travel writing and is quite revered in the
industry!
His style is laid back, detached and peaceful. He is very
observant of character and details, and paints a picture of places and people so
much so you feel you are right there with him. In the book, he is engaged but a
bit afraid of commitment, so while his poor fiancé is trying to organise a
wedding, he keeps taking assignments to crazy places like The Amazon, Patagonia
and so forth. He details his inner thoughts and does a lot of soul searching on
these trips. The travel detail is stunning, these fast paced places are full of
adventure and wildness, yet he describes them in this calming, peaceful way that
hypnotises the reader. He really is excellent, I highly recommend the book, and
yes, I still have a huge crush on him!
I have also been listening to David Sedaris
reading his own books in the car. He is one of my very favourite writers, having
first discovered him on Letterman years ago, he is so funny and yet also so
moving at the same time. His observation and wit is second to none, if you
haven't read him, you must! He writes short essays/memoirs, that are about his
life, family and other observations, though wildly exaggerated. He is a sort of
hybrid Fiction/Non Fiction writer. Reading the books is one thing, listening to
him read his books is another thing all together, lovely to revisit these
favourites as read by the master himself. Start with the Santaland Diaries, his
hilarious depiction of being an elf at Macys when he was younger.
It's funniest thing I have ever read! His new
book has just been released, and is the next Book Club title, more on it next
month!
DVDs
Finally watched the latest Curb Your Enthusiasm
series. Fans of Seinfeld know Larry David is superb, and this long running
series is testament to that. Always highly inappropriate, and often unPC, yet
you can't help but love the bastardised version he plays of himself. Newly divorced, Larry is
dating again in this series...oh my! And from a long, crazy mix of Larryisms, he
finds himself moving from LA to New York and living in the same apartment
complex as Michael J. Fox. Hilarious!
Parks and Recreations, Series 3 and 4. What can I
say? This is my favourite new comedy. Series 1 was ok, but it found it's step
towards the end of series 2. Amy Poehler is superb; funny and sweet at the same
time. The supporting cast is perfection with stand outs being Rob Lowe's
(beautifully stupid) Chris Treager and my personal favourite Nick Offerman's Ron
Swanson. I love the cast interaction, the silliness, and the often spot-on take
of local government.
I had missed most of the last season of Doctor
Who due to being O/S, so caught up on it before the latest season aired, wow,
stunning and perfect, but so incredibly sad. So now The Doctor is back with a new companion, I am liking this series,
but really missing Amy, Rory and River Song. Unsure where the story is going,
something is not quite right...I guess in typical Doctor Who style we will find
out soon enough.
I also watched an amazing doco on Anton Corbijn.
Such a talent, including interviews with Musicians and actors who have starred
in his music videos and Films.
Saw The Dark Knight Rises, which was excellent,
should have seen it on the big screen though.
Movies
As part of my Film Society subscription this
year, the Society has partnered with Alliance Française de Newcastle to provide
additional films scattered throughout the year known as French
Fridays.
I took along D and met L with her parents for the
first one. There was a French 'market' set up in the foyer of The Towers, with
food, wine and wares. The film itself, Tout ce qui brille (All that glitters)
was about two young girls living in the gritty parts of outer Paris. Besties,
they want to move closer into town, but find that doing so does not bring them
closer together. A modern film, shot in Paris, I found it frustrating and
annoying at times. The girls were not pleasant and did some silly things to
supposedly get a better 'break' in life. The music was English rather than
French, distracting and disjointed. I didn't dislike it, just didn't love it.
But the evening was a lovely experience, so I look forward to the next
one.
S & I went along to the Silent Film
Festival held at The Towers. How fabulous are The Towers to be playing all these
varied and wonderful films? I love silent films and have come to know Ronnie and
Sharon who organise and promote the traveling festival which hits town 2-3 times
a year. This time it was The Battle of the Somme and The Circus.
The Battle of
the Somme is a silent documentary from 1916 and extremely powerful. It was very
popular, selling over 20 million tickets in it's day. It was beautifully cleaned
and given live accompaniment by the impeccable Greg Smith. The footage in it was
remarkable and surreal. At first, so used to seeing fictional accounts of war on
the big screen, you just take it in, but then it hits home that it is real,
awful, and simply sad. These poor young men giving their lives willingly and the
horror they... had to endure...it's heartbreaking.
The Circus is one of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp films and from 1928. He had
begun to compose for his films and the score for this is stunning, including him
singing a song at the very beginning...what a treat! The Circus is the usual
tramp meets girl, but girl in love with someone else story. A circus is the
perfect backdrop for the romance, adding hilarity and incredible stunts. I loved
the high-wire sequences complete with monkeys, and a fabulous scene with a
lion...all without too many special effects! What a privilege to see these
wonderful old films, in my element I tell you!!
Finally, I saw a lovely doco on Manet during the
Anzac day long weekend. A series of Art docos for the big screen, Manet was the
first. A behind the scenes look at an exhibition of his portraits being put
together for a London showing. Fascinating stories, history and stunning art.
The next one will be Munch, can't wait.
Music
Been listening to the new David Bowie...finally.
I really love it, I feel he sounds really good, though not as good as I have
heard him. I love the selection of songs, the show his range and sensibilities.
I often think when older artists release albums these days they fit into the
middle of the road style of songs. But this is not the case here, Bowie shows a
modern range that holds up against the music of now, possibly even shows them
up!
So, that's it from April. A third of the year
gone, I had hoped this year would be loads of fun and so far, so
good!!
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