The Best of 2025

 It's that day. The day we take stock of everything. At midnight, allegedly everything resets and we get to start again.

As we're going out for dinner tonight, it's prudent that I get this, the last blog of the year out of the way, and I'm looking to think about the good bits of the year. 

There are things I am grateful for:

• I'm in good health. Fit and healthy.  Other than a cold that I caught in Paris, and a few other small niggles I've been in rude health. 
• The AUDHD diagnosis was revolutionary as much as it was validating. 
• I got to travel overseas - three weeks in England and France was not enough, but well earned. I am never going to England through America ever again. Never.
• My friends, with one exception, are doing pretty well. A dear friend passed away in a car accident a few weeks ago
• My darling boy cat is well. 
• I've remained happily employed, with a change of company near the end of the year. 

All good things. 

The Best Books

According to Goodreads, I've read 77 books this year. Mostly fiction with a few non-fiction to throw in for good measure. 

My favourites have been:

• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. She appears to have hit her stride. 
• James by Percival Everett - a retelling of Huckleberry Finn, told from Jim's perspective. An amazing work. 
• Tin Man by Sarah Winman, because she is amazing. 
• Two books by Minette Walters about the Black Death - The Last Hours and The Turn of Midnight. I had to read the second one as the first was so good. The first left off in a very inconvenient place. 
• I finally got though Nabokov's Lolita and the last of the first Philip Pullman trilogy. Both great but for very different reasons.
• Dylin Hardcastle's A Language of Limbs was incredible. They are an incredible writer. 
• Ann Napolitano's Hello Beautiful was just as good on the second read. 
• I'm so glad I get to read Roisin O'Donnell's Nesting again. It's amazing. 
• Also, The Names by Florence Knapp - we're doing this and Nesting for book group in 2026. 
• Taylor Jenkins Read's Atmosphere shows her returning to her best. 
• All the Way to the River is Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir about the loss of her partner and her struggles with addiction. I found it fascinating. Many will not. 
• Clare Leslie Hall's Broken Country was phenomenal, as was Louise Kennedy's Trespasses. Required reading, just because they're so great. 
• And today I finished Nobody's Girl by Virginia Roberts Guiffre. It's harrowing stuff, but a necessary read. 

Best Films

I saw 50 films at the theatre this year. Yes, a lot. Some much better than others. One good thing about blogging is I can go back and see what I liked. 

The best of this year include: 

• Anora
• A Real Pain
• The Brutalist
• I'm Still Here
• Small Things Like These
• The Last Journey
• Tina (The Mother)
• Jane Austen a gache ma Vie (Jane Austen Wrecked my Life)
• Mr Burton
• The History of Sound
• Rental Family

There were quite a few that I really enjoyed, but these stuck out. 

Best Theatre and Gigs

It's also been a good year for theatre and gigs. I know I'm luck to get to see a lot of these shows. Some that spring to mind are: 

• La Ronde, which was in the Speigeltent at the Darwin Festival. It's in Melbourne at the moment - definitely worth a look. 
• I enjoyed the MTC's Much Ado About Nothing. But I love Shakespeare...
• I saw both gigs from The Pixies in November - they're always amazing. 
• The MTC's Dying - A Memoir was hard hitting and wonderful. 
• The Sydney Theatre Company's The Talented Mr Ripley was worth the ticket price. 
• Job at the Red Stitch Actor's Theatre was fantastic
• Mother Play at the MTC had Sigrid Thornton at her best. 
• I also loved the MTC's Kimberley Akimbo - A Musical. So good. 
• I felt honoured to see Echo: Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen at the Malthouse. An incredible concept delivered well. 
• The MTC had a really good year. 37 and Never Have I Ever were great too.

In all, a successful year. I hope 2026 brings similar fun and joy. 

Happy New Year. 

Today's song: 

This Could Go Two Ways

 Most Gen-Xers have stories about teaching their parents about technology. I am one of these people. 

I'll give her dues, my Mum, aged 85, is not too bad on "the computer". She can also use her basic iPhone. She also has an AppleWatch, which she can use what she needs to use. This is a good thing. When she bought one of my old phones off me, it came with the proviso that I gave her half a day of lessons so that she would be confident in doing the fundamentals. In her case, this was making and taking calls, taking a photo, sending and receiving texts, and being able to get onto Facebook. These are big things when you're 85. 

My step-dad is an utter Luddite. No point teaching him anything. 

But Mum is pretty switched on with this stuff. 

My parents also have a new car. A Suzuki X-Cross. I think this is the first car in decades which doesn't have a tow bar (they still have the ute if a trailer is required). The last car, an old Hyundai Elantra, was given away, donated to charity, with around 300,000 kilometres on the clock. At least this one doesn't make a ticking noise. 

We went down to see the house my sister is building in a Southern seaside suburb.

"I'm never going to be able to find it." said Mum. 

"I'll get out the street directory," said my step-dad. 

"Doesn't your new car have onboard navigation" I ask.

"I don't think so," they said in unison. 

Sheesh, a 2025 model car and no navigation!

"Well," I said, "You can always ask your phone."

"What do you mean?"

"Apple, or GoogleMaps?"

"I don't think my phone has that," says Mum. 

"It does," I retort. 

It does. 

Regardless, we went down, met my sister, brother-in-law, niece and their two dogs at their new place. After having a chat with my niece, who also as a Suzuki, she confirmed that navigation wasn't standard on Suzuki's, but you could always tee up CarPlay. 

Ah. Okay. How do I explain to my Mum that satellite navigation systems can be one of the most passive aggressive pieces of coding on the planet. If I'm spoiling for a fight I get in the car, set a destination, and drive in the opposite direction. Shirley, my sat nav, hates it. 

We got home. I grabbed her phone, the car keys and asked if she had a spare charging cable. We need to get her another one as her spare was bound up with electricity tape and wasn't connecting. I found one of my spares.  After the false start, it was up and running. 

"Mum, want to learn something?"

"Yeah."

So, I sat her down in the car, and gave her some some basic instructions. Turn the car on. Plug in the charging cable. Plug the cord into the phone. Look on the screen. Use the keyboard icon to type in the address.

"Will you look at that," she said. 

"Pretty cool, eh!" 

We'll see how she goes. At the moment, she doesn't do that much driving. It's the prerogative of the octagenarian. I told her to practice using it around Victor Harbor. 

She's willing to learn. That's the good thing. But she still has to learn the joys of shouting at the sat-nav too. 

Maybe you can teach old dogs new tricks. 

Today's song: 

Too Loud to Blog

I am staying with my octogenarian parents in the sleepy town of Victor Harbor. 

Yes, I made the nine-hour drive yesterday with few problems. It seems that Ritalin is excellent for keeping your focus. I loved that bit. What's not so great is keeping hydrated and managing a middle-aged woman's bladder issues. The two things appear to be mutually exclusive. You see, I have a set route and set stops. From Melbourne, I stop at Beaufort, then Horsham, after than I make a petrol stop at Bordertown, then another quick stop at Tailem Bend, then I wend my way over to Victor Harbor through towns like Strathalbyn, Currency Creek, Goolwa then the straight run to Mum's place in Encounter Bay. 

At each and every stop, for the fifteen minutes before each stop, I was busting to the point of huge discomfort. 

But what can you do? More frequent stops? There aren't that many stops between Melbourne and Adelaide. Use truck stops? Only if there are open, functioning toilets, which are normally rank and infested with huntsman spiders. Go squat down a side road - I was brought up better than that. Get a catheter. Nope.  Use bladder leakage pads. Umm, yes. For these trips, they're a good idea. But it's not fun being that desperate for a wee. Talking to my step-sister, I'm told it's a common thing. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Joys of getting older and all that. 

On the good side of things, despite being rather hot, as I was approaching the border, I saw what looked like an angel in the sky. It was only a cloud / smoke formation, but I see this as a good omen. 

This is a stock image, but it was similar to this - very striking. 

Anyway, Lucifer and I made it to Victor, and now we're staying with Mum and my step-dad. 

I try to be a good houseguest. Lucifer is incarcerated in my room - which is fine as he and Mum's cat, Bart, don't get on at all. Mum and I also run things differently. I'm messy - aways have been. It's me. Nothing I can do about it. Mum, on the other hand, is a bit OCD. You ought to see her cutlery drawer. Far, far, far too neat - spoons all stacked nicely on their sides. Yeah. We don't do things the same at all. 

I went for a swim in the Encounter Lakes lagoon this morning. That was really lovely. If I was with somebody I would have gone for a longer swim around the lagoon, but being on my own, I felt safer swimming out a bit and coming back again. It was nice, regardless. If I was with somebody I'd consider going for a longer freestyle swim. At least the water is cool and calm. And there are no sharks. 

And now I'm sitting here watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with my folks. I have my loop earplugs in. They have the telly on waaaaaaaay too loud. The earplugs are helping tone things down a bit. I can hear myself think at last.

I believe this is what we have in store in later life. Or maybe, hopefully, I've looked after my hearing a little better than my folks. 

At least my folks are doing well. They've slowed down a lot, but that's what happens in your eighties. Mum loves her Arnott's cookbook - we're making a Scotch Finger Macaroon cake to take along to a New Year's Eve event. Odds on I'll be the designated driver.

Home, eh!

Today's song: 

Sunday Stealing: Sunday Stealing is FAB again...

I'm busy packing the car to go to Adelaide. Most things are in there - I've just got to organise the toiletries bag, do a bit of ironing and pack up the travel laptop. Hopefully the cat will play ball and be good about getting into his car cage. He's good once he's in there, it's just the catching him and getting him in there that's the pain. 

Never to mind. I'm glad for the quick questions, brought to us, as always, by Sunday Stealing. 

F.A.B.

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching? 

I've seen two really good films in the last two days. Rental Family and The Housemaid were both great.

On streaming, I'm re-watching Younger. I'm also looking forward to the last episodes of Stranger Things. I never thought I'd get into that, but it's very cool. Other things I wouldn't mind watching are Pluribus on Apple + and a Netflix movie called Goodbye June. As I'll be at my parent's place for the next few days, I won't have control of the remote. My parents also have the television on way too loud. 

A. Audio: What are you listening to?

At the moment I'm going over the David Byrne and Talking Heads back catalogue in preparation for the David Byrne concert in late January. I'm happy. 

B. Book: What are you reading?

Okay, my reading is a bit scatty. On paper I'm about halfway through both Frieda McFadden's The Housemaid as I saw the movie today. I'm also about halfway through KF Kuang's Babel - it's a slower read but worth it. 

For the drive over to Adelaide I'm listening to Virginia Roberts Guiffre's Nobody's Girl. It's harrowing, but essential listening/reading. I've got some lighter topics for the drive home.

Today's Song:

Movie Review: The Housemaid

Movie Number 50 of 2025

The Movie: The Housemaid

The Cinema: Village Cinemas Melbourne Gold Class

Runtime: Two hours eleven minutes

Stars: 4

I walked into The Housemaid with no expectations. As a part of my Christmas present, Blarney wanted to take me to a Gold Class movie - and as there was no way I wanted to see the third installment of Avatar, and we'd no interest in the kids' movie on Gold Class offer, this fitted the bill. What I got was a great ride, a well done, stylish, enjoyable thriller which was fun to look at, not too bloody and it kept you guessing. What more do you need?

Based on Frida McFadden's book of the same name, we meet Millie (Sydney Sweeney), a woman down on her luck who is desperate for a job. She takes on the role of housemaid for the Winchester family. Wife, Nina (Amanda Seyfried) immediately comes across as a little unhinged. Husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) as the picture-perfect husband, and Stepford child, Cecilia (Indiana Elle). From very early into her employment, you realise that Nina comes across as very unhinged. 

But then again, you learn early on that Millie had been in prison for ten years and needs the job - she can't move out, nor can she bite back after Nina's outbursts. Andrew appears to be sympathetic to her plight. 

Then things get even more unhinged. I'm not going to spoil the twists and turns, but let's say, everybody who deserves it gets what's coming to them. 

Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine's script closely follows Frida McFadden's 2022 book. The script is tight, with a few laughs along the way. As somebody who has an aversion to nasty violence, I watched this with ease (bar one scene, but you know what's coming and can hide your eyes). 

Paul Feig's direction is also sound. Having cut his teeth on movies like A Simple Favour and Bridesmaids, he's got the genre down and makes sure there's enough lulls in the action to let the viewer get comfortable again.

This was also a very stylish film. The mansion, the cars, the clothes were all top notch. 

The Housemaid is a very enjoyable psychological thriller. It's not too gory, nor too cerebral. It's good fun to watch. A date night film, perhaps. Regardless, as what's probably going to be the last film I'll see for this calendar year, I wasn't disappointed. 

Today's song: 

Movie Review: Rental Family

 Movie Number 49 of 2025

The Movie: Rental Family

The Cinema: The Rivoli Camberwell

Runtime: One hour fifty minutes

Languages: English and Japanese (with English subtitles)

Stars: 5

Two things drew me to this movie. First of all, it's set in Japan - a country that intrigues me. I want to go. I can't wait to go. It looks incredible - and mental and moving. Some brilliant films have recently come out of Japan too - I'm thinking Perfect Days and Touch. And of course, Lost in Translation is one of my favourite films. The second thing - it has Brendan Fraser in it. 

Jay and I discussed this. She reckons Fraser has become a good actor. I think he's always been great. After seeing him in the 90s in London in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, he won me over completely. Sure, he made some popular, but dodgy calls early on, but if you've seen The Whale, Gods and Monsters and Crash, you know the man can really act. He's fantastic in this quiet Japanese film about life and connection. 

Philip (Fraser) is an American actor living in Japan. He's regularly cast as the token white guy in advertisements and low budget productions. The work appears to be drying up. Phillip has been in Japan for seven years and has no intention of moving away. He's fluent in Japanese. He's got a lot of the culture down, but some things still surprise him. He books a job as a 'Sad American' where he's paid to attend a funeral. It's after this funeral that he is approached by Shinji (Takehiro Hira) who invites him to come to work with him and his team who supply "rental family" members. They need a token white guy. He fits the bill. 

Shinji's agency hires out actors to fill people's specific needs. Need a bridegroom to hide your gay partner from your family? Want a journalist to fake interview your famous, ailing father? Need a father for your daughter when trying to get them into an exclusive school? Shinji's agency can provide this, and after a few reservations, Phillip grows in the roles - being the stand-in father for the pernickety Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman), a journalist interviewing an ailing Keiko (Hideko Hara) and a friend to play video games in. What first starts as a paid job becomes more complicated as both parties begin to become attached to each other. Over the film, Phillip finds his flagging purpose, and the beauty of human connection.

Not only is this a gorgeous tale of life in the city, looking at a culture we are unfamiliar with, it shows a very different part of Japan. This is visually stunning, taking in the Tokyo suburbs with the Japanese countryside. It's gorgeous to watch. 

It's also very funny, as well as very touching. Hikari's direction and screenplay are touching, wise and humorous. 

I came for Brendan Fraser and come out completely satisfied. 

This is a wonderful film. It comes very highly recommended. 

Today's song: 

Happy Christmas

 Giving myself the day off and taking my crime scene cheesecake with me. 

This is said crime scene cheesecake. It will look nicer when the cherry couli is placed on top....

Have a lovely Christmas.

I've got a ham to glaze on the other side of the Westgate. 

Today's song: 

Pussy Blankets

The yarn is nearly over. Bulky yarn, acrylic, cheap, and in surprisingly tasteful colours, the remnants from a larger project - my 'defect triage' blanket, made during a very boring daily meeting at my last job, where the cameras were off and I was only required to speak periodically. 

These remnants are being made into a pussy blanket for Kylo and Rey Rey, Blarney and Barney's cats. 

They get a pussy blanket for their bed every year - a tradition started with Maow Maow, who loved his pussy blankets. He used to get one every year - the old one got thrown out and replaced by the new one. 

It's a tradition. I'm also the sad spinster aunt that likes making things and I'm relegated to making cat blankets. At least they're loved. 

As much as I'm not a fan of Christmas, I don't mind Christmas Day with Blarney and Barney. 

I'm on sweets. In the background a cherry cheesecake is being made. The no bake kind - it's a bit lighter. Also, the cherries I'm seeing in the stores aren't that good this year. I'm also making the ham glaze, as that is my job at Blarney's place - glaze the ham. A cup of coke, a cup of orange juice, tablespoon of Dijon mustard, tablespoon of cumin, squeeze of honey, dollop of maple syrup, half a cup of brown sugar... and anything else that takes my fancy. I like having jobs to do on Christmas Day. I'll also take some yarn and a crochet hook along. Keeps my hands busy. Stops me scrolling. 

We have some other little traditions. 

I'll get over to that side of town around ten. The first job is to go and procure McDonald's coffees. Sure, Blarney and Barney have a perfectly functional coffee machine - but on Christmas Day we schlep on down to the Altona Maccas for our coffees - as we have done for many s Christmas passed. In Launceston, Maccas is the only place you can get a half decent coffee on Christmas Day (Barney's folks think that Moccona instant is posh). Maccas coffee has to be done. 

Then we'll watch some banal Christmas show. The Moody's is a favourite. The Life of Brian, The Trip and Die Hard may also be watched. Die Hard is still the best Christmas movie ever. 

There might be sausage rolls. There will be too much food. There might be a music off, where Blarney and I listen to whatever is on a retro radio station, and we have to shout out the name and bad of whatever 80s or 90s tune is playing. 

Unlike Christmas where we have salad and seafood and Christmas pudding with hard sauce and custard, we have a more traditional roast meal. I think a large snapper is going on the barbeque this time. 

I still might have to get in a kilo of prawns and some fresh oysters when I get to Victor Harbor so I don't feel like I've missed out on anything. 

Still, it's lovely to have our traditions - as quirky as they might be. 

Best get on doing the final rows of these blankets. 

Today's song: 

Dev Card: What are you wearing?

 Being a bit lost for inspiration, I've delved into Dev's writing prompt box for something to write about. I love these. 

I've pulled the following card. It reads: 

"What are you wearing and why are you wearing it? Tell me everything about every single item of clothing, including jewelry, glasses and underwear you have on today. Include as much detail as possible. 

Where did you get it? How long have you had it? 

Where has it been with you? 

Do you remember wearing it on days when something significant happened? 

What's it made from? Where is it made? 

How does it make you feel? 

Why did you choose to wear it today?

Good choice or do you wish you'd chosen something different for today?"

Well, here we go. 

I am wearing active wear. A navy sleeveless top, three quarter leggings, battered old black bra and equally battered old knickers. My feet are alternating between bare and a battered old pair of Birkenstocks and I'm about to put on some socks and ASICS runners as I'm going to meet Chuck the trainer. I have a pair of silver sleepers in my ears, the silver rings of my fingers that don't come off and my Apple Watch on my left wrist. Currently, I have the black and white Mickey Mouse watch face on display. 

The activewear was bought at Kmart and Target. I don't believe in high end activewear - I go to the gym to work out not field Instagram posts about it. I don't wear active wear outside of my suburb as a rule. I'd never go into town in my gym clothes (except for going in after the gym to check my post office box - but I drive in then). The Birkenstocks are two years old and should be thrown soon, but they're so comfortable! The underwear is also well worn. The knickers, also from Kmart, are my choice of gym knickers. I normally wear ones from Boody - glorious, comfortable bamboo pants, but for under active wear, Kmart works well - they're only going to get sweaty. 

I don't have an issue with fast fashion active wear. When your gym clothes, all same - dark colours, three-quarter leggings, loose singlet tops, are used for years, it's not fast fashion - it's pragmatism. I go to the gym to train, not take photos of myself. As gym clothes go, I like that the tops aren't fitted. It covers everything that's needed. I wear these clothes summer and winter - adding a hoodie on top to get me to and from the gym in the cooler months. I don't feel the cold. A hoodie does the job. 

See - functional clothes. 

I'm wearing active wear all day because I'm seeing my trainer later in the day and I really can't be bothered getting changed later. I've got a heap of Christmas and house jobs to get done, active wear is easy. 

The great thing about active wear - my active wear, the boring Kmart and Target brands, is that I feel strong in them. I push weights in them, why not take that attitude out of the gym. I don't feel like a poser walking around the shops in my gym clothes - I've been walking around this shopping centre in my workout gear for twenty years. It's like a uniform. There are some people around the shops who only know me to wear active wear. My other workout buddy, Angus, always does a double take when he sees me in office clothes. 

Where are these clothes made? Probably some sweat shop in some South Asian country. Yet I am thankful for these clothes, as they allow me to move at the gym. I like that they're plain and that they don't stand out. I love that they're comfortable. 

As I have some standards, I don't wear active wear to work, even when I'm working from home. As I'm on a two-week break, this was the only pragmatic, easy choice of clothes for the day. 

Today's song: 

The Perfect Calendar

 Every year I search for the perfect calendar for my kitchen wall. What can I say, I like to see what's happening for the months ahead. 

A calendar has to be a reflection of you. 

This year, I've had a calendar with firemen and kittens on it. It's not really me, but it was for charity - and I couldn't find what I was looking for, and it does the job. 

The year before it was Medieval Cats from illuminated manuscripts. A better fit, but from memory, it was a bit expensive. 

Looking around, there were all sorts of dog and cat calendars, but they were all pretty banal. Sure, you can look at Golden Retriever or Mountain Dog puppies, but that will make me sad because I can't have one. 

I could have gone the travel route. Paris, London, Angkor Wat... so many places, so many calendars. Or there's Paris and Cat Calendars. Yeah, nah. I'm not one for chocolate box kittens and I like Paris a bit more rough and ready, away from the tourist traps. 

There's the art route - but art calendars tend to be expensive - or unavailable. Or you don't quite know what's coming month to month, like the case of Robert Mapplethorpe. Nice idea, fraught with danger. Yayoi Kuzama - a bit dotty that one. And I don't want a generic Manet, Monet, Renoir or Turner calendar. Sorry. That's bland. 

There are so many calendars out there. I've given Jonella the same calendar a couple of times over (she likes tea and teapots). I don't want a superhero, football team or Marvel character calendar. Nor nothing too crass or silly. 

Today, I found it. I found my calendar. It fits the bill perfectly. I was in Dymocks and it jumped out at me, dying to be liberated. 

What do you think?

Purrfection!

Today's song:

Movie Review: The History of Sound

Movie Number 48 of 2025

The Movie: The History of Sound

The Cinema: The Rivoli, Camberwell

Runtime: 128 minutes

Stars: 4.5

This film is going to haunt me for a while. It's beautiful. Stunning. Clear. No wonder it got a nine-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. I saw this last night and can't stop thinking about it. 

When you think about it, it has the hallmarks of a winner. Two British actors at the top of their game. A gentle love story that encompasses war, music, loss and searching. Some might say it's a Brokeback Mountain with ethnomusicologists. I'd call The History of Sound an epic love story. 

The story is simple. Lionel (Paul Mescal) is the son of Kentucky dirt farmers. His prodigious musical talents send him to school in Boston, where he excels. It's there that he meets David (Josh O'Connor), a young man with similar talents but from a very different background. David's uncle in England introduced him to collecting songs from across the country - little known songs that are dying out thanks to the progress, relocation and the Industrial Revolution. 

World War One begins. David enlists and goes to the front. Lionel, thanks to poor eyesight, returns to the family farm where he is under-stimulated by the simple existence. 

When David returns from the war, altered from his experiences, the two embark on a journey on foot to collect songs from the people in the far North-East, making a pilgrimage into the great beyond, their relationship growing under the adversity. As David's mental health fails, Lionel is at a loss. When they return to civilisation, Lionel goes back to the far, David to his teaching job. And the two never see each other again. 

The second half of the film shows Lionel's story as he returns to the world of music. In Rome and in England, he tries to reconcile himself with his loss. He goes on pilgrimage to places David spoke of. He tries to keep a normal sort of life. Finally, he goes to the college where David taught to find the truth. 

Based on a short story by Ben Shattuck under Oliver Hermanus's direction, this is a quiet film filled with depth and beauty. The cinematography is stunning. It's one of the most visually stunning movies I've seen this year. The scenery, both in the country and the city are just gorgeous. 

Most of all, this quiet little love story set in the early twenties rings true. Like Lionel, who hears music in everything he sees, this movie shows a true meeting of lives and hearts, portrayed by two amazing actors. This is going to be a classic. 

This is definitely worth a view, if you can find it at the arthouse cinemas away from the blockbusters which grace our screens.

P.S. Ethnomusicologists capture the songs of the past, keeping them fresh and relevant. As a South Australian of Cornish descent, I had to provide this song as song of the day. I've been singing it since my childhood. My ancestors from St Austell and Redruth would have sung it too. 

Today's song: 

Sunday Stealing Feels Festive

 I'm off for the next two weeks. Project shut down. Time to get back into being a novelist again. With this in mind, I'm doing the Sunday questions early. 

And a happy whatever you celebrate to you all. 

Questions, as always, have been sourced by Sunday Stealing. 

1. Describe your favorite cake.

Come on, that's like naming your favourite child!

If I was to state what my favourite cake really is, it's one of these three. 

I love a really fresh carrot cake / hummingbird cake with lashings of cream cheese icing. I see these as interchangeable as the flavour profiles are similar. 

Then there's a really good flourless lemon cake - again, must have cream cheese icing. David Jones used to do a good one. This can be interchanged with pretty much any good lemon cake - lemon ricotta cake, lemon drizzle cake... I love these. I make a very good flourless lemon cake. 

Oh, and I still have dreams about Adriano Zumbo's V8 cake - eight layer of different vanilla textures. It's incredible. 

2. Think of the best party you've ever attended. Were you a host or a guest?

As an introvert, parties are not really my thing. I do remember a good party at Christmas in England many years ago where a group of us had a three-day house party. It was really chill. A good time was had by all. 

3. When you choose a greeting card, do you pay more attention to the words or the pictures?

Normally by the picture. I tend to write my own message in cards. 

4. What's your favorite holiday?

I'm not one for 'holidays' other than you get sanctioned time off. I like the thought of Labour Day (in my state in Australia, that's the second Monday in March) because I like that we celebrate the legislation of the eight-hour workday. It also heralds in Autumn, my favourite season. 

5. Who is your favorite character on your favorite TV show?

Again, just one? Take your pick from: 

• Liza Miller on Younger
• Eddie Munson on Stranger Things
• Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H
• Lucifer Morningstar on Lucifer (Named my cat after him)
• Freddie on The Hour (Ben Whishaw is always amazing)
• Josh Lyman on The West Wing
• Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Peggy Olsen on Mad Men
• Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation
• All of the characters on Schitt's Creek

Today's song: 

Theatre Review: Much Ado About Nothing

The Play: Much Ado About Nothing 

The Company: Melbourne Theatre Company

The Theatre: Southbank Theatre 

Runtime: Two and a half hours with a 20 minute interval

Season Ending: 20 December 

Stars: 4

So, another MTC season comes to an end, and it ends on a high, with a very good Much Ado About Nothing. So good then even scheduled another two performances - but these are happening tomorrow, so there's no chance of seeing it now. 

I'll admit, as a Shakespeare boffin, that Much Ado About Nothing is far from my favourite comedy. 400 years on from its first performances, relationships between men and women have moved on a bit (unless you're in America). Women aren't chattel, their virginity essential, their choices unheard. The one shining light is Beatrice (Allison Bell) who is a woman who knows her own mind and heart. Strong, outspoken, Beatrice is fiercely protective of her cousin Hero (Meila Anich) she loves going into verbal war with Benedict (Fayssal Bazzi). Benedict, a confirmed batchelor, wants nothing to do with love. Hero, on the other hand, wants to marry Claudio (Remy Heremaia), a soldier, who is friends with Claudio and the Prince  - Don Pedro (John Shearman). The Prince has just come back from the war, after making an uneasy truce with his half-brother, Don Juan - renamed The Bastard (Chanella Macri). The Bastard wants to get back at his brother, setting in place a plan to discredit Hero by having one of his henchmen sleep with Hero's maid, then slander Hero. 

Claudio dumps Hero in a very public way, slandering her. Everybody is upset. Hero faints, and is presumed dead. In the meantime, she's hidden way while Benedict tries to clear her name, putting him in Beatrice's good books for good. Of course, Beatrice and Benedict are star-crossed lovers. You know they'll be happily bickering into their dotage. 

Messy. Yes. Shakespearean. Very. 

But this is why you go to see Shakespeare - not to see a new story, but to see what they've done with it. 

This version of Much Ado is wonderful. 

Using a cast of eight, they keep the main parts while relieving us of the more snooze-worthy political bits. Mark Wilson's direction is on point. Fast, snappy, making the most of the funny bits while keeping some of the more serious themes in the fore. I particularly like the use of the main cast playing smaller roles. The actor playing Hero also played Borachio, the henchman - she was brilliant in both roles. The actor playing Claudio was also in the ensemble. Chanella Makri made an imposing Bastard, as well as Hero's maid, Margaret. Julie Forsyth was wonderful as Dogberry and Ursula the maid.  The ethnically diverse cast is a breath of fresh air too - this is something the MTC do well. 

For me, the best thing about the performance was the set and staging. With the main set based on Sam Newman's house in St Kilda (a big wall with Pamela Anderson's face emblazoned on the facade) they took away the proscenium arch, and you could see backstage.

Genius move. Anna Cordingey's set was brilliant

The extra space was used to great advantage. In the wings, you could see the character's preparing and being dressed for their next scenes, props waiting to be used and the crew moving about. None of this took away from the action. 

This was a great way to see out the year. I got my fix of Shakespeare done in a most wonderful way. 

I'd be telling everybody to see this, if it wasn't closing tomorrow. 

Today's song: 

Planning the Break

As of lunchtime tomorrow, I'm on a break for two weeks. 

This means I have to get a plan together. After having two months off, I'm missing the time off, even if I like my new job and the people I work with. 

Being the overachiever, I like to think I am, I want to set some goals for the time off, also knowing that I'll be spending some time in Adelaide. 

From the time I clock off tomorrow I'm turning myself back into a novelist. Back to writing the book. 

I need to exercise everyday - even when I'm over in SA. Thankfully Mum lives near the beach and although the beaches aren't great for swimming, they are wonderful to walk along the foreshore. I wonder if the pelicans will be back this year. 

The spare room needs cleaning out badly. At the moment, it's Lucifer's throne room - I reckon there's stuff that's been sitting there for over ten years that could be thrown out. I also need to rearrange the linen cupbooard. 

And there's the admin jobs:

• The eyebrow wax (because I look like John Howard at the moment.)
• The annual skin check. 
• The leg wax. 
• The annual eye test
• A pedicure (I miss Dragon Nails in Darwin)
• Pay the car rego

Then there's actually doing the Christmas thing. This year it's at Blarney and Barney's place.

Oh, and donating plasma on the weekend.

I've updated the Miffy board. 

I'll work on my active wear tomorrow so that when I sign off around lunch time, I can go straight to the gym.

I'm pumped. I've got some free time. It's awesome. 

Today's song:

It Always Catches You Out

 You've been gone ten years now, but it feels like yesterday. 

And yesterday, as I was out with the Dream Group girls, I remembered that I didn't go the year you passed because I was a bit of a mess a I couldn't face people. I don't think I made it for a few years after that as I associated Dream Group Christmas Catch Up with you leaving the Earth. 

The psyche is funny like that. 

I remember not crying, probably because I got that done before you went. You had nine months of angst, and sickness and pain. Your passing meant that was over for you. Not for those who were left behind. 

It hurts to think of where you might be now if leukaemia had never come your way. To think of what you might be doing, or where you were working. Would you be travelling? Or studying? Would you have a partner? So many ponderings which feel so pointless. 

It still hurts that you're not here. 

It hurts that you'd be turning 26 this weekend.

But we have our memories.

We liked some of the same counterculture stuff. You loved What We Do in the Shadows. So do I. You would have loved Wellington Paranormal. 

And okay, I never got your love of K-Pop, but the whole Korean culture had you in its clutches. You'd never understand my love of Talking Heads and The Pixies. 

And one of my favourite memories is singing that daft train safety add at the Christmas table last year. Your grandmother was perplexed. How could we both know this silly ditty about dumb ways to die?

Thinking about it, leukaemia is a dumb way to die. You fought it with all your might. That was courageous. 

Oh, and the blood bank lets me give blood and plasma now. Every time I donate a pint, your name and memory come up. 

Please know you're very missed and very much remembered and loved.

Love you, Lauren. 

Today's Song: 

What are we reading next year?

 We had our annual Book Group Book choosing meeting on Sunday. 

As always, we followed the rules. Every member brought two books along - vetted beforehand for duplicates, because there are always duplicates.  (The year, a couple of people wanted to put up Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore - two others wanted to up Fredrik Backman's My Friends. This is why we check!)

Selection criteria is as follows:

• The book must be fiction
• It should be under 500 pages long - a few more is fine - just don't try to put up Anna Karenina. 
• It should be easily obtainable at bookshops, libraries or online. 
• Keep your choices to literature or decent popular fiction. 

Simples.

Then the lollies got bagged up. Everybody is given a bag of 25 assorted lollies at the meeting to use to vote for the books. Once the books have been championed you put as many lollies on the books you want to read. You can't vote for your own books. 

This is where we landed. The four books at the end weren't selected. We've read a lot of Backman over the years, and there were so many good books to read. 

To be honest, we've barely had a bad book in the last fifteen years. 

We then sorted out the reading order. Lighter books are relegated to the start and end of the year, heavier books for the cooler months. I'm just glad that I'm part of such a committed book group. 

Today's song:

Here's what I don't get

I don't get it. 

And here's what I don't get. Celebrating is human nature. Why not join in? Celebrating means happy people and good food. Why wouldn't you want to get in there and learn about people's cultures and beliefs? It's not like anybody is right. 

When it's Diwali/Deepavali, I always wish my Hindu friends a Happy Diwali/Deepavali (Same thing, just named differently depending on where you're from).

After Ramadan, of course, I say 'Eid Mubarak' to my Muslim friends. 

To the Wiccans, you nod and say 'Blessed Be' when it's the solstice, or just generally when you meet another member of the craft. 

When abroad, you visit temples and wonder at their workings. You count Buddhas, spin prayer wheels, obtain oracles, regaling in the colour and majesty of the places. 

Christians are wished Merry Christmas and Happy Easter. If you're in Greece, you wonder at the noise of the celebrations, taking up with a "Καλό Πάσχα, Χριστός Ανέστη!" with gusto. 

At the various New Years celebrations for the Asians communities, you wish your neighbours well. Gong Hei Fat Choi, or a variant of that goes down well at Chinese New Year. There is also a good possibility that there will be fireworks and food. 

There is a bit of a theme here. 

Indian friends seem to have a festival for everything. Light, colour, the birth of many of their major gods. These are awesome. For me, it means there's a good possibility of a feed with some jelabis and cashew burfee. 

On Saturday morning, as I sat in my favourite Jewish deli after Kaballah meditation. We always go here. The food and coffee are good. On leaving I wished the proprietor, who I've known for 20 years, a happy Hanukkah. Over the years, I've wished him a happy Rosh Hosannah, Passover and Yom Kippur, though the last one is never that happy because if you're an observant Jew, you fast. Sod that, no food on Yom Kippur. 

And why would I do this?

Because it's a kind thing to do. Celebrations are supposed to make people happy. Acknowledging people's celebrations lets them know that they're seen and welcomed. It shows people that you've got the good grace to be happy for their celebrations. Why wouldn't be happy to watch people celebrate?

It's one of the great things about living in a multicultural society. 

I don't understand antisemitism. I don't get racial hate. We're all part of the human race. It's these differences that make us interesting.

After the events of yesterday, I firmly stand with the Jewish community. Tonight is the second night of Hannukah. I have two candles burning. I don't have a menorah, but I can light the candles in solidarity, bringing in the much-needed light. 

I don't need to do this. I'm not converting to Judaism, although I can see some attraction to its rituals and customs. 

No, I'm burning candles to bring in light in this dark time. 

Australia is better than this. 

Celebrate. Be curious, not judgmental, in the words or Walt Whitman and Ted Lasso. 

And love thy neighbour. You never know what leftovers you'll get after these holidays. 

There's no room for hatred on this planet. 

I'm not going to try to understand it. 

Today's song:

Sunday Stealing: Catherine's Questions

 Another weekend, another round of questions. I'm not sure how I'm going to answer some of these. As there's a lot on this weekend, I'll keep my answers short/. 

Questions, as always, come from Sunday Stealing.

1) What one word describes your personality?

 Just one word? Seriously? I don't know. 

Take your pick from one of these:

• Kind
• Nutty
• Optimistic
• Creative

I asked ChatGPT, putting in the prompt "   " and this  is what it came up with:

Personality Traits (Dot Points)

📚 Thoughtful & Reflective

Often explores personal experiences and emotions with introspection. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

+1

Reflects on friendships, relationships, life choices, and personal growth. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

🎨 Cultured & Curious

Loves books, movies, theatre, and music; engages deeply with cultural content. 

blogger.com

+1

Reads widely, participates in book groups, and discusses literary choices thoughtfully. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

😄 Witty & Self-deprecating

Writes with humour and candid self-awareness about life’s quirks. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

Uses colourful language and playful metaphors. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

❤️ Warm & Relationship-oriented

Values deep platonic and long-term friendships. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

Open about dating experiences, boundaries, and what they’re looking for in a partner. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

🧠 Analytical & Honest

Talks frankly about personal challenges (e.g., AuDHD diagnosis, past relationships), showing emotional insight. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

Shows a strong internal awareness and willingness to reframe life with newfound clarity. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

🥂 Passionate & Enthusiastic

Enjoys and values hobbies and interests deeply (e.g., music, gin, travel). 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

Embraces experiences fully—even spontaneous lunch trips and social adventures. 

pandoraqueenofdenial.blogspot.com

🧑‍💼 Intelligent & Well-educated

Has a Master’s degree and works professionally.

🧘 Independent & Self-Directed

Makes life choices with independence and self-responsibility. Enjoys solitude and internal contemplation as much as social interaction. 

🗣️ Opinionated but Considerate

Expresses firm views on social issues (e.g., national holidays, cultural topics) thoughtfully rather than aggressively. Prefers respectful discourse over confrontation. 

😂 Humorous & Unfiltered

Comfortable being candid and unabashed in expression, sometimes irreverently so.

2) What's the best way to get on your good side?

 One of the following:

• Feed me. 
• Cuddle me. 
• Give me something to read. 
• Leave me alone if I ask. 
• Don't be a right-wing wanker. 
• Don't be rude. 

3) What person do you feel most comfortable with?

I'm not sure how to answer this. I'm very comfortable with my friends, so I can't name just one. I will admit that most people see slightly different sides to me, but that's probably goes with everybody. 

4) Do you handle criticism well?

 I'm getting better at it. If the criticism is constructive, then yes. If it's not, then I have no response. 

5) Are you the type to tell someone, if asked, that their pants DO make them look fat?

If asked, yes. If unsolicited - no. Though I might say something like, "Is that your last choice?" or something along those lines. 

Today's song:

Movie Review: Ella McCay

Movie Number 47 of 2025

The Movie: Ella McCay

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Runtime: One hour 55 minutes

Stars: 4

This film doesn't really deserve the four-star rating, but as a film to see after a day which contained the funeral of a dear friend, it was just what the doctor ordered. Ella McCay is excellent Friday night fodder. Fun, chirpy. great cast, a bit of a story and a few morals to boot, what more do you need. It would be a good Hallmark film, but it's better than that. I wouldn't rush out to see it, but it was a good diversion. 

It's an easy premise. Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) is the Lieutenant-Governor of a small, what looks like New England state. She's the woman with the ideas and the thorn in the side of the Governor (Albert Brooks) She's the one doing all the work, while the governor is doing all canvassing for donations. Ella is also aware that some of her behaviour may put her job on the line - nothing major, but enough to cause a scandal. She also has a fractured relationship with her philandering father (Woody Harrelson), a brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), who's got 'issues' and a husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden) who you know you're going to want to slap in the very near future. The two functional relationships she has are with her Aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her secretary, Estelle (Julie Kavner), who narrates the film. 

Looking back, not that much happens. You get to know Ella, an intelligent do-gooder who wants to make the world a better place, while the men around her blow up her life. There's the normal dilemma of what Ella will do, choose her career or her family. It looks at how women can be badly treated in politics. It has a look at the fact women do the emotional heavy lifting for the family. Written and directed by James L. Brooks, who's responsible for Terms of Endearment, As Good as it Gets and Spanglish, this isn't one of his stronger films. But is watchable and enjoyable if you're looking for something light to watch on a Friday night after a hard week. 

I'm not going to slate it, as it did the job for me. Light and watchable. Not all films are put out to get an Oscar nomination. 

Today's song: 

A Good Funeral

There are rituals to funerals. 

Of course, I dressed carefully, applied minimal make up, did my hair, daubed on some Chanel No 5, which I save for special occasions, and left with time to spare so I didn't arrive late. It was going to be a 100 km round trip. At least peak hour was over. 

For some context, this was a funeral of one of my masonic friends. She was one of my most favourite people. We were in lodge together only a fortnight ago. She was 91. A sprightly, engaged, fun, interesting woman, who was becoming increasingly frail, but was still walking unaided, and though a bit deaf, loved a good conversation, no matter when or wear. She made the most awesome asparagus rolls and other CWA standards. She was a life-long learner. Curious, yet without judgement. Her family were everything to her. She was everything to her family. A mother to four sons, we were reminded that she was once a mother of four under six. She had the patience of Job. 

That she died at 91 is not unexpected. That she was taken quickly in a horrific car accident is the tragedy. Thankfully, she did not suffer. As awful the circumstances, most are taking some solace in this fact.  

In conversation the day before with the deceased's sister, I was instructed to wear colour, not black. Her sister would have liked it if we wore colour. As much as this was a sad and tragic occasion, this was a celebration. There was a lot to celebrate. 

On arriving at the memorial gardens, I'd arrived with a few minutes to spare and a full house. Her family were holding themselves together. I found one so, a man in his mid-sixties on the way in - her son who I'd sat on many a committee with. We hugged. No words. Just a "Yeah..." at the end of it. I found her sister in the front row. At 89, she too is a nimble old chook. She seemed happy to see me there. 

"I'm not crying," she said. 

"You don't have to," was my reply. "I'm not crying - but I do the work on the inside."

"I'm not crying because I know she's happy." 

"That is a marvelous way to look at all this."

The ceremony commenced. The celebrant was engaging, not that she's met my friend, but she did spend time with the family and got the stories and go a sense of this wonderful woman. Her sons spoke. Some of her grandchildren spoke. The photo gallery showed a woman who was happy and who was loved.

What more could you ask for?

For me, I cannot remember ever being in a room that was filled with more love and grace.

As much as I will miss my friend, I can only celebrate her. My life is so much the richer for knowing her.

You can't say that about everybody. 

(As a post-script, I quickly worked out that the man I'd given a big hug to on the way in was not the brother I thought it was. I know the third brother. This was the second brother - a slightly taller, slimmer, mirror image version of the brother I know well. And here I was thinking the man I knew had hit the Ozempic. At the wake, I found him to apologise. I'm not one for hugging strange men normally. He said not to worry - it was a great hug. I still feel like a dickhead.)

Today's song: 

Too Woke to Read

 I will admit to the fact that as a writer of fiction, I like to write in 12 pt Times New Roman. 

Why? I find it comforting. I've been using it for years. This is for writing fiction. This is a personal choice. And sure, it's a serif font, but I'm old and my brain works well with it. It's like putting on comfy clothing. It feels good. (I am writing this in Times New Roman 12 pt)

If I can't find Times New Roman, then Trebuchet or Garamond will do the job. Or Georgia, Baskerville or Helvetica  at a push. 

Of course, in my line of work, I'm used to fitting in with the font of the company's style. In Australia, larger corporations will have their own bespoke font added to the font suite. If you can't use that for some reason (often in licensed publishing software) an alternative will be sanctioned in the branding policy - in most cases this will be Calibri, Trebuchet or Times New Roman. 

In the last decade, there's been a move towards sans serif fonts. Look at Microsoft, which has moved its default font from Calibri to Aptos. Segoe, choice of font for the Atlassian suite, is an annoying outlier. Calibri is a thinner, serif free version of Aptos. If you work in projects, Segoe is the allegedly friendly font of Jira, Confluence and other Atlassian products. Aptos is the default font of most AI, and Microsoft, being the dictator of fonts, has run with this. 

And sure, I whine wherever Microsoft, or whatever company change their fonts. For me, this normally means having to go over all of the materials I've been working on for six months then go through and change the fonts. It sucks. (Did you know that most large companies pay a hell of a lot of money to update their fonts every few years, partly as a security feature - it's a good way to pick up whether you're being scammed.) It also lends itself to how the material is being consumed. For online resources, sans serif - your Aptos, Segoe or Calibri work best. 

Also, I get that sans serif fonts are reportedly easier to read.

Still, for me, Times New Roman 12 pt is my go-to font. 

But, and here is the big but, when you hear that the American Government are going back to use Times New Roman, from Calibri, because Calibri is a DEI nonsense typeface, my hackles rise. 

Seriously - it's not a good thing to have a clear, readable typeface for the country to read? Not that it makes that much difference, but it will mean somebody like me will have to go through a multitude of documents and make the switch. It's a shit job. 

Then again, why are the U.S. Government demanding that everything be written in the Courier typeface, so it looks like everything is written on a manual typewriter by a young, single woman in the typing pool who will be fired once she settles on marrying a man who will treat her like crap after she pushes out for him two point six babies, if she is allowed to get maternity care through her problematic pregnancy...

Moving back to this plain, dull, white-bread font feels like a regressive move. It is a regressive move, but hey, that's the USA for you at the moment. With their current president, maybe they should write everything in Comic Sans... well known as the crayon alternative of the typeface world. 

Reading back on this, I really do have some firm opinions about fonts and typefaces. 

I really should get a life. 

Today's song: 

The Downside

I didn't know it was a thing. I didn't know it had a name. I didn't know that this was part of the deal. 

This AUDHD (Autism+ADHD) journey has been revelatory. And vindicating.

Speaking to a colleague today, whose son has a number of things that put him squarely on the spectrum, he was saying that as he's getting older, it's easier to help him regulate. 

As a late-diagnosed woman, I can see this. As an adult, you know yourself. You've worked out a lot of your triggers and have your strategies in place. You know how to self-regulate. The meds help. And sometimes, the clarity of the situation takes your breath away. 

Case in point - the concept of the work persona. 

I have one of these. 

I am an introvert. Yet, I am also bubbly, chatty, engaged, helpful (for the most part) and sociable at work. I can talk to anybody. I can talk to a room of people without blinking. I'm happy to speak in public, talk to a room of hundreds. I will approach anybody, at any time. This is my well-honed, well-crafted work persona. 

However, tell me that there are work drinks and that I have to go to a pub and make small talk, not drink, because I'm not drinking much at the moment, and my anxiety goes through the roof. I want to curl up under my desk in the foetal position. 

Three years ago, I wouldn't have called it anxiety. 

I recognise it now for what it is. 

On learning there were work drinks today at a large team meeting, the discomfort started immediately. 

When we got out of the meeting, I talked this through with a colleague. Part of it is that I've only been at the bank for less than a month. I know my team, and that's it. The other 50 people in the broader team, not so much. 

As nice as these people are, hanging around drinking coke zero, doing the small talk thing - it wasn't going to happen. 

People are surprised. "But you're so bubbly!" they cry. Yes, at work. With my work persona in place. Once I step out the door, all I want to do is go home, do some exercise and talk to the cat. 

I've felt like this all my life. Large gatherings - I have always had to psyche myself up for them. If I do go, I stick to the edges of the room - find my tribe. It's why I liked being a smoker - I had a place to go with likeminded people. At Blarney's. when she holds a barbeque, you find me outside with the boys, looking at the fire, normally with a beer. It's quieter. 

And there is a name for it. Crippling social anxiety. I've always had it. Now I can put a name to it and not feel bad when I'm running fast in the opposite direction of the work drinks / large party / wedding / event where I have to chat to strangers in a meaningless way comes up. 

The team went for their drinks. I stayed back. As I'm having Friday morning off for a funeral, I got the jump on some other work. That felt good. On arriving home, the cat was fed, then I went for a long walk. That was wonderful. I met lots of dogs on the walk too. 

It felt good to be true to myself. Even better, I can name what it is that has made these events have me in tears for years. 

Today's song:

Dev Card: Food

 The book group books are bagged up, the extras have been put into zip-lock bags and will be taken into work tomorrow, so I wont eat them - life is okay. But I have no idea what to write. 

So, I've pulled a Dev card from the original deck. 

Today's card reads, " Describe the most delicious meal you have ever eaten. If that's too hard, just write about a gorgeous dish you have enjoyed recently you keep thinking about. Give me every single detail about why it was delicious and what made it so."

See, I think this is a bit of a cop out, because I think people make food.

Last week, I went around to a friend's place for dinner. I brought the cheese and biscuits - a truffle brie, some gorgonzola, some pesto dip and biscuits. What followed was roast lamb, which has to be my favourite roast dinner. The meat was wonderfully pink - the meat thermometer said it was just right - and it was. There were roasted and steamed vegetables to go with it. After this, a cake purchased at Brunettis, a Cherry Christmas Log, was spectacular - so light and creamy. It was a lovely night, but as much as I remember the food, I remember the company more. 

I've been very lucky to have eaten some awesome meals in my life. 

Anything that Liz at L'Hotel de L'Oranges in Sommieres in utterly fantastic. Same for our wonder caterer Emma Eastman at our retreats. I even eat her lasagne. 

There used to be a place on Glen Huntly Road which had this dessert. Halva ice cream, orange blossom syrup, Persian fairy floss with pieces of Turkish Delight. 15 years on and I'm still talking about this. 

I remember going to this wonderful French restaurant  - Libertine - many years ago. We had what was one of the best degustation meals I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The one at Estelle in Northcote came a close second. Please don't ask me for details - I know they were good. 

Food, for me, is all about the experience, whether it be topping up on Patatas Bravas in Spain (or any good Spanish restaurant), to great, fresh tacos, to fresh fish and chips, to a barbeque with friends. I love trying new things. I still remember when my Swedish flatmates held me down and made m try pickled herring. Or even if it's going down the road to one of the dodgy Vietnamese places to get their crispy beef with spicy sauce - which I take all my friends to try because it's so good - made better by the formica tables, tissue boxes for serviettes and the kid in the corner doing their homework in between serving customers. 

The best food is experienced with others. It's the love and the fun that makes it delicious. 

Today's song: 

Lolly Day

 Once a year, I have to go down the lolly aisle at the supermarket. It's not something I do often. The lolly and biscuit aisle is a no-go zone - or if I do venture down there it's to get rice cakes, the odd packet of  Arnotts Nice biscuits when I'm making a cheesecake to take to a barbeque, or Turkish Delight bars to take to the writer's retreats, because Turkish Delight is currency for neurospicy women. 

Today was the day I had to venture down the lolly aisle to get the book group lollies for the book group lolly vote, which will be happening this Sunday. 

I've been doing this for over 15 years. Each December, I'll dump a phone heap of lollies into a big bowl and put 25 lollies of various shapes and sizes into a zip lock bag, along with a rubber glove, so we can do our book choosing. It's all very calculated and exacting. Everybody gets 25 lollies. Not 26. Not 24, but 25. 

The hardest decision is what lollies to get. 

There is the standard request from the group. Clinkers. And yes, I've got the Clinkers in, but at $7 a packet, they have to be only a part of the mix. Also, you don't want all the lollies to be the same size and shape. It helps keep the mystery of the vote. 

Of course, I can't put all my favourites in the bag. It's reminiscent of the 20 bag of lollies you got at the local store as a kid. For me, Spearmint Leaves, Licorice Allsorts, Milk Bottles, jelly snakes (red or yellow preferred), maybe a Fantale and a couple of jaffas. 

None of this Haribo crap - that stuff tastes like chemicals. 

I did find two things. Hard jubes. Forever a favourite. Like Fantales, which I don't think they make anymore, hard jubes can take out your fillings. According to the interwebs, Fantales were discontinued in 2023. You can only find them online for over $100 a bag. Bad move Nestle.

And a bag of Allens Retro Party mix. According to the bag, it contains a mix of the following: 

• Racing Cars
• Cola Bottles
• Retro Man
• Raspberries
• Honey Bears
• Strawberries and Cream
• Teeth
• Lips
• Pineapples
• Milk Bottles

One year we had Redskins - or whatever politically correct name they are known by now. (Red Rippers, I'm told, just as Chikos are now Cheekies, and Coon cheese is now Cheer cheese. And I do get why this was done.)

Another year we had all Skittles. This didn't go down well as the fruity flavours are cloying and they stain. 

Another year it was all Jaffas - but the chocolate melted and things got messy. We've learned to put the lollies in the fridge at the restaurant until we need them for the vote. 

And yes, I know I moan about getting this done every year, but I rather like the nostalgic feels this job gives me. 

At least I have the lollies for bagging in the fridge. 

My next urgent job is to select what my second book will be to take to the choosing. That's the hard job!

Today's song:

Movie Review: Nuremberg

 Movie Number 46 of 2025

The Movie: Nuremberg

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes

Stars: 4.5

The Nuremberg Trials have been covered on the big and small screen many times over. It's an important story that should remain in our view, because, as the adage goes, those who don't learn from the past are bound to repeat it. This is an interesting and thought-provoking movie that looks at the process leading up to the trial, the back story to the first cases at Nuremberg which leads to the final outcome. It is based on Jack El-Hai's book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. 

As war movies go, it's very good, taking into consideration more than the main players. It takes a look into authoritarianism and what can happen when people don't stand up for what is right. (Sound familiar?)

Rami Malek plays psychiatrist, Douglass Kelley, who is assigned to get to know the first round of First Reich prisoners to be tried, evaluating whether they are fit to stand trial. This includes Hermann Goering (Russell Crowe), Hitler's number two, a narcissist and egotist. Along with his translator, Howie (Leo Woodall) Kelley has the mammoth task of trying to understand these monsters of men. 

In the background, Justice Robert Jackson (Michael Shannon) a judge of high standing, is asked to try these men. This has its own traps as the army, led by Colonel Andrus (John Slattery) and having to co-ordinate with the other nations, including Brit, Sir David Fyfe-Maxwell (Richard E Grant). The movie also looks at the machinations of bringing to justice men who have been responsible for the most heinous acts ever done by the human race. 

This is a balanced film. There has been some embellishment for dramatic effect, however this is an engrossing film. Malek and Crowes performances are top notch - the rest of the cast are great too. 

I particularly loved the sets and costumes, which drag you back to the 1940. Cinematographer Darius Wolski's view brings the recently bombed Nuremberg to life. Adding to this, Brian Tyler's haunting soundscape heightens the experience. Director James Vanderbilt's direction is assured, never letting the action drag and bringing in some light, ensuring the film doesn't get too depressing. 

This film will get some Oscar nominations. It's a timely reminder of what unchecked power can do. 

This is definitely worth a viewing on the big screen. It's not a perfect film, but it is a timely one. 

Today's song: 

Sunday Stealing: Stolen from Tom

Tonight was spent at somebody else's Christmas Party. It appears that other people's Christmas parties are better than the ones that you own yourself. In this case, a friend's band was playing. Said friend is a nurse. It was great watching my mate play as well as catching up with friends and taking in the diaspora of medicos. And why is the anaesthetist always on the keyboard and the drummer is an orthopaedic surgeon?

Regardless, it was a fun night. It's probably going to be the only Christmas Party I attend. 

Today's questions come from Sunday Stealing - as always. 

1) What was the scariest thing in the world to you when you were a kid? Does it still scare you now?

 Snakes and huntsman spiders scared the hell out of me. Living in country Australia you have a good reason to be scared of snakes, especially as most snakes in Australia can kill you if they bite you. Huntsman spiders are just big and ugly, but they won't hurt you. I still hate them, but I can at least dispose of them with a can of big spray now. 

2) Imagine your 12-year-old daughter (or granddaughter) is hosting a sleepover at your home. A sudden storm knocks out cellphone service, wifi and cable. How would you keep these suddenly unplugged pre-teens entertained?

 I have no idea. I don't have kids. Maybe hope that my reading habits have worn off on them. 

3) What piece of movie or TV memorabilia would you love to own?

I have enough crap around my place, but I do have a Vote for Pedro t-shirt, which I rather like. If you don't know about Napoleon Dynamite, you're missing out. 

I wouldn't mind a t-shirt from The Princess Bride with a quote like, "As you wish...", "I do not think that means what you think it means", "Inconceivable!", or "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die." You can't wear the last one in airports. 

People don't have a sense of humour anymore. 

4) You are gifted with the services of a personal assistant for four hours. What would you ask your assistant to do?

 Oh, they would be sorting out my cloud accounts and getting them in order. They're a mess. 

5) If literary characters were real, which one would you like to interview, and what would you ask?

I have no idea. Too many characters, too many questions. I could sit down with Billy Pilgrim, or Dorrigo Evans, or the main character from Miranda July's All Fours (that would be interesting - the first question would be "What's your bloody name!")

Today's song: