One of my goals for May is to complete three knitting projects.
It sounds worse than it is.
One project was inherited. One is a beanie which will be sent to a friend in Canberra when it’s finished. The other is a scarf that I started about three years ago.
The inherited project, a blue jumper, only needed the neckline doing and a few holes patched. I finished this on Monday night. I'm hoping the recipient of the jumper will love it. I've even got it smelling a lot better thanks to the liberal application of Febreeze.
The scarf has been sitting on the back of my couch for most of those three years. It’s been picked up, put down, I’ve broken knitting needles, run out of yarn, bought more yarn (Bendigo Woolen Mills Classic 12 ply in Periwinkle). It's a long cable scarf/throw. It's thick and long ang gorgeous and will be great for a Melbourne winter. Through this scarf, I've proved to myself that I can cable. (Knitters will know)
Tonight, after work I completed the scarf. It seems to be able to double as a blanket. It’s glorious.
But I will have to find another project to sit on the back of the couch.
My shrink was quite amused when I said that I always had three knitting projects on the go at any one time. (It’s an ADHD thing…) It will be nice to tell her that I finish something.
Two down, one to go. Then I can start the next one…
Three years after starting this, and at a reasonable level, after daily lessons, every day for over 1350 days, I've finished Duolingo!
There are no more lessons.
But what do I do now?
Daily practice? Duolingo lets me do that.
But how am I going to get my 15 minutes of daily French in? I'm not sure daily revision is going to cut it.
I could read French - maybe read aloud a page of Le Petit Prince - I have that in French. Bought that at Shakespeare and Co on the banks of the Seine.
Or I could as AI what to do. Get it to design me a course.
Or I could win lotto and move to a pokey apartment in Paris and take on the Paris Guide's course (but you have to deliver your viva in French.... argh.... nice dream.)
I just know that I want to keep going. I like being able to operate in another language.
Sequels are hard. With very few exceptions, and I'm thinking of the second Lord of the Rings movies, one or two of the Harry Potter films (Azkaban is a favourite) and some of the Marvel films, most sequels fall a bit flat.
Unfortunately, The Devil Wears Prada 2 falls into this second category. It is watchable. It is fun. The fashion is great. The script and acting aren't too bad, but it lacks the charm of the first film.
There, I said it.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 isn't a stinker. It's just that it's a cerulean covered (IYKYK) film with a lot of product placement and some people you'd like to dong on the head every now and then.
The plot, according to IMDB.com, reads "Andy Sachs reunites with Miranda Priestly as they navigate their careers amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing."
Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has grown up quite a bit in the 20 years from when she chucked a hissy fit and then her phone into the Seine at the end of the last film. She is, and always has been, the grown up. Miranda Priestly (Meryl Street) is as acidic as ever. Nigel (Stanley Tucci) is busy keeping everything together behind the scenes at Runway. And Emily (Emily Blunt) has hooked up with a millionaire and is working at Dior.
The more I look back at this, the lazier this film comes across. It's like they've moved the plot into 2026 and hoping the things that made things work back then will work again - from the fashion, the token Australian boyfriend (Patrick Bramhall), to introducing Miranda's husband Stuart (Kenneth Branagh) who has next to nothing to do, to the reasonably competent assistant to Miranda (Simone Ashley).
Lazy, lazy, lazy.
On the good side of things, it's very pretty to look at and there are some fantastic one liners in the scrip - but really, I was a bit bored. What was fun and charming 20 years ago has not aged that well.
However, we went to a later session on the Friday night - the large theater was almost full or mainly flamboyant men. it was great to see.
This isn't the greatest sequel in the world, nor is it the worst. It makes great Friday night movie fodder where you don't have to think too much. If you're a fan of the original, you'll spot the Easter eggs. Otherwise, maybe wait for it to come onto a streaming service in a few months.
I had a couple of drinks - probably one a week. A friend of mine has a distillery and they do these amazing pre-made cans of raspberry vodka and lemonade. I love them. I'll have one when I want to have dessert, but can't be bothered. This is the next best thing.
2. Eat sushi?
Of course. I have sushi once a week. Something I found out recently is that Australian have sushi in concession stands and you can buy a hand roll or two - fresh, easy on the run food. It's always made on the day and chilled. The soy sauce, wasabi and ginger comes in little packets. It's so easy and awesome - and I can't believe other countries don't do this.
3. Go shopping with friends?
No, I tend to shop by myself for food and buy clothes online. I don't need for anything. I'm lucky.
4. Eat an entire box of cookies by yourself?
No, didn't do this either. I'm trying to keep the sweets down - they're not good for me, even though my blood sugars are really good, according to my doctor.
5. Dye your hair?
This I did. I have a standing six-week appointment with my hairdresser to rid me of the greys around my temples. Once every three months, I'll have a touch up on the colour on the rest of my hair. Vain, yes. Makes me happy and feel a bit more confident. Yes. It's worth it.
It's been a while since I've posted some monthly goals, but I want to keep myself on track. Changes of circumstance means that things change and it's time to commit to a few new things and keep myself accountable.
They will be SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.
Oh boy, I've been working in corporate for far two long.
Anyway, here's what I want to get done this month.
1) Read at least six books.
The last few months I've read eight books, either on paper, through audio or on the kindle. I've set the bar a bit lower, but would like to get eight books read. I love my reading.
2) Finish three craft projects
This sounds worse than it is, but it's very doable. I have three projects on the go. A large scarf/wrap which I've been knitting for years, a jumper that I inherited and a beanie. I have committed to making Blarney a blanket for Christmas - this is a huge project, but I need to clear the decks first. Thankfully, the wrap only has half a ball of wool to go, I've just got to finish the neckline and plug a few holes in the jumper and I can knit up a beanie on a wet weekend. The must be finished before I start the blanket. there has been far too much sitting on the back of my couch, which is where all my craft projects reside.
3) Close the Activity Ring on my watch daily
In other words, get 60 minutes of exercise in a day. I feel better for it. It's not hard. After my last job where I was not moving anywhere nearly enough. It's time to get cardio fit again.
4) Stretch, bridge, flex
A preventative measure - and a cost saving. The physio is expensive. If I keep up the rehab stretches, with a few more thrown in for good measure, with any luck I won't have to go back to see Brett. I like Brett, but I'd rather not have to see him on a regular basis. Stretching, flexing and rehabbing helps keep the physio at bay.
5) Write 3000 words of the novel
Decent words. Proper words. Words that sing. Time to get back to this.
6). Take my lunch to work two days out of three.
I'm now doing three days in the office a week. Do I love this? No. it gets expensive. Besides, the options at one location are pretty dire (Docklands). Besides, taking your lunch in gives you more control. I've been at the new job two weeks now. I'm settled enough to not have to run out at lunchtime.
7) Start a vision board
I've never had one. It's woo woo. If you can't see it, you can't be it.
This one snuck up on me. It's also a recurring dream, or at least I've had some variation of this dream over the years.
This morning, when I woke, I wasn't aware that I was dreaming, but it's been haunting me over the day. On a day of what I call Ra-Ra meetings (these rally the troops meetings that large corporations are inclined to have with monotonous regularity) you get some time to think.
When I have these dreams, I'm always high up and outside. When I have these dreams, I have to stand on top of the tallest building, generally without any support or guard rails. I found myself standing on top of the tallest building in Dubai. I’ve been outside of Sydney Hotel where I’ve had to walk around a window ledge on about the 70th floor.
Last night’s dream had me asked toclimb up a thin ladder to the very top of a building. Once again it was a skyscraper. Once again, I was thinking about doing this, not that I wanted to.
Today I found myself sitting in these meetings that I really don’t know why I’m there, thinking about the feeling of having to climb up a ladder on top of a skyscraper, then realising that this is recurring
Generally,I am not scared of heights, they’re not my most favourite things either. Keep me on land or put me in water, and I do like perches, but maybe not that high. High enough that you can feel the building move in the breeze, Which you can feel in very tall skyskrapers. If you haven’t felt it, go visit the Eureka Tower.
As I've got not chance in hell of finishing another book by the end of April, I may as well get my list of books out for the month.
Once again, I've read eight books over the month. Some great, some good, some not so good, but mostly, they've been enjoyable.,
So, here we go.
1) Theo of Golden by Allen Levi - Audio - 4.5 Stars
This is a glorious book with a hell of a lot of heart, not out of the realm of the Fredrik Backman or Virginia Evans' The Correspondent.
Set in the American South in a university town, Theo, a mysterious old man comes to live in the town. A local artist displays portraits in a local coffee shop. Theo buys these paintings and donates them to the sitter. The people gifted with their portraits come from across society. Rich, poor, mad, sane, happy, sad, Theo gets to hear their stories and ultimately befriending the town and changing lives.
My description does not do this justice. This book is a big warm hug - like The Correspondent. The characters are well drawn, Theo's story, which we hear in fragments, is memorable.
I loved this.
2) A Great Act of Love by Heather Rose - Paperback - 4.5
Van Diemen's Land, 1839. Widow Caroline Douglas arrives in Hobart, with her ward a young boy called Quinn. Caroline leases an old cottage from Mr. Swanston and it has an abandoned vineyard, but how did she end up in the colony full of convicts and including one’s who have earned their ticket of leave.
Caroline has secrets, and the narrative takes you back to divulge all the things that happened to her prior to arriving in Van Diemen’s Land or as we know it Tasmania.
Heather Rose is a Tasmanian national treasure. This book, historical fiction, looks at an enigmatic woman doing her best in the early days of the colony and a devastating family history that circumstance and good fortune help to bring that family back together.
Rose's prose is effortless. She's awesome. Hunt her out.
3) When the Red Leaves Fall by Alli Parker - Paper - 3 Stars
This was our April book group book. What looked like an interesting premise turned out to be a bit of a flop.
Emmy Darling has a secret. She has a few. Her lemon meringue pie is a recipe from a women's magazine, she's always wanted to be a playwright, and the best parts of her husband Sebastian's plays are the scenes she's written during edits. But when charismatic theatre impresario and leading lady, Virginia van Belle, insists Emmy write about her wartime experiences as the lead play in her 1957 season, Emmy is faced with every writer's dilemma.
Because Emmy's biggest secret is that her name is actually Emiko Tanaka. She and her Japanese-Australian family were arrested, brutally split up and held in internment camps by the Australian government after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. And it's this secret that Virginia wants to bring to the masses.
This could have been a lot better if it concentrated on the Japanese/Australian experience rather than Emmy's writing career. I found the whole novel incredible ham fisted. Never to mind, you can't win them all.
4) State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - Audio - 4 Stars
I know of the anecdotal story around this book - Elizabeth Gilbert had the idea for this book, the characters, the premise, the location - she worked on it for years - then gave it up. Ann Patchett came up with exactly the same book - and according to Gilbert, wrote a far better novel.
This story of a researcher going down the Amazon in search of answers around the death of a colleague is great. Patchett does a fantastic job of creating the look and feel of the jungle, the river and the predators, wild and human. The audio book had Hope Davis reading this gem of a book. It's worth a look.
5) A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne - Audio - 5 Stars
I'm a new convert to John Boyne. I've heard there's been some controversies around the author, which I'm tuning out. Boyne wrote The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. This book has a small historical element to it.
Maurice Swift is an aspiring novelist struggling to come up with the story that will make his name, and he doesn't care where that story comes from. Even if he has to beg, borrow, steal or worse, he will make it to the top. Whatever the cost...
Maurice is evil. He's amazing. Even better, the audiobook really brought this to life. I loved this - and I'm keen to check out more of Boyne's work.
6) Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth - Paper - 3.5 Stars
Local author, Sally Hepworth, brings on this tight thriller based on three women who met when they were in foster care. Their batty, vicious foster mother has left them all traumatised. Years later, when a body is found under the house where they used to live, the girls are forced to go back to Port Agatha and face their demons.
As thrillers go, this is very readable, tightly plotted and has so many spins and turns. However, this isn't really my genre and I found some of the writing lacking. As a standalone quick read, it's great. It's getting passed to my mother this weekend. Recommended easy reading.
7) The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood - Audio - 4 stars
This isn't my favourite Atwood, but she's still brilliant. Her mind thrills me. This dystopian novel set in the near future gives an alternative America - and it's very good.
"Stan and Charmaine are a married couple trying to stay afloat in the midst of an economic and social collapse. Job loss has forced them to live in their car, leaving them vulnerable to roving gangs. They desperately need to turn their situation around—and fast. The Positron Project in the town of Consilience seems to be the answer to their prayers. No one is unemployed and everyone gets a comfortable, clean house to live in . . . for six months out of the year. On alternating months, residents of Consilience must leave their homes and function as inmates in the Positron prison system. Once their month of service in the prison is completed, they can return to their "civilian" homes.
At first, this doesn't seem like too much of a sacrifice to make in order to have a roof over one's head and food to eat. But when Charmaine becomes romantically involved with the man who lives in their house during the months when she and Stan are in the prison, a series of troubling events unfolds, putting Stan's life in danger. With each passing day, Positron looks less like a prayer answered and more like a chilling prophecy fulfilled."
Atwood is always fun and thought provoking. Though not her best novel, it's very thought-provoking and entertaining.
8) The Stranger by Albert Camus - Kindle - 4.5 Stars
Oh my! This small novel - all of 120 pages - was read before seeing the new Francois Odon film in the cinema. I read it in English, but there is a part of me that wants to read it in the original French. Because I'm like that.
There is a reason why this is a classic.
First published in 1946, this is the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.
Absurd? Nihilistic? A document showing the internal workings of an autistic person who successfully navigates society for the most part.
You can read it in one sitting. Just like his other short novel about a pandemic, also set in Algiers, Camus is incredible. I'll be thinking about this - and the film - for a long time to come.
