xo.sorcha.ox

Architecture is sexy, not scary.

2012-02-02T14:59:00.001+10:30

[Old & New: Dining room fire place with combustion heating]

It's Thursday and lately I've been excited by Thursdays.

You see, Restoration Man is on the Lifestyle Channel on Thursday nights, and it's my new favourite show on television. Now, I don't watch a lot of TV because I am incredibly picky about what interests me and it's not very often that a TV series comes along that I look forward to watching each and every week.

[Old & New: Antique lock on the door and new copper light switches in the dining room]

I'll tell you why I like this series so much, and it's not simply because George Clarke is eye candy. It's because this is a series about simple, everyday people taking on the momentous and humbling task of renovating and restoring old buildings - buildings that are, in some cases, more than 500 years old. Everything from churches to castle towers, barns, coach inns and windmills.

Restoration Man is a series about saving heritage buildings from ruin by bringing them into the twenty-first century, which with all the bureaucracy that comes along with it, is no easy feat.

[Old & New: Every architrave and window frame in our house is original. Some of the windows even have the original panes of glass]

I have mentioned before that I am a firm believer that buildings need to be allowed to adapt and evolve to changing times and conditions in order for them to survive in the long term, and Restoration Man is a great example of how this is being achieved in the UK on a truly inspiring scale.

Buildings cannot be left stagnant to eventually fall into ruins. They need people who have the passion and motivation to be their custodians and ensure their survival for a further 100, 200, 500 years. Sometimes heritage listed buildings come with so many restrictive requirements that potential buyers are frightened by the prospect; heritage boards should be aiming to encourage people to purchase and maintain these properties for future generations, not make it such a daunting process that they run scared instead.

[New: Ceiling and lights in dining room]

Our house is not heritage listed itself, however it is over 100 years old (almost ancient by South Australian standards) and lies within a local heritage zone, which comes with its own rules and regulations about frontage appearance and what can be visible from the street. We love our house. We purchased it because we wanted to be able to restore and preserve it whilst making it a livable, working home.

Most people don't buy old buildings to make them look new. There's something inherently cozy and endearing about period properties that makes them so appealing that rarely do purchasers come along with the intent to completely reinvent them. It is possible to bring an old world property into the new world with all modern amenities and comfort, yet retain the original features and period charm of the property that made is so appealing in the first place, people just have to be allowed to do it.

[Old & New: Original wooden ceilings and split-system reverse-cycle air con in living room]

I also thought this the perfect excuse to share some photos of our cozy little cottage, as I haven't really done so since we finished our renovation stint just before Xmas. Of course our restoration efforts are on a much smaller scale than anything you'd see on Restoration Man, but they are extending the life of our property nonetheless, and that is an incredibly rewarding achievement.

Plums make good jam...

2012-02-01T15:26:00.000+10:30

Jam (def.): A preserve of whole fruit, slightly crushed, boiled with sugar.

The plums are ripening and my new favourite thing to do in the kitchen is to make jam!

I have a pantry full of white plum preserve, and am now (impatiently) waiting for the blood plums to be ready so I can see what they're like as jam too.

There's not much better than homemade jam made with homegrown fruit on homemade fresh bread with the biggest dollup of cream spread over the top...

Yum.

Monday Mail Out: Creative Space.

2012-01-30T15:55:00.000+10:30

It may be old. It may have dents, scratches and the odd screw hole where no screw goes.

It may be in a colour that does not match our existing furniture at all, but I don't care.

Because I finally have my own creative space.

No more having to use the dining room table! Which is the wrong height anyway and terrible for posture.

I can have all my usual essentials for letter writing and crafting laid out right in front of me, or stashed neatly away inside the drawers.

I am giddy with organisational glee!

There's also been a sudden burst of motivation to write and create pretty things, and I am completely up to date with my mail.

Thanks to Ma and Pa for keeping this desk, just for me.

(Mail out today to Rusty, Nicki and Rachel)

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

Bean Central! (aka Nachos, nom nom)

2012-01-27T12:03:00.000+10:30

[Vegetarian Nachos]

I came up with this recipe for vegetarian nachos around five years ago, when we were still living in Adelaide. It has remained a firm favourite, but something we only have as a bit of a treat. It was a public holiday here in Australia yesterday, and in true summer fashion it was a right scorcher (38*C in the Ranges), so I decided to whip up some nachos for dinner. They only take around 30 minutes to make, from start to serving, and taste absolutely fantastic. They are surprisingly refreshing on a hot day.

This recipe makes enough to serve 6 adults.

INGREDIENTS

425g tin red kidney beans, drained

400g tin brown lentins, drained

425g tin mexican chilli beans, drained

400g tin diced tomatoes

1 jar nachos sauce (with pinto beans, onion and tomato)

Paprika

1/2 brown onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

Salt & pepper

Corn chips (original/salted)

Grated cheese

Chopped iceberg lettuce

Diced fresh tomatoes

Sliced red (spanish) onion

Sour cream

Guacamole

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the corn chips in the bottom of a large baking dish. Grate a little cheese over them, and then pour over drained mexican chilli beans.

In a medium saucepan fry brown onion with garlic in a little olive oil until onion tender. Add tin of diced tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add drained kidney beans and lentils, a dash of paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and then pour over the corn chips, followed by the jar of nachos topping.

Generously grate cheese over the top and bake in oven at 180*C until cheese has melted and is starting to brown.

Best served fresh straight out of the oven whilst the corn chips are still crunchy. Top with chopped lettuce, red onion and tomato, a dollop of sour cream and a drop of guacamole.

Monday Mail Out: Little Surprises...

2012-01-23T16:25:00.000+10:30

"The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity". ~ Walt Whitman

Back in November I sent StoneZebra a MaxiCard with a little note as part of a giveaway. In return I received this wonderfully long letter.

My first piece of mail from a blog reader, it included a beautiful notecard and was written in orange ink from what I assume to be a fountain pen (must source myself one of those).

I just love mail surprises! No matter how big or small they are always welcome surprises.

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris.

2012-01-20T15:06:00.002+10:30

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dead as a Doornail is the fifth instalment in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. In this novel, Sookie is on the hunt for a serial killers who has a particular dislike of the local population of Weres and Shifters. Of course, the police don't know this, but Sookie pinpoints the connection after her boss gets shot. When her brother, Jason, becomes the main suspect in the killings, Sookie takes it upon herself to find the real killer and clear her brother's name.

The previous four novels in this series are focused on Sookie's lovelife, however, in Dead as a Doornail Sookie is romantically unattached. Despite this, there remains plenty of romantic interest in the Bon Temps barmaid from a number of male Supes, but Sookie is keeping her distance from all men after the giddy romantics of book 4.

In this novel Sookie learns a lot about the Were world, and even though vampires (notably Bill and Eric) are still around and are mentioned somewhat regularly (obviously still occupying Sookie's thoughts), Dead as a Doornail is decidely more about the Weres than the Vamps.

I must admit that I had the killer's identity sorted relatively early on in the piece, but despite this it was still interesting to follow Sookie (and her thoughts) as she sleuths herself into the middle of a seriously dangerous situation.

However, Dead as a Doornail lacks the allure of the earlier novels. It doesn't have the same level of magic, romance and supernatural intrigue, and perhaps left a little more wanting than it would have otherwise because book four (Dead to the World) was just so damn good. In fact, Dead as a Doornail feels a lot like "filler", and the number of inconsistencies in the book makes me think the editor didn't take it all that seriously either.

Can only give this one 3 stars, but it won't deter me from reading the rest: I'm far too hooked on Sookie and her supernatural existence to stop now!

View all my reviews

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THE LADY OF THE RIVERS GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

I am currently hosting a giveaway for The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on my review post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Friday, 10 February 2012. The winner will be announced sometime over that weekend (11 - 12 February).

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Lady of the Rivers.

Best of luck!

In the Garden: Clearing the old...

2012-01-18T14:50:00.001+10:30

"Garden as though you will live forever". ~ William Kent

A slight reprieve from the heat on the weekend and we put it to good use by picking the last of the corn and tomatoes from the vegie patch. We then pulled the plants out, since they were well and truly finished, and can start preparing the soil for something new.

During the cooler months we hope to grow peas and beans where the tomatoes were, and in the garden beds plant parsnips, beets, pak choy, leeks, pumpkin, onion, cauliflower and carrots. It will be our first attempt at growing veg all year round.

Still need to work on controlling the weeds, though, especially pesky cooch grass and carpet weed, which pop up all over the place with the smallest levels of moisture. How I wish everything grew so well with so little water!

Monday Mail Out: Investigating International Letter Writing Week.

2012-01-16T14:33:00.000+10:30

[An International Letter-Writing Week 2009 postage stamp from Japan]

Welcome to the first Monday Mail Out for 2012!

I received a letter last week from my lovely Japanese penpal, Megumi. The postage stamp she used caught my attention: International Letter-Writing Week.

Actually, it was more like, "International Letter-Writing Week??"

It was news to me! How is that an avid letter-writer such as myself had never heard of International Letter-Writing Week? So, I've been investigating.

As it turns out, it is a real thing:

"International Letter Writing Week was established at the 14th Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress held in Ottawa in 1957 with the aim of contributing to world peace by encouraging cultural exchanges among the people of the world through letter writing". - UNOstamps

I've discovered that countries such as Japan and Thailand commemorate Letter-Writing Week during the second week of October with a stamp issue every year. I've also learnt that the USA has its own National Letter-Writing Week the second week of January.

Australia, however, does not.

From the information I've been able to source online, we do not have a special day, week or month to commemorate letter-writing at all. Am I the only person who thinks that would be something the post would want to do, encourage people to send letters?

[Today's pile of outgoing mail: Letters to Nicki, Rae, Klementina, Dara, Lauren & Aida]

It's a good thing I don't need an excuse to write mail! I had a lovely letterful weekend, writing to old and new friends, choosing their stationery, decorating and/or making the envelopes.

Whilst I was buying stamps at the post office today I discovered that Australia Post has released their annual Chinese New Year stamp issue: 2012 is the Year of the Dragon! This stamp issue is always particularly pretty and I look forward to it every year.

Still disappointed we don't have a Letter-Writing Week, though...

Perhaps I should start my own?

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (+ a giveaway)

2012-01-13T14:36:00.003+10:30

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lady of the Rivers is the third novel in The Cousins' War series by Philippa Gregory, and is based around the life of Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and mother to Elizabeth Woodville, future wife and queen to King Edward IV.

The Cousins' War refers to the Wars of the Roses, the battles that took place between the houses of Lancaster and York in their fight for the English throne during the latter half of the 15th century. In The Lady of the Rivers, however, the story begins much earlier, on mainland Europe, where a young Jacquetta befriends the saintly Joan of Arc. As the two girls play at a game of Tarot, Jacquetta has her first glimpse of what can happen to magical women who seek power.

You see, Jacquetta has the power to see into the future, an ability inherited from the goddess Melusina, her ancestor. However, Jacquetta is reluctant to use this power for fear of being branded a witch and the consequences that would follow such an accusation. Her first husband, the Duke of Bedford, marries her so that he can utilise her ability, and introduces a young and innocent Jacquetta to the mysteries of alchemy. For Jacquetta it is a lonely marriage, but in her husband's squire, Richard Woodville, she finds her soulmate. After the Duke's death, Jacquetta refuses to conform to custom and marries Richard in secret, which sees them banished from Court and sent to live a life of solitude in the English countryside.

That is until Margaret of Anjou arrives from France to marry King Henry VI. Jacquetta is Margaret's kinswoman, and the nervous new queen, disliked on account of being French, sends for Jacquetta to return to Court. Jacquetta and her husband, Richard, go on to become Lady and Lord Rivers, and diligently serve the English king and his queen in their Lancastrian rule.

However, England is thrown into turmoil when Henry's mental health fails and the Wars of the Roses ensues. Margaret is forced to fight to keep her husband on the throne and her (illegitimate?) son's claim to it alive. Jacquetta and Richard are loyal to their Lancastrian king and queen until fate sends the clear message that through their daughter, Elizabeth, the House of York is destined to be their future.

One of my favourite reads for 2011, The Lady of the Rivers is a wonderfully gripping tale of magic, romance, mystery, murder and war, and demonstrates how quickly those in power can fall. This novel compliments The White Queen perfectly, where Jacquetta hands the power to her daughter, Elizabeth, whose story also goes on to make history.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Since I held giveaways for books one and two, I have decided to do the same for The Lady of the Rivers.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on this post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Friday, 10 February 2012. The winner will be announced sometime over that weekend (11 - 12 February).

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Lady of the Rivers.

Best of luck!

Rain over the Ranges...

2012-01-08T16:43:00.000+10:30

[Resident ducks in the Willochra]

[Rain at Partacoona]

[Dry creek beds and a kangaroo joey enjoying the rain - mama is under the large gum tree to the left: Look closely and you can just see her (she was well-camouflaged)]

[Parched ruins]

[Rain over the Flinders Ranges, north of Quorn]

Yesterday morning the rain started to fall, so SJ and I took Bailey-dog and went for a drive (4WD) through the Ranges to the north, away from the fire.

It took us two hours to slowly make our way through the riverbeds and over the mountains. We saw oodles of wildlife, out enjoying the cooler weather and water: Kangaroos, emus, birdlife galore, and even reptiles.

In the evening the rain became heavier and more steady, filling our water tanks nicely, refreshing the garden, and dousing that fire.

We are looking forward to a much cooler, less stressful week ahead.

Summer's True Nature.

2012-01-06T21:29:00.000+10:30

[Smoke from the Woolundunga bushfire, between Quorn and Wilmington in the Flinders Ranges]

[Smoke from the Woolundunga bushfire over Quorn in the Flinders Ranges]

A busy couple days, some restless nights, and an even worse day expected tomorrow.

It probably comes as no surprise that we are keeping an eager eye on the weather.

The closest fire front is approximately 20km to the south at the moment, burning uncontrolled in harsh, inaccessible scrub of the Flinders. We have been lucky so far that it is keeping its distance.

The tiny town of Wilmington (40km south) is under the biggest threat from the fire.

(Photos taken by Shane Clifton Pest Control)

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris.

2012-01-03T16:38:00.000+10:30

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It seemed kind of strange that I was on the side of vampires and werewolves, and that was the good side. That made me laugh a little, all to myself. Oh, yes, we good guys would save the day.

The fourth novel in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris sees us return to Bon Temps, Louisiana, where telepathic waitress Sookie is now single after her nasty breakup with Bill Compton, resident vampire. Determined to move on with her life she makes the resolution not to get beaten up in the new year, which entails keeping out of trouble and staying away from vampires.

That is until she finds Eric Northman, vampire sheriff of Area 5, wandering scarred and scared on the road to her house in the middle of the night. Eric has had his memory taken from him by a group of powerful witches who wish to see him dead (the true death. Obviously) and steal his fortune. Sookie offers her house to Eric as a safe haven, whilst she, Weres and vampires work towards ridding Shreveport of the nasty memory-thieving witches.

At the same time, her brother disappears and she has a crazy were intent on causing her harm.

So much for avoiding vampires and staying out of trouble!

Dead to the World sees monumental changes take place to Sookie and the people/supes around her. Eric is not the Eric she has come to love-hate. He is a far more serious, gentle character when unaware of the importance of himself and what he can do. Rather than the sure and cocky vampire sheriff we have come to know and love (or hate, depending on which side of the fence you're on), the Eric in this novel is far more sincere, finding genuine comfort in Sookie's companionship. It significantly builds on the other side of Eric Northman's nature, the side that we've only seen brief glimpses of in the previous novels.

Most importantly, however, are the changes taking place within Sookie. The confines of her mind have always been an enjoyable place to spend time, yet in Dead to the World those confines are becoming increasingly dark. Sookie is no longer the bright and innocent Bon Temps barmaid of the earlier novels; instead, Sookie proves that you don't need to be a vampire to do drastic and dangerous things. The other side to Sookie's nature is seriously gloomy.

Dead to the World is my favourite of the Sookie Stackhouse novels to date. I love that in this novel the stakes are higher than they've ever been before and the characters more serious. The novel still retains that funny, light edge that makes these books so enjoyable, but getting more of an insight into the character's personalities and true natures is genuinely intriguing.

One questions remains, though: Why was it that when Eric lost his memory, of all the places in the world he could have gone, he chose Bon Temps and the road leading to Sookie's house? I guess I'll have to wait and see if that little ponderment is revealed in the books to follow. Just an excuse to keep reading them, I suppose.

View all my reviews

My 2011 Reading Wrap & Challenge for 2012...

2012-01-02T12:46:00.000+10:30

I had a wonderful bookish year in 2011, reading 34 books in total, most of them really good, a few of them not so much. It has been wonderfully rewarding to have the time for so many books over the past twelve months, and I hope that 2012 will hold just as much book-filled fun.

My top 3 favourite reads of 2011, which I share with you now because I highly recommend you read them yourself, are as follows:

1. My ultimate favourite reads this year was the Trystan and Isolde series by Anna Elliott. Although three books (Twilight of Avalon, Dark Moon of Avalon and Sunrise of Avalon), they're the continuation of a single story; you can't just read one without the others, and they must be read in the correct order. Each novel is beautifully written with wonderfully inspiring and endearing characters, so if you've not read these yet then I suggest you add them to Mount TBR for 2012: You will not be disappointed.

2. The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory was my second favourite read of 2012, and my favourite of her Cousin's Wars series. It tells the story of Jacquetta Woodville, mother of Elizabeth Woodville from The White Queen, in an enticing, gripping and wonderfully magical way. I will be posting a review of this book sometime this month with a giveaway, so if you want it on your 2012 reading list then keep an eye out.

3. My third favourite read of 2011 was Smuggled by Christina Shea. An inspiring and heart-warming novel set in post-WWII Hungary and Romania, I was extremely privileged to read and review this as an ARC from Netgalley. It's one of those novels that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.

In 2011 I also took part in two online reading challenges: A Seconds Challenge hosted by A Few More Pages, and an Ireland Reading Challenge hosted by Books & Movies.

I only managed to successfully finish all reads for the Seconds Challenge, but unfortunately ran out of time to get through all the books for the Ireland Challenge because I got distracted by other books (notably the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris).

For the Seconds Challenge I successfully read all 3 books on my list: Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery, Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier, and The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.

For the Ireland Reading Challenge I'd planned to read 4 books, but only completed 3: Meeting the Other Crowd by Eddie Lenihan, Dracula in Love by Karen Essex, and Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney.

In 2012 I have decided to participate in just the single online reading challenge, although it will entail having to read 12 books to successfully complete it.

The Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 is hosted by My Reader's Block and participants have the option of 6 levels, the lowest being 12 books and the highest being Mt Everest, where the aim is to read more than 100 books.

The catch for this challenge is that all books must be on your TBR (to be read) pile as of the 1 January 2012. I am aiming for the lowest level of 12 books (Pike's Peak) as that is all the unread books I currently have sitting on my shelf. They are (in no particular order):

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

To Die For by Sandra Byrd

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

March by Geraldine Brooks

The Lute Player by Norah Lofts

Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

I think this challenge will be just the inspiration I need to start reading those books I already have, rather than keep ordering new ones. Wish me luck!

Will you be taking part in any reading challenges this year?

In the Garden in the New Year...

2012-01-01T12:54:00.000+10:30

Well, it's 2012 already. I hope that everyone had a wonderful end to 2011, no matter how it was spent. For me, New Years' Eve isn't a big deal, so I spent mine watching a bit of television with the air con on. I didn't crawl into bed until 1am, but that wasn't due to ringing in the new year: I actually had to wait until the bedroom was cool enough to be able to sleep. It was a right scorcher here yesterday (low 40s - degrees Celsius) and today is turning out to be another. It has only just gone midday yet outside it feels as though it is in the 40s already: I tanned picking the tomatoes this morning. Seriously.

The warm weather is germinating seeds at an exceptional rate. I sowed leeks, beets, pak choy, cauliflower, eggplant and basil just a few days ago, and now seedlings are already poking through the soil. I'm hoping these will be ready for planting later this month, or early February, if all goes to plan.

We picked the first cobs of corn this morning, along with some more roma tomatoes. On the really hot days the tomatoes are cooking on the vine, so we've taken to covering them with shade cloth during the warmest part of the day. It's helping. A little. We're having to pick the ripening tomatoes earlier than normal so they don't end up ruined. They're a lot smaller this year than what they have been in the past, and whilst we have plenty of romas, the big reds don't seem to be fruiting much at all.

I had hoped to have enough tomatoes this summer to make sauce, but it doesn't look as though that will happen. C'est la vie!

Our little vegie patch has capsicums ready to pick now too, and later this month I expect the carrots to be ready.

I need to thin the nasturtiums, though. Even with the heat they still grow like weeds, taking up more space in the vegie beds than I think is necessary. They are good at keeping away the bugs, though. I was just saying to SJ last night that we've had no thrip or aphids or grasshoppers attack our vegies this year. Only cabbage moth, but we've been able to control them. Makes gardening a lot easier, that's for sure!

What's growing in your garden these days?

The Post-Christmas Blog Post...

2011-12-29T14:48:00.000+10:30

[Our super pretty Xmas Tree]

In true 2011 fashion, the past week has flittered by and I've barely noticed its passing.

Where does the time go?

I'm on leave from work until next week. During this time I'd planned to achieve a many wonderous thing, but already it is Thursday and I've not yet done even half of what I'd planned.

[Xmas cards decorate the dining room mantel]

Xmas Day was a warm one in our sunny, windy, thunderstormy part of Australia. It reached 36*C in our little town, and due to the thunderstorms brewing it was humid all day until around 9pm in the evening when we had a quick patter of rain followed by a cool change. So, the day after Xmas was wonderfully pleasant, as have been the days that have followed it, although tomorrow is supposed to be back into the high-30s, and it is possible that we'll have temperatures in the 40s for the next week or so.

[Useful Xmas gift #1: Don Burke's Organic Gardening]

But back to Xmas Day: A BBQ breakfast, followed by a feast of a midday meal, followed by a feast of an evening meal left us feeling quite gluttonous!

I love to give useful, practical Xmas gifts, and I tried to do that again this year, but I also received some wonderful useful gifts in return. I've already put Don Burke's Organic Gardening book to use and planted seeds for the next lot of planting, as well as having planned my vegie patch for autumn.

[Useful Xmas gift #2: Homemade preserves and dukkah]

And this morning for breakfast I had quinoa bread spread with a generous serving of homemade pear and vanilla jam, which my sister made. I didn't know she was quite so clever in the kitchen and it was delicious!

Now I'm spending this warm afternoon writing some letters, watching a bit of TV, cooking (in the slow cooker), and reading. I've four full days left free from the confines of paid employment and I intend to get myself back on track with all that I have planned...

Tomorrow I think I'll made some nachos. Gosh, it's been years since I've had those! I'll have to share the recipe...

How are you spending your holidays?

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris.

2011-12-22T16:53:00.001+10:30

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eric looked down at me. He seemed to have a hickey on his neck. I opened my mouth, and then shut it again. Better not to comment.

"I don't like having feelings." Eric said coldly, and he left.

That was a tough exit line to top.

Club Dead is the third instalment in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. You remember Sookie, right? The Bon Temps barmaid with the telepathic abilities and the Vampire boyfriend named Bill? Yes? Good.

This novel begins innocently enough, with Sookie enjoying semi-domestic bliss (as domestic and blissful as it could be with a Vampire, I suppose) with Bill in Bon Temps. Bill has discovered computers and the internet, and Sookie's worried that he's turning into a bit of a geek.

As it turns out, that is the least of her worries.

Bill is under strict, secret instructions from the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, and not even the Vampire boss of Area 5, Eric Northman, knows of it. When Bill leaves town for a few days but then suddenly disappears, Eric seeks Sookie's help in locating him amongst the undead underworld of Mississippi, which sees her risking her life to save her boyfriend from an untimely demise. Not only is danger present at every turn, but Sookie also finds herself having to grapple with the development of romantic feelings for her charming guide Alcide (a Were); the almost-unwanted attentions of Eric the Vampire; and the heartwrenching truth of her boyfriend Bill's betrayal.

Each novel in this series builds on the personalities, perspectives and histories of the characters, and whatever the situation in the previous two books, it is not necessarily the case in the third. Things are changing at a dramatic pace, and Sookie's world is quickly turned on its head, giving the otherwise perky Bon Temps barmaid a hell of a lot to think about - and her readers in turn. It is through the encounters that Sookie has with the Vampire Eric that the author hints at there being more to this character than what meets the eye (the never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover scenario).

For me, Club Dead is the novel that sees this series turn from a fun pastime into a major bookish obsession. Characters that once appeared simple and satisfying have become far more complicated than I originally anticipated they could be, which is an intriguing turn of events of which Sookie too is fast becoming aware. In Club Dead, Sookie can no longer hide behind innocence and naivety, being forced to make very adult decisions when faced with some nasty truths about the world in which she finds herself.

FYI: Team Eric. Totally.

View all my reviews

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex.

2011-12-20T11:09:00.001+10:30

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Dracula in Love claims to be a retelling of the Mina-Dracula relationship from Bram Stoker's classic novel, Dracula. However, the story told by Essex is at best misleading and at worse implausible and annoying. Here's why:

1. The characters are inconsistent. Their personalities were all over the place, not a single one of them constant.

Jonathan Harker was a good man, then a bad man, then a good man. Morris Quince was a rotten scoundrel who wasn't.

The doctors from the lunatic asylum who treated women for sexual promiscuity were insane sexual deviates. The irony is lossed on no one, I'm sure. I'm still trying to figure out how this fits into the story as a whole, though.

But let us not forget the supposed "heroine" of the story, Mina Murray Harker, who has this unenviable ability to change her mind in the most drastic and dramatic fashion. I found it impossible to like her.

2. The connection between the characters was difficult to fathom, on so many levels. Many of the events that took place in Dracula in Love simply do not make sense when considered in light of the story as a whole. At the time, I quite enjoyed Essex's descriptions of the asylum, but in retrospect I struggle with understanding its purpose.

3. Despite the title, the Dark Prince himself (that is, Dracula) is almost completely absent for most of the book. He turns up for the last quarter, but then his role in the story is annoyingly and frustratingly told predominantly through dialogue. I couldn't help but feel that the author was in a hurry to finish, either to meet a deadline or simply because she could no longer be bothered with the story. A pity.

4. The reincarnated Sidhe concept had potential: It was a neat idea, but poorly executed. I think Essex could have achieved more with this storyline had she not waffled on and got distracted by other things earlier on in the piece. This portion of the story felt rushed and confusing. I think it was supposed to be that awe-inspiring supernatural twist to the story, but the author's inability to think it through ensured it completely fell flat.

5. The author seems to be lacking focus as the book has far too much filler, making the plot and characters seem inconsistent and undeveloped, especially at the end. Half the time I wasn't even sure I knew what she was talking about! Not even the ending was redeeming: Like most of the story, it was simply confusing and implausible.

6. I had expected a supernatural love story set during one of my favourite periods in history (Victorian England), but what I got instead was nothing more than misleading erotica: Dracula in Love contained a whole lot of lust, but little Dracula and absolutely no love whatsoever.

A disappointing read overall.

View all my reviews

About the House: Second Bedroom Renovations.

2011-12-19T15:49:00.002+10:30

No Monday Mail Out today, due to the fact that the house is in a slight state of chaos at the moment since we started plastering the walls in the second bedroom on the weekend.

I'm not entirely sure where I've put the camera and my laptop is under the bed. These photos are from my iPhone. I have pictures on the camera to use for a Monday Mail Out post, but I guess it'll have to wait until another time. We've pulled all the furniture out of the room, along with all the stuff in the built-in-robe, which is now scattered around the rest of the house. Pretty much wherever it fits and won't be a tripping hazard.

This is how the room looks at the moment. We're hopeful of having everything back in the room by Saturday evening. Our schedule for the week is as follows:

Monday: Sanding and final top coat.

Tuesday: Finish ceiling inside built-in-robe and sanding.

Wednesday: Undercoat and no-more-gaps.

Thursday: Probably more no-more-gapsing around the architraves and skirtings, but hopefully will get the first coat of paint on the walls.

Friday: Finish painting walls and architraves.

Saturday: Move everything back in.

All in time for Xmas...?

On My Mind: Books, Books, Books...

2011-12-16T16:09:00.000+10:30

I have books on my mind today: Trying to decide what should take priority over the Xmas/New Year break, especially considering that I have a number of books still sitting unread in my bookshelf. Wolf Hall has been tempting me for months, but it's really rather huge and I haven't felt like lugging it around with me.

I'm also trying to decide whether or not to participate in any online reading challenges next year. I only took part in two this year, but I didn't quite get through all the books I'd planned to, mostly because I got distracted by other books. This year I will have read more than 30 books in 12 months for the first time. I would normally plan my reading lists months in advance, but this year I have quite enjoyed the freedom of reading whatever I want, as the mood takes.

E-books have played a major part in the tally too, since they can be read anywhere. I've been reading quite a lot on my iPhone: It is far more convenient to carry them around this way! I still have quite a large number of those to read, too (at the moment I'm addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris ~ they are so easy to read and a lot of mindless fun).

I shall mention, only in passing, that I am also terribly behind in my book reviews. I have five to write at the moment. Naughty me!

Do you have holiday reading planned?

**~**~**~**~**

This is a Friday photo feature from Down to Earth that anyone with a blog can join. It opens the door to us sharing our lives through these photos and gives us all a new way to discover each other, and maybe form new friendships. Your photo should show something at home that you're thinking about TODAY.

To take part, all you have to do is post a photo, write a short caption explaining it, and link it back to Down to Earth. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When your photo is published, go to Down to Earth and add a comment , with a link to your blog photo.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris.

2011-12-14T15:49:00.000+10:30

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"I stared up at the night and wondered, not too curiously, what the hell they were talking about. It's not like I was Russia, to be parceled out to the strongest dictator".

Romance, mystery, adventure, vampires and other supernatural beings: Welcome to the world of Sookie Stackhouse, Bon Temps barmaid and telepath! Her boss is a shifter named Sam, and her boyfriend the local vampire, Bill Compton. In Living Dead in Dallas, the second novel in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series, Sookie is sent to Dallas with boyfriend Bill as her bodyguard. On the orders of Eric Northman, Vampire Sherriff of Area 5, she is to use her telepathic ability to help find the whereabouts of a missing vampire, believed to have been abducted by the Fellowship (a crazy-scary Christian-ish human cult determined to rid the world of vampires).

In this novel Sookie also begins to extend her acquaintances with the supernatural world, having both exhilerating and scary encounters with shifters and Weres in Dallas and a Maenad in Bon Temps.

More importantly, however, Living Dead in Dallas sets the scene for a change in Sookie's relationship with her vampire, Bill, as a result of Vampire Eric becoming a frequent part of her life. The distinct, constrasting personalities of Vampire Bill and Vampire Eric (one seriously dark and secretive, the other hiliarously bright and honest) brings about a shift in the Sookie-Bill-Eric-Sookie dynamic that by the end of the book leaves the reader desperate to find out what will happen next...

FYI: Still on Team Bill. For the moment.

View all my reviews

About the House: Painting the hallway...

2011-12-13T16:43:00.001+10:30

SJ and I (with the help of Bailey-dog) spent all day Saturday finishing the painting work required in our hallway.

The walls had been finished back in July, but with SJ starting unemployment in August we decided to leave the rest until we could spare the cash.

So, for the past two weekends we have been busy no-more-gapsing, sanding, undercoating and painting the architraves, doors and skirting. It was an easy task, since the hard work had been completed months ago.

This week we start work on the second bedroom, which currently looks like this:

And is far more daunting!

The walls need to plastered.

The ceiling in the built-in-robe isn't finished.

Sanding is yet to begin (I'm trying not to think too much about the dust that it will create), and only then will we be able to paint...

All in time for Christmas.

Monday Mail Out: Xmas Mail...

2011-12-12T19:44:00.000+10:30

Has it been a week already? I have certainly been kept busy, what with all the shopping online in my pyjamas.

Got to love the internet!

This impressive pile of parcels was waiting for me when I got home from work today. I just love this time of year, even if the the goodies inside aren't actually for me. Sure, they're addressed to me, but the most of what came today are Christmas presents for other people.

The one right on top is for me, though: A letter from Nicola (it was her birthday today, by the way).

A day that brings a letter is a good day indeed.

Monday Mail Out: Accessorising, postal style.

2011-12-05T12:01:00.000+10:30

French Post themed iPhone cover from LinasStitch.

Arrived in the post on Friday, and I'm totally in love with it.

Sunny Sunday strolls around the veggie patch...

2011-12-04T18:12:00.000+10:30

The veggie patch, wonderfully lush and green...

There's no such thing as too many tomatoes, right?

Silverbeet has a lovely earthy taste, which when picked fresh is really great in a salad with vinegarette dressing.

I didn't realise nasturtiums would be as big as the capsicums when I planted them...A wonderful bug repellent, though.

Corn. Corn corn corn!

I don't remember planting that many carrot seeds...

Cauliflower gratin. Deep fried battered cauliflower. Curried cauliflower. Cauliflower soup. Steamed cauliflower...

Of course Bailey-dog comes for a stroll too, but he's there for the lizards and the butterflies, neither of which he ever catches, yet he remains persistent!

On My Mind: The Absence of a Quiet Mind...

2011-12-02T15:15:00.000+10:30

A Quiet Mind by Thomas Vaux

"When all is done and said,

In the end thus shall you find,

He most of all doth bathe in bliss

That hath a quiet mind:

And, clear from worldly cares,

To deem can be content,

The sweetest time in all his life

In thinking to be spent.

The body subject is

To fickle Fortune's power,

And to a million of mishaps

Is casual every hour;

And death in time doth change

It to a clod of clay;

Whereas the mind, which is divine,

Runs never to decay.

Companion none is like

Unto the mind alone;

For many have been harmed by speech,

Through thinking few or none.

Fear oftentimes restraineth words,

But makes not thought to cease;

And he speaks best, that hath the skill

When for to hold his peace.

Our wealth leaves us at death;

Our kinsmen at the grave;

But virtues of the mind unto

The heavens with us we have.

Wherefore, for virtue's sake,

I can be well content,

The sweetest time in all my life

To deem in thinking spent."

Monday Mail Out: The Christmas Post.

2011-11-28T19:38:00.001+10:30

[Christmas greetings ready to be posted]

What a busy time of year Christmas must be for the post! Perhaps the only time that many people send snail mail wishes.

The postal service always seems to rise to challenge, though, with the delivery of mail being much faster at Christmas time than at any other.

I always look forward to this time of year and the arrival of cards to decorate the mantel: A kind of snail mail shrine.

Meeting the Other Crowd by Eddie Lenihan

2011-11-23T11:19:00.002+10:30

Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland by Eddie Lenihan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame".
~ William Butler Yeats

I'd like to start this review by making it clear how much I absolutely L-O-V-E-D this book!

Meeting the Other Crowd is made up of faerie (Sidhe) stories collected by traditional Irish seanchai, Eddie Lenihan. The stories focus on the interactions between humans and the faeries, and many are not as old as you might expect: Many Sidhe encounters recorded in this book have taken place within the last 100 - 150 years.

This book examines common themes about what faerie contact might mean for a human; why the faeries either seek human contact or do not wish for it; faerie traditions; human superstitions; how the church has influenced the current understanding of the faerie world; and why, with the increasing influences of the modern world, the instances of faerie encounters appear to be dwindling.

Every story in this book held me spellbound: From faerie Kings and Queens, to changelings and the mysterious existence of vessels such as Biddy Early, it was almost impossible to put down. Well-written and easy to understand, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Irish folk and faerie lore. It is a topic I am eager to learn more about.

View all my reviews

An appreciation for simple things...

2011-11-22T16:48:00.000+10:30

[Mail out: 3 letters, 1 postcard, & a book]

No mail went out yesterday. Can you believe it? I still cannot comprehend how I managed to go through the day and not make it to the post office. I'm blaming it on a morning appointment that ran overtime. By a lot. And an evening meeting at work that took longer than expected.

But of course I spent a portion of my weekend writing mail: It wouldn't have been a weekend without it! The mail just had to go with this morning's post instead.

[Bailey-dog chasing geckos - Entertainment for hours!]

After a hot week, closing with a scorcher on Friday (41*C), it was such a relief to wake Saturday morning to the sound of rain. Rain, might I add, that hung around all day and gave the garden a good soaking. It never ceases to amaze me how much plants prefer rain water to the stuff from the bore.

[Laundry on the line]

The weekend also included a Christmas dinner with my work colleagues: An hilariously fun evening packed with good food and good company, a great way to start the festive season.

[Chopped veg ready for a casserole]

But most of all the cool change was a great opportunity to enjoy the simple things: Spending time outside with Bailey-dog, the birds and the lizards; tending to the garden; doing the household chores; writing mail; and utilising the oven for some hearty, home cooked meals.

Monday Mail Out: Partial to parchments...

2011-11-14T20:39:00.001+10:30

[Gentleman note paper from LaPapierre]

"What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp". (Author Unknown)

My stationery orders from Etsy arrived on Friday, so of course I wanted to write a bundle of letters over the weekend using my new stock of pretty, pretty writing paper. But then Sunday afternoon was spent babysitting my nephew (he is 8 years old), so only one letter went out in today's post. I don't mind, though: My nephew, SJ and myself had a wonderful afternoon of playing cards ~ games such as Go Fish!, Snap!, and Sausage (SJ and I not having played Sausage before had to learn from my nephew: It was quite the hoot!).

[Handmade stationery sets from Lizzlebugg]

With this morning's mail I also sent a First Day of Issue MaxiCard to Brittan. I hope she likes it!

I have another MaxiCard here for StoneZebra, but am unable to contact them, so StoneZebra, if you're reading this, please drop me an email: sorcha (dot) sidhe (at) gmail (dot) com, and I will get it in the post for you straight away!

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

In the Garden: Post-tempest.

2011-11-10T13:39:00.000+10:30

[Corn & Cauli]

[Tomatoes on their new trellis: SJ is full of surprises!]

[Where the Wild Peach tree once stood]

[Agapanthus still standing tall in the flowerbed]

Despite Mother Nature giving us a nasty whipping these past two days, there has been no major damage to house or garden, aside from the loss of one Wild Peach tree (thankfully the other 4 are fine).

I was prepared to be devestated, so can hardly believe our luck!

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

2011-11-09T11:54:00.000+10:30

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string". - Anne Shirley, Anne of Avonlea

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery was first published in 1909, and is the second book in the author's Anne of Green Gables series. It continues the story of Anne Shirley, the fiesty, redheaded orphan, now aged 16 and schoolma'am of the local Avonlea School. It also sees the return of characters from the first book, including her adoptive mother Marilla, Mrs Lynde, her best friend Diana, and school chum Gilbert, as well as a host of new ones: Mr Anderson, the twins Davy and Dora, Paul Irving, and the endearingly charming Miss Lavendar.

Anne is of the age that bridges childhood and adulthood: Not as short-tempered and silly as she once was, she is still curious and imaginative and maintains her love of the make-believe. There are many new adventures on the horizon for Anne, with surprising new priorities and emotions, and the very adult task of making life-determining decisions. The period of Anne's life covered in Anne of Avonlea reveals to the reader an Anne that is constantly growing and changing as she steps into her adult self. It is a wonderfully easy novel to read; a story of the enjoyment to be found in the simple things, and of the surprising new beginnings brought about through life's experiences.

View all my reviews

Monday Mail Out: A Postal Disappointment & a Giveaway!

2011-11-07T16:04:00.000+10:30

[First Day of Issue MaxiCards]

"A Letter is a Joy of Earth -

It is denied the Gods".

~Emily Dickinson, 1885

There was no Monday Mail Out last week as I didn't write any letters. Yes, it's true! Such a rare event, I must admit, and completely out of routine!

It was SJ's 31st birthday, and the quick getaway we took to the beach was in celebration of it, and there was simply no time for letters when I was flat-chat busy sitting on the beach with a book in my hand eating cake, and doing a whole lot of nothing (often referred to as "relaxing" - or so I am told).

Therefore I felt I needed to be extra diligent the weekend just passed, ensuring I returned to my usual routine and write three letters, all of which were to be posted this morning. But as "Monday Luck" would have it, they're still sitting on the mantel piece in our dining room. Of course I realise that no one can read their letters if they are sitting above our fireplace, so I'll have to make a special trip to the post office this evening instead.

I have been writing letters for more than half my life (seriously, I started when I was 7yo), and during that time I've have the odd correspondent disappear off the radar, either by choice or just through a bit of bad luck, but I've never probed for reasons and so have never been told. Despite this disappointment, letter-writing as a whole has been a wonderful experience that I still enjoy immensely, and I honestly could not imagine my life without it. I am constantly learning about the world and the people in it, have met some truly amazing people, and have made many long-lasting, irreplaceable friendships as a result.

However, one of the letters I spent a significant amount of time writing over the weekend will not be going out at all, as when I got into work this morning and checked my emails I had a message from its intended receiver explaining that she was "taking a break" from letters and could no longer write me, which has roused in me a ponderment:

How does one respond to being "dumped" as a correspondent? Should I be angry and hurt, or sympathetic and understanding? Do I take it personally and wonder if I am boring and unlikeable, or do I fob it off as just "one of those things"?

I figured I needed cheering up. So, I toddled off down to the post office in search of some postal goodies, and ended up deciding on the First Day of Issue MaxiCards pictured above, the price of which includes postage to anywhere in the world. I take this to be a sign that I should send them to people, so I will: If you'd like to receive one of these cards with a little note from myself on the back, please leave a comment. I will send one card to the first 3 people who leave a comment, regardless of location.

I'm feeling better about myself already!

The Beach.

2011-11-02T14:42:00.000+10:30

[Jedi Master Bailey-dog]

[Sunset Gold]

[Calm before the storm]

[Blue]

[The Coast]

[Exhausted]

"Roll on, deep and dark blue ocean, roll. Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain. Man marks the earth with ruin, but his control stops with the shore". ~ Lord Byron

Two days at the beach: A small escape.

Time spent watching the waves roll in; breathing the clean, salty air; of waking in time to see the sunrise and admiring it as it set each evening; spying dolphins and seals in the surf, and of getting sand in absolutely everything.

In the Garden: The Iris.

2011-10-26T11:54:00.000+10:30

"Where flowers bloom so does hope".

~ Lady Bird Johnson

The Red Queen Giveaway Winner

2011-10-25T09:29:00.000+10:30

A busy day yesterday meant I didn't have quite enough time for choosing a winner of the giveaway I am hosting for The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (find my review here). So, in order to ensure it doesn't get forgotten once I start doing other things, I am happy to announce that the winner for the giveaway is...

thenewgoodlife

CONGRATULATIONS! I will be in contact with you shortly to get your postal details so that I may order this paperback copy of The Red Queen for you.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway. There will be another bookish giveaway within the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

Monday Mail Out: Paper Envy.

2011-10-24T17:00:00.000+10:30

[Stationery Grab Bag from LaPapierre]

Rummaging through my stationery drawer over the weekend I came to the horrifying realisation that my letter-writing paper stocks are getting drastically low.

[Dandelion Notecards by designsbybeccashop]

It's uncommon for me to have little selection when it comes to deciding what stationery I'll use when writing a letter: I like having an abundance of choice, but a tight budget these past few months means that it's been a long time since I purchased anything. A long, long time.

[Birdie Notepad by RedLetterStudio]

It's not so easy to purchase nice stationery from newsagents and office supply stores as it once was, and it's a struggle to find anything locally. It's at times like these that I am so glad of the internet...

[The Pondering Witch Set by steelgoddess]

And online shopping...

And (most of all) Etsy!

For an avid letter-writer such a myself, who is also quite partial to pretty things, Etsy brings about such paper envy!

[Bird in a Redberry Bush Notecards by witandwhistle]

And it's. Just. So. Hard. To. Say. No.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

THE RED QUEEN GIVEAWAY WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW, TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER (it's been a busy day).

On My Mind: Strawberries...

2011-10-21T09:39:00.000+10:30

[The sweetest, juiciest, tastiest strawberries, growing in hanging baskets on our back veranda]

"Right now I just want to chill for a while. Take a hiatus from all the craziness. To clean my house, see my family. Just see some movies and pick some strawberries". ~ Lauren Ambrose

**~**~**~**~**

In Pictures: Springtime in the Garden.

2011-10-20T10:38:00.001+10:30

[Iris & Blue Marguerite]

[Daisies, daisies!]

[Perennial Perfection]

[Herbs & Lettuce]

[The Veggie Patch]

The days begin and end in the garden: Eagerly checking the veggie patch, watering, mulching, pruning, mowing, fertilising, and then as the sun sets just sitting back and admiring the blooms.

Bailey-dog's Buzz Cut...

2011-10-19T10:55:00.000+10:30

Before: Shaggy, untidy, knotted mess...

After: Silky smooth & not a knot to be found!

Bailey-dog went to the groomer yesterday: Spoodles have a low-shedding coat of curly hair, which if not clipped continues to grow, and grow, and grow... Due to the curls, the coat becomes knotted quite easily, and Bailey is a spoodle who thinks he's a farm dog so his active, curious nature means he's always coming inside covered with burrs, twigs and leaves that have got caught in his coat. Yet he refuses to let you brush them out, as he likes to pull them out himself (keeps him occupied for hours!).

During the cooler months we let his coat grow out with the occasional trim as it helps keep him warm when it's cold. However, summer get quite hot here (anything up to 45+ degrees Celsius), so when the weather shows signs of warming up (today is expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius) we take him to the groomer to get his "summer buzz cut": As short as possible on the body & face without being completely bald, but length left on his tail and ears (because it's cute).

Yesterday he went to a new groomer, who not only gave him the cutest haircut ever, but cleaned his ears, clipped his nails, and bathed him in an oatmeal shampoo which smells absolutely divine. Who knew a dog could look and smell so good? So, I made him pose for pictures this morning ~ he pretends he's not fussed, but I know he is totally loving the attention (as all spoodles do)!

Monday Mail Out: The Letterbox...

2011-10-17T16:27:00.001+10:30

Our letterbox is a train carriage (incase you were wondering). It was handmade by previous owner H - a train buff - back in the 1980s. It's looking a bit worn these days: The paint is peeling and the wood has warped from constant exposure to the elements.

During the warmer months I have to fight the spiders for my mail, and when it's wet the letters end up damp. The slot at the front is big enough for passing children to fit their prying hands through, and in the past we've lost mail through their curiousity - but their mothers made them own up, apologise and promise to never to do it again!

SJ loves this letterbox. He remembers it from his childhood and refuses to hear any suggestion of its removal and replacement with something that keeps the mail safe and dry. It doesn't even matter that he never remembers to check it for mail. Ask him why he likes it so much and he'll proclaim it to be "a local icon" - the point is mute.

For me, it's all about the letters, but for SJ it's clearly about the letterbox.

Bereft by Chris Womersley

2011-10-13T11:19:00.000+10:30

Bereft by Chris Womersley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1909 at the age of 16, Quinn Walker is accused of killing his 12 year old sister, Sarah, and flees the small rural community of Flint in fear of retribution. Ten years later at the end of World War I, he returns to the town a designated war hero, befriends a mysterious orphan girl by the name of Sadie Frost, and together they seek refuge in the hills and scrub surrounding the township. The unlikely duo set about righting the wrongs that continue to be committed against the vulnerable and innocent in Flint, crimes that stretch back more than a decade.

Bereft is one of those novels that is so gripping that it is almost impossible to put down. The characters are fascinating: The damaged, the wronged, the misled, and the downright evil. At around 250 pages in length the story unfolds perfectly from start to finish, the author effortlessly bringing together the past and present, the living and the dead.

Bereft is an intriguing novel filled with murder, mystery, magic and revenge, with a wonderfully Australian gothic feel.

Highly recommended.

**I won this novel in 2010 via a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

View all my reviews

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

THE RED QUEEN GIVEAWAY:

I am currently holding a giveaway for The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on the original post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Sunday, 23 October 2011, with the winner being announced the morning of Monday, 24 October 2011.

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Red Queen.

Best of luck!

In Pictures: Lagooning...

2011-10-12T14:09:00.001+10:30

East towards The Horseshoe, along many a dirt track and passing paddocks of sheep grazing on bluebush, over a slight rise and into the Boolcunda there is an elbow in the creekbed where water pools from rainfall and natural springs. All year round there's water there: An arid oasis.

Monday Mail Out: Snail Mail Love...

2011-10-10T16:49:00.002+10:30

[Letters waiting to be posted]

[A letter in progress]

"Or don't you like to write letters. I do because it's such a swell way to keep from working and yet feel you've done something".

~ Ernest Hemingway

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for such a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

A Thousand Glass Flowers by Prue Batten.

2011-10-09T12:54:00.000+10:30

A Thousand Glass Flowers by Prue Batten

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A Thousand Glass Flowers tells the fantastical tale of Lalita, a female scribe whose talents draw the unwanted attention of a Sultan, and Finnian, an Other with the power to mesmer, seeking revenge on his brutal grandmother, Isolde. Both characters are drawn into the search for the missing Cantrips of Unlife, although with different intentions: Lalita wants to save her family from the end of the world, whilst Finnian seeks them in order to destroy his. It is inevitable that their paths will cross, forcing them to reconsider their belief in fate, love and redemption.

Although this story has great potential, I found I struggled with it. Perhaps it is due to it being a completely different genre to what I would normally read, yet no matter how much I read and re-read I simply could not connect with the characters or come to grips with the mythical/magical context of the story ~ it constantly felt unfamiliar.

I also struggled with the excessive use of dialogue to explain away and fill holes in the storyline: Pages and pages of conversation that I found tiring. I always struggle when dialogue is used in this manner: It is one of my major dislikes when it comes to reading fiction. In this instance I was unable to move past it and find enjoyment in the story.

Finally, I didn't find Lalita and Finnian to be particularly likeable. Their personalities were, at times, inconsistent, and combined with the use of "absent characters" (those whose existence is integral to the plot but whom the reader either never meets or only meets briefly), I found myself frequently frustrated with the story as a whole.

There is a certain allure to this kind of fantasy fiction: Magic, adventure, love, loss and redemption. I can appreciate that, for some readers, this would be quite a satisfying read. For me, however, it just didn't fit.

Many thanks to the author for inviting me to read and review this novel.

View all my reviews

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

THE RED QUEEN GIVEAWAY:

I am currently holding a giveaway for The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Red Queen.

Best of luck!

In Pictures: The Last Stand...

2011-10-06T14:08:00.000+10:30

"BIRD HOUSE"

"IN RUINS"

"OASIS"

"LAST STANDING"

A favourite pastime: Roaming the Ranges in search of old farm houses and ruins of pioneer cottages, a reminder of the way things were and never will be again.

Monday Mail Out: Mail in...

2011-10-03T15:46:00.000+10:30

"Sir, more than kisses, letters mingle souls; for, thus friends absent speak". ~John Donne

Last week in Monday Mail Out I stated that for me, half the joy of written correspondence is receiving it.

So, this week I thought I'd share with you two pieces of mail that arrived in my letterbox last week: Postcards sent by friends merely to let me know that despite their silence I've not been forgotten.

This card is from Astrid, who is Dutch but currently living and working in Austria. She sent this postcard whilst visiting family in the Netherlands, and always sends the prettiest, most interesting cards: Astrid has her own online shop for them, Cardcetera.

The second came from Monika in the Czech Republic, a viewcard with landscape images of various regions in her country, which has made me all the more eager to visit there someday!

The postcards are magnificent: Both 8.5" x 6" in size, the largest I've ever seen!

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

Sunday Scrapbook #9

2011-10-02T13:50:00.000+10:30

Regency-inspired ATCs made July 2011

(via Your Profile/My Profile ATC Swap at Swap-Bot)

Gold Bunny...

2011-09-28T11:17:00.000+09:30

Gold Bunny on Monday morning...

Tuesday morning...

& today.

I have been waiting weeks to see this rose bloom, ever since the first bud appeared in August, and I just had to share her radiant prettiness (has a lovely scent too). This is the sole surviving rose bush in our garden, after a standard and another bush (Queen Elizabeth) died over winter, but there are, of course, plans to plant more next season (now we know that we can grow them!).

Monday Mail Out: The Postal Service.

2011-09-26T15:17:00.000+09:30

Unused postage stamps & handmade envelopes.

"In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget what an important part it used to play in people's lives".

~ Anatole Broyard

A busy weekend pottering about the garden, baking in the kitchen and finishing household chores meant I only had the time to write two letters on Sunday: On Monday morning when I'm at the post office I'm always slightly disappointed if I'm posting anything less than three - almost as if I am letting an undetermined someone down.

Finding the inspiration for correspondence week in and week out can be a struggle sometimes, I'll admit it: I forget that half the joy of letter-writing is simply its arrival. I shouldn't worry about what news (or lack thereof) I have to share, as the content is quite often irrelevent - even just the shortest note reminds us that we are not forgotton, & the smallest gesture can make a big difference to a person's day.

Part of my inspiration for letter-writing comes from my fascination with the postal service. I make no secret of the fact that one of my greatest desires is to sort the mail at the post office - to cancel the stamps and send the mail on its journey. When I was at the post office the other week purchasing stamps and sending a few letters, the postal clerk hand-cancelled the stamps on my mail! Can you even remember the last time you saw a clerk hand-cancel mail? It simply isn't something the postal service does these days: Most letters are processed in a machine that cancels the stamps (with ugly, blotchy ink) and it's just not the same!

Which brings me to another point: Postage stamps. When I was a teenager the local post office was filled with countless rows of stamp issues and stationery supplies - critical necessities for a letter-writer. There would be a wide range of postage stamps, limited edition envelopes and first-day covers, aerogrammes and postage paid. These days, however, I find the variety limited and repetitive: Australia Post does still make regular stamp issues for domestic mail, but international stamp issues generally only occur with an increase in the price of postage. First-day covers are a rarity; the limited edition envelopes are, well, limited; and the aerogrammes and postage paid haven't changed in years. Stamp issues can be purchased online from Australia Post, but it's just not the same as going to the post office to browse, consider and select. The countless rows of stamp issues and stationery supplies has dwindled to a mere six, which have been pushed back into the far corner to make way for irrelevent (and often tacky) giftware.

Are our consumerist demands so blinding that we no longer have appreciation for the simple things in life, such as writing and receiving mail? I miss those days when I would walk into the post office and breathe in the smell of paper and ink (the smell of mail), gaze with admiration at the postal clerk as they handed me my postage stamps, who would then hand-cancel the mail, and when the postal service provided just that: A postal service.

Written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for such a long time, & Monday Mail Out is a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

On my mind: Business Ventures...

2011-09-23T15:15:00.000+09:30

After much discussion and deliberation, SJ has decided to start his own business. Having found himself recently unemployed due to company downsizing, he's struggled to find full-time work elsewhere.

So, he's decided that he might as well go with what he knows (and which he also happens to be very good at) and work for himself, running a business from home. It's scary and exciting at the same time!

There's been stressful moments, but as each week draws to a close SJ finds himself one step closer to becoming a sole trader in the field he enjoys. The simple thought of it makes him smile, which (for now, at least) makes the stressful moments worth it.

**~**~**~**~**

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (+ a giveaway).

2011-09-22T16:26:00.000+09:30

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Red Queen is the second novel in Philippa Gregory's Cousin's War series, and tells the story of the Wars of the Roses from the perspective of Margaret Beaufort, Lancaster heiress and cousin the mentally unstable King Henry VI.

The novel covers the same period as Gregory's first in the series, The White Queen. However, Margaret Beaufort is a completely different character to Elizabeth Woodville: Gregory's story of Elizabeth is one of magic, intrigue and grace, whilst her portrayal of Margaret is a bundle of contradictions. On one hand, Margaret's a religious fanatic, so pious that she can spend days and weeks fasting and at prayer. However, at the same time she is a bitter, scheming, compassionless woman who will willingly sacrifice innocent lives to achieve her greatest desire: To see her son, Henry Tudor, on the English throne.

Margaret isn't a particularly likeable character, and her belief that she is chosen by God for great things feels strained and desperate, as if the author knows this story fails to hold the mystical allure found in The White Queen. The Red Queen isn't historically accurate either, which can lead to immense frustration for those readers familiar with this period of English history. In addition to that, it seems highly unlikely that Margaret would have risked not only her goals but also her neck by disclosing her scheming ways through written correspondence - she strikes as being far more conniving and clever than that.

Margaret's life isn't as exciting as Elizabeth Woodville's either: She spends most of her time locked away, either by her husbands or her King, and as such nothing much ever seems to happen, aside from a lot of hoping, praying, and wanting. This also makes the story feel very repetitive, and often I found myself hoping, praying and wanting just for something exciting to happen.

The Red Queen does have redeeming moments, such as Margaret's marriage to Henry Stafford, and her volatile opinion of her rivals, which brought smiles and the odd chuckle, but it simply isn't as good as the beautifully written The White Queen.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Since I offered up a giveaway for The White Queen, I thought I would do the same for The Red Queen.

All you have to do to enter the draw is to leave a comment on this post. Entries will be taken until midnight (Australian Central Standard Time) on Sunday, 23 October 2011, with the winner being announced the morning of Monday, 24 October 2011.

Giveaway is open to everyone, on the condition that the Book Depository ships free to your country.

The winner will receive this paperback copy of The Red Queen.

Best of luck!

View all my reviews

In the Garden: Early morning admiration...

2011-09-21T15:21:00.000+09:30

Armeria: Pretty in pink...

See that gravel? SJ did it. All of it. I am full of admiration and gratitude: It must have nearly killed him. It would have me!

Look closely: It's corn!

No, really. It is.

New lawn: Apparently fertilizer works wonders.

Who knew?

Out the front: See that gravel? SJ did that too.

Isn't it just so neat and tidy?

I love neat and tidy.

Okay, so it's a patch of dirt, but hopefully there will be lawn soon.

But there are no weeds and no dead leaves and it's neat, at least.

I also planted kangaroo paw at the corners (if you squint you might be able to see one).

And finally: A yellow rose.

My favourite.

I can't wait to see it in full bloom.

Monday Mail Out: Life's simple pleasures.

2011-09-19T14:40:00.000+09:30

A selection of letters sent with today's post.

"The one good thing about not seeing you is that I can write you letters". ~Svetlana Alliluyeva

Sunday has always been the day I allocate one or two hours in the afternoon to catching up on mail, each and every week. I've been writing letters for almost as long as I can remember, and yet I still get excited when first thing on a Monday morning I head to the post office with my pile of correspondence and pop it in the post.

Then as the day draws to a close the anticipation grows of letters waiting for me when I return home. When we lived in the city, Monday and Tuesday were the best mail days, so I always expected to have at least one letter waiting for me on both days, and if there wasn't I would think something had gone terribly wrong! Now that we're living rural, I've noticed the best mail days are Monday and Friday instead; I wonder why that is?

But whatever the day, for me one of life's most simple pleasures is to receive a letter in the post from a friend. I hope the friends I write with feel the same way when they receive a letter from me.

Since written correspondence has been a hobby of mine for such a long time, Monday Mail Out will be a weekly feature whereby I can share my love for the lost art of letter writing. I hope my experiences will encourage others to send out letters on Monday too, and have them rediscover the joy of sending and receiving mail. If you have a blog, feel free to join in.

In the Garden: Working in a dustbowl.

2011-09-13T12:09:00.000+09:30

[Veggie seedlings amongst the peastraw mulch]

It's been a few months now since we've had a decent rainstorm. The last big wet came at the end of summer, around February when La Nina was providing her Grand Finale. Since then the months have become increasingly, worryingly dry.

[Teeny-weeny apricot tree & tomatoes in ground]

Over the past few weeks we have been busy in the garden, planting flower and vegetable seedlings, and noticed just how dry and parched the soil is - soil that at the same time last year was still soggy from frequent downpours. Now our yard is almost a dustbowl: There is no subsoil moisture and any water soaks away and disappears within minutes.

[Lettuce in pots and newly mulched agapanthus, lillies and alyssum]

We spent last weekend trying to work against this dry spell, planting lettuce in pots rather than in the ground, and mulching the flowerbeds and veggie patch. In the past we've not needed to mulch until late-spring, around November, right before the really hot weather arrives, but not this year: Winter is only just over (we are still getting the occasional light frost at night) and the ground is just so dry.

[Attempting to grow lawn - and a peacherine tree - in a dustbowl]

We're having to water far more often than usual for this time of year also. We've planted more lawn seed in those patches that simply didn't take last year, and of course the soil needs to be kept damp in order for the seed to germinate, which is almost impossible considering how quickly water is being absorbed, so it will be interesting to see how successful we are!

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman.

2011-09-07T14:23:00.000+09:30

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Only the dead have seen the end of the war."

- George Santayana

Next to Love is a WWII/post-WWII novel set in the USA around the lives of three women (Millie, Grace and Babe) whose husbands are sent off to fight in the war. Friends since childhood, the women turn to each other for support and comfort as they are left to face the reality of their husbands never returning home.

The story takes place between 1941 and 1964, and details the effects that war has on Millie, Grace, Babe, their children, their families, their town and their country. It is a story of those who were left to man the home-front whilst husbands and sons were fighting the war in Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Set during a time of major social and political change, the events that unfold not only define these women, who they are and what they will become, but also that of their children and their country as a whole.

At around 250 pages, Next to Love is not a novel filled with descriptions of the war effort itself, but instead considers the personal lives of those who did not fight in the war but were still directly and adversely affected by it.

A quick, easy, enjoyable read.

View all my reviews

On my mind: Weekend tasks.

2011-09-02T14:03:00.000+09:30

"If you've never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden." ~ Robert Brault

Yes! Gardening is on my mind this Friday! How could it not be? The weather continues to be glorious and perfect for spending time outdoors.

Our first task for the weekend is to finish the raised garden beds (pictured above). SJ made the first one earlier this week and is hoping to knock-up a second today. We are making these ones out of old sheets of iron and steel posts cut to size. If they prove suitable we will build more. We are using deep beds in an attempt to combat weeds, and will plant a selection of tomatoes, corn, lettuce, cauliflower, silverbeet, capsicum and cucumber for this season.

The second task is to start laying crusher-dust on those areas of the yard currently not being used for garden space. The purpose of this is to keep the weeds under control and to make snakes and lizards visible during the warmer months.

**~**~**~**~**

Spring into Happiness...

2011-08-29T13:46:00.002+09:30

[Newly planted carnation, aster & alyssum]

With the glorious, sun-shiny weather we are having at the moment, it probably comes as no surprise that I spent a fair portion of my weekend outdoors, tending the garden.

[Left: Armeria, daffodils, golden daisies, blue marguerite daisies, and irises in the flowerbed.

Right: First buds on the apricot tree.]

It was so wonderful to be outside, to feel the warming sun on my skin, to hear the bees buzzing and watch the birds with their young, to admire the flowers in bloom and to watch the garden come back to life after a short but frosty winter.

[Strawberries, out of reach of the lizards!]

I pulled weeds, removed dead shrubs, pruned, fertilised, and planted carnation, aster, alyssum, and geranium in the new flowerbed to accompany the roses, along with strawberries in hanging baskets.

[Top: First rosebud; Bottom: Golden daisies.]

Bailey-dog and I visited the in-laws and came home with cuttings of succulents and lavender, which are now in pots readying themselves for a transfer to the garden beds at a later date.

If this wonderfully wonderful weather continues into next weekend I hope to start planting in the veggie patch, although having said that the raised beds are still a work in progress (SJ may well have a busy week in the garden himself!).

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer." ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Sunrise of Avalon by Anna Elliott

2011-08-25T11:58:00.000+09:30

Sunrise of Avalon by Anna Elliott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Whether she was here because she’d known, somehow, that he would be coming, or whether this was some mission of the king’s council. It didn’t matter. She’d have walked straight into any den of wolves, without flinching, without hesitation, if that was what had to be done."

- Sunrise of Avalon

Sunrise of Avalon is the third novel in Anna Elliott's Trystan and Isolde trilogy.

The novel begins where Dark Moon of Avalon left us: Britain is still in need of powerful allies to fight back against the threat of the traitor King Marche and his alliance with the Saxon king, Octa of Kent. Trystan has left Isolde in the relative safety of the abbey of Saint Eucherius whilst he attempts to rescue his friend Fidach, who is being held prisoner by the nasty Octa of Kent.

However, a new, more dangerous threat has risen from within the British alliance that must first be quelled in order for them to stand a chance against the combined armies of Marche and Octa. Trystan continues to be plagued by his past and his fear that he will never be good enough for the lovely Isolde, whilst Isolde holds a secret that could put them in even greater danger than what they already are. Miles apart yet seemingly always together, Trystan and Isolde once again risk their lives and their happiness for the greater good: The freedom of Britain and its people.

The legend of Trystan and Isolde has always been a story of love unfulfilled, and Sunrise of Avalon is, at the heart of it, a true love story. Anna Elliott has brilliantly fused the history of Britain with Arthurian legend and created, in my opinion, one of the greatest love stories ever told: At the root of it all - of everything Trystan and Isolde do and are forced to suffer - is an unrelenting desire to be together.

As with all of Elliott's work, Sunrise of Avalon is a beautifully written, well-researched novel that breathes new life into the Arthurian legend of Trystan and Isolde. The ending is so wonderfully poetic it brought tears to my eyes, and makes this novel my favourite of the three.

I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys a perfectly constructed story, but especially to those who like historical fiction, fantasy and romance.

(Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for allowing me to read and review this novel prior to publication date).

View all my reviews

Farewell to Winter Wednesday...

2011-08-24T15:58:00.000+09:30

[The Spencer Gulf on this warm and sunny August day]

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

~ Henry Van Dyke

August is drawing quickly to a close, and so is winter, most definitely!

August always can surprise with some truly beautiful - what some may even term perfect - weather, and this week so far has been just that: Clear blue skies, a slight breeze, and a warming sun.

I'm annoyed that I'm unable to get outdoors and truly enjoy this weather. I could be out in the garden, but alas! I'm stuck in the office instead.

No doubt this weather won't last for long: Soon it will be September and windy!

Winter Wednesday has been hosted by Hazel Dene.

Pickle Monster's Sleeping Spot.

2011-08-22T14:06:00.001+09:30

Our poor, sweet Bailey-dog (aka the Pickle Monster) has another ear infection, which we are now convinced - more than ever - is being caused by allergies (we just haven't yet narrowed down the culprit).

Today SJ is taking him to the vet to get some doggie antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Until he starts feeling better this is where we'll find him: Fast asleep in a tight little ball on our bed (isn't he just adorable?).

We can't bring ourselves to move him (he looks so comfortable and content), so it's a good thing he had a haircut and a wash on the weekend!

Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott.

2011-08-19T16:32:00.000+09:30

Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"You train for it - day in, day out, snow or sleet or pouring rain. How to fight with a sword. Handle a shield. Throw a knife. Ride a horse into battle. You practice every day until you can barely stand up you're so tired at the end of it all. But you keep going. You get better. Better able to aim a spear, wield a sword. And then you actually fight a battle one day. And you realize that all of it - your whole life - has been directed at just one thing: teaching you how to kill. And that's all you know. How to fight to the death and win." - Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott

Dark Moon of Avalon is the second book in Anna Elliott's trilogy based on the legend of Trystan and Isolde.

Free from her forced marriage to the nasty King Marche, Isolde once again takes up the role of healer in the infirmary at Dinas Emrys, under the watchful eye of new High King Madoc and the Council. Skirmishes are taking place daily between Britain and the Saxons, and with British Kings having turned their coats to side with the enemy, Britain is in desperate need of reliable allies.

Isolde decides that their only hope of beating the Saxon forces lies in King Cerdic, a Saxon king who was once allied with her long-deceased father, Modred. Enlisting Trystan as her guide and guard, she persuades King Madoc to let her make the dangerous treck through Saxon territory in order to meet with King Cerdic.

In love with Isolde but haunted by past battles and time spent as a slave, Trystan believes himself unworthy of her, although to the reader it is clear that Isolde feels the same way about him as he does of her. However, Isolde carries deep scars from her marriage to Marche, and fears that events in her past would diminish any affection that Trystan might hold for her. The journey they take together to find King Cerdic and secure his support for their cause becomes a journey of righting past wrongs and learning how to mend old wounds so they can start to face a possible future together.

Aside from a little repetition, Dark Moon of Avalon is an otherwise well-researched and beautifully written story that the author pieces together almost perfectly. Elliott's characters are wonderfully developed and impeccably brought to life, so much so that my favourite happens to be Cabal the war hound. For me these characters became so familiar that I needed to spend every waking hour with them, and then when I slept they joined me in my dreams. By the time I'd finished the book I felt I knew them inside-out, as if they were old friends! It was impossible not to dive straight into the final book...

The authors passion for her characters and the story being told is evident, and to quote my review of Twilight of Avalon - an opinion I wholeheartedly share for Dark Moon...: "Anna Elliott has pulled Trystan and Isolde out of the depths of legend and placed them in an historical context that makes the characters and events of this story appear real, tangible and believable, weaving through it just enough magic to maintain the element of mystique and intrigue that brought about the legend in the first place".

I highly recommend this book, but please note that it should only be read in its correct order (after Twilight of Avalon and before Sunrise of Avalon), otherwise it will likely end up being confusing and the emotional effect of the story as a whole will be lost.

View all my reviews

Winter Wednesday: Red Sky at Morning.

2011-08-17T13:19:00.001+09:30

“Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,

Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,

Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,

Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”

~ William Shakespeare (Venus & Adonis)

A red sunrise Tuesday morning proved to be the calm before the storm.

Last night there was thunder, lightning, rain and gale-force winds.

Windows rattled, loose iron clanged, and bins were upturned, sending wayward recyclables tumbling down the street.

Behind it has followed a cold, wet and windy Wednesday, in true mid-winter form.

(Don't know where spring has scampered off to).

Winter Wednesday is hosted by Hazel Dene.

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse.

2011-08-05T14:23:00.000+09:30

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Freddie Watson, haunted by the death of his brother, is travelling through the south of France in the winter of 1928, when he crashes his car in the Pyrenees during a snowstorm. Alone and freezing, Freddie wanders through the mountain forest until he arrives in Nulle, a quiet village grieving its own losses.

During his stay in Nulle, Freddie meets a young woman by the name of Fabrissa, the two sharing their respective stories of loss over the course of an evening. The following morning Freddie finds he has taken ill and is tended to by the gentle Madame Galy whilst he recovers. Unable to erase Fabrissa from his mind, he is bewildered when no one in the tiny village knows who she is or where she might be found. Adamant that her existence (and their subsequent acquaintance) is not the product of his fevered mind, Freddie takes it upon himself to search for the elusive Fabrissa, drawing him deep into the mountains and the heartbreaking history of the Cathars.

The Winter Ghosts is a reworking of Mosse's earlier novella, The Cave, and fits between her full length novels, Labyrinth and Sepulchre. Mosse's passion for her subject matter is evident, expertly connecting the histories of the Great War and the Cathars, and brilliantly describing Freddie and Fabrissa's pain of losing their loved ones so tragically.

The novel as a whole is deep, dark and brooding, emanating a distinct gothic feel that at times reminded me of works by Edgar Allen Poe and the Bronte sisters.

View all my reviews

Winter Wednesday...No, really.

2011-08-03T09:42:00.001+09:30

[Weather forecast from Willy Weather]

No, it's not a mistake! Even though we're officially still in the middle of winter, it is expected to reach 29 degrees Celsius today:

It would appear that Winter has gone on vacation, and Spring is temping in its place.

Winter Wednesday is hosted by Hazel Dene.

Dawn of Avalon & The Witch Queen's Secret by Anna Elliott.

2011-08-02T14:26:00.000+09:30

Dawn of Avalon by Anna Elliott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anna Elliott's novella Dawn of Avalon is set at the beginning of Arthurian legend, and tells the story of Morgan first meeting Merlin, and of Merlin first meeting the future King Arthur.

The narrator of this tale is a young Morgan Le Fay, half-sister to Arthur, who holds the power of The Sight (an ability to see the future). Dressed as a boy and under the guise of an assistant to the Druid Bron, Morgan is sent into Dinas Emrys to spy on Vortigen, enemy of her father, Uther. Whilst at Dinas Emrys, her abilities as a healer are required to tend to the wounds of a young Merlin, captured by Vortigen, and tortured endlessly for information that Merlin either cannot or will not divulge.

Merlin cannot remember his past, but like Morgan, he too can see the future, and as such they are both aware of the roles they will play in the life and death of their future king, Arthur. Together they set in motion the events that will bring about the defeat of Vortigen, and give birth to what is known today as the Arthurian legend.

Elliott has made Morgan Le Fay an innocent, likeable character, aware of what she will become but knowing she is powerless to stop it. Merlin is represented as a young man with no past, perfect to be moulded into the legendary wizard. The manner in which Elliott brings these two characters together feels as though it was the will of the Gods, who have carefully steered each onto the other's life path.

Even though Morgan and Merlin play important roles in Arthurian legend, it was refreshing to read a story where Arthur himself plays a minor part: It may be Arthur who becomes the focus of the myth, but it was the people around him that made it happen.

For me, Morgan Le Fay has always been one of the most intriguing characters of King Arthur's court, and I love that she is the narrator of this story. Elliott's passion for Arthurian legend is evident in this novella, which is well-researched, brilliantly written and easy to read. Elliott brings these characters out of myth and legend and makes them feel like real people.

The only disappointment was that this wasn't a full-length novel: Since having finished it, I find myself often thinking of this story, and of Elliott's Morgan and Merlin, who have clearly left a lasting impression. I harbour not-so-secret hopes that Elliott re-works this as a novel, or uses it as the beginning of another Arthurian-based series, told from the perspective of these two characters.

The Witch Queen's Secret by Anna Elliott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Witch Queen's Secret is a mini-novella that squeezes itself between the first two novels (Twilight of Avalon and Dark Moon of Avalon) of the author's Trystan and Isolde series.

It tells the story of Dera, a minor character in Twilight of Avalon, who has returned to Dinas Emrys to seek aid from the Lady Isolde when her son, Jory, falls ill. During her time spent at Dinas Emrys, she and Isolde learn of a treasonous plot, and Dera decides to risk her life and become a spy for the Lady Isolde in an attempt uncover the truth.

As with all of Elliott's work, The Witch Queen's Secret is well-written and researched, yet I found myself unable to enjoy this story as much as her others, even though Dera is an inherently likeable character: Down on her luck after her husband dies and with a young son to feed she is forced to become an army harlot just to survive, and after such a hard road travelled it is impossible not to want her story to end well. However, The Witch Queen's Secret ends so suddenly that Dera and Jory don't receive the solid conclusion and happy ending that I so badly wanted them to have, and which I feel they both deserved.

I would have liked more - another chapter or two at least! I can't help but feel that it was over just as it was starting to develop and take shape.

View all my reviews

Winter Wednesday: Mid-Winter Blooms.

2011-07-27T13:40:00.001+09:30

A colourful discovery in the garden:

A jonquil...

A pig-face...

And a native creeper (whose name I've no idea),

all in bloom.

The first sign of spring, perhaps?

I'm amazed they've survived the frost, to be honest.

"Awake, thou wintry earth -

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!"

~Thomas Blackburn

Winter Wednesday is a photo feature hosted by Hazel Dene.

The Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby.

2011-07-25T11:11:00.000+09:30

[Yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Warren's Gorge, Flinders Ranges, 23.7.11]

On the weekend, SJ & I attended a social gathering with my work colleagues at Warren's Gorge in the Flinders Ranges, a short drive from where we live. It was a great day filled with perfect weather, food, drink, bushwalks and laughter.

Oh, and rock-wallaby sightings.

I have always kept a lookout but until Saturday had never seen a Yellow-footed rock-wallaby in the wild. The Flinders Ranges is one of the wallaby's few remaining natural habitats, and due to their small numbers are a protected species. They are not as large as a kangaroo, but have an amazingly long tail that features dark rings, and orange/yellow fur on their ears and limbs. They are such a pretty animal.

We watched this little fellow graze on the edge of the cliff face for what seemed like an age: He/she wasn't bothered by the attention in the slightest.

On My Mind: Winter's Teeth.

2011-07-22T10:18:00.002+09:30

Boy, was it another frosty one this morning! (Even though this is phrased as a question, it's actually made as a statement. Don't ponder its grammatical incorrectness too much: Just trust me when I say it's an Australian thing.)

I know I seem to be talking about the weather a lot lately, but during mid-winter what else is there to talk about? It's too cold to do anything except sit around and discuss how cold it is.

When we woke at 6.30am it was still below zero (degrees Celsius) outside, and through the window (there was no way I was venturing outside!) I could see the frost glistening in the first light of the day.

We have had frost every morning this week. I'm starting to worry about the garden: I often turn the sprinklers on for a few minutes before leaving for work, just to spray the ice off the plants before the sunlight reaches them so they don't suffer frost burn, but this morning there was no hope of that as the water pipes were frozen solid!

**~**~**~**~**

xo.sorcha.ox

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