Quotidienne

The Big Easy

2011-12-09T09:50:00.000+11:00

What can I say? It's been busy, but somehow outrageously dull at the same time, down in this corner of the world.

Kids and I fly to Borneo in five days' time to spend Christmas with my mother and stepfather (Spouse joins us a week later). This is Spouse and self enjoying a bit of luxury last time we went, 7 years ago.

And Kid 2 also clearly having a terrible time; Kid 1 enjoying the sunset.

There, now I've got myself in the mood for it.

Kid 2 is obsessed with elephants so the timing of this story was a bit off.

The list of things that Must Be Done before we get on the plane is staggering. I have made shortbread and caramels and chocolate truffles and bought gifts for all those people it's important not to forget (piano teacher, band teacher, tutors, woman who helps the kids cross the road - it's a long list). But I'm about to concede that it may be the first year in about 15 that I have not handmade my Christmas cards. Sometimes one just has to let go ...

AND, my clients apparently have sixth sense - they don't see dead people, they see people trying to get away on holidays. Turns out my laptop will be enjoying a trip to Borneo too, lucky thing.

Apropos of not very much, I had a birthday a few weeks back, and we went away for a weekend with some friends. Auspiciously, the weather was fabulous. We played badminton and drank champagne and ate duck with quince and pistacchios. Since then, it has rained more or less non-stop. We have had the coldest start to summer in 50 years. I am almost looking forward to the steamy heat of the tropics.

Midnight in Paris

2011-10-26T08:40:00.000+11:00

What a fun movie that was. We went to see it late Sunday afternoon, Kids 1 and 2 in tow. Even they quite enjoyed it, although Kid 2 didn't get most of the references ('Who's Hemingway?'). I told them it was to get them excited about going to France next year. It certainly worked for me.

In other news ... there isn't any. We are having a ridiculous spring - Monday was 34 degrees (C) and today (Wednesday) it has just reached 15 degrees.

Several people have now told me they like my red (hmm) hair. I can never tell if people are sincere or just polite. Anyway, I can't BEAR to spend another two hours in a salon for a couple more weeks at least, so I'm just going to have to live with it.

And, continuing with random topics, Kid 1 had a meltdown at Spouse the other morning and revealed that he HATES the boring sandwiches that Dad has been packing him for his lunch for, let's see, almost 9 years. I am not a fan of the sandwich myself (unless it's a super-duper deli version), so I do understand. BUT ... now I'm having to work out other things to feed the blasted adolescent. It would be easy (if expensive) just to throw money at him and let him buy lunch, but I don't want to do that. So far I've managed a meatball sub (apparently this doesn't count as a sandwich) and I'm thinking frittata for tomorrow. I suspect my mother's advice would be 'Let the kid make his own damn lunch' because that's what I was doing at his age. Am I being over-indulgent?

Three Colours: Red

2011-10-20T17:45:00.000+11:00

1. The colour you decide you want your hair to be (above) after reaching the boredom threshold with grey, and with people assuming you're 10 years older than you are. (Yes, I know I don't look like Karen Gillan ...)

2. The colour you pick from the swatch book, which you think is the same as 1. above.

3. The colour you end up with, which is too dark, too pink and remarkably unflattering.

See, this is why I grew out the grey in the first place ... the last time I had it coloured it was awful; this time it's almost as bad. The decent colourist I did have moved on and I'm having no luck finding a replacement.

Sigh. Now I have to wait a few weeks and try again.

How to Make an American Quilt

2011-10-16T17:44:00.000+11:00

Years ago I chopped up a whole lot of old suits and jeans. I then chopped up some wool and some bright red corduroy. Some time later I sewed all the bits together, and then added plain black cotton for the border.

Then I stopped. My house is so impossibly tiny - and the animals so ubiquitous - that there was nowhere to lay it out and construct it. It sat in a Basket of Shame, with several other unfinished bits and pieces.

This year, I asked my MIL to get it finished (the sort of task she relishes, especially if she can find complications and obstacles). She sent it off somewhere and an aeon later it arrived back here, completed. Kid 1 would have preferred a new skateboard deck or an iTunes voucher for his birthday, I'm sure, but it does go rather well in his room, which features a lot of red.

Bad Teacher

2011-10-13T07:53:00.000+11:00

I tend to get a bit blue at the beginning of each new school term. After having the kids around (even when I'm largely neglecting them and vice versa), it's a bit sad when they head off on Monday morning and I'm left to my solitary writing work.

But now that I'm teaching four days a week (although only for a couple of hours each day), it's quite different. I don't have time for Maudlin Monday, as by 9am I'm fully ensconced with my Kinders.

I've always said I like teaching the older kids, just pre-high school, but the babies (5-6) are growing on me. A lot of my teaching is with tiny groups of talented/gifted kids, so that's particularly fun, but I also work with kids who need extra support at the other end of the spectrum. I even have one hour which I spend one-on-one with a funny little boy I'll call J - we do a 'special interest' project, which last term involved searching for, photographing and researching spiders!

So, yes, this week it's back to school for everyone, which also means back to term-time activities such as piano lessons and baseball training and trying to get dinner on the table by a reasonable hour ...

Pretty in Pink

2011-10-08T11:41:00.000+11:00

Lordy, I got bored. Just as well I was only in bed for a day and a half. Imagine how many other things I would have bought on the interwebs if I'd been there any longer?

Eric Bompard: 70% cashmere; 30 silk, winging its way to me.

Seriously, now the weather HAS to warm up.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

2011-10-04T18:49:00.000+11:00

Still pretty much bed-bound, though my ankle seems to be improving. OK, so it's still huge and purple, but I can hop a few metres (on my other leg, of course) without agony. And I've been able to observe that hopping engages core muscles (obliques) - mine hurt!

Sadly, being crippled doesn't mean I can't work. But it does mean I can't do housework. This should be delightful, but actually I'm just dreading the chaos that awaits when I do surface ... Spouse is a reluctant nursemaid at best and his aspirations are even lower when it comes to domestic duties. Sigh.

Kid 2, bless, is trying to wait on me hand and foot.

After 24 hours of this, I am already totally sick of it. How long does it take to get bedsores? Tomorrow I am going to investigate crutches.

Sense and Sensibility

2011-10-03T18:19:00.000+11:00

It is very Jane Austen, is it not, to sprain an ankle? It sounds like such a ladylike injury.

Today Kid 2 and I set off to take Scout, the Big Dog, for a walk. Along the way we bumped into the father of Kid 2's best friend, also walking their dog. The dogs, big and small, hit it off and it was all quite jolly. Then, as I was strolling along, Scout barrelled into the back of my left leg and sent me crashing to the ground. After some swearing (but no crying, I must have been in shock) from me, we established that walking was out of the question, so Friend Dad went off to get his car and kindly got me home. I must say that being 'rescued' by a gentleman is more embarrassing than romantic. Although perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if it had been Alan Rickman (see above pic).

My ankle has now swollen to about three times its normal circumference. Handily, my FIL is a retired doctor, and very nice, so he popped round and had a look. Although there's obviously no major fracture, there may well be a small stress fracture, and there is probably some serious ligament damage. I will be going for x-rays tomorrow. He said I could potentially expect several weeks of 'bother' from it; my brother, who has busted an ankle twice, recommended crutches and opiates.

I hopped down the stairs to the bathroom a couple of hours ago (only two rooms in our house are on the same level, which I usually think is quite amusing) and almost passed out from the pain.

There are occasions on which I have fantasised about being bed-bound so that I could just read in peace. Careful what you wish for, indeed.

But, looking on the bright side, I have books, my Kindle, my iPhone and my netbook, so I'm not exactly isolated ... just a bit stuck.

The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

2011-10-02T09:34:00.000+11:00

There is a festival on at the Opera House this weekend called the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. I suspect it sounds more daring than it really is. We are being exceptionally un-daring and going to listen to Alexander McCall Smith talk about the idea that 'society is broken'. Although his books are quite charming, I worry sometimes that concepts of a 'return to old-fashioned values' can be rather reactionary. We shall see.

While we are being exposed to potentially dangerous ideas, Kid 2 is off to see the stage show of Mary Poppins with her grandma. I find that quite amusing.

After the shows, we shall have oysters and champagne - although possibly not outdoors as it is RAINING AGAIN (yes, I am shouting, I'm very unimpressed) before heading home.