Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Lorde has left the building


When my youngest returned to school today after the summer break this was what met him strung up over the entrance, as it met all the other kids returning to this school, except for Lorde, who has left the building of her old high school behind for good to move onto bigger and better buildings elsewhere. Although this is not a bad building as buildings go, all the more so now, thanks to the lovely, the lucky, and the ludicrously talented, Lorde. 

   

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Balance

I've been thinking a lot about balance lately...

Pilobolus Dance Review

Once upon a time I used to be a ballet dancer, which is all about balance. Justice, which I've thought and written a fair bit about, is all about balance: striking a note between vengeance and forgiveness, correction and compassion, punishment and prevention. Forces that pull against each other to create balance.

I've got book balance at the moment. The last book and my current book balance well: long/short; heavy/light; female/male (author and content); political/personal. I can recommend book balance. I'm appreciating both books more in light of the other one with which it contrasts so well.

Balance is good. You don't want to lose your balance.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Pretty in Pink

I'm not great in the garden it has to be said. Most of the flowers from my garden I picture on my blog are recently acquired plants, soon to die, or flukes. But this stunning pink hydrangea, which I did nearly kill, having it out in the front of the house where it either got too much or too little sun, I don't even know, is now my pride and joy...


Replanted out the back of the house and given a little more love and attention than the other plants because of my guilt for nearly having killed it, two years later it has repaid me with such abundant bright blossoms this season I could kiss it for being such a good little plant. After this experience I can strongly recommend plant therapy. More time-consuming than pills, but much more wholesome. You get back what you put in: lots of pretty pink love.  

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Beyond Resolution

What do cat pee and Mark Twain have in common? Find out here...



Today I forget the pretentious poetry to send to all ye poet-weary bloggers out there a good old-fashioned prose letter.

Dear Bloggers,

New Year is done and our well-intended if not well-timed resolutions are already in tatters, at least they are if they're anything like mine. But never mind. We tried. Let's move on. Let's move beyond resolution indeed, a concept that is more than a great title for an apocalyptic movie.  Let me explain; I'll try to keep it brief...

Yesterday morning I was woken by being urinated upon. Hmm... The warm liquid ran over my naked hip in an almost pleasant fashion until I realised I was in bed and the liquid was urine - cat urine. At least it wasn't mine - or my husband's. It was the pee of our dear old amputated puss who, bless her, has a bladder problem. Sitting up with a start, waking said husband, I sent puss flying and rivulets of the orangey liquid cascading down all the seams of our duvet - and our duvet has a lot of seams. Disaster. The stinky stuff had penetrated the duvet, the sheet, and me to make its way right through to the recently-washed mattress cover. We're used to this from our dear old embattled puss, but not to this degree. It was 6.30am on a holiday Friday. At least I wasn't wearing pyjamas.

But making good from bad is the new black. So we, and when I say we I men my husband, decided to bite the bullet and wash the whole duvet in the bath rather than make do with a  targeted assault on the stained section. Well! 10 hours, some heavy-duty hand-wringing and all day sun-bathing on the grass later and we have a whole new duvet! Stain free! Now I realise this is how duvets are supposed to be, but what with one thing and another over the years I had decided life was too short to fuss over a few old stains. Now I know better. Life isn't too short - when you move beyond resolution - and have a husband to HELP.

Beyond resolution 1: Make good from bad because life isn't too short.

You'll be wanting to know about Mark Twain now. Well. It's a funny thing. But a few days back, we, my husband and I - how I love that royal phrase! - celebrated our many-many-numbered wedding anniversary in style. He bought me everything I could ever want and a handbag, and I bought him a T-shirt that I could wear so that he could look at me wearing it. Win win. I simply love my T-shirt. My body positively refuses to take it off - except in bed, which is probably just as well, in view of the cat.

But what does this have to do with Mark Twain? Well, you can probably guess that the T-shirt has a picture of Mark Twain's life-size head on it, from his senior years, all white-haired and shaggy-moustache. Under the huge head is the caption: 'That's what she said' as if old Twain said it himself, which he didn't. It's a private joke for us. You have to be here. Husband Mark, another Mark, loves it. Better still, I love it, and Mark Twain loves it, having his bust on my bust for all eternity, or for as long as the cotton lasts. I also bought him some shorts, and those he gets to wear - my husband, that is, not the other Mark.

Beyond resolution 2: Make love (with your Mark) fun.

Sincerely, beyond resolution,

Sacha

Friday, January 3, 2014

Resolution

Sticking to the plan
Fear, regret and spite,
however warranted,
are never right.

Gratitude be grand,
shitty pity and self doubt
be damned.

Compare yourself to no one,
believe in love and
a little romance.

Honesty, humility and humour,
the three H's that
couldn't be truer.

Impatience and procrastination,
will get you equally
fast to the wrong destination.

Live now, learn how and look sharp
as if you know
this year is your last...

And PS:
Next year, get your resolutions resolved by the first of Jan or
life will happen to you
regardless of your plan.



Wednesday, January 1, 2014

1/01/2014

Welcome to the New Year! Here we are already - 1.41 pm into the New Year in New Zealand and Google still counting down 2013 with its animated, personated numbers.

Happy New Year!

Look at poor old 3 still sweating away there. Come on already, you lot! Let's put 3 out of its misery!

Ahead of Google - imagine that.

Happy New Year to one and all  - once you finally get there (here)!