Cats - Cosy, Comfortable and Complacent!

 Bella curled up in "her" recliner.

(Below)  Mitzi settled on "her"side of the bed.

  

Both cats taking advantage of the winter sun - on "their" bed!

Neither of my cats has been particularly affectionate in the past.  Oh, Bella would make herself at home on my lap occasionally; Mitzi hardly ever, and neither liked being picked up.  They did adore having their heads scratched and I'd get tired of doing that before they tired of having it done.

Since I've moved to my new place, their behaviour has radically changed.  Both cats have become much more affectionate now that the initial settling period has...well, settled.  I've picked Mitzi up several times without her scratching me to bits and she continues purring!  Bella is still not over keen on being picked up but jumps up on my lap at every opportunity (which makes it rather hard to use the keyboard at times).  In fact, there's been the odd stoush when one's on my lap and the other also wants to be there!

Bella hates the cold.  Yesterday she was curled up nice and comfortable on her chair when I opened the sliding door to let the breeze in for a bit.  Ok, it was a cool wind, I admit that, but the look I received should have had me six feet under.  She jumped down off the chair and stalked into the bedroom to lie on the bed in the sun. 

Mitzi, on the other hand, doesn't particularly worry about the cold...or water for that matter.  Bella hates water with a passion which is usual for most cats.  They're chalk and cheese...I guess coming from different litters explains that.

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Yesterday, for the first time in months, I decided to visit the Farmers' Markets at Bundall to buy some of my all time favourite chicken, macadamia and honey sausages.  To my intense disappointment the "chicken guys", as I call them, weren't there. Another stall holder told me that they no longer go to those markets now.  Looks like some detective work will be called for to track them down although I have a feeling they do go to Palm Beach markets.  I shall check it out.

I didn't come away empty handed though.  Stockman's Meats had a great special...1 kg of bacon for $8 - and I grabbed the last pack!  I also picked up a pork porterhouse sirloin roast which was a bonus as they don't have those often so I was very happy.  I cooked the pork last night, seasoned with garlic salt, and it was melt in the mouth delicious.  Pork sandwiches 

for lunch today...yum.

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Book Review:

"The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul" by Deborah Rodriguez (pub. Bantam Aust 2011)

I loved this story about five very disparate, remarkable women of various nationalities during the resurgence of the Taliban and all that event signified.  It's fiction but the author has lived in Afghanistan which gives authenticity to the background of the story.  There's drama, humour, romance and danger all mixed up in a very readable tale set in what is probably the most dangerous country on the planet. 

Although, extremely different in content, for some reason I put this book in the same bracket as Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird".  I think it's because it's one of those beautifully written books that one never forgets, no matter how many books one reads.

I really do recommend it for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Rating:  *****

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As those of you on Facebook know, I have the launch of "Old Age and Villainy" this coming Saturday afternoon, 26 July 2014.  I'm looking forward to it (I think).  I'm not particularly comfortable with being the centre of attention but we'll see how it goes.  Wish me luck!  

If anyone is interested in buying a copy (AUD10 plus p & p), contact me via email robyn_lee1@bigpond.com and I'll send a copy off to you or you could download it to your digital reader via Amazon.com.au.  I think the price is $2.99 or something like that.

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Well, it's the start of a new week and I hope those of you living in Australia are coping with the coldest winter in a very long time.  Living in Queensland, where the average daytime winter temperature is 22C F, the cold is a shock to the system...in my case anyway!  Until next time...

Here I Be!

A box of my first ever published book...much excitement!

     Followed a few days later by

the business cards I'd ordered...

more excitement and an excuse not to 

finish sorting my new place out!

It always takes me some time to settle into a new place and actually the cats have done better than I have.  They had a few days of freaking out and hiding every time they heard voices or a noise they didn't recognise.  They've come to accept it all now and spend most of the day snoozing in the sun.

As for me, I've had the very good reasons above to put off unpacking the last two or three cartons and instead spent time revelling in the fact that I am now a "Published Author"! For those of you on Facebook, this is old news but for those of you who aren't, this is my news.

I've been over the moon at the orders I've received from people for a copy and I'm very grateful that they actually want to read what I've written.  A huge appreciative thank you to you all!

After all the faffing around, today I finally unpacked the last cartons, sorted out the cupboards properly and also sorted out stuff that I no longer have a need of for selling.  Friends of mine are having a garage sale in the next two or three weeks and very kindly offered to sell it for me, but I'll take it around the night before, organise and price it then come back the next morning to help out.  It'll be fun although rather chilly seeing as it's the middle of winter.

Talking of winter, up until the last week, I hadn't had the heater on at all.  Quite a change from where I was living last winter.  That place was extremely cold, to the point where I started using the heater at the beginning of May.  Over the last week though, we'd had two or three nights of lower than usual (for the Coast, that is), temperatures so my heater went on...only on low though.  Enough to take the chill off the air.  Otherwise, my new home is quite cosy without any heating.

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I read a fascinating book last week.  It's called "Over The Mountains - Not Over The Hill" by Dr Elisabeth Puruto.  Elisabeth is a good friend of mine who, in her 50s, undertook a trek of the Himalayas.  Her book describes the effort it took and her vivid description of the mountains, villages and people really brought them to life as I read.  It's a wonderful account of what can be achieved when one sets one's mind to do things.

I'm afraid I'm more of an armchair traveller when it comes to treks of that ilk and I admire Elisabeth for her grit and determination to do the trek.  The book is available in eformat only through Amazon Australia.

If you enjoy reading of other people's exploits, as I do, rather than doing them yourself, I can recommend it for an interesting read.

Right...that's it.  It's time for a well deserved glass of wine before dinner.

Enjoy your week!

It's All Over Bar The Shouting

Overlooking the pool from my balcony (left) and looking across the canal (below).





                                                   
       

After the second move in six months I'm here for the next two years at least, thank goodness!  Apart from the removalists taking the furniture and delivering it here, I did the packing, unpacking and cleaning by myself and I don't mind admitting that I'm over it.

Anyway, enough of that...I'm here now and it was definitely the right decision to take this place.  Although smaller than what I'm used to, it's light and airy and gets the sun all day in winter.  There are no carpets to worry about nor cheap linoleum on the floors.  Instead there are offwhite tiles, easy to keep clean and which add to the overall lightness.  

I've met some of the neighbours who seem a friendly lot and in the same vintage.  There are also younger people, male and female, plus a couple of kids who seem nice enough.  I met one couple from across the way yesterday who own the most  beautiful cat...a Ragdoll cross, whose name also happens to be Bella!

The underground carpark is secure and can only be accessed by tenants who are given a security key for access.  We can also store stuff down there, which is handy.

So, all in all, I'm very happy with the place and don't intend moving anywhere else for a while.  I'm also closer to the shopping village, there's a doctor's surgery directly across the road, although the surgery I currently (rarely) attend is within walking distance and I'll just continue going there if I need to.  The beach is closer, too, although I haven't had time to walk there yet.

It's lovely sitting out on the balcony typing this.  There are kayakers on the canal and I've seen fish jumping plus ducks gliding along.  Yesterday the kids from the complex were swimming.  Not sure if I'd swim in the canal.  I have heard that sharks have been caught in the canals on the Gold Coast!

It's been a hectic couple of weeks but I can relax now.  Nearly all my stuff is unpacked and what I don't have space for I'll store.

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I'm expecting the copies of Old Age and Villainy to be delivered any day now.  They retail for AUD$10 plus p&p, or you can order the ebook from Amazon by going to their website and typing in the title or my name.  If you order a copy through me, it will be signed.

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Well, that's it for now.  I hope you have had a great weekend.  It's been summer like temperatures here.  It was the Winter Solstice yesterday and 26C! 

Success!!

I was returning from the shopping village yesterday when I saw this sign.  I stopped (on a yellow line *cough*) and hurriedly took a photo with my phone.

Upon reaching home and putting my few purchases away (I'd forgotten to buy the cats some grain free cat biscuits), I rang the number and asked to speak to Nicholas Waters, the name on the sign, which I didn't manage to get in the shot.  It turned out that I was speaking to a very pleasant gentleman named Russ...Nicholas Waters was the name of the apartment complex of which Russ was the manager.

I introduced myself and asked how much the weekly rental was.  As it was in my price range, my next question was if I could have pets.  Upon his query, I told him I had two cats.  His reaction amazed and delighted me...he and his wife were cat lovers and had two of their own.

The next thing I was racing down the road to view the apartment.  It's about 100 m further from where I am now but  at the back of the complex overlooking the canal, a lovely grassed barbeque area and the pool.  Ok, it's only a one bedroomed place but I figured it was time I downsized anyway.   During the time I was looking through the place and chatting with Russ, my mind was busy planning where my furniture was going.

I mentioned I was interested; Russ said bring the deposit in, which I did, and it was mine!  I can move in next week, Friday 13 (13 has always been a very auspicious number for me).  However, I've given a fortnight's notice to vacate my current place which gives me plenty of time to move out, clean it thoroughly and have the carpets cleaned and pest controlled.

There are no carpets in my new place (I don't particularly like them) but it has lovely white tiles throughout.  It's very bright and airy and gets the sun all day.  There's a balcony, which will please the cats and the best thing is...I don't hear the traffic!  I have a two year lease and apparently the owner has no plans to sell, which I was very pleased to hear.

So...that's what happened yesterday.  It's the quickest I've ever been approved for a place to live and as when I've previously hunted for a place, it's the first one I've actually been to see.  The Universe has been very good to me!

Oops!

 The giant bird of paradise (strelitzia).  They grow to an enormous height and the flowers are quite spectacular.

A flower of one of the many types of ornamental ginger plants found in Queensland.










As I mentioned in my last post, I have to move as my place has been sold.  I had a phone call from the property manager saying the owners would be on the Gold Coast this week and would like to go through and have a look at the place.  They'd bought it strictly on the photographs the real estate agents had on their website.

We set a time for 2 pm on Tuesday.  I was happy as that gave me plenty of time to tidy up.  After a leisurely breakfast, I had a shower then cleaned the bathroom, shower cubicle and toilet before making my bed.  I also cleaned and freshened the cats' litter trays and took them out onto the balcony.  I was just about to do the breakfast dishes (by this time it was 9 am) when there was a knock on the door.  It was the owner and his wife!  He'd got his wires crossed with regard to the time and finding the property manager hadn't arrived, gave her a call.  After she'd reminded him the appointment was for 2 pm he thought he'd see if he could have a look anyway.  It didn't bother me, although I was glad I had cleaned the bathroom and toilet.  They wanted to do things like measure where the fridge went and also see if their lounge would fit against the well, etc.  

They were a pleasant young couple, originally from Bosnia, and I don't think his wife spoke much English.  They had their baby with them, a cute little boy aged about 5 or 6 months, who smiled and smiled.  What is it about a baby's smile that melts one's heart and makes the knees go weak??  Anyway, they are moving up from Canberra and currently staying with his parents.  So, I really want to find somewhere so the poor things can have their own home!  It's not easy though, no one is willing to have tenants with pets.  Oh well, I found this place...I'll eventually find something.

It's as well, though, the new owner didn't arrive half an hour earlier or that I didn't sleep in a little later because they'd have caught me in the shower!

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I had lunch with a friend the other day and while having our coffee, she put some thin squares of chocolate out for us to nibble on.  It was Lindt's dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt and oh, the delicious after taste!  I was hooked and had to buy some for myself.  I love Lindt chocolate and so far, this is the best one they've put out yet.  Dark chocolate is my favourite as it's not as sweet as milk chocolate and with the touch of sea salt, the flavour is really intensified.  Very moreish, however, I can't eat more than two squares as it's also quite rich though without being sickly.

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I have no book to review today.  The book I'm currently reading is a thriller by Jo Nesbo, an author I've heard of but not read before.  He's Norwegian and his protagonist in the series is Detective Harry Hole.  I like the Scandinavian writers and have done ever since I read the Steig Larsson books, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and the two that followed.  In fact, I was terribly sad he'd died because they are such wonderful books and so addictive that three are not enough!  I had heard his wife was writing a fourth but there is some legal problem, with Larsson's family putting the kibosh on it for some reason.

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Well, it's officially winter and we're still wearing summer clothes.  I love it!  Unfortunately, according to the weather forecast on tv tonight, we only have one more day of warm temperatures before it's supposed to become more chilly over the weekend with rain.  Hmmm...maybe I'll have to eventually put winter woollies on.  Damn!!

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Okay, that's your lot for this post.  We're heading for the Queen's Birthday long weekend...whether I get in a walk to the beach or not remains to be seen.  Enjoy the rest of the week and have a lovely weekend.

Another Move

The cats...doing what cats do best.


















I had a phone call from the property manager last week.  As I mentioned a few posts back, my place has been sold and I had until September to find somewhere else.  Not any more.  The phone call was to say that the owners want to move in earlier and I now have to be out by July!  So...the hunt begins again.

Of course, I want a place where I can have the cats and hopefully, a sunny balcony.  As you can see from the photo, they love sunning themselves and also just sitting watching the world go by.  I have a small wrought iron table with a couple of chairs and it's most pleasurable sitting in the morning sun with a cup or coffee or in the summer evenings, with a glass of red.  Fingers crossed something suitable comes up.  I've just seen a lovely place in Labrador which is about 1 km away from here, with views of the Broadwater. It's $10 per week more but...what the hell.  I've sent off an email asking about pets are permitted and also asking if it has its own laundry.  I hate shared laundries!  I've only had one place like that but I found some of the other tenants used my washing machine and of course, my power!  So, no more shared laundry facilities.

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It's officially the start of winter tomorrow, or what passes for winter here on the Coast.  May has been the warmest on record according to statistics.  Apart from the first two days of May when the temperature dropped drastically, the days have been warm and sunny, certainly nowhere near cold enough to don winter clothes.  Today is overcast with showers and is about 23C which is closer to the average daytime temp for winter.  Apparently it will be warmer again (about 25-26C) later in the week.  According to the Bureau of Meteorology, we're heading for another El Nino effect so that means drought.  Not a good forecast, especially for the farmers out west, where rainfall has been sparse anyway.  Poor souls.  The last cyclone didn't make it very far inland at all.  How demoralising to plant crops and have them do really well because of some relatively good rain, only to have everything die because there has been no follow up rain.  It's not only crops, either.  Cattle and sheep starve and if it wasn't for the generosity of folk in the cities and other farmers not so badly affected, a lot of station owners would be up a certain creek. Some people, unable to take any more, just walk away from the land after their families have been there for generations; some commit suicide.

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As I wrote on Facebook yesterday, I made a huge pot of pea and ham soup.  I found a large meaty hock in the supermarket and that, along with a packet of split peas, leeks, carrots and celery made a delicious meal last night.  After saving some for lunch today, I was able to freeze four meals for the future.  It has to be my favourite soup and I think it's because I always remember my much loved grandmother making it.  Being in a warm house on a cold winter's day (this was in New Zealand), with a steaming bowl of pea and ham soup made and served with love is a memory I've never lost.

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It's just started bucketing down once more.  Actually that turn of phrase reminds me of a funny incident two or three years ago.  I was at the small shopping centre not far from where I used to live before moving to the Coast.  It had begun to rain lightly but was becoming heavier.  I heard a little boy of about three years ask his mum if it was "buh-kuh-ting" down and his mother replied yes.  The tot then called out to his brother (I forget his name, say Jake), "Hurry up, Jake. It's buh-kuh-ting down!  Come on, Jake, it's buh-kuh-ting down!"  I was walking along giggling to myself when a woman, coming from the opposite direction, snarled at me, "What are you grinning about!"  I was astonished to say the least but ignored her and kept walking, smiling to myself as, in the distance, I could still hear the little one admonishing his brother to hurry up because it was buh-kuh-ting down!

 

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Book Review:

With All My Love:  Patricia Scanlan (Simon & Schuster GB 2013)

This is a beautiful book filled with laughter, love, revenge and forgiveness.  

Briony inadvertently finds a letter written and addressed to her by her grandmother whom she hasn't seen since she was about four.  Now with a daughter the same age, the letter has opened up a Pandora's box of questions for Briony for which there appear to be no answers.  For three generations, actions and harsh words have affected families and caused a rift which appears too big to heal and Briony, shocked to her core over what she has read, blames her mother.  She and her mother have always been close but will Valerie's perceived lies and selfishness drive her and Briony apart?   Briony is determined to find out the truth but...will she make the same kind of decision that caused the rift in the first place?

Patricia Scanlan is, along with the late Maeve Binchy, one of my favourite authors of this genre, nowadays called "chick lit".  Her stories resonate with compassion for the foibles and dynamics of families and I can't help wondering if she's experienced some of these passions herself.  She writes so convincingly that one is drawn into the story to the point of laughing out loud or grabbing the tissues to mop up tears.  A lovely story which I couldn't put down and which I wanted to keep on reading after the ending.

Rating:  *****

It's the weekend here and I hope you're all enjoying lovely weather wherever on the planet you may be.

 

 

 

 

A Book Reminds Me.

 Bella attempts to masquerade as one of the cat ornaments on the bookcase.  It works...kinda!

Whereas Mitzi is in her favourite place in the whole world...on my bed, complete with shedding fur!


















I meant to write a post a couple of days ago but became totally engrossed in Nelson Mandela's book "Long Walk to Freedom" which I've reviewed below.

Reading it took me back to my misspent youth (actually I was somewhat older), and the anti-racism protests when the South African Springbok rugby football team visited New Zealand to play the All Blacks.  New Zealanders were pretty tolerant of people of colour, although there were exceptions. There were those who felt the Springboks had nothing to do with their country's laws and others who vehemently disagreed.  I was in the latter group.  There were worldwide sanctions against South Africa for their appalling practice of apartheid and like many others, I felt the rugby tour was wrong.  Consequently, a group of us joined the protest which was noisy but peaceful until the police moved in with force.  The atmosphere changed and people started attacking the police.  I was shocked to see one of my friends hit on the head with a baton and the photo of him lying on the road was front page news that evening.  It was a tumultuous time and looking back, I feel rather sorry for both the All Blacks and the Springboks...all they wanted to do was play rugby! 

There was an incident 20 years earlier in 1960 which made a big impression on me and to this day I've never forgotten it.  I was 16 and on my very first date with a boy I'd met at a church camp I'd attended a week earlier.  After he was vetted by my mother and brothers, I was allowed to go to the movies with him in the city on Saturday night.  I also had strict instructions to be on the last bus home!  After the movie, we were walking to the bus terminus and holding hands as we walked.  I thought I was the cat's whiskers having this tall, good looking and well dressed boy by my side.  As we walked down town, I noticed a middle aged couple coming towards us and saw the woman looking me up and down, an incredibly contemptuous look on her face.  I wondered what was wrong and looked down to see if there was a mark or something on my coat or if I had a ladder in my stockings, although from her face I felt it was more than that, however, I had no idea what it could have been.

I never forgot that look and a few years later while watching the race riots in the USA on the news I saw the same look on the faces of some of the national guard...and the penny dropped.  The boy I was with was Samoan and to anyone who didn't know me or my background, I was white and to this day, I can still see the disgusted look on that woman's face.

I was brought up to be open about my heritage as were others like me.  As I said above, New Zealanders generally weren't racist and no one thought anything about different coloured skin.  At school, Pakeha and Maori kids were in the same class and we all played together.  When we were a little older, boys or girls "liked" someone of the opposite sex regardless of their race and it was quite acceptable. 

I remember my late ex father-in-law, a small minded, bigoted racist if ever there was one.  During the news, coverage of race riots in the US were shown and he sat there making the most disgusting and derogatory remarks while I seethed.  Things came to a head when he used the N word and I exploded.  I tore a strip off him, responding that it was people like him with that attitude who caused so much hate in the world.  My ex sat there and didn't say a word...I think he was too shocked.  Needless to say, the old man didn't like me very much at all after that little outburst, but I didn't give a damn.  From that time though, he was very careful about what he said when I was around and we managed to strike an uneasy truce.

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Book Review:

Long Walk to Freedom.  Nelson Mandela, pub. 1994, Little, Brown & Co (Abacus imprint)

Nelson Mandela was one of the most well known and familiar faces of the 90s and into the millennium until the time of his recent demise.  A charismatic and forthright speaker, he and the African National Congress managed to demolish the vindictive class system which had been in place in South Africa since the Boer War.  It was not without setbacks, betrayal and punishment nor was it easy and Mandela tells it how it was.

It's a big book but compelling reading, written simply and unemotionally.  Mandela tells of his childhood, the opportunities he had for education and of course, his time on Robben Island.  The overriding theme throughout the story was his goal for all people to be equal, whether Black, Coloured, White or any other ethnicity.  He fought for and eventually was successful in getting the right to vote for everyone, regardless of their skin colour.

He spent 27 and a half years imprisoned with only sporadic visits from his wife and daughters due to the bans and difficult travel arrangements deliberately imposed by the police as well as the long distance they had to travel from their home.  It would have been a heartbreaking time but Mandela never gave in to self pity instead making sure he kept his mind occupied and his body fit.  I was amazed at the ingenious ways he and his fellow ANC prisoners found to communicate and get messages out to their supporters.  He was able to befriend some of the wardens who were sympathetic, enabling him to communicate with the outside world.  

I'm sure his time in prison was a lot more unpleasant than what he wrote about but I also had the sense that, in Mandela's case, it wasn't about him but about his people.  His people and South Africa were first and foremost, even over and above his family and he had plenty of time in prison to regret that.

Altogether an amazing story of fortitude, courage and determination; anyone who reads this book couldn't fail to be affected by it.

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Enjoy the rest of your week...the weekend is close!