Sunday Street Art & Books

Desert Book Chick has started a Sunday book meme to re-cap the weekly events and books read. Surprisingly enough I have had time to read a book. My Aunt sent me a copy of Atonement for my birthday. I hadn’t read it yet, nor seen the film so it was the perfect gift. I loved it. It took a few pages to get into, but once I did it was great. My vindictive self was slightly disappointed with the ending which came all to quickly but it was great to be transported back in time to a pre-world war 2 England. I’ll be interested to see Hollywood’s spin on the book.

Aside from the Fern Tattoo, which I had to leave in Alice Springs, I’m also currently reading (and have bought with me):

- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway

- Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher – Her memoirs of her descent into alcoholism and her struggle with Manic Depression, an illness my mother has.

- Love Letters of Great Men and Women – my lovely friend gave me a copy of this and the stories behind each couple are fascinating.

Johnson Street, Fitzroy

A week in the Big City

Valentine's Day spent shopping with T. We stopped for a break and had these lovely macaroons, accompanied by the best iced drink I have ever had - Raspberries, Watermelon and Rose Water.

Dinner at a new Meze Bar on Smith Street. Weird moment in the loo (which has Aesop products - impressed) when I realised that I knew these loos - this place used to be our favourite breakfast place, Gypsy. Luckily it has transformed into something equally amazing.

Breakfast at Newtown SC, Brunswick St

My first (and only) tattoo

A long time ago

Many moons ago I was engaged. It all fell through and ever since Nick asked me to marry him I have been slightly apprehensive. Excited to be getting married, but on my guard as you never know. But here we are, three weeks before the wedding. I'm leaving Alice Springs today to go to Melbourne to get ready for the wedding and to have a bit of a break. I wouldn't recommend changing jobs and getting married at the same time. But I've survived the job part so onto the wedding.

You can find our more about our wedding here.

Image taken with my mini Diana.

Fired up - sleepwalking and racists

1. So you can claim that you were sleepwalking and plead not guilty to rape? How about I murder someone and claim I was ‘sleep waking’ - do you think the charges would stick?

2. Banning fireworks will not stop crazy people/disgruntled customers wheeling trolleys full of explosives into banks

3. I desperately want to comment on the Alice Springs Town Council’s bid to have more say in Planning, but I can’t – agh!!

4. Blatant racisim and 'colourful' euphanisms - Senator Boswell refering to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong as 'China' (see here) Marieke Hardy commented on twitter 'I love how overt racism is just described as 'colourful' these days. Hitler must have been like a rainbow.'

The Brisbane Times journalist said that Boswell is 'known for putting his views passionately and sometimes combatively'. If his other views are anything like this one then 'passionately' equals bigoted and 'combatively' means that people tend to get angry when he opens his mouth.

Maybe

‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’

But what if you want to forget and block it out?

Seven years later it all comes rushing back….

But maybe you are stronger.

Maybe blocking it out & concentrating on other things helped you become stronger.

Maybe his hateful words said out of fear and his own inadequacy spurred you on to become who you are today.

Or maybe you already were all that & are giving him far too much credit...

Quote of the week

Quote of the week goes to the fabulous Marieke Hardy:

'I lost my virginity (I shall use that idiotic V plate term when you hold a gun to my head) at a relatively young age to an absolutely wonderful boy with whom I was tempestuously and passionately involved. I don't regret a moment of it, nor do I feel in that submitting to a beautifully awkward and momentarily painful experience left me with nothing left to "give" a suitor (limping along with merely a personality and mind to offer potential husbands, the shame of it).'

To tell young girls (not boys, theirs is something quite different) that their virginity is a precious 'gift' is ludicrous. A girl is a gift to no one and she has much more to offer a potential partner (boy or girl) than just her virginity. To think that young people (I can use that phrase now that I'm 30) are going to wait until their are married to have sex is crazy. It was the expectation 30-40 years ago (hands up if you know someone, parents or otherwise, who were married at 18 and are now divorced) but it shouldn't be today. The expectation of waiting creates all sorts of pressure and guilt in relation to sex. Times are a changing Mr Abbott.

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I published too early! Second to Marieke is Catherine Deveny's 'lord's prayer':

'Our Tony, who art in Speedos. Hallowed be thy blame. Women are uncovered meat left out for the cat. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in the Vatican (where even they think you're taking their dogma a bit too far). Give us this day our daily clean feed. And forgive us our global warming nonsense. As we forgive those scientists who have no idea what they're talking about with their evidence: ''reason'' and ''proof''. Lead us not into temptation (please put your shirt on). But deliver us from equality, secular government and a republic.'

Deveny also adds...

'Sacredness bestowed on virginity is a smokescreen to veil the deep desire to oppress and control women. It's reinforced by the majority of society who buy into it in even in a most diluted form.'

Cat & the West Wing

Our cat loves the West Wing, confirming yet again that he is in fact a pompous arse.