Musings

I have been working hard on my novel this last week or so, while also starting an online course on feature writing for newspapers and magazines. Phew! I must admit that my brain is now a little fried. On this, I am finding that I am not getting through my reading very quickly if at all. I am loving Young Bess by Margaret Irwin, but I open it up to have a read at night and I am asleep within half a dozen pages. Not good for an aspiring writer, or even for someone who just wants to finish a book! When do you do your reading?

Of course, I would probably be a lot better off if we threw out the telly. We have recently had a number of digital channels added to our tv schedule here in Australia, but the quality has certainly not improved. It reminds me now of the worst excesses of tv that I saw in Europe and the USA. Is my life being benefited by watching repeats of shows 40 years old or by a seemingly endless supply of reality shows about the American law enforcement system? I think not. And yet I watch and my books remain unread and my craft projects undone. How do you escape the tv trap? Perhaps you don't? Perhaps you love a bit of trash tv?

Having said that, I am in love with the comedy Arrested Development, which is re-screening on the ABC at the moment. Is anyone else watching it? And Downton Abbey? Don't get me started...

We made a pilgrimage to that great site of Scandinavianess - Ikea - on the weekend and bought ourselves a lovely new armchair which is both very elegant and very comfortable. Yet again I wondered if I should throw out all of our inherited, second-hand and just plain odd furniture and install a big dose of Swedish sleekness. Then I reminded myself that my life would not become sleek along with it as a result - despite what Ikea's image makers might like me to think - and that I do love all of our old and weird bits and pieces anyway. We did however also stock up on some culinary deliciousness, like the Swedish cookie(s) pictured above. The last one went down the red lane (as my grandmother would have said) with my morning coffee this morning. Love Ikea's foodie bits. Do you?

I may have posted a clip from this band - Dead Can Dance - before but their so very unique music has been wonderful for me at my desk lately as I try to keep my wee brainbox ticking over.

Enjoy.

Thursday night cardmaking

Something about Thursday nights...I made three new cards last night while plonked in front of the telly on a diet of "Inspector Rex", "True Beauty" (you know you're watching it too) and Louis Theroux. I know. Too much tv. But if you're being productive at the same time, it's ok. Right?

Anyway. Again, we're Japanese themed but this time the other part of Japanese culture I loved so much while I was there - pop culture. All the little characters and cartoon figures. Hello Kitty. Little baubles with faces and big eyes hanging off the ends of mobile phones. Loved it just as much as the ancient culture which is also much in evidence there. Just for different reasons.

So, what I did was simply cut out some shapes of Japanese paper (is it Yuzen?) and slap on (it's a technical term) some Momiji stickers. Oh, and up top is a snap from Ueno at night, where we stayed in Tokyo.