reunited {and it feels so good}

I survived! My high school reunion was a huge success. I was thrilled to catch up with old friends, and even more so to chat with people I didn't really know at school - but wish I did. Luckily virtually everyone seemed to go into the night optimistically. There was hugging, there was squealing and there was dancing. Oh, and lots of drinking {except me, oddly, four vodkas and then I moved onto water...}.

I tried to approach the night like speed-dating, trying to catch up with as many people as possible. It is hard to find new questions though - but questions such as "are you married?" "kids?" "Where do you live?" and "What do you do?" are kind of essential. There were a few people where we didn't ask those questions at all - just chatted about interests etc, and that gave me just as much insight as the general questions.

There's talk of another reunion in five years time. Next time I'll wear lower heels {balls of my feet swollen and really giving me a talking to for keeping them standing for five hours in five inch heels - looked good though!}. Next time I'll take my camera out early and snap madly - I only managed around 12 shots - but others were much better so facebook should save the day.

I think the most important thing about a reunion is to leave your expectations behind. People will look different. People will have achieved something different than what you'd expected. Last night revealed that plenty of people who left in year 10 ended up going back and studying and now have post-graduate degrees. The girl-most-likely who was top of the class and went to year 12 works at her supermarket - but is blissfully happy with her life, her family and the flexibility it allows. One guy has changed his career totally and went from being a publican to now being a 2nd year apprentice panel beater.

You could tell the people who were genuinely happy and it had nothing to do with income, what they did, or where they lived. It was all about whether they were content with their life and whether they'd lived up to their own expectations.

There were the groups who naturally gravitated to their old friends. A few of us just wandered around chatting to various people - I barely stood still trying to say hi to as many people as possible. My best friend from school was the same, and every now and again we'd meet in the middle - filling each other in along the way.

Oh, what a night. Looking forward to the next one in five years, and catching up with a few new, old friends again.

fasten your seatbelt and grab a cocktail

Go here. NOW! But only if you'd like to see the brand new trailer. Be warned, I squealed, and may have clapped a little. And there may have been a tear...

sunny saturday

I do so adore autumn. That crispness in the air combined with a blue sky that looks as though it's viewed through a vintage filter makes everything seem so much better. I'm pottering around doing the usual indoor housework today while my husband's outside as usual getting his chores happening. The snacks are purchased and ready to assemble for our drinks this afternoon - and the champagne and wine are chilling in the fridge.

I'm ready for my reunion. I'm so excited to see how everyone's exceeded all our expectations - I reckon it's going to be a little like speed-dating - how on earth to catch up with nearly 100 people? I plan on doing lots of chatting between the dancing - if they play the music from my youth there aren't shackles strong enough to keep me off the dancefloor {oh hell, who am I kidding - play the music from anyone's youth and you can't keep me off the dancefloor!}

I'll be packing my camera and a bunch of old snapshots I found recently - sharing old memories and creating new ones. Enjoy your weekend lovelies xx

a room of one's own

I love gaining an insight into other people's lives - particularly writers as it always challenges me to take myself to a new place in my work. When I became a full-time freelancer over a year ago I knew that I'd need to revise my working practices. I used to spend ages researching, then I'd write, walk away, re-read the draft, walk away, and finally I'd manage to send it off. A single article would take almost a week to complete. I don't have that kind of time now, but I still need to ensure that I supply the same, if not better, quality as before.

I don't send off a piece until I know it's the best I can offer. I need it to be easily understood and for people to walk away after reading it knowing they've learned something.

One writer who inspired me was Jodi Picoult. The day that I read that as soon as she finished a book she IMMEDIATELY started on the next switched something on in my brain. I knew that I could work smarter.

Now seeing the space that one of my favourite authors, Siri Husdvedt works in has inspired me to spend more time tidying at the end of the day. My punctuation mark at the end of my day will be to ensure there's nothing superfluous in my line of vision that can distract me from what I need to do. So thanks apieceofmonologue.com for the insight into Siri's world. I'm blessed with plenty of work at the moment - let's see what I can do to ensure it's all excellent.

"A room to write in isn't like other rooms, because most of the time the person in it doesn't see it. My attention is on the page in front of me, on what the people in the book are doing or saying, and my awareness of the things near me is muted, part of the vague sensual information that comes and goes as I mull over the next sentence. I do feel the light in my room, however. My study is on the top floor of our house, which has four storeys, and the windows face south, so the sunshine streams through the panes, and even on a bleak winter day my workplace is luminous.

I usually sit down at my desk around eight o'clock in the morning and write until my brain begins to dim - around two o'clock. My morning mind is far better than the blearier one that arrives in the afternoon so I take advantage of the early hours. I have lots of reference books near me, various kinds of dictionaries - bilingual, medical and psychiatric, 34 volumes of the Grove Dictionary of Art, style manuals and handbooks, the Bible, Gray's Anatomy, some poetry anthologies, and when I'm deep in a project there are often piles of books on the floor to which I refer when needed.

'Writers' rooms: Siri Hustvedt'

guardian.co.uk, 26 October 2007

rest in peace

Malcolm McClaren was a visionary. Without him our music and popular culture scene would be completely different. He was one of the rare few who gave it all a shot. Now he's gone, may his afterlife be even half as good as his time on earth.

getting comfy

Happy friday everyone! I'm taking my gal and her pal to the movies this morning - Nanny McPhee and the big bang {think I'm more excited about it than they are - adore Emma Thompson}. Then we'll have lunch at The Silver Teapot in The Junction where they serve Campos coffee and, as my daughter breathlessly informed me the other day - avocado and lime on sourdough {a few of her favourite things.}

I also have to squeeze in a business meeting about some new work, when husband will be dashing home to look after girls while I discuss website copy {I know!}.

Tomorrow I've got to spend the day preparing for my reunion, oh, who am I kidding - I get ready in 15 minutes... We're actually having some friends over for drinks in the afternoon {just the one for me, can't be all "I love YOuuuuuuuuuuuu" as soon as I walk into my reunion...} We've got one of our friends introducing us to the love of his life and I can't wait to meet her. He's such an amazing guy who, despite being a good 10 years younger than us, knows what he wants and where he wants to be. Husband spent the night last night cleaning the pavillion so we'll have drinks and nibbles by the pool before they all go down to the pub by the beach before heading out to dinner.

Sunday I'm off to check out some Roller Derby action {yep MadMother, I am!}, which thankfully will be in the afternoon when any semblance of a hangover has abated. Busy - but fun. You?

two more sleeps

It's my school reunion Saturday night and the anticipation is nearly killing me. I haven't seen virtually anyone from high school in well over 20 years, longer if I'm really honest. I'm a bit concerned that there will be people that I just don't remember or recognise - there are already a few of those on Facebook. I need a Brody's Notes on classmates!

I've got my outfit sorted - my fave lil' black dress with lots of beads draped around my neck and my highest black patent mary janes. My skunk-line's disappeared thanks to yesterday's hair dying efforts - so fingers crossed that my hair will behave on the night.

I'm genuinely excited and curious to see people and what they've achieved. I can guarantee you that every single one of them has achieved more than any teacher at that school ever believed {very negative people who had no concept of building self-esteem - only shredding it}. I know that plenty of people were like me, left in year 10 after being told their was no point in continuing and then going back to continue their education in their early 20s. I studied my HSC at Tafe when I was 22 and was nurtured by the most exquisite English teacher, Mrs Shirley Smith, who told me I had a talent for writing and suggested I apply to uni and undertake a Communications degree.

More than 20 years later I have an honours degree in communications and now spend my days being paid for writing - bliss. But without this amazing woman I'm not sure whether I would have found this path - I may have been teaching English instead - but nurturing delicate self-esteems and helping children realise their full potential. Gee, no wonder we spent so much time choosing our daughter's school...

i'll be needing one of these

If you'll excuse me I'll be dashing down to the newsagency to buy the 10th Anniversary issue of Inside Out as it comes with this completely and utterly gorgeous tea towel. I'll take that green one thanks.

I can't believe it's Inside Out's 10th birthday. I still have the first issue sitting amidst my teetering piles of home making mags buckling the shelves in my study. Bless!

dye hard

I've been dying my hair for longer than it was ever its natural colour. It started when I died it dark red for my regular Friday night Rocky Horror show excursions {dressed as Magenta - I needed the hair to match the outfit}. Then this quickly segued into my gothic black phase, which I fell so deeply in love with that 20-years later I'm still dying my hair a raven hue.

I briefly dabbled in hairdressing salons, but hairdressers are always reluctant to go with a block colour and their colour never seemed to last long enough to please pernickety me. So I've been home-colouring for years now, but I always seem to forget which hair colour I love. But now, I'm going to defeat my feeble memory and commit the name of my must-love hair colour to my blog. It's Clairol Nice N Easy, in Blue Black natch. Wouldn't you think this name would be easy, nay nice, to remember? Apparently not. Each month I scour the shelves trying to remember which brand has the awful pine-o-clean scented conditioner {um, that'd be Loreal...} and which covers my many, many grey roots and gives a deep, glossy, well-conditioned colour.

Now I know and I have black, glossy hair just in time for my school reunion this Saturday night {I know, finally, haven't I been talking about that FOR YEARS?}

our daily bread

This here's the bread we kneaded in the KitchenAid and baked in a rather snazzy tupperware silicone loaf tin. It was uber-delicious and, as you can see, one young chef was rather chuffed at the results. I found the recipe on the KitchenAid site, they promised a crusty white loaf and we received a crusty white loaf. Straight out of the oven with a smear of butter it was delicious. Toasted for breakfast this morning and topped with butter and black cherry jam it was also delicious. Remind me to do this again sometime {not in the least because it called for 2 and a half tablespoons of milk powder - which only comes in one kilo bags. Any recipes calling for milk powder or shall I just do a Cleopatra. Hmmmmm?}

drawn for life

This Marc Jacobs frock is just so utterly exquisite it has me on the verge of tears {it's been an emotional day...}. Oh, be still heart...

garden glory

This is not my vegie garden, yet, although it's getting there. My husband has the delightful task today of digging in twelve bags of cow manure - heady stuff that. I found this image over at Martha Stewart Living and am feeling rather inspired by the creeping thyme over the rocks in this garden. I use a lot of thyme, think it's delicious and it looks so pretty too - particularly in flower. I can't wait till my side yard is a verdant oasis. We're oh-so-damned-close!

So, it's tuesday and I've already been to the dentist. Ooh yeah. Thanks to my dentist pointing out my uneven wear on my two front teeth last August I've barely been able to notice anything else. Every day it seemed to get worse and I swear the teeth felt more sensitive. So today I gave in and had them both evened up. Apparently I used to grind my teeth - maybe back when I was in uni - but I've stopped now, so I have two straight front teeth again. Luckily he kept the gap between my two front teeth - I insisted I wanted that to stay and that I didn't want long Bugs Bunny front teeth {fusspot aren't I?}. It feels a little odd, but looks kinda normal - and still like me - so that's got to be a good thing.

Today I promised my gal we'd bake some bread in the KitchenAid, so I'd best pop over to Frills In The Hills and see what Liss has managed to achieve in this area. The brownies I baked for my husband for Easter were a HUGE success. Honestly, when you're going for a sweet recipe always choose Nigella first - has anyone ever had a failure with her recipes?

I'm also counting down the minutes till Survivor tonight. Any promised showdown between Boston Rob and Hobbit-On-Crack Russell is bound to make my day/week/month... oh hell, life. Okay, now I have four articles due this week, two down, two more to go. I will be commenting on your blogs - and replying to your lovely comments on mine, very, very soon. Promise {she says smiling sweetly with her two new teeth x}

monday's shoe is fully fierce

These shoes are featured because they make me giggle. They're the Tyra Banks of shoes - fierce. Lanvin have not only sculpted these pumps out of snakeskin, they've gone with a sculptural heel, chain and an ankle strap. After a weekend of sloth and choc you surely need a pair of shoes to stomp around in...

T'is v rainy today. Luckily I've just got a day of sitting in front of the computer, writing, planned. Crazy husband is going to go get himself all muddy outside - he's determined to get bucketloads done in the side yard this long weekend. He's planted more buxus to finalise the box hedge in the garden next to the 'vegie-garden-to-be' {which today is going to be enriched with lots and lots of manure. Mmmmm}.

It's all coming along nicely and we're now ever-so-close to 'finishing' off the house we moved into eight years or so ago.

Enjoy your monday x

want, need, must-have

eat your greens

I'm determined to make more use of the array of vegies available to me. At the market today I bought three beautiful bunches of baby asparagus, some baby leeks and some english spinach - all for $10. For dinner tonight I bought a Greek marinated butterflied leg of saltbush lamb which is going straight onto the bbq. With the leeks, I've been inspired by watching Jamie at Home last night. I love that man.

He sliced leeks and set them to saute in some olive oil, before pouring on 1/2 cup of white wine. Then he covered the leeks in the frypan with a 'cartouche' of panchetta to stop the steam escaping and to infuse the leeks with the flavour of the ham. After around thirty minutes, he took off the crispy pancetta to reveal the softly caramelised leeks below. He then chopped up the pancetta and spread it through the leeks. Now, he tossed this through tagliatelle which was then topped with breadcrumbs blitzed with porcini mushrooms {salivating} but I think this will make the perfect green accompaniment when served with roasted potkin pumpkin and my lamb. No?

to market, to market

Happy Easter everyone! We got up early at 6.40 for the traditional easter egg hunt. The poor bunny couldn't hide a single egg in the garden because of the rain - but hurrah for all our covered areas and window boxes. There's one happy lass who found 20 eggs, including the Hello Kitty egg she had her heart set on. Then hubby and I went back to bed for an extra snooze and I've just finished my delicious breakfast of hot cross bun, lashings of butter and a bowl of coffee. Mmmmmmm.

We're off to the Farmer's Market this morning. My husband's finally coming along to check out the topiary buxus they have on sale {cheaper than at the nursery}. So I'm planning on loading up on seasonal fruit and veg and buying some saltbush lamb for a traditional easter dinner. Mmmmm.

Yesterday's trip to Singleton was a success. We bought two gorgeous jars topped with a wee birdy {pics to come} and found this fabulous iron wall hanging that's perfect for a bare spot on our back verandah. It's just the right size and has places for two pots - that I'm going to plant out with violet odorata. Delish. Once I've got the flowers, I'll post some images. Perfect.

We also had a yummo lunch at Worn Out Wares {so worth the drive to Singleton}. Three of us fell in love with a pumpkin, bacon, feta and pinenut tart. The most delicate, nutty shortcrust-ish pastry {very thin, very browned - but perfect} was filled with layers of sweet, thinly sliced steamed {!} pumpkin, crumbled feta and deliciously browned bacon and pinenuts. Served with a pile of dressed greens this was simply scrumptuous. I would never have thought to have steamed the pumpkin but it was soft, yet held its shape and allowed the natural taste of the pumpkin to shine.

How's easter treating you?

country roads

We're headed out to the country today to Singleton to visit Worn Out Wares. I have an itch for shopping and am chuffed that we'll be eating a rather delicious lunch is their gorgeous cafe when the shopping is complete.

We'll be stopping by to collect my husband's parents on the way, and then on the way home a trip to Dan Murphys, and our fave nursery Heritage Gardens is on the cards.

Hope everyone had a fabulously good friday - it was lovely to see all the blue-themed posts for Autism awareness.

Hmmm, hot cross buns for breakfast - dare I?

a whomping good time

You know where I really, really, really, REALLY want to go? Here.

Butterbeer, a lifesize whomping willow, dude, seriously! I always thought New York would be what forced me to go to the US, but now the nerd in me is being called. Best jump on the Hogwarts Express...

bathing beauty

Spend a lil bit of time this weekend doing something especially for you. Whether it's soaking in a rose-scented tub, painting your toenails a pretty hue, or striding out somewhere special - enjoy.

good friday

Hey everyone, slightly hungover in this neck of the woods after much delicious Brokenwood wines and some damned fine Bacchus food {duck and foie gras terrine - I heart you so}. Husband and I have refreshed ourselves with an omelette {thanks for the idea Beth! Sadly, I had to cook the damned thing myself} and a strong coffee.

I'm wearing blue today and have illustrated this post with some blue eggs to help raise awareness for World Autism Day. Parenting sure throws some challenges at us, and for those raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder a whole new range of challenges are faced daily. I know some of my readers deal with this daily, so I'd just like to let them know my thoughts are with them and those mighty special people they're raising.

Have a lovely easter weekend everyone. Let's all find something to be grateful for, hold it, cherish it and relish it. xx