My obsession

I have just finished reading The Selected Journals of L.M.M. Montgomery Vol II. This period of her life (1910 - 1921) was very turbulent for her personally and also for Canada and the world. At times I felt like I was invading on her privacy and shouldn't really be reading her journal at all - it was so private. However, I couldn't help myself - I really felt like I was transported back to Ontario in the early 21st century. Another thing that allayed my guilt was the fact that she was quite famous by this stage and intended for her journals to be published once sufficient time had passed. I still don't think it is quite healthy to love a person who I have never met and passed away long before I was born - but I do.

I am also re-reading Anne of Green Gables again as part of Sarah's Avonlea Book Club. I 'discovered' Anne quite late in life. I read some of L.M.M.'s books when I was a vacuous youngster but didn't really become obsessed until I bought a copy of Anne of Green Gables at my old primary school fete about three years ago. Since that fateful day I have been addicted. I get into fierce ebay bidding wars, spend ridiculous amounts on shipping for books from Canada and keep my precious books in brown paper bags to protect them from dust and sunlight. Yes, I am tragic, but I don't care - these books really bring me so much joy. Whatever mood I am in they never fail to cheer me and fill me with a sense of wonder.

Rhubarb (and Apple) Delicious

Yesterday I turned this;

into this;

The rhubarb is home grown, I bought it from a little stall on the side of the road at Mount Tambourine.

Speaking of home grown, I've been growing some produce of my own.

I have been making this salad from it for about a week - mmm healthy. Why does food you grow yourself taste so good? I also have some basil, cherry tomatoes, mint, fennel, rocket and chillies in pots. It's a lot of fun watching them grow and then heartlessly ripping them out of the ground and eating them - ha ha.

I checked out the 2006 Conrad Jupiters Art Prize and Surfing the 60s: A journey of discovery exhibitions at the Gold Coast Art Gallery yesterday. It was wonderful to see all the diverse works of art by artists from all over the country. I cast my vote for the People's Choice award, which was really quite difficult - I do not envy the judges!

I also read The Secret History by Donna Tartt on the weekend. I heard a lot of good things about this book when The Little Friend came out a few years ago and while I enjoyed The Little Friend it didn't blow me away. The Secret History did. I found myself drawn into the story from the prologue. The characters are fascinating and different, the setting for the story is unique and the story itself explores character, remorse and lack thereof. Although the

characters did a terrible thing, I somehow sympathised with them.

I also read Magic for Marigold by L.M. Montgomery early this year . I enjoyed this book but didn't fall in love with it like I have some other books by L.M.M.

Phew, all in all, it was quite a productive (for me) and photo heavy weekend.

Last books of 2006

Lemony Snicket: The Reptile Room and The Wide Window

While I still find these charming and delightful childrens books, they really are meant to be read by children (funnily enough). I love the detail of these books and really admire the efforts of the author to inspire an interest in correct use of the English language, however I think reading one book in the series would generally be enough for an adult. I will continue reading the books in this series when I have an hour or two to spare because I would like to finish what I have started and also my use of the English language could do with a little brush up (and to discover the fate of the Baudelaire orphans).

L.M. Montgomery: Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat

These two "childrens books" on the other hand, are not, I believe suitable only for children and quite a few people agree (ebay bidding for her books is fie-rce). Just when I think I cannot possibly love another one of L.M.'s heroines any more than the previous my heart is stolen all over again. I must admit it did take me a while to get into Pat but once I did I couldn't put her down, even though I didn't want her to end. Pat differs from Anne and Emily in her large loving family and lack of career ambition. Her ambition is to serve the people and home she loves. Pat's Jingle has the talent and romance of Emily's Teddy without the moods and pride and the fun and companionship of Anne's Gilbert without the teasing. Jingle is also the most loyal of any of the beaux and doesn't display any distrust despite suffering a great hurt from his absent mother. David Kirk lacks the bitterness and possesiveness of Dean Priest and Bets is a sweet chum all of her own (as all the chums are). Judy is a wonderfully developed character (are characters of L.M.'s not) and adds a wonderful element to the story.

While Dumbo feather, pass it on is not technically a book (it has been described as a mook, half magazine, half book), it is just as fulfilling and imformative as a book and I wasn't finished with it in fifteen minutes as I am with conventional magazines. Dumbo feather describe it best;

In each issue of Dumbo feather five remarkable individuals tell you their stories. Their backgrounds and dreams are as unique as they are but what unites them is their creativity, passion and integrity, and somewhere they found the courage to fly. In their own words they tell you how they discovered their passion, what inspires them, the lows as well as the highs on the journey and ultimately why they do what they do.

I initally bought this mook in an effort to be interesting but I think Dumbo feather will be making a regular appearance on my coffee table. Each story takes me a good half hour to read and I can only read story per sitting (I need some time to absorb and reflect before moving on). Every page could be framed (even the text only pages) and it is printed on 100% recycled paper using soy inks. The advertisements are few and minimalist and all in all it is just a wonderful publication. I am not in any way affiliated with Dumbo feather, I am just that impressed.

Quilting Love

After reading this post by the enchanting Alicia I absolutely had to make a grandmother's flower garden quilt for the guest room in my future house o' dreams.

Here is my first flower!

And the angle shot;

I purchased the fabric at the beginning of the year to make a patchwork quilt (also inspired by a rosy little quilt) but then I started studying part time and haven't had time to make anything all year. Which is really rather fortunate as I love these colours for this quilt much more.

I have these two resourses absolutely invaluble and Australian too! I have also made my life easier by printing hexagons from MS Word onto wasted A4 paper (I work in an sinfully wasteful office). This makes for much more accurate hexagons (which is so vital to this quilt) and also saves so much time - beauty! To make these hexagons in Word just draw a hexagon of any size and then edit to the dimensions 3.9cm high and 4.5cm wide or any size you like.

I enlisted the help of my mum because it is going to be such a big job but I didn't realise how much we would bond in the process. We send each other little packages with fabrics and threads and tiny gold plated quilting needles and are just having a jolly time.

Here is a pin cushion my mum made for me to hang on the arm of my chair;

And just for fun, here is my favorite illustration from Jane Austen: In Style;

It is hard to see how truly gorgeous this little regency house cross-section is from my dodgy scan, but you can get a small inkling. Apart from the precious colors, I love checked wallpaper of the upper levels and the spacious be-arched basement (I like to make up my own words). I highly recommend this book for the pictures alone but there also seems to be a wealth of written information as well.

Reading: Persuasion, A Bad Beginning, The Blue Castle

Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen

This is a lovely subltle story of an twenty seven year old girl, classed an old maid by her family and acquaintances. She feel in love deeply at nineteen, however she was persuaded to break of this engagement by her good friend/mother figure Lady Russell. She has since lost her bloom and been living a monotonous life with her superficial father and sister. Circumstances bring her back in contact with her true love and after some awkwardness they finally discover that their love never died. Anne Elliot is a completely loveable character without being trite and the other characters fully developed and showing an insight into the seemier side of human character.

Title: A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning
Author: Lemony Snickett

I love this little book and read it in an evening. I was first drawn to this series by the Beatrice letters as I have always loved "books with bits" and since examining the books have found even more to be enchanted by. Discounting the actual writing, these books are wonderfully presented from the hard cover (I am yet to see a soft cover) to the fact that each book in the series gets progressively larger to the illustrations and the ex libris plate in the front cover. The writing is equally as wonderful with more difficult words being explained with being patronising. The additional "character" of Lemony Snickett adds to the magic of this series.

Title: The Blue Castle
Author: L.M. Montgomery

Another story about an 'old maid' at twenty-nine. Valancy (how I love that dear girl) has been hen pecked by her cold mother and interferring extended family all her life. When she believes she is dying she finally rebels with fantastic results. This book along with Persuasion show that a good character can not be compromised and love will eventually conquer. Will this may not happen in real life (actually it is probably very rare), these books gave me a wonderful sense of happiness and hope.

Books finds;

Yesterday I found some lovely hard cover copies of Henry Fielding's Tom Jones: A Foundling, Anthony Trollope's The Claverlings and Louisa May Alcott's Little Men but the coup of the day was Jane Austen: In Style by Susan Watkins which is a comprehensive book on the fashions in clothing, architecture, interior design and even food of the era of Jane Austen and her novels. I love to get into the lives and times of authors I love from the past and this book gives an absolutely wonderful insight of the times.

Books Read 2006

Wilderness Tales, Margaret Atwood

The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery Vol. 1, ed. Mary Rubio and Elizabeth Waterston

Anne's House of Dreams, L.M. Montgomery

Chronicles of Avonlea, L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Ingleside, L.M. Montgomery

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

Teacher Man, Frank McCourt

Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery

Kindred Spirit, Catherine M. Andronik

Emily Climbs, L.M. Montgomery

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon

Emily's Quest, L.M. Montgomery

Bleak House, Charles Dickens

A Tangled Web, L.M. Montgomery

March, Geraldine Brooks