Keep Them Coming

One of the best things about having a blog is the wonderful comments and recommendations I get from regular readers. One of the best parts of my day is opening up my email and finding comments left on my blog. It still gives me such a thrill.

This week I have been following up on a couple of suggestions from fellow bloggers and it has been well worth the effort.

First up Lou from Totally Innocent was astounded to find out that I had never experienced the joy that is 'Stand By Me'.

She had watched it with her boys recently and told me I just had to see it. A couple of days later I stumbled across it in K-Mart for $8.00 and knew I had to get it. That was a couple of weeks ago I it was only last night that I finally got around to watching it.

Well Lou, you'll be pleased to know that I loved it. I found it an absolutely delightful movie and can see why it enjoys such 'classic' status. The performances were spot on and it was a very poignant tale told with grace and humour. It's now on my 'must see' list for anyone else who is yet to see it.

Last night I received a message from Whitney in America who had been looking at my book list and wanted to know if I had read 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer. This is part of the message she left me....

"I was reading your list of books you have read and what you are reading and I have to say YOU NEED TO READ Twilight http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html It is right up your alley. It is a teen romance . It is one of those that make you want to have that giddy, just met the perfect boy, does he notice me, should I drive by his house feeling again."

Needless to say after that introduction I literally rushed to the Sun Bookshop to see if Deb could get it in for me. Just my luck, a shipment was arriving that afternoon and she promised to call me as soon as it arrived. Apparently she is just as big a fan as Whitney and can't believe I haven't experienced the joy. At 5.45 my phone rang with the good news and I now have books 1 and 2 of the Twilight series in my hot little hands. Stay tuned for my review.... I can't wait.

So THANK YOU to Lou and Whitney and all you other bloggers and Lurkers please feel free to send me your recommendations - share the joy around.

Oscar turns 80

Here are some Red Carpet beauties from today's ceremony.

Who gets your vote?

Hillary Swank

Marion Cotillard
Nicole Kidman

Renee Zellweger

Anne Hathaway

Jennifer Garner
Katherine Heigl

Jessica Alba
Cameron Diaz Helen Mirren
Cate Blanchett
Penelope Cruz

Ellen Page
Keri Russell

The Lindt Bunny

I've been busy printing out copies of this photo I took in my local supermarket.




I figure if I stick them up in enough places I might actually get a Lindt bunny for Easter. I unsuccessfully dropped hints for a Lindt Reindeer for Christmas with no luck.

So far there is one on the fridge, above the toilet, under Surfer Boy's pillow, in his diary, and in the fridge near the beer!

Surely he will remember, instead of waiting until they have all sold out like a certain Easter in the not so distant past.

Ali's Birthday Present

As a very special treat for the delightful Alison on her '25th' birthday, here is 4 wonderful minutes of footage of 'PLOUGH GUY' who holds a very special place in her dreams. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I Hate Cooking

I do, I hate cooking. I think if it wasn't compulsory I wouldn't hate it so much. It's a little like those novels you had to read at school. No matter how fabulous they were you always hated them just for the sin of being compulsory. Take Wuthering Heights for example. I knew deep down that it was a book worthy of my love but thanks to Year 11 Lit it took another 10 years for me to acknowledge the love.

I digress...
Cooking - Yuk. Something that I do because my family would slowly wither away if I didn't. On the odd occassion that I get enthused it is usually in someone elses immaculate, modern kitchen not my own pre 1930s disaster.
Therefore I was rather surprised yesterday when the cooking bug struck. Not only were the conditions far from optimal, it was 36 degrees celcius (97 f) outside which means it must have topped 40 in my windowless hot box, and did I also mention I hate cooking? Undaunted I somehow managed to produce a rather yummy Javanese curry ('cause curry is so good on a hot night) and a jammy, coconut slice that will grace the lunchboxes of Moondoggie and Gidget for the next month!

It wasn't until I washed up the last dish (did I mention we don't have a dishwasher?) and stowed away the tupperware that I thought - 'What the F_CK am I doing - it's stinking hot and I hate cooking.' I figured the heat must have adversely affected me causing weird domestic tasks to be undertaken - Surfer Boy is hoping it happens again real soon.
Here are the fruits of my labour because I sure as hell won't be a domestic goddess again in the foreseeable future so I thought I'd better capture it on film to show the kids when they are older, or the Department of Human Services.

And this is what they were supposed to look like..

Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy

"Candy on the beach, there's nothing better - but I want Candy when it's wrapped in a sweater" This song, and that line in particular bring back so many memories. Hot sand, salty skin, peeling noses, kissing in the sand dunes, and a certain young surfie boy...

SORRY

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998 - one year after the tabling of the report, Bringing them Home, which was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

One of the recommendations of the report was that a National Sorry Day should be declared. Sorry Day offered the community the opportunity to be involved in activities to acknowledge the impact of the policies of forcible removal on Australia's Indigenous populations.


On Sunday 28th May 2000 more than 250,000 people participated in the Corroboree 2000 Bridge Walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge. This walk was in support of Indigenous Australians and was organised by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (now known as Reconciliation Australia), a Federal Government initiative to promote greater understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The event highlighted the issue of a lack of an apology by the Commonwealth Government to the Stolen Generations.

FINALLY....

On the 13th of February 2008, the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, tabled a motion in parliament apologising to Australia's Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws and policies which had 'inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.' The apology included a proposal for a policy commission to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in 'life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.'

I too say Sorry, for injustices that break my heart.

(much of this text is courtesy of The Government's culture.gov.au)