Meet Phryne!

On Saturday morning I brought home the newest furry member in our family.  A gorgeous little furball - who looks so much like Evie Nyxx it's spooky! - she came from the RSPCA's adoption pen at our local shopping centre (a school holidays awareness and adoption campaign).  Phryne is supposed to be 7 and a half months old, but from the size of her I'd say she's more 4 and a half months.

Why the name Phryne?  Well it just so happens that I was watching an episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries not long after we got her home.  I still hadn't thought of a name - she was listed as Roxanne at the shelter! - and I decided that she had spunky attitude, mysterious past and gorgeous looks of our leading lady ;-D

Cute as a button, playful and quirky, I think that this little stripy bundle will liven up the household and provide companionship to not only myself, but to Titchy and Evie Nyxx as well.

It's now day 3, and last night Evie Nyxx and Phrynekinns (don't blame me, blame Cousin Guy!) played chase-me-Charlie all through the living area.  I found them curled up within touching distance on the couch, and this morning I woke up to the sounds of cats thundering around the house so I am optimistic that life will settle back to it's usual quiet rhythms in a few more days.

It is such a rewarding experience adopting an animal, so if you are wanting a new pet - be it a dog, cat, chicken, donkey, or pig - please check out your local RSPCA Animal Shelter and give an animal a second chance.

 

Physio, dry needling, and re-reading

Back at home after an early morning visit to the hospital physio department.  This week was my second session of dry needling on my Achilles to help reduce the scar tissue forming on the tendon.  Last week I had 6 needles drilled into the back of my ankle.  It felt really strange, almost like my muscles wanted to tick, and I ended up with a bruise from that - and it felt like someone had hauled off and kicked me in the back of my ankle by day 2.

Today the needles went in a lower location.  They hurt a bit more, and once they were out and I had to flex my foot up and down... oh boy.  Pointing my toes down almost sent my achilles into a spasm.  I've been assured that this is normal and a hot pack/hot foot bath later on today should help.  Fingers crossed.  Thankfully this treatment does seem like this is helping as the extreme feeling of stretching to the point of breaking isn't as intense as it has been for the past couple of months.  If it helps loosen the knot of scar tissue that seems to be forming on the tendon, then I will be happy to have the professionals use me as a pincushion.

Love this book.  A much adored guilty pleasure read ;-D

For now, I'm going to slowly go about the usual chores (laundry, how lovely) and then take it slow and put my feet up for a few hours.  I've been rereading some of my favourite Regency era mystery books - The Bastion Club plus the occasional Bar Cynster series books - and am trying to get out of the reading funk I've been having for the last 2 months.  I just can't seem to muster the energy to pick up any of the myriad of new books that are waiting on my TBR shelves.  Anyway, I'm going to try and start one tonight.  The weather is getting cooler, so perhaps snuggling under a knitted afghan will help.

Wish me luck for next week as I go in for my final session.

Unitl next time,

 

Black Cockatoo at Dawn

Just thought that I'd post this photo I took on my way down to the coast {house-sitting}.  It was just after dawn and I needed to stop so I could have a cup of tea - and there in a tree on the other side of the road were a noisy group of Black Cockatoo's.  I only managed to get this guy as they were startled by some passing traffic.  They were so gorgeous.

Hope you enjoy!

Until next time,

Big Weekend - iMac and a new cat

Sorry about being m.i.a recently.  I spent a week house-sitting for my mother as she went on a week long cruise to the Barrier Reef with my aunt.  They had a great time, even if my mum couldn't find her land legs for a few days after, but it poured rain for most of the time.  In 72 hours my neighbours had 8+ inches in their rain gauge!

So, as I was saying, I was house sitting and on my second last day there I fired up the laptop and decided to defrag it as it was getting a tad sluggish.  Everything went as always, until I got home on Easter Sunday.  I fired up the laptop and ended up with a black screen that keep looping back to a start-up repair menu.  OMG!!!  No internet access at my mother's house - their phone lines aren't set up for cable, and wi-fi isn't an option either due to reception difficulties.  So I've been without internet for 2 weeks and had to fork out for a new computer!  Luckily I found a great special that JB Hi-Fi was having - a MASSIVE 10% off ALL Apple computers and accessories.  Being the budget conscious gal I am I quickly rang the local shops to see if they'd price match (NO), and then called my mum to see if she could pick it up for me before she was due to come out here on Friday.  Yes, she could - and so on Friday morning I took possession of my first ever Apple computer.  So exciting ;-D

Now I was so eager to get back online, but being a good daughter I waited until after my mum's visit. With the internet not an option, I ended up going to the local shopping centre with her yesterday and since it is the school holidays the RSPCA have had a collection of cute kittens there all week.  Yesterday though, they brought in some older cats {over 6 mths I think} and all of them looked similar to my Evie Nyxx.  I fell for the smallest of the three, and she is soooo cute.  I really didn't need another cat in the house, but my Titchy is getting very old and raggedy and I don't want Evie Nyxx to pine for her when I loose her.  Call me crazy for introducing Phryne (also known as Phrynekinns), but looking into that gorgeous face I couldn't say no.

As you can see she is the spitting image of Evie Nyxx... just a lighter colour I think.

It's now 24 hours later and after a sleepless night - sleeping with one eye open so as to avoid WWIII - I have a purring Phryne on the bed and a still not impressed Evie Nyxx on my lap as I try to type over her ;-D  I'm still trying to get used to the mac way of things and missing my older version of Photoshop CS4 as I'm now without a photo editor program.  I really didn't think this through did I?

Keep your fingers crossed for me that the furry family settles down over the next few days - and that I start to get my head wrapped around this new way of doing things with my iMac.

So until next time my lovelies,

Temporary hiatus

Had a terrible month with laptop and phone acting up, but today my laptop finally succumbed to the black screen of death. 

I'll be updating Instagram from phone, but will be unable to update Goodreads until I get a new computer.

So until then, wish me luck.  I'm seriously considering an Apple desktop, but they're sooo expensive here.

Until next time,
Happy Reading!

Archangel's Enigma cover art!

Just stumbled across the cover art for Archangel's Enigma, the 8th book in the Guild Hunters series by Nalini Singh.  I love this series, and although this is the first cover not to feature the character, I love the way he peaks through the claw marks.  From the synopsis {below} Naasir's story sounds amazing.  He's such a mysterious character - as are his origins (which are touched on in Archangel's Shadow) - and I'm hoping to read more on the Elena & Raphael front as well.  Truly, I can't wait to have this book in my hands.  Nalini Singh has created such an amazing series.  I recommend it to anyone who loves Urban Fantasy ;-D

Archangel's Enigma

Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required—those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets, is fascinated by his nature—at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the Sleeping archangel before it’s too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows...and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare…

Archangel's Enigma is due for release on the 01 September 2015

Be sure to pre-order so you don't miss out!

Until next time,

 

T5W | Books I'd save in a fire

Sorry to keep it so short and to the point this week.  I just couldn't make up my mind as to which of my hundreds of books I'd save {more like which authors book's I'd save instead!}.

I hope you enjoyed my Top 5 Books I'd save in a fire, and if you want to know more about Top 5 Wednesday - or would like to participate - then head on over to the Goodreads group {here}.  This series was created by the lovely Lainey at GINGERREADSLAINEY and she has some great lists.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them down below.

Until next time,

 

Childhood scary movie remade

OMG!  They've remade the movie that scared the pants off me as a child!  I stayed over at my older cousin's house when I was 8 or so.  Poltergeist had just come out on VHS, so she rented it.  I remember watching parts of it from behind the sofa, cushion, and my hands.  It gave me the willies for years as my childhood bedroom had a built-in closet opposite my bed, and I also had an old clown doll (that my mother had given to her years and years ago) that used to sit on the bed.  After I came home - totally freaked out by the way - I couldn't sleep in my room until I shoved an old bit of dowling through the handles of the built-in closet.... with the clown doll inside!

This will just terrify/traumatise a new generation of children.  But I have to admit, I'll most likely watch it as I love a good spooky movie - and the special effects look amazing.  Am I nuts or what?

Until next time,

 

All strapped up with no place to go!

I am quite sore this morning after yesterday's visit to the local physio department at the hospital.  As usual I was poked and prodded - with a million and one questions regarding how painful this or that pain was on a scale from 1 to 10 - and after a truly painful massage to loosen the tension in my left calf muscle I was all strapped up on both feet and free to go.  Walking to the car was awkward with the strapping on, but I can take it off in another day or two ;-D

Today I've taken the new look out for a test drive.  Had to get a few essentials at Woolworth's, and I've also done the first set of exercises.  Strapping pinching on the inner left ankle, but I can always adjust that, or remove that piece of tape if it gets painful - or so said the physio.  Only the laundry to be put on the line left of my chores today, then I can put my feet up and see how things go.  Fingers crossed this works.

Oh, and I know the photo's aren't the best but I took them on my cruddy phone camera.  Can't wait to get a new phone - but that's another story ;-D

Until next time, keep safe and

 

Early morning swim

Got an early start this morning and by 7am I was 25km from home and doing my hydrotherapy exercises.  After an hour of that I was truly knackered - that's not including the drive back home which was another 25km!  

Luckily it's a great pool.  Lovely ramp entry or wide platform step on the other side, quite warm and always a pleasure to go into when winter hits ;-D 

Unfortunately, I also have a physiotherapy session this afternoon at the hospital.  Tomorrow could be a bed day as I think I'll be too sore and tired to do anything else but rest and take it easy.  But fear not, I have a pile of books that I want to get through so I'll be set.

Take it easy, and until next time...

 

Tropical Cyclone Marcia

I don't know if any of you lovely people out there have been following this, but Queensland has just been hit by a rather quick forming cyclone.  TC Marcia may have been small, but she certainly packed a punch (Cat 5), and she's not done yet.  Although downgraded to a Cat 1 cyclone, Marcia has been steadily heading down the coast, which means that by lunchtime today it should be over/near my town, and although I love wet and stormy weather, I'm not to enthused about the strong winds that could still be gusting at over 95km/h - even if she's downgraded again into a Low.

 Out and about after heading to the shops to pay a bill - in case I get flooded in!

Strangely while everyone back home on the coast is getting drenched, I had no real rain to report yesterday.  Then at about 10pm last night, the heavens opened and it has been raining ever since.  It's down to a drizzle at the moment, but there has been enough rain over the last 12 hours to start flooding some roads.  I hope that any of the rivers upstream don't flood - otherwise I'll be flooded in!

Wish I was back on the coast for this.  I just love watching the waves crash against the shore.  Although if we get more rain running off into the massive storm drain that backs up to my unit complex, then I'll definitely be seeing some wave action!

Thinking warm thoughts ;-D, and until next time,

 

Unexpected Hiatus

Hi everyone!  Sorry about the unexpected break I've taken.  I didn't realise it had been more than a month since I last posted anything, however I really did need a break from being a slave to the internet.

Over the last few weeks I've done almost zero reading.  A nice break to recharge my batteries, and the desire for reading.  It couldn't have come at a better time as while my family were over for a visit, we went shopping and I spied a copy of Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb (book 40!) and my mum just had to get it.  Unfortunately for her, she couldn't dive straight into it - but I could!  I convinced her to let me have it for the week (we'd already organised another visit), so I had a week to soak in as much of Obsession in Death as I could.  I found that I enjoyed it more than the previous couple of books in this neverending series.  Didn't have a clue as to who Eve's stalker was.  So rare to be truly surprised these days ;-D

I've also been on a quilting/sewing kick at the moment.  I spent a few hours sewing myself a Sunnies case - that may never be used for actual sunnies! - and really enjoyed it.  Learned a lot doing this, and next time I'll be more adventurous with the quilting.  So with project no #1 under my belt, I'm looking forward to more sewing this year - especially now that the weather is starting to cool off.  It's the perfect time to plan my winter projects.  I'm hoping to start a QAYG (quilt as you go) bedspread, but only if I find the perfect pattern ;-D

Anyway, have to love you and leave you as I'm going to order some upcoming book realeases.  My goal this year is to cull out some of the series that have fallen by the wayside, but there are some that I simply can't miss.  

Until next time,

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's | Book Review

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Truman Capote

This edition published in 2008, originally published 1958

Penguin, mass market pbk, p. 9-100
ISBN: 9780141037264

Holly Golightly - brashly beautiful with a slim black dress, a mysterious past and dark glasses over her varicoloured eyes - entrances all the men she meets, including the young writer living above her, though her recklessness may yet catch up with her.

I picked this small book up at a local charity shop for a dollar.  The idea was if it was boring, or I just didn't like it, then it was only a dollar and I could donate it somewhere.  It sat on my TBR shelves for a few months, until January 1st.  For some reason I picked it up on a whim.  Perhaps it was because the book seemed so small, but I just sat on my couch, took a deep breath, and started reading.

“Good luck and believe me, dearest Doc - it's better to look at the sky than live there.  Such an empty place; so vague. Just a country where the thunder goes and things disappear.”

Capote didn't disappoint me.  I found this book to be oh so beautifully written.  The world was real, the characters were believable, and for all her faults I still found Holly to be sweet in some way.  In a nutshell, Holly is a good-time girl with a penchant for men over a certain age.  These men seem to visit her apartment in droves - sometimes staying overnight - at a time when that was still a big no no.  The social stigmas that would have been placed on any other woman of that era, that of being a loose woman, seems to have no impact on one Holly Golightly.  She shurggs off the slights, and with an almost calculated calm, keeps looking for the next guy, the next thrill, or hobby, or whatever, to tickle her fancy.  Once she's found it, Holly leaves without any concern over who she's left behind.

There are, obviously, a few more characters in this book, but from the narrators POV, it's all about Holly.  Some of the secondary characters show Holly in a more positive light, while others show her less endearing qualities - such as the party scene where her 'friend' goes to the bathroom and then can't understand why all the previously friendly men are now avoiding her like the plague ;-D

I was surprised to find that this wild and wilful woman, who although selfish, seems to be beloved by most everyone she meets, was in reality an 19 year old girl when the book starts.  I think this is because Capote was able to capture the essence of her, and her age became immaterial.  He packed so much of Holly's hopes and dreams into this one small story that I was amazed to find myself being swept away in the story, and a bit sad to find that it was over all so soon, as this book only takes an hour or so to get through.

While I could go on about the symbolism, indepth character reviews, etc., I will not bore, or spoil, you for such a great book.  Just trust me when I say that if you think you know it all - because you've watched Audrey Hepburn's movie - then think again because the story was changed in key plot points for filming.

After I put the book down I immediately had to review it on Good Reads and even now, a two weeks later, I stand by my initial thoughts.  The simplicity of the writing, which managed to convey all his thoughts and feelings, still has me wanting to read more.  To find out exactly what happened to Holly.  This is the mark of a truly great book. 

Do yourself a favour, and read Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Oh, and because the generic Penguin cover doesn't do this amazing book justice, I'm eyeing off a new edition. 

What do you think?

Until next time,