A Last Minute Post on the last day of February!

Yes I am running a bit fine with this one.  I've been spending far too much time reading other blogs amongst other everyday things I think.  Fun though.

However I have managed some decluttering for February.  I sort of cheated because I didn't actually count everything.  So whether or not I have my 28 items is debatable.

I'm fairly confident that it would be close to this number anyhow.  Not too bad a cull - and there's plenty more where that came from!

So this is how my car looked before I trotted it off to the local op shop on Tuesday.

My decluttering is someone else's gain.  That's how it works isn't it?  Op shop kharma.

I'm feeling a lot more enthused already now that the weather is cooling down a bit.  Who knows what March will bring!


Have a great weekend.
cheers for now
Wendy

I’ve just finished reading ....

{I'm no great shakes as a reviewer, these are just my personal thoughts.} 

   

The blurb from the cover:

 ‘Ex-DI Hilary Green, now working as a civilian consultant to her former Thames Valley bosses, is happy to be handed another cold case murder file. Who killed a young Oxford student at his digs more than 10years ago and why?  It doesn’t take her long to discover that the young man in question was something of a sexual athlete, and suspects aren’t exactly in short supply, and soon she’s concentrating her investigation on those he bedded and discarded.  But tracking down a killer isn’t her only problem.  She’s picked up a stalker, and his campaign of sending flowers and intimidating messages is heating up.  But when his ‘gifts’ begin to lead her to a number of missing women,  Hillary Greene realizes she may have a much bigger problem on her hands than she thought ........’

I tend to read only new release books which I track down then reserve at my local library.  Generally they are books I’ve heard about in reviews.  However, I was between books at the time and just picked this one randomly.  I’m glad I did, it was a really good read. 

A good police procedural usually interests me, particularly a good English mystery.  Apparently this is the 12^th in a series by Faith Martin.  All have the word ‘Narrow’ in the title (A Narrow Exit, With a Narrow Blade, Across the Narrow Line etc.). 

Back to A Narrow Margin of Error though – Hillary is now retired from the police force and is working on ‘cold cases’ unsolved homicides.  Initially it reads as a fairly predictable mystery, following up on suspects with the understanding that she will reach a ‘whodunit’ stage.

However, the author steps it up a bit and the pace quickens as it becomes apparent that Hillary has a stalker.  The reader is aware of the identity of the stalker, but Hillary is dangerously ignorant and this storyline runs parallel to the murder case – but (naturally) with an unexpected turn.

I found the book to be a good quick read, well written and interesting enough to keep me up reading late on a few nights.  I would give it 4 stars if I was rating it.   This one ends with a lead up to the newly released Walk a Narrow Mile, so I will look out for that one too.

Oh also!  Edwina commented that she too had read Burial Rites and enjoyed it.  It's such a beautiful but sad tale - and ever so indulgent to be reading about Iceland whilst 'enjoying' a heatware.  Highly recommend - has anyone else read it?

=====

I’ve been looking to these two for inspiration in the kitchen.

Just looking up different recipes and trying to perk up my lacklustre interest in cooking lately!  Blame it on summer, blame it on the heat, but I have just totally lost interest in the kitchen lately.

It’s a pretty difficult line we walk isn’t it?  I can’t really remember putting my hand up to be chief nutritionist/dietician/budget keeper/chef. 

However, between keeping up with the Paleo son who seems to either cook steak for himself or ask ‘what’s for dinner mum’,  and fairly normal diet for husband and self with a ‘eating less but eating more wholefood’ approach for all of us - and combined with the heat - it’s no wonder the kitchen is not my favourite place at the moment.

I also try to buy low salt, non-GM Australian made products, sourced locally and steer away from the Big2 supermarkets.  Sometimes (mind you I'm not really complaining) I feel that all I do is haul shopping into the house - and read labels!

Also, son has just himself scored a 2nd part time job, so I've told him he can flip his own steak in the staff kitchen!  The uni break is such a long time isn't it? 

=====

On another note, here's another interesting duo.  Just thought I’d drop in a shot of the cute pillow my cheeky SIL made for my husband’s recent birthday. 

Her excuse was that the vintage tea towel caught her eye as it is Irish Linen (Irish family background obviously).  Hmmm....... I wonder!

  

Cheers for now

Wendy

My Personal Declutter Challenge

I have been thinking of a way to challenge myself into decluttering more in 2014.

So this is my own personal challenge - anyone who cares to join in please do so!

This is a committment now as I've put it on my blog.  Each month in 2014 (starting February) I aim to:

declutter as many items as there are days in the month

so I'm off to an easy start in February with only 28 days.

I will be be following this little rhyme - 

and as 2014 is not a leap year I hereby challenge myself to 28 items to be decluttered/removed from the premises in February .

Not many variations on the theme, which is why I have chosen to go this way.  Some months will be easy and others I might have to push myself a bit, but I will document it as I go.   Wish me luck.  Maybe I can actually live up to my blog name!

cheers for now
Wendy

While It's Still January

There are three resolutions that I think I can actually stick to this year - all a bit self-indulgent  - but just let me indulge as I rarely make resolutions.

1. See More Movies 

I've already taken myself off to see August : Osage County and liked it very much.  Yes, a bit OTT but still I was fairly well engrossed into this disfunctional family.  The time whizzed by, so that's always indicative I think.

More movies on the radar include : Philomena, American Hustle and The Book Thief.

2. Resist My Bad Habit of Changing Appointment Times!

This is just a little flaw of mine which I thought might be worth trying.  For years, I've had the (bad) habit of changing times or re-scheduling appointments.  I don't know why. In my defence, I always give plenty of notice - and this would apply to medical appointments, hairdresser, accountant - as opposed to friends.

I always just find an excuse to change it to a better or different time or day that suits better.   Of course, I never let people down or stand them up - just shuffle things around a little!  Someone else can analyse that one for me, but in the meantime, I will just resolve to do better this year.

3.  Read More Books in 2014.

This is probably the easiest one to follow as I'm an avid reader.  However I would like to switch it up a notch and try reading different genres.  I'm a great fan of our local library network and I often have reservations well into the double digits.  I love reading new releases, so I'm always reading reviews and blog readers opinions too.

So I thought I might just keep track of what I've been reading.  I've just finished  The Mayne Inheritance by Rosamond Siemon.  This is not a new release in fact I've read it once before many years ago, but thought it would be worth re-visiting.  It's a non-fictional (but some believe a fair bit of creativity was used)  following the history of the Mayne family. A really good read, particularly for anyone familiar with Brisbane.  Alot of the suburbs were familiar to me as I grew up in Brisbane.  Murder, scandal and gossip - and major generousity.

Now I've just started Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and it looks like it will live up to expectation.  It's the right time of year here to be reading this type of book and I think I will enjoy it.

So that's it.  My 3 for 2014.  Better late than never!

PS: The photos don't have any great significance apart from the fact that I've obviously seen more sunsets than sunrises!  That might be another goal.

cheers for now
Wendy

It's that time of year again

It's the Flame Tree  (Illarwarra Flame Tree) time to shine.

At our place at this time of year, both the Poinciana and the Flame Tree put on quite a show.

This is just the flame tree though.



Hope everyone is enjoying the lead up to the Festive Season.

cheers for now - Wendy