I don’t do a lot of memes but I have always enjoyed the alphabet post that Beyond Eden Rock does once in awhile (here). I thought it was time for one to go up here.

I am busy doing last minute tasks around the place and packing for my trip to San Francisco next Monday, 4th September to see my sister. I’m really looking forward to it.  The Penguin will be teleported off the pages here and into my suitcase before returning to Australia.

But more on that later- here’s to alphabets.

A-  A Bike Ride today but too much wind so I turned around, came home and will spend the day reading and writing.

B- Birds of prey- I will post photos of the Raptor Refuge site I visited last weekend.  I also saw two wedge tail eagles soaring on wind currents this morning. Wonderful.

C- Classics Club posts have been coming fast and furiously since new moderators have taken over.  I might participate a bit more next year. 50 Classics to go on a list but I will only take them from books I already own if I do participate and many will be modern classics.

D- Diary of a Provincial Lady is nearing its last chapter. Such a very funny book. I might read some of the others after all down the track but need to keep working on that TBR pile.

E- Beyond Eden Rock- Inspiration for this alphabet task.

F- Festivals I wish I could have attended the  Melbourne and Canberra Writer’s Festivals happening this winter. I will hopefully attend one of these days.

G- Good Reads shelves need updating. I am almost caught up with books I’ve read and books I want to read.

H- I have 44 books on my shelves that start with the letter H. Who would have thought. Quite a few are “How to” books.  How to have Kick Ass Ideas, How to Keep a Pet Squirrel (fiction of course).

I- Illustrations. In journals and children’s books. Don’t all bibliophiles love them. I am signing up for a drawing class in Feb. I’m hoping to get past stick figures for my own journals. This will definitely present a challenge for the instructor.

 

J- Journals are one of my favourite things and I plan to keep one on the trips I have planned in the next six months.  Illustrations may be stick figures but jotting down notes in a journal is lots of fun

K- Kick Ass Ideas (How to Have) by Chris Baréz-Brown is a fun book of motivation and ideas for completing any project.  Might need to pull it off the shelf again.

L- Linc Tasmania is the name our silly government gave to our State Library system several years ago. Who is going to associate Linc Tasmania with a library. The state liberal government has recently changed the title back to Libraries Tasmania so people actually know what is being talked about. Why do governments waste their time and money on such trivial tasks as renaming a perfectly good library “Linc”. There are so many other things to spend money on. eg. homelessness, drought, health, education. (Don’t get me started!)
M-Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare is the Dominic high school play I am attending Friday night. My friend’s son has a major role in it and he has been busily learning his lines.  He can’t quite get his head around all the ‘buts’ and ‘doths’. Should be fun.

N- November book club book is The Lucky Galah by Tracey Sorensen. An Australian novel told from the point of view of a Galah.

O- Odie and Molly accompanied me to the dog beach yesterday where we had a great time. Beautiful sunny winter weather and the beach was packed with people and dogs. They loved it.

P- Politics in Australia- I promise not to talk about it…never, ever, ever …on any post.

Q- Quiet time. How I love my quiet time to read, reflect, walk and spend time in my own company.  One can’t do this much whilst working but once retired it is important to learn how to enjoy your quiet time as there seems to be much more of it once a career is over.

R- Reading about Sri Lankan food from a book found on the newest app I’ve acquired, Libby- linked to the library. Mr Penguin and I are spending 15 days there towards the end of November and I am looking forward to the variety of food. So many different religious cultures and each has their own food.

S- San Francisco- here I come.  I am looking for places to spend our days walking, taking photographs, spending time in nature and eating really good Mexican food.

T- Still making my way through the Melbourne cold case in the book Trace by journalist, Rachael Brown.  Can’t believe the secret events the Catholic priests were involved in that included human sacrifice and cannibalism in the state of Victoria.  I will never stop feeling incredulous at the depravity of some of these priests.

U- Under a tree in the middle of the night in my front yard is often a large Golden Brush Tail possum looking for the sunflower seeds I sometimes put out for the birds. He is beautiful.

V- Tomorrow will see us spending some time at the Vet’s office.  Odie has been treated for an ear infection and his beagle anal glands that we won’t discuss here and Molly gets her arthritis shot and her heart condition monitored.

W- Walking. A favourite thing to do. It’s not always aerobic but climbing hills can make it so. Taking photographs, spending time with our dogs, exploring suburbia and reading books about it. We just never tire of the concept of a good, long, interesting walk. Time to clear your head and relax.

X- Xerxes Invades Greece – 480 BC. The story of when Greece invaded Persia.  How on earth did this book come to be on my TBR shelves?  Part of Penguin series of Great Epics.  Will it ever see the light of day here? I’m not sure.

Y- Y’all have a good week and make sure you do something each week you enjoy so you always have something to look forward to.

Z- Zeitgeist- definition: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era. And isn’t it fun that it is always changing. Think how boring life would be if it didn’t.