The Earth Laughs in Flowers…

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another week is speeding by. So much political stuff happening in the U.S. Tired of all the news about it. Australia has their own drama.

READING….

Have begun a new book of short stories. I casually mentioned it last week. Winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize. It is Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi.

Good Reads description:

In the twelve stories of Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Published originally in the Kannada language between 1990 and 2023, praised for their dry and gentle humour, these portraits of family and community tensions testify to Mushtaq’s years as a journalist and lawyer, in which she tirelessly championed women’s rights and protested all forms of caste and religious oppression. Written in a style at once witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating, it’s in her characters – the sparky children, the audacious grandmothers, the buffoonish maulvis and thug brothers, the oft-hapless husbands, and the mothers above all, surviving their feelings at great cost – that Mushtaq emerges as an astonishing writer and observer of human nature, building disconcerting emotional heights out of a rich spoken style. Her opus has garnered both censure from conservative quarters as well India’s most prestigious literary awards; this is a collection sure to be read for years to come.

I have read the first two stories and the writing is very good of course. But the themes are very much about the oppression of women, the lack of opportunity for women, domestic violence, polygamy and on and on it goes. 

I really do miss just a good story for entertainment though two stories out of 12 does not make a book and this book is for our reading group so I will persevere. I think it is probably an excellent book but gloomy. 

TAKING PICTURES…

On a brighter note three of my fellow photography women friends and I went in to the city last week and spent a couple of hours photographing people. As part of doing street photography there is plenty of opportunity to meet people and hear their stories. I will share a couple of the photos here.

I love photographing people reading instead of being glued to their phone.

Last night the Canon representatives were in town from New Zealand to share their newest camera gear. A small group of us met in town and did a walk around the water front for sunset. However the mountain was in cloud and the sky colours never eventuated. A few in the group tried out the latest camera equipment, lenses and made a couple of Nikon jokes for my friend who was with us. She had a Nikon of course.😍

Canon and Nikon people are great sparring partners though both cameras are wonderful.  Don’t get me started on Sony users.

Looking down an alleyway.

Reflections of the city.

Another little project I have decided to start is related to the book:  1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.

Ollie says hello ‼️

I have watched so many 6 part or 8 part series that take days or one very long day, I have decided to catch up with some films I have wanted to see but haven’t. Or those films that I saw a long time ago. With the sad death of Robert Redford I really wanted to go back and revisit some of his films. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Way We Were (one of my top 5 of all time), his first directorial position in Ordinary People.

I haven’t seen a real movie in a long time. Though I must see the final film of Downton Abbey. It just opened here and I feel must be seen on a large screen. I might sneak off one afternoon to see that.

Anyway- back to the big book of movies. I have decided I am going to focus on the movies in the book from the 1940s to 2020. I think that is when the book information ends. My mother watched old films for years and what she didn’t know about the 40s and 50s films wasn’t worth knowing. I remember sitting up with her after coming home from a date with Mr P or my friends and watching the late movie on tv that began at 11:30. Those are nice memories. She’d tell me all about the film stars of the 40s.

I am going to use a random selector to choose a film for me. If I can find it streaming somewhere or maybe available for rental I will look at it.

I am also going to do a random selection on another book called 1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die.  That could be anything from years ago to rap, pop or jazz. Who knows. I don’t listen to enough music. It might be fun. Will aim for one of each weekly or so.

I just need some new motivation as we come out of winter. September in Tasmania is probably the worst month of the year and melancholy and lethargy sets in. Wanting spring- not yet available except for one or two days that tease one. Strong winds- winds on Mt Wellington a couple days ago over 100 km/hr (60+ miles per hour). The noise of the wind is stressful. 

So I thought I’d disappear in not only a few books but a film or an album. I’ll let you know how I go next time. I still need to do my gym work and my walks. It is the best thing I know for a low mood. 

On that note I will leave you all with one more Hobart street photo.

This man paints tiny pictures and sells them for $5.00 a pop. I have a little magpie and a little wren. 1×2 inches.

I hope you all have a good weekend.

Question of the week: What do you do to motivate yourself into action when your mood falls short?