Author: TravellinPenguin

This past week was incredibly busy and this week is

turning out to be the same too.

I had a couple of very good gym sessions in the weight

room and the Barre’ class room.

I turned up on Thursday for my private PT session and my

trainer friend, Teresa and I just looked at each other and

said, “Let’s go for a coffee!!” We postponed the training

until tomorrow. It was a beautiful Tassie day and we sat in

the sun at our favourite café, drinking our oat latte’s (I

know), and along came another woman friend from the

Barre’ class. The three of us happily chatted until we had to

get back to the gym. They are such positive women and I

really enjoy them.

I had Adam’s book group Wed night and six of us had a

lovely time during the evening in an empty Fullers book

shop café discussing Olga Tokarczuk’s book Flights. We

had a lot of fun really dissecting this book. We all enjoyed it

as just so much in it.

Speaking of Adam’s group, I finished The Dry Heart by

Italian author Natalia Ginzburg (Dob 1916 to 1991). It was

first published in 1947 then translated into other languages

beginning in 1950s. It is wonderfully written and very

concise. It packs a lot in for only 105 pages. The writing style

reminded me of Graham Swift’s Mothering Sunday. I would

certainly recommend it if you enjoy a real study of a couple

in a very unusual marriage situation. The characters are

well developed and the story kept me reading even though

we know on the first page the protagonist shoots her

husband between the eyes with his revolver. It takes place,

I would guess in the 1950s, post WWII.

I also went to a couple of Fullers book launches last week

too. I met some friends there and we all enjoyed the launch

of The Chocolate Factory by Mary Lou Stevens. The

history of the Quakers who first developed Cadbury’s

chocolate in the UK is an interesting tale. Alcoholism was so

bad in the UK, they developed a chocolate drink that took off

In popularity. They wanted people to drink chocolate

instead of alcohol. It eventually became the Dairy Milk

chocolate the rest of us know. They were great employers,

developing accommodation, child care and

schools for the children of the employees.

The author said she ate a lot of chocolate while she wrote

it.

Friday night we went to another launch but I am not going

to write much about it as although the book is probably

interesting, the presentation was abysmal. The woman

stood behind a podium, cleared her throat continually, did

not consistently use her microphone and droned for 50

minutes. Complete monotone. Painful! I played with my

watch in order to not pull out my eye lashes. My friend fell

asleep as did a few others in the room. I guess you never

know the level of public speaking skills of an author when

that author is booked.

This past weekend had me spending Saturday meeting my

photography friends north of Hobart in the small town of

Oatlands. It is a lovely country town with an even lovelier

bakery. I had the best heated chocolate croissant with my

flat white. We then had a few cars and we car pooled north

to Tunbridge an even smaller village with not much there

except very old houses and agriculture.

From there we went farther north to the more touristy

town, Ross. It has one of the older convict made bridges

in the country. It also has a nice bakery. There was an

amateur medieval day going on and they were happy for us to photograph them. The local group do these little exercises

regularly and by then I was getting tired. There was

another American expat on the sidelines watching her

husband running around with armour and a sword. The

group was funny as they were like enthusiastic four year

olds who had all been given rubber swords for Christmas.

The others took more photos and I enjoyed talking to the

woman on the sidelines. We discussed the Super Bowl and

the upcoming American elections and how much we both

hate Donald Trump.

So now we are in the next week and activities continue to

roll on but more of that next week. I hope you do something

fun this week. I’ll leave you with the delicious banana bread recipe I made today. I substituted 1/4 cup of the flour for drinking chocolate mix. It really added to the flavour.

Another week is almost gone. It’s hard to believe we’re sliding into February already. This week has a few gym sessions and a Fullers Book store event at the end of the week. It is the launch of a book by Hilary Burden called Undersong.

It celebrates the stories of Tasmanian landscapes and environments, through the journeys of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, Undersong is a Tasmanian journey into Country.

Hilary Burden’s book explores the relationship to Country of several women of Tasmania, including herself, Aunty Patsy Cameron and historical figures Louisa Anne Meredith and Marianne North, among others. Separated by time but not place, the women in this non-linear, narrative non-fiction work all share a deep connection to this island at the bottom of the world.

I am going to it with a friend and I am looking forward to the first event of 2024 at Fullers Book store. Let my social life begin.

Books

I have a book I am reading one chapter at a time called: Waymakers:  An Anthology of Women’s Writing about Walking edited by Kerri Andrews. Poetry, anecdotes, short pieces of prose dating back into history. I’m enjoying it so far.

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I’m getting reading to begin two new books for the March book clubs I’m in.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran. The blurb reads: Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney – populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings. This is their safe place, an oasis of familiar delights – a beautiful garden, a busy kitchen and a bountiful recreation schedule. But this ordinary neighbourhood is not without its prejudices.
The serenity of Cinnamon Gardens is threatened by malignant forces more interested in what makes this refuge different rather than embracing the calm companionship that makes this place home to so many. As those who challenge the residents’ existence make their stand against the nursing home with devastating consequences, our characters are forced to reckon with a country divided.

The Dry Heart by Matalia Ginzburg. I have never heard of this book or author but the blurb states:

The Dry Heart begins and ends with the matter-of-fact pronouncement: ‘I shot him between the eyes.’ As the tale – a plunge into the chilly waters of loneliness, desperation, and revenge – proceeds, the narrator’s murder of her flighty husband takes on a certain logical inevitability.

Stripped of any preciousness or sentimentality, Natalia Ginzburg’s writing here is white-hot, tempered by rage. She transforms the unhappy tale of an ordinary dull marriage into a rich psychological thriller that seems to beg the question: why don’t more wives kill their husbands?

About the Author

Natalia Ginzburg (1916-1991) was born in Sicily and became one of the most important Italian writers of the twentieth century.

This sounds interesting.

Photography

A fellow photography club member and I went to the top of two car parks to take some photos. I was reading an article about photographers trying new perspectives and one of them was “Look down!”  I had not done that much in the past so I thought car parks might be fun. One had ten levels, the other seven. Then we went to Fullers for a coffee and chat. A very pleasant way to spend part of a day. I’d like to go back at night time though and get the lights as the ten level car park overlooks the harbour and riverfront. Would be quite beautiful at night. But will wait until winter when darkness comes much earlier as I don’t fancy walking around a city car park late at night with all my camera gear.

Here are a couple of the photos.

I guess that brings you up to date so stay tuned for more adventures and books.

…..The minute somebody turns it on, I go into the library and read a good book.

I can relate to that quite a bit but must say I enjoyed my binge of Netflix last week of the British crime drama “Fool Me Once’ with Joanna Lumley playing the matriarch of a drug company doing the wrong thing. It has so many twists and turns.

I am just about finished with Zadie Smith’s book The Fraud. I am enjoying it so much. I am doing a read listen of it and Smith reads it. She is so good at all the voices and accents. It takes place in England, Jamaica and Australia across the 19th century. Lots of characters but I find listening to all the voices while I read along the book helps keep them sorted.

2024- I am really looking forward to this year. I made one resolution. I will not have any major health problems this year. 2020 was one big benign ovarian tumour. Doctor said it was the size of a baby’s head. 2022 was loss of vision in one eye. 2023 was a heart attack, lucky not major. 2024 is going to be the healthiest year I ever had. Sometimes I laugh at how ridiculous it has all been. Add all that to my stroke I had 10 yrs ago and the MS I’ve had for 23 years. You have to laugh and just keep going. Move!!

The gym will remain in my life. I finished listening to a couple of travel writing books. I tend to begin one audible book, listen to half of it, then the mood changes and off I go into another. I end up with three or four half listened to books then go back and clean them all up to finish them.

Another little book I was gifted and have looked at for 2024 is The Little Frog’s Guide to Self Care. It is all about getting out and socialising, taking care of one’s mental health. Spending time with friends and happy self affirmations all discussed with a spunky, small frog.

I am really looking forward to our two book clubs beginning next and my two photo clubs starting activities again. We have an excursion in one club where we drive up to the midlands area of Tasmania and travel back roads taking photos of whatever we fancy. Probably quite a few old abandoned buildings, sheds, farm photos. n all meet for coffees and lunch.

I am rejoining the seniors group I belonged to also. I had stopped going due to being so upset to so many health problems but after a couple of years away I am looking forward to the evening meal once a month, the occasional speakers and a country lunch here and there every month. I enjoy the members of the group, many who are in their 80s and 90s and live vibrant, active lives. I think the older one gets the more socialising and reading becomes for one’s mind. Also get down on the floor everyday and practice getting up. Sounds silly but such a skill once you get over 65/70.😏😏😏

I had good news when I entered a photo in the competition run by the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The rule was we had to include a structure within the gardens. My photo came in second of about 80 entries that I could see. I missed out on the first place with a $300.00 prize but was very happy with the Highly Commended.

We are off and running into 2024 so stay tuned for the books coming up, the photographs, my sister’s month long visit in March. She lives in California. There will be road trips and day trips. There will be food.

And on a final note…each year, rather than a resolution being thought about I pick one word that I will attempt to live by. This year’s word is INTENTION. Each morning as I write a note in my diary I think of what intention I want to act on for the day. Gym, walk, read, be kind, do laundry, play with the dog, doesn’t matter, just get up and do something.

I hope the new year has kicked off for all of you cyber friends. All the best.

By the way, Penguin has a new friend this year too. Mr. Galah.