Travellin' Penguin

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.

(Quote by Charlotte Carpenter)

It has been awhile since I was here but wanted to wish everyone well for the new Year and hope your Christmas is/was going well. We aren’t much of Christmas people anymore. We do enjoy the day but our priority is giving funds to the local animal welfare groups in our city.

Yesterday I took Ollie and Peannie to the dog beach. After a few months of rehab, Ollie’s leg has healed enough he can play with other dogs. They had so much fun and really wore themselves out. They both came home and crashed out. I think they had smiles on their faces.

I finally finished the book Flights by Olga Tokarczuk. Because I took so many notes on my Kindle Scribe it took me a long time to read it. The next book on my list is Zadie Smith’s book Fraud. I’ve not read her before but have heard so much about her. I will also be choosing a random book off my shelves to begin. I will randomly select three books and choose one of the three to get stuck into. I will need to speed up my reading or allow more time to get through all the books coming up in 2024. I am not the fastest reader in the world.

With my eye sight being so low now in my left eye I look like a budgie, focusing on the print with my right eye.

I find kindle books much easier and faster to read as I can adjust the font size so I think the majority of my book club reads will be kindle and I will also try to mop up more TBRs from my shelves.

Earlier in December I met my good friend from Port Macquarie in Sydney for 5 days.

She and I saw the Dictionary of Lost Words by the Sydney Theatre Company at the Opera house. We enjoyed it very much and laughed at all the big groups of people around us in the audience. They were all book clubs. How fun would that be. Your whole book group goes to the Opera house.

I also spent some time with my photography friend who lives in Sydney that I missed when in Sydney the end of May because she came down with Covid. It was a fun week but I was glad to leave on the 8th as Sydney was 41 C (105.8 F) that day. We went to Central station that morning and boarded a train for the 6 hr journey to Port Macquarie. I enjoyed the trip but it is S L O W ! So many stops.

I stayed for a few nights with my friend. I have never been there before. It is a beautiful city.

The highlights were attending the Glass House performing arts centre to see the indigenous dance group, Bangarra. It was excellent performance and the dancers are incredible. We also had lunch at the Koala hospital grounds that includes the historic Roto house. Just beautiful. I adopted a koala for a year while there and receive mail outs about how Roto-Jazz is doing.

wrap this up with some of the phone photos from the last month . I didn’t take my big camera as my friend and I spent time at theatre (no cameras allowed), shopping (just a nuisance when holding ags) and having a cocktail every night, (takes up too much space on those tiny tables).

This year had it ups and downs, as usual so I look forward to the clean slate of a new year. I also look forward continued chatting with my blogger friends who I have enjoyed very much this past year. Here’s to the next year into our world of the unknown.