Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter
by A.E. Moorat



Wow, this book is a good one. I read it hot on the tail of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and the cover led me to believe it'd be another 'zombie' thing. But no! Sure, there are some zombies in it, but it's mostly about demons and other otherworldly evils, and the fact that Queen Victoria is often attacked by them as a young woman. Why? You'll find out!

It follows the real life of Queen Victoria quite accurately, which is slightly 'scary'- for all you know, it could be true, because who's to say that demons aren't real and they're just hiding themselves well? Reminds me of that bit in Doctor Who about The Royal Family (you know what I mean if you've seen it.)

It's quite funny in places, and has a good love story between Victoria and Albert, plus all sorts of great actiony scenes. Plus zombie servants, mad scientists, werewolves, rats, Intrigue, and much much more.


Tagline: She loved her country. She hated zombies.

Blurb: There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.

London, 1838

Queen Victoria is crowned, she receives the orb,t he sceptre and an arsenal of blood-stained weaponry. Because if Britain is about to become the greatest power of the age, there's the small matter of the demons to take care of first.

But rather than dreaming of demon hunting, it is Prince Albert who occupies her thoughts. Can she dedicate her life to saving her country when her heart belongs elsewhere?

With lashings of glistening entrails, decapitations, and foul demons, this masterly new portrait will give a fresh understanding of a remarkable woman, a legendary monarch and quite possibly the best Demon Hunter the world has ever seen...

Books I'm Looking For

Updated list of books I'm looking for. I've put a hold on the books that are at the start of the original list. I have a limit of I think 10 books on hold, hopefully more will come in soon!



Neverending Story
Bring the Jubilee

Pretty much all the books on this list.

The Catcher in the Rye, because I've not read it yet
What I saw and How I Lied
The '100 Ideas' books for education
Little Brother- I really like dystopian kinds of books.
Saturn's Children, about a sexbot after the humans have died out.
Zoe's Tale
The Last Colony
Books by Lois McMaster Bujold
Thunderer
Briefs for the Reading Room by Dan Marvin
The Magicians
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
The Handmaid's Tale- read it before, but I want to read it again.
The Time Traveller's Wife... I'm not totally sure on this one but I'll give it a go.
Before I Die - if I'm wanting a tearjerker.
More of the Jeeves and Wooster stories
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Up the Down Staircase- about teaching
To Sir With Love
More books by Mark Billingham, one of the guards in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men. He writes crime novels.
A book by Hugh Laurie. I forget what it's called, it's a detective story
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Books by Dickens
Gods Behaving Badly
Galex-Arena A book that has stuck with me since my early teens.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
The Brief History of the Dead
Geek Love, Catherine Dunn
Catch 22
Buying Time
Starship Titanic (again)
The Difference Engine
Diary of Anne Frank
The Minpins
Something Beginning With
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Beka Cooper series by Tamora Pierce
Bartimaeus Trilogy
Stranger in a strange land by robert heinlein.
Full Tilt
Books by Shel Silverstein
Playing Beatie Bow
To Sir With Love
more Terry Pratchett books

Blind Faith

Book: Blind Faith
Author: Ben Elton

I've been sitting and staring at this draft (with only the above on it) for quite a few days now. Why? Because it's hard to explain how good a book this is.
I read it a while ago, and then asked to get it for Christmas. I got a good quality second hand copy- that's all I need.

Ben Elton is a British comedian who did/does stand up comedy, wrote many fantastic britcoms and is friends with Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson. He also writes novels: something that people might not know.

I think "Blind Faith" is my favourite Ben Elton novel, and I've read quite a few of them.

I like that it plays on many classic novels like 1984, Farenheit 451 and quite a few others, in its portrayal of the future, but makes it more 'relevant' for modern times (not that 1984 isn't still relevant, but he bases his dystopian future on a world that we, now, could fear happening).

I like that it's written in a way that is very readable, and entertainingly (in a non funny way). I like that it all seems so ridiculous, but at the same time possible. It makes me think about social networking, the internet, privacy, religion, and the nature of technology.

Without giving too much away, Blind Faith is set in the future, after a Flood that the citizens believe was a message from God to kill off people for their vanity and pride, however is clear from the start was the ice caps melting- the whole city is too hot as a result of global warming. Everyone is crowded in, and 50% of children die. There's also a lot of media everywhere, even little screens on coffee cups. People are constantly watched on webcams by fellow citizens, and are expected to watch other people as well. They're expected to blog and to read blogs, and to post up videos of all major life events. This is a matter of religion- you're taking pride in what God has given you. Similarly, you should not wear too many clothes, or that's not taking pride in the body God gave you. 'Disrespecting' someone is a crime that could get a mob after you very easily. Fiction is banned. Cake is good and therefore God must want you to eat more of it.

You are never alone.

And the main character lives in this world.

It sure makes me thankful for not joining Facebook.


I really, really, love this book.

My Weight Loss 'Secrets'

In 2008, I went from 69 kgs to 55 kgs. I am very short, so this was a huge difference. I felt really proud of myself.

People asked me 'how did I do it?'

Here are my 'secrets'.

1. Eat stuff you like.
Yep. I'm serious. Don't waste calories eating stuff you don't like or don't really want, out of politeness. Learn to say 'oh that looks lovely but I'm not really hungry right now' when offered biscuits, cakes, or even a giant steak. And don't just eat random junk because you're a bit peckish. How much do you REALLY like those chips? Really? Wouldn't it be better to eat some cherry tomatoes right now, that you actually enjoy and are better for you? Or eat nothing?

2. Don't feel bad about eating. Just eat in moderation.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eszter/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

There's no food that's really bad- it's just bad in certain quantities. You like chocolate? Eat two squares instead of 2 rows. Then put it away. You've had your chocolate pieces for today! Full? Stop eating that meal and put it away for lunch tomorrow. Want dessert? Go for it. Just don't eat five scoops of icecream. This way you don't 'miss out'. Don't feel you have to live a life just eating vegetables and nothing else. This is what put me off originally. It depressed me.




3. Save foods- understand it'll most likely be there for you tomorrow too.

I think I got a big possessive about my foods, I was thinking if I don't eat it now, it'll be ruined tomorrow, or eaten by someone else! Just because I don't eat it *now* doesn't mean I can never eat more of it again ever, even if it is ruined tomorrow- I'm full now, and had enough now. It doesn't matter if other people have had more. So, make use of doggy bags, of gladwrap, fridges, freezers, and leftovers for lunch. And that chocolate will still be there the next day.

4. Eat frequently but little.

This way your metabolism can keep fuelled, and you don't feel hungry. By 'frequently', I was eating a little every two hours. This totally stuffed up when I went back to uni though, this year. :(

5. Gum.

Chewing something sweet actually convinces my body that I've just had some sort of tasty snack- but it's very very few calories.

6. Know calories.

Understand how calories and metabolism work. You don't just need to eat less than what you're eating now, if you're already eating way too much for your body size- that's still gaining weight, just less quickly. And understand that the fitter you are, the faster your body processes energy. I figured out how many calories my body actually needs. I ate about that, and then did more exercise every day. It was also illuminating to find out how many calories are in different foods. When I was in my first degree at uni I'd often eat two packets of dried noodles for lunch. I found out in 2007 that those noodles are about 400 calories or more a packet- I could certainly not afford to eat 800 calories just for lunch! Finding out some of the foods has now put me off those foods for life, and I don't even miss them.
Some people get too stressed about calorie counting- my mother for one. But if you don't have at least a vague awareness of it, I think that you're less likely to be successful.

7. Drink water

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorispindler/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This hydrates you, which does all sorts of wonderful things for your body and metabolism, makes it easier to exercise (at least it did for me!) and also, most of the time when your body is saying it's a little peckish, it's actually thirsty. I'm really bad at remembering to drink water- it could be good to get into a habit (like I did) of tallying how much water you drink a day.

8. Food/drink diaries
Just for a few weeks, write down what you ate that day. Perhaps get a trusted friend to look at it. Just knowing that a friend will look at it, in combination with a promise to yourself not to cheat, can make you moderate what you eat, and how much water you drink.

9. Diet soft drinks and other low calorie options.

I don't feel like drinking my calorie intakes. So yep, 'diet coke, and a pizza please', if the pizza can fit in for that day. Coke has a lot more calories than you realise.

10. Home Made Foods
Home made pizza is soooo much better for you than pizza from Pizza Hut. And if you have my boyfriend's recipe, you'd be drooling. It also doesn't take that long to cook!

11. Find an exercise you like

http://www.flickr.com/photos/procrasti-nate/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Not me.



I can't stress this enough. In late 2007, I took up ballroom and latin dancing with a group of friends. Decided I'd take the plunge and learn, I'd always been interested. That then moved to some of us taking up swing dancing, which I still do today, slowly rising through the ranks of abilities. I LOVE it. I love that I get to dress up, get to chat to all sorts of different people, that I'm feeling far more coordinated and less clumsy in day to day life, that it's all vintagey and feels wonderfully old fashioned that I can go out dancing with my friends and not have it involve alcohol and loud music, that I feel good and happy doing it, that I can help newbies out, and I'm proud of my abilities. I could have just gone walking on the treadmill alone.
Find an activity that suits YOU. You need to combine healthy eating with exercise- make it something you're NOT going to resent and put off. Don't just hit the gym, unless that is the activity that suits you.

12. Put signs up.

I put signs up saying "Do you really want these biscuits?"
"Are you really actually hungry? Drink some water".
It only works as long as the signs are 'fresh', but it does work.

13. Stress/willpower

Sadly, I think one of the things that made me lose weight was stress. It gave me more willpower somehow. Don't do that if you can avoid it. But I thought I'd be honest. Willpower however is important- people say 'oh, I couldn't possibly lose weight!'
But they CAN! If they have the willpower. (Well, 99% of people who say that could if they wanted to. But perhaps not with their current mental state).



11. Have a goal.

I wanted to be able to fit into pretty dresses. I also wanted to win a weightloss competition. It was fun competing against my friends, and also having a goal to work towards.

12. Go do things

Don't just sit around at home. Get hobbies. Go out walking. Walk to the shops. Get a 'life'. (not just a job). You're moving around more if you do, and are distracted from thoughts of food.

13. Don't be afraid that you're too fat to be seen.

You're not too fat to dance. Too fat to swim. Too fat to go to the gym. Too fat to find love. Too fat to do anything at all, unless I suppose you're housebound but even then you could dance with just your arms!
"Ugh, no one wants to see me in bathers"- you're not THERE to be seen. You're there to swim and have fun. "No one can dance with me, I'm so big". Well, I know two very large girls in my dance classes, and a few very large guys- it's no big deal. And we're not doing lifts anyway, you don't until you get muuuuuuch better than I might ever be.
If people laugh at you for being in your bathers, that is THEIR problem- you are out, getting exercise, doing what you want to do and having a fun time doing it. Force yourself into some self confidence, and go out and do it all.



A sad note though: I've gained weight back, because of university- university meant I was sitting still for longer, couldn't see friends as often, eating less frequently and worse foods, had to sit around and read and write a lot at home, and so on. I'll be trying to follow my own rules again from now on.

Pride and Prejudice And Zombies- Review

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains"

By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

A much talked about book, that I finally finished on the 4th! But just in case you've not heard- it is awesome, if you're a zombie geek, and a Jane Austen lover (or hater even, I think). It's even great if you're like me and like the concept of zombies but can't cope with too much gore so don't go much further than Shaun of the Dead in terms of Zombie Movies, as it's all in text format and is just so funny juxtaposed with Regency England!

The basic idea is that someone has added zombies to Pride and Prejudice. Woah there, don't get angry- they did it in a completely awesome way, and most of the original text is still there! The zombies have been woven almost flawlessly into it. I was expecting normal Pride and Prejudice, and then sudden Zombie attack, like what often happens in movies- they have no awareness of zombies before that point. No. They've written it so that quite a few decades ago, a plague started, a strange plague, that brought the dead back to life. Now, it is usual and expected for young ladies of a certain social standing to add 'zombie killing' and 'hand to hand combat' to their list of accomplishments, for children to be sent to China, or better (according to Lady Catherine) to Japan, for martial arts training, for groups of militia to travel about the country side killing the afflicted and for deadly blood oaths to be sworn rather than mere grudges based on pride or prejudice.

Yet all of the original story is still there (though altered sometimes due to the zombie changes).
Brilliance.
I also love the fact that it is *illustrated*!

I will have happy memories of this book forever, as I started reading it in the tent while I was away on the Yorke Peninsula, lit only by a torch, and I was laughing away at all the changes Seth made. If you love Jane Austen (or Zombies) you'll love that there's some more stuff to read that could easily get people loving the original (rather than just loving the most recent P&P movie which was sadly lacking in my opinion. No, not talking about that one where she jumped into the book through a portal, which I quite liked!). If you hate it, it'll make it more entertaining for you.


I look forward to the movie that is being made, and also to reading Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters, which I got for Christmas.

Do Not Buy From

Haha awesome, I'm on a Do Not Buy From list of someone on Etsy because I'm an 'Unbeliever'. Like she was going to buy dollhouse miniatures anyway.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union -Review

The Yiddish Policemen's Union
by Michael Chabon
Genre: Detective/Crime/Alternative History

I picked up this book from the library as it was on my list of books that sounded cool- it was on an alternative history sci fi list. This is a genre that I quite like. The author changes something that happened with history, and writes their story set in that world. The changes can be big or small, and have varying levels of difference to reality. The stories can be set in any time in the past or present or future as well.

This story, by Michael Chabon, is set in the present, but the point where time diverged into a different dimension, was that after the second world war a safe haven was created for Jews in Alaska. In 1948, the fledgling state of Israel collapsed. Now, sixty years later, the Jewish state of Sitka is about to be reverted back to Alaskan control. A homicide detective, a workaholic after the shameful divorce from his wife (bit cliche for a crime novel...), investigates a murder that took place in the same 'flophouse' he's been living at.

What do I think of it? I think people should give it a try, but I didn't get more than a few chapters in. Perhaps I will keep reading it, but it doesn't seem like 'my' sort of thing. I didn't realise when I borrowed it that it was a crime novel, and though I don't mind crime novels, I like specific sorts. To be honest the Jewish stuff confused and frustrated me- I don't know nearly enough about Jews apparently to understand things, and though I tried to just read it and piece it together like I would for an alien culture, it was difficult for me, and I gave up, I wasn't sucked in. I LOVED the concept of the alternate history, however, and he writes decently, just in a style that I'm not used to. And I know nothing about Chess.

Maybe I'll try reading it again in a while.

Apparently a movie is coming out - I'd watch it.

edit: People on Library Thing had a hard time reading this too, this makes me feel slightly less bad about it!

My Favourite Gingerbread Recipe

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jopeattie/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Not made with my recipe, but looks similar.


I made a lot of gingerbread this holiday season! Once we tripled the batch and it wouldn't fit into the mixer anymore.

I thought I'd share the recipe that I've been using, and perhaps you can enjoy it next Christmas, or maybe 'just for'. :)

* Melted butter, to grease
* 125g butter, at room temperature
* 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
* 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
* 1 egg, separated
* 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
* 1 tbs ground ginger
* 1 tsp mixed spice
* 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
* Plain flour, to dust


Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc shape. Cover with gladwrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use cutters to cut out shapes (we used star shapes). Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.
If you want to, decorate the gingerbread with icing.

Eco Friendly Lifestyle- Guest Post

This is a guest post from Frugal Mom in MA. AKA, ShabbyChic72



I am just your ordinary thirty-something stay at home mom who tries to make an effort each day at living an eco-friendly lifestyle. One of my biggest attributes ( at least I consider it to be one!) is that I am frugal. There is a distinction between being cheap and being frugal. I prefer to reuse, reduce and reycle! And from this comes my love of all things vintage! I believe things were forty or fifty years ago were better quality and back then people were eco-friendly before things changed.

One of my favorite things to do is to shop at thrift stores and yard sales. I find beautiful cloth napkins that make me feel like I am dining in a five-star restaurant when I use them at home. The other option is to use paper napkins and feel like your are eating at your local fast-food restaurant and killing trees! Vintage napkins are eco-friendly, cost effective AND beautiful!

Another love of mine is Pyrex. The beautiful designs from decades ago that our moms had when we were growing up. Before microwaves and plastic covers were invented! And the best part is you can find them at yard sales and thrift stores! They are inexpensive, beautiful AND they have glass lids so you don’t have to worry about chemicals being released into your food!

And like many women, I love, love, love jewelry and purses! I love it when I stumble across a beautiful purse or piece of jewelry from years ago. What a hidden treasure! It is usually inexpensive and I am reusing and recycling, so how can my husband complain?

I am a coffee and tea drinker. Over the years I have found many beautiful vintage teacups and tablecloths at yard sales and thrift stores. I am a bit of a girly-girl, and I have two daughters, so to me this is fun to be able to have my tea in fine china and a fancy tablecloth! I don’t need the Queen of England to invite me for tea, I can feel special right at home and know that I am recycling and at little to no cost!

Maybe thrift store and yard sale hunting is not for everyone, but at least it is my passion and my conscious effort to having an eco-friendly lifestyle! This is also why I started shabbychic72, my online vintage store at etsy.com. Hopefully others will find the beauty and benefits of all things vintage!


Photo by

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicestalan/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Happy New Decade!

In this time of New Year, I hope that you are happy and safe, and have plans to improve your life for the next year, if you are happy and safe or not.

Last night I reconnected with some of my old friends, and I had a fantastic night over at a friend's house, playing pool, dangling our feet in the spa, eating, playing boardgames and wii, and playing with sparklers and bubble blowing and the dog. It was warm, and we were in tshirts, bare feet and half of us in board shorts. We saw my friend's ultrasound images. We ate a home made icecream cake. Our night was simple and wonderful. We didn't see fireworks. We didn't get drunk. We didn't go out to some huge party. We didn't dress up. We did have a great time, and though we do like fireworks, we also just like being ourselves.

I've not had time to think about my resolutions yet, but I am resolved that this year will be full of adventures and development and achievements. I had a great 2009, learning many new things, finding a boyfriend, going back to university, getting over (more or less) depression and anxiety and perhaps a silly thing, but I've had a great time with my websites. I often freak out about all the things I didn't manage to do in a year, but this year I feel quite contented, even though there's that niggle that maybe I could have done more.

What are your New Year's thoughts?

Secret Army

The other day, I finished watching Secret Army, it only took Mum and I a year of finding time when we had an hour to watch something at the same time!


I highly recommend that anyone with even the remotest interest in the Second World War watch this show. Or anyone who wants a gripping drama, or likes classic shows.

So, what is Secret Army?

Secret Army is/was a BBC Drama that was made in the late 70s, about the incredibly brave work that the Belgian evasion lines did. They weren't 'resistance' with guns and spying (though they do do some!) and they didn't help Jews escape. They did collect wounded or fallen airmen from the Allied side, hide them, nurse them back to health and help them escape detection by the Germans (who occupied Belgium during the war) and get back home to England, so that they'd be able to pass on useful information about the things they saw behind German lines, and also, hopefully come back and blow up some more Germans, and of course, to save their lives.

The front to their Evasion Line, named 'Lifeline' is the cafe (then in series 2 and 3, Restaurant) Candide. Much of the work is done by female characters, in fact the woman who started it off, Lisa, was a very young woman. She is aided by another young woman Natalie, the man who owns the Candide, Albert, and Albert's mistress, Monique. When the story begins Albert has an invalid wife who never leaves her bedroom that they must hide everything from. They have helpers such as a farmer who does the radio work, and a doctor, who helps the wounded and also gives a Front for Lisa's travelling around at night by letting her work for him.

There are two Germans who are 'after them' (as well as other people of course) part of the occupying force in Germany. This is Kessler, the head of the Belgian Gestapo, and Brandt, then later Reinhart, the leader of the Luftwaffe in Belgium. They become extremely interesting characters.

There is a great turnover of other characters- be warned, much of it is through death, and the show is very dramatic, tense, and tragic, though also incredibly interesting and wonderful.


The iconic opening (and ending) titles.


The story of Lifeline is based on a true group of people in Belgium. And many of the details in individual stories and the fates of many different characters is based on other true stories.

The show was obviously filmed and made with much love, a lot of research and great actors who put their heart and soul into being these characters. It is filmed partially in studio in England, partially on location in England, and partially on location in Belgium.

Though it does have a very 1970s feel, and isn't all cut all over the place like a modern wartime drama would be, it certainly stands up on its own even now, and is just as sad and great as it was then. It was also one of the first wartime dramas that showed the friendship between the women.

Does this storyline sound familiar to you? Perhaps you were or are a fan of 'Allo Allo', a seventies Britcom that was actually... based on Secret Army! Though they set themselves in France rather than Belgium, 'Albert' has more than one girlfriend, and of course it's a comedy. Never in Secret Army are the words 'Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once' uttered.

Albert from Secret Army













Rene from Allo Allo. Notice a resemblance?

I highly recommend that people go out and get this series (available in ABC shops, on Amazon, and probably many other shops that I just don't pay attention to/know about), and enjoy it- you'll learn a lot, and come away with the same question that my mother and I did. If we lived in those times- could we do that sort of thing? We agreed that it was braver than what soldiers did, and that it must have been incredibly strange when the war ended.




Part 1 of the first episode.

My List of Books to Find or Request

A goal of mine for 2010 is to read more books. I'm going through lists right now and finding good sounding ones. Fiction, non fiction, children's/teens/young adult fiction, help books, travel books, anything useful sounding. I'm requesting and holding them now (some aren't in our local library so I need to ask them if they'll buy it, or look elsewhere), because then I'm much more likely to actually get to the library soon, unlike last year when months would go by without any Library access. Unfortunately my library card will only let me request or hold 10 books at a time, so I need to make a list to remind me. Perhaps you'll want to do the same?

Laura Charlotte- a picture book that was my brother's favourite when he was little. I want to reread it!
The Neverending Story- I don't know if I've read this or not.
The Princess Bride- I've read it before, but I think I want to own it, or at least read it again.
Bring the Jubilee, Ward Moore- Alternative Fiction about the South winning the Civil War

Pretty much all the books on this list.

The Catcher in the Rye, because I've not read it yet
What I saw and How I Lied
One of those Twilight Parody books
Pagan's Daughter ... I think I disagree with the book being written and Pagan having a daughter, but I do still sorta want to read it. I might want to rant about it though.
The '100 Ideas' books for education
Little Brother- I really like dystopian kinds of books.
Saturn's Children, about a sexbot after the humans have died out.
Zoe's Tale
The Last Colony
Books by Lois McMaster Bujold
Thunderer
Briefs for the Reading Room by Dan Marvin
The Magicians
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
The Handmaid's Tale- read it before, but I want to read it again.
The Time Traveller's Wife... I'm not totally sure on this one but I'll give it a go.
Before I Die - if I'm wanting a tearjerker.
More of the Jeeves and Wooster stories
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Up the Down Staircase- about teaching
To Sir With Love
More books by Mark Billingham, one of the guards in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men. He writes crime novels.
A book by Hugh Laurie. I forget what it's called, it's a detective story
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Books by Dickens
Gods Behaving Badly
Galex-Arena A book that has stuck with me since my early teens.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
The Brief History of the Dead
Geek Love, Catherine Dunn
Catch 22
Buying Time
Starship Titanic (again)
The Difference Engine
Diary of Anne Frank
The Minpins
Something Beginning With


And I'm sure, much much more. Which books do you think I'd like?

Wreaths and Decorations

From Clayitagain

Resolutions for next Christmas

I want to make more decorations, particularly a wreath
I want to cook more foods. This year I made gingerbread!
Watch more Christmas themed tv and movies (this year I saw The Big Baby from Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, AD/BC and that's about it.)
Donate more things
Make presents for friends
Have a Christmas party for friends.


What are yours?

A Christmas Joke

In our bon bons, we, like every other user of bon bons, get bad jokes, and read them out to our families. We'd just finished reading out such delights as "Why are fish easy to weigh? Because they have their own scales!" when my brother said something about laughing at a joke about Tiger Woods the other day. My aunt asked him what it was.
And he launched right into it.

"Why is Father Christmas better than Tiger Woods? He stops at three hos"

Cue a gasp and a laugh, and my grandfather asking him to repeat it and then explain it, and my mother being horribly embarrassed. My aunt explained to him, and it went okay but my goodness I wouldn't have been brave enough to tell a dirty joke in front of my grandfather!

We had slightly upmarket bonbons, with such prizes as giant paper clips, round dice, little notebooks, tiny packs of cards, and nail clippers. And jokes on shiny paper. The other day my brother and his girlfriend had a Christmas party with their friends and had jokes like " Why are elephants not small, white and fluffy? Because then they'd be an aspirin".

One day I want to make bonbons with better jokes in them, and perhaps sell them on Etsy.

We also have a tradition where we must cross our arms to pull the bonbons. Fun times! How about you? Do you have any? What was your worst or best joke this year? Any particular traditions?

Santa Claus vs Father Christmas

When I was little, he was called Father Christmas, NEVER Santa Claus. Santa was, we were told, what children in America called him, and Saint Nicholas, what people in Europe called him. He was all the same person, but he was drawn and portrayed in different ways. Father Christmas usually didn't have a hat (when seeing him in real life. He did on cards and on the big statue of him in the mall), he had a wreath of holly or ivy on his head, he also often



wore a robe or a hood. He often wore glasses. Sometimes he had pants and black boots, other times an ankle length robe or coat. He seemed a bit more mystical though he was still jolly. Over the years, the increased American media, and the Internet, has led to people in shops calling him 'Santa' on signs, and children saying 'Santa' because of the tv shows they're watching which have him in it. My own brother is saying 'Santa', and he's 21. But he also insists on saying 'cookies' and 'candy' instead of biscuits and lollies just to piss me off- he likes saying the American words in a 'funny' way, like he's imitating a tv show.

This change makes me sad. I'm not entirely sure why, maybe because it's another example of us losing our uniqueness. A sign of commercialism, and mass media, and almost brainwashing.
'Father Christmas' puts a nice, calm image and feeling in my head. 'Santa Claus' somehow does not. It almost doesn't seem like the same person, though I know the idea is the same.
I will find it weird if my children eagerly await 'Santa' where I was excited for 'Father Christmas'. A weird culture shock in my own country and within 20 years. I guess I can still call him Father Christmas with my own children.

People right now are complaining that Santa is too fat, and is a bad example. Father Christmas (and Saint Nicholas for that matter) were never traditionally hugely obese (sure in some books they were, but the ones I saw in shops, were not). Maybe a bit of a belly but it didn't usually require shoving 3 pillows up your front. Maybe we should go back to the look they had in the 80s rather than the look they're having now. Then they still look Jolly, rather than like Gandalf dressed in red.



What did the Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, etc etc, look like when you were little? And do you still call him the same thing? (Especially if you're not American). What do you think about that?









































The actual Father Christmas of my childhood, from the John Martin's Christmas Pageant. I visited him in John Martin's every year.

































Somehow him not having a hat makes a difference. And though he looks reasonably similar to the American one here, except not having a hat, most of the Santas around the place that I saw as a kid had hoods, long robes (sometimes over the top of the belted suit), no hat, glasses, long hair (not just a long beard) and all sorts.

*sigh* I hate change.

Merry Christmas!

It's 11 pm on Christmas Eve and I'm ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow, we have to wake up at 7, as my brother is going to a Christmas Breakfast, plus two other Christmas engagements other than for our family- insane boy, and making our Christmas as full and early awake as it was when we were little.
I'm quite happy with the gifts I have chosen/made for other people, and something great is happening- my boyfriend is spending the day with us. :) I'm looking forward to it. The Christmas tree looks great, the weather will be nice (21 degrees celcius ish), I really think this year has a lot of potential.

I was going to try to write something awesome and profound, or rant about something, but I don't really have anything. I'm not very prepared am I? But I have a list of things that I'd like to talk about after Christmas. I'll take photos, I promise.

Have a wonderful and safe Christmas everyone, and thanks for reading my blog!

Treadmill Time

That '15 lbs' that you gain (though of course I'd use kilograms!) when you go to university seems to be true. I was normal in High School, I assume because I was walking between classes, was carrying heavy bags, walking to the bus interchange after school and it was more acceptable to run around. I gained a LOT (... probably... hmn. 10 kilograms? A lot on my short frame) during the first year of uni and didn't really notice it until 2.5 years ago when I finished my degree. Then I put myself on a 'diet' (as in, just cut down how much crap I was eating.), started dancing, and did more walking on the treadmill. In a year, I lost 15 kilograms, it was crazy, I was as light as I was as a 14 year old!

Then I started up this education degree and ... yeahhhh. 7 kilograms gained back (still less than I was after my first degree). Boo. I just didn't have time to go out as much. Even though I was dancing 2 or 3 times a week, I was eating less healthily and not walking around as much in the home.

The past two or three months I've had insane homework and teaching time, so I've not been able to go to dancing as often. Also my Wednesday dancing ended forever. :(

I felt so unfit walking around in the Yorke Peninsula, when a year ago it would have been no problem (and until 3 months ago I could have easily danced for 2 hours non stop without a problem. Different muscle use I suppose.) I think I need a treadmill program. I would go out walking on the streets but unless I go late at night (with someone else, I think!) then it's too hot to go out.

Another motivation is that my boyfriend wants to travel more with me- backpacking. And he's more into adventure travel than I am. I'd be happy wandering around museums. But he wants to go on lots of walks as well as museums. And I suppose, if I were in a strange city I'd be wanting to walk around all day and it could be quite hilly.
I need to get myself fit again! I just walked 5 kms and I don't think that's a bad effort.

I want to put myself through some sort of program and see what happens with it. Got any to recommend, for someone who can't go outside right now?

Merry Bloopy!

One of my favourite shows is Maid Marian and Her Merry Men.

It is a musical, historical, comedy/parody show that I believe is great for all ages. It has Tony Robinson who is currently doing many historical documentary shows like Time Team, but was also Baldrick in Blackadder.

MMMM is a parody of the Robin Hood legends that is saturated in historical anachronisms. Marian is the leader of the gang rather than Robin. But more about that another day.

Since it's almost Christmas I thought I'd share one of my favourite songs from it! Father Bloopy. From the episode "The Big Baby".

The Sheriff is trying to get out trouble for having a parcel stolen by the Merry Men, and so he and the two guards, Gary and Graeme, invent the holiday of 'Bloopy'- which means deliveries can't be made! They get a bit carried away with their invention of it, and invent Father Bloopy, a man who is supposed to bring presents to everyone on Bloopy. The King is outraged- why isn't HE getting any Bloopy presents?? They then invent the 'tradition' that all the villagers must give presents to Father Bloopy (the King in disguise) in order to get a present in return. So they head off to the village to convince everyone (and Robin who happens to be passing) about Father Bloopy and how great he is.

My favourite quotes "And in his stable he has got sixteen hippopotamuses, and he harnesses them to a silver sleigh, cos he doesn't like using buses!"

"He'll climb right down your chimney stack, but if you haven't got one, he'll crawl right out of a radiator valve, unless it's a very hot one, then his hippos will come and smash down your door, and if you've been good he will thrill you! To good girls and boys, he gives presents and toys... but if you've been bad, he will kill you!"

Watch it, and have a Merry Bloopy, everyone!

If you are or were a fan, make sure to join the fanforum! And if you want to watch it, it IS available on dvd! (and much better quality than this video)

Blythe Dolls -Guest Blog

Liz Logan from Paperbella on Etsy makes some great papercut crafts! She's also the guest blogger for today, talking about something that I like- dolls! (though I'm more into the 1:12 scale variety).


Here she is!:

Am I the only one who hasn’t ever heard of Blythe dolls?





1. BlytheCouture.etsy.com


I was born in the 80’s so as you can imagine, there was no shortage of the coolest toys; Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, and the list goes on and on. I was such a girly girl too; I loved dolls. My childhood consisted of the ones that you can actually feed them a bottle and then they wet themselves. You know what I’m talking about right?

I’ve had to grow up of course, and put away all those pretty and shiny toys, C’est le vie. So, fast forward 20 + years later; where I stumbled onto a listing on Etsy; of a Blythe doll. It instantly caught my attention. She was so pretty with big doe eyes, angelic face, and shiny hair in a cute bob. I looked at more listings, and this Blythe doll can pull off any look! Seriously! Short bob hair, long hair, pink hair, curly hair and so on. I then saw that this doll has excellent sense of fashion; she has some cool accessories.






















2. blythelove.etsy.com
3. blythelove.etsy.com

I decided to learn more about the Blythe doll and I nearly passed out when I saw that she has been around since the 1970’s! Have I been living on some other planet all these years? How could I have never heard of these dolls before? I know I would have coveted one of these beauties so bad!

I invite you to check her out too, take a look at their official website
http://www.blythedoll.com/index-e.html

Throughout this post, I’ve picked some of my favorite shops who sell accessories for these dolls on Etsy, here are some more; click on each one to learn more:


4.LarasFawn.etsy.com




























5. susa.etsy.com
6. susa.etsy.com























7. goodyblythe.etsy.com
8. goodyblythe.etsy.com

Thanks Liz! And remember, anyone may contact me with an offer to guest blog. :)

Gobsmacked

At last year's Lobethal Lights, (see previous entry) we witnessed something that totally shocked us. My Mum, brother, his girlfriend and I were walking along the main road. There's a house there with a verandah, and it had these toys that were moving up and down on a mechanism, attached to 'parachutes' I think it was. All these different toys were clipped onto it. There were people all over the place even though it was dark.

Suddenly, a car pulled up. It was full of laughing teenagers. One jumped out and ran up onto the porch. I don't know what we were thinking, maybe that she lived there. She grabbed one of the toys, ripped it off of the clips that were holding it, and ran off back into the car.

We just stood there, totally shocked. Our minds had all gone to about five different assumptions before we realised what was going on, and by the time we had, it was too late for anything but my brother's girlfriend to call out something telling her off.

Sorry, Lobethal people, that we couldn't save your bear. :(

When have you been gobsmacked?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapstrake/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0