Some authors unwittingly struggle to let their story take centre stage, with a balance between the writer’s natural voice and the content of the narrative remaining tantalisingly out of reach. When this happens, with one element continually threatening to overshadow … Continue reading
Things have been busy at work of late, which means that spare time normally dedicated to writing has been spent in mindless exhaustion. But I haven’t been completely unproductive. I finally watched 30 Rock (after abandoning it years before), the … Continue reading
Originally my itinerary for this trip included several day trips (to Nara, Hiroshima and Miyajima), but once we arrived in Kyoto we decided that we’d rather stay put and just explore this city. It’s my preferred way to travel anyway … Continue reading
Lately I’ve been feeling out of sorts, and I’m not sure of the cause. Perhaps it’s the unseasonably warm start to spring. Or maybe the sight of blooming Jacaranda trees shedding purple throughout Queensland streets. Possibly it’s due to the … Continue reading
In my semi-regular wanderings through the crowded shelves of bookstores, I’d noticed this book many times, but for some curious reason I never bothered to take a closer look. All that changed recently when a friend recommended I read ‘The … Continue reading
Offering a perfect contrast to the urban landscape of Tokyo, a visit to Takayama provided a wonderful interlude before we made our way towards Kyoto. The trip on the bullet train was a lovely experience in itself, with many of … Continue reading
While the current season may be off to a patchy start, Sons of Anarchy is still a high quality series. In the weeks leading up to the start of Season 6, the Mr and I spent many waking moments working our … Continue reading
Four months have passed since I returned from a magical two weeks in Japan. Even though it seems like just yesterday that I returned home, it’s about time I summarised what I got up to in the crazy wonderful madness of … Continue reading
As a general rule I don’t read love stories or travel memoirs. So there were already two major factors working against the likelihood that I’d enjoy ‘Love With A Chance of Drowning’. But like any arbitrarily drawn rule, exceptions can … Continue reading
Cities are spaces traditionally defined by a clash of jarring sounds. But that’s not always guaranteed and it’s certainly not a constant. The unrhythmic nature of this background noise defines the unexpected periods of quiet, drawing our attention to the … Continue reading
When anyone asks me where I live, I say ‘Brisbane’ … but that’s not quite true. I actually live in one of the outermost northern suburbs of Brisbane – just over 20km from the city. In fact, it’s so far … Continue reading
It’s the day before spring in my little part of the world, so it seems appropriate to breathe some fresh air into this space and make things ready for visitors once more. It’s high time I cleared the mess of … Continue reading
It’s been a slow start to the new year.
The crows are creaking outside against a background chorus of buzzing insects.
I’m watching tennis with the sound muted because the tv antenna needs fixing and hearing the pop and crackle as the picture fades in and out is way too annoying.
I’ll start reading a new book soon, my kindle is waiting for me on the coffee table.
The fan is keeping things cool, but there’s also a nice breeze flowing through the house.
Even though I haven’t been writing much lately, I had two articles published in December.
There’s also another little snippet of mine here.
I’ve been reading hungrily and have worked my way through lots of great books.
I’ve just finished up a course with the Australian Writer’s Centre (highly recommended).
My pursuit of new writing work will begin in earnest again very soon, but for now it’s enough to surround myself with words, even if they’re by other people.
Hopefully my return to the day job for another year won’t be too much of a shock.
Happy new year. 
A few weekends ago, while all the cool kids in Brisbane were off harvesting, I was at home macaroning and keeping a storm-stressed dog company. This was only my second attempt at macarons, but instead of making these from scratch, these were a sneaky cheat version by Adriano Zumbo. But even though they are made from a packet, they are still a fussy kind of food to work with. Such is my love of all things salted caramel that I am willing to throw myself once more unto the macaron breach.
They didn’t turn out perfectly, but I’m blaming all the horrid humidity in the air rather than any skill lacking on my part. The taste is the thing anyway, and they were rich with caramel and salt. So that’s a big tick from me.
While I was macaroning I got to thinking about how much I enjoy making up verbs. For instance, one of my favourites is to do a spot of ‘fassbending’ … this means to watch a film which features the wonderful Michael Fassbender.
The main trouble with making up your own verbs is remembering not to use them in conversations beyond your own home, because people will generally have no idea what you’re talking about, or consider you quite mad. That’s Ok though, it’s simply the price happily paid by those who enjoy a little fassbending.
Am I the only one who makes up her own verbs?
