ReadandWeep

The best of the season! on Twitpic

2010-07-22T21:52:00.000+10:00

The best of the season! on Twitpic

2010-07-22T21:30:00.000+10:00

Had an amazing visit from my past

2009-09-09T19:30:00.003+10:00

This is very personal and I don't expect anyone to read it but here goes. Just jotting down thoughts .... today I got a facebook friend request which is not unusual in itself. But this one was from a boy I met 20 years ago on a beach in Italy to whom I lost my viginity. Now this is a biggie to me to put it down in the written word. This boy now a man with grey was what most tourist would consider the A-typical Italian male, tall, leggy dark and handsome with the most amazing shoulders in the perfect v-frame. Angular facial features, amazing black hair which crossed against his incredible green eyes.

I was walking along the road on this very hot summer's day in the 80's when a vw convertible, all the rage at the time came down the street, roof down two hot guys one blonde the other dark saying "ciao bella". Now this part of Italy is not a tourist destination and I was not what I would say a beauty either. Maybe they did this all along the street to see who would turn but I did and smiled. Which gave them the encouragement to stop and hop out of the car and proceed to ask questions. When I couldn't answer them in fluent Italian they became intrigued and questioned where I was from. In very poor Italian I replied with "Guess", they ran through every Germanic country as at the time I was sporting the Madonna look, Madge. Finally I gave in and said Australia which further excited their curiosty.

Now I was engaged in a long conversation about what I was doing tonight. Seeing as I was on hols with my mother I wasn't doing much so it was organised to meet at the local discotheque called La Rotunda, which I believe still exists. Now I need to prod my brain cells for further memories to finish this story.

What art movement are you?

2006-09-29T11:56:00.000+10:00

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own.

It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy.

You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society.

You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

Jinx is having kittens

2006-09-29T11:33:00.000+10:00

Below is my baby, Jinx, she's due any day now to have her own babies.
We're scared and excited at the same time as this is a first for both of us!

Jinxie

2006-09-26T22:25:00.000+10:00

My kitty is have kitty's of her own now how did that happen? Like all good non spayed cats she went crazy one day in July, it was a raining day and she managed to get out by breaking the screen and didn't come home till the following morning. Sixty days later and she's prego carrying upwards of 4 bubs judging by her size said the vet. She is literally due anyday now and I'm scared to death as this is a first for me and her!

This is a before prego shot

Love this

2006-08-29T09:30:00.000+10:00

London

2006-08-29T09:29:00.000+10:00

2006-08-29T09:03:00.000+10:00

Your Love Song Is

Wonderwall by Oasis

"I'm sure you've heard it all before

But you never really had a doubt

I don't believe that anybody feels

The way I do about you now"

You know what you want - but does that person want you?

What Love Song Are You?

London

2006-08-09T10:47:00.000+10:00

I'm off to London on Friday with my husband.
There is so much to organise as we're leaving our 2 teen daughters home with their 25 year old half sister, we're hoping she will cope and keep them safe. Leaving them home is a big thing for us as it's the first time we've done it. Chris and I need this time away together to regroup our relationship after looking after his parents for the last 5 years we're at our ends. We chose not to have holidays together as a family let alone go far away just in case something happened and we needed to get back quickly. Nothing ever happened until this last year when my FIL got lung cancer this came as a crushing blow to the family. I became the main carer of Charles and would not leave the house in case I was called upon to deal with an issue Charles was suffering with. He's been gone since March and still I find it hard to leave the house and deal with my loss.
So this trip is going to be a biggie for us.

2006-08-08T22:37:00.000+10:00

You Should Rule Saturn

Saturn is a mysterious planet that can rarely be seen with the naked eye.

You are perfect to rule Saturn because like its rings, you don't always follow the rules of nature.

And like Saturn, to really be able to understand you, someone delve beyond your appearance.

You are not an easy person to befriend. However, once you enter a friendship, you'll be a friend for life.

You think slowly but deeply. You only gain great understanding after a situation has past.

What Planet Should You Rule?

What tattoo should you get?

2006-08-08T12:07:00.000+10:00

You Should Get a Tattoo of Initials

Modern and expressive

You're proud of who you are (or who you love)!

What Tattoo Should You Get?

2006-07-31T18:25:00.000+10:00

testing

2006-07-31T18:12:00.000+10:00

Photo: Sandra VariationsOfFlowers VD | Variations Of Flowers album | .:: Vanilla's Tags ::. | Fotki.com

2006-05-13T22:30:00.000+10:00

Photo: Sandra VariationsOfFlowers VD | Variations Of Flowers album | .:: Vanilla's Tags ::. | Fotki.com

I just love this taggie thanks Vanilla!

This is funny

2006-05-03T22:54:00.000+10:00

I haven't been in here for ages and I have so many books to share if anyone actually reads this but this isn't what's funny. I noticed one of my first posts was about my sisters wedding and how frustrating her and her partner were about it. Well.................as it turns out after all the stress of a perfect wedding they are struggling for a perfect marriage. Not surprising given todays statistics but what is surprising to me anyway is that those very statistics are the reason to give up. Now what gives them the right to do this hell I didn't have that opportunity and boy am I glad for it because I appreciate every moment with my significant other now. Relationships for you young ones are built on hard work and with all that hard work there are tremendous rewards trust me if you can hack it!

Currently reading

2005-10-03T22:20:00.000+10:00

Here's one of my Choice I love this one.

It's amazing what those Roman's did in their day and how much of it is still in use today. Too bad they didn't know about eruptions. I'm still reading this but a highly recommended read with a history lesson.

2005-10-03T21:59:00.000+10:00

Another bookclub book but this was one I really enjoyed ready.

Very easy and entertaining to read but held no surprises at the end unfortunately or fortunately.

No real insights into the Amish community but this is an entertaining read.

Roman Candle

2005-10-03T21:43:00.000+10:00

Yep another bookclub book I hated reading.

No hang on I really didn't hate it, it was an interesting read but got tedious towards the end so I never finished it!

So if you want to read a review click on the book below.

Panemonium

2005-06-24T19:02:00.000+10:00

Fabulous definition of this word.

pandemonium (pan-duh-MO-nee-uhm) noun

1. Wild uproar.

2. A place marked by disarray, noise, chaos, confusion, etc.

3. Hell.

[From Pandaemonium, the capital of hell in Paradise Lost by John Milton
(1608-1674).]

From The Devil's Dictionary:
Pandemonium, n. Literally, the Place of All the Demons. Most of them have
escaped into politics and finance, and the place is now used as a lecture
hall by the Audible Reformer. When disturbed by his voice the ancient echoes
clamor appropriate responses most gratifying to his pride of distinction.

2005-06-22T21:28:00.000+10:00

I just had to share this reminded me of my best friend's asshole husband who just won't go away. I just had to get this out but really didn't want to spoil my blog with this crap, although I do love this word.

mendacious (men-DAY-shuhs) adjective

Telling lies, especially as a habit.

[From Latin mendac-, stem of mendax (lying), from mendum (fault
or defect) that also gave us amend, emend, and mendicant.]

Most recent reads

2005-06-19T13:37:00.000+10:00

I'm posting the last three books I've read in this one post.

My husband was skiing in Whistler and was browsing in a bookstore for something to read on the plane home, he's not a big reader but the bookcover caught his fancy. Which surprised me because the title suggests a girlie book. Anyways he read it all by the time he arrived in Sydney and passed it onto me. I can see what fascinated him in this read because I couldn't put it down either. This is not just a travel log but an insight into a much maligned country called Iran. If this is true which I am sure it is then we all need to rethink how we think about Muslim countries and try to bridge a divide that has been created by our politicians in their quest for oil and power over these so called terrorist countries of the Arab world.

I belong to a bookclub and the above title was a suggested read by one of the members, who I always believed was a man of some education. At the time of reading this one my father inlaw was gravely ill in hospital, so while sitting with him we would read together. At the time I needed something that was easy and wouldn't require any thinking, this book was perfect for that. Immediately you could see a movie in this novel and I believe that was the object of the author, to make him lots of money. Now that my fatherinlaw is better I can honestly say this book is absolute and utter rubbish.

Shopping for books for my children in Borders I saw a 3 for 2 sale, I picked this one up thinking I like the look of the cover, yes I have something in common with my dear husband. Whilst this one is almost predictable it offers a wonderful insight in consequences and the price we pay. A wonderful read without being gushy and overly sexy.

2005-06-19T11:19:00.000+10:00

I need them

*HUGS* TOTAL!give Sandra more *HUGS*
Get hugs of your own

Books Read & Rated over the year

2004-12-19T21:41:00.000+11:00

Yep I'm a slow reader, hey I do have a life, here's what I've read this year and rated.
TheBonesettersDaughter by Amy Tan RATED: 10
TheBlindAssassin by Margaret Atwood RATED: 5
AMapofTheWorld by Jane Hamilton RATED: 5
TheMapThatChangedTheWorld by Simon Winchester RATED: 5
AFortunateLife by AB Facey RATED: 10
TakeItPersonally by Anita Roddick RATED: 2.5
AChild'sBookofTrueCrimes by Chloe Hooper RATED: 6.5
AuRevoir by Mary Moody RATED: 6.5
MiracleatStAnna by James McBride RATED: 7.5
TheDreadfulJudgement by Neil Hansen RATED: 8.5
CatchMeIfYouCan by Frank Abagnale RATED: 5
TheDogCatcher by Alexei Sayle RATED: 7.5
BonjourTristesse by Francoise Sagan RATED: 8.5
EnglandEngland by Julian Barnes RATED: 2.5
AThousandDaysInVenice by Marlena DeBlasi RATED: 7.5
BrickLane by Monica Ali RATED: 8.5
Aphrodite by Russell Andrews RATED: 4.5
Hitler'sPope by John Cornwall RATED: 7.5
TheTouch by Colleen McCullough RATED: 6

Post Wedding

2004-11-28T11:31:00.000+11:00

Weekend is great so far it's 11.30am Sunday morn and I'm in my jammies in bed with laptop on working thru emails, hubby is lying face down snoring away, YUK.
Aircon is blasting away as it's a super hot hot day and can't be bothered going to beach.
Really need to buy futon sofa bed this afternoon for the Dubbo girls who are visiting next weekend.
But I'm feeling so so lazy.
What should I do?

Weddings

2004-11-11T10:46:00.000+11:00

Really need to get this off my chest. I don't get people these days! What kind of world do they live in all wrapped up in cocoons by the looks of it that they just can't cope with a little thing called a Wedding. Yes my sister is getting married in a weeks time and boy is she being the bride from hell. Not just giving the dressmaker hell but also me, the attendant because we don't want to be like everyone else and have names like bridesmaid/matron of honour and so we have ATTENDANTS! Oh and don't forget we don't use Hen's Night anymore, we are Girl's Night Out. The latest is she has a virus which can last up to 3 weeks, so what do we do WE wallow in it and cry. Yikes take me away from this bullshit. To top it off we are stressing about the seating arrangements at the reception. WE have only 45 invitees and I put good ol pen to paper and worked it out in 1o minutes, all solved, yeah right so I thought till I put it to her. She actually managed to turn it all into a problem and cried. I suppose being a flight attendant you don't know how to find solutions your life is process driven ie. you follow a list of procedures like greet the passengers, seat the passengers, feed the passengers, say goodbye to the passengers, get off the plane.
Oh please deliver me from this nightmare called a wedding so I can finish reading The Girl with a Pearl Earring and get on with my Life pleaseeeeeeeeee.

Drive in

2004-10-25T09:18:00.000+10:00

Saw the remake of Stepford Wives at the Drive In sadly as you may guess the remake is a stupid piece of stylised mumbo jumbo that lost it's heart and courage, don't even bother renting it watch at home wait till it comes out on free to air tv or cable. Why do such brill actors like Nicole Kidman and cast bother with doing this kind of drivel. Can it be the money? Has to be I think!

We stuck thru the movie because of the novelty of the drive in. Took the old jag and picked up a six pack and KFC along the way which really is the only way to go.

Stepford Wives

2004-10-07T00:53:00.000+10:00

Just finished the original and it really wasn't what I expected to say the least. But nonetheless I enjoyed it, just waiting for a rainy day now so I can get the latest out on DVD. From the look of the original it was made in the 70's when women's lib was probably at it's highest. Men were unhappy in this place called Stepford because their wives had opinions and dressed the way they felt therefore they harked back to the days of their parents where women waited on their husbands and listened attentively their every word. These Stepford Men found a way to change to their women and succeeded in accomplishing a very boring compliant society. Now I did come in on this movie by accident a quarter of the way thru. So if I'm wrong please please tell me. But if I'm right.............this is certainly not what I expected. I must go and get the Nicole Kidman version!

The High Price of Heaven/David Marr

2004-09-14T21:42:00.000+10:00

This is the book on my bookclub list now tell should I or should I NOT read it?

The Queen's Fool

2004-09-12T11:15:00.000+10:00

I belong to a bookclub, their chosen book for this month is something I'm not interested in reading. I guess I'm being a petulant child because they bagged my last choice and wouldn't consider any other more intelligent reads I had for suggestion. Supose I am getting bored with this bookclub and can now see that titles are going to be difficult to agree on. Those who don't read the book seem to have a greater say than those who DO read the book. A couple of months ago I went to Borders and bought a whole heap of books on their 3 for 2 sale. And the little number below is just one I started. So far I am enjoying it, it starts with a punch and then settles in nicely.

Elegance

2004-09-11T15:27:00.000+10:00

I'll start with the last book I've read.
This is a very easy read although slow in the middle.
At the time of reading I was under some stress and reorganisation in my life so this book was an easy release. It certainly did not tax any brain cells of which I do not have many anyway. For the boys beware this is a girls book.