A classic

movie, look, song and actress. "Moon River" is one of my favourite songs, and Audrey does it best, and that's because it was written for her vocal range.



And, if you're wondering why, it's been 16 years since Audrey died on 20 January 1993.

Should I be worried?

I'm pretty colour-coordinated. Today might have been extreme - and I didn't mean it. Yellow top, yellow shoes, yellow handbag, yellow jewellery, yellow underwear - all standard level of coordination for me. But then I found myself picking the yellow mug when I had a cup of tea. And then a yellow drink! And I didn't think about the colour of the drink, just that it was pineapple & I liked the flavour. Others commented, tho', which made me think.
Just how much is too much coordination?

30 years ago today...

My oldest nephew was born. Here he is, being an uncle himself.

Happy birthday!

These were the days when children weren't that welcome in hospitals. Luckily for me, a few months earlier a friend had had a baby and my presence was explained. So, when the nurse looked sideways at me visiting my brand new baby nephew, I was prepared. "I'm an auntie! I'm an auntie!" The enthusiasm let me stay.

1979 was a great year.

It was International Year of the Child so stuff was released to coincide - and not just my nephew.

I like this poem - I still have my very bedraggled and falling-apart copy. This isn't the cover I have.

There's a hippo in my bathtub by Anne Murray, again not the cover I have.

And... my mum came home.

Two people I love and respect

Two tangible things that connect me to the child I was - and the one within

Four things to treasure

Countless memories to cherish

I hope the gifts of 1979 stay with me forever

Thanks friend...

So, I'm checking out my fav blogs... and come across this one from my mate in the south...

So, I'm in a new group in Good Reads. Thanks dude! I'll see you there soon... Would petals count as a flower?
Handily my computer is right beside my crap(pier than usual)* book shelves so I can gaze over the titles for some inspiration... Yes, that's right - my collection of 80s/90s Harlequin romances (gasp!). *see Ranty McRanty #4 and Ranty McRanty #4 part 2
By the way - thanks to a fan of me I have the elusive Trixie Belden #39!

Hmmm... w... what about When morning comes? Nice 80s super-romance there. Oh! Found one... The forever Rose - Hah! Harlequin historical from 1990!! If I remember, and I get a chance, I'll do some hunting tomorrow...

PS sent this to publish last night, and it says it did - but it wasn't on the blog today when I checked. Bad programme, bad, bad.

Test cricket dead? and pretty in pink

After watching the South Africa vs Australia test series, as much as possible - you'd have to say test cricket - good test cricket - was alive and well.

It had (almost) everything you'd want - drama, courage, ups, downs - the pendulum swung so much it almost became detached. Graeme Smith's gutsy return to the crease with broken arm. I thought only old-school All Blacks did that sort of thing. Photo stolen from PA images, via Cricinfo.

After 15 days of cricket, in total, it all came down to 5 minutes. Come on, how much closer do you need to get?

On that - look at the photo. Notice the colour of the wickets? And, if you look really closely, the colour of the 3 on the Aussie fielder's uniform? Why? It comes from Cricket Australia's support of the McGrath Foundation - set up by former cricketer Glenn McGrath & his wife Jane, to fund specialist breast care nurses in areas currently without them.

If you happened to watch any of the recent Rugby League World Cup, you might have noticed the lovely pink jersey's the refs were wearing. That's because the World Cup supported breast cancer charities.

And, what do we do in New Zealand? It seems that everything we do for Breast Cancer research & funding & support is focussed on women. Understandable, of course, but by being out there - and pink - these Aussie sportsmen (leaguies in particular!) are showing they're not afraid to wear pink for a good cause.

My organisation? Well, we're lucky to get 10 people on the Dove Pink Star Walk a year.

Eddie Izzard...

I've blogged about Eddie Izzard in the past. Today my sister put me on to this news item - which shows how cool he is.
So, in honour of his coolness, a totally illegal clip from his new show...

Coincidental reading

Have you ever had one of those times when things you read, or watch, seems related? I've mentioned the King Arthur-ness of my life a while ago.

Each year we have a Take 5 promotion - bundles of 5 books, vaguely related, for people to issue. And, reasonably randomly, I managed to find 3 books set in Regency England, but with magic. Perfect for the Georgette Heyer and fantasy fan I am. Then there's a couple of books in Regency England - Napoleonic Wars with dragons! Think Horatio Hornblower with Anne McCaffrey.

The first Regency romance/magic: Patricia C Wrede's Mairelon the magician and its sequel The magician's ward (which is far more romance-y, ie contains balls and marriage proposals). In Mairelon, Mairelon is hiding in plain sight as a travelling street magician. Kim, a street rat, is commissioned to steal something out of his caravan - and thus discovers he is a real magician. And, eventuall, Mairelon's true identity is revealed - as is Kim's. Adventure, detective work, magic, and fun. In the sequel, Kim is now being made into a lady, ready to be presented at court as Mairelon's ward.

Then Wrede joined up with Caroline Stevermer (who did alternative-Victorian era with magic in A college of magics) in a delightful series of epistolary novels. Sorcery and Cecelia, the first of these, is an exchange of letters between two cousins - one in London for her first season, the other rusticating. They become tangled up in magic and mystery and romance.

New to the list is Melissa Doyle's The bewitching season which is just at the end of the Regency period with the young Princess Victoria. Twins Persephone and Penelop are off to London for their first season, with the added need to keep their magic secret. But when their governess disappears before their arrival, they become embroiled in a plot to influence the princess.

Now to add dragons and battles! There's Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe and Dragonfrigate Wizard Halcyon Blithe by James Ward. Young Halcyon has come late to his magic, and is 16, not the usual 12/13, when he is sent to a Dragonship as a midshipwizard. Not quite Napoleonic War, but similar world and battles.

Then there's the Temeraire series by Naomi Novak which are Napoleonic. Naval captain Will Laurence and his ship overwhelm a French ship and take their cargo as spoils of war - a cargo which includes a soon-to-hatch dragon egg. Knowing that the dragonic aviators are looked down upon by society, Laurence has his officers draw lots to become the dragon's companion upon hatching. Except the dragon ignores his alloted person, and heads straight for Laurence himself. There's intrigue, battle, and world voyaging galore in this series.

New Year wonderings

Yesterday, on my way to start my new working year I saw about 10 rabbits at Western Springs - including a cute little white & brown one.


The new Doctor has been named. Let's see how that goes. [I did know about it before the news, but went shopping just as I typed the news here!]

The first day of work was ok - made so much more interesting by the fact there were two staff on leave, but it wasn't written in the work diary, so there was no cover arranged. So, my first day of work for 2009 was a Lieutenant Worf Day. But, like most Worf days, we survived smiling! [Now, if only we could persuade parents that their free-range parenting styles might not be suitable in a public place].

Today was...

Happy New Year's everyone