the calm before the storm??

hasn't today been a lovely respite from the heat of the last few days... but is it 'the calm before the storm'? i wrote a post - 'melting moments' - in february last year when we were having a run of 42+ degree days... ooooh, is the worst still to come???

me mother didn't cope very well at all with a few days of heat, and by yesterday she wasn't looking too good either - it's really debilitating for her - as if her chronic kidney disease isn't debilitating enough coupled with her age!!! she was feeling a bit 'perkier' today luckily but told me she was at the point yesterday where she was just willing herself through an hour at a time...

allie found it hard too - once the flat heated up she just couldn't settle and wandered around for hours - and that's distressing for both of us because she bumps into so many things... even shadow wasn't interested in food and looked like life was an effort... and those north winds make it so hard to breath - they do 'wonders' for the asthma...

and then there's the 'horrible when you're hot' syndrome - that's definitely affecting a lot of people... enjoy the cool while you can...





before i go i have to tell you that i've finally done it - yep, after being a vegetarian on moral grounds for decades i've finally taken the next step - i've given up dairy (it was always organic, with my favourite cheese (animal-rennet-free of course) a passion (and possibly an addiction!) and eggs (always free-range but mostly consumed as cake or quiche) - why? because...

"Veganism denotes a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, nonhuman animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, nonhumans and the environment. Vegans avoid all animal produce: meat (including chicken and fish), eggs, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives" read more at vegan voice

and i have to share my latest find... chocolate rum balls - they taste just like the rum balls me nan used to make - fuckin' delicious - and vegan!!!! my new addiction perhaps!!!

made by LEDA Nutrition, according to their website - "LEDA's entire facility is Vegan, with all of our products suitable for vegan consumption."

i found them at iga and apparently coles and woolworths stock the brand too... yuuuuummmmm!

i'm definitely going to have to check out some of their other products...

Melting moments...

Did your world feel like this the last few days???

I know I felt like this after 3 days of 42+ degrees!!!!

far out, let's hope no more melting temperatures... I don't cope very well... neither does me old girl Allie!!!! and that sort of heat can wreak havoc on a person's thermoregulation...

on the relaxing, leisure side of life....

I've been reading a few biographies lately...


Cups with no handles : memoirs of a grassroots activist by Carolyn Landon

The true story of Bette Boyanton, born in St. Kilda in 1921, feminist and activist -she tried to organise the Commonwealth Match Factory women (girls would probably be more apt for that era) into the union in the late 30s - a fighter against social injustice all her life - in her later life, having, for health and family reasons, moved to the country and, having been inspired by the women's liberation movement’s campaign for women’s learning houses where "under-educated women organised their own classes in craft, drama, creative writing, first aid, nutrition, cooking, history, art, politics, health and other issues" - she was instrumental in setting up the first rural neighbourhood house - the Warragul Neighbourhood House, now called Warragul Community House.

I loved reading about her life and nominated this as my favourite summer read on the SLV voting site!!!

Connie's secret : the true story of a shocking murder and a family mystery at a time when appearances were everything by Anne Lovell

It was February 1939 when Connie Sommerlad was butchered and her brother left for dead in their family farmhouse in rural Tenterfield. The murder was brutal... Jack Kelly, a worker on the Sommerlad property, found guilty of the murder, was to become the last person to be hanged in New South Wales... but there's more to Connie's life than her death!!!!

There's a secret involved - but I'm not going to tell it here!!!! This is a real family-saga-mystery-thriller... let's not forget - it's 1939 Australia - women's place in society was that of 'damned whore or god's police' - so it's a really big secret - so read the book and find out about Connie's life - it's interesting, and very, very sad!!!!

The Lucy Family Alphabet by Judith Lucy

What more can I say??? It's Judith Lucy...

I love her dry (and dark) sense of humour. She says in her postscript that someone said to her after seeing her perform and telling jokes about her parents that she "must hate her family"... she was horrified - she loves them but has no problems seeing them as a bit weird - don't we all feel that way about our families - at least some of the time????

I think my family's weird - but it's weird in a good way - I'm sure there's a lot of comedy that could be found in most family situations... anyway, I got quite a few laughs and some nostalgic flashbacks from her memories...

if only I could stay at home all summer and read... oooh, and maybe watch dvds tooooo....

I watched a documentary - Taxi to the dark side - about the inhumanity and brutality of the torture and interrogation policies and practices of the american "intelligence" agencies (a misnomer if ever I've heard one!!!) and the military (heavily 'encouraged' by a conservative Bush administration!!!) perpetrated against those considered 'terrorist threats' by christian zealots - from Bagram to Abu Ghraib, to Guantanamo Bay detention camp... it's disgusting... it's powerful - I highly recommend it...

I was reminded of a book I read some time ago... "The men who stare at goats" by Ron Jonson - it's along the same theme... and I just discovered while googling that it's being made into a movie, 'in production now', with George Clooney, Ewen McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges and a cast of 1000s apparently (not really - but there's a helluva lot of names in the credits on imdb... now that will be interesting - due out in December 2009!!!

all I need to do now is decide what to read...

just finished The keepsake by Tess Gerritsen for a quick, edge of seat mystery...

Sailor 'Lil has recommended Poppy Z. Brite... her writing is described as 'dark fantasy' and 'vampiric erotica'... one of my favourite books has been "The witching hour" from the Mayfair Witches series by Anne Rice... I'd call that dark fantasy - it was definitely erotic... so if she writes in a similar vein (huh!!!) to that, I think I might like her... anyway I've decided to read "Love in vein" - edited by Poppy with a few fantasy writer's I like (but never saw as writers of erotica) in the mix... so I'll let you know what I think...