Wow, a long time between updates on this project! And sadly, a long time between music purchases.

Lately, I’m finding it a bit of a challenge to discover new music. Most of the things I buy come from hearing something on the radio (fbi and 2ser for preference) that I’m keen to explore further. Now that I’m cycling to work, that avenue is not available.

MUST MAKE TIME – BECAUSE I LOVE LOVE LOVE MUSIC, but it is definitely not such a huge thing in my life as it once was. I’d really like to change that – hence this project!

Anyway – on with the hitz …

xxx

#12 – Middle Kids.
Middle Kids: Your Love
Middle Kids: Edge of Town

A little bit Fleetwood Mac, a little bit Florence and the Machine – if you can imagine such a thing.

The album wasn’t available when I bought the singles, but now it is, so of course I bought that too.

xxx

#13 – Fred Thomas: Changer
A rare discovery that did not originate from radio. I had verging on 60-70 unread email updates from the various record companies I’ve made purchases from. One day I was slowly working my way through the inbox and came across this. Fred Thomas was not on my radar at all, which is odd because this is exactly the type of music I like.

This has rapidly turned into one of my very favourite albums in recent years. It has echos of The Hold Steady, Matthew Sweet, lots of other things. It’s wonderful – you should go listen.

xxx

Then there was a BIG GAP between purchases, until I heard a song on the radio last Sunday when I was running out to buy the capsicum I’d inadvertently omitted from the shopping list.

xxx

#14 – Stella Donnelly: Thrush Metal

It will come as no surprise to anyone that I’m totally shit at describing music, but this is low-fi, totally oz, sweet, earnest, fighty, feministy – really lovely.

xxx

As ever, all purchases via the utterly brilliant bandcamp

We were having some scaffolding installed on the lower balcony today** and I took the opportunity to do some very light gardening while I carted many pots up two flights of stairs to the upper balcony to ensure there was sufficient space.

I didn’t cart the lemon tree upstairs, but I did harvest (3) lemons! We’ve had this tree for maybe 4 years and while it has sprouted tiny baby fruits before, they’ve fallen off before they’ve matured. I’ve been on the brink of tossing this underperforming tree on numerous occasions, but I think it has earned a reprieve.

lemons

the same lemons

Wasn’t certain which photo I liked better, so am including both!

One thing that became pretty obvious is that I need to rationalise the pots on the balcony. I have so many small and mid-sized pots full of mystery plants (weeds) that I let grow because – experiments! Viewed with a dispassionate eye they all look pretty ratty and take up valuable space, so A Reckoning is definitely in order.

xxx

** a story for another time

We arrived home from holiday over 6 weeks ago – *cries* – and this evening I finally copied the 1,400 photos from my camera to my laptop.

Sorting/culling will be quite an undertaking! Especially as Don probably has an equal amount on his camera.

I’m quite pleased with this one, you’d never think there were a couple of dozen people around trying to get the same shot.

I really am determined to do something with these – whether it be framing a couple, having some printed up into an album – or both!

It’s going to be somewhat of a long term project, I suspect. Not at all compatible with very long hours in the Salt Mines (Limited) – as are most of the other life things I’d like to do. 

Moar holiday plz.

lolwut? – from australian fashion week

I was awake at 5:00 this morning because Don was heading off for a work offsite/retreat – in Tasmania! As a consequence I am really quite tired and meditation tonight was rather easier than usual (in no way am I kidding myself that I’m improving after such a short time).

In other developing patterns, tomorrow marks 5 weeks of riding to work! I am still enjoying it despite being just-a-bit-terrified before every outing. I’d like to say I’m improving at this, but I really don’t think it’s the case. I had my first fall on Tuesday evening when an idiot pedestrian (glued to phone of course) stepped out into the bike lane without looking. I swerved to avoid and fell down – thankfully no injuries – and a fair bit of swearing was had. Sometimes I think it is a lot easier to take your chances with the cars.

I’ve just finished the last episode of the s.town podcast (yes, very late to the party).

It was wonderful – quite possibly one of the best things I’ve ever listened to. Superior, I think, to serial (also by the same peeps).

If you haven’t already given it a crack, you totally should.

After almost five years BabyKitty now sleeps on out bed at night! She even occasionally nicely shares with NewKitty!

This is very exciting and has long been my dream – though why it is my dream is unclear, as it gives me even less room to sleep. 

Maybe in another five years she will sit on my lap!

that’s one way to solve it

I’m giving the headspace app another crack and have just completed day three (again).

I’m determined to meditate once a day for the next 6 months. While mornings would be ideal, time is generally pretty tight before I head out to SML, so I’m just going to snatch the 10 minutes wherever I can. Today for example, I couldn’t find an opportunity until 30 min before bed. Perfect is the enemy of the done and all that.

After I’ve run through the headspace freebies, I plan to test drive some of the other (many) meditation apps out there – suggestions welcome.

lantana – nothing at all to do with this post

Don and I have both been working exhausting hours and we’ve really appreciated having a stockpile of yummy meals in the freezer to come home to. The stash was depleting a bit so this weekend we planned to make a few meals to bring it back up to a decent level.

It’s been an age since I had a weekend full of cooking, and to be honest I hadn’t really been feeling it. I’d become exhausted just thinking back to when I’d cook 2 meals and treats on a Saturdays/Sundays. 

This weekend though – in the zone.

Possibly this was because I couldn’t exercise (twingy knee from cycling to work), possibly it was also because FutureMe will be extremely happy when she gets home starving at some ungodly hour.

We cooked four meals (lamb soup, pork and fennel sausage ragu, red beans and rice and spaghetti bolognaise) whoch covered 2 dinners + about 7 1xlitre containers filled. Very pleasing.

We’ll probably add a couple more containers next weekend to have enough variety to cycle through. 

I also made some cookies, but I have made a vow that I will not make them again, because I must have eaten about 10, possibly more than 10.

Focussing on cooking meant there were about 25 other things I intended to do but didn’t. I’m pretty content with that outcome.

spotted in the window of a quite amazing cake store in leichhardt

It occurred to me tonight while labelling a batch of pork and fennel sausage raging for the freezer, that it is exactly 6 months until I hit that Big (scary) Birthday.

Gulp.

(And I’d better get moving on that gosh-darned list!)

Tomorrow will be all about housework – tedious in the extreme, but really quite necessary (such a mess!)