“You want to remember that while you're judging the book, the book is also judging you.” ― Stephen King

I judge people by there bookcases... or more to the point what is in it ( the lack of a bookcase also gets judged) When I go to someones home I like to look through their bookcase/s and see what appeals to them, if they are members of my family this can actually take quite some time.... majority of them covering most available walls with bookcases. When I had my own house my husband actually made me some built in bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling. I loved them... but they ran out of room far too soon. I have recently had to reduce my book collection down to something more manageable, this is a rather difficult task. Now I mainly just have the ones that I read over and over and over again. I have one series that has ten books ( not including the two prequels) by David Eddings and I am up to my second set of them because the first fell apart... I am looking into getting a third set because these too are starting to lose pages as well as the covers. The pride of my bookshelf is my Harry Potter books. I bought each one when it came out. I read them at least once a year... My hubby doesn't get it. "But you know what happens??" because as a general rule he doesn't "read for fun" He reads for uni or work and only on occasion will he read a biography. I love being nose deep in a good story where the characters come to life and you become involved and affected by what is happening to them.

“When I'm really into a novel, I'm seeing the world differently during that time - not just for the hour or so in the day when I get to read. I'm actually walking around in a haze, spellbound by the book and looking at everything through a different prism.”

― Colin Firth

Embarrassingly enough and I am sure to the horror of all the potter heads out there next to Harry Potter ( other than my Fred and George Weasly dolls that are signed) are my set of Twilight novel. Then a full shelf of David Eddings. To stop my Potter and Twilight fighting I have my copy of "Its not easy being green" by Jim Henson and "The wisdom of the Bird" by Caroll Spinney ( for those that don't know he is Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch) "Look before you Leap" by Kermit the Frog and "The Princess Bride" If you get a copy of this book do yourself a favour and don't read the bonus chapter its weird and ruins the book and movie for a little while until you can forget it.

Then we have Sara Douglas... The Troy Game books not the weird Axis ones. The Eragon Series and of course some light reading in Nora Roberts but I must establish that I tend to read her fantasy novels as opposed to the heavily romanced ones. and right next to her is Tolkin cause I like to mix it up :) Raymond Fiest is always enjoyable with a fantastic writing style.. especially The Magician series and all the extensions from it dealing with the same world. And I really enjoyed the Australian author Traci Harding's The Ancient Trilogy... which turned into two trilogies.

The reason I am writing about books is because I have just finished Patricia Briggs' latest novel, I have now read all of her books in these two series and I am suffering from some serious withdrawals. Its the sort where you go I want more!!!! but it only just came out so you know the next one is at least a year away. I have also read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels too and the next isn't due out for a long time either! ( and no I dont watch the show.. I just cant do it her accent annoys me and they dont stick to the story) So now what? what am I supposed to do to avoid to the dishes or the washing?

This is just one of my books shelves, but its my favourite. I also have a non-fiction one. And several extremely large boxes that I havent unpacked yet because I need to buy more bookshelves. ANd if you think thats bad, you should see my childrens bookshelves!!!!

this little piggy went to market...

I'm tired.. and whingey. My neck hurts and my back.. and I have snot. I went to the markets yesterday and I forgot my chair that was left next to the door at home. And it was cold... super cold. I was prepared for cold but it wasn't enough maybe if I had worn my onesie over everything it may have helped but even with a thermal shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, knee high socks, boots,  trousers, a jacket, a fox scarf ( wool not fur) Ironman glove and captain America beanie and I was still frozen  with no feeling in my toes an hour in. Other than that it was great... a few sales to keep you going, the occasional visit from hubby and the boys with lovely treats like coffee or a sausage roll.

this was my stall. I was rather proud of it. I think it looks pretty interesting. You know what my favourite thing is when doing the markets? Its watching people walk by they are just kind of passing everything over and not really looking then they will actually focus on something that has stood out to them on the table... like a mini ironman and their face will just change and light up. You have reminded them of something they loved or still love and with the type of things we sell people get really excited! they go and grab their friend to show them, they dive in and have a real look at what you are selling they start talking faster and smiling at you a lot... They suddenly notice you have a scarf on in the shape of a fox and their smile gets bigger, they may even laugh. I don't mind it makes me smile too.

 

This is how I feel. I am not ashamed of the fact that I love these things. I think about asking my cousin in law about whats going on between Wonderwoman and batman? or is she and superman having a thing? I think about the third Star Wars movie and the fall of Anakin Skywalker and I have wildly inappropriate dreams about assorted avengers. But I find joy in these things. And should that be what life should be about Joy?

We welcome you to crackerbox palace...

Great song... Its currently stuck in my head. I have been feeling a little frustrated lately.
I am in essence a bit of a green girl. Before moving here I had a suburban oasis. I had spent many years growing fruit trees around the borders of my property for two reasons... I had a plan with three boys that I could just throw them out in the back yard and they could eat whatever they wanted without sending us broke and secondly because it would be fresh healthy food for all of us. I had four vegetable patches with some of the best dirt in it from years of composting and worm farming and scooped up chicken poop and it grew beautiful veggies for everyone. My children would be out in the garden while I was weeding eating broad beans of the plant of sweet peas .... We had a patch just for strawberries. I had raspberries and passionfruits on the fences blueberries between the large fruit trees. It had reached the point where if I wanted potatoes I would walk out the back and dig them up. The fruit trees had just started producing.... I was really proud of it and myself. I had roses out the front all picked for the colour and small, I had grown pick frangipennies from cuttings, I had a succulent garden ( lots of Aloe for sunburn) out the front too, and a massive herb garden. I had my children trained to put the recycling here... the rubbish here, the worm food here and give that to the chickens. At Christmas time I gave people things I had made from the home grown produce. We never filled our bin. Our recycling bin yes but that was all.

Then we moved.

Where we live has no recycling plant so no recycling bins... It is in the country but has only a Coles.. with old fruit and veggies that don't last the week. It does have a community garden but they don't currently have any plots available I would have to pay for and create my own. This has all left me feeling guilty and sad. SO I have decided to start again. I have an area out the back that can be turned in a veggie patch and can keep chicken safe from hounds. Now all I need to the funds. So it is time to start harassing my husband. And I am going to try and figure out how to petition the council. In this day and age it doesn't get any more backwater than a town without recycling facilities. And they want to be a tourist destination.
Ok well I am off to finalise my market stock for tomorrow and to pray to the rain gods to piss off tomorrow please.

obsessions....

Sorry I have been quiet the last couple of days. I have a market on the weekend so silly little things like regular jobs ( washing, cooking etc) have gone out the window. I am just taking a break from making cards. I love making cards they always look so cute... a finished product is always satisfying.

I thought I might tell you about my obsessions. I get obsessed with things. Currently it is Dr.Who, and the Avengers. I have an ongoing love affair with movies and Television shows. I don't watch them as often as I used to but I still know a lot of them word for word. A LOT.... wasted childhood possibly? I also know a lot of lyrics to all sorts of songs. But back to movies... I don't watch sad movies.... or scary movies, I think life has enough of that in it that I don't need to add to it. But I love action and comedy and musicals. Pirates of Penzance to Wolverine... Grease ( and if we are being honest Grease 2) I am completely in love with the new Sherlock Holmes movies and Iron man 1 and 2. But the thing that always gets me is Disney.... from Aladdin onward, I can say every word of Aladdin ( ask any of my high school friends) Lion King, word for word. Pixar movies are the best. Those guys are genius's. I balled my eyes out in Toy Story 3. I cry in movies, which is why I don't watch sad movies... I also don't deal well with tension or embarrassing moments in movies. I am what my husband calls a "hall runner" when things get tense... suspenseful or embarrassing, I am suddenly very busy. clothes that need to be folded, dishes that need to be put away. I love the cult movies like Barbarella, Labyrinth and the Princess Bride. The latter being an all time favourite.

 

But the movies that have effected me the most and stayed in my head would have to be the Harry Potter ones. All of them. I got them for myself on Bluray for Christmas. I loved the books as well. I love all the characters. I love watching them grow up. I love the themes behind the story. It has action, romance, comedy, mystery, good and evil, the massive big budget special effects without loosing the heart.  

I am so proud that my children embrace the movies I love. They know Singing in the rain and the know everything there is to know about Star Wars.

I have just started showing them the old school animated X-men, and bless them they love it.

shameless selfpromotion.. how to be subtle?

I had a plan when starting this blog. It was to be my personal blog but I also wanted a way to include my business without shoving it down peoples throats. I haven't really found a way as yet that would work for me. I thought I would just be obvious about it today. I have a small.. venture. I wouldn't call it a business as it doesn't seem to be at that scale. Its is more a creative outlet of things I happen to sell. My sister makes a lot of things... A LOT! and they are beautiful and clever and amazing, and it used to kill me because she would make them then... wait for it... put them in a suitcase in her craft room!!!! Oh my god! My mother in law used to teach craft and is really really good at making things, but she retired from doing that and is doing all sorts of other things... I believe if you have talent you shouldn't waste it. I felt they were both wasting their amazingness. So I came up with a cunning plan.... a business where they would make what I asked them to and I would sell it. I also make things too and I have found I really enjoy it. It is great to have that kind of outlet in your life.

My mother in law

My sister

me!

We make so many different things it would be overwhelming to put it all on this blog and not at all what I would want this blog to be like.
Speaking of making things our onesies are all finished.  And they are awesome. seriously awesome! when I get a copy of our family shot I will post it on here.

http://www.facebook.com/Geekree

ROAR...smash

I missed blogging yesterday...
 this would be why...
I don't normally drink but I went out with my husband for The Business awards night. Open bar, and I happen to be sitting at the table with one of the big bosses so we had a rather nice wine rather than a house wine and I may have gotten carried away. I was also a little emotional before going after realising how fat I have gotten since moving here and discovered that majority of my clothing doesn't fit. It was a fun night at times but mostly it was kinda shit. My husband was stressed and cranky watching his staff run the night and not really much of a companion. I sat at the table with the directors which was fun but then some of the speeches got political, majority in opposition to my political beliefs and If I wasn't there with my husband in his work place it is most likely I would have said something or walked out. I am a bit like that. And add to that my husband is a flirt and I am a jealous person by nature so needless to say the night ended with me walking home alone after a heated discussion in his office.

But the weekend did proceed a bit better. Yesterday we took his mum and sister and niece to the Port of Echuca. We did all the fun touristy things, our boys had a blast.

It was fantastic to go on the horse drawn carriage ride it went down the dirt road then out onto the street where it picked up pace and you thought about all those olden movies and such, with them powering along being chased by Indians and I thought holy crap how did it not just tip over!

Then we had fish and chips, and proceeded to Beechworth Bakery. If you have never been to one do yourself a favour.

Boston bun was mine!!!

After the bakery we came home and my husband and I realised that a lot of the things we do are based around what we can shove in our pie-hole. Which brings me back to being fat as previously mentioned. I have always been fit, always done some sort of exercise so I am really uncomfortable in my current body. But none of the sports I enjoy exist here. They play AFL or netball. I hate netball. But today is a new day and I have decided to embrace jogging. I have 2 and half months to be swimsuit ready for when we go to QLD. I am going to reward myself with a new swimsuit. A Wonderwoman one piece I found. Must dash. The boys have all gone to the park and the hounds want to join them... and are attempting to rip my house apart to do so.

Onesies!!!!

My Mother in Law is currently in the throws of onesie construction. We are all very excited. My hubby was running around last night in his half constructed one, refusing to take it off... his took 4m of flannel to make! And it is bright red. He had a rather heated and persistent conversation with his mother about the need for a butt flap. She doesn't want to put one in... he doesn't want to get cold to go to the toilet. And he wants feet... and fold over mitts. He has wanted one of these for about 10 years so I guess he has put a fair bit of thought into it.

Mine is super soft!!! warm and soft is all I need.

 

 

onesie mid construction.

Not the best of Photos.... but hey what are you going to do. As I currently have guests and I desperately need to find something to wear for a business awards tonight I must keep today short.
hmmm coffee first then post office. Enjoy your day.