Tiah Beautement's Blog, page 125

Not writing right along

Keep getting asked how the 'not writing' is going. Actually, just fine. Very easy to do during school holidays. There are small people lined up ready to demand my attention at any given moment. Then there is the fact I've been in major pain and my brain does not articulate very well in such a state. Not entirely sure what's happened. I saw the physio a little over a week ago. Usually it goes like this: See physio, hurt for a day or two, then feel better than I've felt in ages. It is like the favorite mantra of many...

Reading Julie Myerson's The Lost Child

Gratefulness. That was the primary feeling I felt as I read Julie Myerson's The Lost Child. Originally I'd picked it up out of curiosity, nostalgia and, yes, to see if truly a line had been crossed. The answer to that question is - I don't know. I suppose it is between herself, her children (all of them) and her husband. Yes, there are her son's words about the incident. The words published by a newspaper who baited a drug addict 9,000 pounds. If there was ever an unreliable narrator... And there is her version, that she showed it to him,...

By the way, this blog post doesn't count

I'm trying not to write. It is term break around here, so that is my official excuse. But the truth is that there are a few pressing things to do and I know doing them now won't make them better. Which is the odd part of writing nobody tells you about. There is procrastinating. The fear of being a procrastinator often leads to working and producing unusable garbage. I've perfected the rubbish routine, thank you very much. Then there is forcing yourself to leave something alone. Sometimes it is a manuscript. It needs time to become old, to look at...

The Mud Run

1. Husband completed the 14K today. In the rain. In less than an hour and thirty. After his only training in the last few months was that 8.5K in Joburg and a thirty min run the other week. 2. I still love him. 3. But may hate him just a little. 4. But not too much. 5. He almost didn't get to run. 6. I sort of missed a line in the registration email. To quote: It is compulsory to attend the Race Registration and briefing to receive your race details and other important information. 7. I noticed that little...

Books and Gardens

We have a sudo-gardener for the moment. In that he works for us less than once every two weeks. From time to time Husband realises that life is too short, time is moving on and a little assistance would get things moving along much faster. When these random moments strike husband I send D an sms and she shows up with her neighbour's son that she's known since nappies. (The guy helped us moved. I know where he lives. D is very good friends with his mother.) At the end of the work day, while he waits for D wrap...

Bom Boy

'What a party!' That was one of my first thoughts upon entering the Bom Boy launch. The place was packed. Which led to the next thought, 'YAY for South African fiction!' After attending an event as one of five people in the audience, I had been a bit concerned. But nope, walked in, and the place was crawling with peeps. Then I turned and stopped, closed my jaw, opened my handbag and yanked out my copy of Bom Boy because Yewande Omotoso was right there. I think I stammered when I asked for her to sign my copy. Then she...

Quack

I am now the proud owner of four fruit trees. I am told this is only the beginning. The problem is that the fruit trees need to be planted in the same place where two large palm trees occupy, along with paving and a parking canopy. A parking canopy approximately three people have used, all of whom do not live locally. (Mossel Bay peeps dare to be different.) I tried to like the palm trees. I tried. The four in back are a different variety. We've declared a truce. The Brazilian pepper (which doesn't actually produce peppers) and the monkey-puzzle...

Meeting Julie Myerson

This past weekend was all 'Cape Town or Bust' - with the key almost being bust. We got there. A day late. Whole schedule thrown into chaos due to Thing 2, and then me, getting ill. Luckily nobody expects much from me when I throw a party, so Thing 2's party went just fine. So we arrived in Cape Town around 4pm on FRIDAY, rather than 8pm on Thursday. All of which meant I nearly did not make it to the Open Book Festival's hour with Julie Myerson. This would have been very bad. Not just because I would have...

Cake is in the oven

I need to work on my lying skills. Like learn how to lie. Always tease Thing 1 for being gullible and earnest, but it is clear who is to blame for such naive personality traits. You see, I've been hobbling around since Monday. Despite the pain I've been desperately trying to not hobble because it leads to questions such as, 'What happened?' Where I honestly tell people, 'Oh, I kicked somebody's elbow.' I think people stop listening after the words I kicked somebody. Not a good way to make friends with the local mummy circle. To launch into an explanation...

Today is brought to you by the letter 'S'

Goodish news: Secrecy Bill withdrawn for now (Hey, positive news, even slightly positive news, these days deserves to be celebrated!) And the next item is because my Sensei(s) told us we have to help promote: No, I'm not fighting in this. Don't be ridiculous. But I might go and watch. As to what the Secrecy Bill and martial arts have in common in order to be featured in the same post... Well, ask Sesame Street.