December 2011
Monthly Archive
10 December 2011
As Spring approached I began to feel lethargic about cleaning around the house – so disheartening when the dust just keeps returning! Suddenly the garden looked promising territory – strange in itself as any previous enthusiasm in that direction quickly disappeared when it became apparent I had pulled up plants not weeds.
Books abound in the library showing when, how, what to grow in your garden with colourful illustrations of healthy, ripe and appetising garden fare. I decided to buy myself a vegetable plot kitset; erect it; fill it with topsoil and then trawl the abundant library resources to find the perfect veggies to nurture from infancy to adulthood.
I am now avidly waiting for signs of ‘life’ to emerge from my plot and fantasize about what I can do with my impending vegetable glut. Grow It, Cook It was one of many to choose from in the 641 non-fiction area. All my produce – when it arrives – will be assigned to a delicious recipe from the book. My pantry and fridge will be filled with culinary delights – yes, you’ve guessed it, I have finally lost the plot …
What vegetables grow quickly and require minimum maintenance?
10 December 2011
A list of notable people who have died recently
- Jonathan Cecil, 1939-2011
Actor who mastered the amiable silly ass, notably as Captain Hastings to Peter Ustinov’s Hercule Poirot and reading Bertie Wooster stories
- Basil D’Oliveira, 1934-2011
“Cape Coloured” South African subjected to the full rigour of apartheid who transformed himself into England Test player.
- Joe Frazier, 1944-2011
Heavyweight boxer with a searing left hook who had three epic encounters with Muhammad Ali
- Dulcie Gray, 1915-2011
One half of a famous husband-and-wife acting team who later became a successful thriller writer
- Sena Jurinac, 1921-2011
Yugoslav soprano whose vocal purity and power held audiences and critics spellbound for 40 years
- Jackie Leven, 1950-2011
Masterly songsmith who dodged murder, beat addiction and led ‘the greatest band you’ve never heard of’
- Richard Morant, 1945-2011
Actor who played Tom Brown’s sadistic nemesis Flashman on television and helped inspire Withnail and I.
- Paul Motian, 1931-2011
Drummer who broke the rhythmic rules of jazz, infuriating traditionalists but delighting new listeners
- Christa Wolf, 1929-2011
German author revered on both sides of the Berlin Wall until her links to the Stasi were revealed
9 December 2011
If you missed the opportunity to make it to AFFIRM in Aranui on the 3rd of December, then make sure you get along to Westside Party in the Park in Hornby this Saturday the 11 December from 2pm-5.30 pm. Beginning back in 2000, the Westside Party in the Park is held annually at Denton Park near Hornby Library, and proves to be a popular day out for the entire family.
This free event has a variety of exciting happenings, ranging from face painting, pony rides and bouncy castles for the little kids (and the big kids at heart!) to community stalls, food stalls, and a stage for the musical acts, with local favourites Restoration returning as the headlining act.
The Hornby Community Centre offers the chance to get photos with Santa at the event and the Hornby Presbyterian Community Church, have a link on their website for children to download a colouring competition to bring along on the day for a chance to win prizes.
9 December 2011
I’ve never been the sort of person to put up movie star posters in my room, or sigh over rock bands. What I DO have, though is an enduring love of some book characters. I know, it doesn’t get much more nerdy-librarian than that. Even worse, my current infatuation (and an enduring one, I must confess) is for a cynical, middle-aged, angrily sober ex-alcoholic career policeman, who lives in a city that he loves to hate, in a world that doesn’t exist.
I first met His Grace, His Excellency, the Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes (Blackboard Monitor) in 1989 in Guards! Guards! (a book that continues to be my favourite out of all Terry Pratchett’s novels). At the time, he was a mere Captain of the City Watch, and I a recently-married student. We have grown up together, Vimes and I, although I have not attained the heady heights of nobility and career stardom that he has. Like millions of fans worldwide I am worried that Snuff, the latest title by Pratchett, may also be his last, and I am both pleased and saddened that of all the characters and stories he could have chosen, it’s Vimes who is the hero of Snuff.
Pratchett’s books, on the surface, are all about farting dragons and innuendo-ridden witches, very tall dwarves and orangutan librarians, and as such are frequently dismissed as being for kids or people who like to dress up in old curtains and pretend they are wizards.
But they are also full of genuinely historical crunchy bits, retellings of classic tales, myth and legend, and characters that are so real you feel you already know them. Their foibles are our foibles, their humanity just like ours (even when they are not, strictly speaking, human), and their dreams and aspirations as valid as ours. All Sam Vimes wants to do at the end of the day is be the best copper he can be, keep his city and home safe for his wife and son, and make it home by 6pm each night so he can read Young Sam his favourite book, Where’s My Cow?
Snuff is a delight, a fabulously funny, heart-warming tale of mystery and murder on a policeman’s holiday, that is also about justice and slavery, nobility and prejudice and standing up for what you know to be right. It is one of the very best books I have read recently, and has only cemented my ongoing love for Vimes, Duke of Ankh, Blackboard Monitor, and policeman extraordinaire.
Now make me feel better by confessing YOUR literary crushes …
9 December 2011
Don Driver passed away yesterday.
The first I heard was Hamish Keith on the radio – they were friends, as were Jim and Mary Barr.
There will be many tributes to come. Like Courtney Johnston I never met the man, but I have had many good, bad and indifferent experiences with his work, at many times and places. Always a twist often a challenge and a surprise.
The Christchurch Art Gallery has a few of his works (where he is know by the more formal name of Donald Sinclair Driver) and one work has a brief bio.
Driver has lived in New Plymouth since 1943. His first job was with a dental technician learning how to mould, shape and cast materials. He took night classes in drawing and later learned woodwork, welding and pottery. He has been exhibiting his work since the 1950s and has travelled widely, including time in North America, Asia and India.
‘With spirit: Don Driver a retrospective‘ toured New Zealand (including Christchurch) at the end of last century. Although our gallery is not open at the moment they have an eclectic selection of articles, and images to explore to help remember an art treasure no longer with us.
8 December 2011
What is it about Secret Santa that causes me to break out in a cold sweat? Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas giving and receiving as much as the next sane adult, but it’s just that my Secret Santa track record has been pretty woeful to date.
“What can possibly go wrong?” I hear you ask.
There are only two variations on the Secret Santa theme. In the first you buy a gift but you have no idea who will receive it. It’s all meant to be very jolly and spontaneous. Here’s how it played out for me one year. At the last minute, in a frenzied mall dash, I bought four toilet rolls printed with cheerful Father Christmas faces. I had a recipient in mind – a terrific Kiwi bloke with the best sense of humour ever. I knew he’d love them. Sod’s Law, on the day and contrary to type, he chose the littlest gift, leaving my toilet rolls to be selected by a desperately private, terribly refined English teacher. There was a palpable awkwardness to the whole event.
The other way is to draw a name out of a hat and buy a gift with a particular person in mind. This should work better, but you absolutely NEVER get the person you could buy for most easily. The problem here is that if the gift is less than perfect, you don’t have an excuse. Twice in my life under this system I have received those brightly striped socks with individual toe compartments and I have no idea what it is about me that inspires this choice.
Two types of gift buyers really score at the Secret Santa tradition – those who buy gifts at the sales in January (that’s right, the same January that comes right after December) and keep them the whole year in readiness – and those who make their own Secret Santa gifts. These talented individuals make it all seem so easy and have no need of the many library resources that could help with creating your own Christmas gifts should you be that way inclined. My favourites are Handcarved Christmas (as in “thanks, but no thanks”) and Last-minute knitted gifts which seems like a complete oxymoron to me.
Still, only once did I nearly reduce a gift recipient to tears of frustration and that was the time we were asked to write a little cryptic poem about the gift. The idea being that you could only open the gift when you had worked out what it was. This went to my head in a very unattractive way. My poor gift receiver couldn’t work what I was getting at and in the end viewed my carefully selected bright green, froggy-shaped watering-can with something approaching quiet despair.
Now you know why I have such a nervous reaction to Secret Santa. But be warned, I’m out there buying three of them this year. Be afraid, be very afraid!
8 December 2011
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I realised the other day that my environment is a bit of a blank canvas at the moment. My pictures and much loved pottery and porcelain are safely packed up, my garden has been a patch of mud. My usual pleasures of looking out at the Avon from my place of work, admiring the local architecture, or a quick trip to an art gallery in my lunch hour are no longer available. I’ve realised that what I need is a bit of aesthetic stimulation.
I’ve started with the garden, or at least part of it. The builders who repair my house will just have to work around it I have decided. A trip to the library revealed some excellent books on gardening with natives.
After browsing these I decided I want a green garden, so I rounded up some books on foliage gardening as well. Now my garden is starting to look like a nice place to be. Yesterday I noticed my cat sitting in it for the first time since the quakes rather than heading off to the neighbours.
Next on the list is a look at CINCH to track down what art groups are still operating and a finding some nice art books and magazines to take home. I’m on the trail of favourite galleries – again using CINCH (all contacts updated since the earthquakes.)
My CD player has been broken since February and somehow things like fixing the roof, getting drains cleared and tidying up my unfinished renovations have taken precedence. Not any more – once my player is fixed or replaced I’ll be into the library CD collection with a vengeance, starting with a trawl through the new CDs. I’m already accumulating a list of possibles on my ‘for later’ shelf.
In no time at all I’ll be sitting in my beautiful garden, browsing Art New Zealand and Artists Impressions of New Zealand, while I listen to some inspiring CDs and contemplating my next creative endeavour. Earthquake? What earthquake?
7 December 2011
Last Saturday was a busy day in the Christchurch eastern suburbs, with the traditional Christmas parade in New Brighton and AFFIRM in Aranui, you could not be bored.
AFFIRM is a fantastic community event for all ages – my favourite this side of Christmas - and in this tenth edition it was clear that there still is a strongly united neighbourhood in Aranui.
Everybody enjoyed the “Aranui Top Team” competition, some of the tasks the teams had to do were hard but made all the supporters and spectators laugh, have you ever watched a multi-person sack race? It is quite amusing!
At the Christchurch City Libraries’ tent people had the opportunity to record their earthquake memories in the Plains FM recording POD, they will be added to the CCL’s permanent collection as it is such a special part of our city’s history. Have you donated your earthquake story yet?
The Pasifika performances from local groups got us all dancing and Ladi6 paid homage to her origins by giving it all on stage.
Kia kaha vibrations were in the air.
7 December 2011
Canterbury Museum is hosting some of the wowiest works from the World of Wearable Art. The show features some of the very best of their collection, touring for the first time in ten years, and it is amazing.
Books are all very well, and there are some very nice ones on the World of Wearable Art, but nothing can prepare you for the awe-inspiring reality of these works up close.
Get along to the Museum and be overwhelmed by the creativity, the workmanship and the sheer beauty of these costumes, immaculately curated and displayed. And it’s free, so you can go lots of times.
6 December 2011
When was the last time a book kept you awake to the wee hours even though you knew you would be knackered at work the next day? Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist has been around for a while. There is even a movie based on the book that was nominated for a Bafta. I guess I am a late starter but this may be because the plot involves a vampire … do not switch off!!!!
The rapid growth of vampire fiction due to the success of the Twilight series has left me a bit cold but this is no Twilight – it is a dark thriller based in a working class housing estate in 80′s Sweden.
The story centers on the relationship between a 12 year-old boy, Oskar, and a centuries-old vampire child, Eli. The book focuses on the lowest forms of humanity dealing with issues such as school bullying, paedophilia and murder. So yes – not for the fainthearted.
If this still does not sound like your cup of tea (or blood) then we do have electronic resources in the Source such as Books and Authors and Novelist Plus that can help you track down a book that will be more to your tastes.
As for me I am off to put holds on the rest of this author’s books!
Does anyone have anymore horror recommendations for me?
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