What's Happening???

Owning your own business is not all its cracked up to be. I'm exhausted!! The last couple of months have just been a blur - Christmas came and went without a bang - and now Easter has been. I feel like I'm constantly on the back foot and of late have had to make some hard decisions but ones that had to be made. I'm finding my energy level to be at the lowest I think I can ever remember.



We took time off this Easter - well worked the Saturday but took the rest of the days off. I felt we really needed to recharge ourselves. So we spent time cleaning and decluttering the 2 girls rooms, eldest DD was up so she was in the groove throwing things away. It was probably a good thing I was exhausted so there was no fight in me to hang onto anything.



How did we end up with all this stuff?? I've always been a horder and kept things thinking they will fit or suit something later. Having 3 girls I have always passed on clothes from one to the next but now the youngest is 9 there is a stock pile of clothes. So they all got sorted and sent to the Vinnies bin. I look in their rooms and feel better for them - there is space to breath now.



Finally read a book "Odalisque" by Fiona McIntosh which has been sitting around the place for ages, enjoyed it. Wasn't what I was expecting but am now hooked and reading the 2nd book "Emissary".



Looking into more training for myself for the business, I noticed that the NSW Small Business has a Regional Women in Business Program, so am looking into that. Does anyone know anything about it?? I'd love to hear from people who have done it.



Well I guess thats all for now. Time to go and get my classes organised for next week. Hope everyone had a great Easter.



Alita

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Just finished The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

The novel starts in 1964 and follows the life of Dr David Henry and his wife Norah who gives birth to twins, a boy Paul and their daughter Pheobe who he recognises has Down sydnrome. He makes a quick decision to sent his daughter with his nurse Caroline to an instiution. He tells his wife that their daughter Pheobe has died during the birth. Caroline takes the little girl to the instiution but is unable to leave her there and makes the decision that she will keep her and raise her as her own, packs up her things and moves to another city. The book then follows the next 25 years of their lives based on this lie.

I enjoyed this book but found it very sad, at one point putting it down and almost deciding not to finish it. It called me back however and I finished it with relish. The saddest part is that the father dies without the truth ever coming out with him to explain his decision and his regret. This I guess made me think about how we often think we have time to sort some things out in our lives, busy with life we never get the chance and then there is no more opportunities. Lost. Forever.

I feel more inspired by this book to not make the decisions that you will regret for the rest of your life.

PS This book is one of the 2007 Books Alive

2007 Books Alive

Books Alive is an Australian Government initiative that aims to encourage all Australians to experience the joys of reading. Every year, Books Alive runs a nationwide campaign to ignite the country’s passion for books and make it easier to choose a really great ‘read’.
The 2007 Books Alive Great Read Guide: your guide to 50 books so good everyone will want to read them
Whatever you’re into you’re assured of finding a truly great book with The 2007 Books Alive Great Read Guide. Our independent panel of book industry experts from right around Australia has done all the hard work for you, selecting 50 remarkable books across a huge range of genres and styles: biography, crime, fantasy, history, science, children’s books and much more. They’re 50 books so good everyone will want to read them!
Click here to view The 2007 Books Alive Great Read Guide. You’ll also find a hard copy in the August issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly or inside your local bookseller throughout August.

FREE limited edition book
The Ballad of Les Darcy, a biography of the legendary Australian boxer, is the latest book from Australia’s bestselling author Peter FitzSimons and is exclusive to Books Alive. It’s yours FREE when you buy any book from The 2007 Books Alive Great Read Guide.
Click here to learn more about the book.
The Books Alive campaign period begins on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 and finishes on Friday, 31 August 2007. The free book offer is only available from participating booksellers and only while stocks last.

The Big Book Club

The Big Book Club Incorporated is a not for profit arts organization.

Our mission is to promote reading, the discussion of books and the promotion of Australian authors.
The Big Book Club Incorporated manages two major projects:
The Big Book Club for adults
The Little Big Book Club for parents of children aged between 0 – 5 years
The Big Book Club Incorporated links with other major organizations to connect readers no matter their age or where they live.
The Big Book Club
At the end of 2002, a group of like-minded individuals met to discuss how reading and literature could be promoted in South Australia. The outcome, The Big Book Club, was launched in April 2003.
Not an earth shattering new concept – book clubs had existed for years. But there are elements that make The Big Book Club unique.
Firstly, the sheer scale of the project. The ‘club’ is open to everyone! There are no joining fees and it’s up to you as to whether your register or not. You can participate when and how you wish.
Secondly, the author of each month’s selected book visits South Australia and Queensland and travels to various regional areas to meet their readers. The ‘club’ brings people together.
The Big Book Club has now coordinated over 300 author events, including high school and tertiary visits, and travelled over 21,000kms around South Australia.
Thirdly, The Big Book Club has developed strong business and community partnerships with the media, in both states, public libraries, publishers and booksellers.
These partnerships have received state and national acknowledgement:
Winner: Australian Business and Arts Foundation Australia Council Media Arts Award (2003)
State Winner: Prime Minister’s Community and Business Partnership (2005)
STOP THE PRESS.....The Big Book Club launched into Queensland March 2007 with The Unknown Terrorist by well respected Australian author Mr Richard Flanagan.
The Little Big Book Club has developed an exciting Rhyme Time DVD and Booklet available FREE from all public libraries (whilst stocks last) in Queensland. click here for more details.

The Book of Names by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori

The Book of Names by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori

David Shepherd holds the key - only he doesn't know it yet. As a result of a accident he died for a moment and started to walk into the light - only when he was there he hears people calling out their name and then together they cry out "Remember" as he is sent back to his body. He does, vicious head aches afflict him as he remembers each name, cataloguing them into his journal until one day he finally tells a friend.

His friend helps him seek help and the story really gets going. He knows who is in the Book of Names, an ancient text originating with the biblical Adam. The book contains the names of each generation's 36 righteous souls - The Hidden Ones - by whose existence alone the world survives. The secret religious sect the Gnoseos are driven to rid the world of these 36 and their down to 3. David is in the battle of his life - especially when it gets personal.

A great read. My friend Stacey told me about this one when I was on a recent trip to Sydney and I saw it just before I was due to come home and of course couldn't help myself. I really enjoyed it, one of those books you just keep turning the page and can't put down.

Temeraire by Naomi Novik

Temeraire by Naomi Novik (Also known as His Majesty's Dragon)
Set in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, Captain William Laurence captures a French frigate which holds a valuable prize - a dragon egg close to hatching. As young dragons must be put into harness immediately or they become feral and accept no master. Laurence's life is changed forever when he is chosen and must take the young dragon to the training centre where he will meet and live among those who society has shunned.

I enjoyed the relationship that Naomi built between Laurence and Temeraire forming friendship, trust and loyalty, very believable. Temeraire shows intelligence and wit bringing Laurence out of his long held beliefs about society.

Interesting concepts and a well developed reference to the life cycles of each type of dragon breed keep you involved in the book.

A good easy Sunday afternoon read!

(PS - check out the authors web page - other books available in the series)

Groundhog Day (Again)

Do you ever feel that your in "Groundhog Day"?

My life is slowly becoming the same day in and day out. Work, kids, clean, cook - I need to do something!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even reading is becoming boring - there I said it!!

I am currently reading Mao's Last Dancer and finding it a little hard to finish. Not sure if its the book or my mood??? But I have to finish it before the next book club meeting in 2 weeks - normally not a problem but this time, ummm it just doesn't do it for me.

Anyway - news to report is I'm being very careful with my recycling. We have a much smaller wheelie bin here (about 1/2 the size) and I have learnt the hard way that we need to keep an eye on the recycling - which of course is a good thing.

I'm also waiting to hear back from freecycle about starting a group up here but haven't heard anything as yet - they did say it might take a couple of weeks. The closest group is 2 hours away and I think it would really take off well.

I went to a women's meeting the other month and plan on going again this month, great women and the talk was really interesting - Called The Manning Net - the next meeting is the 24th May and could be very interesting - plus its at Tellers - somewhere I've been dying to go to for a meal.

So ok - its not all groundhog days!! Just feels like it sometimes. Anyway - have to get back to the washing up now ~

Take care

Shadowbrook by Beverly Swerling

I've just completed this very long but compelling book called "Shadowbrook". Not one of my usual choices but it was on special when I was buying big from QBD a little while ago and I liked what the blurb said so thought why not.

What I didn't count on was the descriptive language and the background history that the author put into the book. She has obviously spent a lot of time researching the for this story.

Set in America during the war between the British and French with everyone in between, Indians and Americans. There are 2 main characters - Quent and Cormac. The tale takes us on their journey through war, love, death, family, religion and politics. Being "bridge" people they live their lives between the whites and the Native Indians. Following a dream that Cormac has they attempt to bring peace between both sides and in doing so rid them both of the French.

I enjoyed it imensely however be prepared for a long read. It took a while for me to finish it and I'm normally pretty quick but that could be because I haven't read this type of book for a long time and also didn't know much of the history of the time in America.

Sabriel, Lirael & Abhorsen - Garth Nix

I've just finished the last of the series - Abhorsen. I must say that I really enjoyed Garth Nix's writing - this series is called the "Old Kingdom Trilogy" (also known as The Abhorsen Trilogy). The story starts with Sabriel - a young girl about to leave school in the Southern Kingdom and who's father the Abhorsen in the Northern Kingdom disappears. Its a story of her journey of discovery, finding out who she really is and what she is capable of. Along the way she meets Touchstone, who also discovers what he's made off.

It journeys into "Death" with the bells of the Abhorsen and the various gates that await those and the perils.

The second book Lirael is about a young girl who just doesn't fit where she is - it too is a story of her journey of discovery, interlocking into the story of Sabriels family. There is also a great character in this called "The Disreputable Dog" who is her true friend.

The final book Abhorsen brings all the story together and to and end as such - however you are left wanting a little bit more.

A great read for all - even though it was found in the "Teen Section" of my local bookstore. Interestingly my middle daughter (who's 12) who I thought would like it did not like it as much as I did. She preferred another series of Garth Nix - "The Keys of the Kingdom".