This and that

1. Something isn’t quite right and I’m feeling a bit out of sorts. My skin (including my scalp) is dry and itching ALL THE TIME and my hair is just not behaving.  My house is untidy ALL THE TIME! I think my out-of-sorts-feelings are stemming from this.

2. I don’t currently have a cleaner/helper because I’m trying to free up more cash. Even getting someone in once a week will set me back a good  R800.  I do all my own housework even though I hate this WAY more than cooking and changing poo nappies. Well. I’ve decided that this needs to stop.  I’m going to find someone to come in at least twice a week. I cannot possibly be spending so much time cleaning up! My DH is not too impressed with the idea of someone coming in to clean our house when we are not there. Told him it’s his fault, it’s not like he’s hands-on or anything and Servant Julia is resigning. Best I inform him that he’ll be covering the costs.

3.  I really need to be going to bed earlier. My plan was to start this last night but then I got distracted by the Queen’s 60^th anniversary concert. Did you watch it? I rather enjoyed it. Not ALL of it but most of it. I went to bed just before midnight because I was EXHAUSTED so I missed my beloved Madness. I LOVE Madness!

3. My DH made me a peace-offering craft gift last week (rather don’t ask what led to him having to grovel with me). He made me a cover for my kindle! I think it’s THE most beautiful Kindle cover I’ve ever seen. Hand stitched and all.  He sat with it for 3 evenings and I wasn’t allowed to see what he was busy with. I am VERY impressed with this peace offering.  I will do my craft post linky on Thursday and will take a pic and add it into the post.

4. And speaking of Kindles, I am LOVING my Rose SO MUCH! Who would have thought? I finished a NF book this past weekend  - it’s called Live Organised (It’s really good so go and buy it!) and I’m currently reading a paper book  (MWF seeks BFF) plus another book on Kindle (The Hunger Games). Paper books are for the car (reading Kindle in the car for me feels like I’m asking for a smash&grab – I tried it a few times and just COULD NOT RELAX!) and Kindle is for in the evenings in my bed.  I LOVE it! In fact, everyone in my life now wants one.

5. I’m in the market for a printer. I saw one that I really liked in the Makro leaflet aka the most expensive one in the leaflet. It’s one of those scanner/copier/fax/print jobs. I told people about it and they are asking me about ink and all these other whatsits. How on earth would I know about ink if I don’t even have the printer yet? What kind of questions must I ask the sales person trying to sell me a printer? Do you have a printer? Which one do you have?

Hope you had a divine Tuesday? Mine was so-so. NBL has a complex and assumes that everyone is talking about her, Child1 is not well and I made him go and write exams today (apparently I am VERY cruel to have done that – according to my colleagues. Gosh, it’s not like he was puking or having the runs or anything!) and Child2 screamed at me earlier because he wanted to blow vuvuzela and I took it away from him and made him take a bath instead. He told his Daddy “Julia working on a nerve!” I tried not to laugh but I REALLY could not help myself.

How was your Tuesday?

Book stuff

So I’ve been decluttering my bookshelf and ALL the books in ALL the hidden boxes in my house.

I was about to distribute them (the ones that I’m done reading) and then I decided to list them on a spreadsheet and add a mini review on goodreads.

I noticed a pattern with the books that I read.

I am actually a rather serious reader.

I tend to go for books that force me out of my comfort zone.  Books that make me think and wonder what I would do if I was in that same situation. Books that challenge stereotypes. Books that make me ponder the subject matter for a long, long time after I’ve finished reading. Books that force me to confront and deal with my own prejudices, prejudices that I sometimes didn’t even realise were present.

I tend to go for books that explore relationship dynamics – something which ALWAYS fascinates me.

When I speak of relationship dynamics, then I refer specifically to Mother-Child relationships, friendships, Father-son/daughter relationships, relationships between siblings.

Interestingly enough, I’m not too concerned with girl/boy relationships but I do enjoy reading about husband/wife – marital relationships. I enjoy watching the relationship develop. I love trying to figure out where it all went wrong. I enjoy seeing the beauty of the relationship. I enjoy reading about and pondering the intimacy of relationships – specifically EMOTIONAL INTIMACY.

I am currently reading The 40 Rules of Love which I’m rather enjoying and I’m doing a NF at the same time. Also something unheard of for me btw – I always read one book at a time but I find that certain parts of the NF stuff needs to be mulled over before you can actually read any further.

The book that I read before this was A Million Miles from Normal. I don’t want to say what I thought about it, just now the author reads this . Before that, I read A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian which I found incredibly funny and sad at the same time –  also about relationship dynamics between a father and his daughters after their Mother dies. And before that I read Committed

I definitely go through reading phases. I went through my chick lit phase and there was a time when I was reading all these murder mystery stories and thrillers. Then I was into legal drama-type novels, I went through a smallish vampire phase with Twilight (haven’t read anything else vampire btw…). I went through a Jody Picoult phase and I suspect I’m going to go back there because I haven’t read her in a few years. THAT is the sort of emotional dynamics that I love reading about.

I also went through a phase where I was reading all these books set in India – think Q&A, Madras on rainy days, Shantaram etc.  Btw…I LOVED Shantaram. Let me know if you want it? Am not quite sure who to give it to. I must warn you though, it is LONG!  I do tend to go back and forth in the phases.

What kind of books do you go for? What are you currently reading? Do you go through phases with specific authors, genres etc?

Ps…I am on the verge of ordering a Kindle, I just need to finalise one or two minor details. I’ve started making a list of books to order once I have kindle. This is what I have on so far:

We need to talk about Kevin – Lionel Shriver.

House Rules – Jody Picoult

Handle with care – Jody Picoult.

My year of Meats – Ruth L Ozeki

The secret life of bees – Sue Monk Kidd

The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls

Th Karma Suture – Rosamund Kendal

When God was a rabbit – Sarah Winman

The Slap – Christos Tsiolkas

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother – Amy Chua

MWF seeking BFF – Rachel Bertsche

Do you get the idea  of what I enjoy reading?

These are on my wish list for now but PLEASE suggest some good ones for me?