Feeling A Bit Sh*t #069

Seagull herding dogs, Dead Calm, an Italian villa for you +

Welcome and welcome back, friends. I’m so glad to see you here!

This week’s Three Good Things …

1/ The winter solstice was yesterday so the days will lengthen slowly from today.
2/ A pair of currawongs are chortling in the neighbour’s nearly leafless tree.
3/ Buying two new pens and a Spirax A5 notebook (my favourite size) from Officeworks the other day. #LittleTreats

… & the Non-Sh*t Things …

NB: Substack is being weird, so some links are not showing as highlighted text, while others are. Just hover over the text and you will find the link.

one/ The My Neighbour Totoro stage show looks incredible. (Above)
two/ Helpful → How to write a novel in 33 days.
three/ A Call The Midwife prequel mini-series is underway. Hurrah!
four/ I loved taking a peek at these old photos of Nicole Kidman on the set of Dead Calm (such a good film!!) (Above)
five/ Can you even believe these embroidered paper sculptures exist?! (Below by Diana Beltrán Herrera)

six/ Did you spot these amazing Arthur Boyd tapestries on the ABC this week?
seven/ A former potato farm has been transformed into a 104-hectare bird sanctuary. More of this please. (And out, bird flu, OUT.)
eight/ Let’s visit an apiary with beekeeper George.
nine/ A little thread on favourite (and least favourite) foodie memoirs.
ten/ A helpful guide to good soy sauces and their uses. This Gochujang Crispy Rice and Avocado Salad looks delish. And Lemon Pistachio Cake sounds so good. Cha Siu Grilled Chicken to sling beside a couple of salads. Or whip up some cosy Chicken Parm Meatballs, perhaps? This Zucchini and Potato Lasagne is the stuff that dreams are made of. Also boxed cake mix is not cheating.

eleven/ OF COURSE Dolly Parton has released a coffee line with the best ever name.
twelve/ Fifteen flowers that bloom at night.
thirteen/ A writer and editor’s lovely London digs.
fourteen/ Clever farm dogs have been trained to chase/herd pesky seagulls away from waterfront areas of Sydney.

Tilly the seagull chasers. (ABC News: Greg Bigelow)

fifteen/ Labyrinth at 40: An Oral History … “We’d just had a showing of The Dark Crystal in San Francisco. In the back of the limousine, Jim said: “Should we do another one?” I said: “What about goblins?” Jim’s eyes lit up.”

sixteen/ ‘How iconic TV chefs Julia Child, Martha Stewart and Nigella Lawson’s kitchens continue to inspire us.’
seventeen/ I found us a lovely little house down at Walkerville, Gippsland (aka Magic Beach.) I’ll put the $8 I won last night in Tattslotto towards it.
eighteen/ There’s a fully stocked corner store floating in Toronto’s harbour.
nineteen/ Twenty-two brilliant online stationery shops for geeks like me.
twenty/ Wouldn’t you just love to stay on this tucked away tiny boat?
twenty-one/ Let’s go house-hunting in Italy!

Around the grounds

Everyone’s been sick or is getting sick this week, so it’s pretty quiet around the grounds. I did catch up with Ari for an op shop run or two, though. And we had a coffee together at Choukette, which is always such a treat. There was a wee girl sitting at an adjacent table with her mum and grandpa. She was clutching a dolly and swinging her tiny Croc’d feet under the table and I instantly began googling ‘Crocs for toddlers’ because June needs some, I think.

What tv/movies have you been enjoying?

I got a week’s free Britbox when I sent my sick eldest kid some pastries from Simply Mike’s via UberEats, so I have Litvinenko and The Woman In the Wall cued up to watch this week. (Have you seen either?)

Silly joke of the week

What’s a bee’s favourite musical?
Stingin’ In the Rain!

Wishin you a gentle and fun week, friends.

x pip

If you fancy, buy me a coffee. —>