Feeling A Bit Sh*t #075

Chonky cookies, '80s nostalgia, feather libraries+

Hello! It’s me. Your old friend, Pip. Just checking in on you and hoping the week hasn’t been too bad ...

Three Good Things

1/ A man outside the Coburg Library sharing his kebab with the pigeons at 9am on a Saturday morning.
2/ A giant pot of minestrone, a clutter of enamel mugs … for a gaggle of young people at my house to play Dungeons & Dragons (with one of my sons.)
3/ Little shoots appearing on the trees I planted last week. ALREADY!! Reannon says planting trees is ‘Cathedral thinking’ and I’m here for it!

one/ I was reading Anna Brones’ Substack this morning and she mentioned the North American Feather Atlas. And guess what? There’s an Australian version too! It’s called the Feather Map of Australia and you can contribute to it, if you fancy that.
two/ I updated my blog this week! In case you like reading about everyday sorts of things.
three/ This iPhone case is actually a working, living terrarium.
four/ You’re probably going to love these papercut bird artworks.
five/ A pattern-filled house in the South of France (below) AND a Sussex farmhouse with more lovely wallpaper and cosy rooms.

six/ These Donna Wilson pillows are the biz. I love the whale one so much. I want to see a real live whale one day. I have never done that! (More Donna here.)
seven/ How do you get out of a reading slump? ← helpful! Lots of advice and reading recs in the comments too.
eight/ A lovely garden to be inspired by. And some of the best plants to add to your patch if you want to gather seeds. Gardening jobs to tick off before Spring.
nine/ The coffee shop where 162 regulars have their own mug.
ten/ Tofu Banh Mi? I think so! Apple Crumble for beginners. Sweet Corn Mac ‘n’ Cheese makes sense. How to make a Classic French Pound Cake. Nat Paull’s Macadamia and White Chocolate Chonky Cookies. This Italian Rice Bowl with Tomatoes, Eggs and Herbs looks delish.
eleven/ How to be a neighbour, one dish at a time. - “And yet, when the ice finally breaks, it’s almost always over food. A loaf. A jar. A container passed hand to hand with a quick smile and a promise to return it someday.’
twelve/ These brilliant photos of The Youth in the ‘80s made me smile. We loved a scooped short back in the day. (Top and below.)

It’s giving Kristy McNichol in Little Darlings

thirteen/ This artist spent ten years filming every outfit.
fourteen/ After the second World War, a bunch of artists were commissioned to create works to brighten up the Lyons chain of teashops. (Found via Persephone Books who shared the example below.)

This is Hastings (1947) by Edwin La Dell...

fifteen/ ‘Read the novels and forget everything else.’
sixteen/ Yes I would like to live in a fisherman’s cottage in a village called Mousehole, thank you very much. Gasp.

3 Moore Street, Pioneer TAS 7264

seventeen/ Five hosting habits I nicked from my friends. - “Would you like a bath?’ she asked. I was stumped for a reply. ‘Go on,’ she said, ‘you’ll feel miles better.’ She frogmarched me into her snug little bathroom, gave me a towel, and left me to it.”
eighteen/ Kate sent me this very gorgeous real estate listing and it’d be a cosy and quiet DREAM, wouldn’t it?! (Above)
nineteen/ How to round up joy. I LOVE THIS. Argh.
twenty/ I am BUSTING to watch The Airport Chaplain, SBS’s new drama starring the brilliant Hugo Weaving, the compelling Claudia Karvan, and the wonderful Shabana Azeez. It premieres on 26th August.

Around the grounds

I met June and Rin at the library yesterday and we had a lovely time. June mostly enjoys approaching other children and staring at them. She did spend some time reversing herself into my lap, for the best view while I read (this book) to her too! Also? Laps of the library. Those are her favourite. Especially if she can sidle up to an older child and touch the spines of the books nearby, mimicking said older kid.

What have you been reading?

I just finished excellent Kate Morton’s Homecoming. And then I tore through Maurice and Maralyn (in some regions called A Marriage At Sea.) I didn’t realise it was based on a true story until the end. I enjoyed it very much. I am now reading The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and am liking it a lot.

Joke of the week
What did one bug on the windshield say to the other bug on the windshield?
I bet you don’t have the guts to do that again!

Thanks for stopping by, dear reader. It’s nice to think of you!

x pip

If you fancy, buy me a coffee. —>