What's Up Wednesdays #002.

More about What's Up Wednesdays here.

WHAT I'M READING.

I'm quarter of the way through The Quick by Lauren Owen. I had absolutely zero expectations about this when I borrowed it from the library--the blurb told me absolutely nothing, so I borrowed it based on the cover. (See? Cover art matters!)

I certainly didn't expect a gay romance that was very sensitively and tenderly written set in Victorian London. And I didn't expect suddenly! Vampires! either. So there's that.

WHAT I'M WRITING (+ A WRITING GOAL).

I've made a start on my paranormal. I settled on my shifter being a were-coyote because why not? And I chose my setting, made up a town on the coast of Massachusettes (seriously gorgeous area there) and wrote most of the first chapter yesterday.

WHAT WORKS FOR ME.

Right now, weaving. I can just not think and weave, and it's kind of nice to have that mindless activity going. Which is not to say that weaving is mindless, because it isn't, and it can be quite difficult. At the moment, I'm working on a scarf for my good friend meredith_shayne to go with armwarmers that I wove for her. It's nice to sit and work on the weave--it's like a bit of a brain cleanse, because I'm not thinking/stressing/worrying/plotting books, and it clears the cobwebs in the brain meats so to speak.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW.

More bullet points!

I clocked my head on the outside part of the split system airconditioner unit a few days ago and now my head is starting to hurt a LOT. I have a doctor's appointment next week, so this will be mentioned, but I'm not enjoying the bump on my noggin!

Cleared out the raised garden bed yesterday, and wowsa, it's amazing how stuff I pulled up. Mum (I'm her live-in carer) held a large garbage bag for me to stuff everything into. I had this idea that I'd pull up the basil and replant it elsewhere, but I discovered that it was very deeply rooted and had become something of a small tree, so I gave up. Also because I had the feeling if I kept trying to pull it out, I'd end up sprawled on my backside on concrete and I didn't like that idea at all. So the basil wins and stays put!

Have figured out the wedding gift for my niece and her fiance. One part will be hand woven by me, one part will be hand beaded by my friend M., and the last part is coming from a potter I know up in Queensland. So it's all very exciting and I hope they like everything.

FINALLY watched Haider, which is the Bollywood interpretation of Hamlet and... oh. OH. I have so much love for this, I really, really do. It was a wonderful adaptation, set in 1995 in Kashmir, during a period of unrest and rebellion between the Kashmiri people and the Indian army. The two most famous soliloquys ("Alas, poor Yorick..." and "To be or not to be...") were woven into the dialogue brilliantly. Tabu, who played the Hamlet mother character, was *sensational*, and Shahid Kapoor, who played Haider (Hamlet) was phenomenal. And the actors who played the grave diggers were brilliant. This film is a definite favourite and I really think it's one of the best Bollywoods I've seen in a while. And I say this as a Bollywood fan.

Less happily, my uncle in France died a few days ago. I am worried about my cousin, who is of course devestated. It's a sad loss.

L-R: Shahid Kapoor as Haider in Haider; Scarf wip, though it's much longer now!; Mum's new Doc Marten shoes; One of my mosaic solar powered garden lights; Two bottles of one of my favourite wines, White Barossa by Kies Winery.