Welcome to Another Weekend Coffee Share!
How are you? I hope you are well and such a shame you weren’t able to be a fly on the wall this week to join in with our festivities and indulge in dessert.
Monday was Geoff’s birthday. I’m not going to disclose his real age, but let’s just say that the 21st birthday candles on his cake are a clear indication that he’s beyond a certain age. I wouldn’t say he’s over the hill quite yet, as he hasn’t even turned 60 but he’s working on it, which is a good thing. I wouldn’t want him to short circuit or anything. Naturally, Geoff’s birthday meant cake except I went down the pie path and for his birthday at home I made Key Lime Pie and Banoffee Pie for a get-together with friends. Yum!
In addition to celebrating Geoff’s birthday, we also went to an author talk and book launch with Australian author, journalist and humorist Richard Glover. We had a wonderful time and were overjoyed to have someone of his calibre appear locally where we just had to roll around the corner. So much easier than battling our way down to the big smoke (AKA Sydney) and being overrun by the rat race. I arrived a bit early to buy a book and not only get it signed, but also to get my photograph with him (for the blog of course.) Moreover, I have to admit I was a bit anxious as I also wanted to get a good seat close to the front. After all, I’m a huge fan and I was so excited to be entering into his orbit. Although he had at least three different books on offer, I was very restrained and opted for his biography, Flesh Wounds. I understand he had a tough childhood. He signs my copy “Beat This” and I wonder how his story compares with mine born with hydrocephalus, brain surgery, dermatomyositis and now heading towards a lung transplant. However, that’s only an aspect of my life and while family life growing up had its difficulties and quirky characters, I was loved, my parents are still together and after living in the same house for over 30 years, epitomise stability. Anyway, I get my photo and we take our seats. Richard Glover starts up and I’m thinking he’s pretty good at standup comedy although he’s actually referring to excerpts from his books. He starts talking about his Land before avocado: journeys in a lost Australia. Then, as he’s talking about restaurants ripping out all the sound muffling (ie curtains, carpets), he starts talking about how the barista’s bushy Ned Kelly Beard acts as a sound baffle to absorb the noise. Then, to illustrate his point, he singles out my husband Geoff and his massive Santa Claus beard in the audience as “the perfect sound baffle). Of course, he doesn’t notice me at all, and I was the reason we were there! It’s okay. All was forgiven and we went back afterwards and got a photo of Richard and Geoff and we bought two more books. That’s right. This weak-willed book addict also bought Land before avocado: journeys in a lost Australia AND Love, Clancy: a dog’s letters home. How could I resist another dog story? Clearly, I’m a pushover, but at least I’m reading them. Well, I’m about a third of my way through. Such a fascinating and gripping read. Highly recommended.
By the way, have you read any of Richard Glover’s works?
Today, I went down to Sydney with Geoff to spend the day with my parents and brother while Geoff was at work. My Mum has dementia and is still at home and anything is possible on these visits. Usually, she plays the piano while I sing along but we didn’t do that today and while she was off having a rest, I got stuck into the spare room mainly going through her excess clothes. Dad’s wanting to renovate, ripping up and replacing the carpet and a lot of stuff needs to go. I made incredible progress and it looked like I had enough to open up a shop when we loaded up the car. Then, as we were preparing to leave, I noticed my mobile phone was missing from the kitchen table and despite calling it and going for a fairly detailed hunt, it remains at large. By this stage, Mum and Dad had gone to sleep so I’m hoping it’ll turn up in the morning. Meanwhile, despite struggling to swing a cat around our place despite months of decluttering, I now have a car load of clothes to sort through. This is going to be a serious undertaking although a charity is holding a clothing drive this Wednesday and I just have to bag stuff up and put it out the front. However, that would be too simple. I need to find out what fits me and I’d rather give the good stuff to someone we know or sell it. Clearly, another “project” has been launched. Oh dear!
Meanwhile, another project awaits…going to bed. I keep nodding off, but I wanted to get this finished.
This has been another contribution to the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Beyond the Flow 
I must look up Richard Glover. Happy Birthday to Geoff, good luck with the sorting and I hope you find your phone, probably among the clothes!
Snap! We just went to a talk by Richard Glover at Wollongong library. I didn’t buy any books but have read Flesh Wounds and Avocado. Unlike you we were late and sat right at the back. My husband, who has hearing aids but still had limited hearing, didn’t pick up much so I had to retell all the funny bits after we left.
I have been to a number of book talks in the last year, all because one of my ex students, Suzanne Leal, invited me to her book launch in Sydney and then when she was in Wollongong with Susan Duncan I went again. That led to me reading Salvation Creek and inspired me to visit Pittwater, hopefully in our boat which has been sitting beside the house for far too long. One thing leads to another and life is always interesting.
Happy belated birthday to Geoff.
An author talk and book launch would be fun to attend.
Hope you have a lovely week. Thanks for the virtual coffee.
Hi Rowena, Happy belated birthday to Geoff. Looks like you had fun at the book event. I hope you found your phone. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
Thanks, Natalie. Phone turned up the next day thank goodness.
You’re a stronger woman than me getting through an author talk and not buying the books, especially Richard Glover. He was so funny. I can’t remember going to any author talks for awhile, although I went to a poetry reading at Sappho books in Glebe back in July and read one of mine in the open section. I was very nervous but it went well and I loved being back in my element again.
Did I tell you that we bought a trailer sailer a few months ago. We still need to test it out and see if it leaks but it was cheap and needs work. My husband had rosy-coloured visions about how much spare time he has although the plan is to pay to get some of the work done.
The phone turned up, thanks. Mum had run off with it. I’m so relieved it wasn’t in the clothes or the room I was clearing. However, being on the kitchen table in plain sight where I could find it easily also made it an easy target for Mum.
Yes, highly recommend Richard Glover. He’s very funny and a very good observer of people and our society.
Phew , that’s a relief the phone hadn’t fallen into a time slip! Yes I would like to read some of Richard’s writings.
I saw our first trailer sailor (RL 24) in a photo recently. It looked very unloved and someone had even written “Ugly” on it. We had so many happy times in it when the children were little. It nearly broke my heart. I hope someone will rescue it and love it like we did. Good luck with your new boat and I hope you get on the water soon.