Just a minute in October

Can you believe this month is over?! And that there are only two months left until the end of 2012? Smokey crispbreads!


Reading... a little, since borrowing a spread from my local library (holla Bibliothèque de poche de Bordeaux!) I really enjoyed Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City this month, amongst other titles.

Listening... to tunes incessantly in the bathroom. I'm also singing and humming when out and about too!

Wishing... the weather didn't have to change. I was so happy having a mild, sunny autumn.

I wish the nice weather would linger a little longer.

Watching... Season one of Twin Peaks (I know!) I borrowed it from my local on DVD and look forward to coming home in the evening and watching an episode. This is what happens when you don't have a TV, I guess. I'm okay with that.

Buying... all the winter gear. I spent a whole lot as a lump sum which hurt, but consequently now have: coat, hat, scarf, boots, shoes. Might have to pick up some woollen stockings but aside from that, I think I'm set. Bring it!

Wanting... air fares not to be so expensive so I can travel everywhere I want, all the time. Christmas break is coming up!

Missing... my family, of course, but also the easy Adelaide way of life. These little pangs don't last long though, as things are most wondrous where I am. Lucky.

Cooking... ricotta, pumpkin and spinach lasagna, to general acclaim. Thank you.

Old and new friends on the incredible Dune du Pilat

Making... new friends and loving it. Building my community here.

Loving... receiving parcels in the post, texting friends back home, taking a science class in French (!), all the amazing food and wine I'm sampling, going on weekend adventures, becoming a local - at the bakery where I buy my baguette and at the wine bar (oops), quiz nights, playing piano, walks through the parks, bike riding, the school canteen, exploring adorable cafés, staying up late, making friends with colleagues, seeing live music, feeling alive every day.


It's been a good month.

Just a Minute in February

A quick one for a quick month, before we get too far into Mad March. Here's the January edition.


Reading... in the morning, after school and in bed. Sometimes I (foolishly!) take my novel with me to school, thinking that I'll have time to read it at lunch. Haha! When I'm feeling overwhelmed/under the weather, one of the best things for me to do is spend a calm half hour in the library, rediscovering my interests and collecting brain food.

Listening... to a CD picked up from the library spontaneously, Coeur de Pirate. It's most excellent and has me singing in French all the way to school! We also were lucky enough to see one of my all-time favourites, Death Cab for Cutie in concert this month.

Wishing... I had more time for blogging.

Watching... I'm not really a TV or movie person, I've come to realise. We saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in the cinema three weeks ago and I really liked the editing of that but haven't had time to do a PalaceNova movie Monday for a while. Last week I saw some Fringe comedy!

Buying... birthday presents for the manfriend, my first lot of clothes from ASOS, Gilles St Market goodies and a new DS game. I should be saving for France!

Wanting... to write in my diary more.

Missing... my sister.

Cooking... most nights. Making good use of my vegetarian cookbook.

Making... plans, time to play music and see friends, a mess of the bedroom floor, costumes for parties.

Loving... warm nights. Trying to be grateful for what I have in an attempt to be happier.


So how did the month pan out for you? Did you achieve what you set out to?
I've been dreaming in French, reading lots, being overwhelmed by work and trying to exercise semi-regularly. Let's give ourselves gold stars for the amazing job we're doing every day!

Just a Minute in January

Oh, goodness. Can you believe I haven't done one of these since July? (yes.)

 Not a photo from the internet! These hands, my friends.

Reading... plenty, on the road and now back at home. Notes on a Scandal, Zoe Heller; The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen; Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Alborn; A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Marina Lewycka; The Family Law, Benjamin Law; Hotel World, Ali Smith; and finally, The Little Prince (couldn't find it in original French, sad face), Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Also trying to keep up with my blogreader and multiple magazines! It's a big job.

Listening... to Lord of The Rings audiobook on long bus trips through Vietnam.

Wishing... the summer holidays didn't have to end! Life's tough...

Watching... Never Let Me Go, trashy films on the plane home.

Buying... so much food in Vietnam. Duty-free hooch!

Wanting... new bedsheets, a mop, a mixing bowl... not changed much since Christmas!

Missing... My friends in Melbourne. Cats....

Cooking... Thai three mushroom tart. Yum! Manfriend cooked an amazing dahl the other night.

Making... sense of my fashion folder - trying to moodboard for the new seasons.

Loving... you! How are you?

Just a Minute in June/July

I'm a bit behind the times here but thought I'd make up for it with a double whammy! Wahoo!




Reading... the Jenny Kee biography, upon recommendation of the ever-inspiring Ruby, a funny tale from Jasper Fforde, and Sophie's World (I missed out when I was in my teens, as was the case with Catcher in the Rye, the Perks of being a Wallflower etc.) The usual stash of magazines. Physics textbooks. I have a lovely little pile of library books waiting for me - what a great feeling!

Listening... to encouragement on my running app - sometimes I love her, sometimes loathe! I just made a jogging playlist for high energy. Cycling commentary. Wedding vows. Holiday stories. The accountant. Zappa cover band. The manfriend's band (!). Airport announcements.

Wishing... the cold weather would thaw out for a week or two. Good thing we squeezed in a Queensland holiday!

Watching... wild weather outside. A flasher!!! Pictures of glaciers. Bridesmaids. Tour de France, every night.

Buying... Dinner, dinner, lunch, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Theme park tickets! French cheese. My first suit (!)



Wanting... snoozing, warm weather and inspiration.

Missing... summer fruit. My friends in Melbourne.

Cooking... less now that my parents are back home. Eating out more too.

Making... room in my brain. A mess of my bedroom floor.

Loving... flannel sheets. Celebrating talented friends and making new ones. Weddings. Secondhand books. How multicultural dining is in Australia. Running. Summer holidays in winter. Churros. Rollercoasters. Brightly coloured shoes. My new, rabbit-soft, royal blue jumper. iTunes on shuffle in my bedroom. Hot chips. Sequins during the day. Green tea (always and forever). Phonecalls when you need them. Getting inspiration from the people around you. The days getting longer. Jasmine. Returning to band. Making plans for the end of year and beyond. Hearing from old friends. Good hair days. Waterslides. General good health.

Clothes swap. Such fun!

Last time I did one of these was back in May....
What's floating your boat these days?

Just a Minute in May

We're a few days into June but better late than never for this sort of thing.

Ad for the hilarious (and colourful!) new film by François Ozon

Reading... on the up. Trying to make time for it! I finished another John Wyndham (The Kraken Wakes) and am discovering that I do like me a bit of dystopian sci-fi (I guess!)

Listening... to my iPod on the way to work. Usually Death Cab for Cutie or The Crash, depending on how energetic I'm feeling (usually not very....)

Wishing... my parents a safe holiday, my friends good health, Dr Love a happy start in Melbourne.

Watching... a whole bunch of stuff! I feel like I've stayed at home a lot lately but looking through my diary indicates otherwise. Patricia Piccinini exhibition, Katy Perry, the manfriend receive a University prize, Pôtiche (very cute), Cirque du Soleil, Cloudstreet, Wicked, Cane Toads: The Conquest... as well as a whole bunch of dinners and parties!

Buying... things I don't want (or need) on eBay again... uh oh. Drinks and dinners. I love being employed (after so many, many years as a student).

Wanting... to get through the term! I think I'm on track. I've been working hard lately but also trying to establish more of a work-life balance: taking a bit more time over marking, leaving school earlier, asking for help, going to professional development sessions. I had my performance review on Wednesday and it went really, really well.

Missing... warm weather, Wednesday Wrap-ups, friends interstate and overseas, my life in France (and that amazing trip to New York).

Cooking... most nights! It's great to feel independent and capable. I like experimenting with homemade pizza and trying out lentil dishes (delicious burgers!). Next up I want to learn how to make laksa and try homemade bagels. Yesterday I cooked carrot soup for this evening and can't wait to have it with goat's cheese melted on crusty bread... yum!

Making... my way through my wardrobe and saying goodbye to some lovely dresses. Space. An effort to let people know I love them. Demands of my students. Progress, in many aspects: work, mentally, emotionally. This is a challenging year but I feel proud of where I'm at already.

Loving... homemade food, turning my back room into a Chinese laundry, seeing old friends, listening to mix tapes, reading by the fire, good takeaway, crisp and colourful autumn days, visiting libraries, vintage bargains, discussing lifeplans with the manfriend, ripping off my To Do lists on post-its (only to write a fresh one underneath...life of a teacher!), making an effort when getting dressed (some days it's hard, you know?), spending time with my cat, colourful lipstick, not needing fillings and being generally healthy while those around me drop like flies, cheese in all its incarnations (except parmesan), caring phone calls, weekend sleep-ins (apart from the catso asking for breakfast at 6.30), little easter eggs (still! yum yum).


Remember April? I can't believe we're halfway through the year already. So much excitement ahead! I've even started thinking about my birthday...

Just a Minute in April

How did it get to May already?


Reading... some Fitzgerald, Showgirl memoirs, magazines and catching up on blogs! Woo!

Listening... to brass bands and concert bands at the National Band Champs

Wishing... I could remember April better I guess? That I had more holidays...

Watching... movies with the manfriend. Concerts (Dylan and ANZAC day)

Buying... air tickets. Holidays ahead!

Wanting... a bit more time with the people I care about.

Cooking... miam miam Moroccan curry.

Making... pizza. Dinner dates. Cuts to my wardrobe. Dislike everything....

Loving... cats. GRADUATION!


March.
The year's speeding up....

Just a minute in March

They don't call it Mad March for nothing. What with work, manfriend, family, Fringe, Womad and a weekend away I'm surprised I managed to keep my head on! Just.


Reading... not enough! I'm so tired after school that I get through two or three pages in bed before my eyes close. I did, however finish Gatsby and the light novel that complemented it. I'm deciding what to devour next.

Listening... to the radio in the car in the morning, to hold music while on the phone, to rain and wind while I'm working, to music from around the planet at Womadelaide.

Wishing... friends well! Lots of babies born this month and birthdays galore.

Watching... the new season of Amazing Race that my dad kindly started downloading.

Buying... a jacket and a bag, some new underwear, red lipstick. Definitely not shoes.

Wanting... for little! Not looking forward to the onset of cold weather (I get chilly bones) but so far autumn is lovely. Even though my day to day is starting to wear thin I have lots of lovely things to look forward to.

Cooking... rarely and getting to the end of the week with an empty lunchbox. Oops.

Making... birthday plans for the manfriend, arrangements in the diary, teaching progress (I think...)

Loving... him, simply.






Was your March locco? How did it compare to février?

Just a minute in February

I refuse to believe that the last time I did one of these was back in November! Shocking.

This month has been a busy one. Settling into full-time work! Maintaining many friendships and a relationship! The endless marking!

Reading... finally finished with something I regret commencing: The Vampire Lestat. To be fair, I really enjoyed Interview with the Vampire (before the whole Twilight trend, thank you) and picked this as a travel text. It did keep my eyes busy through Laos and Cambodia but it's just been dragging. I'm a bit of a stubborn reader and reluctant to give up on a text so I'm happy to have finished this one and moved on to Gatsby. Not enjoying having far less time to read these days!

Listening... to my newly updated iPod - thanks manfriend! A few concerts in February too.

Watching... Movies every Monday with the manfriend. I like this routine. Some good, some... not so.

Buying... dinner and drinks every week. Things if my heart desires (love getting paid!)

Wanting... less marking. It's really starting to drag. Life of a teacher, huh? I'd like more sleep (ditto) and the weekends to last a little longer. I do get the holidays so I can't complain too much I guess.

Cooking... weekly meals (when I remember on Sundays!) Love my Moroccan curry recipe... otherwise known as Mesopotamian curry in my B52s cookbook!

Making... plans for birthdays, to-do lists (as always), a mess of my room.

Loving... these last few warm days. Daylight saving. Manfriend. Perfume just because. Clearing out my underwear drawer. Organising my fashion folder. Playing DS for a break. Spending time with catso. Cycling on summer nights. Interested students. Finally catching up with Harry Potter (well, we haven't seen the one just finished in cinemas yet...) Spreadsheets. Hot popcorn in bed. Green tea to get the day started. An apple a day. Red lipstick. Getting compliments at work (from teachers, not students!) Making pancakes at the weekend. Catching up on blogs in the evening.






How was your February? Did you feel loved?

Just a minute in November

I know we're already settling quite nicely into December (at least I am, are you?), but let's stop for a minute and look back, deep into the mysts of time...

Reading... my 52nd book for the year. So satisfying! A novel in French. Another John Wyndham. The Happiness Project - "self help" that didn't make me gag like Eat, Pray, Love did. The hilarious Cold Comfort Farm.

Listening... to the waves at the beach, music in the morning with friends and lots of concerts!

Watching... Harry Potter movies in preparation for the new film. Uni results appear online!

Buying... tickets to the French Festival, cheese and wine, spotty short shorts.

Wanting... nothing! Everything is working out swimmingly. I have a new job, I'm looking at a new car, I'm spending time with family and friends and I get to go overseas in a few weeks. No complaints here!

Cooking... pizza from scratch, birthday cakes, Mexican and other treats.

Making... Christmas lists, homemade cards, sense of my teaching folders

Loving... purple jacaranda blossoms. Australian summerdays. Distinctions and High Distinctions. Visiting friends. Feeling the sand between my toes. Riding bikes. Seeing live music. Chocolate freckles. Cat times. Red wine with my dad and manfriend. Feeling happy and light. Silly dancing with my family.

What an exciting month! October was pretty great too, if you missed it.

Just a Minute in June

Oh dear, friends. Last week was a bit trying and the phone line has been down for days. Consequently, no internet. I hope you'll stick around until posting resumes its normal frequency!

Reading... Great Expectations (and finishing, hurrah! Bring on book club).

Listening... to the rain, my cat purring, the 'Pod on shuffle, Phoenix, taps dripping.

Watching... myself improve at teaching (yay!), job offers pop up - and then rejection, Tim Rogers live in cabaret, Disney on Ice (!!)

Buying... cocktails, dinner out (seriously, loving dinner dates!), concert tickets, shoe repairs after massacring my heels in the country.

Wanting... my networking to result in a job eventually, more time to read, some money to go overseas again. But really, I'm so satisfied with my life right now. Everything is good.

Making... my own fun, time for family and relationships.

Loving... my epic cape, cycling in the sunshine, staying out late having fun, going out most nights each week, trying new things (as per 2010's mantra), spending time with my family.

Just a Minute in May

Wowsers! Hasn't May just whizzed by?

Reading... not enough (for shame), staff notices, menus, awesome texts, school newsletters.

Listening... to my broken iPod on shuffle. Non-functional screen makes for interesting music selection. I put tunes on as soon as I wake up to get ready for the day and as soon as I get home from school. It's keeping me sane.

Watching... evolution rap, other teachers' lessons, my free time fly by.

Buying... the bestest ever slippers, $1.50 worth of cape, sneakers (seriously! I go on excursion this week), lots and lots of groceries, stationery.

Wanting... to be home, time with friends and loved ones, cat cuddles, more reading to be occurring, my students to participate more.

Making... dinner multiple times a week, exciting plans for the near future, funny clothing choices each morning, progress in my teaching.

Loving... playing my DS in downtime (true story!), listening to music, writing to-do lists, being a real French teacher.


There's a heavy emphasis in this little summary on teaching; most of May has been spent either on teaching prac in the country or in preparing for it. While I'm learning lots and am surrounded by supportive colleagues, I must admit I'm keen to come back to Adelaide. Really keen.

Six weeks of holidays await...

Just a minute in March

I don't think anybody is doing these anymore... oh well!

Reading... university texts, scholarship application forms, a variety of novels, emotionally-charged emails.

Listening... to my iPod on shuffle, to roadworks outside and at uni, to band concert, as I ride around town.

Watching... the Catherine Tate show, Mary Poppins, A Single Man, time fly by, the clock.

Buying... the most wonderful cape, movie tickets, dinner.

Wanting... a drink.

Making... minor repairs to clothing, new friends at uni, progress in my studies, new ideas come to life.

Loving... feeling happy when I wake up in the morning, family fun, ideas from magazines, daily blogging.


My short memory makes doing these monthly summaries rather difficult. Thankfully I have my weekly Wednesday wrap-ups to keep me going! Check out February's here (much different feeling)