Keeping it moving.

I wrote a post a week or so ago about using the exercycle. Well I am doing okay. I am doing 5 or 6 days a week, and trying to do over 40 kms a week, not a lot but it will increase.

However, I have found that with a bit of skill I can read while I am on the bike. While my legs are doing the up/down bit, my hands are free so they can hold a book. I am reading a book at the moment called 'No way to behave at a funeral' by Noel Braun. An odd title, but actually a very good book.It is the story of his coping with the suicide death of his wife of over 40 years. Probably every one of us has been touched by suicide in some way or another, and it seems to be a growing problem espcially with the increasingly stressful lives so many people live.

One of the most interesting points for me, was that he was trained in mental health and also a Lifeline counsellor, but he was not able to stop the suicide of his wife. I don't say this in a condemning way at all, but I thought it very pertinent, because most of us don't have any training in this field, and the guilt of 'why didn't I stop it?' is a constant cloud following those close to the deceased person. If trained people can't stop it, what hope have you and I got, especially when the depressed person is absolutely intent on ending their lives?

Noel Braun is very open about his feelings, and how he slowly worked his way through the whole grieving process. I have not got to the end yet, but it really is a good read. He not only had to deal with his wife's death, but his son got married one week later, and he had to try and work his way through the wedding too.

Men are usually so closed up about such topics, keeping the 'stiff upper lip' etc. Its refreshing to see into a man's thoughts and feelings in such a situation.

Actually in regard to stress, I have to say that as long as you have the personality for it, are okay with change, but open to a bit of excitment and minor challenges without blowing your stack, house sitting has become a stress free way of life for me. Our living costs are low. We don't pay rent, but depending on the length of the house sit, we sometimes offer to pay for power and/or internet connections. This means we have a bit of spare cash for sightseeing, going out for a meal here and there, going to the movies, things that you can't always do on the pension. We generally have really  nice homes to care for, sometimes pets to care for, and stay in some beautiful areas. For me, so far, its a pretty stress free way of living.

Gold Coast Bookfest.

My daughter sent a text message asking if I wanted to go to the local Bookfest at the show grounds in Parklands. I don't usually go to those things, I have minimal self control when I'm around books. However, I gave in to temptation and went.

We went really early and there was a good crowd building as we left. There must have been twenty tables or more piled with books, but by the time I had done two tables, I had so many books I had to call it quits.  However, I did get one or two interesting books.

Over the past few years, studying for my BA and MA, I have had to read quite a bit of Australian literature. I have to say, it's a bit addictive. Unlike New Zealand, my home country, Australia has quite a rich legacy of early writings, and some of them are really good.

I'm not sure if you could call this 'literature', but I found Dame Edna's Bedside Companion. Printed by Corgi Books in 1982, it is pretty old fashioned in many ways, but still holds a few gems that housewives can learn from. One that really appealed was, 'No one ever died of sleeping in an unmade bed'. So if you are one of the un-fastidious housewives who doesn't get the bed made every day, don't worry, you are not going to die from it.

Peter is a great fan of Macca on Sunday mornings on ABC. I didn't know he has published some books, but there were several on the Australiana table and I got two for Peter. He has had his nose in them ever since, giggling and chuckling.

I got a two book set of everything that Banjo Patterson ever wrote, that will take me a while to get through, several books of short stories which is my favourite genre, The Man from Snowy River, and one of my all time favourites, Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson. If you have not read this book, its worth getting it from the library.

Another one that will take a bit of reading is My Place, by Sally Morgan, an Aboriginal writer. I have read snippets in the past and was delighted to find it also on the Australiana table.

Apart from those, there are about another dozen books gracing the bookcase that we will slowly work our way through. You should have seen Peter's face when I staggered into the house with several bags full of books. I told you I had minimal self control around books. However I did learn one important lesson, there were people there with suitcases on wheels, filling them up. Now, thats the way to do it! Next time I'll do the same.