The writing's on the wall

There are pros and cons when it comes to living in a small town (technically a city but in name only).  Are all small towns created equally?  Having been to a different but similarly sized town for the weekend it made me reflect on what I like about where I live and what I liked about where I visited.

Roadside Art - I am a big fan of roadside art, urban art, community art or whatever you want to call it yourself.  I like turning a corner and finding myself confronted by a striking sculpture.  I like strolling past colourful electricity power boxes, their purpose camouflaged by an intricate mural.  I like sitting in traffic and noticing a quote on the side wall of an anonymous office building.  Here are some of my favourites courtesy of Damien Dempsey and Maser. 

 

 

 

Bookworm

I love to read.  I don't do it as often as I would like to but I am my own worst enemy when it comes to time management and prioritising.  When I read a review of a book I like the sound of, I write the name and author into my diary with a view to picking it up when it has been published/next time I am in the library/book shop. 

At the start of the year I was transferring over birthdays and important dates from my old diary to my new one, when I came across my list of books from last year.  None of them had been crossed off as being read.  Now, its not like I didn't read any books last year.  I always have a book on the go, in fact I get a bit panicky if I am near the end of one book and don't have another one waiting to be read.  Yet somehow I have not managed to read any of the books on my not very long to be read list.  Not good, not good at all. 

Do I need more interesting books on my list or do I need to find ways to sneak more reading into my day?  I had a few misses with my choices of books last year.  I am learning not to be sucked in by the description "the new Jo Nesbo".  Several pretenders to the throne have drawn me in for a chapter or two only to disappoint and be rejected.  I tried to read The Luminaries but despite all the accolades, I struggled to wade through the vast and laborious descriptions and ultimately abandoned it halfway through.  Life is too short to read the books I want to read, why waste time on the books I don't enjoy. 

Here is my to be read list so far:

The girl in the spider's web - David Lagercrantz
I'm travelling alone - Samuel Bjork
The boy at the top of the mountain - John Boyne
The heart goes last - Margaret Atwood
The reader on the 6.27 - Jean-Paul Didierlaurant

So what was the best book you read in 2015 and what is on your hit list for 2016?

New Year's Aspirations

I've never found New Year's resolutions to be much use, probably because I have never really made them in earnest.  I've done the usual "I will get fit and eat healthier and be better at keeping in touch with my friends" lists but didn't put them into practice so they fell by the wayside. 

 

This year I've decided that aspirations are the way to go.  Not as definite as a resolution but then if resolutions never come to fruition, aren't they just aspirations in sheep's clothing?  So my aspirations, in no particular order are:

 

I will attempt to have an underwear drawer to be proud of (well maybe not proud, but not ashamed of), free of shapeless knickers that are comfy but past their prime, devoid of bras that are uncomfortable so never get worn and ones that are too comfortable and therefore completely lacking in support of any kind. 

 

I will aim to spend less time mindless scrolling through Facebook and more time texting/emailing/skyping/interacting in a way not involving just clicking a like button, with the people whose lives I actually want to hear about.

 

I will try to stop hanging on to clothes that I rarely (i.e. never) wear, simply because I have limited options for buying new ones in the fashion wasteland where I live.  H&M is coming to New Zealand at the end of 2016, I am beside myself with the excitement of being within driving distance of my favourite shop instead of a long haul flight away.

 

I will endeavour to resist the temptation to lose myself online when we get home from work/school and instead listen properly to the kids when they tell me about their day rather than half listening while checking my emails/cruising facebook/pinning things to my pinterest page that I will never realistically make but like the look/idea of.

I will strive to upgrade some of the people I know well enough to pass the time of day with, to people I know well enough to invite over for a cuppa and a chat.  I will be using my friend Catherine as my role model for this, she is much better at making friends than I am. 

 

If I manage to achieve even one of these aspirations I will be impressed with myself.  I think I will start with my underwear drawer.  No sense running before I can walk! 

 

So, what are your aspirations for 2016?

This is me

New year, new blog - I am a walking cliché (or a sitting down typing one if you prefer).  This year rather than make New Year's resolutions I have no intention of keeping, I thought I would try something a bit different - a public blog.  Not sure yet what direction it will take, possibly no direction at all, time will tell. 

I have been blogging for about 2 years.  My other blog is a private one, aimed at family and friends with far too many photos of my children for anyone other than the intended audience to be interested in.
 A little bit about me - I'm Denise, D to my friends.  I am an Irish ex-pat living in New Zealand with 2 children and a Kiwi husband.  I work part-time, the rest of my time is filled with the usual suspects of after school activities, disappearing into the internet for the afternoon, sporadic yoga and good intentions.  My idea of an enjoyable afternoon involves copious cups of tea and a good book.

Feel free to get in touch, even if it's just to say hello.

D
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