Autumn is in the air, doo do doo, doo do doo

When in Masterton, one of the things I always do pretty much as soon as possible is get a milkshake (or an iced chocolate) and a plain mince pie from the Ten O'Clock Cookie Bakery Cafe (aka 10CC). I don't eat pies very often, but these are the best. I remember the days when it was just a tiny bakery with one or two tables, but a few years ago they bought the shop next door and knocked walls down so now it's pretty huge by Masterton standards. I also remember the days when I had to walk ten miles in the snow to school. Barefoot.

Out at the farm there are four working dog puppies. Maggie solemnly explained to me that she can only keep one, they already have enough working dogs so they will have to find new homes for the other three puppies. The puppies are very well looked after, she follows them around, tries to pick them up, and says 'Get out of it boy' just like her Dad. She is too cute (and her hair cut is just like Dora the Explorer, which is lucky because she loves Dora).

I just thought these were pretty. 

Autumn is definitely here. The nights are chilly and the leaves all over the Wairarapa are turning. Thankfully daylight savings will mean it's a wee bit lighter tomorrow morning when my alarm goes off, it's hard getting up in the dark when the wind's blowing. We have been having some beautiful sunny days though, so can't really complain.

On the Banks of Plum Creek

I took these photos of a random house while walking to some friends' house for dinner one Saturday evening the other weekend. I liked the colours of the flaking paint.

And the sky.

And the flowers out the front.

While in Christchurch I finished the third book in the Little House on the Prairie series, On the Banks of Plum Creek. I am loving this series, especially because I've got a bit of a system going where I read one 'adult' novel/non-fiction book, then one Little House book, to break it up a bit.

More action and events happen in On the Banks of Plum Creek than either of the previous books, for two reasons I think - one being that Laura and Mary are older and so have more independence and responsibility. Another being that they are living closer to a town/settlement so they get to go to school and church and meet other children and have more interaction with people outside their own family.

The tone/style of the book seemed slightly different from the previous two - there's more dialogue and more of something a bit harder to describe but what seems like energy, in the writing and in the progression of the plot. I had read that there has been debate about how much involvement Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter Rose had in the writing and/or editing of the books and On the Banks of Plum Creek did make me wonder if this was one of the books in which Rose played a bigger role in the writing and that's why the tone or style seemed a bit different. But the tone/style difference isn't major and may simply be a reflection of the two points I noted above.

(I suddenly seem to be writing an essay. I think I miss studying English Literature.)

Something that has irritated me throughout has been the way Ma and Pa say each other's name almost every time they speak to each other - "'Tomorrow, we'll be settled again. The house is in a creek bank, Caroline.' 'Oh, Charles!' said Ma. 'A dugout. We've never had to live in a dugout yet.'"

"'I'm glad I had to carry them only three miles. Think of it, Caroline! Town's only three miles away! Just a nice walk....How do you like it, Caroline?'"

Also, Mary and Laura have such rigid characterisations - Mary is quiet, well-behaved, with perfect manners, and likes to stay indoors helping Ma and playing with Carrie. She gets scared easily and when she does she freezes up and can't move or speak. Laura is chatty, asks lots of questions, prefers to be outside with Pa, and pushes the boundries. Laura is always the one who acts in the face danger, no matter how scared she is.

I loved this line, "But Laura was glowing warm. She had never felt so fine and frisky. Mary said, 'I'm surprised at you, Laura. I wouldn't go out in the rain and get all wet like that.'"

It's such a Mary thing to say.

Tiny hats

For the purposes of alliteration I wish I could say there were ten tiny hats at Monday night Knitting Circle, but alas there were only nine. Still, that's a lot of tiny hats!

They were on their way to the heads of premature babies and because of the style of hat, I kept imagining a whole lot of teeny tiny babies in rugby shorts and gumboots, stomping around a farm on a frosty morning wearing their solid ribbed hats pulled down over their ears and muttering.

(The yarn in the top right corner is a Punta Yarns Merisock Hand Painted and was being used to start a wee shawl/wrap called 'The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief', I know this because the person knitting with it is very good at keeping her Ravelry projects and stash up to date. She is also prolific (last year I posted a photo of some socks she was making the first time she came along on a Monday night) - she's doing an 11 shawls in 2011 challenge and has already completed three. Where do these people find the time?!)

For one night only...

Amazingly Quick and Easy Chocolate Brownie

200 grams butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa

Melt all of the above, add:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs

Mix well, bake in tin for 25 minutes at 150 degrees celcius, or 20 minutes on fan bake. Especially yum served warm with vanilla ice cream...

Also, to record for posterity: on Friday night/in the early hours of Saturday morning, before my one night visit to Christchurch for my step-brother's 21st, while attempting to be suave and casual at Matterhorn, I walked into a glass door that I was adamant was open, despite having been told that it looked like it wasn't. My forehead is still sore today. There's something to be said for not keeping your windows/doors too clean. And for not trying to be suave and casual.

Catching Up

So many things, so little time (although at 3pm on a week day it often seems like there's an intolerable amount of time). In brief:

On Saturday I finally got along to the City Gallery Wellington's 'Crown Lynn: Crockery of Distinction' exhibition (I took the photo above on my walk there, it was a beautiful day). I loved the Dorothy Thorpe range with its bauble handles (although I do wonder how practical the handles would be in terms of holding your cup of tea) and found the whare ashtray of the Wharetana range pretty offensive; while the lamp base with a Maori figurine carved into it which had an image of the Queen to commemorate her 1953 coronation stuck on its forehead was a pretty strange combination.

I had convinced my Mum and her friend to go along to the exhibition when she was in town a few weeks ago and she had said they enjoyed it (especially recognising pieces their mothers and even they themselves used to have) but it was pretty small so they weren't there long. I ended up spending an hour meandering along matching everything to the catalogue and watching the wee black and white National Film Archives' video 'From Potter's Wheel to Mass Production' so I guess it just depends on your level of interest. The exhibition has a $6 entry fee but you get a great little booklet to keep so it's well worth the price.

On Sunday Alex and I watched The Graduate for classic movie Sunday. It was so not what I had imagined. I had always thought Benjamin would be a suave, charming young man who, while ultimately seduced by Mrs. Robinson, would do his fair share of tempting her also. I did not expect him to be socially awkward, slightly disturbed, and generally strange. I actually couldn't get over it for much of the movie. I believe I said the words, 'Why is he so WEIRD?' many, many times.

Such a great movie though, Mrs. Robinson is a babe (apparently Anne Bancroft was actually only 35 at the time of filming, and Dustin Hoffman was a 30 year old playing a 21 year old - I KNEW he looked older than 21), the soundtrack is by Simon and Garfunkel, there's a strong late 1960s aesthetic in terms of the colours and the clothing, and it's also quite hilarious in certain parts. Toast popping up just as Ben has finished explaining to his parents (who are in the kitchen) that he's going to marry Elaine despite the fact that he hasn't discussed it with her and she in fact hates him was a favourite. Also it seems like the filmmaker had just discovered the revolutionary technique of zooming. There was a lot of it going on.

I'm not sure about the ending though. I couldn't really handle Elaine even considering having a relationship with Ben knowing that he'd had an affair with her mother (also, I had always thought the daughter married the guy without knowing he'd had an affair with her mother and the whole point of the movie was that it was very fraught with tension and secrets, so I got a big surprise when Ben rushed in and told Elaine the truth before Mrs. Robinson could get to her; where did I get all these assumptions about the movie from?), so although, as Alex pointed out, it was satisfying that Mrs. Robinson didn't 'win', I interpreted Elaine's expression at the very end, after they collapse into the back seat of the bus elated and are staring ahead, as one of sadness and uncertainty. Because while she hasn't let her mother win, she's also lost her relationship with her mother and her father and she's with a weird guy who, while he may be in love with her, has slept with her mother nonetheless. Anyway, I'd happily watch it again.

On Tuesday I went to a documentary about Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. Last night I saw My Wedding and Other Secrets. SO CUTE. Almost too cute to bear at times. And there were some pretty emotional moments as well. A little insight into another culture in New Zealand and a movie that generally celebrates love.  I now really want to see the documentary the film was inspired by; although will I be able to cope with that much cuteness in a real life context? Honestly, the movie is that cute.

Holland Road Yarn Company

On Sunday I finally had time to get out to Petone and visit Tash at her very own, very exciting new yarn shop - Holland Road Yarn Company.

In the past I have bemoaned the lack of an inviting, inspiring yarn shop in Wellington where everything is beautifully displayed (although The Yarn Studio at Nancy's does do a pretty good job of that) and there's space to hang out and do some knitting if you feel so inclined, so I had high hopes for HRYC. I was sure Tash wouldn't disappoint, however, and I was right. It is so cute and lovely and there are couches! It's only been open for a month (one month today in fact!) so it will surely only get better and better as time goes by.

Tash is such an inspiring example of someone who has found their passion and worked really hard to make a living out of it. And who could resist buying something from such a friendly face...

I couldn't.

This found its way home with me, I have plans to make it into a scarf for my sister. I am really looking forward to knitting with something so much thicker than the 4 ply of my first socks as this is worsted weight (which is 10 ply if I remember correctly). Having been knitting on stage in Tea for Toot with 8 ply and size 7 needles, I just know it's going to seem like I am making speed-of-light progress. Bring on the instant gratification!

And yes, I am still making slow progress on the second sock of the pair of my first socks, I managed to get to Monday night Knitting Circle last night for the first time in many weeks (I've started going to improvising workshops on a Monday night straight after work which means I don't get to knitting until well after 8pm if at all - the latter tended to be true as Auckland Fringe got closer as I got too tired, but last night we had no workshop so I was at knitting on time, a minor miracle) and there was a really good number of people there. Numbers had noticeably dropped off before and after Christmas but weirdly as the weather is turning, the numbers seem to be picking up. I feel like this happened last year as well. You'd think people would be less inclined to go out on a Monday night in winter but maybe they need more of a reason to get out of the house than in summer? Maybe rain and colder weather make people want to pick up their knitting again?

Who can understand the complex psyche of the knitter. I won't even pretend to.

Listening and watching

Last night I witnessed a ukelele virtuoso in action.

James Hill is amazing! Not only does he write and play great original songs, he can make a ukelele do things you wouldn't believe were possible...ukelele techno anyone? His 'Billie Jean' was a highlight (watch it, it's totally worth five minutes of your life). Also he is funny and a babe with a Canadian accent. Swoon.

So as if that wasn't enough, there was the added bonus of the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra who are always so feel-good and fun. I've seen them twice before and every time I've loved it. They play such a wide variety of songs and they are clearly having the best time together. When James Hill joined them on stage for a few songs after their set it was like the ukelele dream team. 'Cry Me A River' was too good for words.

I was especially lucky because I got to go for freeeeee - the boyfriend of one of my flatmates was doing the lighting for the show so he got some comps. My K Road dress got an outing, so, all in all, an excellent night. I will definitely be investing in some James Hill albums (and the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra said they have been doing some recording so there will be a new album sometime soon-ish which is very exciting!).

Another musical boyfriend of late is Aloe Blacc. I got introduced to him on the road trip up to Auckland for the show and I have listened to him pretty much every day for the past week. This clip of him singing one of his songs in what seems like a subway station is so cute.

Other things I've seen since I've been back in Wellington...An excellent play, The Idea of America. The best I've seen at BATS in ages. Such strong performances from everyone in the cast and some great writing. On  Thursday night I saw an interesting piece by Eko and their Southern Corridor Project, Crossing Lines, which explored a social dialogue between "people within the Maori, Somali and artistic communities of South Wellington". A scene in which the Maori characters and the Somali characters taunt each other about land and belonging was particularly powerful and I loved watching a scene performed entirely in Somali - I don't think I'd ever heard the Somali language spoken before; it was definitely an interesting experience sitting amongst Somali audience members who were laughing at what was being said and clearly enjoying it while I had absolutely no idea what was going on. A lovely Somali man, whom I spoke to a little bit more after the show, leaned over during the scene and explained that they were talking about how much sugar one of the characters wanted in his tea (five spoonfuls - apparently they like their tea very sweet in Somalia!). It must be pretty rare for the Somali community in Wellington to see themselves and their language on stage so I really hope the project contines/develops further.

Classic movie Sunday was back in full force last weekend. We watched Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? which is freeeeaky.

It stars Bette Davis (whom I loved in All About Eve) as an ageing former child star 'caring' for her disabled sister and Joan Crawford (also pretty awesome) as the sister confined to a wheelchair and at the mercy of the increasingly unstable 'Baby Jane'. Like many classic movies, it's long. And it got pretty frustrating watching Baby Jane's awful manipulation of the helpless Blanche play out relatively slowly, but Bette Davis does an excellent job of making Baby Jane one of the most disturbing characters I've ever seen and there's a satisfying twist at the end.

We then went all out and watched Annie Hall. I'd never seen a Woody Allen film before so I'm glad my first was this one. Diane Keaton's Annie Hall is so endearing and from what I've read about the film and Allen and Keaton, it seems like they are playing versions of themselves (especially considering they did have a relationship in the 1970s and Diane Keaton's nickname is Annie and her original surname is Hall) which must be why they do it so well. I really enjoyed the film and Allen uses quite a lot of quirky techniques throughout (in one scene Annie and Alvy [Allen's character] are talking to each other about photography while what they're each actually thinking comes up as subtitles; in another a man is talking loudly about Marshall McLuhan [someone I'd never heard of but who was apparently a well-known media theorist] while waiting in line for tickets to a movie, Alvy steps out of the line and complains to the camera about how annoying the guy is and how he's wrong about McLuhan, the guy then steps out and defends himself, and finally the real Marshall McLuhan appears from behind a posterboard and tells the guy he actually is wrong).

Despite Allen's questionable personal moral choices, Annie Hall made me think I might like to see more of his movies as I especially liked that while Annie Hall is essentially a romantic comedy, it didn't have a typically happy ending.