Two books and a birthday

Books have always played a big part in the life of our family.  From youngest to oldest, we all enjoy turning the pages. Some of us also listen to audiobooks, one edits bestsellers, another is the head book buyer for a national chain.

And now we have not one, but two published authors! 

 

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Sydney launch of Wish You Were Here, a seriously entertaining memoir by my talented sister-in-law, Sheridan Jobbins. 

Sheri has been writing for many years, first as a journalist and then as a filmmaker and scriptwriter, but with this book she's turned the spotlight on herself, taken a period when life threw some hefty lemons her way, and made delicious lemonade. 

Basically, after her first husband broke her heart, she broke some china before running off to America to find herself, on a road trip across the country in a red Chevy Camaro. Of course I know the ending, but I'm still enjoying being taken along for the ride as I read this positive, life-affirming and insightful 'rom-com'.

A few days later we celebrated my mother-in-law Joy Jobbins' 90th birthday with another book launch - Life at the Palace.

 

On her 80th birthday Joy, Sheridan's mother, had published Shoestring, a memoir of her experiences as a working mother of five, 'tycooning' as an advertising executive in the male-dominated fashion and wool industry of the 1950s, while living 'on a shoestring' in the rural bohemia of Eltham, Victoria.  

Life at the Palace, A Necklace of Anecdotes, is the second of a trilogy she has planned, this time set in Sydney's Elizabeth Bay in the 60s and 70s, where the family found themselves living (for a peppercorn rent) in Berthong, an enormous harbour-side mansion that could not have been more different from Shoestring. 

The cast of colourful characters who lived there, or visited (I was one!), along with Joy's wider professional encounters with the likes of Prince Phillip, Pierre Cardin and Patrick, Earl of Lichfield, makes for an entertaining romp with a touch of the bittersweet, periodically 'interrupted' by other members of the family for a tiny reality check.

 Along with the book launch it was a wonderful afternoon of celebration and dancing, which of course included Joy's theme song "Fly me to the Moon".

Joy's another positive woman who knows exactly what to do with the lemons life gives her. Margaritas, anyone?

* * * * * * * *

Wish You Were Here, by Sheridan Jobbins, is available at all good bookshops in Australia, as well as online through Amazon and Book Depository if you are overseas.

Life at the Palace (A Necklace of Anecdotes), by Joy Jobbins, is available in Australia here

"Taking Liberties" does it again

Sometimes a blogger just has to seize the day and ignore the fact that she has a gazillion unwritten posts to be written because today's news is just too exciting to wait for the correct chronological order to be observed.

When I pulled this elegantly printed fat envelope out of my letter box this afternoon I knew immediately that it contained my long-awaited copy of the Liberty of London 140th Anniversary commemorative book.

You might have heard my little squeal!

Last year Liberty put out the call worldwide for photos of Liberty memories over the years from 1875 to the present, and projects using their gorgeous fabrics. From these 140 were chosen for inclusion in this book, and my prizewinning quilt, "Taking Liberties", was one of these.

It's in excellent company, with some amazing projects featured, and I feel so honoured to have my humble work appearing alongside such talent.

Here it is, happily occupying the whole of page 46.  And look! Those dear folk at Liberty  have thoughtfully framed it in.....pink!

And as if that wasn't enough, I'm a cover girl! OK, it's the back cover, and it's only half the quilt, but life's too short to quibble :-)

That little quilt, made from a charm pack of Liberty squares won in an Instagram giveaway from Australian Liberty suppliers Ava & Neve, came together quite quickly, won 3rd prize in the Small Quilt category at the Sydney Quilt Show last year, and has given me the most enormous pleasure ever since. 

It now hangs where I can enjoy those beautiful Liberty prints every day.

I've recently started another quilt using Liberties,  but you'll have to wait till another day when I have more time to tell you about that one...

June Photo a Day Digest 3

Day 15 – From above

Sawn off trunk of an Australian native grass tree.

Day 16 – Family

(xxx)

Day 17 – Centred

Brass door knocker on the centre of a door in Venice, taken on holidays 3 years ago.

Day 18 – Street

(Mine)

Day 19 – Currently reading

This is the sweetest, must touching story. I recommend it!

Day 20 – Cute

Young Chester looks so cute hanging over the front stone wall waiting for passers by to stop and give him a pat.

Day 21 – Lunchtime

Lunch on the run.

 

 Di

Sunshine

It’s no secret that the last 10 months have been the hardest in my life. Even now there are moments when I wonder if I’ll wake up and find it’s all just been a very bad dream.

I’ve been blessed with the most loving, caring and generous family and friends who’ve stood by me even when I’ve been a proper misery-guts and not fun to be around. And God has patiently held me close while I’ve kept on asking “Why?”.

The future is still unclear, but I’m more confident than ever that God has a plan for me, even if I’m unimpressed with his timing.

The last few weeks have brought some welcome sunshine in my life. It began with my Daisy a Day quilt being chosen as one of the three Viewers’ Choice winners in Amy’s Bloggers’ Quilt Festival.

When sponsor Vicki Welsh asked me which stash pack I’d like as part of my prize I chose her “Sunshine” pack because I love what a touch of yellow does for my quilts. Vicki sells the prettiest hand-dyed fabrics in her Etsy shop.

These delicious fabrics and Mistyfuse will be wonderful for my newly-begun hand applique project! Thank you so much, Vicki.

A few weeks later I won a local photographic competition with this photo, taken on a gloriously sunny Australia Day in January this year. I’m so excited about my prize, a course in camera craft at the Australian Centre for Photography. I really need this – but first I need to buy a DSLR camera.

Then a quick entry in Good Reading Magazine’s giveaway on Facebook won me a copy of this thriller. I can’t wait for it to arrive.

My next little grandbaby, due in September, continues to thrive.

Best of all, I might soon have a new home where I will wake every morning to this expansive, green view. Hope I can tell you more soon!

Life is gradually looking up and becoming sunnier.

Di

March Photo a Day Digest 5

Oh dear! Looking at my photos from the last week in March - Words with Friends, crosswords, my bedside lamp, storage boxes, selfie-snapping and Chester – clearly I need to get out more . 

Day 26 – Something you did.

Took Chester for a romp in the park.

Day 27 – Pair

Two gorgeous labs, Chester with his friend Muffin.

Day 28 – In the mirror

Day 29 – Goodnight

Day 30 – Relax

I love cryptic crosswords (but can’t remember when I last finished one!)

Day 31 – Stuff

So many books boxed up and ready to donate to the university book fair.

(April) Day 1 – Play

I play this game every day with friends around the world.

 Di

Checking in

Enjoying the delicious aroma of roast chicken (cooked by my darling husband!) wafting up from the kitchen as I snatch a few minutes to update my blog.

Appreciating the huge bunch of long-stemmed roses my mother sent us a week ago to say “Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary”, and which are still looking wonderful in their vase.

Watching “For the Love of Books” on Studio (Foxtel channel 132 in Australia)) every Monday night at 8.30pm for the insightful and entertaining banter between three very opinionated (but oh, so likeable) book reviewers – Cheryl Akle, Michael Campbell and Lachlan Jobbins (who I know quite well).

Wrapping up one of the books reviewed on the show, The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman, to give to my mother for her birthday this week. (It’s OK, she doesn’t read my blog).

Click here to buy it from Book Depository.

Praying this precious little man is feeling better after a week of being unwell, and hoping his Mummy and Daddy are getting more sleep.

Thinking of my dear quilting friend, Linda, currently ‘of no fixed abode’ (as they say in the classics), and feeling more than a little envious that she and her husband have managed to pare down their possessions to the number of boxes that will fit in a U-Haul truck.  How liberating, and quite a feat for a quilter! My fabrics and sewing tools are currently threatening to  edge me out the door of my study/sewing room!

Working on goodies for the annual St Luke’s Care fundraiser next month, and trying to put some of those fabrics and yarn to good use. Sneak peeks to come soon.

Di

For the Love of Books

Disclosure here - That’s my boy!

I know many of you, my readers, love reading as much as I do, so here’s a heads up on a brand new TV book show – For the Love of Books – starting on the pay TV STUDIO Channel at 8.30pm on Monday 23 April. 

Yet another TV book show? Trust me, I’ve seen the pilot and I know you’ll love it.

What sets this one apart?

* The episodes are short and punchy, entertaining and full of book recommendations, with no words wasted on airy pontifications.

* Not only are the hosts, Cheryl Akle, Michael Campbell and Lachlan Jobbins, frankly passionate about books, but together they have many years of industry experience.

* There is a warm, positive feel to the conversation, and plenty of humour, even when the hosts disagree (and they often do).

* The intimate set, which could be your neighbourhood coffee shop, makes you feel you’re the fourth at a table of good friends. Hint: make yourself a latte before the show starts

* I know one of the hosts rather well, in fact I’m proud to say I put his first book into his chubby little hands a few decades ago. He has a pretty good face for TV too. Just sayin’.

If you can’t get STUDIO on your TV, worry not my friends. I think episodes of For the Love of Books are going to be made available on You Tube. I’ll keep you posted

Di

Love books? You’ll love this!

{Disclosure: I’m writing this post as a Book Depository Affiliate}

It’s no secret that I love to read. You only have to run your eyes down the left sidebar of my blog to see the growing lists of books I’ve enjoyed, both on paper and as audiobooks.

Have you ever stayed awake all night reading a book you simply couldn’t put down? I did this with Australian author Belinda Alexandra’s book, Tuscan Rose. I just couldn’t turn out the light and go to sleep until I found out how it ended. So I read all 600 or so pages in a single sitting … er, reclining!

Have you ever driven round the block a few extra times so you could finish listening to a particularly exciting part of an audiobook in the car? Susanna Kearsley’s books have made me do this too many times to mention.

She’s a new-to-me author who writes intriguing historical romances involving time travel, and the plots of the two I’ve listened to, Mariana and Sophia’s Secret, have been fantastic tales of parallel romances in  the present and the past.

And have you ever taken a long walk with your iPod just so you could listen to your latest audiobook without interruption? Maeve Binchy and her engaging characters always have that effect on me, and while I’m reading one of her books I can’t wait to get back into their community each time, to see what they’ve been up to while I’ve been gone

 

OK, so if that’s you too, and you’re madly nodding in agreement, I feel it would be downright selfish of me not to tell you about a special promotion, starting on Thursday 10th November at Book Depository.

For 24 hours they’ll be announcing a new offer every hour - that’s 24 different offers! Whoopee!

The particular books promoted each hour are to be a surprise – no-one has any idea what’s coming up - and we’re going to have to be on the ball if we want to take advantage of any particular offer because once the hour is up it won’t be repeated (though we can always buy the book at its usual bargain basement Book Depository price, postage free).

Of course these are books of the conventional paper variety, books that will set your little heart racing when they arrive at your door in a couple of weeks’ time all pristine and new-smelling.

So how about it? Simply click on the link here or in the sidebar to start shopping once the promotion starts in your part of the world.

Here in Australia that’s 10 o’clock tomorrow (Thursday) night. I can’t wait!

Di