When Childhood Dreams Come True

by Helen Lacey

Last week, I had a flash back to my eight year old self who had re-read My Friend Flicka for the countless time and then spent days begging her parents for a pony. Anyone who knows me, knows that horses are a huge part of my life. 

As a child I read Black Beauty over and over. And the Silver Brumby series. I watched Follyfoot on the TV and loved Mr. Ed. I had a shelf filled with picture books and would stay up late when I had the chance to watch the international showjumping.

I did actually get a horse when I was thirteen. He taught me patience and responsibility and we were together for twelve years. 

In the last ten years my husband and I have owned several more horses, but last week, a new pony arrived. Her name is Pepper and in some ways, she feels like the horse of my heart. Is there such a thing? I’m not sure. I guess it’s how some dogs seem to resonate more to our emotions than others. 

Pepper is thirteen and very sweet. She was. Little nervous for the first few days, no doubt because of her new environment and routine, but she has settled in so well.

I write about horses a lot and try to keep it as real as possible. I never have my hero’s astride black stallions etc (because in the real world, I don’t know anyone who rides a stallion outside of the competition ring and stallions are nothing but trouble, since all they think about are girl ponies). And I love being able to share this part of my life with my readers.

But yesterday morning I was at the paddock feeding the horses and I looked at Pepper and wished I could go back and tell that eight year old girl who loved My Friend Flicka, that one day I would be standing beside a pretty chestnut mare with a loving nature and who I know will be a friend for life.

Is there anything you would like to go back and tell your younger self?

My Roman (Foodie) Holiday

by Bronwyn Jameson

I've been browsing through my photos from last week in Rome, looking to choose a selection to share here at LoveCats. This was a short, but very sweet, trip to spend time with family – including our bella grand-daughter – who live in London.  Rome proved to be a wonderful choice for many reasons: the Maratona di Roma, the history, the art, the splendid panaromas, but more than anything, the food.

This focus on food was immediately apparent as I scrolled through my photos. A few atmospheric scenes, an odd sunset, the occasional grand monument, and many, many family shots where we are invariably ordering, eating and/or surrounded by well-used plates and glasses.

So, my photo special on Rome features no scenery or monuments. It is all about the food...with apologies for all those occasions when I was too busy digging in to think about the camera!

We flew Sydney-Rome with Qatar Airlines and have nothing but nice things to say about the service and the food.

Roasted red pepper and tomato soup

Hot smoked salmon with pumpkin and goat cheese salad

Grilled fillet of beef with horseradish jus

Finding a stellar coffee, just how we like it, when travelling can be frustrating.  Not in Rome.  Add a flakey, buttery pastry and I'm in breakfast heaven.

At Roscioli Caffe

Artichokes make the tastiest snack food when fried.

Artichokes, pre-frying.

Gelato, the second best snack, no frying necessary.

Bella craves the creamiest gelati, from Fior di Luna

I love everything about aperitivo, especially the name.  So much sexier than "drinks with snacks".

Aperitivo feat. Aperol spritzes at Tiberino.

Photos do not do pasta justice but take my word, this was divine. At Trattoria da Teo.

Pasta with fresh tuna, olives, capers and tomato.

Bella likes banana; Bron prefers berra.

Pre-food at Gino 51

A place with All The Food (and wine.) 

1956: a fine vintage for husbands

Our return flight was with Singapore Air and, once again again, three letters you don’t usually associate with airline food. Y-U-M.

Pea panacotta with mint dressing

Salmon tartar with grilled pineapple and feta salad

Lobster thermidor

Delicious food is my favourite thing to discover when travelling.  What is yours?

Six Things: Christmases Past

by Bronwyn Jameson

Ever since I turned the calendar pages over to December I’ve been a touch nostalgic. Not for November, which flew by so swiftly, but for Christmases past. In years of yore the Christmas season started much earlier, being entwined with work parties and kids’ concerts and shopping and decorating and baking. It truly was a festive season, a month of events and preparations and lists.

On most days I enjoy the pared-down version of Christmas, the no-gift arrangement made with most of the family, and the abbreviated Christmas card list. That doesn’t stop me looking back, nostalgically, at my favourite bits of Christmases past...and to look forward to the possibility that these may become part of Christmases future if we happen, one day, to be blessed with grandkids.

1. The Santa photo. This was an annual event, the visit to Grace Bros, yet very little photographic evidence remains. Perhaps because ALL the boys were never on the same page in terms of Santa-love.  I did find this one though!

2. The Christmas party. Okay, there was always more than one, but my favourite was at the local country hall. All the local farm families came with a plate and a gift for each child, which had to be furtively placed under the tree for Santa to distribute. There was always a game of cricket, always the best cakes, always a perfect catch-up with neighbours.

3. Christmas lights. Nothing announces the start of the festive season more loudly than the “turning on of the lights.” Several streets are renowned for going all out with their decorations – I hope this is still so! – and we always took the boys to check them out. The households giving out bags of lollies were, obviously, their favourites.

4. Christmas Mass. I’m not Catholic but I married one and every Christmas I joined the family for this special service to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Plus I loved singing my fave carols, tunelessly but always with a ton of joy.

5. Christmas lunch. Always at my parents’, always a baked dinner with turkey and ham and at least six vegetables no matter how hot the summer day, always followed by home-made pudding, with secreted sixpences, and custard. I do miss, more than anything, seeing all my family on Christmas day. 

6. The Christmas play. Christmas night was, and still is, spent with my husband’s (large!) family. It’s all informal, rowdy, stress-free fun. When the kids were young there was always a little Christmasy presentation, with roles and singing and usually a baby Jesus (played by that year’s newest arrival.) The next generation is starting to arrive – 3 new babies this year! – so I’m looking forward to the rebirth of this family tradition.

Those are a few of my favourite things. 

What is your favourite memory of Christmases past?

Gardening, Anyone?

with Bronwyn Jameson

Are you a keen gardener?  I would like to be, and at least four times a year (once per season sounds about right...or perhaps never in winter and twice every spring) I throw myself into gardening with keen enthusiasm.  I enjoy being outside when the weather is Just So.  I love the damp-earth smell, the satisfaction of new buds on something I've planted, of nipping out from the kitchen to collect herbs when I'm cooking.  Which is my preferred domestic activity on a more regular basis than gardening.

But it is spring and so I'm on a gardening jag.  This week, at least.  There are weeds to pull, and annuals to plant and others to be replaced, the ones which didn't make it though the winter of my neglect.  This makes me sad and regretful and, as I dig and plant and water and mulch, I vow to do better with the replacements.

One of my replenishment tasks is a bed of irises -- tall and bearded, which sounds fashionably hipster --  many of which were planted by my mum.  She dug them up before leaving the farm where she raised us.  She called them hardy.  She believed even I couldn't kill them.

She was wrong.

This past weekend I visited an iris farm and chose my replacements.  With hundreds to choose from this was quite a task.  My garden is largely white and blue...or various shades of lilac and lavender and purple.  I managed to stick with this palette despite the lure of bright gold and salmon pink and rich burgundy.

I took many, MANY photos to keep track of those I chose versus those I wanted to choose but which didn't make the final cut.   They will be dug and sent in March and this time next spring I will know if I did, indeed, choose these.  There may be a few surprises, but that will be fun, right?

Arctic Express

Queen's Circle

Fair Dinkum

Tia Rose

Momentum

Fiesta in Blue

Got the Blues

Triple Delight

Swing Dancing

Rippling River

Stygian Night

What have you been planning or planting in your garden?

Do you have a favourite flower, or perhaps a planting which has special meaning?

Favourite Quotes that Inspire Us

If there is one thing a writer needs, besides coffee and chocolate, it is inspiration.  We find it in those aforementioned stimulants. We find it in books, by binging on a favourite TV series, browsing Pinterest, when walking or gardening or sitting in a cafe people-watching.

And we find it in the pithy sayings shared every day on social media and often printed and attached to a pinboard right above our desk. 

Today the LoveCats share some of our favourite pieces of inspiration...not only for writing but for life in general.


STEFANIE LONDON:  "We see things not as they are, but as we are."  
I love this Anais Nin quote because it reminds me that we all see things through our own lenses of experience, and that not everyone will see things the same as we do. It's like my little self-check to be more understanding of the different opinions that I encounter in life. Trying to be more open minded is never a bad thing, IMO!

SUE MACKAY:  Mine is short and to the point: "No one can stop you if you don't stop yourself." (Man Chen)

AMY ANDREWS: "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write." I think Stephen King is a wise guy and I love this quote of his because I think its easy to forget and where a lot of newbie writers get it wrong. My first advice to people asking what they should do to become a writer is always - READ!

Courtesy of Red Tractor Designs

BRONWYN JAMESON: "It always seems impossible until it is done." (Nelson Mandela)
There are many times--many, many times--when I doubt myself and what I am attempting.  This is a reminder to keep trucking on, to push through the barriers, to get to that magical word:  DONE.

BARBARA DELEO:  I can’t find the origin of my favourite so it’ll have to be our old friend Anon:  “Every kick’s a boost!”


YVONNE LINDSAY:  "Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." (Hermann Hesse)
My quote resonates because it’s a reminder that sometimes when the door you’re knocking on doesn’t open, it’s because there’s another door you should be opening. I tend to get blinkered with an idea of something I want, to the expense of other things that might work better for me.

MICHELLE DOUGLAS: "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." (Howard Thurman)
I love this quote because it reminds me that there's more to life than making money and doing housework. Obviously, we need to pay the bills, but we need to make time for our passions too…and we shouldn't feel guilty for following them. I'm pretty certain that on my deathbed I'm not going to be saying, "Oh, I wish I'd done more housework." Life is for living. This quote inspires me to continue living my life as fully as I know how.

KANDY SHEPHERD:  "Just do it." 
My favourite inspirational quote for writers came to me via my husband who stuck the Nike quote on the pinboard above my desk. I am a born procrastinator so this quote is particularly apt for me. It’s such good advice! (That’s not to say that I always follow it!)

ANNIE WEST:   "Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become." (Heraclitus)

 I saw this recently and it appealed to me enormously, I suppose because it’s a reminder that we hold so much in our own hands, if only we take to time to think about what we do and how we choose to live.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Do you have a favourite quote that informs your life at the moment?  Do you "collect" quotes and inspirational messages?  Do they help you, inspire you, motivate you?

What's on the box?

 Howdy All!

It’s Michelle here. We Cats have decided to incorporate a monthly group post to share some of our favourite things…and this month we thought we’d share our current favourite TV addictions. :-)

And just for a giggle -- here's a picture of me with our very first TV set. We had the grand total of two television stations and thought we were the bees knees! Dear me, how times change. We now have so many channels I'm in danger of developing RSI whenever I decide to channel surf. :-)

So, what are we LoveCats watching (obsessing about!) on the box at the moment...?

 Bronwyn: My favourite addictive TV show is Nashville. I record it every Thursday night and save for a little slice of weekend indulgence (preferably with a slice of something indulgent, like cake or pie!) I’ve had my on-again off-again times over the four (I think!) series but at the moment it’s very much on-again.  I love the Nashville/music industry setting and I loved the original premise pitting an aging Queen of Country against the young, bad-girl diva. I love how backstory informs the character flaws. I love the music and the cameos by real stars — Elton John this past week — and the cast of characters with their on-again off-again relationships...not only romantic, but friendships and rivalries and management and producers and songwriting partners. If there is one character you totally don’t get (I’m looking at you Deacon Claybourne!) then there’s always another to enjoy.

Yvonne: There’s pretty much only one show on in NZ right now that has me riveted and that is How To Get Away With Murder. Honestly, I think it’s so twisted and manipulated and I dislike each and every character in one way or another but I feel compelled to watch because of the twists and turns in the ever-evolving tale. As each sin of the past or present is revealed and just when I think everything is lost, or about to be wrapped up, something else even more convoluted happens to enmesh everyone even stronger in the growing web of truths, lies and deceit and the story shoots off in another direction to totally enthrall me.

Amy: I’m currently loving Call The Midwife. I’m not sure if it’s because of my own nursing background or the fact that midwives fascinate me or the nostalgia that drips from every second but I’m totally bewitched by it. It brings out all the feels with its exquisite writing. There’s rarely an episode that doesn’t have me tearing up at some point. I think it’s that strange mix of gritty and dreamy. Harsh realities trumped by youth and ideals and optimism. I also love that its essentially a female story, a window into a time when birthing was secret women’s business. And Vanessa Redgrave’s gorgeous narration is the cherry on top.
 

Jen: Favourite TV Show…wow, that’s a tough one. We are in the middle of so many great series at the moment including The Good Wife, Vikings, Nashville, Outlander, Game of Thrones, The Americans, Parks and Recreation and more. I would have to say I like The Good Wife the most at the moment. So great watching a series with a powerful female lead.

Helen: I have two favourites! Game of Thrones – I love the diverse characters and how not one character gets a free pass (except for Jon Snow who came back from the dead….but he’s (Kit Harrington – worth a look on Google if not familiar) seriously swoon worthy so I was very happy to see him back after such a dramatic death scene) I love the dialogue and the way they weave hints of things to come. Oh, and did I say I love Jon Snow…

The Walking Dead – I love, love, love this show. Heroics abound in this series. And the bad guys just get badder every season. Of course the good guys prevail, but it’s fascinating to watch the characters play out and develop (or get eaten by zombies)

 Kandy: My recent favourite TV show is Grantchester — featuring an Anglican vicar as an amateur sleuth in 1950s Cambridge. One review calls it “Cluedo with cassocks.” The vicar, Sidney Chambers, happens to be played by the handsome James Norton and his friend the Detective Inspector Geordie Keating is played by another favourite actor Robson Green. There we have it, I’m watching it for the gorgeous male actors! It deals with some interesting social issues of the time and has a ongoing story line of thwarted love. I also like the period settings and fashion. But it’s mainly for James Norton...


 Sue: My favourite TV show at the moment is The Voice—US. There is so much singing talent out there, it is mind boggling. And the variety from blues to country to opera is wonderful. I love watching these people grow from week to week. Their enthusiasm is contagious. I often hate to see someone leave the show. I don't agree with the votes very often!!! What I've also realised is that if a person has a voice they're born with it. So many young people do very well on this and other similar shows. I've always been envious of people who can sing—my tone is flatter than a piece of road kill. Not even worthy of singing in the shower.

 Louisa: My favourite TV show this year is Peaky Blinders. For those that don't know, this is a show about a family of gangsters based in Birmingham, UK just after the first world war. We follow the family through their return from the trenches to dominating the crime scene in Birmingham to (current and 3rd season) living with their riches and the consequences of their, sometimes extremely violent but always understood, actions. The main character, Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, is one of the most tortured and tormented souls I've ever seen and even though some of the things he does (or gets others to do) are violent and dangerous we always know the motivation and conflict and are on his side. It is heart-in-the-mouth viewing. Oh, and the soundtrack and visuals are amazing.


Annie: I’ve been rewatching some old TV series recordings lately and having a ball. My favourite is the adaptation of EF Benson’s Mapp and Lucia starring Geraldine McEwen, Prunella Scales and Nigel Hawthorne. Think late 1920s fashion (Geraldine McEwen’s dresses are just fabulous), a small English town with an even smaller social group of upper middle class people, ruled by two strong willed women, each of whom wants to be queen. Add Benson’s snarky, satirical humour, underhanded tricks by the protagonists and fabulous performances. It’s enormous fun.

 Barb: Long Lost Family is my current favourite. I know most fiction writers tend to love dramas or comedies,  but my favourite shows are the stories about long lost family members trying to reconnect, and this is a brand new series I can’t get enough of. In the last series of this kind I’ll never forget the story of the guy who’d been moved from foster home to foster home until one day he decided to look for his biological mother. He ended up finding that while his parents had had him when they were really young, after he was adopted out they eloped and ended up having four more children and were celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary. They’d spent their whole lives looking for him too and the reunion was incredible. I cried buckets.

Michelle: My most recent obsession has been with Goggle Box—which should be on tonight, but the series ended last week. *sob*  I know! I know! How odd is it that I’m sitting in my lounge room at home watching other people sit in their lounge rooms in their homes watching TV, but… I’ve found it utterly compulsive. It’s the voyeur in me, I suspect, but the people we watch—a mixture of families, couples and friends—tease each other, flirt with each other, give each other advice, and beneath it all you can sense how much they care about each other. It’s not gushy love, but it warms the cockles of my heart all the same. Also, in relation to the programs they watch, they say out loud many of the things I only dare to think. Sometimes I agree with their views, sometimes I don’t, but regardless, I often find the program thought provoking. I’m going to miss it until it returns later in the year.

That's quite a selection, huh? You can't say that we cats don't have diverse tastes. :-) It’s your turn now…tell us what's had you glued to on the box recently -- some of us are in need of some new TV inspiration. :-)

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens

You do know the above reference don’t you? :) In the past I’ve written posts titled “Raindrops on Roses” and “Whiskers on Kittens.” I have great hopes of making my entire way through the song via blog posts. ;-)

Those previous posts, though, were in relation to my favourite reads for the year. Today I thought I’d share my list of my five favourite things.

[Disclaimer: this list doesn’t include people because they’re not things. So you’ll have to take it as a given that my family and friends top everything on this list. Also, my list isn’t in order…the order probably changes depending on my mood, time of day and how hungry I am ;-). ]

1. ABBA. I fell in love with ABBA when I was in primary school. And true love lasts a lifetime, right? I remember watching Count Down and cheering every week that Fernando remained at the #1 spot. Last week I was doing the groceries when ABBA came on the sound system in Coles. Everybody I passed was singing along. Happy, happy, happy!

2. My Alannah Hill dress. I’ve never been a pink girl. And to be perfectly frank with you I’d usually much rather wear a pair of jeans. But I adore this dress. I love what it looks like and how it feels when I wear it (and how it makes me feel). I’ve worn it to three different RWAust cocktail parties…just because. Here I am at the most recent cocktail party. Notice the company I’m keeping? It’s down to the dress, people.

Me and Captain Jack (otherwise known as Marion Lennox)

Me and Stephanie Laurens

3. Overseas Travel. I cannot begin to tell you how much joy seeing the world brings me. London, Paris, Geneva, Munich—how I love you all so! And now, as my latest book is set there, I REALLY want to go to Italy.


4. The Beach. I’ve always loved walking by the beach, but last summer I rediscovered my joy in swimming at the beach. Normally I’m not all that enthused about summer—but I’m seriously looking forward to getting some swimming time in when the warm weather hits. And why wouldn’t I when I have this beach practically on my doorstep.

5. Books. I have bookcases groaning under the strain of all of my books. I have cupboards and boxes filled with them. As for my Kindle. I guess when it’s full I can get another one. :) I couldn’t live without books. They feed the soul. They stop me from every feeling lonely. They take me on journeys I would never otherwise experience.

I will admit that release month is also one of my favourite things. REUNITED BY A BABY SECRET hit the shelves last week and I’ve received some gorgeous reviews.  Romantic Times have given it 4 stars: “Readers will wonder what they would do if they were in the characters’ shoes and sigh heavily during the many romantic kisses strewn throughout the story." Romance Book Haven also gave it 4 stars: “a very rocky journey to a HEA that will have you smiling.” Harlequin Junkie gave it 4.5 stars: “The characters are so vivid it’s like they’re right in front of you. […] The romance is great and the ending means tissues, but huge smiles.”

So, as you can see, I’ve been having a great time recently! Lots of favourite things to keep my smiling. What about you—what’s been making you smile lately?


Oh, and if you want to check out REUNITED BY A BABY SECRET, the buy links are below. :)

Amazon
iTunes
Barnes and Noble
Kobo