Congratulations Jacinda

Congratulations to Prime Minister Jacinda Adern and partner Clarke Gayford who will become parents in June.

A Week in the Life of President Trump

American politics in the media is more like entertainment TV than current affairs at the moment. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion, it's gripping drama but it makes you recoil in horror and hope the casualty rate won't be too high. Donald Trump received clearance from his doctor today who said he had 'no concerns about his cognitive ability'.  Does that mean Trump knows that he acts oafish, sexist and racist, and just doesn't care?

Here are some snippets about Trump from just the past week. Trevor Noah puts things into brilliant and hilarious perspective.

 




By the way, Trevor Noah's autobiography is also brilliant.

Summer Heat

It was 27°C in the shade under the back porch and 37°C in the house when I arrived home after work. No wonder I worked up a hot sweat cycling home in the bright sunshine today. 

Yesterday Invercargill recorded it's hottest day since records began in 1921 - 32.3°C. Yes that's right, that cool little southern city reached 32°C! 
 

Best Books of 2017

Is being a librarian the best job for someone who loves reading? Well, yes ... and no. It's fantastic to have thousands of books literally on hand but I let lots of books slip through my hands and onto the shelf because I just don't have time to read everything that tempts me. 

However I read some amazing books in 2017. The five star kind of books that when you finish them you feel like you have changed a bit and a trace of them remains embedded in your mind and emotions. Books that do this sometimes disturb me in some way although a few are just a ripping good yarn. 

So I've chosen a top picks list of books I read in 2017 that I highly recommend. They weren't necessarily published in 2017 but I read them all over the past year.

If I had to choose a top three they would probably be:

• The Hate U Give by Angie Smith
• Half the Sky by Nicholas D Kristof
• In Dark Places by Michael Bennett

Those three made me think about deeply about how we judge and treat other people. They disturbed me and enlightened me. They all have a theme of injustice. One is fiction and two are non-fiction. I'm sure I will read them again. 

Carolyn's top picks for 2017 (with links to Goodreads and Goodreads rating) are:

The Hate U Give by Angie Smith  (young adult fiction, racism, 4.59)

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (non-fiction, women & social justice,4.3)

In Dark Places by Michael Bennett (non-fiction, NZ, true crime, 4.43)

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (biography, South Africa, 4.44)

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony (biography, Africa, 4.44)

I am Pilgrim by  Terry Hayes  (fiction, thriller, 4.23)

I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish  (biography, Gaza doctor, 4.22)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys  (young adult fiction, WWII, 4.37)

A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea by Melissa Fleming (biography, Syria, survival, 4.35)

Mayday by Karen Harrington (childrens, realistic fiction, 4.26)

Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan (childrens, China cultural revolution, 4.06)

Searching for Everardo by Jennifer Harbury (re-read, non-fiction/bio, Guatemala, 4.21)

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly (crime fiction, 4.35)

Bike Riding

I hadn't ridden a bike for over 25 years (that's quarter of a century!) until I decided it would be a good idea to sometimes substitute four wheels or two legs for two wheels. Six weeks ago I bought a pretty blue classic ladies bike. If I can't have the speed and agility that my nephew Zak has on his new mountain bike then I would go for grace and style. It even has a genuine woven basket!  Apparently bike riding is a skill you don't forget, I haven't fallen off yet although grace has given into the odd wobble as I get used to balancing on two wheels again. 

Once upon a time cycling was my only option for getting from A to B. From home to school or university or my first teaching job. It was just a means to an end and memories of cycling all the way across Palmerston North into a strong Westerly head wind meant I had forgotten that cycling could be fun! Now I have rediscovered the joy of being out in the fresh air and rolling along under my own steam (I'm sure my knees will get used to the effort soon). Because I can mostly ride off road along the Wharemauku Stream track it takes no longer than driving to or from work, and these sunny summer days make weekend leisure riding a pleasure too.

Pros of riding my bike:
- No fuel costs
- Zero carbon emissions 
- Exercise
- Fresh air 
- Fun

Cons of riding my bike:
- None really because I just take the car if there is a howling southerly.  

Where has the time gone?

It's still here in cyberspace my little old blog. It does feel kind of old and long neglected. But it still exists! 

It's now the third day of 2018 and I though I'd check in on carolynknz.  I was talking to a colleague today about blogging, she has recently started one. Over time I've got distracted by Facebook, dabbled with Twitter (I'll leave that to Donald Trump) and discovered the handy little What's App. But looking back at my blog today I realise it's a rather lovely snapshot of times past. And it's all mine, unlike Facebook which always seems to have posts jostling for attention (and that's just my profile with a grand total of 83 friends, how on earth do people with hundreds of 'friends' keep up with everything?). Although I love the sharing and keeping in touch aspect of FB I realise I also like the fact I can have my own little space to record whatever I feel like without wondering if my friends will be interested. The blog's for me but you (anyone who accidentally stumbles across it or seeks it out) are very welcome to visit and leave comments. 

So what is significant about the start of 2018?  Actually ... nothing really. I had a quiet New Year's Day (a bit of gardening, a bit of reading, a game of squash - in fact a perfect day of leisure).  Let's see how this year pans out and whether my blog actually accumulates more posts!

First three thoughts for 2018:

• It's hot and I love summer. The front lawn crunches under my feet and I don't care how much the water bill costs to keep the garden plants alive, I just love this long, hot summer. 
• I have rediscovered the joys of cycling. Now that it's not my only mechanical means of transport I can choose when to ride and when to drive. And after more than 25 years I can still balance on a bicycle!
• Feliz año 2018...

New Job, New Library

My poor neglected blog. I've been busy finishing one job, starting another, selling one house, buying another and commuting from the capital city to the Kapiti Coast. Fortunately all is going well and I'm enjoying my job at Paraparaumu Library.