Short story clubs, manicures for mindfulness, and the happiest podcasts
The giveaway this week is 'Becky' by Sarah May.
Happy Spooky Season!
I found the most elite-level Halloween hack online this week. Someone had set up their Christmas tree, lights and all, then draped it in a white sheet with eyeholes cut out to make it into a ghost. Glowing there in the dim light, it looked quite stately. Then on November 1st, you could simply whip off the sheet and voila! – you’re ready for a joyous Noel.
I am almost, almost finished my ten days of COVID isolation. Tomorrow I’m allowed back out in the wild. By some miracle, my partner has remained germ-free despite our house not being a good design for trying to contain a virus from one another. Hopefully this continues.
This past week-and-a-half, I got through far fewer books and shows than I was hoping to binge. The cold-like symptoms of COVID only lasted three days, but the fatigue afterwards has knocked me for six. There have been daily naps ahoy as my body tries to regroup. Yesterday and today I seem to have finally scraped some energy back together, but I’m definitely nowhere near my fighting-fit best.
Amid my couch-dwelling sleepiness, one thing I’ve perked up for has been online shopping (surprising nobody). I’ve bought my diaries and planners for next year, ordered some make-up, booked my tickets and accommodation for when I fly to Melbourne in November for the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, and gone on an activewear-buying spree. I’m surprised my bank hasn’t enquired with me about whether my credit card has been stolen.
Anyway, that’s me this week. I hope you enjoy this longer-than-usual issue and see you next week. : )
News
1. I like the odd manicure or pedicure on occasion, and in my teens and twenties did home ones to myself regularly on Sundays while watching the footy. So, I was quietly stoked there’s science behind this seemingly frivolous slice of self-care. Although, apparently a significant portion of the mental health benefits come from (a) visiting a salon rather than doing an at-home DIY job, and (b) engaging in light chit-chat with the nail technician. I’m more chatty at the hairdresser rather than getting my nails done, but a bit of small talk probably wouldn’t kill me. In fact, it might be its own form of therapy.
2. Long bullied by its interstate counterparts as Australia’s capital city equivalent of the nerdy kid in the corner, my hometown of Adelaide is finally getting its due. The Wall Street Journal has named it the (secretly) coolest city in Oz. What we lack in amusement parks and big-name sites, we make up for in festivals, adventurous food, and cultural hotspots checkered around town. Just ask Wall Street, apparently.
3. Farming’s a pursuit that’s never really appealed to me. At least, until I read this ABC article about the rural mums turning to flower farming as a flexible extra source of income they can do around their caring duties. Sounds lovely for the kids, enjoyable for the women involved, and a way to get more beautiful blooms out into the world. A delightful outcome all round.
Reviews
1. Words cannot express how much I admired Veronica Lando’s debut crime novel The Whispering (my review here back in March). So, when I received her follow-up, The Drowning Girls, recently for my birthday, I couldn’t wait to delve in. Like the first book, this one is set in far north Queensland. The first had tropical rainforest surrounds and this second one is set in a coastal town flanked by mangroves. Each year, there is a festival where the painted likeness of a woman is ‘drowned’ at the end of a jetty so the town’s fishing industry will be revived. Except real girls keep drowning and the protagonist, teacher Nate Bass, is looking into why. The stifling environment certainly added to the atmosphere of the first book. In this second book, you can see Lando’s talents for creating an atmospheric setting on display again, but unfortunately I feel like she’s leaned into those talents a tad too much, at the expense of the plot. The Drowning Girls picked up the pace at the end of the novel, but I found myself struggling at points with it. It probably didn’t help that my expectations were so high after The Whispering. Would I read Lando’s next offering? Absolutely, but I’m iffy on this one.
2. If you’re shy of the idea of committing to book club, why not consider a short story club? It’s a much more appealing proposition – if life has been hectic lately, then you can forget to read the story until 10 minutes before your meet-up is due to start and hastily cram it in after you’ve parked the car, just before you head in. Just be prepared that others still might not stick to the darned text in their discussions. At least your chances are better of sticking to the commitment, though, and you still get your literary fix. *faint cheer*
3. Miniseries Heat, starring Pia Miranda and a couple of other Aussie actors you’d recognise, has been running the last four Wednesday nights on channel 10. It’s the story of two Aussie couples with teenage kids. One couple visits the other in their impressive rural home on summer holiday, when a bushfire breaks out. As the fire draws closer to the house and tensions rise, secrets and lies come spilling out. Although I saw many of the twists in the story coming (this rarely happens with me, but there was only a small cast of characters and limited options where the story could go, I suppose), I still found them satisfying and fun. I was intrigued to see where the story was heading overall and, in particular, whether they’d all escape the house alive. This is the best Aussie mini-series in quite a while, for me, and I found myself looking forward to it each week. If you’re interested, you can catch it here on 10 Play.
4. I can’t get enough of the Briogeo Superfoods kale + apple replenishing conditioner (my review here), so I had high hopes for the brand’s ‘Don’t Despair, Repair!’ deep conditioning mask. Sadly, it didn’t quite live up to them. The chemically smell wasn’t too pungent, but certainly wasn’t as nice as the conditioner’s green apple scent. The mask should’ve been, if anything, more moisturising than the conditioner, but initially my hair turned out feeling clean and soft, yet also stripped and tangly. After it fully dried, it smoothed out, but overall I’ll be sticking to the apple conditioner.
5. I enjoyed this article on the Psychology Today site encouraging us to find opportunities in our day for micro-meditations and relaxing little rituals. I could almost feel myself breathing out tension as I read it. It’s a concept that’s greatly appealing after being caged for the last ten days and focusing on healing. Actually, I shouldn’t call it ‘caged’ – I’m helping to protect others from COVID, so there’s a good purpose to it. I’m looking forward to freedom tomorrow, though. In the meantime, I’m taking solace in tiny, pleasant rituals – cups of tea, walks around the house, and opening the wooden door and inhaling fresh air. It’s nice to think about.
Raves and Faves
Five happiness-making podcasts for those blue days
At times, you want podcasts to teach you new skills, expand your thinking, analyse life’s tough questions, nourish your creative side, maybe make you sound smart in intellectual settings, and appeal to your inner nerd. Other times, you want them to plant a little joy inside you. These are the latter kind.
1. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
I’ve long been a fan of Gretchen Rubin and this show is an end-to-end delight. Rubin and her sister, TV writer Elizabeth Craft, discuss and try out various ways to make themselves happier. Plenty of inspo ahead of New Year’s resolutions or just elevating your life all year round. Or just enjoy their chatter and don’t feel any pressure at all to emulate their efforts. No judgement.
I stumbled on American comedian Fortune Feimster in my Facebook feed earlier this year and shortly after laughing myself silly at various videos of her stand-up routines, found out she had a tour of Australia coming up and was stopping in Adelaide. I immediately booked tickets, then when time of the show rolled around in July, caught COVID (the first time) and couldn’t go. Devo. Anyway, I can at least enjoy her gentle Southern accent on her podcast while I wait for her to tour again (please do, Fortune!). She is an utter delight.
3. You Beauty by Mamamia podcasts
This podcast has long been my guilty pleasure. I thrashed it back in 2020 when I was going through a bout of insomnia. I would pop on my headphones in bed and fall asleep to it. Because it wasn’t anything serious, I didn’t feel guilty if I lost the thread or dozed off mid-episode. The tone is very much like chatting with your besties and giving each other beauty recommendations. Fun stuff.
4. WILOSOPHY with Wil Anderson
Aussie comedian Wil Anderson has always emitted a positive glow – his humour always seems kind to me. His podcast continues this vibe, with a comedian guest each week for him to bounce off and discuss what’s new with them, various daily nuisances and niceties, and the deeper meaning of life, if the mood takes them.
An oldie, but a goodie. My partner was listening to this while we were travelling across Europe and by osmosis, I got sucked into it as well. Jamie Morton and his friends dissect his dad’s so-bad-it’s-good naughty novel and the double-entendres fly thick and fast. Just make sure your headphones are plugged in properly so you don’t give innocent bystanders an earful on the train.
What I’m Feelin’ Right Now
Celebrating Halloween by eating my weight in roasted pumpkin (with a lemon yoghurt sauce sounds nice)
Boilersuits in dark colours
Entering my Hallmark Christmas movie era
Half-up, half-down hairstyles
Deep purple nails
Finding the perfect cheesy corn recipe
Sporting a holiday tote bag even though I’m not on vacation
Cream boots with denim shorts
Watching Brittany Murphy movies
Giveaway
This week’s giveaway is Becky by Sarah May. Fill your name and email address in here to enter.
Playlist of the Week
Punkifying your pop favourites:
Love the short story Book Club idea! I never finish the book in time and always have to leave the room to avoid spoilers when everyone is discussing the story :) Hope you feel better soon!