while you're ahead...

– 2018/9 – 48 years of books (2017)

Monica Dunkley

January 16, 2018

The first book in this year’s challenge is an Italian one. It was a present from my oldest friend when she came to visit last year and what a lovely surprise it turned out to be.

‘Magari domani resto’, loosely translated as ‘maybe tomorrow I’ll stay’, follows a period in the life of Luce (Light) a struggling lawyer, newly single, with a dysfunctional family and a job she doesn’t like in a Napoli she thinks she wants to escape from. Life is funny sometimes and you can’t but fall for her honesty and depth and humour, for her old philosophical neighbour for the kid that enters her life and his naive mother and the travelling French boyfriend and her fight for a better life…

It is a delightful, feel good book that will leave you with a smile. I don’t know if it’ll ever be translated in English, but keep an eye out because if it does it’s a lovely read.

The author is an ex lawyer, born and bred in Naples – and younger than me, as the whole world seem to be at the moment – and I’ve just discovered that his first book is indeed available in English and it’s called ‘The temptation to be happy’ (for example here). It was published in 2015 and I’ve put it down as a possible for that year. I know you should choose a book by its title but….

The current list looks like this. I need more suggestions people!! Don’t make me do all the hard work… geesh, call yourself friends?

The barely updated list (two books added) is as follows:

2018

2017 – Magari domain resto (Lorenzo Maroni)

2016 – Upstream (Mary Oliver) currently reading

2015 – La tentazione di essere felici (Lorenzo Marone)

2014 – Storia della bambina perduta (Elena Ferrante)

2013 – Careless people (Sarah Churchwell)

2012

2011 – The Paris Wife (Paula McLain)

2010 – Salar the Salmon (Henry Williamson)

2009 – Let the gread world spin (Colum McCann)

2008 – The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga)

2007

2006

2005 – Never let me go (Kazuo Ishiguro)

2004 – The Sunday Philosophy Club (Alexander McCall Smith)

2003

2002 – Everything is illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer)

2001 – American Gods (Nail Gainmand)

2000 – Coram Boy (Jamila Gavin)

1999

1998

1997 – Paradise (Toni Morrison)

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1990

1989

1988

1987 – Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami)

1986

1985 – Always Coming Home (Ursula Le Guin)

1984

1983

1982

1981

1980

1979

1978

1977

1976

1975

1974

1973

1972

1971

1970

1991- Regeneration (Pat Barker)

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– 2018/8 – poetry Monday

Monica Dunkley

no comments

January 15, 2018

And the days are not full enough (by Ezra Pound)

And the days are not full enough
And the nights are not full enough
And life slips by like a field mouse
Not shaking the grass

– 2018/7 – look around

Monica Dunkley

2 comments

January 14, 2018

You may or may not have picked up on the fact that my parents have left Italy and moved to England a couple of months ago. Very brave move at their age, but also one that has had unexpected consequences for me on two fronts. First, and I’ve mentioned this already, I feel like I well and truly left Italy NOW, 29 years (gulp) after the actual fact. Unexpected feeling.

Second, and this also was a surprise – albeit a positive one – their move is making me look at where I live with different eyes. I want them to like, to love, being here and so I’m constantly trying to take a step back and see it from their point of view. I’m finding a new appreciation and discovering things that I had previously overlooked.

In my new born again status (… maybe this is a little dramatic, but you get the idea), when I dropped No 1 son off to his hockey match I didn’t just hang around in the car with a book (in itself a worthwhile exercise I must add) waiting during the long warm up hour, but hauled my lazy bottom around the little small town of Newent and had a good look around.

Very cute.

It was a cold and grey day as you can see, but I was amazed to see so many beautiful old buildings…and I’m a total sucker for architecture. I’ve been driving through this place for years without giving a thought and felt really ashamed.

Like every respectable market town… the market hall is gorgeous.

Don’t you think?

And the shops really curated their windows, which is a good sign in my books.

Wherever you look there are cure corners and signs of the past.

It was such a shame that this beautiful house was left abandoned….

I found a beautiful example of German pottery in one of the many charity shops… (photos to come)…

and discovered an unknown to me lovely quilting store! Who knew.

And then I went back to hockey…

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– 2018/6 – a treat

Monica Dunkley

3 comments

January 12, 2018

I have a love hate relationship with the sheer amount of ‘sales’ happening this time of the year.

‘Love’ because let’s face it… who doesn’t enjoy saving a few pennies, but also ‘hate’ – actually ‘resentment’ would be a more accurate description – because there’s a sort of subliminal pressure in having to buy ‘in order to save’ (which is a ridiculous turn of affairs) and also sometimes the discounts are so huge I feel like we were taken for a ride if we’d bought at full price.

It’s a complicated discussion and one I don’t have time to get into too much depth this morning as I have a list of things to do as long as my arm with the added curve ball of No 3 home ill. Kids certainly do know when to pull the ‘sick card’!

How was your week? Mine crazy busy. I bought a car with/for my parents, survived a trip to Ikea with he aforementioned progenitors, sorted out insurance for them and the doctor registration and the electrician, had hair appt, and a freezing hockey match and an eye test which revealed I need a stronger prescription and now there’s the trauma of choosing glasses again. My old frames have seen better days but oh boy… I find choosing glasses so difficult… and it’s so ‘final’… I’ll be wearing the same frames for years… what if I choose wrong? Do I go for classic or funky? black? tortoiseshell? coloured ? clear? big, small, serious or fun? Sigh…

Anyway, amongst this chaos and totally unrelated to sales and here now gone tomorrow fashion… a small parcel dropped at my door and it really cheered me up.

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Suzann’s aesthetic and design for many years and have watched her business deservedly grow more and more. I’m fully behind her message of sustainability and careful consumption (increasingly so actually). You can read all about Liz’s vision here.

Last year I gifted myself the Georgia Midi dress in silk crepe and wore it loads. This year I ordered a long sleeve Harper tunic in white linen… and it’s sooooo gorgeous!

I’ll admit January in the UK might not be the perfect time of year for wearing it… but I’ll try anyway! And I look forward to many years of wear in all seasons.

I’m sure I have a cardigan that would do just fine… now where is it…

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– 2018/5 – 48 years of books

Monica Dunkley

2 comments

January 9, 2018

Last year, in vain, as it turned out, I attempted to read through the huge basket of books by my bed. I had the brilliant idea of reading books in alphabetical order by author… one book per letter, A through to Z ,and as a boost, I even gave myself the permission of buying a new book (one of life greatest pleasures, no doubt) if I didn’t own one whose author started with a particular letter. The idea was truly brilliant and fun… but I wasn’t.

As you know I failed miserably. I think I got to the letter E… and then I lost the book… and then I got totally sidetracked and … well the rest is history. That particular book is still missing, I’m thinking it ended up in a charity pile, and the basket of books is now well and truly overflowing.

So this year I’m trying something else. First of all I purged the basket (still purging) of all the books I categorically know I will never want to read. None were presents, all impulse buys from charity shop. (What was I thinking!!).

Then after seeing a similar ploy on Instagram I decided I’m going to try reading a book published in each year since my birth, and since I’m turning 48 (gulp) in June… that’s 48 books. Probably VERY ambitious… but I don’t HAVE to do it in 12 months exactly, right? Nor I intend to do it in any order either, which should help my weak staying power

Also I think it will be fun reading books from different decades…

These is the list so far. The one crossed out is my current read.

2018

2017 – Magari domain resto (Lorenzo Maroni)

2016 – Upstream (Mary Oliver)

2014 – Storia della bambina perduta (Elena Ferrante)

2013 – Careless people (Sarah Churchwell)

2012

2011 – The Paris Wife (Paula McLain)

2010 – Salar the Salmon (Henry Williamson)

2009 – Let the gread world spin (Colum McCann)

2008 – The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga)

2007

2006

2005 – Never let me go (Kazuo Ishiguro)

2004 – The Sunday Philosophy Club (Alexander McCall Smith)

2003

2002 – Everything is illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer)

2001 – American Gods (Nail Gainmand)

2000 – Coram Boy (Jamila Gavin)

1999

1998

1997 – Paradise (Toni Morrison)

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991- Regeneration (Pat Barker)

1990

1989

1988

1987 – Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami)

1986

1985

1984

1983

1982

1981

1980

1979

1978

1977

1976

1975

1974

1973

1972

1971

1970

Needless to say any suggestions are very very welcome.

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– 2018/4 – urge to purge

Monica Dunkley

3 comments

January 8, 2018

I don’t know about you but this time of year I feel the total urge of purging my cupboards, to sort out the unwanted things, the old clothes, the out of date food and spices… to get rid of the superfluous and the useless, the unused and the extra. January is for cleansing. I really love a tidy drawer or cupboard, I feel a sense of deep satisfaction to know that behind those close doors everything is folded and in order, everything in its place and a place for everything. Even if I’m the only one who knows that… in fact that makes it more special.

Mr M is an ‘outside tidy’… he needs to see clear surfaces and cupboards are to hide things. He’s a “piler upper”… he makes piles on top of piles to deal with the mess.

You see, outside of cupboards is a different story, I’m not so fussy and my ‘mess tolerance level’ can be quite high..a good psychologist would have a field day, I’m sure, in trying to explain that one, in the meantime I’m tackling one cupboard at a time and today … was the pantry one…

Oh boy.

A part from the crumbs I had to shovel out of it… what a nightmare… so many things had ‘got stuck at the back’ and … had died a lonely and miserable death of neglect and disregard.

So many weird jars I don’t even remember buying… old flour, old biscuits, old sauces…

I also realised I’ve been baking with ‘really’ out of date yeast… which obviously still worked because the cakes always turned out fine so I was in two mind about keeping it… in the end I figured now that I knew the truth… it would have ended up badly so off into the bin it went.

But now look at that cupboard!! isn’t it a sight for sore eyes? Look! no crumbs, no upside down cereal boxes (why???), sweet with sweet, savoury with savoury.

Perfection.

I’m feeling so much better.

One cupboard down… gazillions to go. The boys’ ones are terrifying and might be better kept for last when I’ve build up some sort of stamina.

Onwards and upwards.

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– 2018/3 – books

Monica Dunkley

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January 6, 2018

I didn’t do any knitting or crochet on holiday. I had taken things with me but I knew, even whilst packing, that is was more for comfort rather than a real desire to work on something. Like a security blanket. I was right, I didn’t once got it out of the suitcase and I’m fine with that. Last thing ‘making’ should become is an added pressure on life, it should always be an antidote in my book, otherwise… what kind of hobby is that? So when I wasn’t in the water or losing at Uno with the boys you could have spotted me with a book/kindle in hand.

First up is “The Dry”, a really well written page turner that keeps you guessing till the end when you realise you kind of could have worked it out yourself and you go ‘ohh yeah… doh!”.

I liked the characters, the descriptions of the setting was well done… I really enjoyed it.

A dear friend gave it me for Christmas to take away on holiday… but I ended up finishing in two days before I even left the house. Definitively worth it.

The next one is a real ‘feel good’ book. Doesn’t claim to be anything else but it’s an absolute delight and leaves you with a smile. The cover is just like the book… The story weaves from the past to the present and keeps you interested. I read it during a couple of jet lagged nights on holiday with Mr M ‘not snoring, just breathing heavily’ next to me and strange equatorial animals dancing on our roof. It was very good company.

I like Horowitz’ writing, I think he’s a really clever man and his ‘Sherlock Holmes’ novel was one of my favourite, having said that… I kind of struggled with the ‘Magpie murders’. Extremely well written, classic English crime novel… very clever ‘book within a book’ plot expedient… but sooooo looooong… geesh …

I kept reading and reading and reading and I was always half way, for days…

The end came and … yes ok all the loose ends got tied but… it was like a cricket five day test… the end finally comes, someone wins but nobody makes a big fuss and they all go and have a cup of tea to celebrate…

Does it make sense?

The next book was a real revelation. I had bought it in Tofino catch and release aquarium a couple of summers ago simply because I’m totally in love with the area and wanted a souvenir and let’s face it what better souvenir than a book? I had no idea whatsoever of who Ed Ricketts was, but I had ferociously read John Steinbeck in my teenage years and that was recommendation enough.

In a few words Ed Ricketts is the unrecognised father of modern ecology. I don’t know why he isn’t more famous or known, but his ideas, and also his friendship with, and influence on Steinbeck (and Joseph Campbell a… mythologist… just google it… fascinating man too), his love and study of coastal habitats are absolutely genial. The whole book is a wonderful eulogy to this man and it really makes you want to have known him.

I’m so glad I stumbled on this book. If you like Steinbeck’s writing (Ed is a major inspiration for ‘Doc’ in Cannery Row, for example), if you’re interested in ecology’s theories, in coastal habitat and exploration and travel… this book is for you.

Problem is… now I want to read Steinbeck again.

Sigh. So many books, so little time…

Right, this lot should keep you busy for a while… I’m off taking all Christmas stuff down today. Big job. Urgh…

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– 2018/2 – postcard from Maldives

Monica Dunkley

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January 3, 2018

Really good 2nd day of the year…

We chartered the hotel boat ‘Horizon’ for a day around the Atoll and the weather was good today too. (Can’t say it was brilliant all the time…)

(And you can tell from the boys’ body language how happy they are to pose for a photo… ‘eye roll’… do your children complain about photos too? And then complain that there’s not enough photos of them in the end of year book? Can you ever win as a parent?)

(cheesy boy band of the 90s photo coming up… steady yourself…)

A huge pod of spinner dolphins kept us entertained for ages, jumping and swimming along the boat. There’s something really compelling and magical about dolphins, isn’t it? Some how they seem almost human in their behaviour… And their little squeaky ticking sounds were brilliant.

Then the boys did the obligatory jumping off the boat… me? no thanks, there was a perfectly good ladder that worked wonders… didn’t see the point…

And after some great snorkelling along a couple of reefs (and turtles… so many turtles on this trip! I didn’t expect it and I couldn’t have been happier, turtles are magic too) the boys did some fishing because boys will be boys, whilst me… not me… there was a glorious sunset and a perfectly comfortable sofa…

This is one of our catch, the dudes on the boat called it ‘banana fish’ (probably not its scientific name) and the chef back at the hotel cooked it for us… I wouldn’t call it a feast – skinny little fellow it was – but it was great to eat our catch.

See? What did I tell you about the sunset, don’t get them like this back at home.

We sailed back in the dark, a huge orange full moon lighting the way back at the resort, impossible to photograph but take my word for it, it was otherworldly.

A truly memorable day.

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– 2018/1 – postcards from the Maldives

Monica Dunkley

1 comment

January 1, 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

This is us last night. ‘White party’ on the island (yes, you can roll your eyes… I did), they gave the boys white hats and I got a feather boa (… I was secretly very pleased… shhh)