Dear T,
You always did love to learn. Do you remember those swimming, painting, violin, knitting, crochet and sewing classes you took as a child? While your young mind was excited at the prospect of starting new things, you never managed to learn any of those things because you were quick to give them up after only a handful of classes each. Continue reading
When I started this little global experiment to save plastic bags, I mostly did it on the whim of a moment to remind myself that I needed to be more mindful about plastic. The open letter I wrote prior to this was a result of my own frustration at not being able to be more environmentally conscious and making a serious attempt at reducing my carbon footprints.
I received wonderful supporting comments on the experiment from bloggers as well as anecdotes about their own personal journeys to reduce plastic and how their own communities and cities have committed themselves to this cause that it was very heartening.
I secretly hoped that this experiment would catch on; even wished that even if 100 bags were saved this month, that it would be a success in my eyes. Sadly, it didn’t. I didn’t market it suitably and it failed to take off.
But I am not disappointed. My personal resolve to save plastic as much as possible was partially fulfilled in my own way. Grocery shopping is the personal domain of my dad who goes ambling about the neighbourhood supermarkets looking for the best deals and prices so I don’t really interfere in his territory unless I’ve been given an errand. Since I could not persuade him to carry a reusable bag (and believe me, I have tried!), I felt I should do what I personally can in my own little way.
Result: This October, I saved 6 bags out of 10 shopping/eating experiences. It could have been better but it’s a start. I wasn’t able to confidently use my reusable cloth bag inside a mall so I guiltily accepted a big plastic bag full of books. In other instances, I was too shy to say no especially where takeaway food was concerned.
Anyway, I don’t mean to give this up. I will still carry my cloth bag with me wherever I go stuffed with a couple of old plastic bags that I can reuse. It’s a huge challenge but gradually I hope to gain more confidence in saying the magic words, “No thank you, I’ve got a bag.”
Thank you for taking the time to visit this blog, I always value your encouragement and support! If you liked this blog post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread it by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Thank you!
If you’d like to contact me for enquiries or just to say hello, you can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com or even connect with me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’
Top Ten Tuesday is a regular weekly feature hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s topic is 10 Wishes I’d Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me (a new book from a certain author, a reading superpower, a library that is your absolutely #librarygoals, a character to come to life, to met a certain author etc. etc.) YOU DREAM IT AND THE BOOKISH GENIE CAN DO IT.
Dear Book Genie,
Firstly, I’m so happy and grateful that you’re here and I’d like to thank you for granting me my wishes! I don’t want to sound too greedy or exceed my given quota but it would be great if you could manifest them all for me. I’m sure you have many other wishes to fulfill as well and I don’t want to waste your time so here goes:
Let’s take a breather here Book Genie, are you tired yet? Hope not, it just gets better and better! 😀
Thank you so much Book Genie, I know my wishes are not too much to ask and that it’s a cinch for you to fulfill them so I am thanking you from the bottom of my heart for making them come true!
Lots of love, hugs and kisses.
Tx
What are your top ten wishes that you would like the bookish genie to grant for you? Let me know below in the comments because I love to hear from you! 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to visit this blog, I always value your encouragement and support! If you liked this blog post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread it by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Thank you!
If you’d like to contact me for enquiries or just to say hello, you can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com or even connect with me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’
Oh my, I don’t know how I feel at the end of Writing 101! I suppose I am feeling exactly how I felt when I was graduating from university. A mixture of “Thank God, I won’t fall back on assignments any more!”, and, “OMG, what now? Does this mean I have to restart thinking about my own topics to write about?” and part, “I can’t believe I won’t be seeing familiar faces anymore! How will we manage to stay in touch when life gets in the way?” as well as, “I learned so much and I can’t wait to join another course again!” Emotions are just running back and forth, jumping up and down, fighting like cats and dogs and giggling together like little children in my mind.
Of course, the real test comes when you don’t have daily prompts and challenges and when you just have to write on your own. That really terrifies me but it excites me as well. Planning and goal setting is key; two skills that I’ve said time and again that I need to work on BIG TIME!
So what does the remainder of 2015 look like for me?
Starting this month till the end of December, I plan to:
Coincidentally, halfway through drafting this post and while taking a lunch break, I picked up the weekend magazine that comes with our newspaper every Friday and checked my weekly horoscope (I don’t know if I always believe in it, but sometimes it uncannily senses my thoughts!) and this is what was written:
You may wish to learn more and could consider returning to an educational course that interests you. Planning personal matters takes priority this week. You will feel happy and a little impulsive, believing nothing can go wrong. A balance between detail and positive thinking will make you a winner.
Is that eerily correct or what? Anyway, all signs are leading to planning, so that’s what I shall do !
What are some of your goals for the remainder of this year? Leave me a comment below and let me know your planning technique. Would love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this blog post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help spread it by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!
If you’d like to contact me for enquiries or just to say hello, you can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com or even connect with me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’
Have you ever used a mind map to plot your life’s journey? Or start a business or tackle any goal ? I haven’t. Continue reading
First of all, I would just like to THANK YOU ALL for reading, visiting, liking, commenting and following my blog! It means so much to me that you have stopped by and spent time reading what I have to say and have even taken the time to leave behind such valuable and kind comments! Thank you once again from the bottom of my heart! I am so so grateful. Continue reading
“We all have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
― Confucius
Book #22 – A book from your childhood – The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur (Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #1)
Genre: Young Adult/Mystery/Suspense/Adventure
Published: 1964
Country: USA
Confession: Until a couple of years ago, I used to think that The Three Investigators’ series was actually written by Mr. Alfred Hitchcock himself. My mistake was justified since the couple of books that I possess from this series have the name Alfred Hitchcock on the cover (they don’t even say Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators as it is named), and all the books of course have introductions by him as well. However, I just found out from Wikipedia that the actual author Robert Arthur used the famous director’s name as one of the main supporting characters in the series’ to draw attention to his books. I was also under the impression that the protagonists were at least 16 or 17 years old when in fact they were about 13 or 14. So many revelations!
The Secret of Terror Castle is the very first book in the original series of 43 books which was published from 1964 – 1987. In this exciting debut of the three investigators, we are introduced to three young teenage boys who live in Rocky Beach, a few kilometers away from Hollywood. Jupiter “Jupe” Jones who is the ‘stocky’ (read: chubby) main brains of the group, Peter “Pete” Crenshaw who is the most athletic and Robert “Bob” Andrews, is the nerdy, studious one in charge of records and research. Their business cards say that they “investigate anything”.
Using initiative, ingenuity and his superbly crafted grey cells, Jupiter secures their very first case as investigators from Mr. Hitchcock himself. The three are employed or rather ‘reluctantly permitted’ to find an authentic haunted house for Mr. Hitchcock’s next film. In return, Jupiter asks Mr. Hitchcock to introduce their very first case should they be successful in solving it (aah, that cleared up my earlier misunderstanding). Mr. Hitchcock is not happy dealing with the three boys but agrees to do it to get them out of his….errrr…hair, whatever little he has of it.
“I’ll introduce whatever you write about your case.”
Even though Pete and Bob are not keen to mingle around with ghosts, they are duty-bound by Jupiter whose curiosity and the thrill of a challenge gets the better of him. And so the three set out to investigate a haunted castle which Jupiter has found, aptly known as Terror Castle. The castle, which was owned by a silent movie actor Stephen Terrill, now deceased has been abandoned for several decades and whoever has tried to inhabit it since then, has been driven away in sheer terror by various freaky paranormal incidents. It is up to the three to find out if it is in fact a real haunted castle or not.
Now, I have loved The Three Investigators since my early teenage years so I was quite eager to revisit this series because somehow I had never read the first book which started it all. There’s a right mix of excitement, suspense, thrill, fear, adventure and Jupiter’s cheekiness and intelligence to make it a good young adult mystery of the 60’s. The main supporting characters are all well etched – Mr. and Mrs. Titus Jones, Jupiter’s aunt and uncle who are owners of a salvage yard, Worthington, who is the proper, polite British chauffeur of a Rolls Royce that Jupiter has won the use of and of course Mr. Hitchcock who needs no introductions.
As a lover of secret hidey-holes like sheds, tree-houses, islands and caves as mentioned in The Famous Five, The Secret Seven and The Five Find-Outers, I have obviously loved the Headquarters of The Three Investigators as well. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have an office made up of a rusty old trailer fully equipped with a printing press, a telephone, speaker system, microphone and accessible via more than one secret entrance which no normal person can find? It was always a childish fantasy of mine to have a little private cubbyhole or nook where I could hold my own meetings and plan adventures.
The Three Investigators’ Headquarters
Why should you read this book? Because it’s short, it’s snappy, there’s lots of thrill and excitement to keep you satisfied and it’s reminiscent of a much simpler time devoid of mobile phones, laptops and other modern technology. If your childhood memories were filled with Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, you’ll definitely love this one. If not, you should still give it a go.
Book Rating: 4 stars out of 5
You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
You can also follow me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’
Book #20 – A book of short stories – Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl
Genre: Short Stories
Published: 1960
Country: USA
I love short stories. The characterizations, the setting, the descriptions – everything is almost exact and precise like measurements for baking a cake. Words are not wasted and the story puts you in the middle of the action almost right away with no time to lose. That is why I strongly feel short stories bring out the very best (or worst!) of an author’s talent.
I was pleasantly surprised to read famous children’s author Road Dahl’s collection of short stories for adults. 11 stories which had first been published in different places, have been compiled into Kiss Kiss.
‘Expect the Unexpected’ – that was what was written on the cover image and that is exactly what I got. I really had no idea what to expect when I started reading but I was shocked and other times horrified because most of the stories are quite spine-chilling. They don’t exactly fall into the horror genre as there are no ghosts or spirits but cold-blooded murder and human nature play a very pivotal role in a very eerie psychopathic way. Some of the stories are just plain grotesque and will leave you with your hair raised on one end. Then there are a couple which are quite hilarious while some leave you feeling a bit of pity for the characters. The endings of most of them are implied, not revealing exactly what transpired but giving the reader the chance to speculate.
The stories are a varied bunch, set in either Britain or America with all sorts of characters – an obsessed beekeeper, a motherly landlady, a cheating wife, a couple of meek wives, a reincarnation of a cat, a woman-fearing Reverend (yes, he was more fearful of women than of God!), a vegetarian chef, an antique-dealer and many others. What I really found fascinating were the bits and pieces of real information that was imparted in these stories – from biology to history and also some know-how into the animal kingdom. It was very intriguing to see how Dahl had used all this knowledge and played around with it to create such unique plots with unexpected twists and turns and unpredictable characters.
The book is definitely a page-turner. The writing is very typically British charming with mentions of countrysides and farmhouses coupled with matronly women and one of the stories also signifies the increasing rate of divorce in 1950’s America. The vivid descriptions of people, places and things are very striking and you are able to clearly imagine the setting and characters in your mind’s eye.
She was a wonderful woman, my mother. She used to wear huge bracelets on her wrists, five or six of them at a time, with all sorts of things hanging from them and tinkling against each other as she moved. It didn’t matter where she was, you could always find her by listening for the noise of those bracelets. It was better than a cowbell. And in the evenings, she used to sit on the sofa in her black trousers with her feet tucked up underneath her, smoking endless cigarettes from a long black holder. And I’d be crouching on the floor, watching her.
I enjoyed this book immensely and if you’re into stories with elements of surprise and unpredictability, then you should definitely not give this a miss.
Book Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
You can also follow me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’
Book #19 – A book by an author you’ve never read before – The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Genre: Murder Mystery/Crime
Published: 2009
Country: Canada
Book to Movie/TV Adaptation: TV Adaptation in-development produced by Sam Mendes
Take a glass beaker and fill halfway with water. Now using a pipette, take some of Miss Marple’s amateur sleuthing skills, a splash of Hercule Poirot’s gray cells, a few drops of Nancy Drew’s spunk and determination, a dash of Houdini and a whole lot of Friedrich Wöhler’s passion for organic chemistry and shake vigorously. Voila! You’ve got yourself a perfectly made solution in the form of an 11-year old girl called Flavia de Luce.
Flavia is no ordinary little girl living in 1950’s post-war Britain. With a natural penchant for chemistry and a special fondness for poisons, she is a dangerous person to mess with. Forever playing a never-ending game of revenge with her two older sisters Ophelia and Daphne whilst trying to avoid her father’s depressed silences and her housekeeper’s custard pie, Flavia’s happiest moments are spent poring over her chemistry books and tinkering around in her home laboratory. In fact, the only person she seems to be comfortable with is odd-job man Dogger who is a little off in the head as well as her faithful bicycle Gladys.
So when someone leaves a dead bird with a stamp attached to its beak outside the front door and the next day a stranger literally takes his last breath before her eyes in her garden, Flavia puts on her Curious George hat and tries to solve the case much to the chagrin of Inspector Hewitt of the local police.
The book started off very strongly and I got the impression that this was going to be a very gripping mystery because the protagonist’s unusual hobbies and talents gave me the chills. In fact, it had all the makings of a typical Agatha Christie complete with harmless village characters and cold-blooded crimes.
But my impressions, though not totally off the mark, failed to prove me right entirely. The plot which was simple yet quite ingenious and told from Flavia’s POV, was bogged down by too many details and descriptions of backgrounds and fictional history that slowed down the pace considerably and there was a sense of loss of its gripping essence about halfway through. What I did enjoy, was the smatterings of real historical characters that meshed very well together with fictional characters. It was interesting to learn tidbits about various scientists, musicians and royalty who actually existed. I enjoyed the style of writing overall but didn’t care for the oodles of very odd similes which received top marks for creativity but unfortunately, none for their excessiveness.
I uncorked the partially filled bottle and held it to my nose. It smelled as if someone had dropped vinegar on the back of a sticking plaster: an acrid protein smell, like an alcoholic’s hair burning in the next room.
I liked Flavia, I really did. Possessing a strong feminist streak, she had a lot of gumption and quick thinking brains which I admired earnestly but I had a little bit of hard time adjusting to her level of maturity as the book progressed. Very wise and sagacious, she seemed to be 11 going on 21 (even more than Hermoine Granger at the same age!) Which is a good thing I suppose, but from the way she thought and spoke, I could only imagine a much older girl investigating the case than Flavia’s petite self. If this series had come out a decade earlier, then Dakota Fanning or Emma Watson would have been the perfect choice to play Flavia on screen.
So that was it. As at a birth, so at a death. Without so much as a kiss-me-quick-and-mind-the-marmalade, the only female in sight is enlisted to trot off and see that the water is boiled. Rustle something up, indeed! What did he take me for, some kind of cowboy?
Despite Alan Bradley’s Canadian roots, he has done a spectacular job writing a British mystery set in the fictional village of Bishop’s Lacey. I don’t know yet if I will read the rest of the Flavia de Luce series of mysteries but this was a very interesting experience indeed. I am excited to see how this series will be translated on the small screen.
I wish I could say my heart was stricken, but it wasn’t. I wish I could say my instinct was to run away, but that would not be true. Instead, I watched in awe, savoring every detail: the fluttering fingers, the almost imperceptible bronze metallic cloudiness that appeared on the skin, as if, before my very eyes, it were being breathed upon by death.
And then the utter stillness.
I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.
Book Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
You can also follow me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’
A Day in the Life of a Late Bloomer
be your happy crazy self
the journey
WithLawofAttraction365days
A daily selection of the best content published on WordPress, collected for you by humans who love to read.
Be a lil wildflower
Not bad for a fat girl
Channeling word(s) of Love, Light & Lessons
Thistles and Whistles 