Senses working overtime #598

1 Roctober's third week

Photo by Anna King on Unsplash

2 Visited: JB Hi Fi (Hastings)

Their 20% off deal during this long weekend was a great chance to pick up a cheaper copy of the newly reconditioned/ augmented Rubber Soul (I opted for the double vinyl album version, So, $80 as opposed to $115).

3 Listening: Van Morrison - Remembering Now

A joyous experience - try Down to Joy.

4 (Still) Reading: Anne Tyler - Back When We Were Grownups

5 Doing: Long weekend chores

Spring cleaning Maple Grove. Putting up the sails over the zen garden. Catching up on some reading.

Overtime: Byron Pulsifer

A lot of people seeking new beginnings have never finished with the past.

Senses working overtime #573

This week: items from my phone camera

Something a bit different for my Jewels post this week - a selection of snaps from my phone that were taken over the last seven days. 

1 Sunrise, shine down a little love on the world today:

Sunrise at Maple Grove

2 Reading: The Guardian Weekly

Some of the best journalism and expression of opinion you can find.

3 Family zoom

Top L to R: Jade, Jacky and me in NZ; Drew and Sam Kalicki in America,
Bottom L to R: Adam in 'Stralia and Keegan in China.

Happens each Sunday. It's the only way to gather the fandamly together these days.

4 Saturday walk from Maple Grove to Kintail and back

5 Listening: A Stones-a-thon 

Sticky Fingers turned up real loud.

Overtime: Arty shot

Autumn shadows on the Magpie Walk

 

Senses working overtime #571

1 Lumberjack week at Maple Grove

We had a Maple tree keel over during the cyclone and that's meant a lot of clean up. It was a big tree that was overhanging the driveway so it was a case of needs must. Shame though as it was a beautiful Maple that would have been planted around when the house was built 120 years ago.  

2 Reading: Ian Fleming - Moonraker 

The third James Bond novel from 1955. So good!

3 Listening - The Flirtations - Sounds Like the Flirtations

Recently got this for $10 at JB Hi Fi. It's a superb album from 1969.

4 Listening: WTWMC - First steps

The brothers in arms are back with a playlist focusing on selections from debut albums.

5 Watched: Civil War on Netflix.

One very scary film starring Kirsten Dunst (she is superb in it). This dystopian thriller clearly has Donald Trump in mind.

Overtime: Carl Bard

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

Senses working overtime #557

1 Maple Grove: Wozza vs blackberry (round three)

Hiding in plain sight - that's blackberry's evil plan. This view from the east deck looks benign but on the other side of Asher's playhouse...blackberry gone wild!

My arms tell the tale - blackberry is ahead on points. Tbc.

2 Reading: Life's Too Short - Darius Rucker

The lead singer from Hootie & The Blowfish's memoir. A good fun run down on his life before, during and after Hootie.

3 Listening: WTWMC - Fresh finds

The three amigos make a playlist of artists that have yet to appear in our playlists (we've missed some biggies and some smallies).

4 Writing: Denene Taylor

Denene is a hero of mine - a wonderful writer, a great mum, and a caring human being who has always had a magical glow about her. 

She's also a friend. Like her husband and children - I'm a fan!

After I left Macleans College (waaaay back at the end of the nineteen eighties) she kept in touch with Wozza's World and I'm so glad she did.

Don't walk in front of me, 

    I may not follow.

Don't walk behind me,

    I may not lead.

Walk beside me and be 

    my friend

Albert Camus

 

5 Watching: Robin Hood (TV on demand)

I'm not quite sure why this story gets retold so many times. This latest TV version is okay, but Robin's a bit wet and his anger management/ impulsivity needs some help. Plus, the sex scenes between the Sheriff's daughter and the captain of the guard seem wildly OTT and out of place (gratuitous).

Overtime: Toni Morrison

If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.

Senses working overtime #551

1 Early morning vibe at Maple Grove

Today

Earlier in the week

2 Listening: Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun

3 Listening: WTWMC - Christmas Cracker

'Tis the season to be jolly!

4 Reading: Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

5 Watching: Doc (season 2)

Overtime: Doris Day

Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.

Senses working overtime #494

1 Maple Grove: The roses are in bloom

2 Listening: WTWMC - Beasties

It's a cracker! 90 songs on the playlist, 15 to go next week.

3 Reading: Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time

Thanks to Julie for the loan!

4 Watching: The Resident

A medical drama on Netflix - it's another one where I look away during the lurid operation scenes, but Jacky loves it.

5 Listening: Isis - Panopticon

Overtime:  Seymour Chwast

Graphic designer and illustrator Seymour Chwast reminds us that working harder may not be the answer:

"If you dig a hole and it's in the wrong place, digging it deeper isn't going to help."

(Courtesy James Clear)

Senses working overtime #487

1 Spring is in the air at Maple Grove

2 Reading: Right Thing, Right Now - Ryan Holiday

3 Listening: Garden Fresh - John Hanlon

John Hanlon is one of my favourite NZ artists. This was his break through album in NZ (1974) and still sounds pretty great to me.

4 Reading: George Orwell on Charles Dickens (Selected Essays)

Still reading through this collection of essays. I'm up to this one on Charles Dickens from 1940. First sentence:

Dickens is one of those writers who are well worth stealing.

5 Listening: Austin Kleon's Playlist

Austin created and shared his playlist of songs that inspired The Beatles White Album (so named - actually it was just called The Beatles - and officially my favourite album of all time). Nice concept!

Overtime: 

"It's nice to have a little help, but we often resent when someone else tries to do it all for us. Each individual wants to make their own dreams a reality. If someone hands you the whole thing on a silver platter, they gift you the result, but rob you of the accomplishment.

Remember this not only when chasing your dreams, but also when supporting others. Help along the way, but let them run their own race. Your job is to live life with them, not live their life for them."

James Clear

Senses working overtime #479

1 New listing: Maple Grove

Yes, we have decided to sell Maple Grove, so we have listed it with Property Brokers (Waipukarau). Tough decision but we are looking for a fresh start in another location.

2 Listening: WTWMC - True Colours

The amigos have just completed White, Blue is happening next week.

3 Listening: Strawbs - Hero And Heroine (1974)

I found a secondhand copy of this at My Music Taupo. It's brilliant! More info about it here.

4 Watching: UEFA Euros 2024

Two semi-finals and two amazing, cracking, breathtaking goals. One by Lamine Yamal and one by Ollie Watkins.

Final is Monday morning NZ time. Come on England!

5 Reading: The best movie soundtracks of all time!

Overtime: Projects and the long haul - Seth Godin

Rome was built in a day.

It wasn’t finished in a day. In fact, it’s still not finished.

But the day someone said, “this is Rome,” and announced the project, it was there.

Sometimes we get hung up on the beginning, unwilling to start Rome unless we’re sure we can finish it without incident.

Sometimes we get hung up on the finishing, starting things all the time but blinking in the face of Resistance and wandering away. The long haul is simply your list of completed projects. A career is not a series of tasks. It’s the chance to build things.

Senses working overtime 474

1 Autumn sunset at Maple Grove

The view from my music room.

2 Reading: The Lyrics - Paul McCartney

Closest thing we are likely to get to an autobiography, it says on the cover, and I actually believe it.

3 Watching: Unfrosted (on Netflix)

Jerry Seinfeld is a comic genius. He can do no wrong in my eyes. This is a beauty! Lovingly put together - the art direction, script, acting, cinematography are all class. It zips by too. Who doesn't love Jerry??

4 Reading: The Ultimate Music Guide to Paul McCartney

I picked this up a while ago from a weird novelty store in Wellington which had masses of old back copies of music magazines. Great companion to The Lyrics.

5 Listening: Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel

Talk about classy - Peter Gabriel oozes classiness. Great cover and Here Comes The Flood (especially) has been on heavy rotate.

Overtime: 

Something will happen. 

(Paul remembers one of The Beatles saying this after their van ran off the road and they wondered how they were going to get back up onto the road)

Senses working overtime 473

1 Autumn at Maple Grove

Jerry and Gracie, Maple Grove, June first, 2024.

2 Reading: Patti Smith - Devotion

3 Reading: Paulo Coelho - Maktub

Loving this book. 

This resonated this week: Everything always turns out well in the end. If things aren't going well, that's because you haven't yet reached the end.

4 Listening: Donovan - The Hurdy Gurdy Man

From 1968 and tinged with Rishikesh and Fabs dust. Jennifer Juniper sums up that heady mix well.

5 Watching: Bodkin

Overtime: Seth Godin

The third impossibility

The first was radio and television. Humans around the world spending a significant portion of their waking hours consuming audio and video recordings of other people.

The second was the internet. Five to ten hours a day interacting, in real time, with other people, many of them strangers.

And the third is AI. We’re about to spend almost all of our time interacting with software that appears to have an understanding of us and the world around us. All the time, in real time.