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Feb. 7th, 2010 07:58 pmHave I said how wonderful my friends are recently?
Late last week I had a special treat from my things-that-make-me-happy-or-less-stressed list (a parcel from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
narrelle, full of goodies - I instantly devoured the book by Gerry Bartlett and the one by Narrelle Harris - they were so what the doctor ordered!), then the universe gave me another thing from the invisible list I haven't written down lest it blow away in the wind (a visit from my mother), and today Donna and Matthew and James gave me a trip to Collector.
This means that tomorrow's diagnosis by the doctor hasn't been preceded by a long weekend alone. I wasn't going to say that it would be a tough weekend, because I've done tougher, but, thanks to my friends, I only have to get through tonight.
I needed that trip to Collector for so many reasons. Not just because I'm a tad easily stressed right now, nor only because I really get tired of four walls on days I can't walk much. That's just life right now. I needed to get past life right now.
I was after, for instance, a street map with the important buildings - the bookshop was selling them for $3, with photos. The photos meant I didn't have to walk up to the lookout (which was good, because I couldn't) and the paragraphs describing each location and picture give me exactly what I need for later on. I have all the key terms I need for more research, quite simply, should I need to do that research. I don't know when 'later on' is or of I need to do more - that depends on other news this next month. I may not need it for three years. It was bugging me, though, that I didn't have the material now. My brain is fretting things into place now, you see - and it's when one's making sense of things that one needs more material.
It also gives me the material to think about a different way of teaching people how to interface with their pasts, both through history and fiction. I strongly suspect I have a really cool course. I might suggest it for the ANU for next semester. I also might use it with my Wednesday students. It's a very simple idea, but should be powerful. I shall ponder it while you wonder what on earth it is. I know - I'm evil.
I now have photos of the Dreamer's Gate for myself (for writing and teaching) and for any of you who want more lures to come to Australia for Aussiecon4. (I have pictures of Melbourne and some outback too, from my last trip, but forgot to tell anyone about them). This is the Australia of fantasy and dreams, so please ask. Lots of friends have taken photos for me, but they (photos not friends) seem to get lost en route, which is why I wanted to take some of my own. The more I have, the better. I do love the Dreamer's Gate.
I had lunch at the Bushrangers' Hotel (where John Dunn from Ben Hall's gang shot Nelson, a policeman) and admired the monument. I've wanted to have lunch at the hotel for a fair while, but transport to Collector isn't terribly handy. Besides, friends taking me to lunch gives me so much more joy than me going alone. We ate chips and hamburgers (Aussie hamburgers - with beetroot) and other healthy food. I'm still full!
The bonus was a bunch of bikers ordering lunch just before we came. We were asked to come back in 45 minutes. Somehow Donna and Matthew managed to persuade the owner of the bookshop-gallery to open.
I'm now the proud owner of the trial record of Mary, Queen of Scots. I blame Alison Uttley for my interest in this. And now that I'm thinking about new courses, I wonder if an evening one on famous trials wouldn't be a bad thing. Mary, of course, and Charles, since killing kings is sexy to many history buffs. Joan of Arc. I wonder who else? Six to eight trials, with a 2 hour session devoted to each. It would be very good for a branch of history muscle I haven't flexed in a long time.
This is one of the reasons I put visits to country towns on my list of things that make my life better. They free the cobwebs from my mind. Ever since I was a kid they've done that. And this is why I love my friends. I can deal with a lot of things if I'm not trapped and going in mind-circles.
Late last week I had a special treat from my things-that-make-me-happy-or-less-stressed list (a parcel from
narrelle, full of goodies - I instantly devoured the book by Gerry Bartlett and the one by Narrelle Harris - they were so what the doctor ordered!), then the universe gave me another thing from the invisible list I haven't written down lest it blow away in the wind (a visit from my mother), and today Donna and Matthew and James gave me a trip to Collector. This means that tomorrow's diagnosis by the doctor hasn't been preceded by a long weekend alone. I wasn't going to say that it would be a tough weekend, because I've done tougher, but, thanks to my friends, I only have to get through tonight.
I needed that trip to Collector for so many reasons. Not just because I'm a tad easily stressed right now, nor only because I really get tired of four walls on days I can't walk much. That's just life right now. I needed to get past life right now.
I was after, for instance, a street map with the important buildings - the bookshop was selling them for $3, with photos. The photos meant I didn't have to walk up to the lookout (which was good, because I couldn't) and the paragraphs describing each location and picture give me exactly what I need for later on. I have all the key terms I need for more research, quite simply, should I need to do that research. I don't know when 'later on' is or of I need to do more - that depends on other news this next month. I may not need it for three years. It was bugging me, though, that I didn't have the material now. My brain is fretting things into place now, you see - and it's when one's making sense of things that one needs more material.
It also gives me the material to think about a different way of teaching people how to interface with their pasts, both through history and fiction. I strongly suspect I have a really cool course. I might suggest it for the ANU for next semester. I also might use it with my Wednesday students. It's a very simple idea, but should be powerful. I shall ponder it while you wonder what on earth it is. I know - I'm evil.
I now have photos of the Dreamer's Gate for myself (for writing and teaching) and for any of you who want more lures to come to Australia for Aussiecon4. (I have pictures of Melbourne and some outback too, from my last trip, but forgot to tell anyone about them). This is the Australia of fantasy and dreams, so please ask. Lots of friends have taken photos for me, but they (photos not friends) seem to get lost en route, which is why I wanted to take some of my own. The more I have, the better. I do love the Dreamer's Gate.
I had lunch at the Bushrangers' Hotel (where John Dunn from Ben Hall's gang shot Nelson, a policeman) and admired the monument. I've wanted to have lunch at the hotel for a fair while, but transport to Collector isn't terribly handy. Besides, friends taking me to lunch gives me so much more joy than me going alone. We ate chips and hamburgers (Aussie hamburgers - with beetroot) and other healthy food. I'm still full!
The bonus was a bunch of bikers ordering lunch just before we came. We were asked to come back in 45 minutes. Somehow Donna and Matthew managed to persuade the owner of the bookshop-gallery to open.
I'm now the proud owner of the trial record of Mary, Queen of Scots. I blame Alison Uttley for my interest in this. And now that I'm thinking about new courses, I wonder if an evening one on famous trials wouldn't be a bad thing. Mary, of course, and Charles, since killing kings is sexy to many history buffs. Joan of Arc. I wonder who else? Six to eight trials, with a 2 hour session devoted to each. It would be very good for a branch of history muscle I haven't flexed in a long time.
This is one of the reasons I put visits to country towns on my list of things that make my life better. They free the cobwebs from my mind. Ever since I was a kid they've done that. And this is why I love my friends. I can deal with a lot of things if I'm not trapped and going in mind-circles.