the quirky brunette: Sunday Summary

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to the brain-dump that is the Sunday Summary!

This week, I have mostly been...

Walking

Paraphrased from actual conversations I've had this weekend:

Friends: So, are you coming to Spoons for breakfast tomorrow?
Me: Well, I was going to get the train to Dorking and walk back...
Friends: You can walk back from Horley. Then you'll have the rest of the day to write the Sunday Summary.

True-ish story. Turns out Wetherspoons' pancakes, maple syrup and bacon plus two black coffees give me enough energy to slam down 5.57 miles of pavement in 1hr 20.

Singing

...karaoke at Voicerox Dan's belated birthday party in South Park

last night. Great fun (in spite of yet another misguided song choice on my part -- live and learn!). Especially those moments in which my choir family crammed onto the tiny stage and rocked out a couple of songs, in harmony. Because that's how we roll. Here we are reconstructing Robbie Williams' Shine My Shoes (courtesy of Charlie and Al):

My left arm has a dance groove of its own, friends.

I ruddy love these people.

And talking of awesome people, this week I also had the privilege of...

Hanging with Georgie

Yes, after ten years in the wildernesses of Valencia and Galicia, my matey Georgina is back in Blighty, and made a special appearance at QB Heights on Thursday night (albeit at the mercy of the freakin' thundersnow and resultant traffic nightmares). We drank gin. We ate kievs and profiteroles. We played the uke. We took photos. We drank wine. We discussed lideradure (or, more specifically, Georgie's book). We caught up. Great, great times.

Reading

Strumming

I've said it before and I'll say it again: learning to play the uke may be one of the best and most gratifying resolutions I've ever made. (My neighbours may not agree but what the hey.)

Just for the record, the middle finger of
my left hand is poised on the chord of
C major. I'm not swearing. Honest.
Photo by Georgina

I'm gradually increasing my chord repertoire: this week, I've added Bm7 and Em!

Oh and this is my favourite tutorial of the moment: True, by Spandau Ballet:

Watching | Into the Woods

The inclusion of the Disney castle logo at the beginning of the film is probably about the only Disneyness ascribed to this film.

It's Stephen Sondheim's complex musical and lyrical excellence all the way through with some superb performances -- Anna Kendrick (as Cinderella) has a perfect musical-theatre voice, Daniel "Gavroche from Les Mis" Huttlestone is a brilliant Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Emily Blunt (The Baker's Wife) has rather fabulous comic timing (and a lovely voice) and I may be a bit in love with blue-rinse witch Meryl Streep (although, 'ugly'? Really? No, not La Streep, she's transcendent...).

Also, Johnny Depp as the Wolf. Was rather sad he was slain so early in the film (darn it, sorry, ***SPOILER ALERT***... too late?) but for a filthy hungry predator he was super.

It was a little confusing and disconnecting to have such a mix of American and English accents from characters supposedly living in the same village but it's a musical, dahling, I'm going to have to let it go.

I think I'm at an advantage never having seen the stage play so I can't compare, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if the second half was a little slower in pace.

Also watched...

Brave

...on Burns Night. Felt right.

Merida may well be my favourite Disney heroine, shunning those societal (and princessly) expectations and shooting arrows like an Olympian. Also, she's a redhead. Win.

Advocating Fab-ruary

To keep us on track with all those positive resolutions we made a month ago, I'm advocating a month of positivity, aka Fab-ruary. I wish I could say I came up with this name alone and could truly own it, but it already exists as a hashtag on Twitter (!) under the guise of a health self-awareness campaign. Yes, as usual social media has turned a month into a "let's encourage loads of people to boast about how they're spending four weeks performing hourly buttock clenches" exercise.

My interpretation of 'fabulous' is more inward-looking than that.

I'll be posting a daily affirmation of what-I-call FABULOSITY on the blog and also on The Quirky Brunette Facebook page if you follow that too (and if not why not?! ;-)). These will mostly come from Pinterest, on which I've also got a whole pinboard devoted to the potential of this year! (Which sounds a lot more dippy-hippy than it actually is, trust me. ...No, really.)

Here's today's -- enjoy! Simple, straight to the point...:

I'm also going to be reading this-'ere volume in a vain attempt to channel my inner fabulosity and stop being such a moany drip about everything:

And now, time for your...

Weekly Weblinks

Literary Linkage

Robert Harris: Trade supports author's call for a dedicated TV programme on books
John Lydon supports "essential" libraries
Three thousand reasons to choose your reading carefully
A number of reasons to disagree about book lists
10 Truths Only Print Book-Lovers Understand | just a bit of fun!
Joanne "the author of Chocolat" Harris on The Ten Book Title Clichés We All Know And Cherish | Quick aside from me: Ms Harris' Twitter feed is a joy to behold, if you're into that sort of thing
Our human rights, in picture-book form: We Are All Born Free | royalties will go to Amnesty International

This spread illustrated by John Burningham, one of my favourites...

Branford Boase longlist announced | an award for authors and editors
Top 10 books for reluctant and dyslexic readers | feel free to agree or disagree with this, as above!
New Alice in Wonderland marks 150th anniversary
Children's book industry discusses diversity charter
Mr Men and Little Miss in Fox Animation film deal
Journalist Alison Flood: Why I hate the Little Miss books

Non-literary Linkage

Further to last week's Contemplation, this floats loosely between a Literary Link and a Non-literary example of Everyday Sexism that now has its own hashtag on Twitter: #myozobituary

Colleen McCullough fans mock obituary

The justifiable outrage being that in spite of her career(s) as a neuroscientist and author (of The Thorn Birds among others), McCullough was yet described in her obit by an Australian paper in terms of her appearance and ability to attract men! E. Gads.

So here's mine: "In spite of her stumpy little legs, Roman nose, wonky eye and overlapping front teeth, Harwood, a notorious spinster of 90 years, was quite good at puns and Excel spreadsheets."

See also:

And in other news...