The Day Job

The Day Job - Adventures of a Jobbing Gardener is a book written by Mark Wallington. A fun compilation of stories about the people Mark worked for while gardening as a means to earn some money in 1980. While Mark's dream is to become a comedy writer and he continues to submit scripts to the BBC, he is getting to know many of the people who are the face of North London. In writing about the various people he works for, you cannot help but feel he has grown to enjoy the faces of his day job.

You cannot help but find the people like Joan and Jamie, Annie Kendal, Mr. Nugent, Major Chesney and Kenneth likable and endearing.

Mark has to do battle with his competitors Powerflowers.

You watch the friendship develop with Helen while you hear about his flatmate Neil and neighbor Mandy or his co-comedy writer Dick.

In short this is a book about people and that is what makes the world go around.

Happy reading!Heidi

Up With The Larks...Starting Again in Cornwall

Just finished Up With The Larks...Starting Again in Cornwall, the memoirs of Tessa Hainsworth. A warm blanket of remembrances of Tessa's first year in Cornwall and becoming a postie. While she takes us through her trials and tribulations of getting grounded in her new country life, she allows us a look into her new found village life. We meet the others living there and almost become friends with them too. Tessa is dubbed Mrs. Posh Postie on her rounds but a year living in her cottage and participating in village life proves she is far removed from the posh London lifestyle she left behind.

I found myself laughing at situation or feeling so down her her in others. I think it is sharpened in the fact that we are also second homers. We have a tiny cottage in the north of Holland which is our home away from the city. I long to be able to do what Tessa did and move there to make it our home. I also understood her feeling of frustration as the emmets (tourists) clog up the roads and towns during the summer season. We have even faced a situation like hers of having to drive in reverse a long stretch of road due to a very rude male tourist who refused to let us pass once. I could really feel her emotions due to that shared common ground.

The only good thing about finishing this book is there are two more books to follow. I can revisit some of the wonderful people in Cornwall with Tessa at my side.

Happy reading!
Heidi

Julia Child's 100th birthday!

How fun to wake up to seeing this header on Google today. It is because Julia Child is 100 years old today. Did you know that her kitchen is at the Smithsonian for all to see? See...I want that kitchen for my own. *grins*



If you want to see more check out the link at the museum and wonder around this creative kitchen yourself online.

In the meantime, maybe I should start reading this book today in honor of Julia or perhaps I will watch the movie Julie & Julia or perhaps I will just pop into my kitchen and be really creative for dinner.....

Bon appetit or eet smakelijk!
Heidi