JOURNAL
documenting
&
discovering joyful things
The Storytellers - Restless #4
} end if by Ruby Blessing
Ada was holding court at her usual table, at the usual time of two a.m. A stream of young acolytes streamed past, sometimes sitting to pay doe-eyed homage. Sometimes to sneer. All to ask questions.
She would have killed for a cigarette. But they had been banned for so many years now that even the black market didn’t bother anymore. Besides, this new generation were too busy with their programs to take the time and effort required to sustain a habit.
The café was unusually full, muted dubstep playing over the speakers, serious groups huddled over their glowing tablets and coffees.
Ada sighed. Some rebellion. Ever since the Red Hats took over, no one seemed to have fun anymore. And it was mostly her fault. Now she was left with the dubious title of Queen of the Revolution, with every coder in the city passing by her table to ask some inane scripting question just to say they had met her.
Still, it was better than staying in her apartment. Too many memories there. Plus she was sure it was bugged. Ironic really. The ultimate hacker having her own life hacked. At least the bedroom was secure. Soon she would have to choose a new skid to take home. She usually gave them a week. It took that long to get them to think for themselves.
Bogey sat down, pushing a tattooed boy aside. “One of yours?” he nodded his polished head towards an attractive young woman surrounded by other script kiddies like some minor celebrity.
“She was last week’s,” Ada sighed, “She had some surprising, um, tricks, I must say.” Quite an enjoyable week really, she thought, remembering Layla’s soft skin and skilful tongue.
“At least she used her imagination,” she added, out loud, “More than I can say for some of the boys. They seem to think that their manhood is enough.”
“I remember when my manhood was enough,” Bogey said, looking into her eyes, a nostalgic smile on his lips.
Ada looked at him and remembered when it was too. Boges had known her when she was still a mediocre hacker for a cheap internet security company. That was until she stumbled into Darknet. And started a rebellion.
“Have you come to watch, or is there something else you wanted?” Ada asked, knocking back the last dregs of her third glass of red wine.
“Well, I was wondering if you had heard from Tom?”
Ada had to stop herself from snapping at him. It wasn’t his fault that both their sons had disowned her. Tom had moved to the other side of the world to escape her, and her fame. Or infamy.
“No, I haven’t,” she said, gritting her teeth. No tears. Not here. “Why do you think I would have?”
Bogey paused, swirling the warm beer at the bottom of his glass. He was trying to avoid telling her something. He had never been very good at the serious, and she was starting to get concerned. Then he took her hand and she knew it had to be bad.
“He’s disappeared, Ada. Completely and utterly gone. And I think you might be the only one with the skill to find him.”
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{This piece of fiction by Ruby Blessing is part of a new guest post series on my blog called "The Storytellers." I have given creative folk from all over the world a theme - in this round, it is "Restless" - and invited them to create anything they like. To see more from The Storytellers, follow this tag. I'll update it with a new post each week.}
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Ruby Blessing has worked at the forefront of the digital space for the past 16 years. Apart from being a leading Digital Strategist (having co-founded the first-ever Internet company to launch on the Australian stock market), Ruby is also mother of four voracious readers and she struggled to find a new books series for her children (who had devoured all the usual suspects). Not one to let a challenge get in the way of a good idea, Ruby decided to write one herself.
Crispin Scales and the Golden Pearl is the first installment in her exhilarating fantasy series for eight to 12 year olds. With a twist that will drop your jaw to the floor, and charming supernatural characters, Crispin Scales is the children’s series we’ve all been craving.
Ruby is also working on several adult books. This post is an excerpt from } end if, a story about the hacker wars of the mid 21st century, and a revolution led by a woman.
Image credits: red hats, all licensed under creative commons, top to bottom by katsuuu 44 // Arnaud DG // Fabio Rava // Joseph Crawley
The circus of dreams
About a year and a half ago my friend Brandi wrote this post about Erin Morgenstern's novel The Night Circus and I thought, "That sounds right up my alley." So, being the early adapter that I am, I finally got around to reading it myself this week. And, WOW. Normally when I am sitting up at 2.43am nursing Madeleine I tend to think along the lines of "Hurry uppppp, I'm sooooooo tired." These last couple of nights I've been thinking "Are you done already? Have a bit more while I finish the chapter."
The night circus of the book, Le Cirque des Rêves, translates as "The Circus of Dreams" and it is exactly that. An immersive experience into someone else's dreams. Magic springs from the fingertips of two lovers. In the most beautiful way imaginable. You wander in deliberately disorienting spiral pathways of black and white, entering or bypassing striped, black and white tents as you please, to uncover the secrets within. In this place the magic feels real. Perhaps the magic is real. But don't be afraid: you are safe in the circus.
Likewise the book itself is a step inside a magic place. With storylines and perspectives that twist and turn through time like the spiral pathways in the circus, it's best not to try and straighten it out but, instead, just let the story carry you with it. On the back of my copy, author Audrey Niffenegger is quoted as saying "The Night Circus made me happy." That is exactly how I felt. Happy. Elated. Like some long-forgotten childhood part of me that once believed in magic has woken up, stretched, yawned and smiled.
ps. How do I describe the magnetic pull of this book? It's what I call "the Harry Potter effect." You love Harry and his friends, and you care what happens to them. But there is another character in those books: Hogwarts itself. You love Hogwarts. You care what happens to Hogwarts. You want to live in Hogwarts, even after Harry and Ron and Hermione have all graduated. Know what I mean? Well, the circus is another character in this book. And you will love it. And probably, like me, you will want to run away and live in it too. The end.
Ok not quite the end.
ps2. Dear rêveurs (you know who you are):
* Play the Night Circus Game * Follow Herr Thiessen on Twitter * Listen to the Night Circus playlist (say what?)
Lately, on my iPhone
1. a gentle butterfly // a trio of cuteness // that curly-haired girl2. macarons! // dogs outside the butcher shop // a note discovered in my pocket
3. gifts from Target // Madeleine meets Aunty Steph // postcard + homesickness
4. walk around town // toddler humour // belly-laugh with baby
The Storytellers - Restless #3
"Restless" by Paul Hulbert
There are no words to this post. Instead, the story of "Restless" is told in these two photographs. What do they say to you?
{Post by Paul Hulbert, in the theme “Restless” for The Storytellers}
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Paul Hulbert is a freelance photographer who regularly works for lifestyle, home and garden magazines, as well as local governments, corporate clients and not-for-profit clients. He also creates tailor-made garden books for private clients, and photographs portraits, weddings and special occasions on commission.
Snail mail: how to make mail pretty
More mail went into the postbox for you guys today. This is such a fun project for me, though I think I'll need to mix it up and do something different for the next post (I'm not sure what yet, time to do some thinking!).
I've had a few people ask me how they're done, so here you go.
First, I wrap each parcel in brown paper, using several layers to be sure the book underneath doesn't show through, and making sure to tape all the edges and add extra tape to each corner, to protect it as it travels across the country and all around the world.
The pictures aren't stamps, I draw them (which is why some of the drawings are so wonky), taking inspiration from what I might know about the recipient or anything they've told me in the comments box, or else just choosing something from my world or imagination, as it takes my fancy. I'm clearly no artist but thankfully people seem to appreciate the effort and the novelty and forgive the lack of talent! I outline the drawings with black pen and sometimes use watercolour paints if I want to to add colour. I always go over the lettering in the addresses a couple of times after painting on the colour, to ensure it stands out for the postie.
When the paint is dry, I stamp the back with my address, created in this lovely design by Simple and Pretty. Then I wrap the parcel in string, and drip sealing wax over the place where the string crosses over to stop it from sliding around.
Wax is a tricky customer to use because it often catches alight, or drips (and sets) unevenly. My trick is to hold the wax stick upright, at about a 45 degree angle, rather than tilting it any lower. You just have to be patient and allow the wax to slowly drip down. It does eventually speed up with time. I let the wax drip in small circles, starting from the inside and working my way out, until it's the size I want. I blow out the wick while I'm still holding it over the mail, because it still has a couple of drips left in it and if I move it away too soon, drops fall elsewhere across the mail (or the table).
If you are using a wax seal (mine is an ornate letter N), wait about 10 or 20 seconds before pressing the seal into the middle of the wax. Then wait maybe another 20 seconds and lift it off in a peeling motion. Make sure you don't touch the wax or put anything on it for a few minutes after that, to be sure it has time to set hard.
These are the results from the latest batch. I hope the recipients enjoy them.
ps. You can see more pretty mail here
pps. If you'd like me to send you my book Airmail in the post and make it look pretty, simply subscribe to this blog and fill out the form on the same page
UPDATE 5 July 2014: as of today I have run out of copies of Airmail to send you. However I would still love to send you something nice by snail-mail to say thank you for reading this blog, and I will still do my best to make it look pretty. If you have subscribed to this blog (or you want to), simply fill in your postal details on this page. And if you're still keen to read Airmail, there's a list of stockists here.
Meals on Wheels - Fancy Hank's Bar-B-Que
What is it about food vans and lawn bowls that make them such a good combination? There's something about portable food and bare feet and booze and bowling that adds an extra atmosphere of cheerful relaxation to any meal, I think.
As the summer sun crept slowly toward the horizon and local folks kicked their shoes off to take to the smooth green, Fancy Hank fired up a barbeque that looked something like a younger sibling of the Hogwarts Express, and I lined up under the coloured string-lights for a sticky, smokey, Southern-style barbeque dinner.
The last time I tasted pulled pork I was in a small town in Arkansas, USA, on a road trip. My friend Sonya and I sat in a cafe that was lit up in neon pink and yellow and decorated with larger-than-life flamingos, and each tucked into the biggest mound of pulled pork butt you could ever imagine, with a slice of bread on the side, and tried unsuccessfully to wash it down with red wine. (This is me, crying with laughter at the sight of my still-giant mound of dry and dessicated pork butt, which had defeated me despite a good half hour of dedicated eating).
Later that night, because we didn't know what else was on, Sonya and I followed some signs to a Christian rock concert that was held in a rodeo arena. We lasted two songs. We bought matching T-shirts that said DON'T DO DRUGS JUST DANCE. We took off.
But that is all in the past.
On this night, I ordered a pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich that was moist and delicious and much more my size. Em was a big fan of her smokey BBQ chicken, and Mr B LOVED the pork ribs (although he was not to be convinced when it came to the beef link or the dill pickle I ordered for him on the side).
The real down-side to this meal, in my opinion, was that I had to take it home and eat it in the lounge room, because my darling Madeleine was already asleep. The night was so perfect, I would have loved to wile it away with a spot of bowling and a glass of chilled, white wine under the colourful cafe lights, while Fancy Hank filled the air with tasty, marinated smoke.
ps. More meals on wheels in Melbourne, here.
Monday's addiction
It is... the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a very funny and completely contemporary adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that is familiar and new at the same time, and makes wonderfully innovative and interactive use of social media.
You start watching the YouTube vlog episodes, and following the various characters' social media accounts and conversations (for example, this is Lizzie's Tumblr), and reading the behind-the-scenes insights and, before you know it, a whole hour has gone by and all the things you'd planned to do have been left undone and the most pressing discovery to your world is that KITTY IS A CAT.
My dear friend Brandi Bernoskie (also from Not Your Average Ordinary) introduced me to Lizzie's world last week, and I have been hooked ever since.
I hope you have a wonderful Monday. We have a public holiday here but I am working. Boo.
(ps. If you want to start from the beginning do it from here so you can get all the social media interactions between episodes, in order.)
Favourite things - something to share
It's Friday, at last! Do you have any special plans? We're heading into a long weekend here in Australia. Mr B and I are not doing anything in particular, but it will be lovely to have that extra time to spend together as a family. I thought it would be fun today to get a little bit intimate, and explore some little things you can share with someone special. Like these.
1. The two-cookie recipe
This recipe from no.2 pencil makes just two cookies. I have bookmarked it for those nights when Mr B and I crave something sweet, but don't want a whole batch of biscuits or cupcakes around the house to tempt us in days to come.
2. Romantic tattoos
Don't worry, they're not permanent. But these tattoos from SusyJack are a rather unique and lovely way to decorate yourself for your lover on a special occasion, don't you think? Via Poppytalk
3. Mother and child reunion
I would just love for someone to capture my days with Madeleine like this video of Joy (from Oh Joy!) and her daughter Ruby. What a beautiful memento of their time together.
4. Guess who?
Do you remember the detective board-game Guess Who? It was one of my favourites as a kid. How awesome is this customised version of Guess Who featuring family members, made by Simple Jill? I am so doing this! Via B for Bel
5. Cheesy love
Want the recipe for the most romantic picnic ever? Pack the following: 1. the apple of your eye, 2. a bottle of red, 3. some fantastic water-crackers, and... 4. a heart-shaped cheese. True love is sure to follow. Seen on Frolic, here and here.
The Storytellers - Restless #2
"Insomnia" by Katherine Mackenzie-Smith
The girl lies awake in the middle of the night, her mind abuzz with thoughts of the person she could be and all the things she could do. Sometimes she walks the halls of her parents' house, trying to calm her mind, and sometimes she stares upwards, watching shadows of the outside world dancing on her bedroom ceiling in the midnight breeze.
She knows that she isn’t like everyone else; she isn’t satisfied with the usual day to day. She struggles to find fulfillment in her current state of being; she is anxious with longing and wistful with thoughts of how she can fashion herself an existence of supreme happiness. She knows that she can do anything and she will not be moulded into what is expected of her.
The clock in the kitchen tick, tick, ticks away, echoing in the silent house, reminding the girl that she is disturbing the peace of the early morning, her presence like an unwanted gift, changing the natural order of the space surrounding her.
She casts her gaze outwards to the dewy mist of the early morning and softly whispers, "help me find the way."
At that moment, the boy opens his eyes. He is lying in bed a distance away, his thoughts racing with ideas and opportunities. For one minute, his thoughts take pause and turn to a girl he once knew and how she could be the missing piece to his puzzle.
The sun slowly peeks its head over the horizon as the boy and girl find a way to shut down their brains, switch off their thoughts, and rest their heads in their respective sleeping places. They think briefly of each other and how they hope to one day engage in a mutual encounter as they fall into a peaceful slumber.
{Post by Katherine Mackenzie-Smith, written to the theme “Restless” for The Storytellers}
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Katherine relocated from Brisbane to Sydney to work in television but discovered a love of writing and blogging along the way. She writes a lifestyle blog called Through My Looking Glass where she shares her love of photography, movies, life, music, and other inspiring beings... plus there is always a lot of talk about cake! Stop by some time and visit Through My Looking Glass, it would be great to see you!
Blog - http://throughmylookingglass.me Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/throughmylookinglass Twitter/Instagram - @miss_kms
{Image by Savannah Roberts, licensed under Creative Commons}