I am still alive in 2019!

Sharing some of my art, because I feel like some graphics
are needed.

Well, hello there!

Ummm, so yeah. It's been ages since I last posted! I'm probably going to be saying that for every future blog post I do, until I someday get back into the swing of posting regularly. I'm not sure when/if that will happen, but I still have a big soft spot for this blogging community so I hope it does.

I think one thing that's affected my blogging here is that I'm in touch with a lot of bloggers I met here via other means - on Facebook or Instagram namely. I'm also not really writing or editing at the moment. Things are very busy (again) with the cat rescue, and it's that time of year again when we have to prepare our financial documents for the annual audit. So that's taking a lot of focus.

I have many story ideas churning away in the back of my head, but really do want to concentrate on editing what I already have. The same old problem that I'm always tackling!

On the music front, my bandmate is already working on new songs for the next Woody's A Girl album, and he has asked me to send through songs that I'd like us to work on as well. I'm still working on narrowing down the list, but one problem I've run into is that some songs are missing tabs - I never recorded the tabs at the time I originally wrote/recorded the demo versions of the songs. So that's a slight spanner in the works. Still, I have enough of a list to send through to him as it is.

Elsewhere, I'm still a part of the little critique group, and comment on other members' shared excerpts when they're posted, etc. But I haven't posted anything new myself in quite some time.

Another thing that I'm getting off to a slow start with this year is my GoodReads Reading Challenge. I'm something like 7 books behind schedule, partly because I read some really tedious books that took ages to get through. I'm hoping to get some good reading time in to catch up. And speaking of reading, I'm part of a workplace book club that meets every 6 weeks or so (I think). We've already read one book, and we're currently reading the second. So I'll be checking out books I probably wouldn't usually as a result of that.

Anyway, I'm hoping that once the cat rescue stuff calms down again, I'll have more time for my creative pursuits. I do miss it when I'm not able to really get stuck in, so it's not like I'm not motivated.

I hope you are all doing well out there. Let me know what you've been up to!

[AUGUST UPDATE] Cephalopod Book Club & Goals

Once again it's been two months since my last update. I'm okay with that. I have to be. ;)

~ The Cephalopod Coffeehouse Book Club : August Edition ~

Last time I talked about a book I'd read, I mentioned the first in the Poldark series. I'm now on book five, which was written a long time after the first four novels. So far in August I've only finished one book, so I will have to discuss book #4 of the Poldark series.

This is the most controversial of the books to date, and you'll have to read and find out why. It's the book where we learn that Ross is far from perfect, and in my case, the book where Ross made me incredibly angry. The popular statement people seem to make while reading Warleggan is: "Ross, how could you!!"

It's good to read about imperfect characters - we know Demelza is imperfect and we have known from previous novels that Ross is as well. The two are in a frequent state of misunderstanding each other, and with some of the more heartbreaking things that have happened to them so far, the misunderstandings only grow deeper. The way this novel ended was heartening, however it's a fact that things will never be the same again. In so many ways during this and the previous novel, the damage has been irrevocably done.

The character of Elizabeth gets a bad wrap - yes, she's never been willing to let Ross go, but it's not her fault that he refuses to let go of her either. There is controversy due to the fact that many readers truly hate Elizabeth and seem to want to blame her for the ongoing attachment. But truly, it takes two to tango, so to speak. All in all I found this book to be super compelling and to me, the true hero(ine) of the story is Demelza. What a legendary character!

This is the blurb from GoodReads:

"Ross Poldark plunges into a speculative mining venture which threatens his financial security and his stormy marriage to Demelza. When the old attraction between Ross and Elizabeth begins to rekindle itself, Demelza retaliates by becoming dangerously involved with a Scottish cavalry officer."

Currently Reading: Winston Graham's The Black Moon (Poldark, #5)

~ Do You Have Goals? : August Edition ~

Last time I had a relatively bleak update. Same this time. I'm keeping up with my reading, though this semester my studies are really trying to mess with that. I've also done a bit more work on my music, but not nearly as much as I wish I had (due to studies). I'm nearly at the point where I've got another song finished, I just need to work a bit more on the backing vocals. Then I can send the GB file to my bandmate for mixing, etc.

I think this year may be filled with disappointments when it comes to most of my goals - except the reading one! I'm doing better than I expected at the start of the year in that regard.

[JUNE UPDATE] Cephalopod Book Club & Goals

Updating every 2 months...well, it's better than never updating at all, right?!?!

~ The Cephalopod Coffeehouse Book Club : June Edition ~

I don't think I had heard about the Poldark series (which consists of 11 books or something!) prior to seeing this book for 50% off on Book Depository in the "bargain bin" section. Apparently my mum is familiar with a miniseries from years ago that was on telly, but I haven't seen either series (there are 2 apparently) myself. Reading the description of this book though, I decided I must buy it, and not just because it was at its bargain price.

This is the blurb from GoodReads:

"Cornwall in the 1780s - when powerful forces of revolution and reaction are at large in the world.

Tired from a grim war in America, Ross Poldark returns to his land and his family. But the joyful homecoming he has anticipated turns sour, for his father is dead, his estate is derelict and the girl he loves is engaged to his cousin.

But his sympathy for the destitute miners and farmers of the district leads him to rescue a half-starved urchin girl from a fairground brawl and take her home - an act which alters the whole course of his life..."

So I bought the book, as well as books 2 & 3, and started reading. I was delighted by what I read. This book made me laugh and also made me swoon. The supporting characters are a great strength of this book, though of course Ross and Demelza provided more than enough intrigue to keep me hooked. But I love the quirkiness of the supporting characters, like Prudie and her "craw'ers" (lice), and Jud and his "tedn right, tedn fair, tedn British" (to paraphrase).

Just from reading book #1, and what little I've read of book #2 so far, I'd definitely recommend this series.

Currently Reading: Winston Graham's Demelza (Poldark, #2)

~ Do You Have Goals? : June Edition ~

Ugggghhhh, not this again.

The only updates I really have are that I'm doing well with my reading goal...and I paid for some of the chosen artwork for Woody's A Girl's next album, titled OBLIVION, which has an outer space theme (both my bandmate and I are in love with the awesome artwork by this artist named April - you can view this artwork HERE.

I hope to get at least one more song done and sent to Billy this evening. So there's that...