Here's One I Made Earlier

This is really a drive-by post with a little compendium of favourite things I compiled earlier in the week. I have a friend staying from New York so I've actually taken the weekend off from writing (don't tell my editor) to make the most of the glorious weather.

Yesterday I walked over seven miles taking in the green and rustic charms of Highgate and Hampstead and today, we hang out on the South Bank and visited the Tate Modern, which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite places on earth.

And now I'm about to soak my aching tootsies so I leave you with all the stuff that's getting me through the fraught and tricksome second draft. Thank goodness for distractions!

(Also I know I need to post a lot of replies to comments, but time keeps running away from me. I will do my best to try to address them next week. I really will!)

I'm reading

The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice - This is such a sweet book (the pages are pink!) set in the 1950's about a girl who lives in a big, crumbling house, is obsessed with a popstar called Johnnie Ray and has her life changed when she meets the irrepressible Charlotte and her cousin Harry. It really reminds me of two of my favourite books, Love In A Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford and I Capture The Castle by Dodie SMith, which is definitely on my list of top five favourite books of all time. You have to read it! The last page always makes me weep every time.

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan by Lisa See - I picked this for our book group to read and it's one of those birth to death stories set in China about 150 years ago about two girls who grow up together. It was a beautiful story but the descriptions of foot-binding are beyond gross. Ick!

I'm listening to

Lets Get Out Of The Country by Camera Obscura - This is their new album, which isn't out yet but one of my friends is their publicist so I got an early copy. It's gorgeous. A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll and a girl who sings the saddest songs in the saddest chords. My favourite track right now is probably Country Mile.

Cannibal Sea by The Essex Green - TEG were one of my discoveries of a couple of years ago when I picked up thei second album, The Long Goodbye. They don't really sound like anyone else, but this is music for late nights, dark rooms and mix tapes that you send your ex boyfriend to explain why he was wrong to ever let you go.

Lucky Soul - I'm a huge fan of 60's girl groups like The Shangri Las, The Ronettes and Pixies Three. My friend NK introduced me to Lucky Soul, from Britain who are taking up the torch and they make these great tear-drenched ballads or dizzy, big sound pop numbers that you can "sha la la la" to. They are a gazillion times better than The Pipettes who aren't fit to wear polka dots! You can check out some of Lucky Soul's songs here But can I just say that if you like their songs, please pay to download them from iTunes because small bands need all the money they can get!

I'm watching

Nick And Jessica - Newlyweds

I never saw it on when it was on the telly so now I'm mainlining the DVDs in almost disbelief. My God, I thought I whined a lot but Jessica Simpson has me beat. And I actually liked Nick Lachey more than I thought I would. It's sad though that I know that they're going to split up so watching Season 3 is particularly poignant as you can see the cracks!

Grey's Anatomy

Did the entire two series in a fortnight and now I'm jonesing for my next fix, which is weird as there's absolutely nobody I fancy in this show. Especially not McDreamy. (Though I would hate anyone to think that I'm so shallow that I only watch TV shows that feature good-looking popsies.

Alias

I started re-watching it last night, mainly because I want Mr Vaughn to be my Baby!Daddy. (Maybe I actually am that shallow!)

I'm also

Thinking about getting a new dog

Either a miniature Schnauzer or a Cockapoo

Learning to knit

I've almost finished making the longest scarf in the world, and I only dropped about five stitches. I have a feeling this will be my new obsession. I'm already thinking about taking a class so I can learn to knit on circular needles and make a hat with ears.


(Cross-posted to http://blog.myspace.com/sarramanning)