2024 Week 34: Bananas, bookings, books and brekkie.

I had a rare school visit this week speaking to the Year 8 girls at Lourdes Hill College in Brisbane who had read my book DON’T CALL ME ISHMAEL. The students were lovely and the talk was fun.

I actually had a short teaching contract at Lourdes Hill way back when I was trying to write THE RUNNING MAN and I named one of the debating teams in the Ishmael series Lourdes College as a nod to them.

As I said I don’t do many school visits these days but I was reminded recently by Facebook memories that in the past it wasn’t unusual for me to do something like six weeks straight of school visits made up of one or two schools every day, multiple sessions and flying to two or three different states. Certainly don’t have the inclination or stamina to do that anymore!

In other news I’m sure you’ll all be stoked to hear that another crop of bananas has arrived. And yes as you can tell by my shirt it was warm the day when we harvested them and cut down the banana tree. (Winter in Brisbane: 31 degrees today and will be that or higher for the coming week.)

Now that all my judging duties for the Queensland Premiers Awards are over I’ve been able to get back to my own reading.

As well as fiction I love a good biography or autobiography. And In Pieces by Sally Field is definitely a good one. A fascinating, complex, tough and talented woman who has been through a lot.

I also dropped in on the lovely folk at RIVERBEND BOOKS at their new location further down Oxford Street at Bulimba. Always happy to support this wonderful bookshop.

Now looking forward to reading these.

Earlier this week we had the Chef’s Brekkie Board at HOME CAFE on Stewart Road and as you can see, we cleaned them up.

So if you’re a foodie and happen to be in ASHGROVE why not check them out. https://homecafeashgrove.com.au/

And finally I just want to record that this week’s blog was written under trying conditions as we are having the interior of the house painted and the furniture in my study, along with most of the rest of the house, has been piled into the middle of the room.

But as you see I am coping stoically.