Catnip

Some catnip was collected.
The cats were unaffected. 

It was put up on a shelf.

Not protected - but rejected.
Then came the expected.
nature recollected.
potential gone into the the land of
plants that are neglected....

Tui Cook 18. 9.09

Hot Pink and Tomato Berries

Yesterday , after only a little encouragement from mitch, I went next door. TO THE GARDEN SHOP!! now I live next to the greatest garden shop.  http://www.ashmoregardenworld.com/. I mean right next door.


Off I went, meaning only to buy some nefarious potting mix, The only thing on my shopping list.

Of course when I entered the store I meant only to look around.. Well then, my friends I did the enevitable.. I asked a question about my Blossom drop problem... well she recommended sulfate of potash, int he liquid form.  Into the basket it went (it WAS only 5 bucks)
Then I went out into the yard (just for a wander!!) and then staggered by hot pink strawberry flowers!!!!! I seriously did not know these existed!Isn't the pic above great! I was blown away.
Into the basket...

Over in the sun were my last temtation.. the Tomato Berry Plants.. I mean these guys were  a incredible heart shape, were already dripping with flowers  and a strand of tomatoes growing already!

this is what they look like ripe

So I bought some stakes..(do you see a pattern developing here?) and a big pot and now I have the Tomato Berry growing in my backyard.. lets hope it doesn't get the same problems as my other one!!
I'm keeping the miricle grow away from these little guys.

Biggest Tomato (plant) ever.

I wonder if any of you read a book called "The Biggest Pumpkin Ever" by Steven Kroll.
In this book from my childhood, two field mice fall in love with the same pumpkin.
One imagines winning the harvest festival with glee in his eyes, While the other is thinking about the awesome jack-o'-lantern this pumpkin will make come Halloween.
Unbeknownst to each other they both start to fertilize the hell out of said pumpkin.
The pumpkin gets huge!! They discover each other in a "but I! but you!" moment while out tending to it one night and have a huge laugh.
Of course it wins the autumn harvest and the night before Halloween it is carved into the biggest, best jack-o'-lantern ever to be seen for miles around.

So goes the story.
One day there were some Black Russian Tomato seedlings. They had just moved home and were stretching their legs in a new pot. Two humans fell in love with these plants. So green were the leaves..thought one human. So tangible was the promise of vines laden with tomatos..thought the other. Unbeknownst to each other they both started to fertilize the hell out of said tomatoes.
Now this is where the story diverts from the original.
We have green leaves..Lots and lots of them. But vines laden with ripening tomatoes?
NAY! Instead we have this monstrosity. It has blossom drop and is currently 7.6 foot tall.  So right now I have a Shaquile o'neil plant.. if was Shaquile o'neil was a eunuch.

The Twilight of Literature

I'm was always vaguely amused at the fuss made about the Harry Potter books... There was a madness that swept the land and every nerd and kid under 16 took part in the harry potter (Mexican/English?) wave..
I grew irritated at the constant references in the media,  the waves of screaming girls that awashed the leads like a rash.  This led to the the fan groups,the harry potter parties, Harry Potter Costumes, Harry Potter craft,  then came the harry potter fan fiction and WHAT!! anime porn???

ENOUGH!!!!!!

This halfbreed underdog has been the attention of the world for the last 15 or so years.  And I was becoming irritated.... until now.....

Stephine Myers has topped it.
This piece of drivel..GRRRR
Every time I pass a massive Twilight billboard or walk by a huge pile of new books in the books shop I am reminded that just like the music movie and arts,  literature is the latest of the greats to get an axe in it's head.  I mean, you might saw I have a passion for language.  I have lived in books most of my life, and love to write poetry and short essays. This "story" has highly offended my senses.


This book features among other elements wish fulfillment, a weak “heroine,” the glamorization of abusive, unhealthy relationships and all round terrible writing.
The arguments I hear the most are the most baseless. One of the main arguments the sparkly fan club uses is that Edward is a dangerous vampire and because of that he can be as demanding and controlling as he likes, it's perfectly excusable in their eyes..A 400 year old watching a 15 year old girl sleep is somehow not maniacal and creepy,
The horrific writing is glazed over by thousands... because it’s supposed to be a fantasy story.  Hang on!! I read a lot of fantasy books.  None  of which reek of bad writing and disgusting undertones as much as this one.
It is not a secret that Stephine Myers is a devout mormon.  Obviously she feels that a woman IS basically useless without a man into whose arms she can swoon in times of danger.
What is the most scary for today's youth is that S. Meyer is playing on the insecurities of young women. The solution to your insecurities ladies, is to become so obsessed with your overbearing boyfriend that you would DIE without him-as Bella says over and over.  I mean she is basically suicidal without him.. How does that encourage strength and power in today's teenage girls?
I worry that all the work that the feminist movements have made over this past 60 years or so, could be seriously hampered by the work of this one supposed author.

I know that every writer has an agenda, a message, or a moral. Fantasy is known for its religious undertones. Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling all did it. Meyer, however, is incapable of undertones. She shove her twisted gender issues down the throats of a generation of young women who are already faced with so much pressures in today's society.


Hopefully, these young women will hear a better message through the mist. Maybe they’ll have someone hand them an Eddings or Valenti novel, or maybe they will just grow up...
Lets hope so, because these  girls are our future.
I ever pass this woman in the street, I may just be tempted to punch her on principle.

I say bring back the Potter.  This story was strong.  The characters were well defined.  He was a well respected and and ethical character..   He had healthy friendships..Healthy thoughts..a unbiased opinion about life in general, regardless of the supernatural settings the story had.  I compare Twilight's anemic vampire Edward to a creepy pedophilic/stalker
meanwhile the characters in Harry Potter have a back story and a unique personality in contrast.

All in all
I believe Harry potter is a much better written, healthier, story.  A story that is not densely packed with damaging material.  Material that has the potential to seriously hurt the phyces of thousands of teenage girls and young women world wide.

Everyone that feels the same should take this opportunity that go to your bookshelf and choose a author that you find inspiring for healthy reasons. Written work of the fantasy genre  is supposed to be  an inspiring magic.. let's keep it that way.

Choose your mentors wisely.

For tips on how to write fantasy WELL please see Tolkien, Pierce, Lewis, Eddings or Rowling (yes, effin Rowling).

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies -- A Review

This is what I am reading right now. Or should I say attempting to read. This book did not live up to my expectations. The basic outline remains the same with all the witty retorts ect, but after starting this book, You have to wonder if the author actually read the original text or if he had indeed even seen any zombie movies. The exchanges between the main characters have been shorn, becoming even more contrived than in the Austin novel. Seth Grahame smith's Zombies seem more of a badly fitted distraction. Not only that, the scenes are glazed over while the zombies are characterless and decidely unscary.
And kung fu fighting? Regardless of the total implausibility of training in the oriental arts, the dresses these women were supposed to be wearing throughout this ridiculous story would of made the movements totally impossible.

Sunset Salutations

As the sun sets on horizon
Introspective thoughts are risin
And Im lovin what's comprisin
Of my family and friends.

A motley crue assorted
Let me tell you - boredoms' thwarted.
They set my vices sorted
And have straightened out my ends.

Tui Cook
13.9.09

A New Day, A New Dress!

I was wandering around in the op shop the other day and I picked up a men's button up shirt. It was a dark blue cotton with lighter blue batik designs on the bottom and on the cuff.. Perhaps you have seen shirts like this before. I had a toddlers tutorial in mind like this one at Craftster. (geeze I love that website!!) But it sorta evolved into something else. When I got it home and looked at the beautiful designs on the shirt.. ..I got to thinking.. why not make a "Me" sized dress instead??
I wanted some special sleeves so I looked through all my patterns ( I have a suitcase weighing 25 kilos full of paper patterns) and found this 1970's pattern from Simplicity. those sleeves had the special touch I was looking for!
I unpicked the sleeves and realized that I was going to have to alter the sleeves a little to get them to fit so I made the cap a little lower. I gathered and pleated the sleeves (which I really enjoyed and they turned out great!!) I then adjusted the body of the shirt with a dress form and a few fittings so it fit my shape, and sewed the whole thing together!
Love Love Love it!!