If we were having coffee i'd tell you things are a bit more settled now. My mum is doing a lot better. She seems to be in a good mood overall and is gaining confidence and energy. Day by day she's more like herself. I've been visiting for a long weekend so will be catching … Continue reading #WeekendCoffeeShare: Poblano Edition
Oh dear, it's a list post, I must be failing at NanoPoblano early.. I'm a sucker for impulse buys. I see things that I think I need to have in my life and I buy them. I like them, I try them, I think they're wonderful.. but then they get forgotten about and just don't … Continue reading My Top Ten Impulse Buys of 2016
Many an evening growing up was spent watching the 1967 Disney animation of the same name. There was magic in the creatures cavorting across the screen and the songs were unforgettable. It was with some trepidation then that I watched the 2016 reboot, however I could not have been more pleased. Plot-wise, there are similarities with … Continue reading The Jungle Book (2016)
We were invited to a Halloween party this past weekend and, as soon as I heard there would be fancy dress, I couldn't resist trying to make my own mask. Given that my last laughable attempt at a mask was Felix Morton from The Dream Machine, I knew I would need some professional help. Ultimate Paper … Continue reading Making the Jack Skellington Mask
I don't think my family read the blog but this is now common knowledge to immediate family anyway. I'm sharing it because as a society we don't talk about these things nearly enough. I don't intend embarrassment or shame, and there really shouldn't be any. Either way, whoever reads this, please tread softly out of respect for … Continue reading #WeekendCoffeeShare: The Elephant in the Room
Original Release: 16th April 1988 Director(s): Isao Takahata Producer(s): Toru Hara Screenwriter(s): Isao Takahata Alternative Title(s): Apologies, we're late again with this entry. In truth though, neither of us could stomach watching this one over the weekend. Released as a double feature with the next film in our series, the two couldn't be more different. Grave of the Fireflies is … Continue reading Project Ghibli #8: Grave of the Fireflies
The Guest Cat is another book I fondled in a bookshop not long ago. I didn't buy it at the time, but the premise intrigued me and I discovered we actually own a copy when I went looking for another short read from those on our poor overburdened shelves. We're introduced to a mild-mannered husband and … Continue reading The Guest Cat – Takashi Hiraide (2014)
Original Release: 02nd August 1986 Director(s): Hayao Miyazaki Producer(s): Isao Takahata Screenwriter(s): Hayao Miyazaki Alternative Title(s): The success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind afforded Director Hayao Miyazaki and Producer Toshio Suzuki, with some additional financial backing, to strike out on their own with the formation of Studio Ghibli in June 1985. Suzuki was Editor of Animage … Continue reading Project Ghibli #7: Laputa: Castle in the Sky
At the end of August I completed another Action Challenge Ultra Challenge: the South Coast Challenge between Eastbourne and Arundel. This was another 100km walk and my second this year. I was actually quite nervous going in as I really hadn't done any training like I had for London2Cambridge or London2Brighton. In all honesty I … Continue reading South Coast 100km Ultra Challenge
Today, exactly one year ago, my good friend Emma married her dashing husband Stuart at Eshott Hall, Northumberland. We had a wonderful time celebrating with the newlyweds and it seems like the last year has gone by in the blink of an eye. It's a bittersweet memory as we returned home to find Marmalade missing, … Continue reading A visit to Eshott Hall, Northumberland
Original Release: 11th March 1984 Director(s): Hayao Miyazaki Producer(s): Isao Takahata Screenwriter(s): Hayao Miyazaki Alternative Title(s): We've had a busy couple of weeks, but time to pick up where we left off with the next instalment in our series. We're entering more recognisable territory here with Nausicaä being affectionately considered the beginning of Studio Ghibli, despite being released before its official founding … Continue reading Project Ghibli #6: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
