Nice Life Reminders Pip-Life something GOOD for the weekend

April already?! Something Good For The Weekend

April 4, 2020

I’m sorry I have been a bit quiet this week. I have been battling with all the sorts of things that many others have been tackling, but I’m coming up for air because you guys are my second favourite thing (after my own family!) and I want to talk to you!!!

Something Good To Do

1/ Read more about the good things some amazing people are doing to support others during this crisis.

2/ Write a villanelle! I wrote a how-to villanelle on this very blog. Why don’t you shake up your brain and give it a shot. Or you could lie down and forget about writing poems. That is okay too.

3/ Get your bulb on! It’s time to put bulbs in (apparently). I have some daffodil bulbs tucked away already so I’m going with those. They’re cheery and by the time they pop up, things will have shifted for the better in our world, I think. The brilliant Digger’s Club have lots of bulbs (and other things) you can snap up if you’re in a position to do so.

4/ AND for people who are missing the gym (this is not me, but everyone is different! You do you!!) my friend Yvonne found a free online workout that requires no equipment. So you could do that if you fancy.

5/ Find out about Emily Dickinson’s garden. I have this book about her and it’s so lovely. I want to buy the one about Beatrix Potter too, when I have an income and am back on my feet again.

pip breakfast
Beetroot dip, hummus and pita bread made via recipes from this book.

Something/s Good To Know

If you bought my book When Life Is Not Peachy and liked it, do you think you could share it on social media (if you haven’t already). These weird times have meant that marketing/publicity opportunities for books that came out in March has been affected pretty dramatically, so any help you can give me would be amazing!!!


Something Good To Watch

I just watched two seasons of a show called Secret City on Netflix. I really liked it and it has an excellent cast – think the stellar Anna Torv, the brooding Don Hany, the reliably intense Alex Dimitriades, queen Jacki Weaver and many, many more. It’s directed by one of my super favourites, Emma Freeman.

or this … I’m addicted to this YouTube. So soothing.

Something Good To Read

I was featured in a piece in The Age last weekend. You can read it here.

Text have just released a new book about nannas and pops! Grandmothers could be a great one to buy or ask your library to snap up.

Something Good To Listen To

My OLD record player with the nice speakers is semi-fixed, so I have been listening to records a lot and it’s very, very soothing. This morning I’ve been listening to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Push The Sky Away album. It’s a favourite. Do you have a record player at your house?

You could also listen to Small Things Considered on This American Life? My record just finished and I’m listening to this ep now.

Or you could listen to Jodie Comer doing a whole bunch of accents. GENIUS.

pip makes
Things I have been making

Something Good To Cook

If your sourdough starter is proving a challenge, you could make something speedier and equally delicious … focaccia! Gourmet shared this recipe. You can also get some foccacia inspiration by watching Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix where Samin learns an excellent recipe from an expert (and it involves a salty brine!) The top image is one I made.

And I’ve been watching these Japanese cooking shows. So entertaining and positive!! You could cook something from there?

Or you could make Pad Thai?

Pips Pad Thai

Or Mee Goreng?

Mee Goreng

Or this Potato Curry?

Something Good To Make

A jumper for a dog?

Join in our craft-along – the Easy Peasy Blanket!

Easy Peasy Blanket

And a few borrowed lines …

Considering the Snail

The snail pushes through a green
night, for the grass is heavy
with water and meets over
the bright path he makes, where rain
has darkened the earth’s dark. He
moves in a wood of desire,
pale antlers barely stirring
as he hunts. I cannot tell
what power is at work, drenched there
with purpose, knowing nothing.
What is a snail’s fury? All
I think is that if later
I parted the blades above
the tunnel and saw the thin
trail of broken white across
litter, I would never have
imagined the slow passion

to that deliberate progress.


That’s it for this episode of Something Good For The Weekend.

I will be back here ultra-soon, though. Stay as well as you can, peaches.

x pip

5 Comments

  • Reply Donna Bridges April 24, 2020 at 5:14 PM

    I’m addicted to watching people do up Chateaus on YouTube . It follows Escape to the Chateau on TV , I missed an episode and looked on YouTube for it . It was the very first episode . While I didn’t find that I found a whole lot of dreamy content , and dust , cobwebs and wood rot ! I told an older friend to watch ETTC as she would like it .” Donna “,”she said I loved that build a castle show you told me about .” Hee hee

    • Reply Pip April 27, 2020 at 9:10 AM

      Isn’t that show amazing?! My mum told me about it and I have watched quite a few episodes (but not all of them!) x

  • Reply Nadine Chan April 10, 2020 at 6:34 PM

    Yes! I loved that article in the Age – such a bright spot in these wobbly times. However it did rankle that they described you as knitting, when you are clearly the queen of crochet in your garden!

  • Reply Koo April 5, 2020 at 9:55 AM

    Love you – I am on the hook and. making cookies xxx

  • Reply Kate April 4, 2020 at 2:23 PM

    That dog jumper !!
    Nice to see you pop up here
    I’m making soup and bread for tonight and planning a birthday meal for my boy for tomorrow. 24 ?, although he’s asked for sprinkles on his cake so more like 4!
    Cheers Kate

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