Who Killed Dave?

I read a first novel today written by Linda Cockburn (the author of “Living the Good Life” – book and blog), and published by tOgether Press, who are dedicated to printing books in a sustainable way, using 100% recycled paper, vegetable inks and a chlorine-free printing process, managing waste in a sustainable way, and offsetting emissions through tree planting. And if that isn’t enough, the book was a good read!

“Who Killed Dave” was a light, thoroughly enjoyable murder romp with sexy bits, serious bits, and many, many funny bits. The storyline careens from one revelation to the next, stretching credulity at times, but the characterisations are dexterously drawn, the settings are deftly depicted, and the narration carries you swiftly through the bits where you shake your head in disbelief without removing the smile from your face.

From the first chapter (which can, by the way, be read here), you realise that no-one in Kaos Court will be particularly troubled by Dave’s death, everyone has a motive for killing him, and many of the people on the Court are pretty much crazy enough to do it. When the media gets involved, and a popular vote begins on the identity of the murderer (“kind of Big Brother does bad, bad things”), Robyn Miller decides to take a hand in the investigation. Of course, due to circumstances which were, frankly, somewhat within her control, even the henna-headed heroine isn’t absolutely sure that it wasn’t her.

What with budding romance, pandemonium, and policemen getting wax jobs, this is more than a murder mystery, and well worth reading.

New Year, bush food and other edibles

I don't know that "New Year's Resolutions" really describes the goals I've set for myself this year. I just want to be more accountable to myself. This includes eating patterns and exercise, also being on top of study commitments, work, church, family, not necessarily in that order. It also involves not spending masses of time on stuff that doesn't matter.

I've been shopping again. I think I might be a little obsessed. Today I made my second foray into bush food - the native raspberry was doing well, but it's in the chook pen so it may get eaten. I guess what I really need to do is to designate it "chook food" so they leave it alone. But today I bought two new things that I haven't tried before: muntries and yam daisies. I didn't realise till I found that link just how much the yam daisy looks like a dandelion... It'll probably get pulled up by a well-meaning friend.

The first square foot garden is up and growing. The main thing I do differently is that I don't use peat moss in the soil mix (it's not renewable; at least not in the short term. I believe it takes a couple of thousand years to compress down. Sphagnum moss *is* renewable, though its properties are different to peat moss, and is being harvested sustainably in NZ, but not in Australia.)

In the new garden are tomatoes (lemon drop and yellow pear), chillis (fire), silverbeet (rainbow chard and perpetual silverbeet), pumpkins (potimarron), watermelons (sugar baby), cucumbers (crystal apple), basil, leeks, celery, tatsoi and saffron crocus. I have absolutely no idea how it will go, but so far it's survived two hot days with a very few baby seedling casualties, so it's a start. I'm a little stoked about how well the lemon drop tomato (started from an advanced seedling) is doing - I've eaten a tomato from it already; fresh and a slightly lemony and tangy taste. *I* liked it, and I'm not known for eating tomatoes at the best of times. I have also planted a yellow seedless watermelon, with a pollinator gourd with it - this is all new stuff for me, but they were sold together thankfully - and I'm letting it climb up the wire on the fence.

I also need to get more perennials going; presently they're all over the place and not necessarily doing very well. I love asparagus, and have a couple of 3 yr old plants, but feel guilty about picking them when they're only a couple of mm thick. I'd also like to start some mushrooms. And that almost covers it till the next seed catalogue arrives...