http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com Love It | Entertainment | PowderRoomGraffiti.com en-us PowderRoomGraffiti.com Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:26:20 +0000 60 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/theyre-back.html I got really excited a few months back when I spotted on the Waterstones.com Coming Soon
list
that two authors I liked were revisiting stories
that they had written ten years ago, writing sequels in which the characters
had grown older just as their readers would have done.
Read More]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/wendy-and-lucy-a-movie-with-a-surprise-ending.html Whenever visitors come to the house my dog,
Timmy, pees all over their feet. He's very generous with his bodily functions.
He is also very helpful. If you happen to be enjoying a delicious ice cream,
helsquo;ll help you eat it by taking gigantic long licks. I should have trained him
better, I know.
]]> Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-pumpkin.html Last
year, at the age of 54, I had my first vegetable garden. One of the things I
discovered was I loved growing pumpkins. It was so easy. I put them in the ground,
left them alone and voilagrave;, I had plentiful pumpkins. Okay, I thought, I'm a
pumpkin expert. I'll grow giant, exhibition size pumpkins this year. And, yes,
I'll even win first prize at the fair. After all, I've got that perfect year of
pumpkins behind me.
]]> Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak.html I haven't read a book for pleasure since I began my English
degree four years ago. I've come out the other side, relatively unscathed, and
now find myself in the peculiar position of being able to choose my own book to
read. It was a big decision. What would the book be I resisted the urge to
read four years' worth of back issues of Heat Magazine and settled down to read
lsquo;The Book Thief' instead.
Read More]]> Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/perugina-chocolate-food-of-the-gods.html The medieval town of Perugia, the capital of
Umbria, in Italy, with its fortified walls, narrow streets, universities, art
academies and Etruscan and Roman history is home to Perugina Chocolate - beloved
by chocoholics around the world.
]]> Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/who-is-evelyn-salt.html The latest blockbuster action movie to hit
the screens is lsquo;Salt' - a fast-paced espionage thriller in which the glamorous
Angelina Jolie plays the elusive Evelyn Salt. Salt is a CIA agent who is
accused of being a Russian spy and is consequently hunted down by her own
people. It follows along the lines of a typical Mission Impossible-type film -
numerous action sequences and a plot that keeps you guessing till the end.
]]> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/moore-please.html I tend to be an introvert. I'm not going to be the
person starting up a conversation at the bus stop or in line at the grocery
store. I'm the person you want to sit next to on the plane because I won't be
pestering you the entire flight with inane blather. Other than my new
favorite pair of bright pink shoes, I don't like to draw attention to
myself.
]]> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/meet-harvey.html There's nothing better than a
classic. I guess that's why they're called classics. Maybe a better statement
would be, there's nothing better than a classic with Jimmy Stewart. No,
that's not right either since Cary Grant is also quite good. How about,
there's nothing better than a classic with a giant invisible alcoholic rabbit
]]> Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/birthin-babies-in-the-loo.html After reading Lisa H's article about her obsession
with the TV show lsquo;Deliver Me,' I, too, must fess up and admit that I get
absorbed in these birthing babies shows. I am hooked on the TV show lsquo;Pregnant
and I Didn't Know It.'
Read More]]> Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-power-of-cheese.html
My
Precious. My Precious.


Like a
modern day version of Tolkien's Gollum, I lurk in the basement stroking my
Precious, turning it over to make sure it's happy, and angrily lashing out at
anyone who dares to touch it.

]]> Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/-9.html Fear is a big theme in my life lately. I mean, when is it not,
right But it's even more so now, as I attempt to launch my own professional
organizing business, expand my freelance writing career, embark upon a
relationship and dash my fear of intimacy once and for all. No small
potatoes, huh Fear is to be expected in instances like these. True, but being
so fearful that you don't actually do anything is a whole other bag of spuds.
]]> Tue, 03 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/angel-fear.html I've always loved the Sci-fi genre but I've
never really been interested in Doctor Who. If you are unversed in the ways of Doctor
Who, it's a well-known, British, Sci-fi drama. Filled with the likes of aliens,
time-travel and crazy story lines.
Read More]]> Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/under-the-same-moon.html I often find myself following people. When I'm in a
supermarket and I hear people speaking in Spanish I lsquo;surreptitiously'
slide
over behind them. They could be on another aisle and I still follow
them. On
occasion I have even been known to accidentally on purpose drop
something so
that they will turn round and we can strike up a conversation.
]]> Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/dangerous-liaisons-by-laclos.html Don't you just hate it
when a good relationship goes sour When insecurity creeps in where once
you trusted each other implicitly When it's impossible to communicate
in a
neutral tone of voice Or have you experienced the wretchedness of
giving up
something you value highly for someone you love, only to find that they
weren't
worthy of your sacrifice Perhaps you've fallen for someone, your first
truly passionate love, to find they were only interested in conquering
you Or
have you found yourself surprisingly disappointed when a lsquo;friend' starts
dating
someone, even though you are lsquo;just friends'
]]> Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/something-for-the-girls.html In 1909, a group of girls approached Lord
Baden-Powell (he of
the silly trousers and even sillier hat) at a Boy Scout Rally and asked
if he
would start lsquo;something for the girls.' He said he lsquo;would see' and the
following
year, the Girl Guide movement started. Asked in later years who had
started
Guides, he replied, lsquo;They started it themselves.' This year, thanks to
those
sassy kids trapped in a crap age for women, the movement celebrates its
Centenary.
Read More]]> Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/why-cant-my-holidays-be-like-this.html In
preparation for our upcoming trip to Italy, my husband and I are
bordering on
the edge of obsessive with everything Italian. My husband, who works in a
library, brings home old National
Geographic magazines with even the tiniest tidbit on the
peninsula, and
travel book after travel book even though we've got our itinerary
planned
out. We've (unfortunately) watched nearly every Rick
Steves
video on Italy despite the fact that his nasally voice and horrible
attire
would probably get him beat up if the camera crew wasn't there.
Read More]]> Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/an-irreverent-curiosity.html My
husband and I are journeying to Italy this September so I've gone obsessive for
all things Italian. It's not to say I haven't always carried a magnetic
attraction to the country. I prefer the Giro d'Italia over the Tour de
France (but will drool over Ivan Basso in either), I've seen lsquo;Roman Holiday'
over and over and over again, and my taste buds crave gelato and tiramisu more
than cake and ice cream.
Read More]]> Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-law-of-lesser-pissers.html I mark my books. I pick up a highlighter pen
and I highlight the gems I want to find again. I underline; I make notes
in the margins. I make any book my own. My mother thinks I'm a complete
vandal and my partner is simply jealous. He'd love to mark his books, but
he just doesn't have the courage after all these years of keeping them
pristine. Well, each to their own. I like my books to work for me and
marking them means I can go back and read the crusty bits regularly, without
trawling through the filling.
]]> Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/toy-story-3-the-warning.html I'm not going to say that Toy Story 3 wasn't a good movie,
but I am going to say it is not for children under the age of, say, 12 or 13.
Really, only parts of it are not for children under 13. Other parts are only
for adults. And even more parts aren't for any age because various scenes were
seriously disturbing. Wild-eyed, psychotic, cymbal-smacking monkeys. Need I say
more
]]> Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/making-a-song-and-dance-about-glee.html In the same way that most people have heard
of the TV programme 'Big Brother,' it's unlikely that there's anyone
around who
hasn't heard of lsquo;Glee.'
It's the story of the highs and lows of a fictional
American high-school show-choir group as they practice and prepare for
regional
and national show-choir championships.
Read More]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/no-shrinking-violet.html I owe
Jane
Eyre an apology. For years I've dismissed her as Plain Jane, quite
possibly the mousiest heroine in literary history. Admittedly, that
opinion stemmed from hazy recollections of the Orson Welles film and a
partial
viewing of the recent BBC miniseries. And I probably conflated her with
the
heroine of lsquo;Rebecca,'
Daphne du Maurier's lsquo;Jane Eyre' retread (who's so
vanilla that she doesn't even get a name). So when I finally got around
to
reading this classic I was amazed to discover that Jane is actually a
grounded,
freethinking woman who demands love on her own terms.
Read More]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/make-a-joyful-noise.html
It's
another Tuesday evening in the airless room and the sopranos are killing
it.

We've been
rehearsing for our upcoming concert extravaganza. The sopranos get to
sing the
best bits of Sting's lsquo;Fields of Gold' while we altos sing only every
fifth word
or so. I am envious of their singing time. Yet I can't help agreeing -
they
sound so good!
]]> Tue, 01 Jun 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/premium-bond.html
Hold it right there! Put your hands up and listen to
what I have to say. One move and you're dead.

Sorry about that. Just getting into character. I'm
thinking of auditioning for the role of the next James Bond. Word is,
things
are 'up in the air' at MGM studios, producers of the Bond franchise.
They are
having a bit of financial bother and production of the next 007 offering
has
been suspended.
]]> Tue, 25 May 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/sex-the-city-a-defence.html I like sex. I like cities. But when HBO's lsquo;Sex
and the City'
hit the air in 1998, I deliberately avoided watching it for all 6 years.
Call
it the contrary actionist in me, but I couldn't stomach going ga-ga over
a
silly show about
four unrealistic women who (like another show set in New York) all
mysteriously
live the life of a Queen on a peasant's paycheck. I mean, how many pairs
of shoes can one woman own I had one pair of sneakers, two pairs of
heels, two
flats, a couple of flip-flops and a pair of boots and I felt dreadfully
extravagant. And they all came from Payless Shoes.
Read More]]> Tue, 25 May 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/leave-it-in-the-bargain-bin.html Jasper Fforde (Why the two f's Because
those are probably the grades he earned in writing class.) why do you
disappoint I want to like your books - and believe me, I've tried - but
I find
myself putting them down thinking, lsquo;So that's why it was in the bargain
rack.' And then I hit myself in the head with your book for being so
stupid as to waste so much time reading it. Jasper, please, give up
writing. Instead, go forth and replant the trees you've wasted on your
prose.
Read More]]> Tue, 18 May 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-waisted-years.html Don't you
just hate it when you have a hospital appointment and the sprightly
elfin
figure calls your name to weigh you in It's like getting geared up for
the
lsquo;big fight' with the doctor. Even though your
weight hasn't bothered you for ages, all of a sudden there's the cringe
factor. Oh God how much The excuses run through your head. How
much
does that thong weigh Maybe I have water retention.
]]> Tue, 11 May 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/intervention.html Hello. My name is Amanda. I live in the US, and I'm a
train-wreck TV addict. If you live here, you'll understand exactly what
I'm
talking about. If not, then brace yourself for the harrowing details of
my
story. Sooner or later, it may happen to you too.
]]> Tue, 11 May 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/heat-and-lust.html
Long ago, in a land far away called London, lived a
young woman. The small flat in which she lived was dark and squalid. She
hated
living there, but it was all she could afford.


Life was tough.

]]> Tue, 04 May 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/delivering-a-dose-of-birth-watching-obession.html I'm not sure what draws me to pregnancy
shows. You know the ones. The shows that focus on women who are
pregnant, right
up to the point their baby is born. I've been pregnant once. It isn't
that I'm
sure I want to be pregnant again, or I miss that lovely bloated third
trimester, but for some reason watching other women be pregnant and give
birth
fascinates me. I suppose that makes me some kind of sicko.
]]> Tue, 04 May 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/la-parisienne.html Parisian women are more famed for looking
chic outside cafeacute;s in couture and heels than for puffing red-faced
around the
streets in lycra and trainers. Yet every September thousands of French
women
line up at the Eiffel Tower to run the 6km/3.72 mile women-only race,
lsquo;La
Parisienne.' Last year I joined them, along with some friends, to raise
money
for Diabetes UK and to experience the vibrant atmosphere of this crazy,
colourful race.
]]> Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/women-who-do-too-much.html Women who do too much. Well
isn't that all of us It's certainly me, and I longed for some answers
to
reduce the load. The first thing that surprised me about this book was
the
regular referrals to God and the quotes from the Bible. As it was
recommended
by a yoga teacher I very much admire, I decided there must be wisdom
hidden
within the religious overtones, and there is. If you are a practising
Christian,
then the Godly references will probably enhance the reading experience;
if you
are not, then take the advice of my partner who said lsquo;Just read lsquo;inner
wisdom'
or lsquo;higher power' in place of God and keep going.'
Read More]]> Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/with-a-nod-and-a-wink.html Forget the Saturday night pub crawl. It's
never done much for me and there's something of huge importance to
concentrate
on at home that requires more calories than a few pints of Guinness can
ever
provide.
]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-sex-and-the-city-phenomenon.html There is very little that I cherish more than a good Girls' Night.
The wine flows and, let's be honest - with every glass, the tongues get
loosened. It's a time for women to whine, kvetch, and generally vent
about
crabby partners, disobedient kids, and arrogant bosses. It's almost like
free
therapy.
]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/gentlemen-and-oddly-shaped-balls.html When I was offered a ticket to a recent
France v England rugby match in Paris, I happily accepted. My husband
was more
than a little jealous (One ticket, offered to me. What's a girl to do)
and
muttered sourly, lsquo;She doesn't even know the rules.' His comment rankled
and on
the day of the match, whilst painting my face with the England flag and
making
sure my England wig was in place, I felt a little uneasy. There were big
gaps
in my rugby knowledge, so why on earth was I going
]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-black-echo-by-michael-connelly.html I am a literary whore - I'll read anything. I've read Agatha
Christie en espantilde;ol, Zsuzsi Gartner (one
of the few authors I've read who can use the second-person present tense
and
not sound like a Choose Your Own Adventure) and James Joyce. I read epic
novels,
screenplays and the quotes and warnings on cardboard coffee cups. I love
curling up with a short story, a book of quotes or my new DVD manual.
Doesn't
matter; if it has words, I'm hooked.
]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/how-i-became-a-moonie.html Have you got any idea where the moon is on its
current cycle No, me neither. It's not the sort of thing I generally
pay
attention to. As far as I'm concerned, if the moon is hanging up there
in the
sky, that's all I need to know.
]]> Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/cut-thumbs-and-dirty-penknives.html Don't you sometimes wish that your
favourite author would notice you Put down their pen and look up from
the
fabulous world they've shared with you Gaze into your eyes while you
tell
them, breathless and hot with excitement, what it was like for you
Respond as
if you mattered to them
]]> Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/these-shoes-arent-made-for-walking.html
No matter how many times I've tried skiing, I could never
break up with the bunny hill.


But what scared me more than going down the mountain, was simply
getting off the chair lift. All the way to the top I would plan my exit
off
that moving obstacle.

]]> Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/bacon-love.html I once had a
roommate. She was a vegetarian. I was not. She got sick at the smell of
meat. I
did not. However, I DID get sick at the sight and smell of her getting
sick at
the sight and smell of my meat. You with me
]]> Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/rough-guide-to-sex.html First and
foremost, if you didn't know that the renowned travel series lsquo;Rough
Guides' did
reference books, you do now! This latest installment from the Penguin
powerhouse is entitled lsquo;The Rough Guide to Sex: The Facts and the Myths,
the
Taboos and the Toys.' It is written by James McConnachie who also wrote
lsquo;The
Book of Love: In Search of the Kamasutra.'
Read More]]> Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-curse-of-the-were-garden.html I hadn't wanted a garden. It was most definitely not on lsquo;my list.' We
had been scrupulous in our property search: watching the property market
for
six months; drawing up shortlists of properties to view; and agreeing
exactly what
we wanted and needed. We had, at the beginning, without much discussion,
both merrily and definitely agreed that we did not want a garden. I have
an
indoor house to keep - I didn't also want an outdoor area to tend.
]]> Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/write-on.html I went to a farmer's market slash outdoor
fair thingamabop this past weekend, and I ran into a lady making some
really
unique and creative body adornments. I'm talking necklaces, rings,
bracelets, earrings,
cufflinks, the works - all crafted out of vintage typewriter keys.
]]> Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/my-top-secret-de-stressing-technique.html This weekend I've been knee deep in vapour rub, Calpol and sick buckets.
My husband is hundreds of miles away (oh didn't he time that well) and
(hysterical laughter) the mother-in-law has just left after staying for a few
days just to help me out.
Read More]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/the-big-lebowski.html lsquo;Yeah, well, you know,
that's just, like, your opinion, man,' my husband likes to quote from one of
his favorite movies. Up until recently, I used that quotation to illustrate my
stance on the supposed greatness of lsquo;The Big Lebowski.' I never lsquo;got' the movie,
and frankly, that wasn't a bad thing.
Read More]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-rise-of-the-undead.html I've noticed a recent trend in films, TV
shows, and books towards the undead and have been asking myself what the
attraction is. Of course, the myth of the vampire has been around since the early 1800s, and was made
popular by Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' in 1897, so the phenomenon is nothing new,
but a steady rise in the vampire's popularity seems to be in existence at the
moment.
Read More]]> Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/committed.html In the
last eight months, three of my closest friends have separated from their
husbands. As an unmarried person, this has caused a bit of a crisis of faith
for me in the matrimony department. Divorce rate statistics are startling
enough these days, but when you see the evidence of them beginning to unfold
right in your very own intimate circle, it begins to make you a skeptic. When I
found out that Elizabeth Gilbert (self-proclaimed marriage skeptic and author
of the international bestseller lsquo;Eat,
Pray, Love') had written a book on making peace with the age-old
institution, I naturally had to read it.
Read More]]> Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/essential-car-care-for-girls.html As an 18-year-old
with a car, I learnt that men respond to a damsel in distress. When it came to
bewildering matters such as topping up the screen wash, I found that a winning
smile and a bemused shrug would have garage attendants scurrying to do my
bidding. I know; shameful, anti-feminist behaviour. But what goes around comes
around; now when I take my sexless Mummy-mobile to the garage, the young
mechanic looks straight past me, sucks his teeth and says, lsquo;That's gonna cost
ya luv.' He doesn't think lsquo;fwooor' when he sees me, he thinks lsquo;pound;pound;pound;pound;.'
Read More]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/loving-dangerously.html I'm not a TV critic, but I recently
attended some panel presentations for the Television Critics' Association.
Several networks previewed their new shows, and one offering of the I.D.
Network (lsquo;the only channel devoted to investigations,' I learned) captured my
attention.
]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-catcher.html What about old J.D. Salinger leaving us then How many
of us have read that famous book, eh I myself read it at 16 and learnt how to
talk American. In 1975, there was a group of schoolgirls going around saying
lsquo;flunked out' and lsquo;goddam it!' Two expressions we had never remotely heard of
before (these terms not being used in lsquo;The Mary Tyler Moore Show'). And it was
a novelty, training yourself to read in an American accent for the story
to flow properly. What larks!
]]> Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/another-attempt-at-nerd-conversation.html I've introduced you to the Nintendo DSi,
I've trained you to surf the web like Laird Hamilton, and even got you making a
digital you. So what's the next logical step in the nerd conversion I seem
to be starting Reading Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
series. Now, I sense some of you recoiling and saying, lsquo;Ugh, those books are
only for male dweebs.' My argument back is to take a look at Bill Gates
and realize sometimes dweebs get things right.
Read More]]> Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/tweens-by-andrea-clifford-poston.html People assume that because I have four
children, I know what I am doing. They shake their heads admiringly and say,
lsquo;How do you do it' They think I'm being modest when I tell them I'm often crap
at my job and frequently lose my temper. But ten years of being a Mum has
taught me just one thing: I don't know much about parenting. This is especially
true when it comes to my 10-year-old daughter; she's at that slippery age where
she's no longer a child, not quite a teenager, but desperate to be an adult.
]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/the-tudors.html
History fascinates me. Well, let me clarify - British history
fascinates me; American history tends to put me to sleep. Here's my
rundown of U.S. History: Battle, battle, paperwork, battle, election, battle, enslave
people, battle, election, paperwork, battle...you get the idea.


Sure we've
had a handful of assassinations and over-hyped infidelities, but nothing so
saucy as a leader hacking off the head of his wife or murdering his nephews
just to get ahead. Now that's interesting. I'm so envious of
the little kids who got to study that sort of thing rather than enduring
someone droning on and on about the battles of the American Revolution.

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-wide-sargasso-sea-by-jean-rhys.html I first read lsquo;The Wide Sargasso Sea' by Jean Rhys
when I was at university. Going through a dungarees and Doc
Marten-wearing lsquo;Rad Fem' phase as I was at that time, I gobbled it up it for
its feminist themes of male dominance and oppression. But I also found myself
drawn to something in it that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/moby-jane.html I have a love/hate
relationship with the ocean. I love to listen to the waves crash onto the shore.
And depending on where I am, there is nothing more I'd rather do than begin my
day by watching the sun rise from the sea while enjoying a good cup of coffee, or
end the day watching it sink below the horizon, while sipping a glass of
wine.
]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/book-club-wars.html
Pssst....wanna
join a book club Address No problem. Just look for the house with the horse's
head on the doorstep and the copy of lsquo;Anna Karenina' stuffed in its mouth.


Why the horse
Sister, it's a long story. Well, a short, long story. More like a novella,
really. I knew it would review well.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/my-time-in-cougar-town.html In the U.S. we have a show called lsquo;Cougar Town' and, based on the name
alone, I truly did not want to like it. Plus, it stars Courteney Cox, who was
easily my least favorite of the clan on the long-running show lsquo;Friends.' But I decided to take a
visit to Cougar Town and, despite my best intentions, I found myself liking this
show - nay, enjoying the hell out of this show. Not only that, but I actually
found the subject matter rather touching.
]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/nurse-junkie.html
I wanted to hate Nurse Jackie, really I did.

Who's nurse Jackie you ask She's TV's latest venture into yet another
dysfunctional woman; a bad example for young girls everywhere. And worse, another sorry excuse for a
nurse. If nurses aren't running around
in short white dresses with white stiletto fuck-me pumps on, then what
]]> Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/i-am-neytiri.html Little girls growing up in a
world full of gender inequities don't always have the same, immediate access to
powerful images of our strength as our male counterparts. Don't get me
wrong - sheroes are out there, if we look for them. One of my most
treasured personal possessions is a children's book called lsquo;Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of
Goddesses from Around the World.' In this collection, bold
author Katrin Hyman Tchana, shares inspiring tales
of strong women from both real and mythological history. Stories that make
little girls sit up straighter and feel their innate worth. But I want more.
Read More]]> Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/give-nanowrimo-a-go.html
November used to be a month of winding down; an in-between
time that took you from autumn, Halloween and Guy Fawkes' Night to Christmas. A
time to catch your breath and save your money and your energy for the big
Christmas rush.


Until NaNoWriMo, that is.

Read More]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/animal-vegetable-miracle.html As I perform the almost daily maintenance on my
vegetable garden, I'm proud of my weekly bounty of berries, chard, tomatoes,
and whatever random veggie I've chosen to try. The pride is balanced by anger as
I curse the little bastards (otherwise known as slugs) that get to my
strawberries before I do and I slap my hand back as it reaches for the slug
poison on the garden center shelf. My little patch will remain organic even if
it means missing out on a nice big batch of strawberry shortcake (trying not to
hold any grudges against Mother Nature here). Still, my small, heavily shaded
garden is only enough to provide a small break from purchasing grocery store
produce and if I had to depend on it for my sole means of roughage, I'd be more
bound up than... Read More]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/wuthering-heights-by-emily-bronte.html The
classic novel lsquo;Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronteuml; has always been described as
one of the most romantic texts of all time. The passionate hero (Heathcliff)
and his heroine (Catherine) have been referred to time and time again as
literature's greatest couple. But re-reading the novel recently, I realised
that perhaps there is more to the text than simply a romantic interpretation.
]]> Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/geek-love-by-katherine-dunn.html If the holidays have you thinking your family is messed up,
then pick up a copy of Katherine Dunn's Geek Love to see the true definition of
dysfunctional. This isn't a book for the weak-kneed, easily offended, or those
without a hint of morbidity in their sense of humor.
]]> Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/a-very-special-christmas-cd.html
In 1995 I spent my first Christmas in a country that didn't celebrate
Christmas: China. Well, I say it didn't
celebrate Christmas - it didn't recognise the Jesus, Mary and Joseph element,
but when it came to Christmas tat, it had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.


Strings of heinous fairy lights Check.


Terrible dancing Santas on a podium Check.


Badly made cuddly rabbits dressed as Father Christmas Check.


Badly spelled, gaudy Christmas cards (lsquo;Wish You Hoppy Christmus') Check.


And in a bid to muster some Christmas spirit, I bought it all. I tried
very hard not to think about how far away my friends and family were, and let's
see now, oh yes, I got drunk.

]]> Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies.html lsquo;Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' brings up the age-old quandary
of what is the best way to send devoted Jane Austen followers into a tizzy. Surely,
taking a classic and clever tale revered by many as one of the top ten on the
world's literary list and turning it into a horror story might upset those out
there who were born without a sense of humor, but for those of us that can
appreciate the classics while poking fun at them, this book is devilishly fun.
Read More]]> Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-rise-of-the-retro-sweet.html Once, second hand clothes from the charity shop were just that -
second hand clothes. They smelled of moth balls and that curious room scent
that only comes with donated clothes. Until of course the fashionistas found a
way to make them well, fashionable by labelling them vintage. Ah ha, suddenly we are able to rummage at will in any
bargain bin, emerge triumphant with some piece of tatty material and wear it
with pride (and a lot of perfume), because you see dahling it's vintage.
]]> Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/fun-with-fruitcake.html When I relocated to the U.S. from the
U.K, it quickly became evident that fruitcake was universally despised. At
first, I was baffled. What was the matter with it Who couldn't love the dense, boozy concoction
with marzipan and hard icing and, of course, a little snowman to top it off My
mum started making her Christmas cake months ahead of time, but fruitcake wasn't
only for Christmas - it was my wedding cake, and subsequently my daughter's christening
cake. So why are Americans so bloody rude about it
Read More]]> Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/there-is-nothing-like-a-dame.html
It's
Christmas...so it must be pantomime time.


What's
that you say Oh no it isn't


Oh
yes it is!


The
tickets are already booked. This year the Greene family will be attending a
performance of 'Beauty and the Beast.' I am probably more excited about the
panto than anything else we plan to do over Christmas. There is no law against
forty-plus women enjoying a kid's spectacular...in fact it is one of the rules of
panto that adults attend. If they didn't, all the sexual innuendo and double entendres would go to waste. And
we couldn't have that, could we boys and girls

Read More]]> Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/spanx-to-the-rescue.html I
probably should have declined, begged off, but I didn't. I'm trying to be civic
minded. I agreed to choreograph a dance for an upcoming Christmas show that a
local club is sponsoring. I also agreed to dance in the production, which was,
in all probability, mistake number two.
]]> Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/if-this-is-a-man.html
My father,
who survived the Holocaust, couldn't sleep. He also didn't want to. And with
dreams where he saw his lost mother's face appear in the middle of a frying
egg, fringed by bubbles of boiling fat, who could blame him


He didn't
talk about his family - it was too painful. More than that, words couldn't be
trusted to convey the reality of what had happened.

]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/living-life-in-my-big-fat-greek-wedding.html
Like Toula Portokalos I often think of myself as the geek
who, by merely putting on some cover up and perming her hair, bloomed into a
beautiful woman.


I think of myself that way, but the transformation never actually happened.
Maybe that is why I love lsquo;My Big Fat Greek Wedding' so much. It allows me to
dream big.

Read More]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/a-little-bit-of-hanky-panky.html
lsquo;Catch it, bin it, kill it' is what we are being encouraged to do, as
swine flu paranoia, if not swine flu itself, sweeps the country.


Our Government is encouraging us to sneeze
and blow into paper tissues, or, as they put it in such simple, accessible
English, lsquo;practise correct respiratory and hand hygiene when coughing and
sneezing, to prevent the spread of germs particularly during the cold and flu
season.'


I for one will not be stuffing my handbag full of those nasty little
packets of tissues.

]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/miss-pettigrew-lives-for-a-day.html Who wouldn't love a life-transforming day A day of making
fun new friends, getting a total makeover by some of the best in the business,
drinking cocktails galore, and falling in love, sounds way better than trudging
out of bed before the sun comes up and plodding away at work. Unfortunately
most of us can't make ends meet by having fun, but there is always Miss
Pettigrew.
]]> Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/say-anything.html The 80s were all about teen flicks, usually starring
brat-pack actors and directed by John Hughes. lsquo;Say Anything,' although of this
genre, was slightly different. For one thing, it was written and directed by
Cameron Crowe, a former Rolling Stone writer who went on to make the
much-acclaimed lsquo;Jerry Maguire.' For another, there wasn't a single brat-pack
actor in its credits.
Read More]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/zelda-by-nancy-milford.html
I often think that I was born several
decades too late. I was not terribly comfortable coming of age in the 1960s,
and 1970s, when Timothy Leary urged us all to lsquo;turn on, tune in and drop out,'
and lsquo;free love' seemed to come at a price.

Instead, I longed for the era when
Cole Porter wrote about how a lsquo;a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something
shocking.' I loved the music, the wild abandon and the clothing (especially the
clothing) associated with the 1920s - at least the 1920s as described by writers
like F. Scott Fitzgerald. Women were flappers, free and unbridled. Men were
dapper and everyone engaged in carefree, clever banter.
Read More]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/eat-pray-love-by-elizabeth-gilbert.html lsquo;It really wasn't like this in the
book,' I thought, as I lay on a wobbly table with what looked like my dinner
spread across my back. My blood needed cleaning apparently, which involved having
myself scrubbed vigorously with handfuls of leaves and then left to marinade.
The scrubbing had been done by Wayan and her team of helpers. Wayan is the same
healer written about so extensively and entertainingly by Elizabeth Gilbert in lsquo;Eat, Pray, Love.'
Read More]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/sorry-but-im-not-a-twilight-fan.html
Brace yourselves 'Twilight' fans, I'm about to blow your mind.


Not every woman is ready to gush and fall all over the 'Twilight' books or
movies.


Not every woman thinks Robert Pattinson is lsquo;dreamy.' In
fact, some women, like this one, think he needs a shower and a haircut. This
woman also thinks he needs to stop sucking in his cheeks and pushing out his
lips. It's like when kids cross their eyes and their mother says, lsquo;If you keep
doing that your face is going to get stuck like that.' Apparently Robert didn't
listen to his mother. I'm not sure I've ever seen him smile without looking
like he died two years ago.

Read More]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/its-guy-fawkes-nightstill.html I am turning into one of Them: Those people who spend their days
contorted with rage at the world around them, who write fulminating letters to
the local papers - the very local papers that flop, unsolicited, onto the
doormat every fortnight to inform residents of how many stabbings/drug
arrests/charity triathlons the borough has witnessed since the last issue. I
think it is only a matter of time before I become one of these vociferous
letter-writers, signing myself lsquo;Horrified from Hounslow.'or lsquo;Concerned from
Clapham.' My current becirc;te noir is fireworks.
Read More]]> Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-god-delusion-by-richard-dawkins.html I'm not exactly the wilting flower when
it comes to expressing my opinion. I'll tell it like is, so if you don't want
to hear the truth, don't ask me. However, when it comes to arguing my religious
beliefs - or lack thereof - it's too easy to feel cowered in the States'
current climate. It seems I can't turn my head without seeing a Jesus sticker
blazoned across a business vehicle and that everyone belongs to (and goes to)
church. We may have belonged to a church when I was a kid, but actually going Seriously
]]> Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/brokeback-mountain.html I picked up our free cups of tea and biscuits and carried them across
the cafeacute; towards my Mum. I'd chosen that particular table because it was near
the loo. And it had to be a table rather than comfy sofas because if she got
down into one of those, I knew we'd make a spectacle of ourselves getting her
back up again.
]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/nothings-better-than-sex.html Honestly, I can't think of anything better
than hot, heart-pounding, multiple-orgasm-inducing sex. Not even chocolate
mousse. And so I am shocked when I hear women say about it: lsquo;Eh. I can take it
or leave it.' And yet they'd never speak so blasphemously about a slice of
carrot cake with a rich cream cheese icing. Time after time I hear females of
all ages eschew a good bonk on the kitchen table for a rich dessert and it got
me to thinking: why is it that so many women do not go ga-ga over gettin' it
]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/lolita-by-vladimir-nabokov.html lsquo;Lolita,
light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.' There are very few novels
which open with a line like that! And even fewer novels that divulge the
tale of a middle aged professor who becomes obsessed and sexually involved with
his 12-year-old step-daughter - the lsquo;nymphet' Lolita. It is, without doubt
Nabokov's best known novel, having been adapted into numerous films featuring
ripe and red-lipped Lolitas, however, it is not necessarily the finest example
of the extraordinary talent of a writer who still leaves readers breathless and
mystified to this day.
]]> Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/chocolat.html
I love a bit of magic in a film. I'm also a sucker for a happy ending.
Not to mention a pushover for a gorgeous guitar playing gypsy (Johnny Depp). lsquo;Chocolat'
has all three.


It is a story about a single
mother Vianne (Juliette Binoche), and her adorable daughter Anouk, who,
directed by the wind, moves from town to small town fixing problems, especially
love issues, and all the while cooking the most glorious looking chocolates.

Read More]]> Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/marley-and-me.html It was with some trepidation that I went to see lsquo;Marley and
Me.' I'm not known for my love of RomComDog films, especially those where you
know you're going to cry at some point and soak the tangy bit off your cola
bottles. But it was the only screening which finished in time to get me into
bed before midnight, and these days that counts for more than an Oscar
nomination.
Read More]]> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-time-travelers-wife.html Books seem to be synergistically intertwined with my thoughts. I'm
not debating the science versus the mumbo-jumbo behind this; I'm simply stating
what happens to me on a fairly regular basis. I was once wandering around in a
bookstore, my mind preoccupied about whether I should move to another country,
and a book fell off the shelf and landed at my feet. The book was Lonely
Planet's Travel Guide to Vancouver - the very city I was wondering whether to
move to. So I went.
]]> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/well-preserved.html
At
this time of year, when Mother Nature is at her most generous, there are some
familiar sounds in this small French village. Combined with the clink of
preserving jars, the crack, crunch and chop of blade through fruit, is the low
hum of anticipation...pulsing through the narrow walkways.


And
the tantalising aromas

Enough
to make a grown woman weep, I tell you!



]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/two-moon-junction.html When
thinking of a shower scene from a movie, most people remember that terrifying
moment in lsquo;Psycho' when Janet Leigh is stabbed to death by the owner of the
Bates Motel. But what comes to my mind is the steamy shower scene from the 1988
movie lsquo;Two Moon Junction' starring Sherilyn Fenn as a repressed debutante and
Richard Tyson as the hot, sexy carnival worker who sets her libido free.
]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/for-the-love-of-a-tin-snail.html
I never thought I was the sort of person to buy myself that little
mid-life crisis open topped car. But on the few days of sun we were blessed
with in Devon this summer, there I was zipping along the lanes with the wind in
my hair in my gleaming cute little number.


I say new, but this baby is actually 20 years old. And I say convertible
- but I can't think of many who'd throw their savings and their mid-life angst
at a Citroen 2CV.

Read More]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/salems-lot-by-stephen-king.html My obsession with Stephen King books may be partly
to blame on genetics. My father devoured all of King's books when I was a kid
and the presence of the creepy Mr. King was all around: not-yet-read books on
the shelves, in-the-process-of-reading books on the couch, and finished books
tucked away in the spare bedroom. When my reading progressed from horse
stories and teenage detectives it was only natural that I pick up a Stephen
King book. I've been a fan ever since.
]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/baking-is-the-new-black.html I can't
understand why more people don't big up baking. So little is written about the
therapeutic joy of baking a cake, or for that matter, some Fudge Slices. See
Even the mention of Fudge Slices has made you think, lsquo;Ooo, they sound
nice.'

You may say
you are rubbish at baking and that your cakes never work, but how many cakes do
you actually make All you need is a little practice and soon you'll
effortlessly rustle up double chocolate brownies with white chocolate drizzle. And
let's face it, even if your presentation isn't perfect, when you're cooking with
double chocolate and white chocolate, very few people will care how it looks. They
will just be so thankful that you took the time to combine saturated fat and
sugar, and...]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/cant-help-being-mad-for-mad-men.html You don't have to be a bra-burning feminist
to want to see females treated fairly in society. Women have fought long and
hard to be seen as equals, and these strides can be seen in the roles they play
on television. Women now take lead roles and occupy positions such as doctors,
attorneys, and ball-busting executives...yeah, I said it! That's why we should
all hate watching the TV show lsquo;Mad Men.'
Right Right I know, I know...I can't
hate it either. I know in my heart that I should loathe the way women are portrayed
in this monster hit of a show about the advertising world in 1960s New York,
but I can't help but love it. Sinking my teeth into each episode from the DVD series is a guilty pleasure.
Read More]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/mrs-tiggywinkle-vs-killer-zombie-worms.html
We're all getting pickier these days because, as we're constantly
reminded; we're worth it.


Even pets are at it. In the old days you'd chuck half a pig's head at
the family Labrador - after the kids had had a good gnaw at it first, mind -
and it would be happy for hours. Now every dog needs gourmet baby vegetables
and prime cuts hand picked by third world orphans on 2p a year, less board and
lodging.


But hedgehogs When they start demanding their rights as consumers,
something's going seriously wrong with the world.


Hedgehogs, I'd assumed, are a suburban householder's right. You get your
house, neighbours who politely pretend never to hear your children fighting,
swearing or throwing up in your floral border... Read More]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/twilight-mania.html
Whether it's
something to be proud of or not, I'm a shameless pop culture junkie. I
might not be able to discuss politics at an extremely intellectual level, but
ask me where George Clooney had dinner this past week or what NBC's fall lineup
entails and, chances are, I know. That's why I was shocked when I was
caught unawares by this whole 'Twilight' mania. I was
driving in to work one morning, and I heard Ryan Seacrest on the radio, talking
about the absolute chaos Robert Pattinson was causing in Hollywood. He
plays Edward Cullen, Vampire Extraordinaire, in the lsquo;Twilight' films (the second
film in the series, lsquo;New Moon' will be released in November). The thing
is, I not only hadn't heard about the film... Read More]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/god-bless-kayaking.html


It's
been said that sneezing ten times produces a physical sensation much like an
orgasm. Some people go as far as saying it actually causes an orgasm. I don't
see how the involuntary expulsion of something from the nose can be as
pleasurable as a climax. But I'm not one to judge what brings others pleasure.


All
I can say is that one of the most euphoria-inducing activities in my life is
kayaking. Yes, an early morning kayak on
a clear calm lake is pure bliss. The water, the quiet, the solitude, the
connection to Mother Nature. It's as necessary for my psyche as the Internet
connection is for my job. And this
connection never shuts down, never needs an upgrade.


All
you need is a kayak and a... Read More]]> Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/vanity-fair-by-w-m-thackeray.html
lsquo;Vanity Fair' was one of the regulars on my school's list of approved
reading. Nothing could be a greater turn off.


Its fate was sealed the day I realised that even an oldish, small-print
edition weighed so much that it should ideally come with a third arm for
optimum ease of handling.


It took over 25 years for me give it a go, and then only because the
most determinedly intellectual member of my book club said we had to, or she'd
leave.


And it was one of the literary revelations of my life. Published in
instalments between 1847-48,
lsquo;Vanity
Fair'
made Thackeray's name. And no wonder. It is, quite simply, terrific.


Read it and you'll be able to give a name to all those friends who... Read More]]> Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-boleyn-inheritance-by-philippa-gregory.html
'The Boleyn Inheritance' is the third in
Philippa Gregory's lsquo;Boleyn' sequence of books. Given the horsepower of its narrative drive, sumptuous settings and a
cast headed by a king and his six-pack of wives whose preoccupations - sex,
money and status - so closely echo our own, it's no wonder that an earlier book
in the series, 'The Other Boleyn Girl' has already been made into a film - a
'Tudor chick-flick,' as one critic described it - and this book delivers more of the same.


It follows the interlinked
lives of two of Henry
VIII's wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, and the woman, Jane Boleyn,
who serves and conspires against them both until, like Katherine, she is
betrayed, incarcerated, and executed.


It... Read More]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/no-six-strings-attached.html


Given that I have loads of free time (two
minutes here, twenty seconds there) and scads of cash (I think I may almost be
out of the red) I did what any sensible woman would do on finding some extra
cash at the bottom of her fake Louis V: I decided against purchasing a pair of
comfy yet fashion-forward ballet flats off the clearance rack and instead, loaded
up my shopping cart with milk, cereal, bottled water, and a guitar that was considerably
taller than my son (who was also in the cart).


When I arrived home and proceeded to shlep
this six-stringed piece of potential firewood, I started to realize just how
hard it might be to learn how to play this imposing instrument - a fact that I
refused to attribute to age. And here's... Read More]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/sophie-mckenzie.html
I have
always loved to read. When I was little my parents couldn't keep up. Sometimes
the trips to the Library would dry up and I'd be left with - gasp - nothing to
read. This is when I would flick through the books in the lounge. By age 7
I had read both lsquo;The Rats' and lsquo;The Lair' (James Herbert) and large chunks of
lsquo;Shogunlsquo; (Clavell). The gory bits were
sickening and the sex bits, well, they were just mind-boggling for a girl of my
tender years.


The reading
habit served me well through school and University, and those long, childless,
sun-soaked beach holidays when all there was to do was read, swim, snorkel,
read, sleep, read, etc. Sigh. But when Motherhood comes along and you give
birth to your... Read More]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/a-hard-days-night.html
My first encounter with Paul McCartney took
place thirty years ago on Fifth Avenue in New York. It was during a parade for
some celebration and people were lined up three to four deep on the sidewalks
to watch. As I walked through the crowd, out of the corner of my eye - I caught
sight of (could it possibly be) Paul McCartney. Standing next to him was wife
Linda Eastman. I stopped short and looked again. It was definitely Paul. And
although I'd never bothered a celebrity before and haven't bothered one since,
I had a powerful feeling that I could not let this particular moment in time go
by. I pushed past the people surrounding him. Slowly, I sidled up to Paul and
simply stood there. I tapped him softly on the shoulder. He turned to... Read More]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/hells-kitchen.html
It was a surreal experience. I was
surrounded by five contestants from Hell's Kitchen simultaneously watching them
on screen and (with covert fascination) for real. It was an odd juxtaposition
and somewhat disconcerting. But boy was it exciting!


Let me explain. First off, I am a huge
Gordon Ramsey fan. Being in the food business I love his concept of fresh,
simple ingredients. Of course, I would never behave like him, but I do admire
his cooking and enjoy his shows. So when I heard that one of the contestants
from the new season of Hell's Kitchen was from Boston and was throwing open his
restaurant doors for the TV premiere, I was thrilled.


For those of you unfamiliar with the show,
let me give you the Cliffs... Read More]]> Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/plot-driven.html
There is one book on my shelf
that gathers no dust, and that's quite an accomplishment in this house. It's a
weighty tome I regularly consult for inspiration; lsquo;The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency' by John Seymour.


Several years ago, before
scarpering off to live a rural idyll, I purchased a copy of this book. I would
read it avidly on the Tube travelling to work in Central London - it was the
ultimate in escapism. Back then, my head was full of wild schemes and crazy
ideas involving goats, alpacas, hens, beekeeping and various other bumpkin
pursuits. With the help of this wise book, I realised a life of complete
self-sufficiency is a complex undertaking requiring enormous commitment and a
certain aptitude for farmyard skills,... Read More]]> Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-vinyl-countdown.html
I have vivid memories of time spent in record stores as a child. Of hours flipping through the stock, feeling a record's weight in my hands, studying the artwork. Buying a new disc was an event. It was something anticipated all week at school. When Saturday finally arrived, my elder sister would take me along to the record store with my pocket money. I remember the excitement of buying my first ever 45 - a song called lsquo;January,' by the British pop group, Pilot. That song got played to death. I would mime in front of the mirror with a hairbrush microphone, full of tortured ten-year-old angst. I knew all the lyrics, I probably still do, come to think of it.


Crikey. I have just re-read that opening paragraph. I seem to have unwittingly morphed into an... Read More]]> Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/all-hail-jen-lancaster.html
Situation: I'm trapped in Molokai.


Problem: There's only so much snorkeling I can
handle before feeling like something akin to a masked buoy bobbing about in the
ocean with a tube stuck out of my mouth. The condo we've rented is near
the ocean, but ten miles from town - lsquo;town' being the three blocks of
dilapidated shops and restaurants that are never open when we go there. Sure
it's quaint and has some sort of charm, but I'm bored and I've realized I don't
like any of the books I brought.


The Salvation: On one of the shelves in the
condo is a book that draws my eye by the cute graphics - I suppose you choose
your books in a more intellectual fashion It says it's a best seller,... Read More]]> Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/rediscovering-the-garden.html I once watched over the fence as my neighbour had her garden
landscaped. The neighbour would leave for work, and a short time later
a SWAT team dressed in green would arrive. Over the course of a week
they pruned and hacked, slashed and burned, dug and planted. The final
delicate touch was when they methodically swept the grass with a fine,
soft broom. That, I thought, is how gardening should be done. By
someone else.
You see I've never had green fingers, although I have tried. I thought any fool could keep a cactus alive, but I found out...
]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/premonition.html
If you had the opportunity to fix a bad relationship, would you Or would you just let it fall by the wayside as though it were a slowly deflating balloon with the word lsquo;destiny' on it


This Sandra Bullock movie didn't do well in the theaters, but I feel that it was simply a question of bad marketing. It was touted as a supernatural thriller, and by the looks of the trailer I can see how you'd expect ghosts and blood and rolling heads or maybe even a city-wide conspiracy against the main character.


lsquo;Premonition' is about Linda, a woman whose husband dies in a car crash, only to be alive the next morning as though nothing had ever happened. The following day the husband's funeral is in progress, and the day after he is alive again. Needless to... Read More]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/unless-by-carol-shields.html
All is going well for Reta Winters, writer of light fiction, until her eldest daughter, Norah, suddenly opts out of University to sit on a street corner, wearing a sign saying lsquo;goodness.'


Reta decides (when she can allow a moment out from thinking about herself, that is) that Norah's withdrawal from the world, is the only choice left to her as a mere female, aka one of life's also-rans. But Norah might as well stay put, since no one really notices, although the blurb insists that Reta's musings, make for lsquo;an unflinching, often very funny meditation on society.' Moreover, apparently, lsquo;'Unless' is a dazzling and daring novel from the undisputed master of extraordinary fictions about so-called lsquo;ordinary' lives.'


Not my reading of it.... Read More]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/blue-collar-wine-tasting.html
I'm a hard liquor kind of gal, albeit with a splash of something fruity (which actually sums up my personality fairly well: strong but fruity). For me drinking is about the destination, not the journey; there's really nothing about the burn of pure vodka coursing down your throat to stop and savor along the way. And if you spit it out, why you're just a wasteful cretin and don't deserve to be drinking it. So when my woman-of-the-world friend Sara announced that she was taking me wine tasting for the first time, I kind of felt like Eliza Doolittle in lsquo;My Fair Lady.' Oddly, I began to curtsy and drop my h's.


As with most of my first-time experiences, I had this grand vision of how it would go: I saw myself sipping a vast array of wines, nibbling on well-aged cheese,... Read More]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/bunty-barstowe-rides-again.html
Bunty took a long cool look at the dark and handsome beast in front of her. Bay was well formed, with a confident stride, and looked as if he'd never been tamed. She'd met his like before, and could tell just from his arrogant stare that he would be no push-over, but dammit, she was Bunty Barstowe, international spy and sportswoman; she'd tamed wilder than this before.


She turned and called over her shoulder 'Fred, close the door, will you I think I'm going to have my work cut out getting this one to do as he's told.'


'Righto, Miss B. But you be careful now, mind, he looks like a nasty one!' came the answer.


She waited for the slam of the stable doors and then squared her slim shoulders and addressed those dark eyes.... Read More]]> Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/sex-and-the-city-the-movie.html
For the millions of fans that followed the TV series lsquo;Sex and the City', the movie is available on DVD.


Years ago, I found the show entertaining; I related to these women, (sans the phenomenal job, salary and the wardrobe, the cost of which could feed families for years in third-world countries), and I liked it.


Like most female writers, I felt a bond with Carrie. She was the epitome of what I wanted to be - living in New York City with a fab apartment, writing a column that gave hope and inspiration to women. People all over NYC, waiting every week for me to pen my words of wisdom. Remember the early episodes before it became politically incorrect to show someone smoking Carrie would light up a cigarette, have a glass of wine (or... Read More]]> Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/canvassing-opinion.html
Camping has been a passion of mine since childhood. But the world under canvas has changed. Traditions are being flagrantly disregarded, rules are being flouted...and I, for one, am not a happy camper.


Rule breaker number one: Instant camp


With today's tent models, you can be pitched in thirty seconds - one rather ostentatious flourish and, ta da! You're done. I'm not sure where to start with how totally wrong this is. Whilst I agree there is a convenience element to consider, I can't help feeling that someone is hugely missing the point here.


As an awkward twelve year old, I remember it was the law to arrive at busy campsites at 7pm, just as everyone was settling down outside to their gin and cheese straws. For the next two hours we would... Read More]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/driving-miss-daisy.html
I clearly remember the wintery afternoon when I first saw lsquo;Driving Miss Daisy.' I recall that precise day, two decades ago, not only because of the film's terrific nuanced performances and the moving story, but because when it came time to leave the theatre my sweater was wringing wet with tears. It was not unusual for me to suppress a snuffle or dab at an eye with my sleeve, but full-out weeping was not generally my style. While watching the film again recently, I sobbed so hard I could barely hear the dialogue. And I don't even have to see the entire movie. The last ten minutes will do. (The only other film that has that effect on me is lsquo;The Way We Were' - during the final scene in front of the Plaza Hotel when Barbra Streisand brushes Robert Redford's hair... Read More]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/the-alternate-reality-of-science-fiction.html
I'm a woman of a certain age, and I'm also a sci fi fan.


It can happen.


I'm not the traditional demographic, of course. I'm not an engineer, or a software developer, or a teenage male who aspires to be an engineer or a software developer. In fact, in direct contrast to all those who devote their lives to hard science and similar, intellectually formidable areas of expertise, I'm waaaay on the other end of the spectrum. The soft end, where the massive collection of attractive throw pillows are strewn about. The one that smells more like scented candles and fruit-flavored cocktails.


This isn't to say I'm not a smart person. BUT. I'm not Stephen Hawking,... Read More]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/its-all-about-the-fur-coat.html
Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Margo Channing's fur coat. Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is, of course, the main character in the 1950 film, lsquo;All About Eve.' She's a divine actress on Broadway, though getting a little bit long in the tooth. And she is bitchy and self-absorbed. Ask anyone who knows her. Anyone except Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), that is.


I remember when the mousy Eve made her first appearance in Margo's life. She'd been waiting outside the stage door in the rain hoping for a glimpse of her favourite actress. Margo's best friend Karen (Celeste Holm) brought her in and introduced her to us all. She was sickeningly sweet, telling that sob story of her dead war hero husband. They all fell for it - Margo, her much younger boyfriend Bill Simpson (Gary... Read More]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/bollywood-films-are-fantastic.html
Here's a quick straw poll. On a Saturday night, how good are you at staying awake until the end of a film, whilst lying on the sofa after half a bottle of red Good, I'm glad it's not just me. So when my husband returned from India waving Bollywood DVD's at me, I didn't rate my chances of getting to the closing credits; it is a well-known fact that Bollywood films go on for two weeks. Still husband was all excited and I was a bit intrigued.


We started with the snappily-named, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (me neither) starring two of the Bollywood big guns, Sharukh Khan (boy) and Kajol (girl). It was in Hindi with English subtitles. Actually that didn't bother me. I felt pseudo-intellectual, as if I'm the sort of trendy person that goes to see obscure, arty films by... Read More]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/dinner-and-a-show.html
I love the theater - Broadway, Off-Broadway, even a Junior High School production of lsquo;Fiddler on the Roof.' It's pure escapism. But sadly, my joy has been dampened of late, due to the most annoying, rude, insensitive audience members on the planet. I'm convinced that each time I buy a ticket, an email blast goes out supplying my exact seat location to all gum chewers, bag crinklers, Tic-tac shakers and cell phone users, and all my shushing, glaring and pleading will not deter them.


ACT I: I was thrilled to get the last two tickets in the tiny theater where Nathan Lane was portraying blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. As my boyfriend and I took our seats in the first row, we found the legroom so scarce that our knees were wedged against the stage, but we soon... Read More]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/break-your-routine-not-your-leg.html
Whenever my friend Lori comes to town, I find myself being lured into High Adventure Mode. She is full of energy, optimism and ideas. I wouldn't describe my life as colorless - why just yesterday I eschewed my cappuccino for a mocha with whip at my local coffeehouse - but when Lori describes the thrill of surfing, I get caught up in visions of me in a sexy bikini riding the perfect wave, sun glistening off my tanned body, a beachful of admirers cheering me on. With this in mind, I put my DVD alphabetizing task on hold and we drive down to Huntington Beach, singing all the Beach Boys songs we can remember at the top of our lungs.


Our one-hour private lesson is with a bleached blond surfer so clicheacute;d that I pay more attention to how he talks than what he is saying.... Read More]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/the-emperors-babe-by-bernadine-evaristo.html
If I were to meet you at a party and say, lsquo;Hey, there's this great book ...' you might draw closer and say, lsquo;Ah, interesting stranger, tell me more.'


lsquo;Well,' I'd say, lsquo;it's in verse ...' and as my eyes grew more intense in the fervour of proselytizing, yours would glaze with the first pricklings of desperation; you might lick your lips nervously and glance around for rescue.


'It's set in Roman London, AD211,' I'd breeze on, pretending not to notice.


By now, panic gripping you, you would be feeling the nasty sensation of one who is well and truly trapped.


But trust me. I understand, dear reader, truly I do. I'm never to be found, willingly, within fifteen feet of a beret and just the word... Read More]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/rebecca-by-daphne-du-maurier.html
lsquo;Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again ..' is certainly one of the most famous opening lines in literature. The problem is, I never got any further than that (apart from watching the Hitchcock film, which doesn't really count). It was only when lsquo;Rebecca' kept appearing over and over again in the ubiquitous lists of Top-However-Many Books, that I thought I really ought to have a go. I was also curious as to why it had never been a set text when I was at school. All the lsquo;usual suspects' from romantic literature were there - Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights from the Brontes, and more Jane Austen than you could shake a corset at.


But this is no romantic novel. Neither is it a love story. It is a sinister thriller, packed with brooding menace, sexual... Read More]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about-running.html
Recently, I had a sudden business trip come up that was one full day of hellish travel with more time spent in the air than on the ground. The only good thing that came out of it was that I was amazed to learn what body parts I was willing to scrub with hand soap from a push dispenser in an airport bathroom stall, to avoid smelling like a goat.


Before I was leaving for the airport, however, the hubby came in from work with a Barnes amp; Noble bag under his arm. lsquo;Hey, I got you a book that is short enough for you to be able to knock it out on the plane.' he said with the pride of someone who knows they've done very well.


As he handed it to me I was touched at his thoughtfulness, but I must confess that I also felt a slight tickle of wanting to... Read More]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/barbecues-why.html A pretty invitation has slipped through the letter-box. Beneath a dreamy photograph of vines, laced in mist, the following words send a chill through my heart:

lsquo;Stella and Larry are delighted to welcome you, at home, for a relaxed and informal barbecue. Please bring a bottle.'


A bottle of what Liquid cyanide


If I were asked to list my least favourite things, chomping through pieces of charred savoury-rubble would be right up there with having my toenails pliered.


Each year my excuses get more inventive. 2008 was the year of the lsquo;sausage allergy.' If anyone laughed, I pulled a wounded expression and launched into my lsquo;you don't know how hard sausage abstinence is' diatribe. Oh, the fun I had.


This year,... Read More]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/better-than-sex/lunching-on-the-riviera.html I could not care less about food. Please don't misunderstand. I enjoy eating and in fact, do it at regular intervals each day. It's just that I'm not at all concerned with the intricate details of my meal, including, but not limited to: how it was painstakingly prepared, rooted from the ground by some pig in Provence, or labored over by sweaty fellows in tall white hats in the high-tech kitchen of some swanky boicirc;te. If it smells good, looks halfway decent and goes down without a hitch, I'm happy. I'm certainly not what one might call a lsquo;foodie.' I wouldn't know a remoulade from a roux, a bourguignon from a beacute;chamel or a sweetbread from a hush puppy. Just eat the food, chew with your mouth closed and be quiet about it, I say. It's that simple.

My special brand... Read More]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:01:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/books/experience-by-martin-amis.html I don't much like the novels of Martin Amis, finding them a bit brittle, and smart-arse, but ... lsquo;Experience' is one of the best books I have ever read, so never judge a book by its author.

For those who are unfamiliar with Martin Amis, he's a literary novelist, the son of the late Kingsley Amis (best known for the novels lsquo;Lucky Jim' and lsquo;The Old Devils'). Martin Amis was a great friend of Saul Bellow and Vladimir Nabokov, and these days he operates in much the same area of fiction - heavyweight themes, often written in a very ostentatious style. For many he's the pre-eminent British writer of his generation, for others he's a show-off and writes books where form always triumphs over content.


lsquo;Experience' is Martin Amis's autobiography,... Read More]]> Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/love-it/films/robert-altmans-most-valuable-player.html
Ah, to be young, innocent, wondrous, grossly naiuml;ve and impressionable again.


Not the normal battle cry of women my age but something that struck me on a recent plane trip for a bit of Ramp;R with my husband. It was a ski trip, something I drag myself to do once a year not because I don't like skiing but because the preparation for it is something I dread almost more than I would an afternoon at my OB/Gyn's office followed by a quick, Novocain free root canal. Who among us doesn't just love packing the never-ever-has-been-in-style ski sweater and the lycra ski pants that actually make your ass look saggier than it truly is - if that is at all possible.


We were booked on a very early morning flight. As is usually the case when I travel with my husband... Read More]]> Sat, 30 May 2009 11:01:00 +0000