What are you doing?

I am reading: 

Daughter Of Persia: A Woman's Journey From Her Father's Harem Through The Islamic Revolution 

by Sattareh Farman Farmaian

I am really enjoying this book.  Sattareh became a social worker after studying in the USA in the 1940's.  She was an integral player in the changes in Iran's welfare system and provides a great insight into the history of this country.

I am watching:  
As usual I am watching the current series of True Blood.
I have also started watching The C Word but have mixed feelings on this one.
My guilty viewing is the new Dallas series, I swear it is like a train wreck, you just can't turn away even though it is so very bad.

I am cooking:
Back into it this week after a two hiatus of holidays.  At the moment I have soup bones on the go.  I got a large back of meaty beef bones at the local butcher for $1.  Can you believe it!   The have been in the slow cooker overnight and are the stock is sooooooooooo full of gelatine and so shiny!  I plan to make Beef noodle soup with liver dumplings.  This is something I used to have years ago and remember it being very good for you and very nice so I will see if my memory can recreate it.

I am sewing:
The endless saga of my 40yo quilt!  It is almost finished and I will devote a full post to it eventually.
I am up to wadding stage on it and have finished front and back.
I am also doing some pyjama pants for Nienna at the moment,.
This is the front of the unfinished quilt

I am knitting:
Again, for Nienna.  I am doing a rainbow dress as a tunic top.  Using purple and pink striped Bendigo woolen mills yarn and it is knitting up quite nicely.  I just hope it fits!

So what are you up to??

whats on your bedside table??

This is my pile of reading, browsing or soon to be read.

The kids and I are reading five on a Treasure Island as our bedtime big book at the moment. It is the first of the non fantasy Enid Blytons I have read to them and this copy is from my childhood so well loved. I was an avid reader as a child and soon finished all of EB's books and most children's books in the very little town library we had (in Bicheno) and was soon given an adults lending card in grade 4 and advanced onto Agatha Christy mysteries, which I devoured!

Other books on the table are:

An Indelible Stain by Henry Reynolds, his work on the history of Australia's aborigines is amazing and I greatly admire the man.

Smokey Joe's Cafe  Bryce Courtenay, haven't started this yet so no review.  I feel that he started just pumping the books out without giving thought to quality and I got a bit bored of his stuff so will be interesting to see what this is like.

Sold by Zana Munsen, I have made a start on this but needed to put it down for a little while.  It is the story of two young english girls whose father sell them for marriage.

The Old Ace in the Hole - Annie Proulx, this is the author of The Shipping News.  I have almost finished this and can't decide if I really like it or not. It is quite slow but also quite interesting at times.

Hear the Train Blow - Patsy Adam-Smith, I have read some of her other books and quite like her stuff.  Saw this at an op shop and grabbed it.  yet to be read though.

Dream Stuff by David Malouf, again another op shop find yet to be read.

It is no Secret - Donna Meehan, another op shop find (you seeing a theme?)  and yet to be read. Another story of the stolen generation.

Biko by Donald Woods, I read this many years ago and saw it in op shop so grabbed it for a reread.

The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark -Jill Tomliinson, this was a very cute children's story about an owl who meets a variety of people who tell him how great the dark is.

Paul  Jennings Uncollected, we occasionally read a story out of this when we are tired of whatever we are reading at the time.

Unveiled - Mary Louden, this is my current read and is quite good.  It is several interviews with nuns of different persuasions and an insight into their lifes and why they became nuns.

Photograph as contemporary Art -Charlotte Cotton, a good browse through book

Van Diemans Land 1642/1856 - Walter Pridmore,  have flipped through but not read this yet.  I love history books.

Digital Photography Basics & Digital Camera Techniques,  browsing books to improve my camera techniques.