Dim's Write Stuff

Well, hello there! They say sabbaticals are the just the ticket for restoring one's sense of direction and refreshing one's perspectives, even unintentional ones. Avid followers, yes I'm talking to all three of you(!), may recall I made a soft promise a couple of years ago to level up with my posting. Who knew an intergalatic time warping conspiracy would reduce those 730 days into mere seconds!   During that crazy time shift, I didn't mean to neglect my ad nauseam sharing here. That part of my mo has not altered. I've just shifted my oversharing to other platforms, more easily updated on the run, accessible to a wider audience, more 2026 and less 2009 where I still feel at home!  Life has an endlessly fascinating and perplexing way of unfurling or rather unravelling at times. Best to let yourself tuck and roll with it I've come to appreciate. So here's a wee update and reaffirmation: Life stuff: still here! My life is probs no more extraordinary than yours....

One would think illustrating and describing a seemingly lifeless world cloaked in ink would be an exercise in futility. Unless of course you are an inhabitant of the fathomless depths. Or Andrew Plant. Plant’s latest author illustrated title, Stardiving is more than a clever oxymoron. It is a foray into the unknown. A daring and sublime exploration of a world visited by but a few, all rendered in a rigorously limited yet serenely darkened colour palette. The front cover endpapers of this inspired picture book begin with a stunning visual and expository breakdown of the great sperm whale. Don’t be tempted to skip this read through. We are introduced to terminology and several unique attributes of this mighty mammal before moving through an ocean of blues and teals to young Fluke’s story and thanks to this brief exposition, it feels as though we are already better acquainted with Fluke’s beguiling ways. Plant gives you a moment to ponder that which you’ve just learnt with a wordless sp...

It would take me approximately the equivalent of six school holiday periods to get through every recommended reading title. There is simply an ocean of brilliant titles bobbing around at the moment or soon to be released. It's often the last thing you read that resounds most loudly in your head, so with that resolutely in mind, I refrained from 'going overboard' with Kristy Reading as she probed me for a list of children's books that will entertain both kids and their parents these holidays. Click on the image below to listen to the ones featured on Monday 29 June 2020 for  ABC New England NorthWest radio's breakfast show : Morning Book Club with Kristy Reading.  Scroll forward to the 2 hour 50 minute mark to hear my segment or grab a comforting beverage and settle back to enjoy the whole show! Monday Morning Book Club chat with Kristy Reading 29 June 2020 Here's the not-quite-full list (not full because there are a zillion other great titles to enjoy of course...

In my customary always-running-behind style, I seem to have missed out on the fanfare of the New Year; the well wishing, the extravagant wave of resolutions, the insightful posts promising possibilities and commitment. Perhaps I still have time to proclaim, Gong Xi Fa Choy to one and all.  The Year of the Dragon promises extremes, good and bad; that if you double your efforts, double rewards will follow. Don't be complacent and watch your temper! I wonder how all this bears upon my humble 2012 Resolutions: Write More, Eat Less (no really)? I thought of another this morning: Be more Forgiving . By this I hope to be less of the Shouty Woman, less impatient with myself and others and less intolerant of all those other shouty, impatient, intolerant so and sos who continually get in my way. Multiple rejections, family constraints and the usual insufficient amount of minutes on my clock will continue to test my metal but it's helmets on and off we go. Found ...