Year of the Dragon

Firstly, may I say G’day from Western Australia! I haven’t been on here because life and family have been my focus so I do apologise… Hope this finds you all well – Happy New Year too! Thought I’d make up by posting a late Valentine’s Day greeting to you all which contains a new poem…

2024: Happy Valentine’s Day, may you be surrounded by love… just like I am. We spent the afternoon at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital getting the results of Paudie’s current MRI. As is my want, while waiting for an appointment, I wrote a poem. To celebrate the ALL CLEAR result and because it’s Valentine’s Day, we had a lovely Indian buffet at Koh I Noor Restaurant in Padbury.

Year of the Dragon.

Found a Red Envelope next to my morning tea…
It’s Chinese New Year but also Valentine’s Day.
Traditionally, one contains money, the other love
far more valuable…

My routine cup of sugerless tea brewed by hubby,
is in a ‘Nan’s Biggest Fan’ mug given by my grandies,
and matches gold on the card adorned with Red roses
from my Valentine…

My grandchildren will open their Chinese envelopes
with equal anticipation. One would save – the other
splurge. I do both; savour the beautiful words and try
to reply in kind…

Our hug is full of 22 years of caring – sharing our lives
together. The beige liquid swirles in circles recently
stirred, echoing our everyday routines like a cup to
gently wake me up…

His hug at the airport all those years before, after
28 years apart told me everything I needed to know
then. Trust the love, surrender to his arms, believe
Cupid hit his mark…

No matter what the future holds, we will step forward
still exploring the possibilies of each Valentine’s Day .
After all, it’s the Chinese Year of the Dragon and
I am a dragon…

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2024

#FrancesMacaulayForde #POEM:YearOfTheDragon #ChineseNewYear #Valentine’sDay #LovePoem #Romance #Poetry #RedEnvelope

Such good news for Australian Producers.

Making gravy: Why Australians are producing so many Christmas films

By Garry Maddox

December 2, 2023 — 5.00am – Sydney Morning Herald

KEY POINTS

• Since the start of the pandemic, Australia has become such a prolific producer of Christmas films that it could be called the new tinsel town.
• Ten examples include two that have been released in cinemas in the past fortnight … A Savage Christmas and Christmess.
• Queensland producer Steve Jaggi, who specialises in uplifting female-driven films set in idyllic locations in North America, has made three Christmas films this year and plans another four next year.
• Streaming services have largely driven this new boom, with Stan leading the way with A Sunburnt Christmas, Christmas on the Farm, Christmas Ransom and Jones Family Christmas.
• A film version of Paul Kelly’s celebrated How To Make Gravy recently finished shooting in Queensland.

On a warm May afternoon in the far south-western suburbs, Heath Davis is directing a low-key Christmas scene in a rundown house that has been donated for the shoot.

The resourceful DIY filmmaker, best known for the rugby league drama Broke and the wry high school comedy Book Week, has Steve Le Marquand playing a famous actor, Chris Flint, who gets a job just out of rehab as a shopping centre Santa in the comic drama Christmess.

Heath Davis directs Steve Le Marquand, who plays a famous actor fresh out of rehab who gets a job as a shopping centre Santa in Christmess. CREDIT: BROOK MITCHELL

Flint tries on his red suit for his two amused halfway housemates: his cheerful sobriety sponsor (Darren Gilshenan) and a free-spirited musician (Hannah Joy). “This is going to be the best character you’ve ever played,” the sponsor says. READ WHOLE ARTICLE

#SydneyMornHerald #SMH:GarryMaddox #Christmess #HeathDavis #SteveJaggi #AustralianFilms #FilmInAustralia #AussieXmasFilms #AussieChristmas

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to WA’s talented film-makers!

2023 WA Screen Culture Awards announced

#WASCA #ScreenWest #WAFilmakers #WAScreen #WACulture #LunaCinemas #PerthWA #PACScreenWorkshops #AnnieMurtaghMonk #DavidVincentSmith

Worth another read?

I’m seriously considering doing another run or making my ‘Rail Tales’ book and others available again. Print On Demand is preferable although with the original print run I published myself, I sold them very quickly and wish I’d printed more at the time.

A couple of years ago, I set up some e-books on Amazon for $1.99 but within three days of publication, they were all available for free on a German website! I was very disappointed and disillusioned and took them all off Amazon. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the discourtesy. Now with the current AI controversy, I may as well publish, so at least I made them available first?

I have friends overseas who have asked to read my previously published words – e-books seem a convenient and cheap way of putting them out there…

What do you think? Any suggestions of who to use? Who did you use – was it an enjoyable journey?

“Trips into Town”

#BOOK:RailTales #ReBlogging #ShortStory #RidingRailLines #WritingRailStories #Print-On-Demand #E-Books #AmazonPublication

Sultans of Swing

I loved watching Dire Straits in concert in the early 90’s in Perth, Western Australia in what is now affectionatly called ‘The Trash-can’. This Chilean guy Miguel Montalban, does an amazing version of the iconic ‘Sultans of Swing’ while busking in London, so I thought I’d share it. Enjoy!

#DireStraits #SultansOfSwing #PerthTrashCan #FavouriteMusic #ExcellentMuscicians #BuskerInLondon

Congratulations to Poetry D’Amour Winners 2023

Today, I received my WritingWA newsletter which included a link to the report from this year’s judge Glen Phillips and the winning poems for the Poetry D’Amour Love Competition 2023. After reading his report and the poems, I have now ordered my copy of this year’s Anthology from WA Poets Inc. Judging by the winners, I am sure the whole anthology will be a wonderful read.

WA Poets Inc 2023 Poetry d’Amour Love Poetry Contest Winners

#WritingWA #GlenPhillips #PoetryJudge #PoetryD’Amour #LoveAnthology #2023ContestWinners #WAPoetsInc #LovePoetry #LovePoems #PoemsAboutLove

On Poetry & Painting : Glen Phillips

Photo : Glen Phillips presenting his words at PoetsCorner@PagesCafe © Frances Macaulay Forde.

Today, I found this Podcast on WritingWA with Glen Phillips, my mentor at University talking about Poetry and Painting. It was lovely to hear his voice again but I was astounded to hear him say he (unsuccessfully) tried Calligraphy but is now ‘too old’ to learn it! I have always admired his thirst for learning and ageless approach to life. A national treasure who still enthusiastically shares his love of words and art with so many at ‘just a couple of years off 90’.

Glen Phillips is such an interesting and supportive poet and painter who, apart from publishing more than 50 books, is one of the founding Professors at the ECU Landscape and Literature Centre. From the moment I met him as a nervous mature-aged student during a Creative Writing lecture at Edith Cowan University, I have basked in his support and sincere encouragement of all my writing endeavours.

This continued after my graduation during the early establishment of Peter Cowan Writers Centre, WritingWA, the first couple of Spring Poetry Festivals, writing the foreword for my first book of poetry and 3 years of monthly poetry meetings and book launches held during Poets Corner @ Pages Café in the Perth State Library.

Often hosting or as a revered guest, Glen shared his wonderful words with the public, novice and established poets. After my 14months in Ireland, his invaluable support whilst establishing a public arena for poetry in Perth at Pages Cafe, was always very much appreciated.

May I say thank you, Glen, (if you read this). I am most flattered to find you are using this photo from the PoetsCorner@PagesCafe days, on your website Host page. A lovely conscious link to wonderfully never-forgotten, creative and inspiring associations.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #GlenPhillipsPoet #OnPoetry&Painting #WAWriting #WAWPodcast #Poetry #Painting #EkphrasticPoetry #PoetsCorner@PagesCafe #CreativeWriting #EdithCowanUni #PoetsCorner #PagesCafe #Poems #WritingWA #PerthPoets #WAPoets #Writing #PoeticWords

For Father’s Day

Flt Lt J.A. FORDE D.F.C - 1944

PATHFINDER

Even after all these years
I miss you, Dad. Your solid
guiding presence, care
kept me safe as I grew.
Just like those brave 
young men of your crew.

Your pioneering spirit, 
lead with confidence, 
convinced me to fly
toward adventure,
the exciting unknown
my far-away future.

Explore new landscapes,
Striding with pride, guided
by you, still lighting my way, 
Like you did in your youth.
My Pathfinder always, 
knowing the safe route.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2023

#POEM:Pathfinder  #RAF-WW11  #Father'sDay  #Poetry  #Tribute  #ProudOfDad

POEM: Bagdad Ballet

Thank you to the American reader who unearthed this posting from 2014 today. I thought it worth re-blogging because there is the threat of war in the air again… just like in 2003.

‘Trucker’s Moll’

March madness!

Sometimes I do miss our hectic Fudge Festival lifestyle, then I pick up a pen or paintbrush and create…

Perth Words... exploring possibilities.

First there were two…

Then there was one..

And finally none.

Well, am I glad that’s over!  March is MAD for us and our ‘day’ job.

So many festivals and working 7 days a week for the last 6 weeks has done me in – we both needed to just veg totally today, and I did!

So I apologize for not posting much lately but thank you so much for reading.

This week, I’ll catch up on your blogs and find something (hopefully) of interest to share with you.

Yesterday we were at a Food & Wine Festival in  Mindarie Keys,  10 minutes up the coast from us.

Turning around to face the sea breeze, I spied two little birds sitting on a wire, behind.  A bit like us this month, barely hanging on but doing what we must.

(I wrongly presumed they were winging their way back to Northern Climes…

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