Disturbed In The Deep South

I'm currently swimming in and out of that uncoordinated, hazy 4 day weekend that comprises of the Christian Easter celebration. No work for 4 days; it always leaves me feeling a little discombobulated. I guess it proves that although I like to think of myself as living (or attempting to live) outside the square, I am still a slave to the regularity of the 5 day working week.

I have a love like - hate relationship with the 5 day working week. It provides me with a regular income, in which I can support my family and certain life-skills that aren't completely wasted. However it also means that I have to make a regular commute into the concrete-jungle which is full of hustle, bustle and countless other unnatural irritants. In all honesty, I'd much rather be communing with my newly compiled compost heap:

 

But I digress. I do not subscribe to the Christian ethos of Easter, however I have tried to utilise the last 4 days as best I can. This started on Friday with watching 2 films from 1971 which both competed with each other to completely screw with my sense of well-being and, ability to get to sleep that night.

THX 1138 is a fantastically simple film about the power of the corporation, and it's control over a futuristic society. Everything is driven by budgets, faceless law enforcement and a synthetic god-head. The idea is to keep the public sedated and squashed. While the clunkiness of the 1970s idea of the future is somewhat comical, the pure cacophonous cascade of sound and vision is what really keeps you glued to the screen. The dialogue is limited, but it's not really needed. Oh, and of course it's George Lucas' first feature film (you know, Mr Star Wars?), so that's reason enough to seek this film out!

My other foray into early 1970s cinema disturbance was the Australian thriller, Wake In Fright. I came across the film adaptation from Kenneth Cook's novel quite by accident, when I sat down Friday evening with a glass of red and the intention to watch something much, much lighter. Instead, I was reeled into what is described as a classic piece of Australian cinema. It highlights the disturbing and degrading drinking culture of outback Australia. I guess the fact that for years, every blip of a human settlement in Australia had a pub is testament to the culture that sprung forth. It's a challenging film on many levels, and left me lying in bed until the wee-small hours over-analysing the story line. * eye twitch *

Of course, this didn't bode well for my 5.30am wake up call on Saturday morning when I headed off on a day trip to the Barossa Valley with Michelle, Lily and my mother. And although I was bleary-eyed and second-guessing everyone I came across with a slightly 'ocker accent', it was a beautiful day. We braved the crush of the Barossa Market to sample the best 'breakfast burger' I have ever had. We also visited my mother's childhood home in Tanunda, where she was delighted to find the old house still standing.

Fast-forwarding to today (Monday), and I've had a rather productive day. My mantra of organising, stream-lining and minimalising my life is coming along nicely. Kitchen cupboards bore the brunt of that mantra today, with the beginnings of a large clean-out. It's amazing how much clutter we accumulate, even in our food cupboards / pantries! I also kicked off my new plan of attack on the back yard, with the aforementioned compost heap. And true to my word in a previous post, I have taken a photo of our back yard. I'll leave you with this image... it 'aint pretty, but it's what is firmly fixed in my sustainability cross-hairs: