Author Archives: Felicity Banks Books

I’m now horribly ill with pharyngitis (Wikipedia describes it as “quite painful”* – and it’s worth noting that the first third or so of labour is usually described as “uncomfortable”). CJ covered about five hours of my at-home babysitting yesterday (he said, “I see why you’re so tired on Wednesdays”, which was gratifying), and I’mContinue reading “Hmm”

(We totally sorted the garden, by the way. It was epic – over twenty bags of mulch.) I have an addiction – and for once I’m not even talking about chocolate. I love stress. I love pushing my capabilities right to the edge and staying there. I can’t stop thinking of original ways to makeContinue reading “My Foolish Addiction”

When CJ and I bought our house about two months ago, it was clear the owners hadn’t weeded the (mercifully small) front garden in a while. Yesterday – an unseasonally warm day after two days of weed-loosening rain – we finally cleansed the entire garden bed (excluding the bits I’d done already, and the forlornContinue reading “A Squamous Day”

It’s Wednesday afternoon and no blog post. Quick! Find a picture of Louisette with a cat! That will make it all better! (Incidentally, the colonoscopy went fine and the doctor reckons my problems can be solved by avoiding foods high in FODMAPS – basically I lack enough enzymes to break down fructose, lactose etc. We’llContinue reading “Eep!”

Last Tuesday I saw a dentist and a gynocologist. Woo. This Tuesday I’m having a colonoscopy. Double woo. The worst (and yet most interesting – other than, apparently, the VIDEO that they make of one’s intestines) part is the preparation. Today my food groups were as follows: Bread and cereals: White rice or white breadContinue reading “Colour me yellowish”

Louisette will often do an approximation of a word when she wants something – book, milk, down. She loves the day care centre – when she realises where we are she bursts out laughing. She always walks to and from the car (unless she’s very sleepy or I’m in a hurry) wherever we are, butContinue reading “This Week in Louisette-Land”

At latest count, I have eight medical dramas happening simultaneously – everything from chest pain to displaced organs (none life-threatening, which is the main thing). In the next three weeks I’ll be seeing two specialists, a physio or three, various chemists, and a dentist. In a month I hope to be down to three ongoingContinue reading “Fall back! Fall back!”

I have a fabulous true story coming up for you, but right now my hip is playing up (yep, I’m eighty years old) after a full day of work (I personally changed more than thirty nappies today) and then a swim, I’m exhausted. So here’s an adorable picture from our housewarming last weekend. I wasn’tContinue reading “Ouch”

As usual, my friend and I played drinking games (“Whenever there’s a dramatic key change/item of clothing removed/needless acrobatics/etc) with lollies. Hence the enormous bowl of lollies. The best song of the night by far wasn’t the winner. . . it was the song by host Petra Mede. Try it; you’ll like it (don’t freakContinue reading “Eurovision 2013”

It’s always a gamble when you move into a new place – and so much more so when you’ve bought it. So the other day, when a kid called me and said they were my neighbour, I tried very hard to concentrate on what they were saying above the natural noise of two little girls inContinue reading “Hidely-ho Neighbour!”

“Body dysmorphia” was mentioned in a TV show I was watching the other night. It’s a mental condition where the sufferer gets utterly fixated on some perceived flaw in their physical body that is either minor or non-existent. “Aha,” I thought, “Perhaps all this stressing over my weight can be refuted with some simple numbers!Continue reading “When the fat lady sighs (trigger warning, also PG medical and womanly)”

I saw a specialist today and confirmed that my lady bits are indeed, as I suspected rearranged slightly due to big baby + bronchitis (“prolapsed uterus” is the term). This is neither uncommon nor life-threatening, and it doesn’t do bad things to my fertility or anything other than my ability to stand up or walkContinue reading “Another look into one’s lady parts”

Hi all, If you’re here looking for the infamous map of Steampunk literature (circa before-I-got-pregnant-with-Louisette-in-2011), it’s at http://shootingthrough.net/2012/10/01/beginners-guide-to-steampunk-lit/

As usual I’ve forgotten to actually mention my role in Conflux 9 – which this year is also the National Fan Conference, featuring (among others) Garth Nix and Richard Harland. . . . and yours truly. All the details are at http://conflux.org.au but here’s where I’ll be: Today (Thursday) 3-3:55pm: Self Publishing with Patty Jansen,Continue reading “Conflux 9”

I’ve recently done a LOT of reading – and not the fun kind. I read through our mortgage documents (technically we have two mortgages; the explanation of why is simple but dull so I won’t go into it here) from beginning to bitter end (and the contract of sale for the house, which was alsoContinue reading “Against Further Obfuscatory Practices”

This is our living area in the old house (a unit, technically) on moving day. We rented an 8-ton truck and still took two trips (several hundred books will do that to you). Yikes. Amazingly, we only had one major moving day with all hands on deck – plus months of prep, and two daysContinue reading “A good day”