41. It's Both Me Noggin' And Me Peepers
The Case of the Mild Makeover
Hello, friend - hope you’ve had a good week!
A few of you are celebrating birthdays at the moment, and - hang on, I’m getting a premonition - even more of you will have birthdays during the year!
If your love language is gifts - specifically sketchy cats in boxes - I’ve got you covered.
Special days need special people, and you’re pretty special. Let me count the ways:
Very
Awesome
There’s not enough space within this newsletter format to list all your positive attributes. So, let me circle back around to that cat …
Fishbird Catch of the Week
We publish articles twice a week on the Fishbird Central website - every Wednesday and Saturday! This week’s included:
Books to Read in March 2025! Monthly TBR!
We're doubling down on crime fiction this month, so if you're comforted by a police procedural or routinely held to ransom by a well-plotted whodunnit - then you're in luck! ‘Three Men in a Boat’ will act as our palate cleanser, as I think it’s just about some friends in a boat. We’ve collected quite a few second-hand paperbacks in recent months, hence the back-catalogue choices for this month’s TBR. Who’s your favourite classic crime author?
Check out the latest post here - Books to Read in March 2025 - Monthly TBR!
Sketching February - Week 3, 2025!
In this post we continue splashing around paint, pencil and fineliner - all while limbering up our creative writing muscles! The Swimmsons attempt to circumnavigate Australia, while Little Kylie just wants to get across the farmyard. Greg the Ghost Grape haunts the vines, Postman Cat lives the high life, Lizard Maguire has a smouldering issue & Neil’s Water Taxi just won’t quit. Oh, and that girl’s Reading Again.
Check out the latest post here - Sketching February - Week 3, 2025!
Eyes and a Haircut - Two Bits.
I had my hair chainsawed back into a human shape this week, and topped off my spa day with some new peepers.
I’m getting better at telling hair stylists all the things I won’t do that they seem to think I will - which is basically anything other than wash and brush it. Essentially, don’t give me a cut that won’t fall into some sort of shape on its own - preferably a nice one.
While I have a few skills up my proverbial sleeve, I do seem to have missed out on the gene that would enable me to plait, braid, style, accessorise, colourise, synthesise or glamorise my human avatar. If you can do these things, I think you’re dreamy.
If you also can’t do these things, lets go hat shopping together. I think I saw a cap with a fish on it that would match our eyes.
For glasses - I got both ‘plain eye’ and ‘sun’. Does anyone else feel a barrier between yourself and the world when wearing eye glasses? Even though I can see slightly better, it feels like I’m living in a virtual reality simulator when I wear them.
No? You don’t? Me neither. Cool cool cool.
Quick Fire Wrap Up
Currently Reading: ‘The Knife Slipped’ by Erle Stanley Gardner. A tale of corruption, of double-crosses and triple identities. A return to the heyday of private eyes and shady dames, of powerful criminals, crooked cops, blazing dialogue, and delicious plot twists. This is my first walk around the Gardner & excited to see what the hype’s about.
Currently Watching: ‘Severance’ Season 2 on Apple TV. New episodes dropping each Friday. This is a mind-bending, sweet & twisty psychological thriller. I’m also still in the throes of Ted Lasso / Jason Sudeikis withdrawals.
Currently Singing Along To: ‘Prettiest Eyes’ by the Beautiful South. “You can't have too many good times, children - you can't have too many lines. Take a good look at these crows feet - sitting on the prettiest eyes”.
Wishes for the Week
As you get ready to rock n’ roll into a fresh new week, friend - I hope you know that there are people out in the world who smile when they think of you.
Someone remembers that small kindness you showed, thinks that twinkle in your eye is a portent of powerful possibilities, and is counting the hours until they see you again.
You’ve got this & we’ve got you.
Stay cool, punks.
“I find the best cake consists of 100 smaller cakes baked into a dinosaur shape.” - Mary Berry (probably)
Jen x