The return to work was short, with only one day of active work expected for week one of the first term. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining. The opportunity to dip my foot into the pool rather than dive right back in was very much appreciated and without any students around, this also allowed for a gentle and staff friendly re-introduction to the fray. Next week, when the students arrive back on the scene, well that is when the real challenges kick off, as we once again begin to navigate another year of unknown situations and unforeseen behaviours.
The commencement of a new school is always a time of great trepidation, you just never can predict what you will be walking back into and it is the fear of that unknown that makes it all the more unsettling. Not to mention the need to re-establish routines and early rises after almost five weeks of leisure time; this is never a simple transition. However, with the aid of meditation and daily yoga practises, I feel that I am better equipped than ever to manage these slights with a dignified calm and a mindful level of self care. In other words, I don't get pulled into the dramas that much these days, which allows me to be a lot more level headed in general. 
I have now been doing yoga for seven years and meditating everyday for five years and I cannot begin to describe what this has done for my overall levels of happiness, contentment and gratitude for the amazing life that I have created for myself. Through journaling (which I have been doing for the better part of 20 years now) I have been able to clearly track my behaviour patterns, my thoughts and my ability to deal with stress and anxiety. And I can honestly say that there has been a profound and significant shift in my mental wellbeing over the last five years. 
I have better relationships, stronger and more meaningful friendships, increased job satisfaction and an increase in my energy and motivation levels. In the last two years I have walked at least 10,000 steps a day, eaten healthier and taken better care of my physical body  and mental wellbeing than I have ever done before. I feel confident enough to call out the bad and celebrate the good, and I have adopted a mindset that allows me to find the positive in most people and many situations that I would've previously allowed myself to be annoyed by. I practise kindness and compassion with others and myself and I even feel comfortable being vulnerable and emotional from time to time - but I'm still working on that one!
I like myself, I love my life and I trust that the universe has my back, and I think that is a pretty good head-space to be in as I return for another year of school challenges and celebrations. So, let's see where the work road leads me this year; it is with perfect love and perfect trust that I allow my arms to open wide to take it all in and trust the process. In fact, I think that I am going to make that my mantra for 2023 - trust the process, I like that. You have to be in a really safe headspace to let go and trust like that, and I think that I am ready. Step back everyone, I'm about to dive in!

RRR (RISE, ROAR, REVOLT)
Release Date: 2022
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 187 mins 
An Indian Telugu-language epic action-drama directed by S. S. Rajamouli. This is a movie that defies all explanation and exceeds with it's extreme excessiveness, there is honestly nothing else like it! This is a film that has it all; action, adventure, drama, intrigue, betrayal, comedy, a love story, a bromance and just when you think you've seen it all, they throw in a musical number as well!
The story centres around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheen, exploring their fictional friendship and their fight against the British Raj. Set in the 1920's the plot investigates the undocumented period in their lives when both of the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began to fight for their country. 
This movie is high level entertainment from start to end, it's totally over the top in every way and it works. It is quite long but it is a saga and it is completely captivating at every turn. The street scenes are intensely bustling, the sets are elaborate and extravagant, the CGI is insanely good and the music is bold and magnificent. At the 2023 Golden Globes RRR won the Best Original Score for "Naatu Naatu" making it the first Indian and Asian song to ever receive the award. 
This is the kind of film that you just strap in and have a terrific time watching. 
FINAL SAY: Your friendship is more valuable than this life.
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

The last week has moved at a dizzying pace, I have been cramming so much into my days and attempting to make the most of the final days of the summer break. Things kicked off last Saturday evening with Seth's 18th birthday party. This was a backyard BBQ affair that involved around 25 teenagers in various states of drunkenness. It has been a long time since I have attended a young adult/teenage party and I am quite happy to not have to attend another any time soon. 
Clearly, very few of Seth's friends has much (if any) ability around gauging how much to drink (not surprising at all - who does at that age?). Anyway, this did lead to some people drinking more than their little bodies and brains could handle and it did cause some people to turn the stupid up to high. A couple of them decided to wipe themselves entirely and after emptying the contents of their bellies around the back yard, they proceeded to pass out and need to be either sent home or put to bed. Another hand full of them thought that running about in the bush would be fun at 1am and a couple decided the lure of the warm road was too much to resist and laid their bodies in the middle of the road, across the still warm bitumen to stare up at the stars. Needless to say, I had to put the kibosh of both of these ding-a-ling activities promptly in the name of health of safety. 
Aside from that, everything was pretty stock standard. No fighting, nothing broken and no-one seriously hurt - winning! Seth had a terrific time and drank for more than 12 hours straight which is both impressive and revolting all at once. He literally looked like a cave man the next day! Anyway, they all went to bed around 4.30am and everyone was gone form Enfield by midday the next day. Ahh...peace restored! 
This weekend was a different story entirely. Zoe and Ben joined us and we headed out to Clunes in the evening to do another paranormal investigation. This time it was The Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles. A creepy old building that was once a state school and an Interknit mill before Lee Medlyn purchased it and turned it into a museum for over 6000 old and historical bottles and other related objects. Was it weird? Yeah, of course, this place would be weird at midday. Was it haunted? Well, it was active but I kind of got the feeling that some of the old items themselves in the museum may have been more haunted than anything else.
It was a total hodgepodge of activity, and in spite of claims that were child ghosts, a lady and Lee Medlyn himself who died on the premise and haunted the space, most of the contact that we received was from guy named Jeff who seemed to be sweet on the young ladies - gross! And out in a back space, which was chock full of junk, I think that there is a haunted item with some kind of attachment to it. It was easily the dankest spot on the premises, with local volunteers refusing to go in there, in fact one of them told me to get out of the space because I was causing too much activity! Ah, that's what we are there for lady!
Anyway, I would've liked more time in there even though I was getting some disturbing messages. I did get a very odd photo with what appears to be a ghost in the frame, but I can't be 100% sure. It is a transparent person, that much is true, but it oddly looks a bit like our paranormal host and I am not sure what the hell that could mean and it also makes me wonder too much for me to be 100% sure; nonetheless, it's compelling evidence. Ghost captured or not, it was still a great night and another interesting visit. 
Before Zoe and Ben went back to Bendigo today, we celebrated Chinese New Year and had a massive five course lunch. It all kicked off with dumpling soup followed by spring rolls, marinated chicken wings, green tea and a Chinese salad. For mains we had Chicken and Cashew Stir fry and Beef with Black Bean Sauce and steamed rice, and to drink we had Chinese grape flavoured sodas. Dessert was a Chinese pudding with jelly and mango and to end it all we had Panda biscuits and Chinese fortune cookies. I spent a couple of hours prepping yesterday and another couple cooking it all today, it was massive effort and always leaves everyone very full for the rest of the day, but it is a delightful way to start the year and share a meal at home. 
And so, with only four more days of holidays I am focusing on enjoying the final moments and getting a couple more things done before the return. Aside from getting covid early on, it has been a wonderful and restful holiday and also a productive one. I think that I almost ready to go back....almost. 

BOILING POINT 
Release Date: 2021
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 92 mins 
An intense and heart pounding British drama, directed by actor turned director - Philip Barantini. This expanded version of the 2019 short film of the same name is performed in a one shot film set and moves at a head spinning pace and impressively manages to convey a plethora of disturbing information about the main characters in just over 90 minutes.
Andy is the Head Chef at Jones & Sons, an upmarket and busy restaurant in London. Andy's night ahead looks hectic with the restaurant double booked, the Health and Safety inspector on the premises and a celebrity chef booked in for dinner. Things just go from bad to worse as Andy attempts to manage the chaos of the restaurant against his own crumbling personal life. 
The tension is palpable in Boiling Point, you literally feel assaulted by this movie because there is so much happening. The cast are tremendous with Stephen Graham shining brightly as Head Chef Andy Jones and he strongly supported by Vinette Robinson, Jason Fleming and Ray Panthaki to name but a few. 
The entire movie plays out in the most immersive and convincing ways so expect to be roped in to the tightly wound environment of a kitchen under fire; like all good car crashes, it's hard to look away. 
FINAL SAY: I do not get paid enough to deal with this shit. 
4 Chilli Peppers ​

The Golden Globe Award Ceremony was thankfully rebooted and reignited this year after all of the controversy of 2022. With a new feel and more inclusive approach, I think that the Globes managed to dig themselves out of a hole this year and revamp themselves into a more respectable and inclusive awards ceremony. 
Some of my favourite highlights were the many stirring and emotional acceptance speeches that addressed some of the hardships that minority actors have faced in the past in regards to awards and recognition. Michelle Yeoh touched on ageism and racism, Ke Huy Kwan emotionally recounted his feelings of missed opportunities and struggle, and host Jerrod Carmichael didn't have any trouble saying this with a  straight face:
“I’ll tell you why I’m here,” Carmichael said while greeting viewers. “I’m here because I’m Black.” 
“I won’t say they [are] a racist organization,” he added. “But they didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died, so do with that information what you will.” 
And honestly, it is only by saying what needs to be said that we can understand, heal and change, so these types of things do need to be addressed, and if that does make some people feel uncomfortable, well too bad!
On a lighter note, Eddie Murphy told everyone his three important things to always do in order to be successful - “Pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out your fucking mouth," which was very funny, and Jennifer Coolidge told everyone how nervous she was presenting because she always "fucks thing up" and was more concerned about falling over on stage then anything else. 
As always, I loved it, watched it from start to end and now have a swag of films to catch up on! And just in case you missed it, here are the nominees and winners:

Best Picture, Drama
“Avatar: The Way of Water” (20th Century Studios) 
“Elvis” (Warner Bros.) 
“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) (WINNER)
“Tár” (Focus Features) 
“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures)

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Babylon” (Paramount Pictures) 
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) (WINNER)
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24) 
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix) 
“Triangle of Sadness” (Neon) 

Best Director, Motion Picture
James Cameron (“Avatar: The Way of Water”) 
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 
Baz Luhrmann (“Elvis”) 
Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”) (WINNER)

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
“Tár” (Focus Features) — Todd Field 
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24) — Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert 
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) — Martin McDonagh (WINNER)
“Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Sarah Polley 
“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) — Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Austin Butler (“Elvis”) (WINNER)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) 
Hugh Jackman (“The Son”)
Bill Nighy (“Living”) 
Jeremy Pope (“The Inspection”) 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) (WINNER)
Olivia Colman (“Empire of Light”) 
Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) 
Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) 
Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Lesley Manville (“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”) 
Margot Robbie (“Babylon”) 
Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Menu”) 
Emma Thompson (“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”) 
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) (WINNER)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Diego Calva (“Babylon”) 
Daniel Craig (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”)
Adam Driver (“White Noise”) 
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) (WINNER)
Ralph Fiennes (“The Menu”)

Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Brad Pitt (“Babylon”)
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) WINNER
Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse”)

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) WINNER
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 
Dolly De Leon (“Triangle of Sadness”)
Carey Mulligan (“She Said”)

Best Television Series, Drama
“Better Call Saul” (AMC) 
“The Crown” (Netflix) 
“House of the Dragon” (HBO) (WINNER)
“Ozark” (Netflix) 
“Severance” (Apple TV+)

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC) (WINNER)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) 
“Wednesday” (Netflix) 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”) 
Kevin Costner (“Yellowstone”) (WINNER)
Diego Luna (“Andor”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Adam Scott (“Severance”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Emma D’Arcy (“House of the Dragon”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”) 
Imelda Staunton (“The Crown”)
Hilary Swank (“Alaska Daily”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”) (WINNER)

Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) (WINNER)
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”) 
Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”) 
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) 
Jean Smart (“Hacks”)

Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy
Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) 
Bill Hader (“Barry”) 
Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”) 
Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”) 
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor, Television
John Lithgow (“The Old Man”) 
Jonathan Pryce (“The Crown”) 
John Turturro (“Severance”) 
Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”) WINNER
Henry Winkler (“Barry”)

Best Supporting Actress, Television
Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”) 
Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”) 
Julia Garner (“Ozark”) (WINNER)
Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”) 
Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) 

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
“Black Bird” (Apple TV+) 
“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (Netflix) 
“The Dropout” (Hulu) 
“Pam & Tommy” (Hulu) 
“The White Lotus” (HBO) (WINNER)

Best Performance by an Actor, Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”) 
Colin Firth (“The Staircase”) 
Andrew Garfield (“Under the Banner of Heaven”) 
Evan Peters (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) (WINNER)
Sebastian Stan (“Pam & Tommy”) 

Best Performance by an Actress, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”) 
Julia Garner (“Inventing Anna”) 
Lily James (“Pam & Tommy”) 
Julia Roberts (“Gaslit”) 
Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”) (WINNER)

Best Performance by an Actress in Supporting Role, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”) (WINNER)
Claire Danes (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”) 
Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Under the Banner of Heaven”) 
Niecy Nash-Betts (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) 
Aubrey Plaza (“The White Lotus”) 

Best Performance by an Actor in Supporting Role, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television
​F. Murray Abraham (“The White Lotus”) 
Domhnall Gleeson (“The Patient”) 
Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”) (WINNER)
Richard Jenkins (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) 
Seth Rogen (“Pam & Tommy”)

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) — Carter Burwell
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat 
“Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Hildur Guðnadóttir 
“Babylon” (Paramount Pictures) — Justin Hurwitz (WINNER)
“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) — John Williams  

Best Picture, Non-English Language
“All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany) 
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina) (WINNER)
“Close” (Belgium) 
“Decision to Leave” (South Korea) 
“RRR” (India)

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing” (Sony Pictures) — Taylor Swift 
“Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat, Roeban Katz, Guillermo del Toro 
“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures) — Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Benjamin Rice
“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios) — Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler 
“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” (Variance Films) — Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj (WINNER)

Best Motion Picture, Animated
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) (WINNER)
“Inu-Oh” (GKIDS) 
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” (A24) 
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (DreamWorks Animation) 
“Turning Red” (Pixar)

GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO
Release Date: 2022 
Rating: M
Running Time: 117 mins 
A stop motion, musical and dark fantasy film from director Guillermo del Toro that is loosely based on the 1883 Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and strongly influenced by Gris Grimly's illustrations for a 2022 edition of the book. Guillermo del Toro called this film his 'passion project' stating that "No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio."  And after 15 years in the making, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is astoundingly great in every respect; a film not just for children but very much for adults as well. 
Set in fascist Italy during the interwar period and World War II, a carpenter named Geppetto tragically loses his son Carlo after an air-raid on their small village. Grieving, the drunken father chops down a pine tree that is home to a cricket named Sebastian J. Cricket, who becomes the narrator of the tale. In a drunken stupor Geppetto creates a rough wooden boy-like puppet from the felled pine tree and after some magic from a Wood Sprite, the puppet springs to life. And so the tale of Pinocchio begins, a puppet who has to learn about loyalty, expectation and love in a mostly cold and judgemental world. 
The voice casting is simply perfect with Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz all shining here. However, it is the puppets themselves that steal the show here because the stop motion animation and meticulous attention to detail with the puppets and sets is nothing short of incredible. The detail is just mind blowing and the storyline itself is darling in every way possible. 
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is unlike anything that I have ever seen before in respect to craftsmanship and detail; this film is an unmissable treat both for the eyes and the heart, and it is easily my favourite movie of 2022. 
FINAL SAY: You did bring me joy. Terrible, terrible joy. 
5 Chilli Peppers ​

Just like 2021, the home viewing opportunities in 2022 grew so fast that I found myself juggling all of my streaming services, and I always seemed to have an over-abundance of new release material to trawl through. There was a head spinning amount to absorb this year, and I was also very grateful to be constantly receiving high quality recommendations from friends and family throughout the year as well.  We were again, all very spoilt for choice, and if you couldn't find something to watch in 2022 then you just weren't trying hard enough!
I managed to get through 205 movies and 158 television series this year. I also re-watched the entire Game of Thrones series, which was just as good, perhaps even better, the second time around. Basically, I was flat out watching something every day of the year and I still didn't get to half of the material that is on my 'to see' lists, but I did have a bloody good go at it!
The task of seeing everything has become arduous beyond anyone's means, and unless you are willing to permanently strap yourself to the couch and do nothing but watch movies and TV, there is just no way that you can manage to see it all. And so you must be discerning, and hopefully this is where I can offer a hand and some sound advice around what you should be investing in your time in; if you haven't done so already. 
Again, I was thrilled to be able to view great movies and TV across all genres, for which I am always grateful. In particular I really appreciated seeing so many excellent horror, thriller and fantasy offerings this year; most of which boasted stunningly good visuals and terrifically original storylines. I think that audiences are becoming more acclimated to a few scares and chills these days, and the demand for quality horror does thankfully seem to be on the rise. 
And so, without further ado....here is my selection for the best viewing experiences of 2022. 
BEST MOVIES (2022 release):
Everything Everywhere All At Once - Art House 4 Chilli Peppers
All Quiet on the Western Front - War/ Action 4 Chilli Peppers
The Sea Beast - Kids 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Barbarian - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Nope - Sci- Fi 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Blonde - Gritty 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
ELVIS - Musical/ drama 3.5 Chilli Peppers  
The Batman - Action/ Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Action/ Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
The Northman- Action  3.5 Chilli Peppers
Thor: Love and Thunder - Action/ Super 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Fresh - Thriller   3.5 Chilli Peppers
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Crime  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Smile - Horror  3.5 Chilli Peppers

2022 HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Hustle - Drama 3 Chilli Peppers
Terrifier 2- Horror 3 Chilli Peppers
Hellbender-  Horror 3 Chilli Peppers 
I Want You Back - Romance/comedy  3 Chilli Peppers 
Clerks 3 - Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 

Here are my top recommendations for pre-2022 releases that I didn't get around to seeing until 2022:
C'mon C'mon - Drama 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
Licorice Pizza - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
Nightmare Alley - Horror  4 Chilli Peppers
Spiderman: No Way Home - Action/ Super 4 Chilli Peppers 
West Side Story - Musical 4 Chilli Peppers 
Flee - International 4 Chilli Peppers
Annette - Art House/ Musical 4 Chilli Peppers 
Nitram - Gritty 4 Chilli Peppers 
The Raid: Redemption - Action 4 Chilli Peppers 
Titane - Art House 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Love Witch - Art House 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Dolemite is My Name - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Antrum - Horror 3.5 Chilli Peppers
Ron's Gone Wrong - Kids 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Ghost Busters: Afterlife  - Horror  3 Chilli Peppers
Silent Night - Sci-Fi 3 Chilli Peppers
How I Live Now - War/ Action 3 Chilli Peppers 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES 2022:
Somebody, Somewhere - Drama/ Comedy 5 Chilli Peppers 
Atlanta S4 - Art House 5 Chilli Peppers 
Ozark S4 - Crime/ Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
Maid - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
Better Call Saul S6 - Crime/ Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson - Comedy 5 Chilli Peppers 
Dopesick -  Drama 5 Chilli Peppers
The White Lotus S2 - Drama 5 Chilli Peppers 
Severance - Fantasy 4.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Peacemaker - Super/ comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
Pam and Tommy - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
The Boys S3 - Super/ Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers
This is Going to Hurt - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers
FROM - Horror 4 Chilli Peppers 
Pistols - Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
Umbrella Academy S3- Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Dahmer- Horror/ Crime 4 Chilli Peppers
Black Bird - Crime 4 Chilli Peppers 
The Bear- Drama 4 Chilli Peppers 
What We Do In The Shadows S4 - Comedy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Woodstock '99 - Doco 4 Chilli Peppers 
Love, Death and Robots S3 - Fantasy 4 Chilli Peppers 
Our Flag Means Death - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Stranger Things S4 Part 1 - Sci-Fi 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Mirror, Mirror by Todd Samson - Doco 3.5 Chilli Peppers 

2022 TV HONOURABLE MENTIONS: ​
House of the Dragon- Fantasy  3.5 Chilli Peppers 
The Serpent Queen - Period/ fantasy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Man vs Bee - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Colin from Accounts - Comedy - 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Always Sunny in Philadelphia S15 - Comedy 3.5 Chilli Peppers 
Bloods S2-Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Ghosts S4 - Comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Lizzo's Watch out for the Big Grrls - Reality 3 Chilli Peppers
Moon Knight - Super 3 Chilli Peppers
The Outlaws - Drama/comedy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Brassic S4- Crime/comedy  3 Chilli Peppers 
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Fantasy 3 Chill Peppers 
The Sandman - Fantasy 3 Chilli Peppers 
Wednesday - Fantasy 3 Chilli Peppers 

After passing along covid to the entire family for Christmas we all found ourselves back together for new years eve. I mean, no risk of anyone getting sick if everyone's already riddled with the contagion right? There was little point to us all isolating from each other when we were all carrying the same strain and generally feeling fine; so, all of us 'sickies' congregated on the deck out here in Enfield to share a few nibbles and drinks, listen to some tunes and make some resolutions.
And looking back across the landscape of 2022, it really wasn't a bad year by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, things got a bit pear shaped towards the end, but generally speaking things were pretty cruisy and I got to do so many things once everything opened up again and the world got rolling again.
Here are some of my personal highlights from 2022: 
JANUARY: 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene, Smoker arrives in Enfield, Seth's 17th birthday, Bridal dress shopping with Zoe, Seeing Harry Potter - The Cursed Child in Melbourne, tuning in to the Triple j Hottest 100, Paint Your Mate event. 
FEBRUARY:  Chinese New Year celebrations, Smythesdale Fiesta, Ghost Hunting at Blackwood Pub, Spa day with Craig, Summersalt Music Festival, Blackberry picking. 
MARCH: Deep Blue Spa Day, My friends and family being a huge support to me when I had covid on my birthday!
APRIL: Easter Sunday with the family, April holiday break, ELVIS exhibition in Bendigo, Metal detecting with Ben and Zoe, Craig's Mustang arrived.
MAY: A trip to the Gisborne markets, Mother's Day, Spicywatch's 8th Birthday, Tour of the Old Ballarat Gaol, Seth's formal, Barwon Manor Ghost Hunt, Seth's Deb Ball. 
JUNE: Illuminate at the Bendigo Stupa, Mushrooming, Salem is born, Port Campbell Road Trip, Psychic expo, Winter School Holidays, Creswick Ghost Hunt, Zoe's 25th Birthday.
JULY: Winter Movie Marathon nights,  Road trip to Barwon Heads, Twin Peaks show at Hepburn Springs, POCO Short Film Festival, a trip to the Clunes markets. 
AUGUST:  Salem joined our family, The LUME gallery - Van Gogh exhibition, completed the Heritage walk, Book week dress up. 
SEPTEMBER: Father's Day, Spring School Holiday Break, Kyneton Ghost Hunting, High Tea at Fortuna, Girls Road Trip. 
OCTOBER:  Mother of the Bride dress shopping, Seth's last day at Damascus, Yoga Festival in Bendigo, Pumpkin carving, Halloween horror movie/ dinner night.
NOVEMBER: Hen's weekend in Melbourne with Zoe, High Tea at The Grand Hyatt, Zoe and Ben's wedding in Hepburn, Grade 4 Camp at Narmbool, Seth's Year 12 graduation, Spa day with Craig, 28th Wedding Anniversary.
DECEMBER: Carols event, Renault Koleos arrived, Summer Holidays kicking off, Christmas, fishing at Jubilee Lake. 

Pretty fair to say that even in spite of having had covid twice this year (once on my birthday and once at Christmas), getting my poor car's face pranged in and having to navigate the financial pitfalls of 2022, I have still had a really lovely year. 
There is a lot here to celebrate and appreciate that's for sure. And on top of all of that, I have also managed to squeeze in:

• Daily meditation.
• 62 books.
• Workouts - 5 times a week.
• 185 movies.
• 10,500 steps a day.
• 158 TV series.
• 42 brunches/ lunches and  delicious restaurant meals with family and friends. 
• A daily French lesson on Duolingo.
• Brain Gym everyday for 10 minutes a day.
• And....I reviewed another 45 movies on Spicywatch.

Woohoo! That's a lot of 'doing' for one year! 
And now, as 2023 gently unfurls itself before me I wonder what will arrive in the next 12 months. Only time will tell, but let's hope it's as exciting as the last year was for me. 

C'MON C'MON 
Release Date: 2021
Rating: M
Running Time: 109 mins 
A touching and truly effecting drama that was written and directed by Mike Mills. It's been a while since I have watched something this genuinely raw and real. With an undeniable sweet chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman and filmed in moody black and white, this tale about an uncle and his nephew transcends in the simplest and purest of ways. 
Johnny and Viv have become estranged siblings since the painful death of their mother from dementia. When Johnny reaches out to Viv for the first time in a year he is saddened to hear about the struggles that she has been having managing her estranged husband's mental wellbeing. Viv reveals that she needs to be with her husband as they try to find him the correct care but doesn't have a carer for her nine year old son Jesse. Johnny volunteers to care for his nephew whilst Viv deals with her husband, and he and Jesse embark on a life changing road trip together. 
This is a stunningly beautiful movie about family loyalties, caring for others and uncovering unknown and foreign aspects of ourselves. The struggles and the triumphs feel incredibly plausible and as a parent, very relatable. The fragility and the strength of the ties that bind us to those we love are explored in sensitive and heartfelt ways and the cast is exceptionally good all round. 
C'mon C'mon is unmissable viewing, and it's definitely one of the best dramas to come out of 2021, so make the time to see it whenever you can. 
FINAL SAY: In your confusion and delight, you will forget where you came from.
4.5 Chilli Peppers ​