Nigella, dancing on stage, red shoes and more

Last week was rather hellish, but this weekend has had a lot of interesting and entertaining moments. I'm not going to let that inept hack destroy the confidence I've gained over the past few weeks, and that's that! I wonder if I'll be able to get enough weird and quirky jobs to maybe write the theatrical equivalent of Monica Dickens's One Pair Of Hands (sort of like a 30s The Devil Wears Prada about a debutante turned cook general). Since Friday, I have enjoyed:

• A new job of sorts as a sort of adviser to an absolutely lovely Korean woman about to begin an MA in Creative Writing. I hope I'll be able to put my background in literary criticism to good use. Maybe I can ask her to teach me some Korean, that would be exciting!

• A good rummage in Oxfam. I love the chaotic nature of our Oxfam. You never know what you're going to find, and, best of all, the books are all only 99p. Somebody is giving away their entire Angela Carter collection; I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that. With the acquisition of Black Venus and Heroes and Villains, my Carter collection is now nearly complete. It'll feel a bit strange once I've read all her books. I also found a nice Women's Press edition of The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, which I've been wanting to read for a while. 

• Sam Mendes's latest film Away We Go is a rather nice little piece of film making, even if it's never going to be an all-time favourite. The film follows a couple expecting a baby, who find themselves with no reason to stay in Connecticut when his parents have the chance to realise a lifelong dream to move to Belgium and set off on the mission to find the perfect place to bring their family up in. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are both really likable and believable as the parents to be, and there are scene-stealing turns from Allison Janney as an alcoholic mother from hell who openly insults her children to their faces and Maggie Gyllenhall as an equally appalling new age mother who blames strollers for all of society's failings.

• Meeting my grandmother's cousin and his wife for the first time. They live fairly locally, but I'd never even heard of them until recently (my grandmother died a long time before I was born, when her children were very young). My extended family is just a bit complicated and dysfunctional. They're big animal lovers, and the fact that we have a cat and currently a rabbit as well helped to break the ice quite a bit. There were some interesting stories, and we might be related to Nigella Lawson through a connection with Joseph Lyons of the Lyons Corner House. I kind of like that idea. Deep down, I'd secretly quite like to be a bit like her. There are also apparently connections with the Redgraves and Val Gielgud (brother of John)- through marriage only, but I find any connection with theatrical royalty exciting.

• It seems as if there might be a possibility or two for Bunny. Absolutely nothing is certain, but here's holding breath and keeping fingers crossed...

• I got to see the first performance of the music act performing at the Rosemary Branch this week, Sing Baby Sing! a group of four singers with experience as backing singers for various pop stars performing 70s and 80s Motown hits. I was very impressed with their energy and I hope they get a larger crowd later in the week. The audience was even invited to dance on stage at one point. Normally there isn't a chance in hell I'd join in something like that, but when I was asked to dance by Leigh, our leading man from Les Primas, how could I possibly refuse? Sunday night is probably the best night to go to the pub because it's quiet enough to be able to have a proper conversation. I like being able to talk to people without having to shout. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to have two lovely dancers to myself, every girl's dream come true...

• I have a rather splendid new pair of red shoes. I needed black flats, but walked out with 40s style red shoes with a little heel instead. Perhaps it's my ballet-fixated brain in overdrive as The Red Shoes is one of the few good dance films. In fact, it's more than that, it's a masterpiece. It was the first 'grown up' film I ever saw (at the Barbican) and a re-watch is long overdue. I also want to get my ballet shoes out again- I'm going to see if I can find any informal adult classes.