little red hen

Picasso and Potter

2012-02-16T17:46:00.001+08:00

This is a post about more travel plans, and as I don't have photos that relate directly to it I've posted some of my favourite ones that I took while I was in Venice...any excuse to look at them again!

When I was planning my recent trip to Europe visiting the Picasso Museum in Paris was high on my list but unfortunately it was closed for renovation. Then I learned that an exhibition of his works would be coming to Australia- Sydney though not Perth. I hummed and haaed wondering if I should or not and finally last night- after checking with my boss if it was OK to take some of the remainder of my long service leave- I booked tickets for me and my Chicky babe to have a long weekend in Sydney in a couple of weeks.
I've booked to stay in a hotel in the Rocks- Chicky Babe's choice of a few hotels we'd shortlisted. We arrive very late on a Wednesday night and I've booked tickets to see the Harry Potter exhibition on Thursday and the Picasso exhibition on Friday then as an extra special treat for her birthday I booked tickets for "Love Never Dies" Chicky Babe loves musicals and Phantom of the Opera is one of her favourites. Then we flay back on Sunday ready for Uni on Monday. Short, sweet and lots of fun.
Apparently there is a market on saturday and sunday just near our hotel...Fantastic! And a rooftop pool with a lovely view ready for some relaxing and reading and floating! I fancy a visit to the Botanical Gardens and this time Chicky Babe has said she'd be happy to have a bit of a wander about there herself (Reminding me that last time we went she was 10- last time we didn't get to do some of the things on my list as the zoo and the aquarium won out!)

I'm looking forward to sharing this time traveling with my girl.

And my littlest chick is working her way further out on the nest branch and testing her wings...

2012-02-10T19:47:00.001+08:00

Chicky Babe doesn't have her licence yet but she has recently got a proof of age card (almost 12 months since she turned 18) and she's off with some girlfriends to a fancy club. She has just left in a little black dress and a face full of makeup ( it wasn't a lot of make up but as she never wears it, it looks like a lot.) She is a beautiful young woman but she's still my baby girl.

ahh! Almost organised,

2012-01-24T21:48:00.001+08:00

And just as well because school starts again next week. Chicky Babe finally has her new double sized loft bed and all her stuff (well almost all) is now back in her room, Tim has put together a new shed so that Bek and Lauren can put their boxes into it so they are no longer taking up all the room in the patio. Mind you it is so unbearably hot outside- rather like walking into an oven at the moment. with overnight minimums sitting at about 24-26 *C. This is set to continue for at least the next week. Thank goodness for my christmas treat to myself. I had an air conditioner installed in my bedroom.

The girls rallied together with me this morning and we attacked the house, vacuuming and mopping and sorting a heap of stuff back to where it belongs. We have a clear table, quite a novelty around here! (Although I could have ironed the table cloth!)

Thanks girls.

When I moved into this house I bought two Ikea couches, they have begun to sag and the seats seem to droop and they had become very uncomfortable - and causing me a lot of pain as I have a disc bulge in my lower back, not nice. So I took a set of seat cushions into the foam shop and have had new ones made up. It's like a new lounge! (Although Tim is not happy because he can no longer slouch and sloth on the couch -like a teenaged boy! but I think it will be better for our posture and therefore my back pain.)

Now I have a lovely space to sit and enjoy my last few days of holidays and finish off a project or two and maybe a little more lesson prep before term starts next week. Maybe I could make propper slip covers for the window box seats this week so they don't droop out at the bottom as the one on the left is.

I never finish anythi...

2012-01-17T18:32:00.001+08:00

I saw a cross stitch doing the rounds on pinterest yesterday and it made me giggle.

It was exactly what I had been thinking about. I had made a pact with myself to finish off a crocheted rug I started some time ago before beginning another project I suppose given the time of year you could be forgiven for thinking it is a new years resolution but I don't do new years resolutions. For me they just seem to put me under pressure and when I get to the end of the year and I haven't managed to keep them I feel a sense of disappointment in myself and a feeling of wasting another year. So I prefer to set myself goals or challenges throughout the year.

I know it sounds pretty crazy as they are almost the same thing but to me it feels different than getting caught up in the beginning of the year expectation.

So it just happened that on new years day I set myself the goal of completing this rug with the proviso that I was not to start anything else before finishing it.

I have to say it was pretty tough, my mind yearned for a new project. I had to stop one evening (at about 3am) after crocheting for hours and hours from when I woke that morning till going to bed because I developed pains in my fingers. (I wonder why I don't manage to drum up such dedication for house work or a fitness regime???)

The up side was that there has been a few days of uncomfortable heat here on the west coast- our summers can be very unpleasant with little relief in the evenings, so I sat under the air con and watched some DVD's while I worked.

Now it isn't technically finished but it is oh so close. I just need to weave in the dreaded hundreds of threads and make a few circular motifs to stitch on top of the stripes. At least now the balls of yarn that had been escaping and rolling about the lounge room are contained.

Another half finished project that has been crying out to be completed has been my craft case. I have an old vintage case that I have used to stash in all my crafty stuff. In the lid I created an insert that has elastic to keep stray odds and ends at easy reach (Unfortunately a bit to easy as they tend to get "borrowed" and not returned.) I had made it out of plain cardboard and meant to cover it with fabric and glue it in place inside the lid oh...last Christmas I believe it was.

Today I finished it off and it is perfect! The cardboard insert not only looks pretty it doesn't drop out everytime you open the lid of the case any more.

Perhaps I will have to hide the case so only I know where it is!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T19:12:00.000+08:00

Almost ready for Santa! Chicky Babe has been busy dressing the window seat with fresh cushion covers and I've sewn two more stockings ready for Father Christmas to fill. Just a few more presents to wrap and food to prepare for tomorrow's dinner.

Just a little time for a quick nap on the couch (freshly vacuumed) while no-one is looking!

Look at the expression on Pablo's face.

Opps! Here comes Chicky Babe. I might be in trouble.

Ooooh! Look Father Christmas has been!

Merry Christmas!

Feeling Christmassy!

2011-12-22T17:20:00.000+08:00

I am feeling a little more christmassy this year, thanks to antidepressants and a lovely holiday. The long list of problems that have needed solving in the first two weeks since I've been back has made my holiday feel like an eternity ago but have not managed to completely extinguish my christmas spirit.

I've finished my christmas shopping, most was done in Europe but none of it is wrapped yet! It is a bit tricky finding time to wrap gifts in a house full of people who happen to be the recipients of most of the gifts!

On my trip I bought a couple of cookie cutters and then while out and about the other day I came across a set of Ninjabread men cutters which I knew my chicky babe would love. So when I went to visit Anki yesterday I was instructed to get her gingerbread recipe, I copied down one from her fantastic little cooking book full of Swedish treats. It is one that closely resembles her mother's recipe but although they are yummy they taste quite different. I used molasses which is very strong. The recipe said corn syrup or molasses and there was no corn syrup in the shop. I actually quite like the slight licorice flavour of the molasses though.

Link to the Gingerbread recipe

I made some of my grandmother's shortbread yesterday. One to take to Anki's one to have later with a cup of tea after dinner or for morning tea maybe. By the time I got home it was almost all gone. Luckily I did get a piece for desert but I will have to make another lot for christmas day.

Lucky it is very easy, I haven't made it for years and when I finally got round to it I wondered why I haven't!

Cammy's Shortbread Recipe in her own words with my annotations in brackets

I found a little a corner for my tree and added the decorations I bought while on holiday. I love looking at them as they remind me of my trip and the fact it actually did happen! Here are a few of them.

Bath,

National Gallery London (from a medieval painting)

Heaver Castle (Home of Anne Boleyn, but I chose Elizabeth I rather than Anne for the christmas tree as I fancied that I'd rather not have someone with such bad luck on my tree!)

Castle Howard (Brideshead)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

and

BEST WISHES for a PEACEFUL, WONDERFUL

NEW YEAR!

Another magic day in Paris.

2011-12-18T01:18:00.000+08:00

Another couple of fab Paris museums..but first a stroll through an open air market with glorious colours and fantastic fresh fish that smelled of the sea all sweet ans salty, not at all fishy.

Fish, flowers,scarves and CHEESE! We chose a couple of small wedges (it was hard to choose just two!)

Musee d'Art Moderne in the morning...

A spot of lunch,

(Coffee from the cafe and bread and cheese from our bag.)

Shared with the birds.

Then the Centre Pompidou, til late 9pm close (Yay! Allows for more hours of gallery viewing in a day!)

A bit of a stop to rehydrate and smear the knee with pain relief gel.

The views from the outside platform were amazing- that is the Sacre Coeur near our appartment on the horizon there.)

And the views inside were fantastic too there was an amazing collection of work.

I would recommend putting Centre Pompidou on the top of your must visit list if you haven't already!

Twinkle twinkle little star red hen has a bommy car...Push the button pull the choke off she goes in a cloud of smoke.

2011-12-10T16:35:00.001+08:00

Before I went to Europe I had been considering getting a new (or newish) car. My car rattles and makes loud engine noise as you go over 80km/hour - which isn't a problem most of the time as I drive very locally usually not going further than 10km from home, mostly my car is used like a giant wheelbarrow taking piles of school work to and from work. I really should walk to school but the car makes it easier to run away at lunch times when I have half an hour for lunch and no duty! Unfortunately my dearest friend, Anki lives on the other side of the freeway and that requires pushing my poor old car beyond it's comfort (well my comfort) zone as I'm not a big fan of freeway driving. Probably because my car doesn't have very good pick up and doesn't have a very powerful engine and people in Perth are not very polite drivers and the minute you indicate to change lanes that is a signal for those behind you to speed up and not let you change lanes.
So this week my my car started making a squeaking sound in the boot- not the wheels or anything dangerous I have been assured and the car is safe to drive it is just the transmission or something or rather that is on it's way out and will be VERY expensive to fix and the mechanic said it is fine/safe to drive but one day the transmission (or whatever it is) will stop working and we can deal with it then it could be sooner it could be later.
Well I have had quite enough now, I decided last night it was time to buy a new car and I was looking at used cars from last year. Then I found one of 2 2011 Hyundai Getz at our local dealer for pretty much the same price as the 2010 Getzs advertised and in some cases cheaper than ones advertised. This one has a five year warranty fancy things like an engine that zips along and a radio that works. It is not a fancy car but it will be fine for me. All I need is a car that goes and will get me across the freeway and also down south so that Tim and I can enjoy weekends away every now and then- this car will do the trick nicely.
I went down to the dealership this morning and my new car will be ready for me to pick up on Wednesday or Thursday.

Anki, I can come and visit you now without having to worry about the freeway!!!!!! Yay!

Lost in the Louvre.

2011-12-09T02:17:00.001+08:00

We spent a good 7 or 8 hours in the Louvre. Much of it was attempting to find our way out. Tim got us very very lost and refused to stop and read a map he just persisted it will be down here or around here...and we would find ourselves in another room going in another direction not at all in the area we expected to be in. I was at one stage wondering if I should have brought him along with me. He was rushing this way and that and I was limping along behind him on my injured knee.

Having said that the Louvre is a delightful place to get lost in, and once we found our way out and got a drink we went back in with renewed vigour and our friendship restored. Luckily it was open till 9pm although we could have spent more time in there easily. There are miles of things to see and we missed some -even though Tim did his best to make sure we saw it all. I read in our Paris Pass booklet a suggested day out it included the louvre and two other art museums in one day with a stop for lunch. I can not understand how this could be possible- then when we got into the Louvre there were big black arrows pointing Mona Lisa this way. That is how it would have to be done put your joggers on scoot past most displays and see one or two pieces in each gallery. The Louvre is huge, it is amazing to think it was once a royal palace. No wonder the people got a little cross.

Here is a snippet of what we saw in the Louvre.

About midday outside the Louvre.

The crush in front of the Mona Lisa (all those doing the one day art tour of Paris!)

It was getting late and we happened upon a tea room. A timely stop for tea enabled us to keep going until closing time!

Resting my poor old knee!

pictures of paris.

2011-12-09T00:09:00.001+08:00

I've been home for a couple of days now- actually almost a week! I now have 4 grown up children living with me. Bantam Boy's girlfriend has moved back in and Chicky Babes school friend Bek has moved in here too. (Her stepmother I think took lessons from fairytale school of step mothering!) So we have a large family now in a small house. I've been trying to declutter and rearrange the house to fit us all in. I still have a way to go! Today I couldn't do anything because of a bad headache that I just couldn't shake. It has almost gone now so I'm up for a little while and decided to browse through my photos of Paris on our first day there.If you've read my travelpod blog sorry my reminiscing may include some repeats!

Our lovely little apartment.

An antique and bric-a-brac market just down the road from our apartment.

Tim was in his element.

A view of Paris from a hilltop in Montmartre

Sacre Coeur was so crisp white against the clear blue, blue sky

The crowds in the front were huge!

Around the back there were very few people ...

and a lovely little tree lined park. I'm going to plant some similar trees in my front yard now. I loved the dappled light and the changing colours.

Paris is winding cobbled streets and getting lost.

and some creative parking!

travelpod

2011-10-09T12:46:00.000+08:00

Chicky Babe found this free travel blog site and set me up with a travel blog. You can map your journey, write posts and upload photos. Later on you can turn it into a book too which could be cool- depending on how much it costs.
Anyway I will try to post on my travelpod site while I an away. Some of the kids from school are interested in following my trip- I taught Social Studies to them and we researched cities of the world and had to persuade me to visit the city and tell me why they thought people first settled there. So they are keen to see where I go and what I see there. So I promised that if I had time I would post some photos for them. As I would rather they didn't have access to my personal blog this alternative seems like a good option. So if you'd like to check on my trip progress check out bernadettek's great adventure.

oh oh!

2011-10-04T22:35:00.000+08:00

I thought french women don't get fat. Therefore I thought that I wouldn't be able to find things to buy while I was there.
I thought I'd google plus size fashion Paris.

I am delighted to find that there are a few shops - in fact some somewhat close to where I will be staying. Although these models don't look all that plus size to me they have clothing size 16 upwards. I like the print on this t-shirt, it looks very 1920's from what I can see, it reminds me of my favourite silent movie star book.)

This could be dangerous to my budget. I think I will have to pack less, as advised by Fifi and take my credit card.

crocheted hats and 'smart casual'

2011-10-04T19:58:00.001+08:00

I've been busy crocheting some hats to wear on my holiday. They go with my outfits and scarves that I've made and received as a gift for my birthday from Anki.

I've had fun making them up as I go. increasing until they match the size of a beret then decreasing again until it fits snugly on my head.

This photo looks like I've been punched in the eye. I assure you I have not. I do however have a cold and a tooth ache and I am off to the dentist tomorrow. I am hoping that the darkness is from my sinusitis and that fixing my tooth might fix that too. Or maybe I need more sleep and less stress.
I am so phobic when it comes to the dentist that I have put this off and off but now I have faced the fact that it needs to be taken care of and my holiday will be all the better for it. But I am feeling quite sick with anxiety about it.

Oh we did have success with Tim's 'smart casual' attire for our trip- once I put my foot down and took him in hand and took him shopping (much to the amusement of the girls in the shop.) But I think that the effect is quite good.

But the cat was wet...

2011-10-01T15:52:00.002+08:00

I went to find my brush to brush my hair this morning.
It was on the floor in my daughter's bedroom - full of cat fur!!!!
"But the cat was wet and we needed something to brush her with, it was an emergency."
I note that none of them thought the emergency warranted them using their own brushes to brush the cat.

Prelude to the story.
The poor old dog has fleas for the first time in his life (maybe the second time.) He is an inside dog predominately and we rarely have had any problems with these nasty little creatures. But the cat tends to wander and brought home fleas from the neighbour. I know exactly which neighbour because Tim works at bunnings and the neighbour didn't recognise tim and asked his assistance filling him in on the extent of his dogs flea infestation and the need to flea bomb their house.
So poor old pablo somehow managed to dislodge his flea collar and now has terrible flea bites on the inside of his legs which are driving him crazy. Tim bought some flea shampoo and gave him a bath and the kids decided that the cat was in need of a bath too.

2 weeks to go till we fly out... trying to find some "smart casual" travel clothing for tim, not as easy as it sounds.
Plus how much do I need to pack??? 7 weeks away. I've got a pair of jeans, a pair of thick pull on black stretchy pants for on the plane, 3 tunic style tops that go with leggings and my boots or my pants/jeans and clog style slip on shoes. A black wrap dress and a black skirt. A pair of sneakers disguised as a pair of mary janes, a couple of light cardigans and a thin plain black wollen jumper, long sleve thermals and several scarves and wooly hats. Oh and several pairs of black tights. Oh and a weatherproof black jacket.
How does that sound?

It's all coming together.

2011-09-25T17:46:00.000+08:00

With only three weeks to go I'm in a state of quiet disbelief. I'm going to Europe. What's more I'm not going on one of those tours which at one stage I contemplated- anxiety was a huge part of my depression and I was too fearful to travel completely alone, but now I'm on the mend (with help of medication) and completely unflappable Tim is coming with me I have been able to plan exactly what I want to do, well given budget and time constraints. Funny thing is some things just seem to fall into place, one thing will fall through but open up opportunities for 2 other things to happen. I have made a pretty detailed plan outline- because being there in November means many things are closed or on reduced hours so rather than waste time traveling somewhere only to find the museum or whatever closed I've done a bit of research to plan the best direction of travel to see as many of the things I want to do or see.( Having said that I will be flexible enough to change them if it suits once we are there. )

We start with 11 nights in a Paris apartment.

An overnight sleeper train to Barcelona, for 3 nights.

Then we will take the trains (there is not one direct route to Italy) to Florence stopping here and there to break up the trip across.

2 nights in Avignon, 1in Nice and 1 in Cinque Terre.

We will have 4 nights in Florence,

3 in Venice

and 3 in Rome.

Then another sleeper carriage across to Paris and then onto Caen -near Bayeux to see the tapestry (it was on my wish list of things to see) Caen is a ferry port town to cross the channel into Portsmouth UK where we will collect our camper van (Unfortunately not one of those very pretty Retro Kombi ones but it will do the job and the fellow who runs the company is ever so friendly.) and Bayeux is only a 15 minute train ride from Caen so although it may sound like a mad dash about I have a yen to see it and it would be a shame to come within a 15 min trip of it and not go there.

Then while we are in the UK we will stay in camp sites around the place, in national parks, on a farm or B&Bs but I have booked one night in a castle where Henry VIII stayed with Ann Boleyn- I have read a few books about the Tudors both fiction and non fiction and although I wont be surprised to see the castle a little 'staged' for effect it will still be the bones of the place with it's history and it will give me a sense of what their world was like.

Then because my stay in a Bronze age house in Cornwall was canceled- they were having some trouble with the weather tightness of the place and it needed repairs and wouldn't be ready in time for our stay I've booked 2 nights in the woods in a 1930's Bowtop Gypsy caravan at the Scottish boarders.

Then after that we have 4 nights in London before we fly home.

Yes it is a lot and yes we will be "moving" as many of my friends and colleagues have said but you know what it has taken me years to save, to wait until the kids are old enough to look after themselves and the house and dog...and both Tim and I have long service leave which means we have a bit more time and I don't know when I will get back again I decided to try and do as much as I could. Then I can always take time to come back for shorter trips to focus more on one area.

Glasses are cool...

2011-09-11T12:53:00.000+08:00

I've finally had to admit to myself that my eyes are not as good as they used to be. Last week I went to get my eyes checked, Mum has glaucoma so she has been on at me to get it checked out so I went to the optometrist with trepidation. As it turns out everything is fine except that I need reading glasses as is consistent with someone of my age.

So now I have 2 pairs of reading glasses that I have to get used to carrying about and not losing! I rarely pay much for sunglasses as I have a habit of putting then down and leaving them about. I decided to pay a little extra above and beyond my private health cover to get a couple of pairs of designer frames as they just looked so much better on. Above is my red pair and I have a more sophisticated pair of black frames too.

I can now see the loops in the crochet when the yarn is black, and it is far more pleasurable to crochet now. Also I have discovered that perhaps I am not as bad at taking photos as I thought! And a large percentage of photos I thought were blurry and unfocused are in fact pretty much right!

PS: Thank you harry potter and dr who because glasses are now cool especially in our geeky household ;)

PPS: Also now I will be able to read maps and see fine details in the artworks while in Europe!!!

six cubic metres of letting go and the chair that made me weep.

2011-08-30T19:53:00.001+08:00

This is the chair that made me weep. I began last Thursday when a friend of mine finally called me back and we agreed to meet on the weekend for coffee and a catch up after more than a year. This sent me into an instant state of dread. Oh my god my car port is a mess what if she drives down the driveway and sees all the stuff there the not so secret shame of my inner turmoil made visible. I had my computer open and I googled big skip bins and ordered one for the next day. So early Saturday morning I got everyone in the house out of bed and we attacked the car port, the patio and the front verandah. Gathering up broken bits of furniture, great finds (courtesy of Tim) that turned out to be not so great- one day he bought home a windshield he found on the side of the road!!!! (No it didn't fit anyones car. No I don't know why.) Oh there was also the bin full of rubbish- Tim forgot to put the bin out for our collection day. We were motoring along when I came to this pink chair. It had belonged to my great grandmother. I was given it when I moved into my first home when I was pregnant with Bantam Boy. It sat in the nursery that I had spent hours sewing curtains and cot sheets and making mobiles. I can see it sitting beside the window. I fed my first little baby in that chair by the window. It followed me to Kalgoorlie where I rocked Bantam Boy to sleep while I was pregnant with Chicky Babe. It was one of a couple of things I fought for when I left and took nothing with me but the kids and a few bags of clothing and was not allowed to take when the stuff was shipped back. It was one of three bits of furniture that I had in my first home I had with my children when I first became the 'little red hen' doing it on my own.

But the poor old chair has seen some hard times. When Bantam Boy was only about 4 Nana (my Nana) came to visit and he threw himself at he in a vigorous show of affection. A cuddle that was more like some kind of rugby tackle! Luckily this old chair broke her fall but in the process of saving her from any serious injury the chair's leg was broken, it was patched and mended but not properly and a few years ago it collapsed well rather took on a very serious lean, I put it out on the front verandah, moved it to the patio thought about throwing it away or the possibility of mending it properly and wondered if it would be too expensive for an old chair that is not particularly special.

So when I got to this chair in the big clear out this weekend, I faltered, I rang my mum.

"Just chuck it!" she said.

Ok I thought I can throw it away but when I went to pick it up to take it out the front to the bin the tears came. Bantam Boy and Tim were a little perplexed. I tried to explain through my tears why I couldn't do it. They both laughed at me lovingly and gave me big hugs. BB has been proud of my attempts to let go of some of the things that I have been hanging on to and is supportive of my efforts to get things sorted. He finds it particularly interesting as he is doing psychology, I'm a great case study full of interesting quirks for him to observe and try to understand.

We have kept the chair and I'm going to find out how much it will cost to have it repaired properly.

This ENORMOUS box of chocolates was a present from Tim because he didn't like to see me cry.

Luckily I have lots of people to help me polish them off!

And this little fellow was sitting in a pot plant at a garage sale where I bought a truck load of the most beautiful pot plants for $50.

My holiday plans are all falling into place and sometimes I am so excited that I can hardly breathe!

Red remembers the orangutan .

2011-08-18T21:29:00.001+08:00

When I was about 17 Anki, my sister,Brigette and I went to there zoo to have a picnic and draw the animals. It was a bit of a drizzly day, Anki wore a bright yellow coat and I wore a beret and a crocheted cardigan.

(I loved that cardigan but I lost it on the bus on one of our outings.)
At one stage we stopped to draw the orangutans. The enclosure was quite new at the time and I sat on the ledge against the glass barrier. One of the orangutans came up to the glass and started to make eyes at me. He gently put his hand up to the glass where I had put mine and started to make what looked like kissing gestures with his lips. When the other girls sat down in front of the glass he got quite upset, banging on the glass, but when I sat down he began to rest against the glass again looking into my eyes and making the kissing gestures again.
My sister particularly thought it was very funny that the orangutan would fall in love from me, she thought it was because I looked orangutan like with my copper red hair. So she hatched a plan and the following valentines day I received a valentine -from the orangutan!!!! She put a photo of him in a card and typed a message (actually on an ye olde type writer) as if it were from him complete with spelling complaining that it was hard to type with big fingers.
PS. That year I got 3 Valentine cards in my locker. I never found out who the others were from but one had a picture of a gorilla on it and the other was a chimp!

The lovliest birthday present.

2011-08-18T16:22:00.000+08:00

My dearest friend Anki wrote a post for me for my birthday. It made me cry and go all goose bumpy. The things she says about our friendship is so true and she writes so beautifully. I love her so very much and she constantly inspires me in the way she says I inspire her. We are lucky indeed to have this friendship. Thank you Anki and I'm looking forward to the next thirty years of our friendship but I think the red sports car may become a retro chic Kombi!!!
Here we are 30 years ago ( or almost- this was taken when we were in year 11 or 12 )

oops!!!

2011-08-17T22:32:00.000+08:00

Just had to ring school security to alert them to the fact that I would be disarming the alarm at 10:30 to turn off the laminating machine I was sure I had left on.
It was on. Crisis averted!

Happy birthday to me.

2011-08-17T21:57:00.000+08:00

Today is my birthday. It has been a good one.
My sister didn't call me at 6am.
We had cake for morning tea at school.
The kids were good and I didn't have duty or a staff meeting.
I got some presents and lots of birthday wishes and messages.
And I didn't have to cook dinner.
(I am feeling optimistic that 46 will be a good year!)

Sunday, Sunday.

2011-08-14T23:24:00.000+08:00

Things I've made recently.

For my trip,

for my Chicky Babe for the dress up for the last Harry Potter film,

for my dear friend.

Something I'm working on. For my Queen sized bed.

Today.

Rooftop view of Fremantle from the top level of the car park. I love this view out to sea.

Ban Live Exports Rally Fremantle.

There were more dogs than people! (Not really but there were quite a lot of them. They are all so well behaved! Pablo gets too excited in mixed company.)

Brunch at a Fremantle cafe. Well technically it would have to be a late lunch but we hadn't been up all that long and it was an early rally 12 noon on a Sunday IS early!)

Elizabeth's Bookshop was offering free wrapping for purchases over $10. These books were for school but I'd fallen in love with the wrapping paper for kiddies with it's circus theme. One class at school are doing a circus act for their assembly and we are doing some circus inspired art works and I thought I could use this in the art room so I had them wrapped. The top one is from Tim an early birthday present. It is a French/English dictionary for our travels.

Dreams are becomming plans.

2011-08-13T20:50:00.000+08:00

I have finally done the most simple piece of paper work that has enabled the money I've been saving through the kids scholarship fund to be released to me and the interest earned paid to the kids. I don't know why I found this so difficult to do before now. (All I can say is thank goodness for antidepressants!)
Tim finally does exist. There was a number of dramas in his attempts to get a passport. The first being that he didn't exist on the births register, his name was spelt wrongly and then they gave him a copy of someone else's birth certificate with a very similar name and birth date. Anyway his passport is on it's way.
I went through all my jewellery and ended up recycling about $1000 worth of silver! Tim had collected quite a bit too so now with cash behind us I have spent the day planning, really planning not just wistfully "pinning" pictures to my holiday board on pinterest.
I'm planning 6 weeks away (now that the kids have reassured me they will look after each other and I need not feel guilty for abandoning them for some time during their end of semester uni exams- Why is it I continue to feel like a bad mama when they are almost 18 and a half and almost 20!!?)
I've decided to fly into London then explore Paris, Barcelona, Venice via Marseilles, Florence, Rome, and then back to London via Milan on the train. Once back in London I would like to spend some time Kombi Camper Vanning around at a leisurely pace.
It sounds like a lot but several of the train trips connecting cities are overnight and will be in sleeper carriages and I decided we may as well check out a couple of places along the way! I used to live in Mt Magnet and thought nothing of doing a three hour drive to Geraldton to do a bit of shopping or to dip my feet into the ocean! and returning in the afternoon before the roos, emus and occasionally cows came out and made driving a little more exciting than one would like! So 2 and a half hours from Venice to Milan sounds like a much better proposition to me- even 13 hours from paris to Barcelona sounds more appealing! Especially when there are Gaudi's mosaic buildings and a Picasso museum to visit.

We will start our trip with two weeks in Paris. Then the mad dash about Contiki tour style but just the two of us on a train stopping exactly where and when we want to! Then two weeks in the UK crocheting in sea side villages and at loch sides in Scotland.
I've bought a new netbook computer to use at home -rather than renewing my school laptop rental as I thought I could take it with me when I travel. It is quite nice to use. I've used it all afternoon to do a bit of research and to post this too.
Although I think I might take a break now to do some more crochet for a cardigan I'm working on or my cotton bed spread. And just let the information I've found seep gently into my head, roll about a bit and see if I am happy with it all. (I wish I had more money, more time and less guilt to be able to do and see everything on my wish list!)

progress report

2011-07-14T00:05:00.000+08:00

This is my mama's wedding. It was lovely. Small, intimate and simple. These are the only decorations- the table centers that I made. It was a lovely wedding, the groom got so choked up that he couldn't speak! And even though my antidepressants were beginning to work and I was feeling better this started me off, mind you I was not alone!

I am so pleased that I have started taking the medication. I am in such a better space than I have been in years! It is like waking up from a very bad dream. But now I have discovered that my home has been a reflection of what has been happening internally. I have said before that I have been acting happy and confident especially with work. I knew that my work is important not just for me but for my family- my work pays for everything, mortgage, food, transport -everything. Then I feel that the kids I teach deserve the best I am capable of doing and I feel this responsibility and take it seriously, hence every ounce of energy I had went into maintaining that and as a result my home life and home business things fell by the wayside. So I've woken up to a huge mess.

To make matters worse this last term has been outrageously busy. I did the lecturing for the Uni students. Somehow I thought they would be more scary and demanding. I was worried because I'd never done this before and as it was a totally new course for the uni there was nothing for me to go by so I had to come up with it all myself (while still doing my ordinary teaching job) I had a lot of very positive feedback from it all and I am sure they will ask me to do it again.

The uni students ran workshops with all the kids at school over two days and set up a display of this work to show alongside the art exhibition I had been working towards during the first semester. It was a heap of work but I was proud of the results. Here's some of them.

Hundertwasser Houses yr 4

Klimt inspired portraits yr 5

Matisse inspired collages yr 5/6

Paint chip collages yr 1 (thanks for the great idea Anki and kids!)

"Warm and cool" landscapes yr 4

This is a bit blurry but I loved these I got the kids to imagine they could go into an art work of a famous artist (Gauguin, Rousseau and Frida Kahlo) They then drew themselves inside that art work and painted them- it really had these yr 2's hooked! Love it when that happens!

All the kids from kindy to year 7 had a piece of work framed and on display.

That's 398 pieces of kids work.

We also had artworks by local artists, me included!

At the same time as all of this I had to shift art rooms, we barely got into the new room in time for the exhibition! And for about a week I taught with no power and limited furniture. And it was report time at the same time! (Anyone who teaches knows how much I enjoy doing those.) I worked every night until 2am with only short breaks to cook dinner, then up bright and early to go to school and teach. I worked for three weekends in a row. (And only had one migraine!)

As a result my already messy house got messier! So now that it is holidays I am taking one small job at a time still giving myself some time to sit and crochet or browse the net or read. I'm not going to try to get it all done at once. Yesterday I cleared some space in front of my wardrobe and threw away 2 large boxes of handbags and clothes. The day before I cleared one bench in my kitchen. Today I did some businessy type stuff and folded some washing, which I can now put away inside the wardrobe because there is space. It will take a bit of time but I am getting there. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can start to take some photo's of around my house again.

Oh and I forgot to say I sold 6 pieces of art works at the school art exhibition and got a commission for some more crocheted pears!

I made enough money to buy three pieces of art that I liked and still have a bit left over to treat myself to a massage this holiday!

This weekend...

2011-06-05T15:37:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I went walking with my friend from across the street,Wearing these sneakers I bought on line.
They are fantastic, I was worried about them being unstable but the fact they are supposed to be good for knees and bad backs won me over. I love them. They are the first pair of sneakers that actually feel comfortable and my knees didn't hurt when I walked and they don't look too sneakerish.
I went shopping- for food, I did some drawing and painting and watched BBC1 Streamed Dr Who episode at 2am with Chicky Babe.
I did not do ANY school work.
Today I slept in and I have procrastinated, I've found my camera cord but lost my camera...I should be a school packing up my art room because I am going to be shifting to the new building sometime, last year, this year last term, this term, last week, this Friday that just went now maybe Wednesday or possibly Thursday or Friday. It is driving me crazy...AND I have a whole school exhibition happening in there on the 27th June and uni workshops on the 20th. So today I thought it best to go in an pack some stuff up so that it is ready to shift when it happens. But I am struggling to be motivated. I think I will do some more drawing.
Hopefully I can find my camera so I can start sharing photos again soon.

No picture just some words.

2011-05-28T14:19:00.001+08:00

Where do I start...I have been worried about how I will start this post and how much to share and even now I have erased these words over and over... So I think I will just write and see what comes.
Firstly - I do not have breast cancer... That was what the wish post was all about. I found a lump in my breast and as my mum had breast cancer at about my age it really freaked me out. and I was a bit of a mess emotionally. I have had it investigated and in the meantime the lump shrunk then came back about the time of my period and then disappeared again completely. It must have been a swollen duct or something. But also just under my bra strap is a funny raised area which also worried me. The lady doing the ultrasound said that this is common where your bra rubs often a bit of a ridge occurs (I guessing like a bit of a callous, sounds gross huh?)
So that is all ok. I have a referral for a genetic test to be done so that we can determine the best form/frequency of screening for me.
As the same time all of this was going on I have been asked to lecture students from UWA doing a teaching masters in a unit about teaching for a unit called the artistic and expressive child. This was a huge compliment to me and as it is a system where the school and the university work in partnership I said yes, even though I am a little nervous about it because I thought it would possibly be good for the school.I don't get paid any extra for doing this although I will possibly get a little extra DOTT time to prepare etc.
Because the students are going to do some workshops with the children we are having an Art Festival where the children will participate in art workshops and the event will culminate with an exhibition of all the children's work. Ever since the Evening on the Verandah my boss has been pushing for another whole school exhibition, saying that the P&C were keen to do the event again as a fund raiser. This year I caved and said OK because we will have the new building to use as an exhibition space. This new building was supposed to be ready at the end of last year. Then the beginning of this year , then by the end of the term, then at the beginning of this term. We are still not into it and it looks like the date to move is now the 17th June and the workshops start on the 20th. This is all causing a bit more stress and to top it off I have had pressure and communication problems over the exhibition and the fundraising side of it all which led me to tears last week. That is itself is a whole 'nother story which I wont go into here.
Meanwhile I am supposed to be teaching and writing reports let alone dealing with my day to day life and family.
Here comes the tricky part to write about. While I was at the doctor's in the lead up to the breast cancer scare and during it I found myself teary on several occasions and finally I worked up the courage to say I didn't feel right. I found life very hard and one weekend I did not leave the house once. I often found myself weeping at the slightest thing and I had to confess that I have been acting 'happy; for some time. If my emotions were a line graph it was flat along the middle or dropped downwards never above indifferent or numb, I knew when I was supposed to be happy or when things were supposed to be fun so I smiled and acted like I was enjoying myself.
I have been suffering depression. I felt embarrassed and weak that I couldn't 'get over it' or 'shake it off' I felt like I was inadequate or not doing things right or well enough and that is why I was not coping. The doctor said that he is not at all surprised because of my thyroid disease I have a chemical imbalance in my body and a course of anti depressants can be helpful. I felt like I'd failed some how. But upon thinking about it and now having been on them for well maybe 6 weeks I thought it is no different to taking the tyroxin or if you are diabetic and have to take insulin no one will judge you for that. Why do I feel bad to take antidepressants. I think that it is the fact that we don't talk of it, it is one of those mysterious taboos. Having said that I have no judgement towards other people who take them and encouraged some friends to seek help so why did I not feel I deserved that help- actually I think that that is more the crux of it I didn't feel I deserved the help that I should just get on with it and deal with it. Funny thing is that I have since found out that several people very close to me have been taking antidepressants. Usually I am a sharer I usually tell my friends what is going on with me- I guess I did a good job of acting most of the time. I did have one friend who said why don't you talk to your doctor but it took some time. I think that the fact that it is taboo to alot of people made me anxious to share what I am going through. Not so much with my friends but I was afraid that if people at my work new they would not think i was capable of doing my job or they would think less of me. But as the medication is kicking in I really am so very glad I am on them and I don't care right now if people think less of me because I feel so much better now.
I am still stressed with all the pressures of work happening at the moment -honestly I don't think you could take enough antidepressants to not feel stressed by what is happening at the moment. I still cry at the end of soppy romantic movies and when babies are born but I do not cry with a broken heart anymore sentimental things were full of pain for me and the shadows of my past would not leave me be. I do not however cry at weddings of friends (I do when it is your Mama and the groom gets so choked up with emotion he can hardly talk!) I guess I was worried that antidepressants would change me and mask my emotions they don't. I still feel sad at times I still feel stressed, I feel nostalgic and even anxious sometimes but these are not my default emotions or my only ones, I laugh now naturally and spontaneously not because I know I should, I make silly jokes again.
The downside is as the fog has cleared I can see there is so much I have to do to clean up the disorder that has resulted from my mental and physical fatigue. I am afraid that it is a big task and I don't really know where to start and I don't think I will have time to make a big dent in it until the next holiday. So for now I will go gently on myself and tackle one little job at a time, do what I can and leave what I can not for another time. Those people who love me will not judge me and will love me if my house is in order or not and I will love them for it.
And now I have got past this post which was difficult to start I will begin to post again although it may be irregularly until I get through this term and find a new rhythm in my life

Found...

2011-04-10T18:33:00.001+08:00

My passport! (And my sanity! It's hard to go on holiday without one's passport.)

star light star bright...

2011-03-27T16:02:00.001+08:00

Once upon a time I used to wish for prince or a white knight on a beautiful black horse, for love and happiness, for the absence of conflict, for money and a beautiful house, or a thin beautiful body. These are the things I would wish on stars, cut birthday cakes and blown candles on stray eyelashes, in wistful moments.
Now I wish for good health and contentment.

Here comes the bride

2011-03-20T16:14:00.001+08:00

My Mum is getting married. Last week she told me that she and Ron had decided to get married- officially, they had a commitment ceremony a couple of years ago in Bali, they have decided to actually get married. They had decided to elope in a fashion. Just them and their 2 closest friends as witnesses and a marriage celebrant. Then they would go out for dinner, just the 4 of them. Mum and Ron both didn't want a fuss. Fair enough.
Then a couple of days ago mum rang to say that she had changed her mind and that they had decided to have a very low key wedding for immediate family and closest friends about 40 people.
That day she had been to have coffee at a little cafe near her work..New people have recently taken over and renovated a little kiosk that had been on the riverfront.

Mum chatted to the owner and she found out that they are open during the day until 3pm but they will have functions there in the evenings...funnily enough it's called Lo Quay. Mum took this as a bit of a sign, so now in a matter of days the date and venue is set and the invitations printed for a cocktail party in 4 weeks. I have been put in charge of table settings - low key of course, mostly for the sake of lighting outside, with the river view there is little need of much else.

I'm thinking lanterns or monsoon jars and flowers because when mum and I went there today for morning tea the owner told us it can get pretty windy if the sea breeze comes in in the late afternoon.

They had planned to wait for their house to be built on mum's block on the hill, it was supposed to be ready by now but with the usual building delays it looks looks like this.

It's a shame really because with views like this it would be a perfect venue (Actually it was where I had my wedding reception 24 years ago, when the old house was still there of course. My grandparents owned half the hill in the 1930's. They sold bit and pieces off over the years. Now mum just has a small sliver of land there)

(playing with the panoramic function on my new point and shoot digital camera! I had to buy myself a new one as Chicky Babe pinched my red one- she loves red.)

Environmentally friendly???

2011-03-12T18:41:00.000+08:00

To all those people who have argued nuclear energy is a good option...
Have a look at this.
I'm totally not convinced. (Actually I am convinced. It's not a good option!)

Chicky Babe not my baby any more

2011-03-06T00:07:00.000+08:00

While the cat has been sleeping on the couch, bed, chair like this....

I have been very busy with work and then last weekend I was quite sick and had a couple of days off work. I am feeling much better now, but still fed up with summer I've had more than enough of warm balmy nights!

I didn't sell my pears or my crow painting but my small little painting sold in the silent auction. The proceeds of the silent auction went to the children's hospital.

It was my little chicky babe's 18th birthday yesterday. She's all grown up- well mostly. She is having a picnic in the park tomorrow to celebrate and I had to make her a cake in the shape of the Tardis. It reminded us of all the cakes I made for them when they were little. I made so many different cakes including elephants, bananas in pajamas, furbies, dinosaurs, Mario riding on Yoshi, roller skates and even Harry Potter. The lead up to birthdays were an exciting time deciding what shape cake mama would make. Bantam Boy once requested a blue dinosaur picking daisies with a orange gorilla. When I said I wasn't sure if I could manage that he replied "I have faith in you mummy you can do anything you put your mind to." Ahh don't you love the absolute belief your little children have in you!

Because my oven is broken (yep! it no longer bakes things, the stovetop works but the oven is cactus! A very sad state of affairs, ) I had to buy a plain sponge cake in a packet to make her cake.

1:Trim the bits off the side, use these to create the roof of the tardis and the light on the top.

2:Put a thin layer of icing on the cut sides first to stop the cake crumbs from making the final layer of icing all crumbly. Using an old bone handled butter knife dipped into hot water makes the job much easier and gives you more control of the icing ( I use a packet of pure icing sugar with a couple of tablespoons of butter whipped up with just enough milk or water to make a fluffy icing that will get a slight crispish layer on the outside as it sets making further decoration easier.)

3: smooth over the icing layer with a butter knife dipped in hot water, mark out drawing lines with a wire cake skewer or a bamboo one these lines can be swept clean with the knife if needed.

4: Add final details. I used to use a piping bag with a fine nozzle but now days they have outlining 'fudge' in little squeezy tubes you can find them with the cake decorating things in the supermarket. Very easy to use!

Chicky Babe was very happy with the result and was inspired made a dalek cake with the left over cake and icing, she did quite a good job.

I can't believe that I now have two adult children. One of the women I work with said well that makes you old then.Thanks a lot! I don't think old even though my eyes are beginning to refuse to focus in poor light when trying to thread needles and I am starting to get grumpy with stupid people and wonder where manners got to.

I have to confess that as I stood choosing a card for my darling daughter I started reminiscing as I read all the mushy cards and I began to cry at the card stand! How embarrassing!

PS:

Chicky Babe says I can still call her my baby girl. :)

Just a tad scary!

2011-02-13T17:27:00.000+08:00

I need to preface this story with a little information about myself. In my heart and soul I am a little bit of an adventurer. I like to do things that are not exactly mainstream and visit places that not everyone else does. Here's a place I'm hoping to stay in when I go to England- it is a B&B that is a replica of a bronze age house.

As the spiel says: It's cosseted time-travel; happily, in the morning, you should gently wake to the sound of birdsong instead of the howling wolves of 600BC.

Then there'e these fabulous 'retro' style combi vans that we are going to hire to travel across england

When I went to Bali about 12 years ago I hated Kuta, we went there for lunch and to shop but I couldn't get out of there quick enough, I went up to Ubud instead which is well known now but then although it was known most Australians went to Kuta to stay in their club med hotels and drink cocktails by the pool. There is nothing wrong with cocktails by the pool as long as you get to experience a little of the culture and explore the place, otherwise you may as well save the air fare and book a room at a ho On my more recent travels to Thailand although we started in tel near where you live and drink cocktails by the pool there.Phuket we stayed in a place that was just out of Phuket. We spent time in the forest and then traveled by train to Bangkok via Hua Hin again. Now I say a 'little bit of an adventurer' because I don't like TOO much adventure. I'm not about to set off solo in a canoe down the amazon or anything. In fact I have found that I do like to know I am safe and I really don't like going places on my own. I like to have adventures with friends.
When I first separated from my husband (17 years ago this year) I was full of hope and kind of on a wave of bravery inspired by the adrenaline rush of making the decision to fly the coop. And at that time I taught myself to be a bit brave going places on my own even though I didn't really like it and it really pushed the limits of my comfort. I learned to take a map book where ever I went and then as mobile phones got cheaper and I was given a secondhand "brick" from a friend who was upgrading, this meant that I could call for help whenever I needed (as long as I remembered to pay the bill!) As time passed I got better at it and became quite outwardly confident.
However when my thyroid shut down and I suffered quite dark depression a few years ago all my insecurities came back and I find that I am back at square one again... I don't like going out on my own much any more and going somewhere new that I don't know where it is is actually quite an ordeal. I hate driving in traffic and the freeway makes me quite nervous, I will avoid it's busiest times at all costs often driving the long way around just to avoid it - partly this is my nervousness at the idiots that one must share the roads with partly because I have an old car that is not very quick on the pick up and doesn't like to go much over 70km/h OK for around home to and from the shop but not for longer trips that involve freeways. (I am going to get a new one soon, it is my new year goal.) I also don't like to drive about Perth very much it is busy and the streets all go stupid ways and then if you miss a turn you never know where to go after that and other drivers are so impatient and rude and never let you in (well lots not all!) so basically in my heart I'm an adventurer but in my head I'm a wuss!!!!
So Now my story...
Yesterday I had to deliver my art works to the place where the exhibition will be on Monday night. I had to get them there between 10;30 and 12;00 in Perth to a building I'd never heard of before, not hard as I never go there. So I googled it, got directions, looked at the street view and worked out that it was just past the spring street lights. I went to the website of the building to find that it had parking available so I set off bravely not too early so that I would miss the worst traffic of the morning, not being sure if it would be busy on a Saturday.
I negotiated the freeway and managed to select the correct lanes to get to the correct street I kept my eyes peeled but realised that I had in fact driven right past the place because I didn't notice the sign until it was too late. That's OK I thought because I noted on the map that there was a couple of car parks along there that I could use as an alternative should the first one be full. The next car park was closed as was the next. I was starting to worry when I noticed a third and pulled into it as it was open. There was a sign saying deliveries this way public parking that way please park in non reserved car bays and pay at the ticket box to your left. So I found a park rummaged about for change and walked to the ticket box. It was at this point that I started to think things were a little strange and looked around to notice that the big roll down grill had closed over the opening that I had driven in not 5 minutes before. Then in the distance I heard the resounding bang of a door slamming shut in the distance. It echoed ominously and I could see no-one about anywhere. I was alone in a dingy dark car park.
I experienced some mild panic.
I took a deep breath and read the signs there was nothing to indicate that it was a private car park but there was a number to call if you were having trouble with the ticket machine so I called it.
"The number you have dialed has been disconnected"
Now what!!!! Do I pay for my ticket and leave my car in this car park to possibly be clamped or towed- that is if I can find a way out or do I call the cavalry and try and get rescued....by this point I was running about in small circles of indecision certainly in my head if not actually. Then I saw a man walking towards me wearing a yellow vest. Perhaps he could help, maybe he was security...He was just an electrical contractor so he couldn't answer any of my questions - apart from alerting me to an exit door that I could at least escape through if I decided to abandon my car.
I went up to another sign and decided to try the number on that one- hoping that it was different or perhaps in my panic I had miss dialed the number. This time I got through to the security. They wanted to know which car park I was in. I had NO idea, apart from that it was on mounts bay rd. I turned to ask the fellow who had been there a few minutes ago and he had left. Fortunately another couple of men came along and I was able to ask them where I was. Apparently the car park was not open on a Saturday- It was when I drove into it!!!!
The new blokes knew how to open the gates so I eventually made my escape. All the time I was also worried that I wouldn't get to deliver my work on time either. Happily I managed to navigate the roadworks in town and found the front of the building on St Georges Tce and there was a half hour street parking bay right out front and the work has been delivered. And now I have two weeks to steel myself in order to pick them up again- hopefully they will sell and I'll get them to put the cheque in the mail!

pears and paint

2011-02-05T23:42:00.001+08:00

This is my creative space. My dining room/ kitchen table. It seems that that is where I always end up, even with a studio space, I like to be in the middle of my house. I like the light through the french doors and there is the air conditioner to keep me comfortable. One day I hope to have a house that has a nice room just off the kitchen that I can leave all messy and another area that I can keep nice for when visitors come, a parlor to receive my visitors. I cant see it happening in the near future unless there is a significant lotto windfall! So my visitors will just have to keep loving me for who I am not how tidy my house is (or isn't!)

I've entered some work in an exhibition coming up next week and true to my usual form I haven't finished it yet. Well in truth, this morning I sat down to actually start the painting. Well, in my defense a large portion of my not painting time has been taken up with the thinking about painting time that goes on in your head first, so I wasn't procrastinating really I wasn't. I was percolating, thinking and creating. (Yes I've almost convinced myself that is what I've been doing.)
Anyway I've worked on it most of today and it is very very nearly completed and I'm actually pretty happy with it.

(I just noticed as I added this photo that the flowers that bantam boy bought for his girlfriend are a bit worse for wear! Also the light is a little poor by the time I got to this stage.)I am making a second crocheted gold pear to go with the one I made during the holidays so they will be displayed together. Not with the painting as I had originally intended but together as a pair.

I've also painted the house over the holidays the kitchen is now white and the lounge is such a pretty blue.

I am so happy with the colour. It is so calming and relaxing the yellow was not really making me happy and I had become quite sick of it. Most paints change colour with the light but this one seems to have a real depth of colour and will appear sometimes quite blue and at other times tinged with green. It was a miss-tint that I convinced the paint people to add extra green to to give it more of a teal look. It is pretty much saturated with tint, I think that is what gives it it's depth.

I've been back at work this week and that has kept me pretty busy. At the end of last year I had to move the stuff out of my classroom into the art room as I am now 4 days art specialist and 1 day admin relief taking classes for a couple of level 3 teachers who have extra duties to do outside of the classroom. Anyway it meant that the art room which is also used by others for T&E - therefore FULL of stuff for that and art now contains my classroom teaching stuff! On top of that we have more kids and the classes are bigger which means I've had to put in an extra table to accommodate the children. So I had to play tetris with all the stuff in there and make it look like an art room for the last few days of the holidays. Thank goodness for Tim who came and helped me rearrange desks and repair shelves etc and keep me company!!
He is also good at making healthy snack. He was pottering in the kitchen and asked if I'd like something.
"Mmmmm, some fruit would be nice." and this is what I got!

A story with two happy endings.

2011-01-20T18:33:00.001+08:00

Yesterday I was in a bit of a fluster trying to gather together enough ID for Chicky Babe so she could apply for her learners permit. It was hot and I've been feeling out of sorts emotionally for a week or so. We had to drive hither and thither. Firstly we went into the licencing centre with her birth extract and student ID and her bank card, None of these were acceptable. She needed her birth certificate and something that had her name and address on it like a bank statement or bill of some sort. She lives at home with me - hence I get the bills and she doesn't work so she hasn't had any activity on her bank account that is in her name (the other one is in my name in trust for her) So off we went to the births registry office to get a copy of her birth certificate and then to the bank to sort out what to do with her statement. Because there had been no activity on it since the last statement they couldn't print one off. So we had to deposit a small amount into it then they would be able to print it off the next day.
While we were near the shop we did a bit of grocery shopping and got name tags for the cat and dog. From there we went to another shop to buy the most recent Dr Who magazine Chicky Babe is hankering for. It is at this point that we realise that my cards are no longer in my purse. My licence, visa and access account etc.
I felt sick. I haven't lost my cards like that since...I can't remember when! (Bantam Boy has done so frequently!)
We were desperately retracing our steps and I was thinking that I would have to cancel my cards when my phone rang. It was Bantam Boy. A woman had just left our place she had found my cards with the address on the licence and delivered them to our house.
She did not leave her name or anything so I am unable to thank her but I was really touched by her good deed. You so often hear of things going badly and dishonesty in our world it is nice to hear a story with a happy ending. I'm sending her all the warmest of best wishes I wish I could let her know just how grateful I am! Maybe I'll post a note at the shopping center.
Oh and this morning we went back to the bank to collect her statement and then to the licencing place so Chicky Babe could sit her theory test. She now has her learners permit and we have had our first driving lesson. Don't tell Bantam Boy but she is easier to teach than he was. Apart from staying on the right side of the road during this time she doesn't argue back at me if I tell her something! Phew!

Priceless!

2011-01-14T23:01:00.000+08:00

Today I had one of the most lovely afternoons ever. Right here in my very ordinary neighbourhood.

I asked Chicky Babe and Bek if they would like to come for a walk down to the local coffee shop to help me boost my exercise for the day. I bribed them with a milkshake or whatever they wanted. To my surprise they said yes!
We sat for over 2 hours chatting and chatting and chatting. The weather was perfect and the company delightful! Bek was surprised that I would sit and chat seriously about Dr Who (I also have a Geeky side!) she couldn't imagine her parents doing that!
Truly what more could you wish for in a perfect afternoon than spending lovely time with your almost 18year old daughter and 'adopted' daughter!

High and dry.

2011-01-12T11:39:00.000+08:00

Bantam Boy and his girlfriend flew over to Sydney to spend some time with her family. From there they all went up to Brisbane and then to the gold coast. He rang me this morning to say that they tried to drive back to Sydney but can't as the roads have been blocked because of the flooding. Luckily they are just inconvenienced but are safe and sound. The same for BB's traveling buddy who is still on the road in a flooded area out of Brisbane but it is not one of the worst areas and he is on high ground too.

Getting creative.

2011-01-08T18:08:00.000+08:00

This is how I've been going with my new year goal of doing more art work.

In between lunches or coffee with the girls I've done quite a bit of drawing, some lino prints and some painting and some crochet.

Oh I do love holidays.

This lino print I took from this photo. I really loved the image and it kind of spoke to me of the friendships women have how they support one another. I used one of the least successful prints to try hand painting it - a la Margret Preston style.

There is an exhibition for art educators coming up in February and I'm going to submit some work. One is the little 10x10 chicky babe painting. These items are put up for silent auction and any money raised is given to PMH (Children's hospital) it is very nearly finished.

The second one will I think be a mixed media piece, The crow consuming pears- a painting which is only in it's pencil stage as yet and this delicate crocheted wire hollow form pear will go with it.

Now I have to go and be mum's taxi service then get back to painting.

Tiny little chicky babe

2011-01-04T15:23:00.000+08:00

Drawing number 1. (Scanning the image has lost some of the lovely smudgy details that I love about pencil drawings.)

I'm not sure if this will become a painting or a lino print. Leaning towards painting.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T15:25:00.000+08:00

I've said hello to the new year quietly and it seems I'm not alone. Several people I've spoken to have spent the new year celebrating at home or missing the moment completely! My poor mum is in Bali - what is poor about that?- well she has been sicker than she has ever been there ever.

I've been enjoying myself cooking, crocheting writing and drawing.

This mess made...

some of the most delicious tangy lemon butter.

My lemons are tiny but jam packed with juicy lemony flavour. I used this recipe for microwave lemon curd but I felt it wasn't thickening properly so after about 5 minutes of cooking I added 2 desert spoons of cornflour mixed with a little water and cooked it for a further minute.

I bought an old footstool some time ago at a garage sale. It has been used quite a bit outside on the patio when the children have friends over but it's ugliness has always bothered me. I have been meaning to make a cover for it for ages and I've finally begun.

I found this cute little fellow at a garage sale this morning while we were out and about having a late breakfast.

Yesterday I made this little fridge calender. I used the draw a table function on word to create just the look I was after two months per A4 page and a little space for notes. I highlighted the special dates for my family and used my favourite images from my Pinterest Boards. Then I printed them on photo card and cut them out and used a magnetic clip to clip them to the fridge.

The little photo on the fridge is of my little chickens who are now all but grown. I love this photo and keep it to remind them and me that even though they sometimes squabble they love each other dearly. They used to be each other's best of friends. They were SO cute and don't even come up to the freezer part of the fridge.
Time flies! And now I am getting nostalgic!
As with most people I've been thinking about what the new year will bring. This year I plan to do more creative things ( and old familiar cry!). I am hoping that working mostly in the art room and one day as support rather than a classroom teacher will give me some free head space to be able to do some more art work more easily.
This year there are plans for me to work collaboratively with one of the universities working with students doing a masters in education with a unit about the 'artistic and creative child'. That will be both exciting and challenging for me as it is the first time I have worked with adults in this way.
This year is also finally my long service year with my babies as adults and for years I have dreamed of going to Europe when they were old enough to leave on their own for some time. So hopefully in October I will be spending 2 weeks in an apartment in Paris and exploring Venice, Florence and Rome and perhaps Spain. It will depend on how far my money stretches. So fingers crossed that the Australian dollar remains strong.
Then I have the usual new year resolutions like get back onto the weight watchers wagon. I want to be able to fit comfortably in those economy air plane seats and be fit enough to walk up 6 flights of Parisian apartment stairs!

Bower bird brained

2010-12-31T12:37:00.001+08:00

For a little while now I've been frustrated at the lack of space for me to come up with some creative ideas that I am finding interesting or satisfying. Now my physical space is always fairly cluttered and that doesn't generally bother me. I 'spose it's like my head crammed full of stuff and usually I like it that way. But recently my head has been over full and anyone who knows me would probably say that it is exactly like my house- FULL. Tim is quite a bower bird, actually he sees himself as a magpie but truly he is a bowerbird
bringing home all sorts of bits and pieces and scattering them about the place hoping to please me with their interestingness or prettiness. Chicky Babe has found an old "No Junk Mail" sign and posted it on the back door it now says "No Junk ~~Mail~~ Please!"
Anyway my head has been too full but I've been concentrating on trying to find some quiet in my head. I've been reading a couple of books about creativity. One is called The Confident Creative the other is 'The Artists Way' the second is a little 'new agey' but when you get past some of the excessive bits it has some great exercises to help 'unblock'.
So over the last couple of days I've started to play with some ideas for making jewellery combining my love of textiles and natural,recycled and found objects.

This one is hand stitched sari silk and recycled beads from old pearl necklaces.
Tim and I went walking along the beach yesterday looking for driftwood, pebbles and sea glass but unfortunately it is not really beach weather at the moment being summer or s(B)ummer. as Anki so rightly calls it. Beach weather to me is winter when the sea throws up so many beautiful bits of flotsam and jetsam.
Although I didn't find anything really interesting to work with I found a few bits and pieces to start playing with and practicing skills for when I do find something worthwhile and I got more exercise than I realized along the way!

Crochet pebbles as brooches or pendents- I'm just playing with the technique at the moment using the threads that I have on hand but I will experiment a little more with different threads and colours.

And then when I find some decent driftwood some of these...

This is very much a WIP! and a way of playing with ideas before they get lost in the clutter!

A so that was christmas...

2010-12-29T15:05:00.000+08:00

I had two Christmas dinners at my place this year so the last two weeks have been a bit of a blur. There was the flurry of Christmas tidying which left us all worn out. Check out the look on poor Pablo's face.

I was going to print some tea towels for friends and family for Christmas this year but ran into a spot of bother with the inking of the print plate, so I abandoned that as a last cause. I have since had some advice from a friend who has done quite a bit of printmaking on fabric and she gave me some tips so I've put it on the back burner for now and will explore this technique later. So as I did not get the tea towels done I had to shop- ick! And I foolishly decided to make cloth serviettes for Anki with crocheted edges - 2 days before seeing her. I started out with a sensible number, 6. Then I thought what if she wants to use them as a Christmas thing being red and white and quite christmasy although not limited to Christmas. I reasoned that she would need at least 12 in that case. So at 4:30 on the morning before I was going to her place for a pre Christmas catchup I conceded defeat at 10. I did the 11th while sipping tea and enjoying cherry cake on her delightful deck but sadly the 12th has eluded me. (I still owe you one Anki and I will get there!) I was going to do a tablecloth like this one I am doing for myself too but that would have been pure lunacy in less than two days!

Christmas eve Tim decided to spoil the family with a new TV for Christmas. He had had a little bonus and as is in keeping with his generous nature he has shared it with us. The TV seemed smallish in the shop but it appears enormous in my little house! Scale is everything.

And even at almost 18 one can still play with the box! (I hope she never loses this playful streak!)
Here are some photos of things that took my fancy at Christmas time.

Rays of light falling on the christmas tree...

Reflections in the baubles...

The light falling on this lone blue chair. ( It really must have taken my fancy because I took several photos of this chair at different times.)

Crisp folds in presents remind me of my grandfather. I was eight when he died but I remember he used to be in charge of the present wrapping. Not only at Christmas but I remember Christmas most vividly as when we returned from the northern territory he showed me how to create these lovely neat folds and every time I wrap a gift I think of him.
I read Anki's post and it made me think, I used to love Christmas too for a number of reasons- starting with our not being invited to share Christmas with my Dad's sisters on the first Christmas following Dad's death, although this had been the tradition for years before, my separation - and the muddle of working out of how to share the kids and my sister living far enough away to make it tricky, I have kind of come to fall out of love with it. At least when the kids were little I went to elaborate lengths to create magic for them I didn't have time to think about how I felt about it. I also think I used to get quite melancholic thinking well there goes another year and I'm still single, I haven't done x, y or z. This year has been much better but I am determined to try to fall in love with it again and start to create some new traditions that bring me joy.
This holiday I have decided to make an effort to make some stuff as that brings me joy too. On boxing day I started with this.

I've seen examples here and there on the net and remembered that I had an old case stashed on top of my wardrobe. It is not fancy yet, I will get round to lining it to make it pretty like the others I've seen but I needed to make sure it was functional first and that I had the right stuff in the case lid and in the boxes stashed within the body of the case. It is dedicated to my art journal, drawing, painting and printmaking and the like.
I've taken step by step photos so I will make a tutorial of how I did it at a later date.

PS. I really should have removed the post Christmas wine bottles off the table before making tutorial shots!

Car update.

2010-12-15T17:40:00.000+08:00

'Tis not the transmission as we had feared it could be. It is just something to do with the fuel getting into the engine or something of the like and it won't be scaringly expensive!
Thanks Christmas fairy!

My christmas wish...

2010-12-13T18:26:00.001+08:00

I want a new car.
Well I want a car that goes.
A brand new one would be really nice but if mine would go that would be good. I decided to do a spot of christmas shopping yesterday on my way to pick up Chicky Babe from a sleep over. On the way to drop her home before continuing my shopping the car lurched and then the power ebbed. I told tim off for mucking about. It wasn't him. It made a couple of weird noises and then it stopped.
So since I've been a really good girl this year maybe santa will bring me a new car....
just putting it out there, maybe a nice lotto win.
I just bought myself a new bed which I thought was a HUGE extravagance. I wish I'd done it earlier, but I am as usual on the bottom of my spending list. The new one has no springs poking into me and I woke the last two mornings since I've had it without a huge back ache! MAGIC! The bed has a 10 year warranty so at $1890 it works out to be something ridiculous like 30c a night. I've decided I must be slightly crazy to have waited so long.
But the car is a really big expense. I was going to wait until my home loan came of it's fixed rate thingo (I set it when it was going up and up fearful that it would go up to 19% as it did in the eighties. I fixed it at almost 8% for 5 years while the kids were at high school thinking that at least I knew it was manageable on my income. Then it started to fall...and fall...and fall down to about 3%. I got a letter saying it will go onto the variable rate next month and I noticed that the amount I will have to pay is almost $100 less- enough for a car loan maybe. Now I have to decide what type of car to get. I've been looking at a GETZ. They are small compact but quite roomy inside still and run on the smell of an oily rag.
PS: I also wish for world peace.

Is this an aardvark?

2010-12-06T17:54:00.000+08:00

Anki's little girl wants an aardvark for christmas. I read it in her blog and the very next day I found this fellow. I thought he was an aardvark

the lady in the shop thought he was a Kangaroo.

And for no reason at all - other than they looked like a funny face.

Here are my eggs that I had for breakfast yesterday.

Grrrrr!

The pointy end.

2010-11-27T14:47:00.000+08:00

We are fast approaching the pointy end of the school year. Only three weeks left and I've very nearly completed all my reports - about 300 art reports and 28 year three general class ones. So no I probably shouldn't be blogging I 'should' be finishing what I need to finish so I can breathe a sigh of relief than I can blog or whatever else I choose to do like crochet or printmaking without any guilt whatsoever.

I've started going to the pool again so I need to have a nice bag to take all my stuff in. It is almost finished. Well the crochet part. I am going to line it and make a zip up section for a bit of money. They make passable coffee at the Fremantle pools so sometimes we stop and have a coffee after our swim. Tim, Bantam Boy and his girlfriend have been coming with me.

I did print that flower from my previous post. The print, ie the design looks quite good but the printing ink I used was not at all what I expected. I used permaset, an ink I have used previously with much success. But this time I used green as I was making it for my sister and green is her colour. The ink was very thin and refused to make that lovely 'kissy' noise that printmaking ink makes as you put it onto the plate and roll it, and it printed very streaky. Not nice. Perhaps I might need to use a foam roller with this type of ink.
When I've finished my reports I will experiment a little and get back to you about it.

carving, cleaning & gardening

2010-11-09T01:04:00.000+08:00

For some time I've been wanting a decent set of lino carving tools and a month or so ago Tim ordered me a set on eBay (I think I may have complained that he spoiled the girls -Chicky babe and Bec- buying them manga stuff on line) Anyway I have been waiting and waiting and the girls got their posters and other booty and day after day went by without my tool set arriving.

Yesterday the neighbour handed Tim a package- it was my tool set! They had had them for a couple of weeks and just hadn't got round to bringing them over! Oh well, never mind today was the first day in ages that I've had time to play with them anyway. They or it rather is quite nifty. It has one handle and 5 interchangeable blades that are hidden away inside the ergonomic handle. It is so comfortable to use. And amazingly quick, I'm using a relatively newish product, the white easy carve rubber rather than the traditional lino I'm used to using, It carves like butter! Which is both good and bad. Quick to use but also quick to cut off more than you thought you were! Fortunately this didn't happen for me but I can see this could happen if you used this with kids. Tomorrow I'll do an artist's proof..

I want to make some handmade Christmas gifts and this year it might be hand printed tea towels. I have several plain white towels ready for printing. I looked through a book I have on designs from different cultures and historical periods and found some inspiration from the Asian flowers which carry a meaning of happiness- a perfect wish to incorporate into a gift. Maybe I should do a second one reversed so that I can print them alternating along the edge of the tea towel, maybe not it is actually quite big....We'll see.

I just had to include this photo of my sister and my mum from not this weekend but the one before when my sister decided to relax some more in my garden -in the middle of the day in the horrible heat on my only day off that weekend (I was not amused at the time- but this photo is quite amusing and just blurry enough to afford them some anonymity!) She woke me early and asked if she could come to visit- no mention of gardening - half way through morning tea she was up and gardening, then mum joined her, hence the nice top and the fluffy purple hat on mum (tee hee!), it was hot and we were totally unprepared for this kind of get together!They came back again this Sunday but I was prepared this time and had the whole weekend spare this time. We ran out of room in the skip bin so and will be returning next Sunday ( one of my trees had to come out because it was damaged when the pipe burst recently and then there was 5 years worth of weeds along the driveway!!!!) I think that her garden is so totally clean and tidy she has nothing left to tackle. Fortunately for her my garden could use a little work especially in those areas that I ignore and pretend are not there.
So I was in charge of cooking morning tea and lunch on Sunday and will be again next Sunday- I now have a new found respect for farmers wives or scullery maids of yore. As soon as I finished washing up dishes from first morning tea (yes they are part Hobbit) They were ready for second morning tea. Wash those dishes cook lunch, clear and wash again. Mind you they were a very hungry and appreciative customers.
I made pizzas and a leek,asparagus and fetta tart, potato salad, sausages (at my niece's request) and these scones made with yogurt and oil- they are my step fathers favourites and very easy to make.
I will be able to repeat the scones but I'll have to think up another lunch.
I won't know myself soon. Our newest house mate is quite tidy and likes to clean especially while she is supposed to be studying and likes to rally Bantam Boy into joining her!

And grows!

2010-10-29T21:47:00.000+08:00

Bantam Boy's girlfriend is moving in too. I've told Bantam Boy he has to give her one of is two daily showers!

And the family grows...

2010-10-24T13:48:00.000+08:00

Don't panic,

It is not me nor either of my children who are adding to the size of this family! We have adopted a cat.

Meet Sparkles, (as she is adopted we didn't get get to name her!)

Bantam Boy's girlfriend lives on the outskirts of the metro area and has a menagerie of animals that she is responsible while the rest of her family have travelled interstate because of her father's work in the army ( a fact that made BB very nervous when he met them on his travels- think "Meet the Fockers'.) She opted to stay here on her own in order to attend uni- on account of the army will transfer her father again in a couple of years and she wants to stay put to complete her studies. So she was left in charge of the pets- 4 cats a couple of dogs and a small flock of sheep! As she is supporting herself (all be it free of rent, she has to pay for utilities and food etc) she has to work and is attending Murdoch uni and spending time with BB. All the travelling about is making her life a bit stressful so sh has decided to move closer to uni, and the pets have to be dispersed. Chicky Babe has been wanting a cat for ages, as have I but the expense of a new kitten is not high on my budget list just at the moment- so as this one is free, has been sterilised and house trained already it was mutually beneficial. BB's GF gets to see one of her favourite cat's regularly, her most favourite one was her old cat that was about 17 years old and I wasn't prepared to take on a senile old cat. We had 4 to choose from so I made sure to ask questions about them before I took them. The mad one who refused to use a litter tray was definitely out of the question! Sparkles was one that was picked on by the others so we decided to take her. She seems quite happy here and has quickly made friends with Chicky Babe spending most of her time either under or on her bed.

The dog however is a little miffed.

He would like to play with his new friend but she is not so keen.

Last week was ART BLAST (an art exhibition for schools in our district,) about 30 schools participate and as much as everyone says "it's all about the kids" you (well I ) still feel a little stressed and feel that it is a reflection of my teaching and it is a lot of extra work. I was up until 4.30 am monday morning having worked all day sunday went to bed, got up at 7am kept cropping and sticking, went into town to set up was there until 3.40pm. Went home quickly showered and rushed back at 5 for the opening and 'wearable art parade at 6! I got home for tea at 9. That was a long day! Then I had to do duty there after school on wednesday and then take it all down in thursday night. All the while doing my normal teaching roles as art teacher and classroom teacher. Needless to say I am little tired this weekend.

No butter scones (3.5 weight watchers points for 2)

2010-10-17T14:10:00.000+08:00

Until you add butter when they are cooked!! Very delicious and very easy to make on a sunday morning when you have no bread.

Click here for the original recipe or read on for my abridged version

1 cup SR flour

1/2 tspn salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt

1 cup low fat milk

sift flour and salt into large bowl. mix other ingredients together in a small bowl pour into flour mix with a knife until just combined. Put tablespoons full of mixture onto baking paper on tray. cook for about 10-12 mins

A post with no title and just a few words...

2010-10-14T12:42:00.000+08:00

I am off from school today and decided to water my garden. I found that my rose bushes have burst into a mass of glorious blooms. I cut some to bring them inside to enjoy.

I was pressed to decide which photos to use the colours are so lovely.

So here are a few.

spring in my garden.

2010-10-09T11:47:00.000+08:00

And berries in the kitchen.

(Gluten free low fat apricot upside down cake- made with wheat flour and berries, still worked

and still yummy!)

Holiday High Tea.

2010-10-06T23:50:00.000+08:00

I had afternoon tea with some of the girls from work this afternoon.

I gave the lounge and kitchen a good clean up as it had been ignored in favour of other recent pursuits.

Everything looked lovely and I broke out the good china, pretty plates and my lovely champagne flutes (20c each at a jumble sale)- we started with champagne and ended with a cup of tea.

But did it? Check out the breakfast bar behind the table. Why did I leave the iron out???? I took the time to select tea cups and serving spoons carefully, iron the table cloth and leave the iron out just to make sure people know that I do use the iron occasionally. Now look beyond the breakfast bar to the oven door- a plastic bag full of rubbish!!! What was I thinking???

Any way no one seemed to mind we devoured all the food and drank champagne and laughed and chatted.

And how did this go with my weight loss - not well. I went to my weigh in with a stomach full of food and drink and I've gained a kilo. Oh well I'm ok with that. I know it will be up and down for me.

Because one of my friends has a wheat intolerance I made things that were gluten free as well as low 'points' for my diet and my assorted preservative and food additive allergies. Fortunately the non dieting and allergy free people were more than happy with the repast asking for a tin of these biscuits I made based on Weight Watcher's Lace Biscuits, for Christmas.

They are like toffee Anzac Biscuits.

The most successful item- well the one I was most pleased with was my " gluten free low fat apricot upside down cake"

It was so light and fluffy and delicious and all gone!

As a result a light dinner of curried parsnip and apple soup was in order.

A HUGE compliment.

2010-10-05T01:00:00.001+08:00

Chicky Babe walked into the lounge where I have been hand quilting my new quilt a few minutes ago and said "Hey don't get too shocked but this is really pretty."

"Pardon???"

"It's gonna be mine huh? Eventually."

Because she actually likes it, and that doesn't happen often- hence the dont be too shocked preface to the comment, I think it will be hers as soon as I finish it off, as a graduation present. (Maybe I won't stitch the doilies on in that case!)

Now I'll need to make another one for myself, I'll have to start browsing for inspiration again.

Will post daylight photos when it is completed.

Added next morning-

It's not quite done yet, just the edging to do but now that it's not for me to use now that can wait a little bit and now I can tidy the house a bit in preparation for an afternoon tea with the girls tomorrow. After all Chicky Babe doesn't finish until the 19th of November.

These colours look a little better than the nighttime photos.

Holiday checklist

2010-10-04T01:13:00.001+08:00

I finished off my skirt from previous post, completed the hemming of the white lounge room cushions, lost 100g, made curtains for to cover the glass panels on the kids bedroom doors (they are frosted but they like to cover them up to keep out any light using towels and it's been on my list to make curtains for a long time!)

I made cushion covers using some fabrics that I had in my stash and a new one I found recently that kind of holds them all together, it's the white one with circles.

I also crocheted the pink heart to finish off the little round blue cushion that had lost it's button and was looking a little shabby.

I liked the way that the patterns went together so I thought it would be nice to make a quilt for my bed- a thin one because it's getting to that in between time of the year when it is too cold for just a sheet and too hot for the thick feather quilt. I didn't want a regular square quilt or a fancy patterned quilt, I wanted something less formal but wasn't quite sure how it would look. So when I found this one. The third one down or the first one from Anthropologie it inspired me to get started.

I remembered that I had a pile of little crocheted doilies that I will add to the deep purple squares. This photo doesn't do the colours justice - when it is done I'll take a photo outside in natural light. Speaking of outside...

I also started painting those metal chairs and table legs from the garden make over post. My sister decided we were sanding them back today, as it turned out she weeded a bit more and her hubby ended up doing the grinding and I did some painting.

The best thing of all is that I picked up Bantam Boy from the airport today! Yay my baby is home again.

And there's still one more week left of holidays!

Holiday sewing project.

2010-09-29T16:15:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I went out for lunch with my mum to a little cafe called Hubble's Yard. It was nice to spend some time with her on my own. As I walked back to my car I went into a little 'eco' gift ware shop and was inspired to make some skirts for myself, there were these nifty step in wrap skirts, that were too small and definitely too short (Read point number 4.1 of Anki's list 'seven signs of aging')

I bought this Indonesian inspired print some time ago and I knew I had it tucked away so I bought a length of plain brown fabric to create a wrap around layered skirt. As I thought about it I decided it would benefit from some embroidery on the front to lift the plainness of the top layer.

So I sketched a design in chalk to reflect the design in the print that will be on the inside of the skirt and embroidered it using a blue/grey to match the floral fabric. I used very simple stitches- running stitch and stem stitch.

P.S. Actually this skirt can be reversed so the pattern is on the outside.

Now I just have to sew it together and if it works I'll make another in black or navy.

Then I've got some new cushions to make too. - I'll post pictures when I'm done.

Hooray for the Holidays!

2010-09-27T13:12:00.000+08:00

Over the last couple of days apart from the time I took to make these costumes for Chicky Babe and Bek. They loved them! (oops! the way I've cropped these makes it look like the text has decapitated them! But they like to remain a little anonymous in this forum at least! )

I've spent a lot of time sifting through my computer bookmarks and linked posts etc to try and figure out why I bookmarked them in the first place. Some of them are a complete mystery, I don't know what I was thinking others gave me a glimmer of inspiration and some complete envy! Anyway I've been sorting and 'Pinning" the photos of the ones that I want to keep as a reference. I am so totally enamoured with this sharing function BUT enough is enough! So very, very late last night I started drawing and decided that I needed to do some things rather than just think about them.

So today I've made a slip cover for a very comfortable but ugly chair that had scratchy acrylic fabric cover on it. Now it is comfortable and makes a bit of a statement in the hallway 'office' area where it currently resides. (Usually it lives in Bantam Boy's room but I'm sure he wont mind the new cover when he gets home again next week-Yay! He misses home too much. Awwwhhh. Anyway he painted one of his walls navy blue so it will fit nicely with his decor.)

My next job is to shorten the new curtains I bought for spring. And maybe continue with the drawing / painting that I started last night. I was considering abandoning it but Chicky Babe thinks it is ok as it is. I get very frustrated at my lack of drawing skills - I really need to do more! (Mental note: draw every day, practice makes perfect.) But as you know I don't like anything I do but I am trying to 'get over it' and just 'get on with it'. Because I am certainly not as hard on others as I am with myself.

I drew most of it with my left hand although I'm right handed generally I think I might be left handed when I am an artist???? I actually like the things I do with my left hand much more than those I do with my right! I'm tempted to keep playing with the face, but Chicky Babe said it looks Ok and that she look Spanish, let's just pretend I wanted it exactly that way.

Right! Back to it!!!!

Butterfly garden.

2010-09-24T14:32:00.000+08:00

I love this art activity I've just finished with 4 of my junior classes (2 year 1 classes, a yr 1/2 and a year 2/3)

The kids all worked in small groups to paint the background of two large canvases. Then I gave them some small pieces (About 20cm by 15cm) on which they drew and painted butterflies or imaginary flowers using acrylic paint. I cut them out and then we arranged them and I used PVA to glue them in place (trying to rearrange them as little as possible- but you know how I am with random sometimes its just too unbalanced!)

The principal wants more of these! They look great in the office.

So I have a plan for some beach scenes next.

Surprise garden make over.

2010-09-20T21:02:00.000+08:00

My sister came to visit on Sunday afternoon while I was revelling in my organisation success, (see previous post) her kids and husband were going to the movies and as she has developed a tendency to motion sickness at the movies she was at a loose end and was looking for some relaxation time.

As I made her a cup of tea she started to pull an old shirt and a pair of gardening gloves.
"What are you doing?" I enquired.
"I'm going to do your garden."
"You don't have to do that."
"But I need to relax and gardening is how I do that."
So we spent the afternoon in the garden, we did one half and I told her that if she was free next weekend she could come and relax some more in my garden.

She even convinced me to throw away some old cane chairs that really had seen better days onto the verge for the collection next week- being a collector it was hard to do. I notice they were not there this morning. But I have decided that she was indeed right and now I can finish off my Adirondack chairs that are in the back shed.

Doesn't it look much better! I have paving again not weeds!

I have a set of old metal chairs that really need a good sand down and a paint. I happened to mention to Tim that I need a set of legs to make a table to go with it - maybe another mosaic project.

Today when I got home from work Tim had found a set of legs on the verge side trow out that are perfect for what I need. A karmic swap for the cane chairs.

The legs need some work but while I'm doing the chairs I'll do them at the same time! I got an email from my sister asking if I have a wire brush attachment for my drill and was I free on the 3rd of October. I guess that's when we are transforming them.

satisfaction

2010-09-19T14:11:00.000+08:00

This weekend I have devoted to organising my kitchen. Tim, bless him is an avid collector of lovely things and as a result the things I have to store in my shelves are growing in number and they had been put away all higgledy piggledy and as they are in plain view from the lounge this has been annoying me. So I've straightened them all up - I'm thinking of printing this picture for future reference so people can check to see where things go should they be unsure.
I went to Ikea yesterday - I wrongly assumed that it might be a little quieter because my walking friend said there was a football grand final on yesterday afternoon and I assumed that there might have been a lot of people there instead of at the shops- Boy was I wrong! There were people everywhere, I felt like a salmon going against the tide of people flowing along the designated viewing pathways. I was struck by how rude people are though. People run into you and just look at you in disgust or worse look through you when you smile and say sorry despite the fact that they had actually run into you!!!! Anyhoo...I went to Ikea to get some pull out wire baskets for my pantry. I realised that I've been in this house for 5 years and when I put the kitchen in I couldn't afford to buy all the baskets right at that time so I thought I'd put it off for a few weeks until I had the money to get some more. So about 250 weeks later I've bought some.
I popped in to visit Anki on the way home- they are making great progress on their home and I feel a little shamed that I still haven't finished my place and I've had 5 years!!!! I'm getting to the stage where things need redoing and updating and I'm not finished yet! I've got some new plans for my garden which I didn't plan so well in the beginning- I followed someone elses ideas and ended up creating a heat trap in my front yard- nice on a fine winters day but unbearable in summer!
When I got home I organised my pantry and my fridge! Everything is sorted according to type or use.

I'm seriously considering making labels for each shelf to ensure that the system can be followed by all of us!

The fridge now has trays for jams and spreads, sauces and chutney etc, cheese and dairy, dried fruit and nuts etc. I was alarmed to find several jars of the same type of thing all opened and hiding behind other things. It has been bothering me how wasteful my lack of organisation is. I found 5 jars of my favourite Thai yellow curry paste ( it is preservative free and tastes pretty authentic although it is cheating I know!
Maybe I'll make labels for these too!
I feel pretty satisfied with my efforts...I should have taken before shots but honestly I was too embarrassed!
Now what's next? The lounge room? the book shelf? my bedroom?

Pinterested?

2010-09-18T09:15:00.001+08:00

I discovered this new web sharing site and joined up about a week and a half ago. I am totally in love with it. It functions in a way that is perfect for me. It's like having a virtual mood board or journal. If you come across something you like you "Pin It" to your boards. As you pin your image it automatically adds the link back to the website you were on when you found it, at the same time you add tags and notes and can sort them onto different boards according to your interests. I've added a link in my side bar so I can find it easily and with firefox you can add a pinning tool to your toolbar, ingenious!
Now it means I have pictures to remind me of the lovely things I've seen and links back. I have a favourites list on my computer a mile long and then I forget which one is which and it takes me an age to find it or the computer gets a virus and needs wiping and you lose everything. Now I have access to my inspiration board from any computer anywhere. I think yo can set them to private or shared too. It is still new to me but I am hooked!
PS, You can tell I'm on a diet because there are a LOT of cakes and sweet things pinned on there!

slimmer's fast food.

2010-09-15T22:59:00.001+08:00

After a week of feeling very flat and depressed I carried on none the less, counting points and being good. Tonight was weigh in night. I lost 1.6kg again. Phew! I don't think my family could survive two weeks in a row of my tears!!!! Anyway that's 2.4kg so far so I'm feeling a little optimistic again, but very aware that I may have more inexplicable gains along the way. I keep Anki's advice in my head- focus on my monthly loss not the weekly fluctuations.
I came home from work and pretty much had to fly out again for the meeting then as I knew I had no fresh low point veggies in the house I went to 'fresh provisions' (our late night fresh veggie and gourmet supplies shop) I didn't get in again until about 7.30. by which time I was starving!
I needed something FAST or I would be susceptible to making a bad choice. So I made a Couscous dish with salad. YUM. I bought a couple of packets of good quality organic couscous to keep in the cupboard as an emergency fast food. The organic wholemeal brand was nice and light and fluffy not at all gluggy as some of the cheaper brands can be.
The recipe follows -not because it is particularly interesting or nifty just to illustrate how quick it is!
Super Quick Nutty Couscous
Dissolve 1 massel veggie stock cube (Oops! this should have been 1/2 a stock cube- one is a tad too salty.) in 1 cup of boiling water, stir in 1 cup wholemeal couscous. Cover and set aside while you make the salad. and chop up 8 pecan nuts. Stir through the chopped pecans with a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin seeds, (some sultanas would be ok too if you had them, I didn't.) I added a good handful of chopped parsley to my portion-Chicky Babe doesn't like parsley. Sit down and eat. This quantity will serve 2-3

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!

2010-09-09T23:08:00.001+08:00

Bantam Boy returned to join his mate in the Northern Territory with plans to make their way down to Sydney over the next few weeks at which point BB plans to come home some time between then and Christmas depending on how long his savings (and my support) lasts - the phone bill has meant this is less than it might have been.
Anyway a few minutes ago Chicky Babe announces that "oh yeah BB was in a car that caught on fire today"
WHAT?????
"Yes Dinie (my mum) rang earlier while you were out"
(Thanks for letting me know earlier when it was not too late to call Dinie)

Anyway all I know is that the boys were driving along and noticed that the car was running hot. They stopped to look but couldn't see anything wrong so continued on, thinking what could really happen.
Well a little later they noticed some white steam or smoke.
It was smoke followed by some flames!
They leaped out of the car leaving everything inside (as you would!) Only to realise that their money, cards and entire possessions were in the car!
Fortunately the car behind them had a fire extinguisher and put the flames out before it took hold.
Thank the Gods! No one is injured in any way.
That's all I know at this point.
Perhaps they will be home sooner not later!

I hate my body...

2010-09-08T20:01:00.000+08:00

This week I counted points, tracked what I ate the same as I did last week. Both weeks were pretty much exactly alike, except that this week I was a bit better than last week. Last week I lost 1.6 kg every one was very excited at the meeting. I was cautious. This week I stepped on the dreaded scales. I have gained 0.8kg
To compound my misery I cried at the weight watchers meeting, I just couldn't stop myself.
Weight Watcher's lady"Tell me two things that worked this week"
Me under my breath "nothing"
WWL"Tell me two things that didn't work this week."
Me(under my breath "weight watchers."
Having Thyroid disease sucks.
So I will continue to count points and try not to lose heart, and I will try not to rant and rave here too often.

Bantam Boy's Birthday.

2010-09-04T13:24:00.001+08:00

It was Bantam Boy's birthday on Thursday a pizza night was requested. Originally we planned to go out for dinner at a local cafe but I decided that I'd do it myself. I took a day of short leave in order to take BB to some appointments that he had - including one to change his phone plan so that he will be able to live to see his next birthday after the last bill- see previous post.

Having the afternoon free I was able to make pizza dough from scratch using spelt flour - for Tim's allergies and made sure I had a low point vegie option for me. I rolled the crust as thin as I could, no one was any the wiser (I've not told my wider family or friends that I'm doing weight watchers as I know it will be a long haul and if I decide to splurge here and there I want to be able to do it without any judgment) And splurge is exactly what I did on Thursday.

I made 4 pizzas. Potato and rosemary pizza is a long standing family favourite especially for Chicky babe.A plain basil and bocconcini one and another with prosciutto and roasted eggplant.

My low point option was actually a hit with everyone and by the time the photo was taken it was almost all gone! I roasted small cubes of pumpkin and slices of capsicum in a hot oven and put heaps of them on the pizza base lightly spread with tomato paste added asparagus spears and sprinkled it with reduced fat fetta. Yum! I'll make that one again.

As you can see from the photo it was a very relaxed occasion - we ate straight from the pizza trays - no fancy platters and enjoyed some good red wine. Mum has booked me to cook when her new house is built and she has a house warming party and deemed that my cooking actually surpasses that of her favourite grandmother. A high compliment indeed!

Spelt flour Pizza dough (very easy)

Makes 2 30cm thin crust pizzas

2 cups spelt flour
8g sachet yeast
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Put flour in a bowl make a well. Sprinkle in yeast and sugar. Pour in water and oil and mix with a large metal spoon. Knead gently for a minute or two until dough is well combined and smooth.

Cut dough in half and roll out on a well floured board.(Spelt flour tends to be a tad stickier than regular flour I have noticed but not too hard to manage, I had to be a bit careful when rolling it out and found that sometimes thin spots or tears happened in my first couple of bases I just pulled a little off the edge and patted it over the hole once the topping went on no one was any the wiser! )

2000 reasons to use pre paid credit with a mobile phone.

2010-09-01T17:37:00.001+08:00

Bantam Boy has been back for a week, he's having a holiday from his holiday! He has returned quite changed but in fairly subtle ways. He is definitely thinner - much less drinking and more working, he had been spending much time slothing about during the day and drinking too much by night, he has had a change in attitude towards drinking since he has been away, thank goodness. Yes he is a little more mature and the adult /child barrier has dissolved even more and although he is still very much my boy we have had some deep conversation and interact on a more adult to adult level. I think the drinking and slothing had set up a wall between us and a certain way of interacting that I am not sorry to see the end of! It is very nice to know he has missed home so much he had to come back for a bit before he travels on again.
It has been quite an education for him, he is learning more about the value of money and how hard it is to earn and how easily it slips through your fingers on general day to day needs. Unfortunately this has not extended fully to his understanding of mobile phones on the post pay options. While he was particularly homesick and broke he sent 1680 text messages home - mostly to his new girlfriend. I was quite alarmed and kept some of the money I have been using to support him on his holiday ( I pay him some money each month into his bank account) in order to pay off half of the amount he had racked up on the bill.
"Actually mum," he said at the time," the next one might be a bit high too."
A BIT high!!!!!! I got my monthly phone bill and with the $400 I have carried over from the last one it came to $2000! He had used $1300 in one billing period. He was contrite and sorry for what he had done but he said "I did ask you to increase my plan." all well and good but even had I increased his plan it would have been $1200 as the extra would have only increased it by $100!
Tomorrow he goes onto pre paid credit and he will just have to hope he doesn't get stuck anywhere without credit or access to a pay phone! He can call reverse charges from now on.
Thanks for all the well wishes with regard to me attempting to locate my waist again. Well it is one week down and I go in tonight for the dreaded weigh in. I've counted points all week and added some exercise points and ate frugally on some days so that I could splurge on Sunday when we had a family dinner for Bantam Boy. The weigh in is making me feel anxious, I actually cried last night I was so worried about how I am going and how I will feel if I've not lost weight. Today I feel a little better and have decided not to worry about it until I step on the scale and get the result. Last night I watched one born every minute a documentary in a British maternity hospital. I was reminded of the birth of both my children, BB was 10lb5oz he was posterior, my cervix did not want to fully dilate and I was in labor for over 18 hours with Chicky Babe I was induced and at one point I thought the cervix thing was happening again, the nurse reassured me that each birth is different, just because my first went one way it did not mean the second would do the same. She was right CB was born quickly - It had taken 4 hours to get to 4cm and at that point I was despondent then I went from 4cm to her in my arms within half an hour. My point is that this mad me think- weight loss is my second hardest task to achieve after child birth (I'm not counting going to the dentist in that the is a whole 'nother story!!!!) Anyway my point is that I have decided to try not to think that this time at weight watchers will be the same as last time. Last time I didn't know I had thyroid disease and i wasn't taking any medication. This time my expectations will be of slow weight loss and I try not to feel like such a failure if I have a weight gain despite doing the right thing. It is not my fault, I am not weak or cheating secretly as I was accused of last time, this time I will know the reason why.
Still I have my fingers crossed that I get a positive result for my first week!
Now has anyone got any suggestions to help me make $2000 quickly to pay off my phone bill?

P.S. Back from weigh in. I lost 1.6kg

Oh where oh where has it gone?

2010-08-24T22:21:00.000+08:00

I've lost my waist!
Every Saturday morning -well most Saturday mornings I walk with the lady across the road - a friend I made years ago when I went to weight watchers when I weighed less than I do now - (funny really I'd be happy now to be my starting weight last time!) before I bought this house across the road from her. We were chatting organising our Saturday morning walk when she mentioned the dreaded WW words.
Weight Watchers....
She has brought up the subject a couple of times but I really have not been in the head space for it. When I went before I had an undiagnosed thyroid condition and it was such a huge struggle. I would gain weight even when I did every single thing correct or if I did lose weight it would be 150g a week VERY slow progress and very demoralising especially as the leaders were virtually telling me I must be cheating but I persevered for almost two years to lose about 15kg.
Well I've agreed to go with her tomorrow I can't do this on my own and I need to lose some weight for my health this time not to look better, although that would be a bonus.
I am nervous and not sure if I am really ready for this fight and struggle but I must start somewhere and my neighbour and I made a good weight loss team before so fingers crossed!
I hope to find my waist again at least one somewhat closer to the one I've lost!

A when I have some free time project.

2010-08-23T21:46:00.000+08:00

I like this top.

Looking forward to the school hall fiasco!

2010-08-19T18:46:00.000+08:00

I've just come home from an Art Blast network meeting. It was hosted by an art teacher who has just moved into her brand new art room a part of an "arts block" that was one of the choices available in the so called school hall fiasco. It is beautiful, a large purpose built room with adequate store rooms and a new kiln room with a new kiln. The block also has a sound proofed music room, two classrooms and a huge wet area. It is absolutely stunning!
And guess what! My school is getting one too! It won't be ready for a while as we had some issues with the fact that our school is in part heritage listed.
Some people complained that we didn't have a lot of choice- a school hall/undercover area, a library and an arts building. We had a library and an undercover area built some time ago with some serious fundraising so I believe about 20-30 years ago. The rest of the school although its grounds are picturesque as a result of some very dedicated parents and staff the buildings have definitely seen better days. The pokey rooms designed for rows of benches and slates are now bulging with resources /desks computers and completely different approaches to learning all of which were never dreamed of when the school was built. There have been years where very little has been done due to the fact that funding for repairs does not go far when you are dealing with a school that is almost 100 years old and is in an area that is not poor enough to get extra funding but not rich enough to get large amounts of funds from voluntary school fees and fund raising.
I for one am very happy about this so called fiasco and cringe every time I hear the school hall project derided in this election campaign. Only 2.7% of schools complained - very loudly I guess.
But I can't wait!!!!!!
It will be wonderful!!!

A lazy day.

2010-08-14T23:25:00.002+08:00

I spent the day being very lazy today. Although I was back at work on Thursday and Friday I felt very tired today.

I slept in until 10 o'clock. Lovely! Then I pottered about making breakfast for Chicky Babe and myself- Hot buttered crumpets and tea-Yum.

My second daughter (CB's friend) came over so I went out to buy a tiny tiny brush from the art shop and then called in to The Happy BBQ, to pick up some take away dim sum for the girls and I for lunch. Steamed Pork Buns are Chicky Babes all time favourite indulgence.

The decor here is pretty basic and the flower arrangements are wrapped in plastic wrap (why??? I don't know I'd say it's because it is easier to dust but they are pretty dusty. Can you see them on the bench?)

Anyway the food is delicious and it is always full with people lining up out the door on a Sunday.

Then I sat and worked on my painting for a while with my teeny tiny brush,. It is very nearly finished, I just have to decide what colour yarn each one will be working with.

While I thought on it I pottered in the kitchen and decided to make some pasta using spelt flour as Tim has decided wheat is not good for him. I had made some spag bol last night very basic with peas and corn as that is what Chicky Babe wanted.

The pasta took only a few minutes to make, a little longer to roll and cut but it was in my opinion well worth the trouble.

Rustic Spelt Pasta

1and 3/4 cups of spelt flour

3eggs

one very generous pinch of salt

Mix together with a knife in a large mixing bowl. Knead as the dough comes together for a few minutes. Add a sprinkle of extra flour if needed. I added about a tablespoon or two, eggs vary in size so it is tricky to be exact,plus I am not an exact cook I go by feel and instinct. Wrap in plastic wrap or damp cloth for 10 mins to rest (the dough not you it's not hard work!)

Roll pasta through pasta roller. TIP: I found that this flour was a little sticky I don't know if it was my quantities or they type of flour but I found it easier to cut the dough in small pieces and run them through the pasta roller in these smaller batches. do all of them at each number down to about the third last one.

Slice them into strips and cook in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 1 or 2 minutes according to your taste. I did a practice one first.

As I finally found the camera cord I have been able to download pictures from my camera, the last few posts have been downloaded-books or scanned my painting in the last post, I can show you my favourite things I found last week at a garage sale.

my new old mirror...

and my painting dated 1948. I love the view and the washing on the line in the front left hand corner.

Actually now that I think about it my day wasn't that lazy after all.

Funny is in the eye of the beholder.

2010-08-12T15:56:00.001+08:00

I've been enjoying scribbling and drawing using my 'Birthday Books' mentioned in my last post. I have discovered that I like to draw with my left hand even though I am right handed. I like the quality of line I make when I use my left hand. Perhaps it goes straight to my right side of my brain and I can get to the creative part more quickly especially when I've spent the day being logical and 'teacherish'.

I've been unwell and off school for a couple of days and when I started to feel a little better yesterday afternoon I started a little painting to show the kids in preparation for an activity with my year 5/6 class (a local council run art activity with a local artist) which makes references to the work of Rebecca Cool. Rebecca uses fabrics glued to her canvas over which she paints. These become a part of the work as some parts of the fabric design shows through the paint..

The two unfinished circles on the bench are balls of wool one will have a crochet hook the other a pair of knitting needles. Although not directly portraits, Chicky Babe recognised the two ladies because of their- in her words- "funny clothes, like knitted hats and cardigans and Birkenstock" (not normal clothes worn by ordinary mothers of her friends.) I am one of them and Anki is the other. I'm sure she will have no problem at all with not being seen as 'normal' or average.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to finish it off tonight, if I get all my homework done first!!

Present.

2010-08-05T21:12:00.000+08:00

I went into the front garden this afternoon and discovered that my almost birthday present arrived today from Amazon. I ordered some books for myself - having a little splurge on myself. ($63.00 all up for 3 books and delivery.) They were to be delivered by my birthday but actually arrived almost two weeks early.

So far this is the only one I've really looked at so far. It has some good ideas in it for me and some that I will use with the kids at school. The main reason I bought these was to motivate me to try and fit time in for creative play ( I typed work and then erased it and put play, because I want to have some fun and enjoyment with some artworks.) I figured 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun= 1 activity per week that should be an achievable goal.

Artist journals have always held appeal to me but I have been too uptight to have one of my own. I have several drawing books on the go most of the time but they are an eclectic mix of scribbles, magazine cuttings, shopping lists, house floor plans and school to do lists, drawings, doodles and plans. I couldn't do without them, I feel uneasy if I don't have one on hand but they are not beautiful in the way "artist's journals" can be.

I become stumped, stifled and worried that the pages deserve more than I can give them and I falter - hence "The confident creative" (It was only about $10 and as it added little to the shipping costs I threw it in as well.) I think I should approach the journal in much the same way as this blog- almost a stream of consciousness approach, just do it and see what comes. It doesn't matter if I fail and I might just surprise myself in the process. I actually don't worry too much if other people like my work, it is me I often have a hard time convincing.

Now I'm going to make a cup of tea and spend some time exploring the other two and think about what other things I can spoil myself with for my birthday (still 2 weeks away but I think I could find at least a few more things to spoil myself with before then.)

lazy sunday afternoon...

2010-08-01T20:13:00.000+08:00

Started the day buying fresh fruit and veg at our local Farmer's Market that opened this weekend. Fantastic! within walking distance from home!

After preparing the quince I went outside to work on my curly crocheted scarf. I hung it on the tree and it reminded me of wisteria.

I have no idea what type of tree this is. Does anyone know? (I solved Anki's mystery and I'd be happy if someone could help me!)

I spent the afternoon crocheting in the sun...

with Pablo to keep me company.

The sky was BLUE! not a cloud in sight - this is actually a photo of the sky from my chair not just a colour swatch.

The garden was pretty...if you looked past the faded chairs and assorted bits and pieces that need a bit of attention.

And I finished my scarf in time to go and visit my mother.

Late night cake bake...

2010-08-01T01:12:00.000+08:00

I suddenly got the urge to bake a cake- at 11.30 tonight (well yesterday it's now 1am on Sunday)

I tried the Secret Mexican Flourless Chocolate Cake. It is simple to make - except that I had my oven on too hot and burnt the edges a bit.

It is extremely chocolaty and very rich. And surprisingly cakey for a cake with no flour at all.

The recipe calls for 1/4 tspn of cayenne. I've never added this to a cake before but thought I'd trust the recipe and go for it, thinking to myself it is not that unusual as the Mexians put chili with chocolate so why not cayenne. It gives the cake an unusual but not unpleasant warm aftertaste which I quite like but Chicky Babe was not at all impressed!

Keeping in touch..

2010-07-30T20:29:00.000+08:00

That is exactly what Bantam Boy has done this month.

He sent 1680 text messages,

I think that perhaps about 3 were for me and the lion's share was for his girlfriend!!!! I however pay for his phone, this is something I said I would do while he was on his holiday to make sure he would be able to ring at anytime he needed without having to worry about running out of credit.

I was not happy. His sister scoffed and said "He's such a girl!" She was secretly pleased because her 600 odd text messages in one month has now paled into insignificance next to BB's effort!

He has been missing home dreadfully- and this is the result of that.

Small Joys.

2010-07-28T23:31:00.000+08:00

Today when I came home from work I hoped that I would find the dishes done ready for me to start making dinner. We often end up leaving the dishes because for one reason or another they are not done after dinner and need to be done the next day- Often someone will say "I'll do them later." Later often ends up being the next day and if I'm working it means that's when I get home before I make dinner and having run around dealing with mess in my work it's often something I find a huge chore and then having to cook dinner is not something I do with joy or love, despite loving to cook sometimes I'm just too, too tired.

Today the dishes were not done. Apparently I'm too messy (I actually like a bit of clutter and don't do streamlined all that well.) and after it's been cleaned it gets messy again the next day-somehow it needs to be done more than once, I think I'm also not bossy enough to insist that everyone has a job and it has to be done by a certain time. I pleaded with Chicky Babe to stack the dishwasher and clean some space so I could make dinner. Then ducked out to the shop and to the chemist to get some very strong headache tablets (It had been one of those days), they weren't done by the time I got back. So we made a trade- I did the dishes...

This is pretty much as good as it gets, I'm pretty pleased actually the dishes are done after dinner as well as before!
(Oops... you can see my bottle of gin on the window ledge- I truly don't drink that much!)

and Chicky Babe made vegie soup.

I glad to be relieved of my cooking duties, I really didn't want to have to do both chores tonight.

If you look closely here you can see the broccoli that Chicky Babe forgot to add to the soup. I didn't notice this until I cropped the photo for this post.

Yummmm

2010-07-24T13:54:00.004+08:00

I found this groovy blog. It's called "they draw and cook". People submit recipes with drawings. Cute. Tim has discovered recently that he is wheat intolerant so I might try to make this one - Secret Mexican Flourless Chocolate Cake.

blue room

2010-07-21T22:33:00.001+08:00

Originally uploaded by sarah kate

I am going to paint my lounge room blue. I had pretty much decided to paint the kitchen end plain white but looking at this photo has made me indecisive again. This looks nice too.

driving around with my new camera: part 2

2010-07-18T18:23:00.001+08:00

clouds near leighton
Originally uploaded by dette.k

Could not resist these clouds by the sea. Made Tim take a detour and stop by the beach to capture a few clouds. And the sea. I love all the blues.

driving about with a new camera: part 1

2010-07-16T22:08:00.004+08:00

Tim bought a new fancy camera recently, an Olympus digital SLR, now I have no excuse for bad photos apart from ignorance of how to use it. I finally downloaded the camera software onto my laptop and downloaded the photos I've taken on it over the holidays.

We went looking for an all day breakfast as we slept in very very late one day last week we headed towards Freo as Tim had a hankering to visit an op shop that had recently reopened and I wanted poached eggs on toast.

As we were too late to get breakfast at my favourite poached egg cafe we went to Hubble's Yard.

They weren't serving breakfast but they did have a lovely blue wall with the most beautifully luminescent red poinsettia we decided to continue on towards Claremont where the op shop was.

As it turned out the op shop was closer to Subiaco. Subi has for years been an upmarket trendy place to go to so I felt sure we would find somewhere nice offering all day breakfasts. We walked up and down (well actually down then up.) the main street, there was nothing.

Finally we came across this little place. They advertised freshly baked pastries etc along with all day breakfasts, so I assumed they should be able to fry an egg - that they couldn't poach one should have alerted me to possible disappointment. I asked if they could fry my eggs separately from Tim's sausages and bacon as I was allergic to it, and could I please have soft yolks.

My eggs came dripping in sausage grease without any utensils and as hard and rubbery as you could get. The waitress said they were not touching as they cooked...then when I said that the preservative in the fat that spread around the pan was enough to make me sick, she said that perhaps they had been cooked separately...they were not in the same pan... perhaps they might have been in the same pan but they definitely weren't touching. Yes she had cooked them herself and after further questioning and reiteration that it would make me ill to eat contaminated eggs she offered to cook some more and as I was by this time feeling VERY hungry I accepted. The tea looked very funky with it's unusual tea infuser. But it was tepid by the time I got it. The second lot of eggs were edible -as my Grandmother used to say 'hunger is a great sauce'.

Although we were not very lucky with regard to breakfast we were rewarded with a full rainbow that followed us almost all the way home.Hopefully it bodes well for the lotto ticket I purchased.

One ball of yarn short of a cardi

2010-07-14T20:13:00.007+08:00

This is one of my holiday projects. It is a very basic black crocheted cardigan. Unfortunately I was one ball of yarn short, so that the front band and collar are a tad too thin. When I went to Spotlight to get another ball of machine washable merino yarn in black they had none!!!!

(P.S. The alien tongue I'm sitting on is actually my foot tucked up underneath my behind! Thanks Anki for pointing that out I hadn't really noticed it I chose this photo because it was the least horrible photo of me. Now I discover I have an alien tongue foot. Thanks my dear! I should have cropped it.)However it is wearable as it is and it is deliciously warm although a little boxy and a tad on the big side. But I'm sure it will do for the job I have in mind for it. I wanted something to wear to work for those chilly days when I'm on duty but something that is not hydrophobic and can be tossed into the washing machine along with my other work clothes.

I might make it a little more fancy by adding some embroidery on the collar.

Today I ran a "Drawing with wire" workshop at Red Feather (the little shop that has sold some of my work lately.) I had a group of 7 kids.They ranged in age from 7- the little girl who did this rabbit. (With a little extra help from her mum to hold down the wire as she bent it.) To 13years- the young lad who did this worked absorbed in the wire work and thought carefully about his design creating in his words a "rustic design to go with the rustic wood that it is sitting on."

I actually enjoy these small group teaching sessions because they are purely about passing a skill on to kids and it's all about fun - no assessment, no MSB (managing student behaviour) etc. Just teaching, learning and enjoyment.

Who Stole My Tail ???

2010-07-12T15:07:00.001+08:00

#607 八色躍際 Who Stole My Tail ???
Originally uploaded by John&Fish

John&Fish have the most amazing images of birds. It is difficult to find a favourite one.

Brrrrrr...

2010-07-07T19:17:00.006+08:00

It's so cold here at the moment. My two girls looked like Sesame Street monsters rugged up in the computer room last night.

Yesterday I taught knitting to a very small group of children in a holiday workshop. There was a little boy who was 6 and two 9 year old girls. I thought it is important to show them how to cast on and cast off so we made a small square which I sewed together for them and they made little finger puppets. They added felt bits to create eyes and wings etc. They were cute but I forgot to take pictures (of the puppets not the kids!)

My Thailand inspired join as you go hexagon rug is growing slowly but has taken a back seat as I've started a crocheted cardigan in plain black machine washable 100% wool. I'm thinking of adding some embroidery on the neckline.

I'm steadily working through sorting through stuff and organising but making sure to balance it with some fun stuff too.

Today I had lunch with the girls at Hubble's Yard Cafe. Our table was in the back room and the sunshine was streaming into the room through the lovely old lead light window.
Delightful!

holiday goal

2010-07-05T16:32:00.003+08:00

I am going to spring clean my bedroom this holiday.

I'd like it to look a little like this one I found on roomenvy.

But I fear at the moment it looks more like those seen on TV news shows of neglected houses!

I've made a start and I have a huge pile of washing to do. I have found an amplifier and a bag of half eaten fairy floss - neither of these actually belong to me. I've sorted out two bags of stuff to go to good will so at the moment it looks worse than it did before! I'm afraid that that's the way it goes, it gets worse before it gets better.

I am beginning to see the wisdom of the thoughts of minimalism. Keeping only things that are useful or truly beautiful. I have difficulty throwing things away so this morning as I was waking I visualised myself trowing away or donating everything that was not absolutely necessary or lovely. I have got rid of some stuff but it was harder than I imagined and now I'm running out of enthusiasm for the job...

I'll have a little break and get back into it.

Holidays!

2010-07-02T16:13:00.000+08:00

Exhale...

Inviting and volunteering

2010-06-26T10:26:00.007+08:00

My sister has invited her husband and herself over to my house for dinner tonight. My house is a shocking mess - it always is a bit messy but I've been ill with a flu, making fancy dress costumes for Chicky Babe and her friend- I was volunteered for that too- and the dishwasher has now gone out in sympathy with the old washing machine and the vacuum cleaner! ( As I've been paying Bantam Boy's phone and giving him $500+ a month for his gap year holiday I can't afford to buy a new one of either!)

Dishes done the old fashioned way.( Added some time later!)

Must stop wasting time browsing here in blogland and get back to cleaning up the old fashioned way! I also have to shop for food and get to my last painting lesson. I didn't get any extra painting done this week and if it were not for the fact I've paid for this workshop my creative time would once again be pushed down the list.
At least having people coming over for dinner has given me motivation to start cleaning this disaster area!

Bounty bought for tonight's Thai coconut and lemongrass fish soup and Massaman chicken curry. (Two favourites from my Thailand holiday.)

P.S:

Dinner was yummy and my sister bought desert and she and hubby did the dishes after tea too so it doesn't even look like there was a dinner party. In fact I think it looks better than it did before!

Can we keep him?

2010-06-17T16:23:00.004+08:00

My painting this week. This little illustration came from my childhood memories. As a little girl I lived in Katherine in the northern territory. I remember having a cat "Tom".

I thought Tom was the most beautiful creature in the world. He was enormous and I'm sure his legs almost dragged on the ground as I carried him about lovingly- around the neck.

He was an outside cat and was never allowed into the house. Looking back with the eyes of an adult but looking through my childish eyes at mothers face as I asked if we could keep him, I suspect he must have been a stray 'moggy' that happened to wander (or maybe encouraged by the loving grip around the neck) into our yard.

To me he looked lovely but I fear he may actually have looked like the cartoon character "Old Tom"

Back in the saddle...so to speak.

2010-06-12T18:15:00.003+08:00

I started a painting class today at my local art centre. Oooh it was nice to buy some new paints, a couple of new brushes and bits and pieces and spread them out on the table with anticipation and a touch of apprehension as I always worry that I am kidding myself and I won't be able to do anything at all. ( This is what really stops me at times is a flood of self doubt.) The coffee was nice too, and the Greek shortbread was delicious. It didn't survive long enough to make it into the photo!We started wit the general 'play' of discovering what our new paints could do. This course was advertised for beginners and although I'm not really a beginner, gouache is a newish medium for me and I really needed to make time to begin painting again.Firstly our teacher asked us to draw a landscape of some sort, just off the top of our heads...Then a character that would fit in our landscape. We then came back and painted them after our 'play' session. I quite like this little sketch, it really reminds me of my cherubs when they were little...but I keep using the gouache like watercolour, I'll have to keep practicing. I find the blending of tonal gradations difficult to achieve with gouache when I use it as an opaque colour. Hmmm..I guess I've got some homework to do. Finally we used the images we had bought in to create a slightly larger piece to work on next week. I chose my daisy photograph which is something I've wanted to paint since I took this photo ages ago.

Three hours went by in that lovely dream like rich time state that seems eternal but like no time at all at the same time. I love that state that comes from being totally engaged in creating something. And it is this that is important, I need to remember to paint for myself, for the sheer delight and meditative quality of it and not give a damn if others like what I do or not.

Cat and the crow- painting

2010-06-08T15:44:00.003+08:00

Having read Rachel's post asking how mothers in particular make time for their art work I started thinking about how I usually manage to find time to do my art work. I've kind of let it slip a bit with the kids and day to day grind of work. It has been a bit too easy to find my creative time filled with other things and a little crochet to keep the creative urges suppressed.

So after reading that particular post I made a date with myself and went down to the local Art Centre and booked into a course "Illustrating with Gouache" It starts next weekend but magically after having consciously made time for it and paying for my art time, I've got my paints out and have almost finished "The Cat and the Crow- Wishing." (There are a couple more of these little illustrations to come I think.) I started this back in February!

PS: Chicky Babe thinks this reminds her of an Aesop's Fable, she's kind of right it is one of my life lessons! The good thing is as I paint it is seems less significant- No not less significant but a little less painful maybe.

Hua Hin

2010-05-29T13:53:00.003+08:00

I loved Hua Hin and I've just been looking through my photos from day 2 Hua Hin and tweaking some of them using Picasa. I read on another blog which I cant remember just of the top of my head about Picasa and how it was easy to use to straighten image and crop and upload. This is true, it is very straight forward but poxy and you cant do much with it according to Chicky Babe who favours Photo shop!
Anyway there is an option to make a slide show with the photos from your Picasa album and upload it to blogger. So I thought I'd give it a go. You guys might get sick of Thailand photos soon. Just be thankful I'm sorting through them and there is only so much time in the day to upload photos I took about 1500!!!! (Many of them not so good!!!)

Right I'll try to do the slide show thing.

Hmmmmm..... that didn't work. (I tried to past the code in the upload picture section) I'll try this...Paste it directly on where I type my post.

YAY! it worked. That was easy.

Hua Hin had a lovely seaside feel with a strong arty community. The Cicada Art Market was definitely my kind of place. I also discovered here a fantastic fabric shop with the most beautiful soft cotton fabrics- I paid $70 Australian for 3 lengths of fabric (8 meters in all).
The beach here is all rocky and with the stripy buoy on the horizon I felt like I was in a Picasso painting. The horses and brollies had me imagining I would see him and his wife strolling about enjoying the sunshine. It was not exactly like the painting but there was something in the quality of the light and the rocky beach and atmosphere that had it fixated in my head.
The Sofitel Hotel was like stepping into another time. I could imagine I was sitting on the veranda sipping tea waiting for Freddy and George to come in from playing tennis on the lawn. It really appealed to the romantic in me. I just checked out their website. The cost of their cheapest room was equivalent to three nights at the Baan Paloy where we stayed, which was lovely in it's own way and for $50 Australian per night with breakfast for both of us I can't complain!!