over the page...

the last waltz...

2012-01-11T18:23:00.002+11:00

(may take awhile to load)

...this is my 100 year old Dad dancing at his birthday bash yesterday - 10th January.. The residential care where he lives threw him a party to mark his BIG, BIG birthday... The organizers went to a lot of trouble to make it a memorable one for him... One of the surprises they had was to have a couple come in from a local dance school to do a demonstration. Dad had taught, competed and danced in exhibition ballroom dancing in his very early days so this was really special for him...At the end of their demonstration the young woman approached Dad if he would join in her in the last dance - a waltz... After an initial hesitation he managed a few steps... For a nanosecond it was as if his younger self 'stepped in' and his old body remembered its younger days...It was quite stirring watching him as he moved with her across the floor...And as you can hear in the background there was lots of encouraging clapping and cheering... A wonderful afternoon was had by all but I think a very overwhelmed and tired 100 year man wouldn't have been too long out of bed last evening...

Here is a shot of my Dad and Mum dancing... Mum would have been about 18 or 19 and Dad would have been about 22 or 23... I don't believe they were married at this stage...

This was a glamour publicity shot... Little did these two young people know what was ahead of them as they stared off into the distance....

Until later, take care

Sharon x x

...and welcome to you too..

2012-01-07T15:12:00.002+11:00

My apologies to anyone who may be still swinging past this blog - I have been very neglectful... 2011 was a year which I am glad to see disappearing into the distance - but in saying that - it is one I won't forget in a hurry... But now it is time to move on and get on with the business of life in 2012...

One thing that I managed to maintain throughout the chaos of 2011 was my reading - I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have read 35 books in total... Not a huge amount for some people but quite a few for me. I tend to have two books on the go most of the time... My bus book which is self explanatory and a bedside book, again self explanatory... Usually one is a kid's or young adult novel and the other is what ever else takes my fancy... At the moment I have so many new books calling my name it is a wonder I am not deafened by the noise...

This year I will try to do a bit more of a review on the ones that stand out... You will notice in my side bar under READ 2011 there is an asterisk against the ones that really made an impact on me one way or another... But again only my personal opinion...

One of my very favorites and one not mentioned in my sidebar was a kid's picture book called Flotsam by David Wiesner. I discovered Flotsam while I was shelving some books in the book shop where I work. I was immediately captivated by the illustrations and the largely no text format... It was one of those books that the more you look at it the more you see... Of course I just had to add it to my pile... I keep it in my sewing room and look at it often... Flotsam continually offers me inspiration so much so I hope to utilize it as as starting point when I come to make one of my crazy quilt blocks for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012 - the block - needless to say - will have an underwater theme. If you happen to come across Flotsam do your self a favor and take the time to have a look at it- you won't be disappointed... Meanwhile, watch the youtube sweetener...

Until later, take care

Sharon x x

Welcome 2012

2012-01-07T14:45:00.001+11:00

Life, I believe is like a river - it takes you on a journey... There are bends, twists and rapids that keep us alert and vigilant from sloth and complacency...It has calm and peaceful moments which offers us the stillness in which to rest, reflect and dream ...
Life, like a river - has forever changing scenery - are we constantly straining forward to see what's ahead not stopping to appreciate what is before us... Life, like a river gives us opportunities to explore, discover and grow both in strength and mind...

Where ever your 'river' takes you in 2012 may it be a journey, that it be abundant and prosperous and joyful...

Happy New Year!!

er, um...over the page...

2011-04-26T18:21:00.007+10:00

... I can make no apologies other than this whole work thing has sapped any sort of creative, blogging energy from me... But on the up side if there was to be one I have been reading more than I have in a little while - not that I am counting...

Since Santus I have read a wide array of titles but perhaps the one that has left the deepest impression has been 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins... It is categorized as YA - Young Adult fiction and I would agree - as an adult reader this book has left me thinking about the world and how we view it.

Hunger Games is a three book series... Hunger Games being the first, Catching Fire the second and Mockingjay the third and final book.

Plot synopsis of The Hunger Games courtesy of Wikipedia

The Hunger Games takes place in an unidentified future time period after the destruction of North America, in a nation known as Panem. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region Appalachia
As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol, every year one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected at random and forced to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised event in which the participants, or "tributes", must fight to the death in a dangerous outdoor arena until only one remains. The story follows fatherless 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also participating from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a boy whom Katniss knows from school and who once saved her life by giving her bread when her family was starving.
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where they meet the other tributes and are publicly displayed to the Capitol audience. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his long-time unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain audience support for the Games, which can be crucial for survival, as audience members are permitted to send gifts to favored tributes during the Games. The Games begin with eleven of the 24 tributes dying in the first day, while Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. As the games continue, the tribute death toll increases, but both Katniss and Peeta are able to evade death.
Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches for Peeta and finds him wounded. She nurses him back to health and acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the audience and, consequently, gifts from her sponsors. When the couple are finally the last two tributes, the Gamemakers suddenly reverse the rule change and try to force them into a dramatic finale where one must kill the other to win. Instead, they both threaten suicide by means of poisonous berries in hope that the Gamemakers would rather have two winners than none. It works, and both Katniss and Peeta are declared winners of the 74th Hunger Games.
Though she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned that she has now become a political target after having defied her society's authoritarian leaders so publicly. Afterwards, Peeta is heartbroken to learn that their relationship was at least partially a calculated ploy to garner sympathy from the audience, although Katniss remains unsure of her own feelings.

What did I think of it?? As I said previously it left a deep impression on my pysche. After reading it I did some internet research and found this again on Wikipedia

"Collins says that the idea for The Hunger Games came from channel surfing on the T.V. On one channel she observed people competing on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the Iraq War. The two blended together and the idea of children fighting each other to the death was formed..."

I think that the plot is brutal and yet convincing - I thought about all the reality programs that are currently aired where we the viewers sit in the comfort of our living rooms watching contestants battle it out for 'the end prize'...

The Hunger Games takes all of this a step further - these contestants are children chosen by a ballot (echoes of 1960 conscription here in Australia) to participate in a game which will see them battling it out to the death. This game is televised country wide. The Capital which is the ruling power - use the Hunger Games as a means to suppress their people making them realise that they, the Capital are the controlling force which governs their lives even taking away their children at will...

This series is very popular with YA I wouldn't like to see anyone under about fourteen read it - or though I am told that most of them play harsher computer games or watch more violent films and TV - I rest my case...

I haven't gone on to read the next two as yet - I felt like I needed a breather before I went onto the next one. I doubt very much whether I will see the proposed film when it comes out. That doesn't say I didn't like the Hunger Games or not appreciate the point Suzanne Collins was making... I thought it was well written and if perhaps it makes one person think about a larger picture then I would say she, Suzanne has done her job well... The only thing that niggles me a tad , aren't we again the 'watchers' of a violent arena and perhaps endorsing violence as entertainment - there is a very fine line drawn here...

But in saying that I think it would make an interesting text for schools and even adult book clubs would benefit from it. Would I recommend it - yes I would but I would caution the reader to the content first...

But why don't you make your own minds up and give it a read...

What am I reading now??? One book which caught my eye at the library was 'a brief history of Montmaray' written by Michelle Cooper. Again this one is written for the YA market. Again, as in the Hunger Games the main character is a sixteen year old Sophie - instead of a distant future this one opens in 1936.

Plot synopsis of 'a brief history of Montmaray' courtesy of Michelle Cooper

"I need to write down what has just happened. I need to set down the truth. If I write lies or if I write nothing at all, this journal is worthless. I must do this, in case anything happens.
All right. This is what happened tonight, every single terrible thing that I can remember . . ."

Sophie FitzOsborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray, along with her tomboy younger sister Henry, her beautiful, intellectual cousin Veronica, and Veronica's father, the completely mad King John. When Sophie receives a leather-bound journal for her sixteenth birthday, she decides to write about her day-to-day life on the island. But it is 1936 and the world is in turmoil. Does the arrival of two strangers threaten everything that Sophie holds dear?

The other book that finally won me over to start was 'Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness. This is my go to bed book and I am loving it. I wasn't sure what I thought about it when I started it but I am loving every page of it... Here, I will give you a link to go read the plot synopsis yourself...

Keep watching my sidebar for more titles as I go over the page...

Until later

S x

Sanctus ~ Simon Toyne

2011-01-30T11:45:00.003+11:00

I finished Sanctus by Simon Toyne in the wee small hours of this morning. My heart was pounding and my mouth was dry as I turned the last 50 or so pages and I felt like I had to 'brake hard' it was such a 'fast ride'. Sanctus held my attention from the very first page to the end of this roller coaster adventure. Simon's writing style is charactistic of a film maker with short sharp chapters continually changing 'scenes' to keep the reader on the edge. While I know it is a work of fiction - it did make me reflect - what if religion as we know it could have been that easy to manipulate.. What if there was another version? A version which would change the world as we know it... If you like action packed suspense with intrigue this will be the book for you. This is the first book of a trilogy - the other two will be released 2012 and 2013 respectively I can see it would very easily translate onto the big screen. Sanctus will be available in store in April...
~

Book Description - courtesy HarperCollins publishing

"REVELATION OR DEVASTATION?

The certainties of the modern world are about to be blown apart by a three thousand year-old conspiracy nurtured by blood and lies ...

A man throws himself to his death from the oldest inhabited place on the face of the earth, a mountainous citadel in the historic Turkish city of Ruin. This is no ordinary suicide but a symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is witnessed by the entire world.

But few understand it. For charity worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others in the know, it is what they have been waiting for. The cowled and secretive fanatics that live in the Citadel suspect it could mean the end of everything they have built -- and they will kill, torture and break every law to stop that.

For Liv Adamsen, New York crime reporter, it begins the next stage of a journey into the heart of her own identity.

And at that journey′s end lies a discovery that will change EVERYTHING ...
SANCTUS is an apocalyptic conspiracy thriller like no other -- it re-sets the bar for excitement and fascination, and marks the debut of a major talent in Simon Toyne."

animals! Animals! animals!

2011-01-29T20:13:00.000+11:00

..yep, that's right!!!! E and two others are having an exhibition...

Louis's big day out...

2011-01-26T20:51:00.007+11:00

Tonight E and I took Louis across to the park for a walk... A couple of others out for a walk couldn't take their eyes off us as we followed Louis around on his lead....Walking a cat is the opposite of walking a dog - you are the one that tends to 'follow' rather than 'lead'. I thought he may have been afraid as he is an indoor cat however he just loved it and we are now going to try with Matilda. She is not as placid as Louis but we hope that she works it out that the lead means 'outside'... This I believe would lower her stress level and ours. At the moment she is on supervised walks in our very tiny backyard - not at all satisfying for any of us...

A mid week pause..

2011-01-26T12:19:00.006+11:00

I know it is a variation on an old theme -but I liked it anyway... We have a collection of soft toys and who should pop up between them but our Matilda...

As I suspected once I went back to work 'normal viewing was resumed'. We are all concerned to what the future is going to bring us and we are sad that as a staff we will be flung to the four corners... As one of the younger casuals commented that despite a large age gap we all get on extremely well and there is rarely disharmony. In my time there I have seen most of these casuals tentatively approach the desk for the interview and then I have witnessed a growth and maturing as they settled into another phase of their lives when they have come to work for us I will miss 'the kids' as I call them. I appreciate listening to their views on life and I think it keeps me with at least a link to their generation.

With all the speculation about the shop closing, it has made me reflective about my work life now that there is the likelihood of it changing. While I wish I didn't have to work as much or at least not full time, I again appreciate that I do work. I don't think that my personality is the kind to stay home permanently - I find after a little while I get 'cabin fever'. I know that I need the stimulation that going out to work brings - whether it is with the work itself, talking to other people or just having a purpose for each day... While I would like to know what will be happening with the shop I am endeavouring to take it one day at a time - I guess there will be time enough for its conclusion...

I have read a couple more books Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey and Indelible Ink written by Fiona McGregor. Both great reads and I would highly recommend them... Each quite different however the central theme being about people and circumstances that they find themselves in. I am currently reading Sanctus written by Simon Toyne - it is a March 2011 release. Sanctus is the first book in a trilogy - it has been described (on the inside cover) as "an apocalyptic conspiracy thriller". I am in about 160 pages but not sure what I think so far. The chapters are only three and four pages long so that the 'landscape' is constantly changing... The characters at this point don't have very much "history" but I am sure they will develop depth as the book proceeds. This year I am trying to read more and be a little more selective as I go. It is always a bit of a trap when the reading copies come into the shop ahead of general release - you want to read them first -but I have a number of books I would like to read as well. Ahhh - so many books and so little time...

Today is Australia Day - a holiday for most people... Traditionally a day for get togethers, BBQ's and a little down time... I am taking full advantage of the mid week pause to do a little stitching, a little reading and generally be a sloth on the couch...

Take care all

S xx

Guess who...

2011-01-11T21:12:00.008+11:00

...was 99 on Monday...Not the best photo but I couldn't let the day pass to far along without sharing it... Unfortunately for my dad he was in hospital for his birthday as he had a bad chest infection towards the middle of last week... He seldom complains when he is sick so it wasn't until he collapsed that the alarm bells went off and he was shipped off to hospital where he picked up fairly quickly...

I told him yesterday he only another 365 days until he gets his letter from the Queen... That and a BIG party...

That's him tucking into an 'iced coffee' which in his words was "bewt"

Until later please take care - especially those of you in Queensland flood affected areas - you are in my thoughts and prayers...

S xx

Sacred Hearts

2011-01-08T17:23:00.008+11:00

Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant has sat on my stack beside the bed for quite some time... I think I bought it not long after it came out so that will tell you something...

Since I have decided that I would like to lessen the chance of being buried alive I have made myself a promise that I shall try and read as many of them as possible...

Sacred Hearts, as you can see from the cover illustration, is about nuns - I have a thing about nuns - their whole lifestyle fascinates me (left overs from a past life, I presume) so of course the cover 'spoke' to me straight away...

Sarah Dunant has spent some time researching convent life in the 16th Century when the Roman Church was feeling the winds of change blowing...

Within the microcosm of the convent walls the internal politics reflect what is going on in religious world outside. Convents are struggling to maintain some autonomy as the Church Reformation threatens to make them even more closed to the world than they already are.

Inside the convent Santa Caterina, there is a faction who believe that the convent lacks sufficient discipline and that godliness has been replaced with other activities that while beneficial to those within the walls detract from the devoutness. They welcome the changes that are already being implemented in other Orders across Italy. The abbess, Madonna Chiara is astute enough to realise that they can only forestall change for a while. In the meantime she has to be sure that what goes on within her walls doesn't leave them.

During this time many young women who were considered not marriageable were committed to the convent by their families. In fact the convents depended on these young women joining their ranks so that the convent could remain viable. This was made possible through the donations from the families. Whilst most young women accepted their fate there was those who resisted becoming 'brides of Christ' and rebelled against their confinement.

We join the story when one such young woman, Serafina, arrives at the Santa Caterina's doors and sets in motion a chain of events that will shake the convent to its centre.

I am probably not even scratching the surface of the story but I can tell you I have been thoroughly committed 'behind the convent walls' for its 400 plus pages... As I paused for a moment and marvelled that there are those people who have such a way with words and can weave a story that is totally mesmerizing - storytelling at its best...

It took me a little while to "come down" from Sacred Hearts but because I have borrowed my next book from the library I have made myself settle down to it. It is Indelible Ink by Australian writer Fiona McGregor... I have heard mixed reviews about this one but because the main character and I are nearly the same age that in itself interested me...

I have just loved these holidays - lots of reading, some stitching, some catching up with people, lots of sleeping. Just having a different pace to life - time to think and catch my breath - I feel so much better -shame it will all be ending soon...

Until later, back to page turning

S xx

The Third Day of the New Year...

2011-01-03T18:39:00.006+11:00

Today I got confirmation of what I have been expecting to hear for weeks now. The book shop which I work for is to be sold. The book trade universally has been taking quite a beating – books can be sourced from so many different places and in so many ways that one no longer has to rely on the bricks and mortar shop front to buy from. Our Christmas trade was way down – not only for us in the book trade but across the board – retailers were slogging it out trying to catch the eye as well as the dollar of the paying public – hence the mad sales that were evident leading up to Christmas and beyond.

The book industry however has been doing it tough for a number of reasons and as booksellers we could see the writing on the wall as the one shop after another faltered. Even one largish book chain is rumoured to be in deep trouble...

Our store is part of a franchise which means although it comes under a larger banner it is privately owned – in essence- much like your corner milk bar. Our boss while he was optimistic initially that we could ride it out, has seen disappointing sales put an end to that. Try as we might we cannot compete ultimately with overseas online companies which can deliver books to your door in some cases with free delivery and at a much cheaper price... Nor can we compete with the department chain stores that sell their books at a loss primarily because they know that once over their threshold you will more than likely buy another unrelated product. And let us not forget the ipad, e-readers and other book delivering devices. These hold x amount of books are more convenient than bookshelves and according to their fans are "just, more well... more convenient!!!" Let's hope the power doesn't go out for any length of time or they drop it in the bath...

Ironic really, we hear so much about creating customer loyalty, achieving excellent customer service etc but when push comes to shove no one is really all that interested in how well we do our job and what our knowledge base is - as long as we do it the cheapest price...

How do I feel? Sad for the most part – our boss had a dream and it has evaporated – not because he wasn’t delivering an excellent product or that he didn’t have the support and expertise of a great staff but he was the casualty of a greater war and sometimes one has to know when it is time to walk away.

What is the future? For me it is unknown – I guess we are all hoping that someone will step forward and take over the ownership – if that doesn’t happen then it will be only a matter of time before the doors close...

The publishing/book industry I believe is undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts. Yes, I believe that books will survive - whether bookshops in their current form do - is debatable. My wish is that somehow, that somewhere in the future a child will take delight in a real book - (one that has a cover that opens, pages to turn and a smell that only a new book has) which was recommended by a person who too delighted reading it as a child and works in a bookshop because of that love, the adventure and pleasure that books and reading brings...

On the SECOND day AFTER Christmas...

2010-12-27T17:59:00.009+11:00

Today was the day I promised myself all through those l-o-n-g pre Christmas customer service days. My oasis - after the rush of Christmas - a day in bed! It was to be my day of unapologetic sloth.The weather even obliged me - grey and chilly not an inducement for me to leave my cosy nest. As I arranged the pillows around me and wiggled further under the doona I thought this is just Bliss with a capital B!!!!

I took the opportunity to do my next favorite thing - read.. What did I read I hear you ask - "Her Fearful Symmetry" written by Audrey Niffenegger. I found it at the library a couple of weeks ago when I was there. I wasn't sure that I would like it as it had had mixed reviews from a couple of people who had read it - but surprisingly I did... Left me with a bit of an odd unsettled feeling though - not unlike wisps of a dream which curl around long after you wake up... I haven't read any other of Audrey Niffenegger's work - her most famous being "The Time Traveller's Wife" so I couldn't make a comparison. However I genuinely liked her characters - they were well drawn - peculiarities and all which I guess in turn makes them more believable. Perhaps the ones who touched me the most was Martin and his wife Marijke and of course Robert Fanshaw and Valentina Poole.

The plot is essentially about love, loss, the striving for identity and family secrets with a ghost as the pivotal character... The backdrop is London and the immediate surroundings of the story is the famous Highgate Cemetery. Worth a read if you are looking for something a little different...

One of my 2011 resolutions is to try and do a little more of what I have done today - I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. Now I'm off to have a look through the pile of books beside the bed and choose another one... There are two which are equal contenders with a third following close. My goal was to read three books before I went to work - one down, two to go...

S xx

...it's starting...

2010-12-12T22:13:00.004+11:00

... to feel like Christmas... Every year it seems to take me longer and longer to get into the spirit of things... I don't know why it is perhaps because I work in retail and we always seem to be way ahead... At the moment I am being shown books for Easter and Mother's Day by the reps... No wonder I always feel a little confused at to what part of the year I'm in... At the moment I can hardly wait until it is over and I can get down to the job of just being slothful for a few days and catching my breath... I can feel the end coming to my bookselling days and I wonder what Life has in store for me next... I wish I could just stay at home for a little while and 'play house'... But unless I win lotto that is not likely to happen any time soon...

But I digress...

Today I got the Chrsitmas pudding made - a new recipe and a new slow cooker so I am crossing my fingers that all is well and by the morning I shall have a great tasting pudding... I had priced some - puddings that is - and I was very tempted to just buy one but in some mad way I feel like I am 'letting the side down' by not making one. P is going to make his special vanilla icecream and I was thinking about an old recipe of a chocolate mousse I used to make... We are thinking just simple home cooked roast chickens with perhaps some ham and roast veggies or a salad if it is warm...

We are aiming at a simple Christmas this year - just enough food with a little left over for Boxing Day and a present under the tree (or in the absense of it - in the space where it should be) for every one to feel that they have been thought of...

What do I want this year... I can't actually think of anything... I have enough books and needlework to keep me well and truely occupied for a very long time and there isn't anything I actually need...

I know I am making it hard for P and E as to suggestions on what they might get me but I am wracking my brain to think of anything at the moment... I am hoping inspiration will hit me soon...

I am not one for buying DVDs once I have seen something that is enough... However yesterday I sat for probably close to four hours totally enthralled watching the first couple of discs in the series the House of Eliott... I absolutely loved it - apparently made about 16 years ago - it had a huge following - I can understand why it is well put together and for anyone interested in that era it makes for compelling watching... Worth a look if you haven't seen it...

Well, time for me to head off to bed before it starts all over again tomorrow...

** P and I had a laugh earlier on - we have just managed to start the last block of chocolate we received last Christmas - the space in the fridge is clear - just in time for a refill!!!!

Sharon x

...where to start...

2010-12-04T09:57:00.006+11:00

... perhaps I will just pick up the thread anywhere so bear with me...It may take a few posts to get up to speed...

As you can see by my previous post we have had a death in the family... He was my ex-husband's brother and as with all marriage breakups, parts of family are inevitably lost to either one side or the other. It was still a shock to hear how he became so very ill and see that once fit, healthy man go down hill as quickly as he did...He had just turned 62 - still in the prime of his life and looking forward to retiring... If anything, his death has made me once again look at my own life and appreciate it - swearing not to flitter it away on the trivial and unimportant...

While we were still in recovery mode from J's death, my eldest daughter's beloved cat Toshi also went to meet his maker... He had been ailing for a little while but deteriorated quite quickly and passed away on Thursday...

This is a (not very good photo) of Tosh doing his second favorite thing - sleeping... The first favorite being eating...

Rest in peace in your favorite part of the garden Tosh...

More later

A Sad Farewell..

2010-11-28T20:09:00.004+11:00

John Philip Hunting 1948 - 2010

May you rest in peace...

...taking time to smell the roses...

2010-11-20T17:29:00.002+11:00

These roses are on my way to the bus stop I go to each morning I can't help but be hypnotised at their simple beauty... Especially as some of them are almost forgotten in the midst of a neglected garden...

as always...

S X

again a new beginning...

2010-11-14T00:29:00.004+11:00

...after a couple of false starts I am ready to try again... My plan is to start with one post a week and slowly build on it... I realise that I have been missing in action for quite awhile now and what with one thing and another life here has been interesting to say the least...

2010 has flitted past like a dragonfly and moments of stillness for reflection have been few and far between... P and my trip to Tasmania was so far the highlight of this year we just loved it... We have tentatively made plans to go back again in 2011... But as P says "As you make plans God laughs.." So whether we actually get back there remains to be seen...

As I look back from this point in the year I think for a moment of L who lost her fight with ovarian cancer - her death having a far greater an impact on me than I care to admit...The continual loss I feel for a friend. One never realises just how precious relationships are until they are threatened or broken. Family conflict too has been another major bump in the road with resolutions for recovery still far from resolved. My health has been questionable this year with me just not feeling myself at all... I am unsure where this particular road is leading. Now watching my brother-in-law facing a life or death struggle, one wonders what Life is indeed about. Work life for me has been one of constant upheaval as the particular industry I am in is under constant battery... I wonder if in fact I shall have employment this time next year...

As of my birthday in September I have entered a Year One in numerology terms... Year Ones are a time of new beginnings - starting out - new projects etc... I have been known to do quite extraordinary things in these phases of my life... But so far nothing has indicated that Life will go on any other way than the way it has... While I don't live my life by the numbers I have an open mind to their relationship with us... I do believe ther is more on offer than we tend to see or believe.

Later on today I am trying something new - a workshop on the Introduction to Botanical Art... It has been something which has always 'sparked my imagination' so to speak and E gave me the workshop as a present last birthday. I am a little nervous about it but I keep reminding myself that it will be good to try something new... I feel like a little kid with my new pencils and paints and a fresh new sketch book..

Well time to head off to bed... Until later...

S x

2010-11-14T00:09:00.001+11:00

Another new look...

2010-07-19T07:06:00.003+10:00

I just love this new blog template - it is just what I have been looking for... It inspires me to do more and I am hoping that my time away will motivate me to start some things which I have relegated to the back burner...

Am I boring you...

2010-07-12T18:24:00.004+10:00

... but isn't he cute...

Yet...

2010-07-10T10:58:00.000+10:00

...another photo...

G...

2010-07-05T22:32:00.002+10:00

for you - the new face at the dinner table ... Meet the 'new kid' - Louis - E's new mate...

A new name...

2010-04-26T18:34:00.006+10:00

You who still visit here will now notice a new name... I have been musing for quite some time to change the name... I believe both I and the blog have outgrown 'Beyond...' I initially started 'Beyond' for a couple of reasons of which really don't matter now... However I would like to think I in some ways achieved what I needed to...

Why 'A Variegated Thread' ?? I love variegated thread and I use it a bit in my embroidery I love the unexpectedness of it - it can change within a few stitches - changing the look and sometimes the tone of the piece. The meaning of the word variegate suggests change the appearance of, especially by marking with different colors... Of course the word thread applies both to embroidery and in this case to words...

I have always seen words 'in colour'. I understand the power of words and that they can to change the appearance of a story, a message, a passage of writing - they can alter it abruptly or subtly - they can take you on a journey or 'show' you something... Words can persude you, elate you, anger you or simply offer an explanation..

This is what I hope to do with A Variegated Thread - offer differences, so you the reader won't know what to expect - sometimes reflection, or a rant, or maybe just an image which moves me... Sometimes I will talk about my life on this side of the screen, or a book which has caught my eye perhaps a tit bit of conversation I have overheard...

Whatever it is I bring it to you and I hope you will enjoy it...

Until next time...

S

Look who's here...

2010-04-25T16:49:00.003+10:00

She looks innocent doesn't she???

2010

2010-02-21T17:36:00.006+11:00

It's time for a change... Beyond the blank page...

Season Greetings

2009-12-22T21:50:00.004+11:00

I would like to wish You and Yours a Very Merry Christmas and an Extremely Safe and Happy New Year... May 2010 be all that you wish it to be.... See you all in 2010!!!!

Saturday - Warrandyte

2009-12-07T09:34:00.011+11:00

P and I went to Warrandyte on Saturday... We walked beside the river enjoying the sunshine and the silence... I took these photos on my phone so the picture quality isn't great but I guess you will get the general feeling...

If you look closely at picture three you will see a dog's head above the water line - its human companion was throwing a stick into the water and the dog was chasing and fetching it - apparently a daily game...

Working in retail through the week - especially at this time of year - it is nice to go somewhere which is relatively quiet... As I get older I am finding I yearn to be somewhere peaceful and slower...

Where are you...

2009-11-29T11:00:00.003+11:00

...I am looking high...

...and low for you...

...ah, there you are...

...you know I will always find you...

and just for that I will give you a 'kiss'...

Our cat Matilda has for reasons best know to herself has taken a liking to these two small bears - she will hunt them out if we move them and carries them off like a mother cat carries her kittens.. We will come home to find these two in all sorts of places...

She also has a little striped mouse which regularly gets a beating - we often find it on our bed - perhaps as an offering... P says he can only imagine what she would bring home to us if she was an outside cat...

Storm Damage...

2009-11-29T09:22:00.008+11:00

We had a storm in Melbourne last Thursday... It created havoc and damage in a number of suburbs including ours...We sustained a minor inconvenience when our kitchen began 'raining' on the inside but it was nothing that couldn't be swept up or dried out - most of my cook books got some sort of water damage as they were directly under 'the shower'. P laid them all out across the floor and most since have dried out... We also had some guttering which came away from the roof on the other side of the house - we think a combination of the wind and the sheer volume and weight of water was enough for it - the guttering - to give way... Nothing which can't be fixed...

However we live directly across the road from a pocket handkerchief park which as you can see from the photos felt the fury of the elements - some of these trees are quite big and thankfully there was no one in the park at the time as at its centre there is a children's play area... I have chosen a few to show you but really the photos don't do the size of the branches justice...

The third and fourth photo shows how fickle fate can be and in this case for the better - this tree is very close to a main road which from about the time of the storm would have been very busy traffic wise from a number of local schools - if the wind had of taken these branches out across the road there would have been traffic problems - at the very least... If you look closely you can see some SEC tape around it which means it had been attended to as best as possible during the storm...

I am sure some of these trees will have to be cut down as they lost major branches which would make them more vulnerable to future wind and torrential rain... Such a shame as they are beautiful and I never tire watching them as the light dances across their leaves as they move in the breeze...

Dragon in a Wagon

2009-11-24T21:41:00.002+11:00

This is one of E's latest - I don't know whose face I love most....

2012 & a spider's web...

2009-11-15T08:10:00.014+11:00

2012 Official Movie trailer
Uploaded by pannuzzio. - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.

We went to see the movie 2012 today. For those of you who don't know about it, the premise is based around the Mayan calendar which suggests that life on this planet is about to change come 21/12/2012 . Basically it predicts the end of the world as we know it - in the movie's tell it is in the worst possible way. There is the usual plot line - discovery of a catastrophe, estranged family, political conspiracies, a race against time, the chosen few (mainly those with billions of euros) who are going to be saved in luxury type 'Arks' and the human moral conscience. Lots of special effects and some little predictable bits - watch closely where the crack travels on the painting of God's finger touching Man - P and I picked up a few little 'mistakes' - that I guess if you are making a film about the end of the world you can afford to be liberal here and there...

I am not sure how I felt when the movie finished. Do I believe it - about the end of the world - not sure to be honest... I would like to think that it is all mythology but I do have this niggling doubt - for too long we have been too complacent about the damage we are doing to this planet - while it is suggested that this time around the Earth's destruction is based on a planetary aliment rather than man made tampering I am still not convinced. The human race as a whole does a lot more 'taking' than 'giving' and as I write this I am less sure - we - the human race - are invincible - that is truly a myth. What do we do now? I guess the trick is to keep going - if it is going to happen whether it be 2012 or tomorrow - we have to keep moving forward with perhaps a little more stillness at times and an appreciation for the 'finer' things in life - hence my very bad photo of this morning's find in the garden...

An Echo in the Bone...

2009-11-15T08:02:00.004+11:00

We had a surprise visitor into the shop today - Diana Gabaldon. She would be one of my favorite authors and I have followed her characters - Claire and Jamie - throughout their adventures over the last 17 years or so...

Cross Stitch was the first book in Diana's Outlander series, it was followed by Dragonfly In Amber, Voyager, The Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes and lastly - but I believe NOT the last - An Echo in the Bone...

From the first page in Cross Stitch I was transported into the lives of Claire and Jamie - theirs is an unlikely love story, set against a backdrop of Jacobite Scotland.

I remember standing in a bookshop around about 1992 reading these opening lines from Cross Stitch...

" People disappear all the time. Ask any policeman. Better yet, ask a journalist. Disappearances are bread and butter to journalists.
Young girls run away from home. Young children stray from their parents and are never seen again. Housewives reach the end of their tether and take the grocery money and a taxi to the station. International financiers change their names and vanish into the smoke of imported cigars.
Many of the lost will be found, eventually, dead or alive. Disapperances, after all have explanations.
Usually."

... and from that moment been hooked. Little did I know then that I would be reading the seventh book in 2009...

I must admit that I was excited at meeting the woman whose writing has kept me entertained all of those years. Diana was both charming and patient, posing for photos and signing copies of her series in the short time she was with us. And guess what? I have my own personally signed copy!!!!!!

Oh no... Not more books!!!!!!!

2009-10-18T12:45:00.011+11:00

...yep, of course there is... What does a retail book seller do on their day off??? Go to the Oxfam second hand book sale of course... Met G there she was also looking to extend her library... Did I buy any? Of course I did...

But for once I bought less than P - he bought way more....

G..

2009-10-11T14:04:00.009+11:00

...this one for you... *Back story* for those interested - about a month ago my great niece R who is a volunteer rescuer for a wild life organization was coming for dinner when she responded to a call for assistance. When she arrived at our house she had this tiny ring tail possum which had got separated from its Mum... In actual fact the woman who rang R said to her that it was found clinging to their cat who was looking very nonplussed about the whole thing... R took it to the vet to see if it was ok and once she got the all clear was to take it to a woman who rears orphans and then releases them back into the wild... However this night the woman couldn't help and asked R could she keep it overnight until other arrangements could be made... R looked forward to a night of broken sleep as the little one had to be kept warm and fed... This was taken just as R was about to feed it... The esimated age of the wee thing was about three weeks... E named her 'Flo'... Just as well R works as a vet assistant as she took 'Flo' to work with her next day...UPDATE (when last we heard) - Flo has thrived under care and will be released back to the wild when she is old enough..

It's all too much...

2009-10-03T20:12:00.003+10:00

I saw this today in Lincraft - too, too b***dy soon... Daylight savings and Christmas paraphernalia - it's doing my head in...

My escape route...

2009-09-27T11:39:00.018+10:00

has been through reading these books - The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. They are absorbing -not only my time - but capturing and exciting my imagination... They are the first books in a very long time which I feel passionate about... Working in a book store I tend to see books come and go - I am not suggesting for a minute that there are not piles and piles of wonderful books both classics and new - however my reading had waned a little and I kept thinking to myself that I wanted a book or series of books I could escape in - my thoughts were heard apparently and these are they... The first one - The Alchemyst - has been out for a couple of years it seems - the next one - The Magician - came out last year and then - The Sorceress - was released just recently... I have read the three of them in about three weeks - one night with my book light flickering in the darkness until about 2am... What do I like about them? Michael Scott - the author - has creatively used world events, characters created from people who lived, plus he has drawn on myths and legends to weave a age old story of good versus evil, a quest,a coming of age, a getting of wisdom, and perhaps even an love story...

People have asked me what I would liken it to - while it deals with some alchemy and magic - it isn't Harry Potter, and while there is a vampire or two - it is a very long way from the Twilight series... "Oh," you say "it is written for young people then." Yes it is but please don't let that deter you - it is well constructed, well written, action packed with the occasionally twist thrown in for good measure plus a host of wonderful characters - both good and bad... A good book - in my opinion - is like a good meal - delicious - and these books in my opinion are top of the 'menu'...

The only downside is that there is another three in the series each to be released in the next three years... I will probably re read the first three again in anticipation for the fourth book - The Necromancer- later in the year...

Go on I dare you - read The Alchemyst - I know you want to :) !!!!

** There is a suggestion on one of the sites that there is a film coming - not sure how I feel about that - I just hope they do it well...

Personal Year Nine

2009-09-17T18:17:00.007+10:00

Today is the first day of my personal nine year... Looking back on past 'nine years' they have always been interesting... The Hermit in tarot is the card that reflects the passage of the nine year best...

Just to say...

2009-06-27T15:58:00.002+10:00

.. I am going to take a break - between my back condition and the house been burgled late last week - blogging is the last thing on my mind...

Until my peace of mind returns...

Sharon xxx

Easter Monday...

2009-04-13T17:15:00.016+10:00

Today when the sun was high in the sky P and I decided that a drive was in order - we pointed the car south and away we went. About half an hours drive from our front door- was Mordialloc - a bayside suburb of Melbourne... We had some lunch at one of the local cafes and then went for a walk to the beach and along the pier - it was lovely in the autumn sun and there were a lot of people taking advantage of the last day of the Easter break...

Here are some reflections of the afternoon from through the lens...

The sun sparkling on the waters edge...

...made me want to paddle.

While others set their course for open water...

... some simply strolled in the afternoon sun...

...or walked along the pier...

Others bravely thought about one last swim for the season...

... and there were those whose mind turned to a fresh fish dinner.

One took a break from cycling...

and a kite sailed against a watercolour sky...

Meanwhile a man 'builds' a boat from his palette...

... its image 'moored' on his canvas...

And this man brought the World Wide Web to his own corner of the universe...

....while we make our way home - the afternoon sun makes patterns - across the floor...

Our Matilda...

2009-03-04T20:31:00.005+11:00

On the weekend P & I could hear lots of thumping and bumping around in the next room... P went to have a look and he came back grinning and I followed him out into the hall and looked in the direction he was pointing... There she was - playing in the hand basin in the bathroom - she breaks all the house rules... Our Matilda is a bit of free spirit...

Beyond belief...

2009-02-08T20:06:00.010+11:00

... the weekend has been one of heartbreak here in Victoria - with our hottest day recorded since records began - and one of devastation caused by bushfires...

Words fail me as I write this - I have spent the day trying to get my head around such a truly awful tragedy - again as I write the current death toll is 65 76 people with a rise in in the number expected... There has been approximately ~~600~~ 640 houses burnt to the ground and one historic town - Marysville - completely destroyed...

I think what gets to me is that some of these places are within an hour or two drive from here - a nice little drive on a Sunday - in fact we were due to go out to lunch today to a pub which as it turned out was not far from one of the fire fronts - of course we didn't go and I doubt very much whether it stayed open for very long...

I cannot begin to imagine what it was like for people who woke up yesterday morning probably starting out their weekend as they normally did knowing that the day was going to be an 'over the top scorcher' - they would have been mindful of a bushfire threat - most people who choose to live in these semi rural communities have fire plans... Ironically I was speaking to a customer on Wednesday who lives out St Andrews way about her bushfire plan - today I wondered if she was one of the ones who needed to put it into action... But by the end of yesterday some of those people had died and many, many more would be homeless...

The day was hot from the word go 30C by nine in the morning and steadily rising throughout the day peaking at 46.7 at about 4pm before a cool change in the early evening... The problem was that yesterday was a dry heat which was accompanied by a very strong wind... While the firefighters were expecting some outbreaks - things had been under control to this point -they possibly weren't expecting - or perhaps were praying that the firebugs wouldn't be out today... But their prayers weren't answered and someone(s) set about lighting fires which aided by the heat and wind quickly turned into an fast moving inferno - impossible to catch let alone contain...

Unfortunately there were not enough fire fighters or units to be everywhere and people in the more isolated areas had to fend for themselves - they had to decide whether to stay and try and save their homes or flee - unfortunately for some it was already too late no matter what plan they had in place...

As I hear the updates there is more disturbing news... One of Melbourne best known news readers is missing - feared dead - his wife's body has been found and one can only presume he has died too...

I can't write any more - it is too distressing... I sit here and wonder if there is something I could do to help - even in a small way...

'NEIGHBOURS' in the neighbourhood...

2009-02-01T08:01:00.030+11:00

If you have never heard or not a fan of 'Neighbours' this post will be of no interest to you... But if you have't ever heard of 'Neighbours' I will have to wonder where you have been for the couple of decades...

A couple of weeks ago we received a letter from FremantleMedia informing us that one of our neighbours had agreed to their property being used as a location shoot for the popular TV soap 'Neighbours'... This - it said - would be Tuesday 27th Jan - the day after the Australia Day weekend. At that point the exact property was not disclosed...I guess we were all a little intrigued to who owned the 'Neighbours" house - even Matilda - our new kitten- kept watch for clues...

We all tried to guess which house was the likely candidate and had agreed that there was a possibility of two - one - two doors down and the other - more or less directly opposite us - our street isn't a neighbourly sort of street so we just had to wait and see which neighbour was a Neighbour...

Love it or hate it most people would agree that 'Neighbours' has been an iconic Australian series that has opened us up to an overseas viewing market - I won't go in to its history but rather provide a link to its homepage here .

But back to our street 'invasion'... Tuesday morning dawned with the promise of an extremely hot day - the first of nearly a week of 40+ Celsius days (113 degrees in the old measure) ...Initially the street was as quiet as it usual is at that time but about 7am it became a hive of activity- there were people in fluro vests 'directing traffic' so to speak - trucks and cars rolled up furniture was unloaded - and there many and various people wearing headsets, carrying clipboards and lugging all sorts of things down the street passed our place...

The house in question was the one nearly opposite - so we had a ringside seat to the proceedings... But as they say one picture tells a thousand words so here are a few my daughter shot literally from our front gate...

The three actor/characters filming that day were Scott Major/Lucas Fitzgerald -Stefan Dennis /Paul Robinson -Pippa Black/Elle Robinson & not to forget the extras - a group of children who played a group of children at a mockup school crossing...

We rang a family member who is a fan and she sat on the front fence enthralled that the action was happening right in front of her - I later realised that this series had begun a couple of years before she was born.

I remember the very early days of it and how the critics bagged it suggesting it wouldn't last... So here it is in its 24th year -numerous awards - many celebrated actors breaking into 'the business' via 'Neighbours'... Kylie Mignoe and Jason Donavon - two of the most celebrated... I often giggle when I see re-runs of their wedding - it was the church I had been married in 13 years prior...

Even with the soaring heating E said they went through the same scene again and again until it was perfected - the not so glamorous side to acting... At a guess, for all the footage which was shot, only a few minutes, if that, will be seen by the time it has been edited... We rarely watch Neighbours but I am sure that we will tune in to see 'our street' when the episodes go to air...

Of course there were lots of fans who came to do what we were doing - watch the action - E said that everyone without exception amongst the cast and crew were extremely patient and posed for photos and signed autographs...

I missed most of the excitement as I was at work - but as I was leaving home the location manager was walking passed and we had a bit of a chat - he seemed a nice guy who was genuinely concerned about disruption to our privacy...

E commented that once again she met our neighbours - the last time being five years ago when we had a 'one in a 100 year' storm which 'drowned' the park opposite us - turning it into a lake, submerged cars and flooded homes and surrounding roads - we were all out in the street about 3am inspecting the damage... As you can tell we aren't too neighbourly - a direct contrast to the series - where everyone knows everyone...

Around about 1pm filming finished and within a short time the street returned back to a quiet backstreet... But... they are to return at a later date to do some more filming - so once again we will become 'Neighbours'...

Relaxed enough...

2009-01-17T21:50:00.003+11:00

I just couldn't resist when I saw Matilda stretched out on our bed after a heavy day of playing... Even when the flash went off she could barely raise an eyelid let alone anything else... She has become so much bigger - more cat defined and less of a kitten - she will be three months old in a couple of days and we will have had her for a month...

She can be a 'wild child' when she really gets going - but P and I wouldn't have her any other way...

Last day...

2009-01-11T17:23:00.007+11:00

... of my holidays today... A couple of days ago when we went up to Yea we stopped for coffee and cake... P and I both had what the cafe called bloodplum sponge slice...

Today I made my own version - perhaps not as classy looking as theirs - but tasted pretty damn good according to P - remembering I haven't got a sense of taste - I have to go by what he tells me - but then again he might be biased...

And of course an updated photo of the 'new addition' - known as - Matilda -or 'Tilda or Tilly or 'that damn cat - just wait until...' She has grown, well, like a kitten does - she is longer in the body and has quite long legs and of the last couple of weeks has learnt to put her ears back if something doesn't please her and swish her tail - to her own astonishment (and our amusement) when she chases it round and round... She can now leap most things at a single bound as she gets stronger and stronger... Her most endearing quality is her purr which is still much bigger than she is - although we have come to dread hearing it when we are lying in bed in the morning - as it usual means 'I'm WIDE awake and up for a play - coming ready or not' - she pounces on protruding body parts - fingers and toes being the most at risk - especially when you are half awake. I said to P the other morning as we heard her coming - her purr is like the music from the film Jaws - making you aware that danger is lurking and ready to strike...

The world is her plaything and she takes full advantage of it. While she hasn't lessened the pain of us losing our beloved Edith - our hearts are learning how to love again...

97 today...

2009-01-10T21:15:00.009+11:00

Today was my father's 97th birthday...

We took him here for lunch...

My eldest daughter M...

Later at home we had cake...
And a glass of sweet wine...

E - my youngest daughter - painted this last year...

Today...

2009-01-08T22:03:00.001+11:00

...P and I took a drive out to SugarLoaf Reservoir... As much as I hear how short of water we are it really gave me a reality check to see how low this particular reservoir is...

We took these shots as went on one of the walks to the dam wall... You can see where the water level should be and of course where it is... It was a sobering picture...

But on the way back to the car we were lucky enough to see those who had been watching us...

We had gone out on the spur of the moment and had not thought about lunch etc - next time we are coming back armed with provisions and perhaps our books or for me my stitching- it was so lovely and quiet...

We then drove on to Yea and along the way saw the controversial pipeline - I am at a loss to know what to think - when I saw the trees felled and land cleared to make way for this massive project I wondered if we aren't making a bad situation worse... Yes I am the first to agree we desperately need the water and the time frame is past critical - but it saddens me nonetheless to see what we are doing... Surely the water levels were well and truly monitored and the effects of this drought were anticipated long before it got to this stage... It just didn't happen overnight... I just hope we don't regret this move somewhere in the not to distant future...

This land and all its creatures are equally important....

And so this is...

2009-01-05T09:31:00.004+11:00

2009. Well, the lights have ceased to twinkle, the Christmas tree is 'naked' and down, the last crumbs of the Christmas cooking have been swept away and I heard on the news that Easter eggs are already appearing in some supermarkets along with their counterparts hot cross buns - no wonder we have such little regard for our religious icons - they are pushed way into the background from the almighty god - commercialism...

I am not a religious person by any measure but it does make me cross to see such a blatant disregard and to justify this early appearance of Easter by saying that the PP (paying public) demand it!!!! What a load of rubbish!!!!! Ok, I will get down off my soapbox now...

I would like to wish my readers a very belated Happy New Year - may it be safe and prosperous for you... May your resolutions be achievable, your horizons broad and your challenges surmountable... Take care all...

G & K

2008-12-28T23:01:00.003+11:00

G and K have a great backyard with towering gum trees which provide dabbled shady for the yard... However they needed a little more shade down the side of the house where they entertain and so they asked us if we wouldn't mind helping them with their gazebo... It was one of those advertised two man jobs that take at least four people...

But we got to reap the rewards for our effort with a lovely BBQ lunch, a sit in the shade and conversation with two beaut hosts... A lovely afternoon all round...

P caught a couple of G & K 's other guests - on film - they show up regularly for tit bits which are left out for them to nibble...

Images of Christmas

2008-12-25T11:02:00.009+11:00

From the Christmas table , to the gifts under the tree, to the Christmas decorations hidden within the branches, to the twinkling lights these are the magical moments of Christmas.... The quiet hush caught between the frantic moments in which to reflect the true meaning of this day and the celebration of family and friends as we sit down to share a communal meal... May this day be special to you and yours - Merry Christmas....

THE new addition...

2008-12-18T07:17:00.008+11:00

Well here are the photos I promised if 'she' held still long enough... She was out like a light when these were taken - not 10 minutes before she had been racing around the house like a loon... As P said it makes him tired just watching her...

I never realised how much I missed our Edith until this little bombshell hit the home front - not sure of a name yet so she is just 'kitten'... She has made herself completely at home and the three are now four again all 'glued' together by this little scrap of fur...

Christmas addition...

2008-12-17T07:10:00.002+11:00

We have a new 'face' at our house - a photo when she holds still long enough...

Its starting to smell...

2008-12-14T17:34:00.007+11:00

... alot like Christmas - or so I am told. Having very, very little to no sense of smell or taste - I miss out on all the good things. In the last week we (or should I say ) P has put up the Christmas tree - a real one this year... As usually he has done a great job - more patience than I have - it took about three nights but it is done and twinkling... I am told it smells lovely...

Today I baked my almond crescents and found a suitable hiding place - otherwise they wouldn't last until the end of the week let alone Christmas Day... They too apparently smelt wonderful as they were cooking. I, well P mainly, made rum balls - those I have frozen to ensure that they too will survive until Christmas week... I believe that they taste delicious.

I hope to make a boiled fruit cake as my Christmas cake on Thursday - this year I am buying my mince pies and I still have a homemade Christmas pudding in the fridge since last year - fortified with more alcohol than I care to think about every couple of months - so I am nearly set... I would like to make a couple of other things but this week the shop is opening earlier and Thursday and Friday night closing at 10pm. We closed at 10pm last Friday night too and I was shattered - my body was telling me it was bedtime and there were people were still trying to decide what to buy at 9.50 - gimme me a break - the staff do want to go home before dawn... Thank goodness I had the weekend off....

We are having our family Christmas Day next Sunday as M &D are spending this Christmas with his family interstate - so hence I am thinking nearly a week ahead... Still on Christmas Day we will have a relaxing day just lolling about maybe joined by one friend... I think after the three trading days beforehand it will be a bit of an anti -climax really and I may just want to sleep the whole day away...

Boasting...

2008-12-03T19:31:00.005+11:00

How time flies... It seemed just yesterday when E started her course at the CAE in the city - Last night was the final exhibition of her class - two and a half years later... We were all thrilled when her two biggest paintings sold... A glimpse of some of her work - and the artist herself...

sharonb alert

2008-11-16T10:39:00.005+11:00

sharonb -in a minute ago blog - stitchin fingers creator, embroidery and crazy quilter extraordinaire - has moved her blog. The new addy is http://www.pintangle.com/

KitchenPoetry :: 7

2008-11-13T20:02:00.004+11:00

Three days late - but here it is - this was painted for me a very long time ago - nearly 15 or 16 years ago I would say if I had to guess. The person who painted it for me now lives in another state and we have less contact - but the sentiment remains - "Friends are flowers in Life's garden..."

And so ends my kitchen poetry...

Kitcen Poetry :: 6

2008-11-10T20:24:00.004+11:00

Some chicken...

together with steamed vegetables...

is dinner tonight...

Kitchen Poetry :: 5

2008-11-09T11:17:00.004+11:00

A night off from the kitchen sink - takeaway...

KitchenPoetry :: 4

2008-11-08T08:48:00.001+11:00

Just outside my kitchen door - frequently used herbs...

Kitchen Poetry :: 3

2008-11-06T19:55:00.003+11:00

From outside - through the window...

Kitchen Poetry : : 2

2008-11-05T19:08:00.003+11:00

Storage for both food and information...

Kitchen Poetry :: 1

2008-11-04T17:23:00.002+11:00

A week of kitchen poetry, hosted by Simple Sparrow.

A corner of mine...

A new toy...

2008-10-05T12:52:00.003+11:00

Who observes the observer??

What a week!!!!!

2008-09-07T18:40:00.003+10:00

This last week has been a mixed bag of events -

The start of the week have a work colleague announce that he was leaving - like right away - the boss had left for a month off so we were already one person down and had Father Day approaching at a rapid rate - a busy day in the book trade - less people to cover more shifts.
I then 'drowned' my phone - which I was three months from owning outright - it is now deceased.
My elderly father announces he is not only selling his house but he is contemplating marriage - he is in his 90's.
Discovered that the pain I have been experiencing could be a cracked rib from all the coughing I have done in the last few weeks.
And to top it all off I worked a six day week.

I am feeling mentally and physically done - it is my birthday in a couple of weeks and I feel like I am older than my father - everything is an ask - even blogging...

But I shall persevere...

Birth - Rebirth...

2008-08-31T14:20:00.006+10:00

There is at last movement over at my other blog -http://stitchtodayresttomorrow.blogspot.com/ I hope to use this blog to once again to record my stitching and other creative endeavours... Feel free to wander that way...

Image courtesy: 'Wisdom of Avalon' oracle cards - Colette Baron-Reid

:( :( :(

2008-08-27T20:34:00.004+10:00

I finally succumbed to a bronchial infection and have been home since Tuesday afternoon - I tried to 'brazen it out' so to speak but by Tuesday afternoon I was dragging my feet...I knew I must have sounded bad when one of the customers ferreted in her bag and handed a cough lozenge across the counter to me and the woman on the other end of the phone told me I needed to make some garlic tea - I wasn't sure that she thought perhaps I might have had a vampire problem rather than a chest infection...

Anyway I finally admitted defeat and came home and here I have been ever since apart from a visit to the Dr's today after which I came home and went to bed... I have coughed and coughed until I have made my myself dry retch.. I went to the Dr.'s today and he put me on some very strong antibiotics and gave me a two day medical certificate... I have felt miserable even my stitching has had no appeal - checking my email and a quick whip around the blogs was about all I could muster as far as computing was concerned...

Tomorrow will be much the same as today and I will decide how I feel tomorrow night before I make a descision about Friday - the boss goes away next week so it will be "all hands on deck" for the following four weeks and I want to be in tip top condition - especially as I am working a couple of six day weeks...

Well I am going to head off to bed now and hopefully get a better nights sleep than I have been having..

Feelings & emotions

2008-08-17T21:53:00.007+10:00

This weekend has been one of those weekends... This oracle card says it all...

Image: 'Wisdom of Avalon' oracle cards - Colette Baron-Reid

My BIG day out...

2008-07-27T11:04:00.025+10:00

I arrived by train to Southern Cross station - a city train station at the top of the CBD of Melbourne...

...and crossed the river...

...taking the scenery as I walked...

... this view down the Yarra always sends shivers down my spine...

arriving at my 'heaven for a day'...

Yesterday I went to the Craft Fair here in Melbourne - it is the first time I have been to this particular event in a couple of years. I arrived an hour after it opened at 9am and I was still there at 7.30pm - half an hour before it closed. I had a wonderful day looking, admiring, learning and meeting up with old friends with a couple of ~~coffee~~ hot chocolate stops in between...

Usually I am quite restrained money wise - yesterday I was like a mad woman - and I must admit I spent more than I anticipated - and that was being fairly restrained. I did two workshops and sat in on a couple of freebies - one was a woman who does scrumbling or free form knitting as it is better known - she opened up a new horizon for me!!!!! Her jackets just took my breath away and sent my imagination racing - but luckily by then I had run out of money to do anything about it!!!!!!

Here was my day in pictures...

These two photos are of the workshops I did...

Wilma is a crazy patchwork chook - it was a different method of applying crazy patchwork and one that I might have a go at when next doing a block it seemed an easier way although its application takes a little longer...

This workshop was how to apply a soft paint wash to a design and then embroidering and embellishing over the wash.. I could see this could really be part of my repertoire.. I have done fabric painting before but never using it as a wash... This class I did last thing in the evening so there was a certain amount of pressure to at least get the painting done.

This little girl I fell in love with although there is a method in my madness - E has created a character that she would like to see developed as a softie or doll. This little doll design from Melly and me will help understand doll design and give me a practical place in which to start... Once upon a time I would have just passed her by - but she really caught my eye. I chose the fabric while I was there as I was determined that I would come home with the whole lot ready to start - someday!!!

This fabric was an ~~impulse~~ stash buy. The little clasps,beads, do-da's were from a beading stand - I thought they would be perfect 'crazy' embellishments...

This cross stitch pattern and indeed the next were... well, they simply were!!!! These are listed on my 'to do' for my next life...

...and this one - well I have always loved this image - the look of the baby and it gazes at its mother. I have always loved Mermaids as does my eldest daughter M - so imagine my surprise and delight when I saw it as a cross stitch pattern - a must have!!!! You wouldn't think to look at it that it has 39 colours all subtle blends - very subtle... The woman who sold it to me wished me luck with this one - I could understand what she meant when I opened the chart... It is the stuff that cross stitching nightmares are made of!!!!!!!! Nearly each square a different colour!!!!!

I just love this - I think something to do with my garden theme that I seem to be enveloped in lately...

... my excuse for this one is that I have been eyeing this kit off for about a year in the Fox Collection catalogue I receive every few months

So there ends my day of stash building - a good effort if I do say so....

The following photos are of a very, very small selection of wonderful quilts - some photos are a little dodgey so to see some better ones try Patra's Place blog...

Here is G - Patra's Place - at the chook crazy patchwork workshop - a study of concentration... Now where does that patch go?????

Three modern quilts...

...this twee one was beautifully stitched - patience beyond the call ...

...and one that has stood the test and rigors of time...

...unlike me who is shattered today after my big day out.

Only Time...

2008-07-20T12:42:00.009+10:00

I came across Enya's 'Only Time' in my blog travels - I had forgotten how beautiful it was... It certainly took me by the hand for a stroll down memory lane...

I have found that music is the most evocative way of recalling a time, a place, an event, or even a person - either another or yourself as you were then..

My first recollection of Enya was 'Orionoco Flow' which I just loved - both the music and lyrics. From there I think I collected just about all her albums and each one holds a special memory for me...

Years ago - in another life, in this life time - I remember when I was in the creating zone I would put one of her albums on and allow the music to wash over me it seemed to unlock that part of myself that needed to be expressed at that time. Her music never failed to inspire me. Enya's work has always given me a sense of adventure -but also a sense of peace...

It has been a while since I have either listened to Enya or used her music as part of a creating tool - perhaps when I have more time I might have another go...

** Speaking of time - I have been offered extra hours at work - unfortunately I have had to let go my Thursdays off to accomodate them...

The Best News...

2008-07-13T18:26:00.004+10:00

My friend L who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer has been declared cancer free!!!!!!!! The second attempt surgery went like a dream and the tumour was removed intact... She is to have some follow up chemo - but her surgeon in his words "believes she is now free of this disease"...

This has been the best news I have had all year...

Image - Healing Cards - Caroline Myss & Peter Occhiogrosso

The Forgotten Garden...

2008-07-06T19:05:00.004+10:00

My latest read - Kate Morton's 'The Forgotten Garden' - is keeping me occupied. It is somewhere to indeed get lost in... I like a lot of readers, imagination is always spiked with the idea of a walled garden, locked and forgotten about. This particular garden on the Cornwall coast has been abandoned for 100 years... The Forgotten Garden is a perfect read for these cold winter nights safe in bed or cosy by the heater. I will add this book to my collection as it would be one that I would read again. At the moment I am reading the reading copy from work - this is one of the perks at working in the book trade - getting to read some of the books before they are out on the shelf.

I have been toying around with creating another 'crazy' block but have been unable to think of a theme - this book has so ignited my imagination I can see it been carried over into a block...

I am also looking out for Kate Morton's first book - 'The Shifting Fog' (also called 'The House at Riverton') - which too sounds appealing... As if I didn't have enough books to read...

Forever Young

2008-07-05T11:34:00.013+10:00

On a whim I bought this month's 'Australian Country Craft'... While I was browsing through it I came across an article by Rick Rutherford - in it he mentions the Bob Dylan song 'Forever Young' - not to be confused with the other versions - Rod Stewart or Youth Group to name but two.

Rick's article suggested that the lyrics had had quite an effect on him - in his words "It was one of those deeply, insightful heaven-ordained moments in life that happen infrequently, but usually occur when one needs them most ..." This was enough for me to find the whole lyrics and have a read myself.

P found the Joan Baez version from the Net and it is indeed a beautiful song. I have included the lyrics below...

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Bob Dylan

In my thoughts today...

2008-06-29T11:44:00.013+10:00

... I have come to understand that things which have gone before cannot be reclaimed - old friendships rarely rekindle to past intimacy, lost love will be forever remembered as lost love, regrets can never be reconciled and unrealised dreams stay largely unrealised...

Nearly a month on...

2008-06-21T17:01:00.015+10:00

...we have all been extremely sad without Edith but we have also been cheered by the kindness of family, friends and strangers alike who have expressed their condolences one way or another. Edith had been such a large part of our lives for such a long time that at times I think we forgot she was a cat - rather she was 'an Edith' an integral part of the family unit. She had been through so much with us over the years - a largely silent companion - ever watchful - a keeper of secrets and a giver of unconditional friendship and love.

Eadie ruled us all with a velvet paw and we would tease her and say that her 'black heart' was in control when she would ignore us and treat us with indifference - or if she was playing at being a 'big cat' - that it was the tiger stripe marking on her coat in the tabby areas that was responsible for the hissing, baring of teeth and unsheathing of claws... I used to tell her that in our last life together that she was a princess and I was her handmaiden - she remembered that life and I didn't...

E's is a part of an art on-line art site where Edith's antics were regularly recorded. In fact Edith had quite a following of admirers and from time to time other artists would also paint/draw their impressions of her and send them to E. When E left a message at the forum saying that Edith had died she received over a 100 messages of condolences. Whilst this by no means eased the pain of loss it was touching to think that 'faceless' friends in most cases half a world away took the time to express their words of comfort.

Edith featured very heavily in E's art work as you can see just a few examples above... The first picture shows Edith 'getting high' on ants she would roll around in ant trails if she found any and act quite strangely almost if she were drunk - she it seems 'just couldn't get enough' ants. The second picture is a recent painting of Edith done in the last few months of her life. The last picture was one of E's larger than life caricatures of Edith. These are just three of many, many images we have of our beloved Eadie... Edith was a constant source of inspiration to E and E's art journals are liberally littered with sketches, cartoons and caricatures of her beloved companion.

We all still look for that little face which use to greet us at the door each night when we returned from work. I have found myself looking for Edith from time to time and my day off is now lonely without her presence and I miss that miaowing that would search us out if she couldn't find us. I miss her terribly and have found myself having more than one little weep in an unguarded moment. I miss the times when she would come and lie across the keyboard when she wanted attention and I had been on the computer a while. She also use to get a "Don't think I don't know what you are doing" look when we were getting ready to go out. Her greeting on our arrival home was one of disdain and she would stalk up the hall with her tail upright as much as to say -"see, I haven't even missed you" or she would look up if she had been asleep with a "... so, you've decided to come home..."

I think we were all shocked at how quickly she went from a seemingly healthy cat to very ill in the matter of a few days. We have always prided ourselves in the way we have looked after Edith and the vet assured us that we did all the right things for her. It seems that cats in particular show very few signs of ill health until it is critical.

In the last few months we noticed she had slowed up - but took that given she was 13 1/2 that that was to be expected. She still was very, very attentive as far as her food was concerned and cooking is not the same without those watchful eyes watching you from across the other side of the kitchen bench making sure she missed nothing that might be important to her and her stomach. In fact that was what alerted us to the fact she may not be well -when she started to turn away from her food - even P's tiny morsels of raw chicken failed to enthuse her...

We are unsure at this time whether we will get another cat - yes, we would all like another but that doesn't seem to be a good enough or the right reason. I know that it sounds silly but I believe when there is a little kitty needing a home Edith will let us know.

**I would like to thank those people who responded to my previous post - I really appreciated your comments and I apologise that it has taken me this long to respond...**

We love you Eadie - we miss you and our life is not quite the same without you in it...

Goodbye Miss Edith...

2008-05-28T13:03:00.006+10:00

06/11/1993 - 28/05/2008

Our beloved Edith went to play in God's garden this morning. We are all heartbroken...

J's Wrap...

2008-05-11T11:08:00.009+10:00

I worked with J in my last job... She is one of the casuals and when we started working the Friday night shift together she was about fifteen going on sixteen. I was straightaway impressed by her 'style' - she cared about others - not just locally but globally. She cared that her parents had to work so hard so that she and her sister could complete their education - she appreciated that her Mum cared for her grandmother and from what J suggested no one was ever turned away from their home if they needed help. We talked around many an issues in between customers and 'book duties'. We always had a good time together despite our large age difference... J is also studing - Year 12 - last year at secondary school - it is a very hard year in more ways than one and I have often felt sorry for the amount of pressure that is put upon these kids in that age group. The stress factor is enormous...

The week I was to leave she was a couple of weeks off turning the BIG 18 and I had planned for a little while to buy her a present but I was unsure what an 18 year old these days tastes are like... In the meantime I was 'playing around' with some yarn I had bought one Saturday morning at Lincraft - it was a combination of a fluffy wool and a yarn that had blocks of colours - it was more like a braid than a yarn. It was a most unexpected combination and had I not seen a wrap knitted from the combination I would have said it wouldn't have been a happy marriage... I took what I had done and the picture of the wrap into work to show J and she loved it and she commented about the texture and colours. I slyly asked whether someone in her age group would wear something like that she replied that she would given the opportunity. I then knew what my present to her was... I took it away to Clunes with me and finshed the knitting - last night I finished the fringing - today with any luck I shall drop it off to her... Her birthday was last Sunday so I feel that I haven't done to badly with her pressie only one week late...

The middle photo is of the wrap without the fringing and shows a truer colour of it... It was an easy knit as the pattern was to cast on three stitches, knit a row, then the next and every alternate row was to cast on a stitch at either end... So basically it was cast on three stitches, knit a row, cast on a stitch at either end of the next row, knit a row and then continue until the desired width was reached. The pattern suggested 100 stitches as the completion and that is where I chose to stop -the fringing was quite exaggerated but it did 'complete the picture' so to speak... The only part I found challenging was the needle size which was huge - I have small hands and felt like I was knitting with two street light poles instead of knitting needles...

Now onto the next thing - a scarf for P... It is a pity that I cannot read knitting patterns as I find the actual knitting process quite relaxing....

Clunes & Book Town 2008

2008-05-10T19:20:00.006+10:00

P and I took a brief pause in our lives last weekend and headed up to Clunes for their Book Town weekend. We stayed at a delightful B&B called Rock Brook...

The road led us to...

...the front gate and winding driveway...

...which took us right to our front door...

... and from the moment we walked in...

... we felt welcomed...

and cozy...

...from warmth of the open fire prepared and stoked for our arrival...

We looked forward to a snug night in with a delicious homecooked dinner served to us...

... followed by a good night sleep in a warm and comfortable bed...

....after the sun went down....

We went for a walk just before dusk accompanied by the smallest of the farm dogs - a little Jack Russell called Tilly... She was one of four dogs who kept everything, and I suspect everyone in order... While P went off madly photographing everything that moved... I stayed close by and was saddened to see this large tree lying on its side like some majestic fallen beast ...

P and I were impressed with the service we were offered at Rock Brook and we have already thought about a return visit when we have more time to enjoy a few days rather than an overnight stay. We would like to see more of the farm itself and explore a little further the local sights... As a B&B I can't recommend Rock Brook enough....

On the Sunday 'we did' Clunes - and we seemed to walk around every major building that they had viewing books and more books and yet more books... The idea of the whole town given over to second hand books and book dealers is not a new one but one that could restore life back to this fading yet historic gold town... I felt like I was walking in the footsteps of history as we moved around the town streets and I think the locals were more than a little amused as they were decended upon by all the 'out of towners'... We were led to believe that all accomodation locally was booked out and that on the Saturday alone there was a population swell of 4000 visitors to Clunes... P took more photos of the township than I did but this one building caught my camera's lens....

We were lucky enough to stumble into the Bowling Club which was home for the weekend to the visiting writers among them John Marsden and Alexis Wright...

I was fortunate enough to buy and have signed Alexis Wright's Carpentaria... She seemed a very genuine and down to earth woman who spoke passionately about the writing of Carpentaria...

Between us P and I bought four books... Three were second hand and the new edition of Carpentaria... I think all up it cost us about $35 in total... Would we go again next year???? Not sure - I think that given that this was only its second year Book Town could be only limited by its imagination I can only guess that there will be some deep 'after the event' discussions... Personally I think it has got the potential to just get better....

All in all it was a lovely weekend and as P and I were driving home -especially when we hit the city traffic - we promised ourselves we would give ourselves more 'pauses' in the coming months...

Extracts from the last few weeks...

2008-04-27T09:04:00.002+10:00

Phew!!!! It has been a while since I blogged - in that time I have made a change - from the bookshop where I worked to the one that I work now - it is the opposition and in the new part of the 'being revamped' Westfield Shoppingtown in Doncaster. Anyone who is familiar with Doncaster Shoppingtown will know that it has been awhile she she had a facelift and boy is she making up for lost time - apparently when the revamp is finished she will be two thirds the size of Chadstone. I am not a fan of big shopping centres but I have to admit that the new part of Doncaster is looking very grand. If this is a taste of what the whole restoration will be like then Doncaster will be quite a showpiece. I can imagine that once it is all complete it will create a great deal of interest and of course paying public which is the aim of the exercise after all.

I feel sorry for the traders who are still in the old section as they are really suffering - not only customer wise but also they are working right in the 'eye of the storm' - a complete contrast to the area where I am ...

The new job is frazzling to say the least - D's have a completely new IT system as in COMPLETELY new. So the staff had to try and cope with setting up a new store - which opened a fortnight ago as well as learn a brand new IT system which of course is the backbone to EVERYTHING - stock movement, invoicing and a galaxy of other things and of course the all important POS (point of sale) which of course has all sorts of things attached to that - including toe tapping, watch glancing, credit card thrusting customers!!!!! Then there is me - brand new - from the opposition - and well, just new - feeling out of place, trying to find my feet and trying to overcome my nerves which are suggesting I should bolt for the door - like NOW!!!!!.

By the end of the first week I was beside myself -I had hit a wall - it was all just too much and I felt overwhelmed... And on top of it all learning that I shall be 'in charge' on a Friday night - yikes I don't even know these kids names - let alone be in charge of them...

After the stress of the last few of weeks - a close friend diagnosed with cancer, saying goodbye to the old job, supporting a close family member who is going through a very, very rough patch, hearing about another family member spending the day in hospital attached to a drip after her drink was spiked by an unknown person at a local club and last but not least my 96 year old father who wants more out of his life - it has become an emotional overload... Of course punctuating all of these events has been day to day living...

Interestingly enough I saw the author of this book being interviewed on Oprah one Friday and I bought a copy to have a bit of a read... Elizabeth Gilbert had what most people would say - it all - but Elizabeth didn't feel that way at all - she doesn't want any of it... While I certainly don't have no where even remotely like the life style that the author has I can in someways relate to her thinking - and I can relate to her statement that she wanted to live a full and meaningful life in a simple way...

Perhaps it is my age - there is a part of me that wants to just settle - have an afternoon tea , perhaps read a little or simply snooze, watch the day darken around me and have soup simmering on the stove... Dream on...

On another note I thought you may be interested in seeing my nearly completed 'faith' swap,,, I am running behind as usual -but here it is...

Since these photos there has been a border added. All I need to do now is sandwich it all together. The photos really don't show up the spider web which took me an age to do... P and I went to Warbuton a week or so ago now -top photo... On the way home we stopped at a great shop called 'The Patchwork Teahouse' where I found just the fabric I was looking for to make the border... I can now appreciate why 'proper' quilt making takes so much time - it is choosing all the fabrics!!!!! LOL this is only a very small wall hanging - imagine if it was a queen size quilt...

Since it is the very first time I have every taken on something like this it has been one very steep learning curve - each step of the way I had to consider carefully what I was to do next... The bit that most surprised me was the painting - the hills were done one afternoon as I sat out in the sun and I loved the peace it gave me. The piece of foliage again was done in another afternoon - it too was a slow process but how I enjoyed 'growing it' with my paintbrush...

I have been in contact with the recipient as I am way overdue and she has been great and has been both encouraging and patient... I was going to send it on unfinished however I kept looking at what I had stitched 'with faith anything is possible' and I knew that I had enough faith in myself to finish it for L.

Nerxt weekend there will be the final photos before it goes home...

Not sure what I will do next when I have finished this - but won't the dining room table look bare until I decide...

News...

2008-04-03T06:26:00.003+11:00

I have a new job!!!!!!! Starting in a couple of weeks I shall be working for the opposition at the revamped Doncaster Westfield Shoppingtown... Not quite as many hours as I work now but I have a day off in the middle if the week... I can spend afternoons stitching!!!!!

L has had some very bad/ good news - unfortunately the tumour was much, much larger than even the surgeon anticipated and it was impossible to remove just at the moment.

However there is a Plan B with a optimistic outcome... L is a very strong lady and she see this current situation as a pain in the butt but not something she can't conquer... E remarked that even in crisis L's hair was was expertly done. E's memory as a child growing up that L's hair was always 'just perfect' - never a hair out of place - it was a constant fasination to E. Sitting up in a hospital bed (the same one as the infamous Sam Newman - no less!!!!) L was well groomed - this perhaps typifies L as a person 'always prepared'. We sat there and chatted - we caught up on all the gossip and generally giggled as friends do. E and I came away from our visit with more optimism than we had gone with. We can only hope and pray...

It interesting how one's perspective on life really serves into view with what's really important and what is just time wasting dribble...

L

2008-03-19T22:44:00.001+11:00

L has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer - I am without words...

L

2008-03-16T08:15:00.005+11:00

This week I received one of those 'slap on the side of the head - get life in perspective' moments ... A friend has just received news that she has a malignant pelvic growth - she is my age - mid 50's...

I hadn't heard from L since before Christmas - we really have only 'just kept up contact' since I moved away 12 years ago - our lives have taken us in different directions and we have 'drifted' significantly...

I first met L when I went to a meeting of the then called "Mother's Club" when my eldest daughter had just started Preps. I can recall the first time I saw her - I remember thinking what a well groomed woman she was and she had the most amazing hair style that was all of the go back then in the mid seventies...

We became firm friend and shared all the sorts of activities that those years of primary school brings - we did Mother's Day stalls, election cake stall, lunch days, school fetes, school council, etc. Outside of school hours we did the occasional dinner party with spouses and other friends. We went shopping together, had birthday lunches, did various phases of craft together - she still talks about the four foot geese cross stitch I started 'way back when' - her piece was finished in a respectable time - mine is unfinished and pushed to the back of the cupboard somewhere... In other words our lives were fairly involved as you do when your kids are in the same age range....

Yesterdays news shocked me back to my core and I had to read the email quite a few times before it sunk in... I rung her immediately and we chatted for a couple of hours at the end of our conversation I left her laughing and I made a silent commitment to myself that I would see her soon. She is prepared for the long haul - surgery and chemotherapy. L is an optimistic person but she's a realist - both her parents had cancer - neither survived it - L knows she is preparing herself for battle...

Faith

2008-03-09T09:49:00.008+11:00

I decided in a mad moment to 'play' in one of the swaps in an on-line craft group I belong to. The title of the swap was 'faith' and you could create anything you wanted using that as your theme...

As I am not a particularly religious person I don't really have 'a faith' so to speak - however I do have a belief that there is something bigger than me... One of the memories I have as a very young child watching a trail of ants and trying to answer the question of 'if I am big to an ant what is big to me' and staring skywards. It also occurred to me to question what was the governing power - something so large and unseen that kept the world, indeed the universe on it orbit...

That question has remained something which I have never answered satisfactorily... So to create something that uses faith as its central theme posed an exciting challenge.

Just prior to the swap announcement I noticed an orb spider building its web between the house and the camellia tree outside our bedroom window - and while I don't like spiders - the orb spider fascinates me with it beautiful web designs. One night while standing in the dark watching the spider at work weaving its web it came to me that the spider just 'did this' every night - built its web. Did it have faith in its own spidery way? Faith that it could do it, faith that it would do it. At the same time I became aware of the night sky behind the web -with the stars seemingly 'hung' almost web like - were the stars part of a greater web - a web which was built by an unseen force. I too had faith that night would repeat itself every few hours - without a doubt - faith it would happen. Was the spider web the microcosm and the night sky the macrocosm. Was the same pattern repeated in larger and small...

When the swap list was announced I knew at once what I was going to do and so I sketched an idea of a night sky with a main star and then a 'snapshot' piece of a spiders web woven between grasses with dew drops strung on its threads... This piece would be sewn over the corner of the main piece - raw edged - as to give the impression it had been plucked out of the 'bigger picture' so to speak. I thought the idea of the 'snapshot piece' would further endorse my idea of a repeated pattern in life - like the old adage so above so below...

As luck would have it the Australasian Quilters Convention was here in Melbourne so I made sure I looked for some night sky material which I found at Dyed and Gone to Heaven - aptly named I thought... It was a mixture of blues, greys, silvers. and gold - I then used watercolour paints to emphasis some parts of the sky...

So far I have accomplished this...

I am not that happy with the main star - I wanted to give the impression of the morning star - bigger and brighter than the rest - but is early days yet and all could change... I am on a bit of a deadline with this one -it has to be in the post by next Monday 17th...

Art & Fear

2008-03-07T11:35:00.005+11:00

E brought this home from her course - obligatory reading for all the students... I have read just the first few pages and they speak volumes - so much so that E and I decided that it is a title worth having on our shelf...

I think that fear plagues most people who produce creatively... I know it does for me...

Yesterday I went to...

2008-02-24T13:16:00.005+11:00

.... to the Australasian Quilt Convention. For those of you who don't know the Convention is run over four days -there are classes to take, seminars to attend, quilts to gaze upon and of course stuff to buy. What I like about the Convention is that it is dedicated to quilting and related stitching. Really it is far too big to do it easily in one day...

Originally I was going to take the Friday off -but my boss had a surgical procedure midweek -which would have made us short staffed had I taken the day off... But I did myself proud and covered as much ground as possible. I stayed right up until the announcement which declared it the end of the day. Boy, I am tired today though...

I am planning to do it over two days next year, perhaps take a class or two and stay overnight in the city... A little luxury for me!!!! I can see it already!!!!!

... and saw these...

2008-02-24T13:11:00.008+11:00

The Leap - Inge Mardal & Steen Hougs - France

The Imaginasurus - Helen Godden - Australia

Scarlet Runners - Laura Fogg - USA

The Pen Is... by Jette Ford - Australia

This was 2006 Husquvarna Viking Gallery of Quilt Art, Materpieces: "Imagine That!" machine quilting exhibition.

I picked these four at random to show you. The photos just don't do them justice...

The Imaginasurus - Helen Godden - Australia also won Second Prize. I had heard Helen speak about this quilt last year - it did nothing to prepare me for what it looked like...

....and bought all this to play with...

2008-02-24T12:06:00.010+11:00

... again the photo doesn't do it justice - especially the materials which shimmer and have wonderful hues and depths. Although trust me to go to a place like that with a mulitude of beautiful things and buy books. The Quiltmaking by Hand - Jinny Beyer is a magnificent book full of informative pages which fuelled my romantic vision of me hand quilting. I actually doubled back to buy this book - I had looked at it earlier in the day and has been encouraged by its content but I had walked away thinking about what else I wanted to buy and thought that the book was a might 'out of budget' - however I 'just felt' that it was the right book to buy - yes, I did blow my budget - but I do think it will be one of those books I shall refer to time and time again...

The same could be said for Perfect Hand Applique - I had "eavesdropped" in on a conversation that the author - Liuxin Newman - was having with another woman and I watched while she was demonstrating. Browsing through her books I saw the answer to a couple of questions I had been asking myself about applique and I thought too that this book could be a valuable resource. Her book came with a DVD which I will settle down and watch when I have more time...

Update on 'release' & 'useful'...

2008-02-09T20:57:00.000+11:00

Sharonb was wondering how everyone was doing with their New Year resolutions. I thought about my two words - release and useful - January 02 2008 entry.

I wanted to 'release' anything I had no longer use for and retain only what was 'useful'... I started with my immediate world - my home.

Here is an update ..

My first job was to to de-clutter and restore some sense of order - the second part (Part II) is to 'spring clean' - washing walls etc and lastly cleaning carpets - that will happen when I have found a place for everything.

* Kitchen - completely de cluttered. I can now 'breathe' in my kitchen and it has become 'useful'
* Dining room - well on the way - returned to a useful area - all my stitching has been sorted and moved.
* Main bedroom - excess furniture gone - dressing table sorted.. Still a bit to do in this room though - wardrobes need a very good going through!!!!
* Bathroom - nearly there.
* Hall way - this has been reorganised and is a bit more user friendly.
* Study - wardrobe has been decluttered - but the rest of the room still needs major work.
*** the rest still to be done

While this doesn't sound much - it took a lot of time to do. The kitchen has had the most major changes - open shelving (courtesy of P and Bunnings) now houses all my appliances which are all in easy reach. Fantastic!!!!!

The dining room room has been cleared of all my stitching stuff - that has been sorted and stored into a chest of drawers. I want to rearrange the furniture in there but that is planned for Part II. Now too has my stitching stuff become useful as it is sorted and I know what I have.

Main bedroom is still a bit of mess but at least the excess furniture has gone - courtesy of the scheduled council pickup and who ever out there took it first. Books are presenting a bit of a problem - they are breeding!!!! I am also wanting to create a 'quiet space' a place in this room where I can write and perhaps study next year...

Bathroom - again -courtesy of the above mentioned - needs a bit of 'tweaking' - again Part II.

The hallway has had furniture re arranged - still not that happy with it but it too could change in Part II. The cupboard in there has been completely de-cluttered and one section is now the linen press.

*** the rest - I have chaos in some rooms that has resulted from creating order in other rooms... Harry Potter's school had a sorting hat - I have a sorting room - which in its other life is the study. As I type this I am surrounded by piles of 'sorted' that needs to find a home within these four walls or else a new home... I think the op-shop ladies groan whenever they see us - we have taken many and varied boxes up to them... I have sold a few things on ebay (again courtesy of P's time and expetise) but for the most part I am more than happy for the 'overflow' to go to the op-shop - I know it will find another home...

The soft toys are a bit of a problem as we seem to have accumulated so many - there is an emotional attachment to them which is hard to break - for the moment they are going to live in a cupboard until their fate is decided. However some of my teddies are going to a good home where they will be loved and cherished - an older lady in a motorised wheel chair regularly comes into the shop - she orders Georgette Heyer novels - her favorite author. One day we got to chatting and she told me that she had to give away most of her things as her life made it impossible for her to live alone and she nows lives in a hostel/assisted living type arrangement. The two things she misses most are her books and her collection of teddy bears - I then has an idea where some of my bears would go. My sister was with me the day I saw B while I was having lunch in the food court outside to the shop I called to her and as we chatted I asked whether she could 'do me a favour' - she looked at me and cautiously said if she could she would - I then explained that I had some teddies - who needed a good home - would she be able to take them. The look of first disbelief and then delight made my day. After she had gone my sister said she too 'had a couple of teddies that could do with a home'. B looks like she has a ready made family to keep her company...

It has been amazing what has come from this so far - my mind has started to clear and I believe I can 'feel' the first signs of some sort of inner peace... In my outer life I have started to lose weight again and there is the protential of a new job(s) on the horizon - far too, early to say more about either - but I truely believe one is 'birthed' from the other. Some endings - some beginnings...

Still lots more to do - release- but I am well on the way to restoring things to the way I would like them to be thereby making them 'useful'...

Happy Blogday !!!!!!

2008-02-07T21:58:00.001+11:00

I realised that today I have been blogging for three years... Life certainly moves swiftly when one is having so much fun... Happy Blogday to me!!!!

People of the Book..

2008-02-02T20:16:00.000+11:00

People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks

I have heard and read so much about this book I just couldn't resist it... This is not the cover I have - I believe it is the hardcover version...

I have a gut feeling that this is going to be one of my reads for the year...

Yes I know...

2008-01-30T20:45:00.000+11:00

...ok, ok so perhaps I was a little silly - but I was trying to do the right thing... I suffer as you know from asthma and a sinus condition which for the most part these few months has been manageable...

Last night I was feeling a little weary - a long weekend does that to you... Anyway I was glad to come home and have dinner - which P cooked - out of the way... I headed off to bed early after a nice shower and settled down with my book... I was feeling quite dozy but my leg was bothering me so I got up and took some Panadol tablets - I must have gone off to sleep for a little while. The next thing I knew was that I woke up and I couldn't breathe properly - my nose was congested, my chest felt tight and I couldn't stop sneezing - I was also feeling quite hot...

To cut a long story short apparently I had an allergic reaction to something - it will remain a "something" as I have no idea what set the attack off. The only thing different which I had to eat was some liquorice that E bought home with her - I had had some after my dinner - but not a huge amount - only a few pieces really.

I ended sitting up for a couple of hours in the wee small hours trying to breathe properly because my nose was so blocked... Yes, my chest was tight, yes, I was feeling clammy and yes in hindsight, I should have woken P - but at the time I didn't want to disturb everyone for nothing...

This morning I felt like I had done 10 rounds with an obnoxious customer and lost every one. First P lectured me, then W at work told me off , the chemist also suggested I should have woken someone and last but not least - the doctor - because the chemist said it may not be a bad idea to have a checkup with him - said I should have possibly gone to the hospital when the symptoms were at their peak...

I asked the Dr why I have become so sensitive - he suggested that a poor immune system which is continually compromised becomes overtaxed and reacts to things it may not usually. He then went on to say that a good health immune system can be accomplished by good nutrition, enough exercise and adequate sleep and less stress. I told that I could manage the first three but the last maybe just a wee bit difficult...

Yes I know that I have to take better care myself and yes I do know that NEXT time I will wake someone...

And so you have it - my sad little tale...

I'm embarrassed now...

2008-01-28T20:58:00.000+11:00

... but not enough not to show you...

This book - 501 Quilt Blocks - has been in my store for about 3 weeks - this weekend I decided that I would buy it... Would you believe I took the time to actually stand and look at it properly and realised that it could be quite useful as all the designs are 4" blocks... This I could do - I could manage something little...

Then one of the blogs which hasn't made it to my sidebar yet - Material Obsession - has produced a DVD in conjuction with Australian Quilter's Companion - Issue 29. I have been reading their blog for a little time now and I thought that the DVD could be a worth while. I don't usually buy that magazine but thought that just this once it wouldn't hurt...

Yes - silly I know - butI still carry this romantic vision of me quilting... When??? Where??? My next life probably...

The Gathering among others..

2008-01-26T23:31:00.000+11:00

Over the time I had off at Christmas I managed to read four books from my list on my side bar. Three of them I managed to read without too many problems however when I started the last book I found that it was more difficult going...

'Those Faraday Girls' - Monica McInerney - was a typical holiday read not too taxing on the brain with its characters and plots. It moved along and was evenly paced with no major surprises.

'The Road to Paradise' - Paullina Simons - was a little different than I thought it would be but once I got into the pace of it I was right and it to proved to be a good read although a little more exacting than the first.

'Notes from an Exhibition' - Patrick Gale - took a little more concentration and again once I settled down to its pace I thoroughly enjoyed it enough to give it a star * rating as a good read. I had never read any of Gale's work before but I had been warned that he demanded attention from his readers.

I then moved onto 'The Gathering' - Anne Enright - and it is with this book I met my Waterloo so to speak. I had wanted to read it even before it was announced as the 2007 Booker Prize winner. I have found this book a difficult one and I am not quite sure to why. I had thought about the subject matter which is centred around a coming together of a large Irish family for the funeral of one of their own - an estranged brother who had committed suicide in England.

The siblings are all in the their adult years with lives of their own which from all accounts seemed to have their own difficulties. It is told from the perspective of a sister Veronica who seems to have a lot on her plate as it is she who assumes responsibility for the identification and bringing her brother's body back home to Ireland from England. She is on the brink of a marriage breakdown and that coupled with her brother's death and memories from the past threaten to engulf her as she struggles to come to terms and peace within herself.

As with most stories that deal with families there are ghosts from the past which rise up to haunt the living and torment the souls of those who aren't strong. I wondered in part if that was my difficulty with the book - having only one other older sibling and a small family unit I couldn't begin to image what it would be like to live within the confines of a large family and the conflicts it must bring..

The writing is good and I think it is for this reason that I have continued on. While I wouldn't put it up as my most favoured read I can see its merits and it does leave wisps of the story which cling in the mind almost like a slow dripping tap that wears away at the brain with its sound until the source is identified.

Out of the four books - three were to do with families - largish in numbers - who were mostly awkward and at odds with each other... Even 'The Road to Paradise was a young woman's search for her mother in a far away place , her loss of identity and the journey both physical and emotional it takes her to find both. I am a chapter off finishing...

I am considering carefully my next read - something completely different I think...

Update: I have just finished 'The Gathering' - I am glad I stuck it out to the end - I really liked the ending whilst it wasn't sad it wasn't - all happy and resolved now -either. Anne set the ending in an physical place of transition - of between one place and another. Veronica knows from this point she can go anywhere...

The Gathering is a story about families, sorrow and dark secrets that are pernicious - subtle poison - both to the physical body and to the soul.

I think I found my source and turned off the dripping tap - I would even go as far to say I have changed my mind and say it is a worthwhile read...

Yes I know...

2008-01-26T22:11:00.000+11:00

...but I didn't actually promise I wouldn't buy any new books...

Since I have started buying Cloth,Paper, Scissors a mixed media magazine I have diverted a little from straight textiles to paper arts which has of course had me browsing those type of books.. Research I call it... I do see a possible 'crossover' in using some of the techniques used in paper arts in conjunction with my textile crafts...

These two are whims of fancy I know but are both excellent... I had seen the Sharon Soneff''s- Art Journals and Creative Healing - before Christmas in our opposition store and I convinced myself that I didn't need to buy it then and there - instead I ordered it at once when I got back home...

It has just arrived into the store and I spent last night lost in its pages - while I see this book as more inspirational than instructional - is is amazing to see the pieces of work put together by people who have done so in a time of crisis in their lives... They have used art journalling as a way to either make some sense of this part of their lives or to salve an 'open' wound -whether it be emotional or physical.

The Decorated Page - Gwen Diehn - got me in hook, line and sinker - I had to have this one immediately or as soon as I could part over the money for it - and from the opposition!!!! I am worse than - well, at least on equal par with Gollum and his ring - his precious... I ~~argued~~ justified to myself that it was a Christmas present to me.

I just love the presentation of this book - from the front cover to the back cover - it is a delight... If anyone reading this is into Altered Books,journals or albums - look no further - this is the book for you - it is both instructional and 'eye candy'... I have just discovered a companion book - The Decorated Journal - so I guess what I will be doing the very first opportunity I get...

I have always been interested in the connection between any form of art and self. And these two books only further emphasise that connection.

The pleasure that I have from these two has been immeasurable - they are books which I will dip into time and time again...

I wonder..

2008-01-24T20:49:00.000+11:00

I found these in a box which we bought home from my Dad's some months ago. I can't remember cutting them up but I guess I must have. Judging from the look of them they must have started their lives as birthday cards... Why had I cut them up??? Who knows... But for whatever reson they had been carefully wrapped up - perhaps for some project which was never realised. At a guess I would say they came from about the late '60's or early 70's

I was going to throw them out but E suggested that I hold onto them for little longer...

I wish I could remember...

Who me - in the way???

2008-01-20T17:48:00.000+11:00

G these are for you...

These shots were taken of our cat Edith who thought she was been neglected last night - so she made herself comfortable between the keyboard and screen making sure I knew that she was there wanting a little TLC.

I was 'chatting' to G from Patra's Place in MSN at the time and Edith kept moving so at one stage I was typing 'blind' because I couldn't actually see the screen - I also had to contend with a swishing tale.

I told G what was happening and she asked if I could take a photo - as soon as the last shot ( bottom one) was taken Edith was off - 'mission accomplished' so to speak...

But of course, she doesn't rule the roost - not our Edith!

In the midst of chaos...

2008-01-19T21:42:00.000+11:00

... I played. You may remember the seahorse which I drew last year - another thing put aside into the 'someday' pile... I found it while I was cleaning up and thought (in the midst of the mess) to have another go - this time paint. -Ultimately I would like to 'do something' with this image but I am unsure as to what... Perhaps something in fabric and stitching...

Today however it was with watercolour paint and watercolour pencils... It actually looks better in the scan than in real time but who 's looking... I haven't finished it yet but it has definetely given me some ideas...

I am a little disappointed as I never got as far as completing my entry for the Linden postcard exhibition... E has hers ready to go while mine is in the pile for next year - least I will be organised... With so much going on at the home front my concentration level is next to zero...

But it was nice just to play for awhile today and perhaps it will be the promise of things to come when I have this house finally under control and get a few other home front issues sorted...

Still...

2008-01-13T22:42:00.000+11:00

...madly cleaning... Another room half done... I don't think there was a box, drawer or cupboard I left unturned in the ~~junk room~~ study today... P took to the outdoors and weeded one side of the garden bed on the corner of the house while I went mad turning out cupboards - every so often we would break for a cuppa... I am now starting to make some sense of the mess I have created. We are having a council collection so what isn't going to the op-shop is going out on the naturestrip.

I have had to giggle as people cruise passed looking at your rubbish to see if there is anything worthwhile taking. Although this morning we did have the neighbours asking if they could have something of ours... I said to P - that we will probably see it turn up outside their place next council collection day...

I am looking forward to the day when I can say I am finished this obsessive house ~~clearing~~ cleaning... Unfortunately I haven't had much of a chance to do anything else but I know that I am going to feel so much better when it is all done. Though to look at the place it looks like the bomb has just hit. Once I make a start I become quite driven - my mind races onto the next thing... P says very littlebut I think he is hopeful that one day soon things will return to normal - but tonight I started talking about moving the furniture around - so I think he has resigned himself to 'it won't be over until it's over'.

I have thrown away things I have had for in some cases 20 plus years and two shifts. I went through my sewing patterns - really how many shirt patterns did I have to have - the op-shop ladies will probably groan when they see them come in.

I did the Knitwit (stretch fabric) course in the late 70's early 80's - as did many, many women- and until today I had the certificate to prove it. Knitwit stores and sewing with stretch fabric was the BIG thing in those days as it boasted that you could make a skirt in under an hour (which I did - and wore it out to lunch a couple of hours later). Sewing the Knitwit way broke all the conventional sewing rules as you used stretch fabric and therre was very little finishing as in other more conventional fabrics such as cottons, linens etc. Overlockers also broke into the retail market and became the 'must have' for stretch sewing - I never quite went that far - I bought a new Janome sewing machine with a stretch stitch instead...

Time fell away as I looked at the patterns but I realised that if this was the first time I had looked at them in six years - and I hadn't sewn them in the last 20 years then what was the point in keeping them - so into the op-shop box they went. The box runneth over...

I still have quite a stash of mainly tracksuit material which I have had since my girls were little - guess what is going next????Although I did see a pair of fleecy track pants on the new season rack in one of the shops - perhaps I should just hang onto the fabric I have a little longer. But who would wear eye shattering lollypop pink I would never know - but someone must be going to if the multiple pairs I saw hanging there were any indication... Does my b*m look big in this????

Back to the work week tomorrow and perhaps another room next weekend...

Today...

2008-01-12T17:16:00.000+11:00

... I found this and have added it to my New Year's word - 'release'...

Thank God...

2008-01-11T23:26:00.000+11:00

...for the blessed cool... I can sleep tonight :)

I can't think...

2008-01-11T09:05:00.000+11:00

...let alone write - it's just too hot!!!!

Just to say...

2008-01-07T22:57:00.000+11:00

I am writing this from my nearly new - very own - computer... No longer do I have to negotiate time with my daughter E... I am free to do my own thing for as long as I like... Yipee!!!!!! Thanks P for getting the whole thing operational... I came home from work to find the whole thing all set up for me ready to push the start button... I am loving this.... I am sure E is too - no longer am I hanging around waiting my turn... I look forward to really getting more involved... I better head off to bed before I fall asleep over the keyboard...

over the page...

the last waltz...

...and welcome to you too..

Welcome 2012

er, um...over the page...

Sanctus ~ Simon Toyne

animals! Animals! animals!

Louis's big day out...

A mid week pause..

Guess who...

Sacred Hearts

The Third Day of the New Year...

On the SECOND day AFTER Christmas...

...it's starting...

...where to start...

A Sad Farewell..

...taking time to smell the roses...

again a new beginning...

Another new look...

Am I boring you...

Yet...

G...

A new name...

Look who's here...

2010

Season Greetings

Saturday - Warrandyte

Where are you...

Storm Damage...

Dragon in a Wagon

2012 & a spider's web...

An Echo in the Bone...

Oh no... Not more books!!!!!!!

G..

It's all too much...

My escape route...

Personal Year Nine

Just to say...

Easter Monday...

Our Matilda...

Beyond belief...

'NEIGHBOURS' in the neighbourhood...

Relaxed enough...

Last day...

97 today...

Today...

And so this is...

G & K

Images of Christmas

THE new addition...

Christmas addition...

Its starting to smell...

Boasting...

**sharonb alert**

KitchenPoetry :: 7

Kitcen Poetry :: 6

Kitchen Poetry :: 5

KitchenPoetry :: 4

Kitchen Poetry :: 3

Kitchen Poetry : : 2

Kitchen Poetry :: 1

A new toy...

What a week!!!!!

Birth - Rebirth...

:( :( :(

Feelings & emotions

My BIG day out...

Only Time...

The Best News...

The Forgotten Garden...

Forever Young

In my thoughts today...

Nearly a month on...

Goodbye Miss Edith...

J's Wrap...

Clunes & Book Town 2008

Extracts from the last few weeks...

News...

L

L

sharonb alert