Car Tally

On my way to the Botanical Gardens with Beth I saw this car parked at Woden. Just as I pulled out I saw the owner walking towards it. A big fella with a blond mullet. *Laughs*

Lynham Collage

I did the painting in response to seeing an old lady in a nursing home, where we sang before Christmas, I tried to capture her total joy at seeing children visit. Her eyes were pinned on the little girl the whole time. I cried.

In reality its only a small painting of 18 x 12". I used the strong colours to bring out the emotions.

Croftys Come To Play

Even tho it was only one day it was good. Went to the Zoo, then the War Memorial and was soaked to the skin with rain, which was refreshing and fun. Hamish is seen here having a nutritios lunch of Cheezels.

The most memorable thing to happen tho was when Simmone went to sit down at church and pulled the pew in front backwards while the people were trying to sit down. At first I was stunned, but then I noticed Simmone could not sit in our pew properly any more because there was no space for her legs. She was kind of riding side saddle in the pew and I just couldn't contain my laughter. I was holding both hands over my mouth but these snickering noises were coming out of my nose. Then Simmone started snickering too and the noise of us trying to contain ourselves got louder. Simmone put her finger in her ear so she couldn't hear me and that made me laugh even longer. But what made it funnier is that the bloke who tried to sit down on the moving pew had recently had both knees replaced but I couldnt tell Simmone because I could not risk looking at her. I wanted to run outside but Simmone couldnt move so I jammed my head hard into the wall so as not to glimpse her. Id have to rate that laugh as the best one for 2008.

Christmas Day

Its been a lovely Christmas Day, not too much fuss. Lovely healthy food. Doing some drawing with Tess and Janice. I'm so tired and malleable right now because I went to midnight Mass at the Cathedral and didn't get home till 2pm. Once I arrived home I hung these little peace tokens on every ones door in my part of the apartments, so I felt like I was being a mother to everyone so they had a surprise in the morning.

Apparently I was on TV last night as 2 people commented and wanted to know what I had in my trolly.

Tomorrow the Crofties arrive and Im looking forward to them coming to play.

Drew

"Let your freak flag fly, and if someone doesn't get you, move on."- Drew Barrymore

Ive been doing this for the past 6 months, the benefits are the funny looks that come your way.

Painting With Will

Its been a big day. Painting and drawing with Will at the Botanical Gardens, made 75 Rumballs and chatting with Serena about the piece I put in the Art For Healing Exhibition. I never realized why I put the chair into the picture before today and the reason I did that was the man who abused me "Brian" (I have actually been able to say his name today) was thought of as a chair, an object not a person. I could never say his name because that would give him power. This is a very powerful form of healing and I am glad I did it with Serena who I have known since I was 5 or 6.

Mum 76

Mums 76th Birthday today.

Remembering her

• The Irish Jig to make us laugh


• How she could make me laugh when I was real crusty by saying "I can see a smile coming, its coming right now"


• Talking like Jack Frost was a real person


• Making a meal out of cigarettes and vegimite on toast


• Sweet smell


• Footprints


• Beautifully shaped hands


• Calling us spalpeens

Christmas

For those of you who don't know I don't do the commercial side of Christmas. No cards, no prezzies although I like the parties especially if there is dancing. I don't like it when someone gets too drunk and they get nasty or behave inappropriately. It scares me then.

Since cutting loose from all that whooha its not as stressful and I really enjoy the time so much more. I'm thinking of going to the 7pm service Christmas Eve at the Uniting Church and then the Midnight Mass at the Cathedral.

Ive made quite a few more dilly bags over the past few days. When does creative energy become Obsessive Compulsive Disorder??

Misty Mawn

Ive been following Mistys blog for a number of years now. She lives in the US and has a great influence on my life. Her post today was of black and white images of family life and from very different angles that you might normally view such scenes. I posted in the comments this piece of writing

"M, love these scenes of domestic life. I live alone and have done for a very long time. I love the way families do, and have, there own unique style. What came to mind is a family who I adore (but now don't see) having a sock room. There were 5 of them and the sock room was a bedroom full of socks on the floor. No sock had a partner, it was all free range. Their family car was where they stored all brushes and combs cos that was the only place they could keep control of them. I think I counted 7 brushes and 5 combs all assorted colours and styles. I always felt a mirthful glow when driving with them.

Your place looks full of love and light.
Love be yours
Kim"

I'm now feeling the urge to write a poem about this sock scene, so applicable to Christmas with the stockings and all...

Creative Surge

For the past two days of holidays I have been in a creative whirlwind, lots of sewing, drawing, singing, recorder and I have written a poem. Ive got this obsession about the dilly bag having words in it. This is the second one I created and this time I am asking people to hang them on a door handle. I'm really enjoying the Fahcsia choir and we sung for the SES in the foyer of the department which had a cathedral ceiling and it was so lovely. Today we are off to sing at a nursing home in Lyneham. I love singing with the oldies and they get alot of joy out of it because you see their feet tapping or their smiling faces. Apparently this time we will be walking around to the dementia patients who are bedridden and I just love this concept.

Picasa

If im not carefull I could sit up all night playing with this free software. It does lovely collages and I fear I never will recover from finding this wonderfull tool. All these shots were taken on my way to work last Thursday.

Bawled

Today at church I bawled twice once when the young ones hosted a Christmas Quiz amongst themselves. A panel consisting of Miss Know it all, Mrs Don't know a lot, Mr Remember well, and Shaun (a person pretending to be a sheep) what made me cry was when Shaun was asked a question and he could only baaa. So a volunteer was asked to help to write up what Shaun wanted to say. What was written is in the pic inserted here. What made me cry is the concept of helping the disabled and the volunteers heart. During this time the congregation didn't know when it was the time to clap. Luckily a little Autistic boy lead the way. He has on many occasions led us to the right time to clap. John, Theresa's husband and I just looked at each other and laughed, because we were too scared to clap in the wrong place.

Then after the kids finished their skit they started singing and it was so pure I cried again and cried more when I saw Jerome, trying to join them but was too scared because he was new. Theresa, sidled up to one of the girls and asked her to go get him and he finally come after so many attempts.

Gurggles

Had an appointment in the city today for the Rhuematoligist. Its been so long since I went there Id forgotten I had to tell them who I was. After an hour and half of waiting the receptionist asked me was I waiting to see someone. Yes I had an appointment at 2pm. Any way it was lovely just sitting there and listening to this little 4 week old baby make gurgles and sucking noises. I don't hear those sounds very often and it was a pleasure sitting there and waiting.

Any way jobs right and I'm now allowed to take the dosage lower until in June 09, if there are no further flare ups then I can go off the drugs. I believe all this forgetting and overdosing is due to my sub conscious telling me that the drugs are not required any more and that I am in a natural remission. I truly believe that I am healed and its because I'm happy and secure, grateful and just full blessed. Thanks Lord.

Champaigne Sapphire

Evie called me over to show me her engagement ring. She told me that when she was adopted from India as a baby, her new father (on the same day) went out and purchased the Sapphire that is now set in her ring. Its a gorgeous yellowish colour and looks great against her skin. Then she told me that her father had given the Sapphire to her boyfriend a year ago and said do something with it. The boyfriend then started designing the engagement ring and presented it to Evie last week. I was crying so much, she said Kim, its ok, its just a ring....

But its not just a ring. Those intentions have been hopeful for about 30 odd years. Ive met her father and he has this wonderful glow and gentleness around him. Bless them all.

I actually purchased a mans ring with two hands clasping when I was about 20 to give to my true love when he arrived. Well he didn't appear until I was 27 and I didn't give it to him until I was 29. I should have realized that when I saw the ring squashed on my mum and dads driveway that he had been taking it on and off as he moved between his wife and kids in Darwin and me in Katherine. Being naive and in love I thought if you loved someone you would never do such a thing....

Broke Up Broke In

Tonight I went to the Irish Club to hang up my Celtic Cords after almost 5 years. I told the choir I am going to leave to go off to play recorder. I told them what a joy its been singing with them when I first came to Canberra during that very low phase and I'm sure it helped in my healing. I thanked them for accommodating my part hopping. Then I said I was about to bawl and ran off into the night.

Every time I feel like this I head for the water and luckily the Tuggeranong Pool is open again so I wollowed in sadness for a couple of hours. But when I got to my front door I couldn't remove my key that was firmly wedged in the lock. So I had to drive to Kambah to get my spare key from my friend LJ.

I'm safely inside now. I thank Godde for the home I have, regardless of these little hicups.