Hugged By Godde

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which is to look out
Christ's compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is
to bless women and men now.
-St Teresa of Avila

This morning I went to buy some breakfast at the food court. Sitting waiting for her breakfast was this young girl and her little son about 3 years old. She had a black eye so bad that it had closed over. She was on the phone the whole time trying to organise someone to take her shopping. She said she had only $20. I'm sitting there eating my breakfast and thought, I cant stand it any longer and I better go and find something for her that will make her feel good and not be spent on grog or something else that would not be nourishing. I decided to go to Gloria Jeans Coffee Shop and I asked them to give me prepaid coffee tickets, but they said they didn't have anything like that. Then one bloke piped up and said "we have $5 Coffee and Cake Cards" So I got 4 of them and scooted back around to her and she was still sitting there about to go on the phone again. I said, "can I talk to you for a minute" and I told her that I had just brought these gift cards for her and I hope she would not be offended and that Id like her to go and have a coffee with your girlfriends sometime. She was holding them and said "are they for me?" totally stunned and I said yes and turned away and walked quickly outside. When I was about 3 metres away I felt this tingling all over my back and it felt nice and warm. When I got home from work I this quote was the first email I opened.

Retro Craft Tubing

Today I saw some lovely carry bags made out of this tubing. It reminded me of when plastic was a new material in Katherine. Somehow Simmone and I got our hands on this crafting plastic and I used to plait it and make keyring holders. I'm not sure how old we were but I couldn't have been more than 11. Simmone somehow managed to swallow either the tubing or the whole plait. I'm not sure which. Simmone didn't want to tell mum what had happened and she told mum her throat was soar and she couldn't eat because she had swallowed a cockroach. I understand completely why she didn't tell the truth because mum used to go off like a fire cracker about the silliest little things we did wrong. For instance, if we got dirt on the polished floors... Somehow mum got Simmone up to the hospital with the soar throat and they couldn't get out of her what she had really swallowed. Mum and the medical staff asked me to speak to Simmone in "private - which was a curtain draw around us" and see if I could find out. It took me a while and in the end I said "you have to tell me what you swallowed cos you might die" and that's how I found out it was not the roach. I do admire her description though, coz all those little barbs on a cockroaches leg do actually scratch and rip you up when they are in your mouth and throat. but thats another story...

National Portrait Gallery

My attempts at reproducing this wonderful harpist, whos card I now have incase I decide that she will play for us over breakfast on my 50th birthday celebrations. Its so relaxing listening and drawing with live music and models.

Making Me Smile

These are the images that made me happy today. A cake of soap goatin around in my bathroom. Ah the soap so smooth and creamy, makes me all dreamy. And the little gorgeous leaves sprouting out of a tree that has been marked for removal. I took the photo thinking I really need to tell them to leave this tree alone because its trying to regenerate itself. As I was standing there a lady I work with who has a glass half empty view of the world, come behind and said "the trees getting cut down coz its dead and those blue leaves are a parasite, like some people I know". Well I felt a bit down in the mouth as we walked together and then realized that it is also new life where there is no life and started to feel better about that little display of beauty I pass everyday.

Happy Things

Over the last few days these things made my heart sing. Oh and I

found a Greek singer with the most tender vibrato I have ever heard....Pagona Athanassiou who has me dreaming of heaven.

My New Brooch

I have been admiring this artist work for over a year and she created this range when she come back from a holiday in Eire. I noticed that it was for sale on ETSY, so purchased it and because of the volcano ash, she has given a discount. I already adore it and cant wait to wear it on my chest, over my heart in remembrance of James McFarland, my grandfather.

Market Maiden

Today was the first time I went to market with my handmade clips and brooches. I had breakfast with Will then he offered to support me in my first offering, which was lovely of him. I decided that I would use the barter system to sell my things and even though I only sold one clip for $10, I only had about 9 people approach the table. Its not a busy market and I quite like that. I am going again just for the sound of the birds and the relaxed atmosphere. It was a good start. I think Will is thinking about trading in his Mazda 3 for a white ute so he can enter into the next ute muster.

Vincent again

The FaHCSIA bus driver gave me his ticket to the last day of the Masters In Paris Exhibiton at the National Gallery of Australia. I have been 3 times already. This is the last day of the exibition in Australia and the gallery has been open for 36 hours straight to process all the tickets. I popped in at 6:15am thinking Id stand in front of Stary Night the whole time, but I asked if I could get a headset that had an audio guide and they said yes. It was ok, rather boring full of facts and figures and then I decided to go back and get the kids version of the tour. Im glad I did because it was so upbeat and whimsical. I did however learn 2 major lessons, first, when you paint a painting you should consider what the room will be like where it will finally rest or what it is used for, ie bedroom = softer colours and second, when you paint two contrasting colours of dots together the brain gets confused and makes its own colour up. The kids tour was more about the heart and thats what the expressionist were on about. Go figure.... I spent about 1/2hour in the kids activity room where I shot these piccys. It was charming. Oh, and the eye candy wasnt bad either.

Galong Art

Galong, Art For The Soul Retreat

I went to Galong on Friday for this retreat and had a wonderful time being spiritual and artistic as well as athletic. I was staying at the Hermitage (away from everyone else) due to the nightmares. It was a self contained although old building very quaint and comfortable. I think Ive put on 4Kg with all the yummy food they provided, so on rations now and back into the gym tomorrow. The nun who took the retreat is sister Helen Barnes and she has just published a book. It started off really slow for me as I knew the techniques she was using from art therapy. Such as painting on a piece of paper with clear water. But then on Saturday afternoon she took it up a notch by bringing mirrors for us to do a self portrait. The confronting thing for me was the size of the paper she wanted us to do it on and as I am more interested in miniatures I really had to cut loose from old habits. Then in the evening she gave us clay to mold with our eyes closed and then we talked about the shapes. It took me back to childhood making mud pies and was very soothing and if I had to sum it up in one word I would have to choose "organic". Today we had to interpret the gospel ready in visuals. It the one where Jesus comes into the room and says "Peace be with you" while Thomas doubts him. Its the yellow base picture her. I had alot of fun on this day and it only cost $280 for the 3 days. All food, accommodation and art gear included. http://www.stclement.com.au/PDFs/St%20Clements%202010.pdf

Interview with Sr Helen Barnes http://spiritoflife.davidmcl.id.au/SOLep109.html

Marees Retirement

Friday was Marees last day at work. Shes 57 now and I think shes put in a great effort. I bawled so many times at the love that was there in that room. She was quite the star and the golden haired girl. Here are some piccys of the day.

Paper Love

....something about that broken package, in the way carton is torn, sort of invites you to come in..

"PACKAGE is a stack of 2.000 DIN A4 sheets of plain white paper wrapped in pink craft paper. A quote by Charles Eames, taken from the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures in 1971, is printed on the face of the package."What you do really with paper can never quite come up to with what the paper offers. It's something about that broken package, in the way carton is torn, sort of invites you to come in. There's something about taking out that first sheet, that sort of changes that thing." The work was submitted to a charity auction held by Miami design store Luminaire in December 2008. Proceeds from the auction were donated to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

I love this kind of analysis. It reminds me of when Simmone and I were kids and she did tiny tears in the gifts under the tree or cut loose and opened it and rewrapped it. How she used to valve bounce when I mentioned words like "expert rewrapper"....

Chayni Henry Rocks

http://artpost.abc.net.au/_Chayni-Henry/video/356950/50484.html

Drawing At The Portrait Gallery

Had a lovely time sketching this fella who played so beautifully for us artists. Also saw the most awesome video portrait of Cate Blanchett. It was whimsical, deep, playful and very easy on the eye. Her deep voice so calming. And sold a hairclip and a packet of haikus today as well. Feeling pretty good. Praise Godde!

More Sorting

Today I have excelled myself in tidying out my fabric and craft stash, the shed is sorted and things hung up. A few more bits and pieces to tidy tomorrow and the job is done. I will be able to find anything I want from now on. Felt so buggered I decided to get a massage at the shopping centre in Woden and man, they really know what they are doing. It released a whole lot of memories Id been hanging on to, most probably about all the clearing out I'm doing. Bring on 50, I know its gunna be good!

And I saw this gorgeous creature in a field looking so peaceful....

Tosser

Today I tossed out a whole suitcase full paperwork about the stalking and the property settlement. Feeling pretty good now. I actually let out a sign when I threw it into the skip bin. Nothing like Easter for a good Resurrection.

Speaking of Resurrection, here are my lovely new bamboo knitting needles that dad and the Crofts gave me for my birthday. Hopefully there will be a number of new "garments" arising soon.

Fat Lady SMACK DOWN

Man... this is a good way to start Easter. I finished work early today at 3 so went on a shopping spree and about 5pm I decided Id get a feed of curry and rice and wandered over to this bench thing with fixed stools. I had my new linen pants on and they were a bit slippery. As I sat down my bum slipped to the back of the stool as I tried to put my feet up on the rest that wasn't there. I fell straight back and I heard this funny sound like a belly flop smacking really hard on the water and realized it was me, legs up in the air, flat on my back, unhurt but a bit dazed. This gorgeous young girl was sitting about 3 seats down from me and come to my rescue. Once we realized I was OK then came the act of trying to get up. Her being about 6 stone meant there was no possibility of using her as leverage. I past her my bag and said I just need to get on all 4s then I can get up. Once up she handed my bag to me and I said sorry about all that and she said " totally understand, these things happen to everyone" I said "well yeah but its usually only when alcohol is involved. " oh, yes that's happened to me too" and we laughed. I turned my attention to the job at hand (eating) and was watching this bloke who had seen the whole thing from a distance of about 10 metres. He must of seen me sit down, then disappear, then perched back on my stool, but he didn't miss a beat just keep eating coz I remember I was looking at him before the smack down. While assessing him I heard the little girl next to me sobbing and I thought poor little bugger I wonder whats wrong with her. Any way it was getting louder and turned to look at her, just as she roared laughin and took off running and holding her belly. Godde I cant stop laughing at this episode. I'm so glad that girl laughed because that's what I would have done. And thats what I'm doing now.