Oingo Boingo - Stay

Grandmas Bakery

Ailsa and I went to Collector to have a feed at the bakery that a man at work had told me was worth a look. The best apple danish so far. But what was even nicer a lady was sitting on her veranda watching us trying to take a photo of ourselves and wandered over and offered to take a this piccy. Country people are so normal and giving. It was refreshing to have kindness shown. And the smell of the air was so subtly sweet which was more norishing for the heart than the lungs.

The Ghan

1982 after my 21st birthday, I decided that I had to leave home for good and survive in the real world alone. Oh, and I had a broken heart for the second time in 8 years . Being impulsive I decided that I would catch the bus to Alice Springs then the Ghan to Port Augusta where my grandfather lived. My plan was to go to Adelaide and get a job. The goodbyes at the bus stop near the post office were pitiful to say the least. By the time I was 10Km out of Katherine, I was sure there was no heart left in me. Sound dramatic so far hey? Bus trip was cruisey and then I got on the Ghan. This is where the slap and tickle kicked in. I decided to go the cheap sit up seat for the 24 hour ride. I boarded the train and found my seat, thinking this is quite nice, proper leather seat and quite big and comfy. Sitting close to the toilet and shower area was a bargain. Mums words come to mind here " your still wet behind the ears". About 20 minutes later this bikey gang boarded and the whole atmosphere deteriorated with the smell of cigarettes and grog and sweat. The swearing lulled me into a false scense of security. These were the days you could smoke and drink and do what ever you wanted in a confined public space and blokes had beards and a yellow stripe on their moes leading up to the nostrils from smoking so much, oh and crustacean like brown objects jutting horizontally from their front teeth from smoking too many bongs. It was stinking hot in January and traveling through the desert even hotter. I forgot about my heart because I became worried about what might happen to my body with all these blokes and me being the only girl in the carriage. We set off and about 6 hours later I decided I would have a shower to "freshen up"- what a joke. I got under the shower and soaped myself up and started lathering what hair I had left (I got a crew cut because of the angst) and next minute it felt like boiling water was being poured over me. The shower was so small there wasn't much room to step a side so I turned it of and wondered how I was going to get this soap off myself. After a while I just damped the flannel under the shower and waved it back and forth, like mum used to do when we had temperatures and sponge myself off. Things were going steadily down hill for the boys and it was getting dark and by 9pmish they took the entertainment level up a notch or two by not only punching each other but sticking various sized safety pins through their nipples and chest and doing them up. I feel a cold shiver just writing this. I tried to sleep thinking if they were gunna do something they would have already done it by now, that didn't work, then I remembered my heart so basically stayed awake for that whole trip. By the time we had disembarked the safety pins had caused a pussy infection on most of the blokes who had choked down in their seats asleep. Stepping on to the Port Augusta platform I had butterflies in my tummy because I was excited at being alone in a big city and at seeing my Grandfather again. I had not told him I was coming because we didn't have phones and if I'd sent a letter it would have arrived on the same day or after me. I felt pretty happy that I survived that trip, but was still feeling my heart. I got the taxi and went to Pops house and when I knocked on the door and he answered with a very stunned look and after a long pause said, "you haven't run away from home have you?" and then took me inside to try to work out what I was doing there and what to do with me. Looking back it could have been worse, at least the seat next to me was empty the whole trip. And this was stage one of growing up...... This photo is from later in that year.

My Gift

This morning it was so chilly walking to work and once I got in side and up to my floor I notice this beautiful rainbow. It stop me in my tracks on the way to the water fountain. Looking out to the left I saw the snow capped mountains and ahhhh, life is so good!

Tai Chi

Back at Tai Chi after a 9 year break and it felt really good. Mind you, I was the only female there for most of the night. When they brought out the big sticks, I declined until a bloke said come on, it will be good excersise. Of course he is right. The Qi Gong exersises felt wonderful.

The Element by Ken Robinson

Made My Day

When Maree gently strokes my hair, I feel special. When I hear her yell at the top of her lungs to the nurses to stop doing stuff, I giggle and think, you go girl - luv your attitude.

Ankle Bells

Going to make these tomorrow. Might make some for myself as well.

Patten

Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2 extra – I cast on 36 stitches but you may need more or less depending on the size of your little ones ankles.

Row 1 (right side) Knit two, *purl two, knit two; repeat from * to end.Row 2 Purl two, knit two, purl two; repeat from * to end.Repeat rows 1 and 2 until your cuff is about 2 inches wide.Cast off

2) Sew the sides together

3) Attach 5 bells at regular intervals around the cuff and Bob’s your uncle!

Rain In Africa

Artworks Podcast

"umm back in the 80s, um it was before i phones, in the crazy old days when people still had pubic hair" The Vent - Catherine Deveny, who hates spin.

Emiley On Canvas

I decided I would like a set of my first miniatures for my place and printed this one out on canvas at Big W to see how it turned out. I'm happy with that and has given me more options in future for exhibitions.

First Contact

There is a really amazing exhibition at the National Museum of Australia at the moment which is free. Its about the Canning Stock Route from Halls Creek to Wiluna which show both Indigenous and Non Indigenous points of view. Its got so much content, I think its going to take me at least another 7 visits to be able to read and understand it. Moved me to tears (When the whites chained the black men and feed them salty water and let one off the chain and followed him to water) and laughter of the black mans view of the camel prints in the sand, say he thought they were "little fella bums" in the sand. Its opened until 26.1.2011.

50+

I looked at this booking thinking probably wont get much out of it, but since it was a library book I thought Id give it a go.This book is not applicable to most of my readers but its got allot stuff that could be useful at any age. Here is some good words from the book.

"Solitude often provides ready access to our own inner councillor and is the ideal place to develop the inner dialogue - Kay Healey

"too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they're really capable of achieving. In that sense, they don't know who they really are" Sir Ken Robinson, The Element, 2010.

WINTER

Just in case there is any confusion, Canberra hangs flags to let you know what season we are experiencing.

Gifts from the heart

My friend turned 49 yesterday and I wanted to make her something but couldn't think of anything until the last minute so I wrote some poems and painted her a stone. Think it went over well because she laughed alot.

Really Wild Tea Cozy

Finally finished this tea cozy for my best sister today. Sorry I don't have a proper tea pot to model it on for you guys. I have enjoyed making this, especially the sculptural aspects of it, and all up probably taken 10 hours. She has also commissioned me to do a smaller one for her two cup pot which will be much easier this time because I actually own one the same and can fit it as I go. I'm having a mental health day at home today.

Transport and Works

This is where my dad spent nearly all his working life and mostly with the same people as boss of the workshop. Most of them were really good blokes although there is the child molester amongst them and the first guy who wanted to take me out but didn't have the guts to ask me, so continued to cry in his pretzels. Dad asked me recently why I didn't go out with him and I said to him, I would have if he'd asked me instead of sending one of his friends to ask. I quite liked him but knew even at 17 that I needed a strong man if it was ever going to work. Dad is not in this photo because he was in hospital with a really bad back. I was away overseas at the time. Also my third boss the big guy in the really white shirt who no one wanted to work for and was called by a customer "a prick with ears". I liked him as a boss. He was Austrian and his nickname was Von Otto. Ozzie's can be such bastards.

Sprung

I got sprung photographing this yesterday out side the childcare centre by the manager. She was just arriving at work and asked me what I was doing so I told her and she was rapt. She said she would keep an eye out to see if they make it inside to the centre and let me know next time she shes me out and about.

Last night I woke myself up screaming " I don't want to be deaf " and my tummy has been sore all day yesterday and today so I think I might have been having a go the previous night as well. I also found out the I have some detachment in one of my eyes and some kind of bacteria growing amongst my eye lashes which is causing a deformity around the lower lid. GOOD THANKS!!!

Flower Power

Angelika and I went to the Quilt and Craft Show today and I wore a flower brooch that is similar to this one but with out the wire and different colours. I didn't see anything inspiring at the quilt show except some flower necklaces made out of metal zippers. They were very cool.

Sadly, Maree is back in hospital and doesnt look like she will go back home now but to a nursing home instead. I was pretty disturbed when I walked into her room today and she was sitting there with both her breasts expozed as the gown they had on her had fallen off her.

Disturbing

For me, there is something very disturbing about this scene. A trolly without the ability to move. The cold hard space, my shadow, the security light and the sign. Im unable to put my finger on why it bugs me.

Rock Hunting

When I was really small, Nanna, Pa, Mum, Dad (and Simmone later) and I used to go down to 2 mile creek and sit in the shallow water. They used to drink beer and Pa and I would look for Agates in the river. Ive really had an interest in poetic space recently and the link is on my blog list. Ive been putting rocks I have painted all over Canberra and it makes me happy when I plant a rock on my way to work. And even happier when someone takes it. There is a child care centre not far from me and a couple of times a week I plant a rock so the little kids can find it on their way to day care. It takes me back to a time in our family that was calm, when we were surrounded by cool and tasty water and family love.

Pondering

I see people at work at higher levels who appear to have everything. I used to compare myself with them and think I could do better in my life. Recently I have found out through talking to them or through the grapevine that most of them are on antidepressants and have been for a very long time. I have no issue with the drugs and people have to do what they have to do and now I think that Im not doing so bad after all. As they say, life is never as it seems.....

And I found this quote that made me smile and also make me think how lucky I am.

There was a young lass named Ness
who, on noticing her dishevelled dress
said 'I'll do what I oughter,
I'll sprinkle a little water,
and give it a vertical press.

By Father Murf

In response to this one by me

There was a nice bloke called murf
who always dreamed of the surf
and a house by the sea
for bendin the knee
surrounded by freshly mowed turf.