24 Hours In Heaven

Back in my lovely Canberra. I don't think I can bear to be away from this place for more than a week. The girls down at Michelles Patisserie needed retraining as they had forgotten if I had sugar or not in my coffee. I'm also very happy because today I brought many plants for my edible garden. Ill insert the photo once I get all the pots set up properly.

Dr Colette Livermore - Author

My friend Colette has just published her book about her time with the Missionaries of Charity as a nun.

Im so proud of her. Ive seen the book evolve over the last 4 years and have so much admiration for her.

For her hope "takes the form of just trying to enjoy what beauty there is. I think you find hope in the people you love and who love you, and beautiful things, and making differences in small ways."

A short interview with her is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=daqicjVT__M

Laurens 21st

Lauren had two parties, one for the family on the actual date and one a week later for all her friends. The family one was rather low key at the Scattinis place with party around their fabulous pool. This family need a gold medal for hospitality as they hosted all the Crofts and Scotts together and let me tell you that takes stamina.

Here is a pic of one of the many dresses that were totally unsuitable for Miss Crofts dress up party. In the end she conceded that her mother was the most fabulous dress maker and settled for a black and white number, made with love and way cheaper. Simmone and I now know all our taste is in our mouths in relation to 20 something clothing styles. Shes come along way from the girl guide outfit tho.

Laurens second party was very Sex In The City style with allot of glamorous young girls in stilletto's. I was surprised at the amount of shoes she recieved as presents. They partied on till 2:30 am then off to the Base (what I used to call the disco). Lots of prezzies, hangovers and helium.

Her brother got suitabaly smashed in honour of his big sisters day. I think I might rename him octopus because he was clinging to everyone. Come to think it wasnt really a cling but more of a drape.

Up Up And Away

First signs of Territory behavoir set in when I boarded the plane in Adelaide. As soon as the plane leveled out this guy started ordering two cans of beer at once. I was thinking this is going to be nice... somehow he behaved the whole flight so that was a relief.

Dad cooked us all a barby for breakfast - from that point on the sandfly bites kept me busy for the next 7 days.

Nightmares

Ive been screaming every nite, so I am told, since arriving in the NT. Last night dad said he heard me screaming "I don't want to die" that must have been when I woke up tangled in the curtains with my ipod earplugs wrapped around my neck. Its so embarrassing. It stops me from going and staying at peoples houses that don't know me very well. No one ever checks on me anymore to see if I am really dying. Drama queen.

Global Gossip

Here I am back in the tropics. Sweltering of course. Its been a mad 5 days. My nephew drove me back to Katherine (320Km) in his V8 Statesman only thing was is that there was no air conditioning and the back windows didn't wind down and traveling at 140-160kmh with the smell of petrol in 40 degree heat was a bit concerning for the first 5 minutes anyway. I look so attractive with my windburned lips and hair like a strawman. What we do for love hey?

Speaking of love I caught up with my first two loves in Darwin. How cool is this? I decided I would go to the Parap Markets to get sticky rice, paw paw and mangoes and as I was coming around the corner I literally bumped in to Jurgen. I was so over the top emotional that he had a white glow around him and all I could see was his lovely soft brown eyes and I thought he wasn't wearing glasses any more, but in reality he was as he told me later he cant see anything with out them.

The ladies toilet mirror at Adelaide River....

Graduation from Dylexia School & Enrolment in Recorder School

I am a fully fledged SEER now. Im so happy that I have normal stereo and depth of field vision again after 40 odd years. It has been proved to me that I am speedy sequencer and I now do problem solving as a matter of course and my brain no longer suppresses the images coming through the right eye. It was a long and exhausting journey, with many depressions and mounting highs as the weeks progressed. When I graduated I immediately went to Judys place and picked up my treble recorder and two books to take on holidays with me. I though bugger it Im not backing off now and resting, Im going hell for leather to learn the music and maybe one day proper voice methods cos I want to have groups of people come for fun sing-a-longs to my place.

I'm like a monkey with quintuplets, not knowing know whether to read, paint or play recorder first.

I also went back to the Art for Healing Exhibition and Elizabeth was there. I asked her about the quote regarding the precious names. She said "Kim those beautiful words were on your evaluation sheet". I must have been way overstimulated that day because I don't remember writing them. Come to think of it most of the beautiful and profound words I come out with I don't remember. I believe that's Godde talking and that's why I don't remember them.

I sent a text message today to a friend who would like to sound more Ozzie. At first when I met her, I shut down because of her American accent ( I know thats descrimation and wrong), but once she started talking I just loved what she was saying. So now I don't want her to loose it. I wrote in the message "I believe something beautiful will be lost if you change the way you say heart or hearty. I makes me sad to think that may happen." So no more descrimination from me about accents. Its through love I learn stuff.

Art For Healing Exhibition

This was much harder than I expected... Going to this exhibition. I really wanted to spend time with each piece but it was too confronting. Comments about the course from the participants evaluation sheets were read out including these " It enabled women survivors to work more on boundaries" and "Their connection with the art therapist and the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre counsellor was indicated as "two precious names in my healing journey." The last quote I almost cried when I heard it. I left there wondering who wrote it. I suspected the boundary one was from my form.

One of the two people Id invited turned up. Theresa Angert-Quilter the most fab minister, in a lovely pink linen shirt. Have I said before that this woman ROCKS!!!!? Luckily Melinda and Elizabeth who were in my group were there and I felt safe then. And Aileen Mahoney and Elizabeth Burn who ran the course welcomed me. Aileen cried when I gave her the card (the St Ninians Jalbu). She said she was going to treasure it for ever. Inside the card I said that her body language told me that she was excited by what I was doing and that she had seen Jalbu coming a long time before I did. After a short time I started having a hot flush, but it didn't stop it kept coming and I had to leave as it was all too much for me.

Jalbu Goes To Market

These are the first batch of cards I am sending out to the public. They are for the fete at St Ninians while I am in the NT. Its taken alot of work to put the ribbons around them but lovely at the same time as I said prayers for the people and the church. 90 cards in all. I kept 10 for myself.

Beth and Peppi Rupert

Madonna and child...

Beth my next door neighbour was downing her sorrows the other night and after a bottle of wine went out an purchased a pup. Next morning she confesses her bad decision to which I said "I have no problem with you having an animal but it wouldn't be fair to the pup" I am soooooo glad she ignored my spiel and kept the pup anyway. He is really gorgeous and I baby sat him for 2 hours today. I do admit that he looks like a black blob but he has so much attitude. Beth is frightened about what the body corporate migh say but I said well, with you and me being executives I don't think we need to worry. We might even make Peppi an executive to balance out all the other bitches.