Autumn In My Lounge

I'm ashamed to say that I have been taking the first 6 weeks of autumn for granted. I'm now making up for it by frolicking through the leaves in the mornings and lunchtimes when ever I can. Sorry Autumn.

Todays Highlights

• Will did a spot of cleaning for me (some slow cooking got stuck on my ceiling!!!)

• Will took a risk on reaching the ceiling by standing on the chair with wheels on it. (Hes getting over his autism)

• I got to keep my rice cooker, when Will said his family don't need another rice cooker because there are 15 in the garage at home "just in case"

• We got thanked for just walking past a coffee shop by the owner. (must have thought there was another group of people as distinct as us in his shop)

Walking And Texting

This morning I went for my usual cuppa and reading of the newspaper in Woden. On the way out I though I would text a friend and ask if I can come for a visit. Was really busting so I walked and text on the way to the loo. Hit send and squat. Ahhh all is good. I open the door and there are no mirrors and these funny bid ea things on the wall and I'm wondering where I am, as in country and time. First thought was that they want us to back up to these things then went NAAH! then I realised I was in the men's toilet and there was a bloke in the next cubical. I took of with out washing my hand to the women's next store to wash. Then when parking at my friends I accidentally parked a couple of houses up and went knocking on the door. Hearing kids inside and noticing the station wagon, I decided I was at the wrong house. So I'm wondering if tonight when I go out for dinner to a place I haven't been before - WILL I FIND IT!!!!

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.