Watching Jupiter

Yep, I've been watching Jupiter pass by Earth's orbit in the past couple of nights; and tonight is the last night to see it in all its glory. After all it's the brightest 'star' in the night sky when you look up right now. And seeing it's the biggest gas planet, I'm not gonna miss it moving past us.

Okay, you caught me out, I'm a total planetary-space geek. I love whatever goes on out beyond the solar system and beyond. It's something which has totally fascinated me since I was little; and I'm not ashamed to say it's going to fascinate me until I'm old and can't see anything beyond my nose - even with glasses. 

But I've been busy with things on Planet Earth right now. I'm still going to social painting classes; and working hard on my next body of work. I've applied for a few things at the Logan Artists Association too. I'm also saving up big to buy something in the next year for myself... something which will keep myself looking around and active in a big way for the rest of my life.

Little Green Machine is going to be worked on in the next year or two and have some additions of a tow bar and roof racks put onto her. Yep, I'm not looking into selling her anymore. I'm improving on her instead. 

My life has been good in the past few months and I'm working myself more. It's been a year since Hannah took her life; and I'm remembering what she last told me to do with my life: live it to the fullest and better than I ever could. And I'm going to do that, dear friend. I've been making my life the best it can be. I'm working on my garden, painting and enjoying a better social life, and decluttering my house in the biggest way - bigger than in the past few years. And now, I've donated my hair for the Leukaemia Foundation and I've gotten into knitting beanies on a big scale too. 

How weird is that? I just can't stop knitting beanies... not ordinary ones either, strange ones for all kinds of people. 

Well, that's my news for now. I'm keeping well, haven't caught the flu (touch wood) and don't wish to either. And I'm do my best to keep myself well. I hope you're all doing well. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Out with The Old...

It was that kinda month this month - but in a slow kinda way. I had to wait for things to finish, and wait for things to start as well... and in a strange way, it was interesting to just sit back watch it all happen.

I had to wait for my last markets to come and go - and I walked away with over $70 on that lovely day - and within the next week, I could afford to buy my birthday gift to myself: two sets of Stratco shelving units for my art gear. Dad helped me put it together; I'm thankful he did, because it was fiddly in a lot of ways. He told me it won't fit, and didn't by around 10cm, but I found that little bit of give was good for me because when I charge up my tablet or phone, I can slot them into the lower bookshelves out of the way when I'm eating dinner or clearing the table. Not a bad idea, right? 
Well, all my art books fit into one bookcase, along with a container with my wrapping paper and the stone from my oven. Then on the other one is my esky/cooler (which was sitting in front of my oven for years and getting in the way) and other things which weren't working out where they were. I also have a space for my food processor (so I can use it more) and a container for my laundry detergents as well. It's created so much more storage and more space around the place. 

The garden is flourishing! There's the Camellia looking wonderful as it starts putting out new leaves as it'll flower this Summer. And then, there's the Garlic which I'm looking forward to harvesting next year. Then my Frangipanis all put out leaves in the past week! Also, my Ficus is growing too! The Agapanthus is all sitting up straighter and looking like it's going to put out stems for their flowers soon. Yep, it's all full steam ahead for another great Summer in my garden. 

Vanessa and Matt moved into their new place and I helped them clean the place next door. Then, within about a week or so, I got new neighbours of two young girls who are straight out of home. They're just starting out; and one's a karate instructor and the other is a uni student. They don't have much but they're doing well. 
Over the past few weeks, I've had a few things to donate at charity, so I thought to clean up those things and give them to my neighbours. They've been very grateful. I know what it's like to not have much when you first move out.

I've begun on my Christmas list and looking at what everyone will need this year.  So far, I've begun knitting a scarf and am looking around at what my Birthday Buddy is getting... which is a great fun thing which she can keep and enjoy and reuse as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what she sends me. We have so much fun with our exchanges every year... and to think it started off as a once-off thing on Bookcrossing and turned into a fun thing for us two. 

Anyway, this month has been busy, exciting, interesting and fun. I've done an art demonstration and am excited about starting new work. I'm looking at writing a new book. I'm currently reading - and really getting into - the fourth book of 'The Dark Tower' series. And I'm finding life is slowly turning around for me. It's taking time, but it's starting to look good again. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Positive Actions

It's just hit the three month mark since my dear friend passed away; and I'm seriously struggling with her death. I really miss her being in my life - even though she lived so far from me.

But it's the little things which really bug me and cause me to remember her when I least expect them to; the tiny little memories of her which come out of the woodwork when I'm minding my own business and doing other things which have nothing to do with her, which cause me to remember her the most.

I get this feeling of dread come over me when I'm reminded that she's no longer with us, in this realm... on planet Earth. This is a horrible feeling to have; and I wish it would go away. But I know it will take time.
At first I was numb and felt as though my world had caved in on itself - and this is normal. I mean, Hannah had killed herself. This isn't the Natural Order of things, which is something I believe in, and I feel as though Hannah has gone against this completely. I still think what she's done is wrong, even though her pain would have been impossible to live with for her. 

So, positive actions must be taken on my part to make this all work out, to help me get through my grief. And so, what I've been doing is fixing up my backyard and making it into something I can be happy with, making it grow into a lovely, private thing to live in. 

The next thing I've thought to do is to join a gym and get myself fit and healthy. Seeing I'm relatively healthy with what I eat, and am sleeping okay for now, I'd like to be physically healthy as well. So, that's something I've been looking into lately. And over the past week, I've joined a gym on a trial membership to see how I go with it over the next month. I think I'm going to like it there... sure it'll be hard, but that's what life is: a challenge.

There are other future plans for me to get into as well. I have the War On Waste Challenge - which has returned for another season on the ABC; and once the garden is all fixed up, I'll be right into my decluttering again and looking at only what I need in the house. Being focused through the gym will help me with that - a lot of things will be leaving my house and I'll be ready to move away from here at some point in the future. 

These are positive actions which are going to help me with my life. It's true that I hate what has happened in the past 3 months - losing a wonderful friend like Hannah to suicide is the worse thing I'd ever though would happen to me - but I must move on and get myself healthy, keep my mind on track and make sure I'm don't let depression rule my life. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

I Promise Myself

In the last few hours, I found out one of my dear, sweet friends killed herself. She had huge mental problems and even though I urged her to get medical treatment - as did everyone else in her life - she didn't. 

Her name was Hannah Northedge. 

Google her, and you'll find the news reports.

I have known Hannah for over 30 years, visited her once in 1997 and have found in the past few years, she had some health problems. She was convinced she was in pain and doctors were testing her for everything... but this year, they stopped testing her and wouldn't see her. 

This isn't right. 

She was a great jazz musician who was a dead-ringer for Vivienne Leigh (the lead actress from 'Gone With the Wind'). And you something? She worked herself so hard, she was a star who burned so brightly, that she ended up burning herself out.

This has brought me to promise myself something. I'm going to live my life to the fullest, enjoy every bloom of every rose, of every flower, love every sunrise and sunset and live each day as much as I can possibly enjoy it - and fall exhausted into my bed knowing I had lived that day without wasting a single moment in it.

I may have something wrong with me, but I went to the doctors, and I went through the tests and I'm on medications to help me live my life as full as I can. 

Living a full life doesn't mean taking it by the horns at 5am every day and going everywhere, doing everything full charge ahead. 
It can mean enjoying the rain falling on the roof on a cold morning while you're sleeping in on any day ending in 'y'; just because you feel like it (this is if you don't work or you're retired).
Get out and enjoy working in the garden and making it work for you; then sitting back and watching it grow over the next few months; only maintaining it as it does its thing.
Being the only one up at sunrise to go for an early morning drive and enjoy the silence of the beginning of the day - making it something of ritual as the car and you feel as though you're the only things on Earth.

My promise in this life is to just be. I promise to live my life fully and totally until my life ends at the right time; not until I say so. Life is far to precious to waste and I don't wish to waste any of my life because I'm in pain or have problems with my health. I've had problems with it and went to the right doctors for it. This will take time for me to get through - my friend dying so suddenly - and all I can do is live my life in the best way I know how.

I promise to live, be positive and be the best me I possibly can be... that's all I can promise. Right now, though, it's so hard to be positive - I'm doing my very best.

Old-Fashioned Values

For my birthday last week - last Thursday to be exact - I went out with my family to a great hotel and had dinner. I love this old-fashioned way of celebrating; it keeps everyone in contact with each other.

But then, I also love old-fashioned things anyway. 

I collect vinyls/records. I collect books and don't own an ereader (and with all my real-print books, why would I?). I cook all my meals from scratch and enjoy every minute of making something where I know what goes into that meal. I love to knit, stitch, sew and paint presents and create things from raw materials - instead of going and buying things from a store and giving it to somebody.

Why, just recently, I brewed up Limoncello... it was amazing and brilliant! I loved doing it - even though it made a complete mess and I had to clean the kitchen a few times to get rid of the stickiness of it. But it worked out and everyone loves it!

I also love to write letters to people. There's one lady in particular who I write to - who will never see this post - and she lives in Toowoomba with her family. Joan Lane has been known to my family for years - decades. Since I was around 6 years old, I've known Joan as my second Grandmother when I met her down the coast at Brunswick Heads. She was just the most lovely and wonderful person there. When my folks wanted to have a night out somewhere, I could go to Joan and Ted's van to be somewhere safe... these people were trustworthy and generous and loving. They were hardworking people and great kids too. 
However, times change, and Ted and Joan moved to Toowoomba when they found they were feeling the holiday to Brunswick Heads was becoming to hard to do. Then, Ted passed away and Joan's family kept her closer. This was around the time I started writing yearly letters to her - and about the time I found out she wasn't too crazy about the internet or technology. 

So, I adapted for her. 

I tried to send her a cd of photos, but she wouldn't even approach a computer - not without Graham, her son - to help her out. However, Graham is busy with work; so it would have been days before she got to see the photos which correlated with the letter. So, I put them onto thumb drive, went to K-Mart and got them printed up. Then, I numbered them, wrote on the backs of them all and then, sent the rather plump parcel to Toowoomba - to her home address - and she could see them all as she read the letter! 

And the letter! Well, there's no printer in my home (as my computers have a habit of closing them down because I don't use them often enough - silly things!). So, I get in and hand-write them. This takes me around 3 - 5 days and I take my time. Sure I make mistakes, but I just cross out the mistake and keep on writing; doing the best I can. 

Well! Joan loves receiving these photos and letters; and I totally enjoy writing them! It's a great way to get my mind to work slower. This is also why I write an offline journal. I get to write down more personal things that I would never dare write on here for the whole world to see, hate me for and criticise me for even thinking... I mean, how dare I be any less than a Human Being having a mind of my own, feelings of my own and the ability to write down my own feelings in my journal; and this is why I don't write down how much things of this world bother me here.

So, wouldn't it be lovely if we all could sit down and write a letter to somebody we know who would love to receive something in the letterbox. Write about how your week is going, what you've been up to, how you're working on your latest piece of art/writing/sewing/work... let that person know in your own words how you're feeling about the weather and the other things in life that seem to get in the way of what you wish to do... then... add in photographs of what you've been up to, your garden, flowers, places you've been to and people you've hung out with. 

DO NOT PUT THEM UP ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA - IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE.

What you're doing is:

*  Using the postal system in the way it was designed to be used.

*  Taking your time and enjoying the fact you were actually taught to write with a pen and paper when you were little for a reason.

*  Hoping the person you write to (be it your sister, uncle/aunt, mother/father or grandmother), returns a lovely letter of their crafting. 

Now, you don't do this to your neighbour... you write to somebody you rarely see. You write to somebody who hasn't seen you physically in over a year, but you talk over the phone. And the one thing you must do to make this stick is to write a yearly letter to this person - including photos in your letter - and they will love what you're doing for them.

This is: keeping up communications and contact. They will enjoy the fact you've gone out of your way to sit down over a weekend and actually write something on paper to let them know they are more important than the internet, television and your phone right now... and this is a good thing to do.

So, who do you write letters to using snail mail? I write to Joan Lane. She loves receiving my letters so much; as much as I love writing them. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Do Something Different for July!

This past month has been busy. But I have spent a lot of time at home doing home-body stuff too, which is unusual of me. Normally I'm out and about being the social butterfly; unfortunately, I've been too broke to do anything but read books, paint and clean out my house and fix up the garden.

Lately, I've bought some grass seed to replace the lawn the Logan City Council destroyed. I did put down lawn food, but it didn't do anything - I needed to re-seed it and make more lawn. This has been really horrible because normally, I have a lovely, green, lush lawn in Winter, and it makes my yard lovely and hardy for Summer - keeping the bindis away for the hotter months too. However, I've had to start again and now I've got muddy patches under the clothes line, right where the they'd grow and get me in Summer.
Otherwise, I've been repotting plants and potting up some cuttings from the Frangipani at unit 16. The guy there got it removed and is growing Roses instead. So, I asked if I could take a few cuttings and the gardener he hired said yes; and that he was going to dump the tree. I suggested transplanting it into another garden or a park... seeing the root ball was still intact. He shrugged and walked off. I'm not sure what he did with it, but I hope he did transplant it, it puts out such lovely flowers.

Anyway, I finished 'The Tuscan Garden' and started on 'The Living Room' in my art class. Aaron Pocock, our teacher, is thrilled I'm learning so many things; but it's taking time for me to take in what's he's teaching us. He doesn't mind how slow it's taking me, he likes seeing my work transform the way it has. Okay, the first painting took 4 months, but I learned so much from it! And this second painting is ticking along so much faster now I'm painting tonally, and not the way I painted the last one. I've been taking a lot more notes and enjoying it more. 

Earlier in the month, I found I had given away one of my warmest top sheets! How silly was that of me to do? Well, after I stopped kicking myself, I went off to the manchester place at Springwood and bought a lovely set of sheets for $35 which are just lovely! I guess giving away something by accident results in getting something just beautiful in return. 

Art class is going really well. I finished 'The Tuscan Garden' and have it all ready for the raffle in October and now I've begun 'The Living Room' - a bigger painting with more elements and a cosier look to it. I'm a few weeks into it and it's looking great.

I've been neglecting the house lately, so this week, I've promised myself to keep it tidier than it has been. Today, I cleaned the bathroom - including the window sill - and the tub downstairs in the laundry and then cleaned out the fridge and put out all the rubbish as well. In between all that, I picked up and unpacked a few things, a few bags and gathered together my shopping bags from last week and will be putting them away soon. Then, after I get offline, I'll be pulling the clothes off the clothes horse and taking the clothes basket upstairs to keep it all tidy in that. 

Yep, housework never finishes. That's for sure!

Well, that's all for now. I have been meaning to hang out with friends, but without any fun-money in the accounts, I can't really go anywhere. So, home is where I'm stuck for now. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

A Strangely Busy Month

It's been a busy time for me this month; so much so, I haven't really had time to write here - or even in my journal. 

I've been decluttering in the biggest way: with my furnishings. Half my living room furniture has been put on Gumtree to be sold off to the highest bidder and I'm looking at revamping my living room with really nice, second-hand chairs; making it more streamlined and feeling more homey. I have no use for my sofa-bed and so that's on Gumtree, so is my large 1970's coffee table and the hat stand I got when I was 16 years old... all three items were put on there over the Easter Long Weekend; and I've had people looking at them.

They will stay on there for the whole month for the free advertising; and if they don't sell, I'll try out the adverts on the Logan Sell, Trade & Swap Facebook Page... if they don't go on there, I'll get Life Line to pick them all up. But I'm sure somebody in Logan City will buy them off me if they see my advert.

Anyway, I have been looking at my house and wondering what else to toss out into the charity bin. I have my bigger things to get through - seeing I have the cupboards already working for me. But really, the furnishings are the one thing that are going to be the biggest things that I really am going to be working on.

I'm also working on my social life... I really haven't had one for over a year and so I've gotten my butt out there and have made an effort to mingle with the arty types. This meant joining the Logan Artists Association and getting in and working with my friends I've known for years. I'm looking forward to doing more courses there as this place is an art school, and I feel comfortable going there. 

I'm also working on publishing a book later this year. Yep, I'm back on editing and writing again. This does mean long hours on the computer editing my work - that is if my monitor doesn't burn out on me before it gets finished. One of my art friends told me about a self-publishing site where I upload my book, they help me work on a cover and I get an ISBN and it get published through Amazon and anyone who wants it can download it as an ebook or print on demand... I'll see how I go with it. I'm going to do my Flash Fiction first, the ones from 2015 first and then work on the ones from 2016 in a second book and so on... seeing I have over 100 flash fiction, and they're all on my blog, I've decided to write an alternative ending to quite a few of them... to show my readers how it turned out if the story went 'the other way'. I do have alternative endings for some of my stories; but just don't use them. It's always fun to keep 'em guessing, right? 

Well, the garden is going well. I have a massive wasps nest hanging off my house and the car had a huge leak a few weeks ago - which Dad and I fixed. I'm no longer going to a chiropractor and I've cured my arthritis with the most simple of remedies - molasses tea in the mornings - and I've lost 4kg over the past 3 months through a very healthy diet and weight training. Yes, this year is about looking after myself, keeping everything as healthy as possible and working on what is good for me and mine. 
So, what have you all been doing for the past few weeks - and months? - that has been good for you in every way? I've gone from 73kg to 69kg almost overnight (in a good way) and I'm feeling so much better for it... I'm drinking more water than ever and have found that my joints no longer ache and my back doesn't hurt anymore. This is a step in the right direction for me. Well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Been Busy

I've been meaning to come in here and have a chat with you guys. But every time I want to, something big happens in my life and put it off.

So, here I am, sitting down ready to tell you all what's been going on.

Over the past few weeks, I've been working hard on the Lake Como tapestry, and have gotten far on it. About a quarter of it is completely done since December, but it's the fiddly stuff I'm having problems with, as it's about 30 years old and I really need good natural light to make sure I get the right threads in the right places. Otherwise I'm really pleased with my progress. The main thing is that I'm taking the tapestry to volunteer work at the gallery and to my craft group; and I'm also working on it for about 2 hours a night - every night - to get some of it done. So, this is how I'm getting it done so quickly.

I've been working on my clutter and I'm stoked with how well I'm doing. I've gotten the home office half decluttered and I've paused in cleaning it out so I can catch up with the mess I've accidentally made in the living room. Yeah, moving a box downstairs has backfired into making a mess down there instead of making it tidier. So, I'm saving up money to buy a shredder because there's so many bank statements I need to get rid of that I really can't clean out anymore until I get a new shredder. Tearing them up isn't going to work.

The garden it looking good. The Frangipanni has flowered and I've mowed the lawn, then fed the plants Seasol and watered the lawn heavily; as we're not getting the rain we've been promised over the past week. Such a pity it's been dodging us so much. But at least the plants are going okay. 

I've been learning to bake Apple Tea Cakes. I scored a nice little recipe off Mum and made the mistake of making the whole things in a food processor. Yeah, yeah, stop laughing... I didn't think really. It took the air out of the cake completely; as the recipe did say to 'fold the flour into the mixture', which I didn't read properly. So, next time, I'll read it properly and do it right.
I'm also losing weight - just a little - because the doctors have told me my cholesterol is high. So, out goes the 'Naturals' Chips, high fat things and into the house comes the rice chips and more fruits, a lot more water and less milk-based coffee drinks. I've lost a fair bit of weight throughout the heat wave over Summer, but I am feeling a lot better because of the weight lose I've had to do instead of the weight I've had on over the last few months. I'm also doing weight-based exercises and eating less at night; this is helping me sleep better at night. 

This weekend, I'm taking part in an art opening at the Logan Artists Association at Coral Street, Loganlea. It's called 'Black and White' and it's a collection of art by female artists around Logan City and just in time for International Womens' Day. It starts on 4th, March and the exhibition finishes on 15th, March. I have a piece in it and hope to have a great time on Saturday.
I've also joined the Logan Artists Association this year so I can learn new things in the art world. They have lessons going on how to work with clay - something I've always wanted to know - and art lessons which cost only about $20 or so and lectures from artists from around Logan City.

Anyway, I'm doing well. The heat hasn't done me any favours - as always - and I'm working on a book to get published over the next few months. I hope it works out... there's a lot of editing to be done to it. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

So Much Going On This Month!

Oh, where do I start? So much has gone on and there's so much to say, but I don't know where to start.

I'm over the laryngitis - finally - and now we're about to be plunged back into freezing cold weather again soon. The weather is nice and fine now, but word is that we're in for more chilly days and nights before we see Spring coming our way. And that's fine for me - so long I don't get sick again.

This year is Census Year. This is where we all get to put our hand up and be counted by our country. It's a great thing. Now, I'm going to remember to put down which religion I am so that I can be counted in that way too. However, that doesn't happen until next month.

This month has been a busy old month of things going on, a Birthday, a building starting to be built across the road from my parents' house and one nearly burning down at the unit complex and then my garden was finished for this year while I was sick. And in this last week, I sold my late-Grandmother's dining table and bought a lovely Chiswell dinner table and chairs and fixed them up! What a great thing to have in my possession. Dad helped me buy it, and I have almost finished paying him back; not far to go now. 

But in between all that, I've been knitting more of the squares of the huge throw I'm making, painting, cooking and baking, reading, writing and watching movies. My living room is halfway through being tidied up and I'm hoping to have my folks over in a couple of weeks for dinner as my new dining table will be big enough to use for just that - without us bumping elbows with each other.

Yes, I've had social occasions to go out too. I dressed up as my favourite animal at the Logan Art Gallery when we had a Family Fun Day (I went as a butterfly) and then it poured rain for the afternoon - which was a bit of a bummer. And just yesterday, I was out and about in Underwood at InHouse Publishing attending their Author's Day. I loved it! What a lovely day it was to have an outing like this. There was a coffee van, sausage sizzle and books! Oh! I was so lucky to have not taken any money with me that day! Well, that's all about this month... until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

September... wow... It's here Already!

August just seemed to fly by after I got a few things sorts and out of the way - namely that my neighbours and I started talking again. Yeah, we went through a bit of a rough patch, but friends do that.

Then, during that that month, I went out on the town and partied with friends... now this was supposed to be a night of fun, enjoyment and to get my butt out there and dance a little. However it turned into a night of trying to slow one of my friends down.
You see, she's on a diet; and that night she broke away from it and ate more carbs than she was permitted. Well, she started running and didn't stop all night. She ran from club to club, leaving one other friend and myself in her dust... and this didn't make the night enjoyable at all - in fact, by 9pm, I just lagged back and gave up on trying to keep up with her.
But I did pay for this little exercise. After we arrived home at around 1:30am, had our hot chocolate and got changed into our pajamas, and were off to bed, I found that my leg with the massive scar on it cramped up so badly I was almost physically sick. Now, when this happens, nothing can help it. No amount of painkillers, stretching or hot showers or soaking in a bath will help it stop... and this is why I don't run up and down hills like my friend does all the time.
By the time I got to sleep at 4am, I was only sleeping out of exhaustion; and my alarm went off too soon for me... I told my friend's husband about what happened after we went to bed, then we told her. She said that she had to work off the excess of what she ate immediately... however, I reminded her that making me race up and down hills all night was not my idea of fun. I don't think she understood this... not until she realised I only got two hours' sleep because of the problem with my leg.

Well, it took me a good part of the next week to catch up with my lost sleep from that night.

I also had a look at my Bucket List. Hey, we all have one, but do we really do anything on that list? Well, over the last year or two, I've begun crossing off some of the things on my list - and my darned proud to say that there's quite a few things I've done on it that I didnt' think were big, but really they were. And a few of those things were done this year - like shaving my head and getting a tattoo.

Then, there were 200 Days... okay, for those who haven't read this post, this is about being conservative. You spend 200 days not buying anything new and only buying second-hand stuff or preloved things - and besides shopping for the essentials, you keep your spending to a minimum an see how much money you save up. I've read articles where people have actually ditched their credit cards and found themselves out of debt within the 200 days by paying off those cards. Pretty cool, eh? Well, I've been living with a lot of second-hand stuff in my life for so long, that to keep going isn't that bad. But to buy something new once in a while is always a joy and a pleasure; and I always find it a novelty too. 

This past month has had its ups and downs too. I've been working on new things for the markets, and staining some coat hangers for the wardrobe. I've also enjoyed getting in and doing more work on the old wash table of my Great-Grandmother's at my folks' house and also have been organising how the boxes are going to be used at the markets - as the stores box is getting way to heavy to lift; so I've moved a few things from it into another box. 

Yeah, a few things have been going on, at the house and away from it too. And yeah, I've been busily preparing a few new projects for my garden as well. But all will be revealed in time. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

August Already!

This year is flying by so fast!

This is a funny time of year with the weather and everything happening so strangely. I've been working on a huge collection of things over the last few months that the flu caught up with me and I was forced to slow down over the last few weeks; and this was good.

Very good in fact.

I'm glad I did because I could catch up on my sleep and other things around the place - like my housework and listening to my body. Yeah, gotta do that.

And as you read in my last post, I got a tattoo. It's just starting to scab over and heal - and that's what it's supposed to do; but I have a long way to go, up to about a month of healing to go with it all.

I've been to my tattooist today to see him about a few questions I have about it; and he's impressed at how well it's healing. And that's the one thing I love about 'Old Skool Tattoo & Barber Shop' they are a family business who are friendly and great to people who want their first tattoo. I talked to Jarrod and he said my first little tattoo is healing really well... I'm so pleased!

Anyway, we got talking about the area and how long his business has been in Springwood and he was amazed that I've lived in this area longer than he thought... and just around the corner too! He was equally amazed at how much stigma Epilepsy and mental illness really does carry; seeing nobody will give me a job - so I created my own.

Well, soon afterwards, I was off to my volunteer work at the gallery where the doors were kept open all day. I thought they were stuck; but was told that a possum had died in the roof and stunk the place out! Eeeww! And they have an opening tomorrow night; which I hope the smell doesn't affect.

Well, I better be going. I did some work tonight of a few coathangers and other things around the place - as well as colouring in the first page or so of my new little colouring in book for adults. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

March Was Something Different!

March started off with the Logan City Car Show, which I took off to.  The day was hot, sunny and gorgeous; and so were the sweet lot of cars there!  I took along my phone and camera as well - but most of my photos were taken on my phone.  I got to meet a 1958 Plymouth Fury - yes, I got to meet the same make and model of Stephen King's first horror car: Christine.  What a beauty she was. She was big, red and gorgeous in a creepy, weird kinda way.  And I loved her... the owner thought it was great I was so much into the book and he told me the differences between the book and the movie and then he let me sit behind the wheel a few times and I got myself photographed there too!  Sweet! 
I showed my folks the photos and they were amazed at how big the show was.  But I did get a little sunburnt; but not too badly.

However, March turned out to be a real steamer of a month.  The flowers on my Moch Orange shrubs flowered for their final time, and I worked hard on more stock for my next markets at Murarrie Progress Hall.  I had some great ideas for a couple of new lines, but they will take time to integrate them into my stall.  Anyway, I experimented on a set of drawers and found that they would work out selling them - I just have to find a well-built set to buy and do up.  Is that possible?

My garden started to florish as the storms and rains began.  One of my Bromiliads began to flower and another scored itself a Green Ants Nest... oh great, how to get rid of that!  I'll figure it out without killing the plant.

Before long, the World's Greatest Shave was upon me.  I had been working on getting sponsors to donate money towards this and this year, I was shaving my hair off.  However, it wasn't being thrown out.  I was sending my ponytail away to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths Promotion so they could turn it into a wig for somebody undergoing Cancer treatments.  It was such a stressful day when 14th, March showed up, I was exhausted by the end of the day; and I had an afternoon of volunteer work at the Logan Art Gallery as well.  In the end, I raised $801.00 for the Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland this year.  I hope to beat that amount next year! 

Not too soon after, I had my first market at Murarrie Progress Hall.  It was the first time I was pleased to not have hair... it was that hot and sticky.  I had put up pictures of me without hair to make sure all my friends and other retailers at the markets knew I was going to arrive without my long red locks... and they were so amazed at how fast it had grown in a week!  Brisbane had a huge thunderstorm, which rocked all of us around the city, and then we were amazed when people showed up for the market soon afterwards.

For the rest of the month, I made a dry terrarium for the bathroom, Mum bought me a gorgeous Audrey Hepburn clock (and I replaced my 25 year old $5.00 clock I had from when I was with Dan at Runcorn) and then I paid off a layby at Woodys' and started right in on knitting some dishcloths for next year's line on my stall. 

Yep, this month was really busy... I was running around with hair at the beginning of the month, and without it by the end.  I had started knitting dishcloths mid-month, the garden is really looking great and the rain is beginning to settle in - and Winter is really on its way.  Until my next post, take care,stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Autumn Marches On - Finally!

It's been hot.
It's been steamy.
It's been hot and steamy...

Yes, we've had a longer than usual Summer here in Australia and I bet, you guys overseas have had a longer than usual Winter too!  We've just been hanging out for the cooler months; and its wonderful long nights and shorter days.

But this month has been as busy as it's been hot and stormy.  Within this month, I've raised a lot of money, been to a market and weathered a thunderstorm there and shaved all my hair off for charity, as well as finally worked where to get the best fruit and veggies nice and fresh... even if I have to drive for 10 minutes to get them.

Yes, this month has been busy, frantic, hot and sticky and stressful.  However, I have learned a lot about myself, family, people and what life is like without my hair... and that I could shave my head again if I needed to.

I do miss my hair... seriously I do.  And I really didn't know how much I played with it until my hands went looking for it, and it wasn't there.  I still feel the phantom pony tail and all my friends tell me that I look great with short hair - but I hate it.  I'm looking forward to having it long again; really I do, because I've lived most of my life with shoulder-length or waist-length hair.  I really do feel very naked without my hair.

However I raised over $800 for the Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland; and I damned proud of that.  I should be able to raise that much money every year, but it just doesn't happen.  I did ask online why that was so; why it took me shaving my head for people to dig deep, when I've been colouring my hair for years.  My question went unanswered... nobody wanted to tell me.  I'm hoping they understand that my hair went off to Pantene to have them make it into a wig for somebody to wear while undergoing treatment. 

This month has been been a very weird month in weather.  We have had some rainfall, but we've also had some really dry days too... and then we've had some big thunderstorms.  So, it causes me to wonder how cold our Winter is going to be; and how long?  Is it going to be longer, just like our Summer?  There's so many questions and not enough answers, and so, so many conspiracies.  I don't know where to start or look.  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Well, today it's the first cool day we've had this month; and I'm grateful.  Actually, I'm currently wearing a beanie on my head as I'm getting cold... how weird is that?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Bucket Lists

When you get older, you tend to look at life differently; a lot differently.  And when you get older, you start making a Bucket List - this is a list of things you want to accomplish before you kick that bucket called Life.

Getting my head shaved for the Leukaemia Foundation wasn't on my Bucket List - but it should have been, because it was empowering.  As much as I have hated myself over the last 48 hours for doing what I did to my hair, I have to remind myself that I did this for two charities.  One is raising funds for the Leukaemia Foundation; while the other is Pantene Beautiful Lengths Promotion where they'll make a wig out of my hair.  
A lot of people on Saturday got long ponytails cut off and their heads shaved and the hairdressers threw away those ponytails without another thought.  I was grateful that I did my research and found a place for mine.  

However, I had thought about my bucket list and realised there have been things on it that I have accomplished over the last few years.  One of those things on my bucket list was to drive a car again -which I've done!  

I've also got on that bucket list a lot of things I'm not sure I'll get around to doing.  There's some great things I'd love to do - like seeing Mt Everest, sky dive and other great things that are thrilling - but due to my medical condition I'm just not permitted to do them.  I guess we can all dream, right?

So, what's on your Bucket List - well, not your whole bucket list, just the top ten things?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Good God! Good Grocery Day!

Today was an impressive day indeed! 

Have you ever had one of those days where you weren't really in any hurry to get anywhere, and yet, when you just let the day happen... great things happened to you that you just didn't expect? 

This was one of those great days!

It started out when I had to get petrol for the car.  Okay, I had to wait for the customer in front of me to finish fiddling with her car, but then like I said, I wasn't really in any hurry to get anywhere.  After she took off, I filled the tank and went to pay.  Once inside, a man came up to the count and put a coupon onto it saying, 'There you go luv, have it.  It's free.  I work for the company.' and walked out.  The lady behind the counter looked at the coupon and said it was real.  I didn't get a chance to thank him as he was gone so fast.  Darn!  But I picked out a dark chocolate and cranberry protein bar (which was what was for free that his coupon was for).  How cool was that?  

Well, I took off to do my shopping, and I had a plan in mind for it.  I was going to do my normal shopping at Coles and then go to the Rochedale Fruit'n'Veggies Market for my fruit and veggies - to see if it turned out cheaper.  You see, I'd dropped in there the other week and found the lettuce I had bought was fresh, delicious and crisp!  And the milk I had also bought was cheap... so I thought to buy my food there.  It's turned out that I'm spending the same amount of money on fruit and veggies, but it's not only fresher, but better-looking and there's more variety too.  And they put it all into a box for you if you have a lot - which they did - and carry it out to your car for you!  Now, that's service.  

Well, before I did that, I was still at Logan Central Plaza and I ordered in a few retro films I don't have.  They're John Hughes films I don't have and do love.  Well, the girl at 'Woodys' told me there was a pack of them online she could order in for me for $30 and there were 6 movies which had 3 of the ones I wanted and an extra 3 for about $15 cheaper than it would be to buy them individually.  So, that's what I did.  I also ordered in 'St Elmo's Fire'.  I remember watching it when it first came out but have no real idea what it's about (it's kinda like 'The Big Chill' I think).  Otherwise, all up, I'm spending about $50 on 7 movies.  Not a bad deal.

I did have a good day.  I bought new make-up, new mascara and got a new box for my themed stuff to be held in, so it's not all over the house.  Otherwise, I'm hoping to have another clean-out soon.  It's due.  So, how was your day?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

October Was Something Different!

This month was totally different, but I got a lot done; and so much changed around the place while it meandered by and the weather changed so drastically.

In the beginning of the month, it was my birthday.  I spent my day at Gabe & Kat's place.  Riley was there and we had a great lunch - where I brought along the cake.  But what a hot day!  Jay spent a good part of the day under the kitchen table in the cool.

Then, during this month, I chatted about how great it is to be an Aunty... and not a Mum.  Okay, I don't have children, but it doesn't mean my life is empty, but it also doesn't mean I'm selfish either.  There are people out there like me as well - but with a medical condition like mine, I just never thought, or even wished this kind of thing on my own children.  It would never had been fair on them.

And then, my Apple iPod got screwed over by the very company itself.  I asked for iTunes to download something without updating and it updated my iPod anyway... what new crapping hell was that???  And you know?  I wasn't the only one burnt this way by Apple... Rotten Apple if you ask me.  And since Steve Jobs died, that company has really bitten it in a big way.  He was such a perfectionist... and now?  The company is just shit.

Then, from around the middle of the month, I had one busy weekend after another, right up until 18th, October where I had a full-day market at Murarrie State School, where I have started to really make a bit of money there.  So, great to be able to make a mark and get known by people... and it's only taken a year for Crafty Pegs to really start to be known around the traps and markets.  I can't wait until the next few years where I can really work on my designs and have a better work station.

But then, something just had to go wrong.  I was having a great month of work.  I was flying through the Magna-Pegs.  The Beautiful Coat Hangers were really happening, and my left arm began to ache... it felt like Tennis Elbow, but it wasn't centralised enough.  And then the last two fingers on my left hand went numb when I worked.  Then, on Wednesday night, I was in agony.  I was kept awake by my arm... no matter how I slept, it was painful!  So, off to the doctors I went.  And I had pinched my Ulna Nerve (aka:  Funny Bone Nerve) and inflamed it.  Soooo, what I have to do is stop working on my Crafty Pegs and stay off the computer.  Well, I'm doing one of those things - hehee.  Hey, I'm a writer, I'm not giving away my writing that easily; not while I'm working on a book.

So, that was October.  It was fun, it's become hot and sticky... there wasn't a speck of rain in it.  But at the end of it, I've been told to sit down and relax.  How has your month been?  Busy like mine, then having to follow the doctor's orders?  Or just the same as before?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

A Busy Week

This week, I've been busily working away on something at my folks' house.  I've been refurbishing my late-Grandmother's Glory Box.  Now, these are boxes you had packed with linen and sheets for when you got married and moved into a house back in the early to mid-20th Century.  But they go back beyond those times too.

But my Grandma's Glory Box was famous in my family.  I remember seeing it at the end of her bed at Tarragindi when I was a child and never knowing what was inside it.  After she passed away, Mum said Grandma kept all her letters and papers inside it... but then, the house was sold and the box went into storage for a long time.

This past Sunday, I asked my folks if we could get it out of storage and I'd work on it to get it looking good so it would be able to fit into my bedroom.
So, now, it's halfway there to being finished.  So far, I've sanded back the black paint it had on it, shellacked it, sanded it back again, used 0000 steel wool and shellac on it for 3 coats... and this all took 3 days.  Then?  Today, I burnished it - or French Polished it.  This meant I used soft sand paper - barely touching it - and then, using a fabric rubber, I rubbed watered down shellac (with metho), rubbed in circles all over the box and lid... I did 4 coats by around 3:30pm!  What a long day.  I'll wait a week before I put in the polish and then we can start looking at putting in the nap, fabric and tacking on the lid.  Mum will help me with that part.

It's all very exciting to have this done.  I'm looking at doing another box - kind of like a suitcase - but I won't need so much help next time.  Once I have it apart, and the veneer off the box, I'll  be able to work on it better.  I'm hoping to have it up and fixed up in time for the August or October Creative Markets.  But then, there's my Great-Grandmother's Singer Sewing Machine... but that's another story.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here. 

April Was Something Different!

April started out like any other month.  This month, I had the Pajero, some money in my pocket and the days were nice and warm.  However, by the end of this month, things were far, far different for me!

At the beginning of April, the weather was beginning to show its true colours.  The days were shortening, they were becomming cooler at night and hot during the day... yes, we were starting to feel Autumn show up each day.
Before the week was out, I had bought a new plant to put into the half pot on the new fence and bought a set of hand weights to help me get rid of 'tuckshop arms'... eeww, hate those arms you get when you're not working out and have lazy muscle. 
Then, I picked up a box from Mum and Dad's place that Dad made when he was in high school.  He just had to fix the lid of it.  I found it during a clean out last year and wanted it to add to my collection in my bedroom to put all my other necklaces; and now it was fixed up.  
Before long, my garden was in bloom again with the Moch Orange bursting into flower and attracting the bees and anything that loved flowers.  The new plant I had bought was settling in and I repotted a few other plants around the place... yep, my garden was looking great.

I got back into working on my Crafty Pegs again for the Creative Markets, especially the coathangers; as I had sold some at the March markets, and then I used rest of my varnish up on the last week of April to finish up the work for the market; and I was ready for it all.  I had even started on a new style and set of pegs - metallic style pegs, very pretty.
Easter was here before you knew it.  And I was at Mum and Dad's place to see Riley, Gabe and my folks.  Even Jay the dog was there.  I gave Riley and Gabe their Easter pressies and the next day I gave Mum and Dad their gift.  Riley got a turqoise pendant, Gabe and Kat got a shade-loving Bromiad and Mum and Dad got an Italian cookbook for Aussie kitchens.  They all loved their gifts... and we all got chocolate from Mum. 

I took part in the International Bookcrossing Day, and had fun Wild Releasing two books from my collection.  One book went off to Bunnings at Underwood and the other book was left outside Centro at Springwood.  I hope somebody enjoys them both; and I do hope somebody picked them up.  Anyway, that was a few weeks back now, so I'm sure they're gone now.
The next day - 22nd, April - was Earth Day.  I spent time in my garden to commemorate the day.  And I recycled as much as I could to help my planet.

Then... the most amazing thing happened!  The very next day, I went shopping, came home and received a phone call from my folks... they had found a nice little Holden Astra for me at Stone's Corner.  They wanted me to go and look at it.
I was tired from shopping, but I went!  I saw this little green machine and loved it!  Within 24 hours, that little green Astra was sitting in my driveway, had plates on it and was registered in my name... and now, it's my Little Green Machine!  Since last Thursday, I've driven to Holmeview, Springwood, Woodridge, Carindale, Holland Park, Mount Gravatt West and back home to Woodridge... yep, I've enjoyed my little car so far.  And we have a long way to go.  

I went to the Creative Markets on Sunday.  It wasn't very good.  None of the retailers made any money.  My stall wasn't the same.  I set up in good time, but forgot my singular Magna-Pegs.  So, I put away my easel.  The lady next to me kept pushing her stall over the boundary to use up more space.  I kept pushing my table back so she wouldn't.  Other than that, people walked past us and paid us compliments and not money... nobody bought anything and we all packed up 20 minutes early because the place cleared out of customers early.  The day wasn't rainy or cold... it was hot and sunny, so there wasn't anything wrong with it; except it was a long weekend.  Yep, we lost out on a long weekend.  Well, that's how it goes sometimes.  April was certainly something different, how was your month?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

The Third Month In - Already?

It's March... already?  Wow... how time has flown for this year; and I've gotten so much done in my life for my home, for Crafty Pegs and for all kinds of things around my family too.

So much has gone on this month I don't know where to start.  

I've been working on cleaning out my house since I returned home from Brunswick Heads.  January was a great month for me; so much got done!  I jumped into February with the hopes of getting even more done, but (yeah, great word that) I fumbled and slowed down instead.
I worked on only a few things around the house and found myself at my craft table more times than not.  The Creative Markets were coming back and I had a 2x3mt stall paid for that I was hoping to work on as well.  So, I worked on its design, the types of tables I needed, the stock and how I was going to show my wares.  This took a long time and a few nights of me just laying there in the dark before going to sleep thinking about how to get things done (and doing it that was was the best way to get it all done).  
Finally, I got in bought some Calico, hemmed it and sorted out the workings of what I needed to do with the table.  There were tiny little jugs one of my art friends didn't want and she sold them all to me; and I did some great things with them.  I also started on new products of coat hangers too... and they've attracted some attention from buyers online as well as at the market at this Sunday just gone.

However, away from the Creative Markets, things have been going on.  I had to get my washing machine looked at - as when it hit the spin cycle, it sounded like it was a rocket taking off.  So, the service guy came out and put 'the gunk' in it to keep it from grinding.  Anyway, this happened on Dad's birthday and fortunately, the guy showed up before lunch and Mum, Dad and I managed to be able to go out just in time for Dad's birthday lunch.

The rains have returned - well kind of.  We'll get really hot, long days of sweltering heat, then a huge downpour of rain during the night.  That's okay, I guess, but it does nothing for breaking those long hot days and the nights are long and humid.  And we haven't had the best Summer... it's our wet season.

Then, I drove to Gabe and Kat's place... woot!  Yeah, I put in their address into the Tom-Tom and it told me how to get there.  Very cool, and a little confusing.  But it was great.  I spent the day there the Sunday before the markets showing them what I was selling at the Creative Markets and they were amazed what I was doing while I was at home.  And Kat loves the Itty-Bitty Jugs... she bought one as well.

Then, within this week, I scored a commission from a neighbouring retailer at the Creative Markets and the back fence of my unit was replaced with a brand new, 6 foot fence!  How very cool was that?  But the ground was so hard, the poor guys had to get a bigger machine to dig the stump holes and then the guy who was left to dig them out more spent half the day doing just that... he was stuffed by the end and he had blisters all over his palms.  He said he'd never worked so hard in all his life.  

So, that was February.  It was a short month.  It was a very busy month.  It was a fun month... so how was your February?  Fun and short like mine?  Or busy and short like mine too.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

October's Something Different!

Wow!  Has is been something different alright!  I spent a good part of this month with my parents out of the country and only the last week or so of it with them at home.  They've had the best tour overseas and a wonderful welcome home!  But Mum and Dad have spent the last week catching up with paperwork and looking at their bank statements too.

Anyway, this was mixed in with what I've been up to this month - which made this month very, very busy for me!

On the day before my birthday, Aunty Helen, Kate and Oma took me out to lunch at the Lions Den at Springwood.  This is an AFL Club for the Brisbane Lions.  I don't support the team so I didn't join up there, but the food there was great!  And it was a lovely atmosphere too.  Kate couldn't stay long, but she gave me $40 - as she didn't know what to get me - and Aunty Helen gave me two $20 Bunnings Vouchers, and Oma gave me a Birthday card.  
After lunch we were off to McDonalds for coffee.  It was loud there, but the coffee was lovely.  What a day!
The next day, was my birthday.  I spent half the day at Logan Emergency Ward; but it wasn't for me.  One of my friends had a huge panic attack and I had to call an ambulance for him and follow it to the hospital in the car.  Then a few hours later, I had to pick him up with a friend who had arrived at my house... it was strange.

I bought a new outdoor setting, completed my backyard makeover and am very pleased with the finished product of my garden.  And then, I started looking at working on getting my parents' house ready to be lived in again.  The housework was done, the sheets on their bed was changed over and other things fixed up too.

By 12th, October, I had finished the backyard!  I was so pleased with it!  I still had to fix up a few things inside my house - but they were small things.  
And I couldn't believe I had spent the last four months driving around the place getting everything done... it's been so much fun!  And today, I'm just tired from this week.  

Over the last few weeks, I've been busily working on my Crafty Pegs and organising myself financially to get into The Creative Markets here in Logan City - at Springwood State School actually - and it's just been a busy, busy month for me.  I seems I don't stop with either the pegs, the garden or organising the banking details of the car Dad's hoping to buy me for Christmas.  I'm just looking forward to getting time to myself... and soon!  However, it seems as though the next few months are going to be busy as hell!

And with tonight being Halloween, I've been busily carving away at a pumpking this morning to have it ready for tonight.  I can't wait... I hope to have some children come by.  If not?  Well, never mind.  I don't care if they don't come by, so long I celebrate All Hallow's Eve.

Until my next post for next month, take care, keep safe and warm and remember,  I'm always here.