recap

WED/THURS
A day in mildura, scrabble in the afternoon - a relaxing treat, it's good to have some scrabble playing friends for a game every now and then.   with cakes :0)
then an opening at the art vault and dinner at the brewery and an overnight stay with friend ruth.
I took her dogs halo and polly for a walk along the river in the morning, good to get some exercise being dragged along at a breakneck speed. 

today, friday,   the plasterers arrived to finish off the walls in the bathroom, i wasn't very impressed - they were messy and very late.  and not the original plasterers, i get the feeling my job is just being patched together.  it's unsatisfying.

CAL

 HERE HE IS  -  chubbing up nicely :0)

curse those novelty dummies!

HERE HE IS  -  chubbing up nicely :0)

WHOO HOO

LOOK AT THIS! an echidna in the front yard. i was just about to head off to the pub for dinner when i looked out the window and here was ernie - i've been waiting to see him for months, knew he was here by the neat conical holes in the lawn but could never catch a glimpse.  and here he is - gorgeous.



 now you see him . . .

now you don't

IT'S SUMMER

and we haven't had spring yet.  today was 26 - a glorious sunny day - but i'm feeling flat and solitary today. just glum     BUM

worked on the book again today - every day.   off to the pub to meet a few folks for dinner.
no work on the bathroom today but my washing machine's operational - i've done my first
machine wash for about 2 months.  washing machine's outside now, no cabinet for it yet but it seems happy enough.

first stumpy tail for the season -  he ambled out onto the lawn, then spotted me and quickly
headed for the bushes.   

LITTLE VISITOR

THIS SWEET LITTLE FROG appears in the electric box every now and then, always in this spot - perhaps it's warmer.   he looks perfectly at home

this freesia is just growing out of a hole in the footpath - considering how much time i spend trying to get things to grow, it's mildly annoying - taunting - that this plant just does it so easily

WENTY SHOW

The show is a classic country show.  i was working all morning, and sadly i missed the sheepdog trials and the wearable art parade. 

a vanguard standard - in the small vintage car section of the show - this is just like the car my father had when i was little, living in camperdown

 crazy people on one of the rides

couldn't resist photographing

these hilarious vege

animals in the kids section

of the show - lots of drawings,

decorated bickies, decorated

plates of leaves and flowers,

all the traditional crafty

show things

a very cute cake

FEELS LIKE SPRING

I opened up the curtains this morning to this beautiful mist rising from the river.  a hazy morning that has turned into a beautiful sunny day. i'm off to the wentworth show now after spending the morning illustrating.  

poinsettia is looking great

AUGUST 24

THIS IS THE DAY I BECAME A MOTHER -  in 1978 my gorgeous daughter sunny was born.  Life has been so much richer for having her in it.

3 months old today

IT'S ALL GO GO GO

GOD  yesterday i was just working away at my desk alone, today i've got the tilers down the end of the house making a racket, irene the cleaning lady is making her debut and the house is smelling delicious, vacuum humming,  phone calls back and forth to the plumber and builder.  i'm holed up in my art room sorting out stuff to take to melbourne for my print residency.  hiding really.

later - i now have a 3/4 tiled bathroom.  hitches though - tiler costa said the toilet shouldn't have been put in first, so they pulled that out.   no holes had been drilled for taps (the plumber assumed i had a mixer on the vanity, despite my drawing)
so there's a hold up there, the tiler needs the tap fitting there to tile round.     also i had underestimated tiles so i've had to order more,
so there's a wait.  nothing is going smoothly and coordinating of everyone feels like it's been left to me. i'm not impressed.
still, baby steps, it's slowly getting done and at least i'm here now for a month, so i should have most of it finished by the time i go to melbourne in september.

then there's the second bathroom . . .  

THE GREAT DEBATE

KEVIN and TONY   debating live in front of an audience of voters turned out to be riveting viewing.  kev was spruiking like an american evangelist while poor tony's cranking wheels were almost visible as he grasped for answers to questions.  the whole thing had that energy and on edge quality that only live TV can deliver - 

i couldn't look away.

the audience wasn't looking quite so fascinated 

the lovely sean is in osaka with rene, sayaka and cal

                                           sorry this video is sideways - very cute though

 my little buddies 
- a rosella and a grass parrot wading through my overgrown front lawn while i worked at my desk.  they were both with their partners

FAREWELL ELMORE

dear old elmore leonard - dead at 87. i don't know how many of his books i've read, but there will be no more.

elmore in his trusty cap - his books made great movies inc jackie brown, out of

sight, get shorty, hombre and stacks more. hats off to you mr. leonard

A YEAR SINCE I STARTED . . .

ON THIS DAY  last year i started this blog, in readiness for my big move up here on September 13. i remember what an incredibly stressful 6 months it was between buying this house and leaving melbourne - dealing with one of the busiest work years i've had, lots of travel plus moving out while my flooded apartment got a new floor, selling the apartment and packing to move a second time to come here while i visited schools interstate and got work ready for three separate exhibitions.   not to mention all the things that pop up with the negotiations and legalities of buying and selling a house.

so i'll have to think of a new name for my blog from september 13, thinking thinking . . .



a new cal pic 

SETTLING IN AGAIN

A WHOLE MONTH at home now, time to finish my current book and get ready for the residency at australian print workshop in september.

no photos today - it's time to do some cleaning too and to try and get some progress going again on the bathroom, tiling comes next. 

***

that was this early this morning.  i've been getting things sorted today - organised a cleaning lady irene to come and suss out the house on thursday, tomorrow rob (who supposedly is making my vanity unit) is coming out to check out the bathroom (i'll believe it when i see him, so far he has not responded to one of my five emails and phone messages).
also got terry up to clean the filter and check the pump, another guy to call in and quote me on solar electricity (no go, i'd need to be here 12 years to start to see a return).  also rang costa, the tiler to organise a time with him. 
Cleaned up all the fallen twigs, branches and leaves from a poor old eucalypt that's died up near the front of the block, and started getting back into the artwork i need to finish this month.  also knitted some of cal's beanie and watch an old favorite 'grosse point blank' in the middle of the day.  and did a whole lot of hand washing in the sink - i have no washing machine or trough right now and no plug for the basin in the other bathroom.  
Tomorrow i'm back into the illustration full pelt.   time for a rest now



Here are some lovely old pics of mum and dad that i've been looking at.

My dad in syria

Doris with auntie bet and auntie joy

 

Don on the banks of the murray at robinvale  circa 1948

doris on the rocks

my father with baby helen on the murray

HOME SWEET HOME

YES THE PLACE IS DUSTY and the grass is too too long but it's good to be here knowing i've got an uninterrupted month to work.

so - time to indulge me in a grannie blog

future world leader

future world leader wearing the crown of authority

maybe this is the crown of authority

future world leader exposed in scarlet scandal

capturing the hearts of the proletariat

FROM THE AIR

another great trip with a window seat all the way

There was a big group of

excited japanese students at the

tiny armidale airport heading

home after some special visit

here.  many tears from aussie

and japanese female students and

much mucking around from the

boys, it was an energetic scene

in the lounge. 

it's a real privilege to see these incredible views from the air 

this is my

own original

brett whiteley

it sure is an

iconic australian

image

approaching sydney - all those boats, who the hell owns them