Hmmmm

Sometimes the lies you tell are less frightening than the loneliness you might feel if you stopped telling them.

Brock Clarke

Art: "With Stories to Tell" by Angela Morgan

Vale Polly Waffle

Sad news - the Polly Waffle will be no more. Now I am one of the many many people (apparently) that don't buy Polly Waffles. But I do think they perform something of a public service just by being on the shelves - a remnant of times gone by when perhaps, the world was a little simpler.

I still don't want to eat you Mr Waffle, but please know you will be missed.

Just Do It

Life is a risk.

Diane Von Furstenberg

Art: "Danseurs de Fouladeu" by Kalidou Kasse

Guess Who?

J3 is on Youtube!!! Dance, dance, dance :-) Now I promised her mom I would never give out details that may compromise her identity so I can't tell you which one is her - and if you guess I won't confirm or deny but she is definitely on here.

Happy little vegemite (me that is lol)

Kewl Kids Sunday

No these are not animated pics! (but they do make my eyes ache lol) Check out the info here.

Pearl Gets Flowers

Many thanks Robbie - mwah :-)

Australian Wildlife

This lizard was climbing the tree across the road - thanks to Dad for pointing it out :-)

This spider was in the rafters of the cafe we went to on Friday night. It might look innocuous but it was easily bigger than a saucer :-) And no i am not joking.

Carbon Footprint Update

Now that I am no longer a "worker" in the traditional sense of the word I have just updated my carbon footprint details.

I am now emitting approximatley half a tonne of carbon each year ... well a little bit over: 0.53 tonnes. Now I could be cocky and say it is waaaaaaay under the average for Australia but it would still take 2 planets to support everyone if they lived like me.

I do buy at least 5 trees each year and only need to buy one to offset my emissions, so I am 8 trees in credit that way but next weekend I will need to buy an additional 5 trees to specifically offset my American trip from earlier in the year. Yes I could use my exisiting credits but I want to offset the trip separately.

So, I am happy with the results but there is still room for improvement. I was contemplating saving my shower water for use on the garden but that isn't really practical with my back being as it is so my goal is to increase my percentage of food bought with consideration to Food Miles and to further cut down my meat consumption.

Just an update .....

PS: I used both the 1degree calculator and the WWF one to come up with my totals.

Photo Challenge Updates

The end of the year is drawing nigh - in fact in 43 days we will be popping champagne and shouting 'Happy New Year'. Okay I could have come up with the number of shopping days until Christmas but I thought that '43' was scary enough.

If you have a moment in amongst it all, why not join the Challenge.

This Friday (20 November): Body Part

Friday 27 November: Reflection

Friday 4 December: Food

PS: Welshcakes, you're a legend :-)

New Challenge

I began writing my next book last night. Not as part of the November challenge but just because I am ready. I am looing at publishing 10 copies (give or take).

I will let you know how I am going as things progress.




Photo: "the novel" by TanPen

Annabel's New Dress

I went to visit friend's and Sue has begun to make a range of dolls clothes. You should see them! While I was ooh-ing and aah-ing over them all (there is everything from beanies to ball-gowns and if you want layette style garments for a real baby then this is the woman to call) I casually mentioned that Annabel would fit into one of them. Before I knew it, the dress was mine.

Annabel is almost 40 years old and hasn't had a new outfit since I sewed her a dress when I was 10-ish (which she wears with her original blue 'fur' coat to this day).

She is perhaps showing her age, just a little (although I think there is some sort of rule about saying that about any woman) but her new dress made her smile.

And if anyone is looking for their perfect gift for their daughter/ grand-daughter/ niece/ Annabel/ themselves just let me know.

Many thanks Sue :-)

Kewl Kids Sunday

Cirrus cloud

Altostratus cloud

Stratus cloud

Cumulus cloud

How much do you know about clouds? According to Wikipedia, there are five main forms:

• High clouds (cirrocumulus, cirrus and cirrostratus),
• Middle clouds (altostratus and altocumulus),
• Low clouds (cumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus and stratus),
• Vertical clouds (cumulonimbus, cumulus, pyrocumulus) and
• everything else.

Well okay I may have bundled the last category together but you can look at the article here is you want more details on the "everything else" clouds or on the various sub-groups of each category. And this website is devoted to shots of rare and incredible clouds if you want to check it out.

Huh! Says Who?

I never realised until lately that women were meant to be inferior.

Katherine Hepburn

Art: "Unity" by Monica Stewart

Photo Challenge - Architecture

Purpose and Passion

The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.

Barbara Hall (Northern Exposure)

Art: "Summer Harvest" by Lowell Herrero

Photo Challenge Updates

I have taken so many photos this week -none relevant to the Challenge but it keeps me out of trouble lol. Well that and my latest assignment (Zen Buddhism). If nothing else, taking photos for Friday does get me thinking in other directions and out of the house :-)

This Friday (13 November): Architecture

Friday 20 November: Body part

Friday November 27: Reflection

Happy clicking :-)

Lentil Club Luncheon

It was over a week ago that I invited myself and Dad to Kylie's for the day - and once she agreed obviously the invitation to Abz went out too. And so we gathered on the veranda and chatted and talked and played. Dad and I brought lunch. I can't find the recipe for the top one but essentially it is a spinach and ricotta plait with the variation that grated lemon rind has been included in the mix in addition to the usual nutmeg etc. Dad made that one. I brought the salad with was pretty simple with some roasted beetroot, funky lettuce (mesclun), sprouts, tomato and boiled egg.

Many thanks to Josh for the photos :-)

Art and Guinness

The new ad is out and it is their best yet .... better than Carltons "The Big Ad"? ... not sure but worth a view anyway :-)

So True!

A waist is a terrible thing to mind.

Jane Caminos

Art: Cafe Mocha by Mary Graves

Weather Update

The floods have dissipated (yes our sixth for the year) but there is still plenty of rain around. I took this shot from the headland near Abbey's earlier today.

Meet Chelsea

I spent the day with Abz discussing random subjects and generally solving the world's problems. Chelsea is a black Great Dane and one of the most beautiful animals in my life. Abbey is helping Chelsea develop her social skills (or as Abbey phrased it "Chelsea not everyone wants your face in theirs") so Chels periodically stood across the table, rested her head and just looked at me. Who could resist a face like this?

Kewl Kids Sunday

The Pink Fairy Armadillo

The Proboscis Monkey

The Sucker-Footed Bat

Not sure what this one is called by it was too cute to leave out.

Photo Challenge - Eating Out

I Almost Saw Philip Adams!

I was sitting in one of my favorite cafes doing my paper on Chaucer and drinking peppermint tea. The paper was pretty much finished so I paid my bill and prepared to leave when I thought I saw Philip Adams!

Wasn't I glad I was carrying Chaucer and not the New Idea lol.

Sitting at the big table near the door was a doppelganger for the great man! I couldn't really sit down again as it was obvious that I was leaving, and the person in question appeared to be a meeting-like conversation with the others seated near him so what was a girl to do? I paused and looked at some art and strained to hear his voice - a twinge of a Canadian accent and not quite deep enough made me 90% sure it wasn't him. But that left a 10% possibility that I was mistaken or that he disguised his voice in public to avoid run-ins with people like me.

I left with the situation un-resolved but I danced as I considered that today was the day that I almost saw Philip Adams.

Photo Challenge Updates

Well November is well upon us - and if I blink for too long I am sure it will be time to ring in the New Year! In the meantime the camera is out and capturing flowers and other symbols of spring. And of course, photos for the Challenge :-)

This Friday (6 November): Cafe (or Eating Out)

Friday 13 November: Architecture

Friday 20 November: Body Part

Happy clicking :-)

Life Is .....

What a wonderful life I've had! If only wish I'd realized it sooner!

Collette

Art:"Blooming Happiness" by Natasha Wescoat

Garden Visitor

Apologies for the crappy photo but better this one that none at all! I have many birds that come by the garden but this was a newbie.

Kewl Kids Sunday

This is both a pretty lady and a man playing saxophone ...

Can you see the horse's head or just the rocks?

Can you find the faces?

You can go here or here for more :-)