Tuatara's Nest

2012-01-23T11:24:00.002+13:00

It's a bright and beautiful Monday morning. I've got buzzy brain, so I've been busy this morning tidying my workshop, labelling stuff, and generally making things neat - it's a bit of a worry, lol.

It was a busy weekend for us - 3 dogs and 2 cats to the vet for checkup/booster shots on Saturday morning (cats are overweight and need their teeth cleaned). At least everybody is now up to date.

I've ordered a piece of aluminium sheet for encaustic mono-printing, and was supposed to pay for it saturday am, but ran out of time, so paid for it this morning - something new to play with! It's 12x12/300x300, and 3mm thick. Should have it maybe by next weekend, depending when Ulrich's Mt Wellington truck makes it to Henderson.

Took son and daughter shopping on Saturday afternoon for shorts and t-shirts. DH had to take son back as the shop assistant hadn't taken the security tag out of his new pants, and the woman on the door didn't check them properly either, even when he triggered the alarm. sigh.

I spent the afternoon painting. Yes, really - painting! Then watched a couple of episodes of Criminal Minds with darling daughter, so it ended up a much later night than intended.

Sunday morning was up and out early - doing audio/visual for church. Once everything was set up, DD took over the worship powerpoint, so I got to just sing. There was a great lesson from Aaron. Must edit and post that tonight.

Went to a friends for late lunch, finally leaving at about 1600; then did grocery shopping, had scrambled eggs for a late supper, then more painting while the kids watched Madagascar; Escape from Africa and then Lion King. Nothing quite like being driven into my studio.

Bill (my father) got a clean bill-of-health from the specialist on Thursday, then from the physio on Friday, and left Friday afternoon. Just like that. Gave him a kiss goodbye on Friday morning, before I left for work - "What's that for?" he asks. "Um, I'm going to work and won't be here to say goodbye this afternoon." says I. "Oh, ok". sigh. He's left stuff behind, of course - pillows, his meusli, walking cane, lamp. David will drop that off this afternoon on the way home.

Becca has the Brown girls and little Zac for company today - suggested they do some baking, and maybe painting and papercraft. Bet they DONT!

Photo's to follow.

MIGRAINE = RESOLUTION FAIL

2012-01-20T15:49:00.004+13:00

Three day migraine. Damn, I hate migraines. I hate the way they wipe me out, the pain they cause, and how my brain is just totally fried. Anyway, yesterday was a less worse day, with just an ordinary headache - didn't have drugs till late afternoon. Today, no drugs.

It's been a lovely two days - working at a slow pace, not trying too hard. Not doing anything too strenuous - tho I must admit, picking an order this morning may have been a bit too much.

The 30 day photo/journal has crashed and burned. But I did take a really cool photo today:

Isn't it cute? Iiz iz watching you! I won't say exactly what it is, but ....

One of my new craft books arrived yesterday - Making Handmade Books 100+ Bindings by Alisa Golden for the bookmaking course I'm taking on line. Still waiting for the Raw Art Journaling book to arrive. Made 2 little books from copy paper.

Visited what turned out to be the biggest branch of Warehouse Stationary - ooooh - it was like Christmas - but better. Got some lovely stamps (long stemmed plants, borders and an alphabet), a packet of really cool 'vintage' papers (spent too much on that), glue stick and, best of all, a 'bone' folder - actually made of plastic. The tip of the folder has gone flat tho - I don't think the plastic is strong enough.

Nearly hometime. Go home, make some ATC's for a swap, do some acrylic on gel medium painting (it's an ugly dark brown thing at the moment). Maybe do something on my cracked plaster (must take a photo and post it).

It's wonderful having buzzy brain cells again.

xxx

Plaster Studio Workshop starts

2012-01-14T21:09:00.002+13:00

The due date for the first piece is tomorrow - lol. I've used cheesecloth and joint compound, cracked it while still probably damp (we've had 83% humidity), and covered it in first Red Black and then black acrylic washes. Then it was scrubbed with a green scrubby, both when damp and dry, and then cut in half and glued with PVA over a couple of used canvases. Tomorrow, I'm going to make another plaster sheet, using some PVA, and then putting it on a sheet of scrapbooking paper, to be used for ATC's. Hopefully I'll also find time to paint the plaster canvases I've just done, and do some work on the acrylic piece.

Kathleen Conard, who was co-ordinating the workshop, has pulled back, with other things taking priority.

I'm shortly starting a bookmaking workshop, plus I've decided to do the Raw Art Journalling workshop, as I want to learn to journal artfully, and it makes sense to make my own journals. The course is an older one, but the book is coming, I have the worksheets, and I've been looking thru the albums.

I've decided I absolutely love plaster (well, joint compound), and hate the acrylic gel used in the acrylic course.

Photo's later.

Linda’s Quest Test - Finding Balance

2012-01-10T19:55:00.004+13:00

Nicked this from Linda Womack's blog, with alterations:

1. Does it feed my soul/creativity?
2. Does it further my creative learning?
3. Does it nurture and support me?
4. Does it improve my health and well being?
5. Is it good for my family?

Linda's criteria for 2 and 3 were: 2. Does it further my art career?
3. Does it pay me a living wage?

These aren't relevant for/to me, so I changed them.

Blue Acrylic Colourway - version 2

2012-01-10T18:56:00.004+13:00

This is the blue colourway, this time with acrylic matt gel on, and a new image.

It certainly makes a difference, and prevents the image from getting lost, which is what happened on the one just on plaster - basically the image got 'scraped off' with the paint.

I'm very pleased with this.

I was aiming for it to look as though one is at a great height, looking down thru the clouds to the sea, where the tree of life is waiting in the doorway to welcome you.

30 day challenge - day ??? - seven! already!

2012-01-10T18:09:00.005+13:00

Visited Waitakere Central Library this evening to pick up 3 books. I suspect the 'owners' of these 'homes on wheels' are using the Library's computer centre. I like the t-shirt hanging on this one:

["Hey, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask someone else."]

Colour Palettes in Encaustic

2012-01-08T17:32:00.005+13:00

Yay - I got a chance to play with hot wax this afternoon after church. I've repeated the colour palette exercise in encaustic, again with a limited palette:

Red oxide powder
Yellow Oxide powder
Payne's grey oil paint
Ochre yellow encaustic (from oil paint)
white encaustic (from oil paint)
Dark brown (from beeswax crayon)

In some ways it's harder to achieve the same colours, but because you can scrape layers off, I just love the texture achieved in the second half of the process. All the ridges in the joint compound have been exposed, scraped back to the white.

The brown colourway is on a board that had the acrylic matte gel on it (the missing one, that had briefly been kidnapped!) The encaustic has NOT taken to it well, it is highly reflective, and my least favourite.

The three 5x5" panels of MDF:

Red-gold colourway:

Brown colourway:

Blue colourway - my favourite:

The blue board for the acrylic exercise has had a new image and a thick coating of acrylic matt gel put on it - waiting for it to dry.

Colour Palettes

2012-01-07T16:54:00.002+13:00

This is Lesson 4 from Texture Town. Creating 3 colour palettes from a limited colour range.

The first is the 3 5x5" panels together:

This is the red-gold colourway: (happy happy)

The blue-gray colourway::(

The brown-gray colourway::happy happy:

The palette is limited to the following colours, (Golden Fluid Acrylics) + Acrylic Glazing Liquid (AGL):
Titanium White
Titan Buff
Payne's Gray
Yellow Oxide
Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide
Transparent Red Iron Oxide
Van Dyke Brown

The panels were first covered in joint compound and textured, then a piece of sheet music (Mendelssohn's Elijah), then in Heavy Gel Matte. Once it was dry, it was painted.

I really like the brown and red colourways, but the blue just isn't working for me - suggestions?

I enjoyed the high/lowlighting part of the process best. I'm going to repeat the exercise again, but with different imagery.

Not sure if I'll get any more painting done today - we'll see.

Weird Stuff in Weird places

2012-01-07T16:47:00.003+13:00

A glass, beside the cask of wine, all ready for tonight.

A squashed milkbottle, on top of a glass vase, on the stovetop.

Why, I ask? Bill, I answer. This is a sufficient answer in and of itself.

The 'quick trip' to the bank and supermarket grew to a major expedition this morning, when Bill decided to come too. In the torrential rain. Cancelled the bank. He got his own trolley - 'Don't want to walk around the whole supermarket', he grumbled. Ok. Again, over $300. Having 2 extra people in the house, who use condiments like they're ... water? ... is certainly adding to the bill.

Never mind.

I have painted. Haven't encaustikated, because one of my panels has gone walkies. Rats.

30 Day challenge - Day 3

2012-01-06T21:21:00.003+13:00

Sunset and Moonrise
Taken at 2115 at night. 21C- 68% Humidity. Warm, no wind, a beautiful end to a beautiful day. The moon was covered by a soft haze of clouds - bad weather is coming, just in time for the weekend. Taken the dogs for a walk, and they've all collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. A steady day at work (16 units Wed/Thur, 17 today) so I've spent quality time researching art projects. Raw Art Journaling and Bookmaking/binding - two things that seem to go naturally together. I have a 'vision plan' underway, and a 'to do' list.

Back to it.

Welcoming 2012

2012-01-05T14:31:00.003+13:00

Judy Shreve, on her Mountain House Studios website asks a number of interesting questions, which I’ve tried to answer:

Journals: I’ve always used spiral bound commercial ones, that have rarely got pictures in them, because it's the words that have needed to get out, with my left brain in control; "you can't paint, draw, sketch, you're useless, etc" Lying flat, and even bendable backwards (to take up less space) is important. The paper hasn't been important up till now. (LB: why waste money on fancy paper when it's just for writing on! - LB also doesn't like me using my fabric stash, because I might mess it up)

This will change, as one of the things I’d wanted to do last year was book binding, after a trip to Paihia and Pompallier House. I now have more info from Judy Shreve, Judy Wise, and a course on ARTists of the Round Table which is free. Making my own will give me added impetus to use them, I hope.

Being Organised/Stressed/Projects: Yep, I need to be organised - or at least know what I have/don't have, so I don't buy anything I don't need. My problem is I don't write down what I want to do, and 'lose track' of it. Or if I do write it down, I don't understand what I was thinking. I don't work well stressed/under pressure any more. I've just had 9 days off, and it took at least 6 of those to wind down enough to start doing 'stuff'. The whole ‘getting older’ thing has messed with my brain, so I have a greater need to take things slower, with less pressure. While Right Brain still wants to do stuff, Left Brain wants to be told How and What to do.

No, I don't think there's a 12-step programme to cure computer addiction. For me, the interwebz is my connection to the world and people I *want* to talk to. My art and gaming friends are scattered round the globe. Hand-writing is NOT my friend - OOS/RSI in both hands. (Caused by computers)

OnLine-Virtual/Actual Classes: Oh, I would so LOVE to be able to go to REAL art classes on subjects I'm interested in. Which would work if I was interested in 'ordinary' stuff, but I'm not. So - Online ROCKS! Land of Lost Luggage classes are great, Judy Wise's classes have been fantastic, Linda Womack's was also good, but not long enough. Signed up to the A.R.T site - waiting for access, so I can look at the bookbinding.

Studio Mess: Definitely in the eyes of the beholder. Can you find stuff? If yes, then not a mess.

Stitching on Paper: Do you find the needle tends to cut the paper, reducing its structural integrity? Do you use a backing support? I would think embroidery, while beautiful, would cause big problems. Have you tried the multicoloured threads - can't think what they're called at the moment - some of them are truly lovely.

I've just drawn up a mind-web-thingy of what I want to achieve this year - and of what I'm already doing/about to do/want to do ... having regular B12 injections will help me have an active, happy mind, which is key to doing anything. Last year I did 2 part-time papers at College, and got an A- for both. This time, I want A's or A+'s. And most especially, I want to make art, and keep my right brain happy!

30 Day challenge - Day 1

2012-01-04T17:37:00.003+13:00

Take a photo, write a paragraph:

Better living thru pharmaceuticals:

Well, at least happier living. Ran out of Omeprazole and Gliclazide over Christmas. Glic is a meh, but Omeprazole is a necessary - I like to eat without throwing up!

So - Omeprazole, gliclazide, simvastin, metformin, dicolfenac, citalopram hydrobromide. Nom nom nom.

Best of all was, quite literally, a shot in the arm - of Vitamin B12. Got ma fix! Been feeling really tired, exhausted and a bit brain dead this past week. There was no way I could wait till March when the next shot was due!

Took the scenic route home from the doctor's - up Henderson Valley Road - saw an Ostrich - daft looking bird. The bush is looking lovely and green. Nearly time to start dinner. Alex is out tonight, so it's just for ... 4.

Geographically challenged

2012-01-04T14:58:00.000+13:00

Had to add this email from David:

"Bill's just given himself a fright. Went off for his 10 minute walk and seems to have gone along Brookwood and then up either the street by the Shah house, or up Roy Malony, went along a cross street, thought, "About time to head home," and then found himself on upper Highfields Tce. Disorientated, he asked a lady for directions. The first I knew anything was amiss, aside from thinking, "That's a long ten minutes", was when a huge 4x4 pulled into the driveway. I thought it was Marcia but it was the nice lady from number 13 dropping your Dad off!"

I can and will do art!

2012-01-04T13:38:00.007+13:00

Fri 30 December 2011
23C/73f and 88% humidity. Torrential rain and gales last night. Now it's just hot and sticky. With the sun glaring thru the clouds. Fish tank is cleaned, dishwasher is on, almost enough clothes in the washing machine to do ANOTHER wash.

Dad decided he needed human company, and spent about 40 minutes in the studio with me. Showed him my encaustic and acrylic stuff - blinded him with 'science' I think - 'it all looks very complicated'. Um, no, not really. Frustrating not being able to do anything with him underfoot. His visit with the physio on Friday was very promising - he's got a whole heap of exercises, and has been told he should be able to walk into the specialists' office at the end of Jan with no crutches!

Black dog has the itchies - took him for a walk a couple of days ago and he's had an allergic reaction to the tradescantia/wandering jew in the watermeadow. He keeps trying to hide inside/under things - like desks. Bathed him again, and blowdried him - hopefully that will help.

Got a cold cup of coffee sitting beside me from dad's visit. ugh.

Time to go get some fresh 'eye candy'? Every so often I treat myself to somewhere really interesting, like a junk or craft shop, or a trip to the hardware, or a walk thru the trees. I think sometimes we forget to feed ourselves, and give ourselves a break. Who me? a control freak and perfectionist??? Um ... well ... yeah.

Ok. Enough procrastinating. Time to get some fresh coffee, see if Lesson 4 of Texture Town (Colour Palettes) is close to finishing downloading (we're on dial-up speed broadband at the moment for some reason) ...

Sunday 1 January
Good grief. We managed to stay up late enough to see the New Year in last night – Becca had started a WASGIG puzzle, (because the Fairy Procession was too hard) then abandoned it. Started having a play with it about 10.30pm ... just one more piece ... and suddenly it was 0120!!! Various neighbours let off fireworks and partied down. Kama tried to climb in, under and on various things to escape the noise.

Woke up relatively early, and took Alex to work. Found out why we've been suffering from dial-up speed broadband - the kids have topped out our cap playing an on-line tank game, and Telecom pulled the plug on us with no warning! Broadband and a 20gb cap return in 24 hours - hooray!

Basically didn't achieve anything today, spending all afternoon visiting mum. Picked up a nice ‘picnic afternoon tea’ of strawberries n dipping sauce, cheese, almond finger biscuits, and sliced smoked Chicken (which of course had an ingredient list!) Sat in the staff smoko area, out in the wet. Typical bossy, not listening dad, eagle-eared bolshi mum. Had to have a nana-nap to recover from the frustration of BOTH parents.

Tuesday 3 January:

Happy Anniversary to us - 16 years together! Not bad going.

Oh dear. I had to laugh. The ladies on Painting Friends were talking about their palettes – mostly for watercolour – and whether to wash them or not. Some even put them in the dishwasher.

A couple of years ago, when I first became a Christian, and made friends with Deb, our Pastor's wife, who is an acrylic artist (and even sells some of her paintings), she promised to teach me to paint in acrylics. Now while Deb is a very accomplished artist, as a teacher it just didn’t happen.

Anyway, last month I signed up for an on-line painting course called Texture Town. I bought the paints I needed (7 + Acrylic Glazing Liquid - $100!!!) This meant that I could actually paint! (This doesn't of course count all the other acrylic paints n stuff I've collected over the years, in the vain hope I'd learn by osmosis).
Here’s the finished? Implied Texture painting. (I need to finish the sides, but I think the top is done):

So ... here's my 'painting corner', with painting and palette:

My 'palette' is the plastic guide from under the lid of a photocopier. Every so often I scrub the dried-out patches off. I don't think David would be too happy if it went in the dishwasher. There is a big blob of 'Sullivans Night Sky' there - not a 'class' colour - will see if I can revive it for the stencils I put on the edges of the canvas last night.

My work surface is the glass platen of a photocopier. The remains of breakfast (vogels toast with yeast flakes and strawberry jam) are to the left (coffee cup just out of shot). Water is in a plastic pasta sauce container. Curtains are closed because of the sun (now gone, replaced by rain) Out of shot to the right is a plastic box which has my 'class paints' in it, and there's a home-made paint-covered stencil sitting on top.

Talk about low-tech!

Got out with Becca and we went and did the Dam road stoat line together. I think it's been 3 months since I've been up there. The eggs had 3/09 on them! No bodies, and a couple of sprung traps. Dogs and us enjoyed the walk. Lots and lots of water, overflowing the dam down the spillways, and down over the cliff.

Wednesday 4:
The ladies on painting friends have been commenting on how much energy I seem to have, that comes thru in my writing. I try hard - some say I'm very trying!

It's nice being back to the bouncy tigger me - I lost me for a while with the B12 deficiency - and then of course the depression comes thundering down, and plays with those peri-menopausal hormones. But I'm back! Bounce Bounce Bounce.

I checked out two links that had been posted on PF:
30 Challenges for 30 Days
75 Day Sketch Challenge

Of the 30 challenges for 30 days, I picked these ones:

* Use words that encourage happiness.
* Dedicate an hour a day to something you’re passionate about - art/Christ
* Treat everyone nicely, even those who are rude to you - especially Dad
* Every morning, watch or read something that inspires you.
* Do something every day after lunch that makes you laugh.
* Document every day with one photograph and one paragraph.

Brenda Swenson's 75 day sketch challenge scares the daylights out of me - 'you can't draw' my left brain hollers! That could be the one thing I do daily that makes me laugh. I think LOL Cats would be better.

I'll do the documenting on my blog, I think.

Of course, all this may fly out the door quicker than the dogs if real life gets in the way.

Well, that brings me up to date to today. I need to come back and drop a couple of piccies in.

And Christmas has been and gone ...

2011-12-28T11:56:00.007+13:00

So. What’s happened in my life since December 18?

December 22: Thursday: Recovering from Stocktake. Had a colleague over from Australia for 3 days. I really really dislike stocktake. DH and I got taken to dinner at a fantastic steak restaurant on Monday night by said colleague. Not coping at all well with Stocktake, Dad, and Christmas looming. DH commented yesterday that I was looking very close to a panic attack - too much coming down on me all at once - he knows the signs.

As far as I’m concerned, Christmas is pretty much cancelled. The kids had put the tree up, but it wasn’t decorated, and no decorations inside; no presents; will shop Saturday evening and get a couple of chickens to roast, some good ham, a pavlova and strawberries. Sunday we'll get mum from the rest home, and have a nice lunch. That's about it. It's all just too hard. I feel like I need a haircut - my fringe is going in my eyes.

Today (so far) DH left for work 0530; repeatedly woken by wooing dog (Dads) from then on (no, you can’t have any more blasted painkillers); gave up and got up 0900; fed dogs n cats; drove son to work; made breakfast for 3; catch up with emails, fb and pf. Next: Shower, bath dogs n father; DO SOME PAINTING! take father to orthopaedic surgeon n get him xrayed. Come home and collapse.

Last night I cut out a stamp using foam coreboard – crash and burn.

The pink sculpy stuff works so much better.

Dec 23: Friday: Very busy day at work - didn't finish till 4.30. Got to spend 10 minutes lying on the floor at work while the big colour copier was printing - nice! Had to get DH to go home and tend Dad - son's off to work, and Dad has a physio appt, and I'm not leaving DD to look after him by herself.

Very low 'give a shit' factor today.

Got some painting done last night, and we (well, kids and I) actually decorated tree and lounge - pretty pretty shiny shiny.

Great evening at a friend's birthday - they had a chocolate fountain - creamy blue cheese, banana and chocolate - nom nom nom. And the lads had a whisky tasting session!

Dec 24: Saturday: Got up at 0530 this morning to go to the flea market - picked up a couple of WASGIG puzzles for DD, and some bits and pieces for me. Home to bed for a couple of hours. Then a visit to my favourite toy store - Mitre 10 Mega Hardware - aarrrroooo!

D got some paintbrushes, a pottle of test paint and some vinyl tiles, while I got brushes n cheap paint. Also got a couple of glo-stick torches for the kids. Then shopping - argh, only moderately bad. I've since had a nap, and now there's a big roast pork on for dinner - yummy!

I'm doing a acrylic painting class on-line, that uses a lot of Paynes Gray Golden Fluid Acrylic - at $12 for a 1fl oz bottle - I got some Sullivans All Purpose Acrylic "Grey Blue" which isn't nearly as dark, but is only $4 for 2 fl oz.

This is the start of my first exercise, blending colours:

Dec 25: Aargh - I can't eat another thing! Roast chicken with salad, potato salad, ham, pavlova, cream, strawberries and orange cake for lunch. Sprung my mum from the rest home for the day, and my son's friend turned up, so 6 for lunch.

Darn - ham had 'ingredient list'. Serious stomach cramps!

2040 now, ready to settle down and watch some telly - maybe Lie to Me or Criminal Minds - my brain is too tired to care.

It's been a lovely day, which we've taken slowly. Kids have money, and want to go to the Boxing Day sales tomorrow. Me, I'd rather stay at home and paint.

Dec 26: Spent most of Monday tidying my studio - before and after:

Dec 27: Lovely Wednesday morning here. Wind's a bit gusty, but ok.

Had a 'bitsy' day. Read a bit of both my textbooks; went to the mall and did a bit of shopping knickers n socks - boring!); calligraphy pen to practice writing Hebrew; pies for lunch; played with my new DBK stencil plastic, and cut out some letter/number stencils - great stuff; did a bit of stamping with my newly made stamps - pics to follow.

###

Washed dogs, showered Dad, made lunch. Now waiting for Dad to say he’s ready to go to the Library – only 1 book left! Caught up on FB and Painting Friends. Oh – look, we’re going!

Got heaps of books (one even looks interesting), supermarket (got the RIGHT disposable razors, I hope), chemist for makeup sponges. Home again.

Back out to vets: 2 dogs, 1 x cat vaccinated, back in 3 weeks for a top-up. There’s been problems with this product. Sigh. $400 – but at least it wasn’t OUR money.

And suddenly it's 1700.

2011-12-18T16:34:00.002+13:00

Becca's Short Story: Trust

2011-12-13T20:19:00.004+13:00

[2011: Highly Commended]

Trust

John slept.

He slept a long, deep sleep from which no-one could waken him.

And in this sleep, he dreamed.

He stood on black stone, a high cliff in a mountain range of the dark rock. In front of him yawned a chasm, over which stretched a dark wooden bridge, just wide enough for one of his feet, without rails or ropes, that disappeared into thick, clinging fog. The cliff he was standing on was a platform, millions of miles off the ground. There was no sound, no wind, no animal calls, only the click, click, click, of John’s claws as he moved around the platform.

CLAWS?!

John examined himself frantically. He was wearing loose white trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. He was covered in smooth, dark green scales and each finger and toe was tipped with a sharp, black claw. When he touched his head, he found he had short horns protruding from his ordinary short, black hair and a long, arrow-tipped tail. Even his ears were different, looking like those of a dragon. What had he become? Not human, he knew that for sure. Fear flooded through him. Where was he? What was going on?

Greetings. I am Sigoshia.

I am Makidos.

You are Dreaming. To awaken you must cross the Chasm of Souls.

I will take you across the bridge.

Makidos, I shall take him.

“What on earth are you things?”

Fear not, John. We will not hurt you.

The two spirits circled John. Sigoshia was a glowing white-scaled beast with a long crocodile-like snout full of sharp teeth, four taloned fingers on each hand and a body that ended in a long serpentine tail with spines running down her back. She had pitch-dark, long, silky hair that ran down her back, and glowing white horns protruding from her hair. The short horns curved backwards into points. Her coal-black eyes with white slit-pupils promised safety and peace. Makidos was a copy of her, but in reversed colours. His black scales seemed to radiate darkness and his hair was short and glowing white, the horns black. His forbidding eyes glowed white with black slit-pupils. Still, there was something about him that seemed... protective? Something made John think that Makidos was more trustworthy than the white spirit.

Walk to the bridge, John. I shall guide you across.

John headed to the bridge, his claws clicking on the dark stone. He knew he had to cross it, and Makidos was offering to keep him safe on it, but there was something about the black-scaled spirit seemed not quite right.

No, John. Makidos is not to be trusted. He will make you fall! Let me guide you?

Will you listen to this witch? Who do you trust, John? Me? Or He spat the word, her?

John spun around, his gaze meeting each of their eyes in turn.

“Which of you is truly trustworthy? You both deny the other’s worth, so whom can I trust?”

Me. they said at once as they circled John, who stood on the edge of the precipice. John sighed. “Then the only way to find out,” he said, turning to the bridge, “Is to cross.” Makidos bared his teeth in a grin and floated out over the chasm.

Come, John. Cross with me.

He extended a taloned hand to John as Sigoshia glided to the other side of the bridge. John stepped on to the bridge, placing one clawed foot in front of the other, making slow, careful steps on the wood, arms out to counterbalance himself as the spirits floated to either side of him. He focused on his feet, careful not to misplace them, as this would cause him to fall. Wind whipped his clothes against his body. Distracted by a twinkle in the abyss, his eyes focused on the depths and he realised how high up he really was. This made him dizzy and swung him off balance, making him lean drastically to one side. Makidos seized his chance, swooping in to grab John’s wrist and hefting him off the bridge to dangle over the chasm. John screamed and squirmed in Makidos’s iron grip, but the spirit was too strong.

Now I shall finally be free! All I needed was a dreamer’s soul, and now I have one! You can do nothing to stop me now, Sigoshia!

The female spirit screeched in anger as Makidos hoisted John up to his face and reached for his chest, right where his heart was. Sigoshia swooped down to Makidos and wrapped her tail around his neck. She jerked back and he let out a strangled gasp, letting go of John’s wrist. He plunged into the depths of the Chasm of Souls, and around him he could see the faces of other Dreamers lost to the abyss. Sigoshia plummeted towards him and grabbed his tail, throwing him up and catching him under his arms.

I told you that Makidos was not to be trusted. Too many Dreamers have been lost to the abyss because of his kind.

She carried him back to the bridge and set him down carefully.
“Thank you, Sigoshia. I did not know whom to trust earlier, as you both denied the other. If ever I go through this again, I will know to trust you.”

John continued along the bridge, step by step, until Sigoshia started hissing at something. He looked up to see Makidos with his serpentine coils wrapped around the bridge.

You have not won yet, Sigoshia.
She glared at Makidos and replied.

Why do you not just give up, Makidos? You have not taken a soul from me yet, and you never will.

I will take a soul! This soul! I am not staying in this place any longer!

So you would destroy this soul and hurt many others for yourself?
Makidos growled and unwrapped his coils from the bridge. I will not listen to you!

He dove for John and knocked him off the bridge with his tail. John screamed as Makidos grabbed him again and reached for his heart. Time seemed to slow down, and in panic John scratched at Makidos’s arm, somehow managing to slide one of his claws under the scales to pierce the soft flesh beneath. Makidos screeched and let go, and John fell, down, down, down, into the mists of faces near the bottom. “Sigoshia! Help me!”He cried, and then the spirit was beside him, chasing him down. Reach for me, John. John stretched out his arm and Sigoshia grabbed it. She swished her tail and shot out of the abyss, up, up, up. She reached the bridge and placed John gently down on it. I will protect you from Makidos, John. I will not let you fall.

“Thank you, Sigoshia.”

Keep walking. You must get across the bridge as quickly as possible.

John continued, one foot in front of the other.

Suddenly, he was blind.

He looked up and around him. He had reached the fog. It was so thick that he couldn’t even see his hands out to either side of him, or most of his lower legs. “Sigoshia! I can’t see!” Her glowing eyes and scales were just visible through the fog, but her soft, flowing voice was dulled. It will be hard to see for some time. Until then, place your feet so that the claws of one foot touch the heel of the other. You will not be able to see it, but you will feel it. John followed her advice and kept walking, making slow progress while Sigoshia followed beside him. A deep growl sounded from the fog and Makidos shot past. The strong wind from his passing knocked John off balance. He cried out, dug his claws into the bridge, thrust out his arms, flicked his tail and eventually righted himself with help from Sigoshia, who held on to his hand. As soon as she saw he was all right, Sigoshia told him to continue walking. She then dived into the fog with a hiss. Probably going to fight Makidos, John thought. He resumed his walk across the bridge and continued, uninterrupted, until he was out of the fog. But where was Sigoshia? John turned around and peered into the clinging greyness, but it was so thick that he could not see anything. Could something have happened to the friendly, white spirit? Perhaps Makidos had... No! John shook his head to clear it of unwanted thoughts. “Sigoshia! Sigoshia?” He called, apprehensive. There was no answer. John didn’t want to continue walking until he was sure that Sigoshia was safe. Just then, a pair of glowing eyes was visible through the fog and Sigoshia drifted out to float next to John.

Hello again. That flowing voice seemed strained, as though she was finding it hard to get her words out. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” John said, relieved. “But... is there something wrong with your voice? It sounds... strange.”

Oh, it’s nothing. You should keep walking- Makidos might attack at any moment.

John nodded his agreement and proceeded. He made much quicker progress now that he had left the fog behind. Sigoshia glided beside him and, though his eyes were not focused on her, he realised something about the way she moved was... different. John dismissed it as nothing, and they continued.

John walked. Sigoshia drifted. There was silence.

Walking, walking, walking. John wondered if it was ever going to end.

Then John put his foot down on... air?

He jumped back with a shout of surprise. The bridge had suddenly broken off! There was nothing there! A deep, maniacal laugh sounded from behind John. It was Makidos’ laugh! John spun around to see the so-called “Sigoshia” shedding white scales to reveal black ones underneath. Long, black hair shortened and turned white, and suddenly Makidos floated in Sigoshia’s place.

I can’t believe you fell for it! I thought you would see through my disguise instantly, but it seems I overestimated you. Now, you’re mine!

Makidos lunged for John, teeth bared and claws outstretched. Time slowed down... all seemed hopeless...

Then John saw a flash of white over his attacker’s shoulder...

And he was sent flying as the white spirit barrelled into him. John turned somersaults in the air as the broken bridge and the two spirits faded into the distance.

Then, Sigoshia’s call...

Turn around!

And Makidos’ cry of anger as John spun around, outstretched hands ready to grab the ledge just behind him...

Smack.

John sat up in bed, startled.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A cardiograph beeped loudly.

John held out his hands. For a moment, they were covered in green scales, each finger tipped with a sharp, black claw... then John blinked, and they were normal, soft, nailed human hands.

John touched his head, and found he had short horns protruding from it... then he touched it again. There were no horns, only hair. He felt his ears- but no, they were not pointed. They were very ordinary, very round, and very, very human. John did not flick his tail in surprise. He had no tail. He was perfectly normal! In his own, human shape! What had happened?

Beep. Beep. Beep.

John gazed around the hospital room. It was mainly unadorned, but there was a table beside the bed. On it was a vase of wilting flowers and a few cards. He picked up a card at random. On the front was a drawing of what may have been a man in a hospital bed. There was a lot of heavily applied glitter. Above the drawing of the man, written in the scrawl of a six-year-old, was “Git wel soone, /unkil/ uncle John!”

The writing inside was nearly indecipherable, but John eventually made out...

“I now yoo ar very sik, but Mummy says yool git beta soone. I now Mummy is telling da truth, becas she always dus. I now yool be beta. Trust me. From Susie.

John looked up from the card, and thought he could see a pair of eyes with glowing white pupils watching him through the window in the top of the door...

Becca's Short Story: Rain

2011-12-13T20:12:00.004+13:00

[Winner of Intermediate Section, Western Districts Short Story Competition, 2010 - open to all New Zealand Writers]

Rain plays with my mind.

It makes me see things that aren’t there, and twists around things that are there. It whispers to me, making me hear things that aren’t making any noise, and drowning out any noise already there. Where I live, which of course you know, there’s the rainy season and the less-rainy season. There’s no such thing as light drizzles, only torrential downpours. Naturally, I don’t have a raincoat or an umbrella.

I’m sure this doesn’t happen to other people. No-one ever walks home with me from school any more. They probably think I’m crazy. I don’t care. The teacher makes them be nice to me at school, but after school all pretence of kindness is gone and they avoid me. I’m completely alone walking home; I take a path that no-one else takes. But I’m better off alone. Friends and companions have a tendency to leave you behind. I’m done with friends. I’m fine without anybody. Just me... And the rain...
~~~~~~~
I was walking home. It was raining hard-out, as usual. As soon as I was out of sight of anyone, the visions started. The concrete path and buildings to either side of me faded away, to be replaced by grassland stretching as far as the eye could see in any direction. The grass was up to my knees. There was a rustling in the grass and I could see long stalks parting. Oh great, what is it this time? I continued walking as the rustling thing got closer and closer. After a while I turned around, curious, and a dark shape, sort of like a dog, leapt out at me from the grass with a rruff. I let out an involuntary scream as it pounced on me, driving me to the ground. It stood on me and growled, baring its shiny white teeth. I screamed again and grabbed the dog’s leg, hurling it off me. It was light as a feather and its fur was smooth and silky. I heard a snap as my fingers closed around its leg, and another as it hit the ground. It lay there moaning as I got up, panting. I heard more rustling in the grass and a number of barks. There were more of the dogs! I bolted, dashing through the long grass as the dogs chased me. This was a first, as none of the things I had imagined in the rain had actually touched me before, and none of them had ever chased me. I heard the dogs panting, getting closer, and I sped up, thanking my P.E. teacher for making me run all those laps around the field. It did me good after all. Finally, the grassland started to fade and the concrete alleyway came back, the howls and barks of the dogs trailing off to nothing. I was safe - for now, at least.
~~~~~~~
“Well? Can you answer that question?”

I jerked out of my daydream and yelled, “Paris!” The teacher seemed puzzled.

“Uh, correct,” she said uncertainly as the bell rang for the end of school. She brightened up and said, “Have a safe, fun weekend, class! I’ll see you on Monday!” She rubbed various diagrams and instructions off the whiteboard as the students cleared things off their desks and stacked their chairs, the buzz of conversation filling the previously silent classroom. It was the next day, Friday. As I headed out of the classroom, I realised it was no ordinary weekend. It was the weekend of the fair! I loved the fair; the hustle and bustle of the crowds, the games, the strange and wonderful acts, the attractions like the typical Hall of Mirrors, and the rides. The fair was on all weekend, and I was going to go on both days. I couldn’t help wondering if it would rain or not, and if it did, what would happen? I pushed that thought from my mind and focused on being excited. It wouldn’t rain. No way.

Just then, it started to rain.

I had to put up with being soaked for a couple of minutes until I was back in the alley, out of sight, before the visions started.

The rain fell harder and harder until I couldn’t see anything, and when it calmed down I was in a small room, open to the sky, but when I tried to walk towards the walls they seemed to get further and further away. I heard a hissing noise behind me and spun around. There was another one of the solid shadows, this one like a giant python with glistening white fangs and tiny red glowing dots for eyes. It hissed and reared up, towering high above me. I screamed, spun around, and bolted. Though I was running at full speed, the snake effortlessly caught up and slithered around me, forcing me to stop before I ran into its jet-black coils. It raised its head until its scarlet, twinkling eyes were level with mine and hissed, BEWARE!
The snake and the room faded back into deserted concrete buildings and grey rain, and I collapsed, panting. When I had caught my breath I stood up, trying not to think of those red eyes which bore into your soul and your mind and consumed you from the inside out, revealing every lie you had ever told, every petty crime you had committed, and making you feel so guilty you could cry. I shivered and kept walking, trying to think of the fair and how much fun it would be.

It wasn’t working.
~~~~~~~
I woke up early the next morning and left for the fair around eight. Instead of the usual downpour, there was just thick grey stratus stretching across the sky. Not many people I knew had seen a sunny day before. But still, rainclouds without rain is better than rainclouds with rain, and I was willing to put up with it. When I arrived at the area on the outskirts of town where the fair was, there was already a crowd and everything was there. Once in through the gates I fell into the crowd, knowing my pockets were full of money and I had the entire day to enjoy the fair. As I walked through the streets between stalls and attractions, a single, colourful sign caught my eye. It read:

Madam Ovarei
Fortune Teller
Fortunes for low prices!

I really hate Fortune Tellers. The whole talking-with-the-spirits thing creeps me out. But something made me pull open the curtain of the purple-and-brown tent and step inside into the incense-laden air.

“Hello, little girl. Would you like Madam Ovarei to tell your fortune?”

I jumped at the voice in the shadows, but I realised it was coming from the little old woman sitting at the table in front of me.

“Uh... no... yes... sort of?” I said cautiously.

The woman smiled and gestured for me to sit down. I did so, but I was still unsure of why I wanted my fortune told. I found that the chair made my eyes level with hers. She examined me closely for a few minutes before asking, “What colour are your eyes, child?”

“Blue,” I answered, “Light blue.”

“No. They are grey.”

“Grey?”

She held up a small hand mirror, and I gasped. My eyes were grey.

“How...?” I began, but she interrupted, “The rain, child. You have seen the rain. Not the rain itself, but what hides inside it. And you are afraid of the rain. You should not be. Tell Madam Ovarei what you have seen.” She leaned forward to listen.

I wanted to say no. I wanted to walk away. But something about this nice old lady, who knew what my problem was and wanted to help me, made me forget my doubts and trust her.

So I spent two whole hours telling her about everything I had seen, how I walked alone, how nothing turned out right. When I had finished she said, “Don’t be afraid of the rain creatures. They represent your feelings, so when you are angry and frustrated, they are too. Make friends with them and your life will be easier. And one more thing: never, ever-”

And then it started to rain.

Madam Ovarei yelled something and grabbed for me, but faded away into the impenetrable, grey wall of driving rain. I was forced to my knees, gulping for air. It was raining so hard I breathed water. As my vision blurred I thought I could make out tiny red dots in the wall of rain. I felt like I weighed a ton and my lungs were being crushed under my own weight.

Anger. Frustration. Loneliness.

Not my own weight - the weight of my feelings. I had gone too long with nobody. Too long with my feelings bottled up inside me.
Friends.

I needed a friend. Someone to talk to. I suddenly realised the rain had calmed. I could breathe again. As soon as my chest had stopped hurting, I stood up. Somehow, I was in that old concrete alleyway again, the one I walk home through. I leaned against one of the old buildings and thought.
~~~~~~~
It was Monday again. When I had gone back to the fair on Sunday, Madam Ovarei hadn’t been there. The teacher was saying something, so I listened. “Everyone, this is Annabel. She used to live all the way on the other side of the world, and she just moved here. She’s going to be going to school here now,” She gave me a meaningful glance, “So you all need to make her feel welcome. Everyone say, ‘Hi, Annabel’.”

“Hi, Annabel,” The class droned.

Drrrrring, Drrrrring,

“Have a good Morning Tea, class.”

Everyone packed up their stuff and took out their snacks, chatting to each other. I headed over to Annabel. She looked shy and worried, like someone who needed a friend.

“Hi, Annabel,” I said, sticking out my hand, “Nice to meet ya. You look like someone who could use a good friend,” I added as she shook it timidly.

“Yeah,” She replied in the soft voice of one who doesn’t usually talk, “I think I do need a friend.”

I grinned at her. That grin meant everything.

“Sure,” she said with a smile. We walked out of class together. I looked at her when we were outside and noticed something.

“Hey, Annabel, you got an umbrella or a raincoat?”

“No.”

“What colour are your eyes?”

“Light blue. Isn’t it obvious?”

“Mine were too.”

“Were...?”

“I’m Storm, Annabel, and welcome to the Rain Country.”

Just then, it started to rain.

“Storm, why are we in a meadow now?”

The grass rustled and long stalks parted. “Don’t worry, they’re friendly,” I said as she grabbed my arm. I still took a step back.

“What are they?” asked Annabel.

“Depends, actually. AAAH!” I screamed as a dog-thing jumped out of the grass and landed on me. This time, it licked my face with a rose-pink tongue. “Hey! Stop that!” I yelled. Annabel giggled. “Oh, so you think it’s funny?” I pushed the dog off me and it ran straight for Annabel, jumping on her and licking her. “Ew! Get off me! Yuck!” I giggled and pulled it off her. She got up and spat.

“Uck! What is that thing?” I grinned at her.

“I think it’s a dog, but I’m not too sure exactly what it is.” As I said this, it squirmed in my arms and licked my face again. Annabel stared at it. It stared back and smiled, flashing its white teeth. “You have a lot of explaining to do.” Annabel said.

“Where should I start?”

“First, what the heck happened to the school?”

Where have the days gone?

2011-12-12T21:42:00.005+13:00

The days have flown past. On November 23rd I was diagnosed with Pernicious Anaemia - Vitamin B12 deficiency. Symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and other interesting things. This explained so much. Falling asleep in the car park for an hour, always being totally exhausted, hurting all over all the time, eating pain killers like lollies.

Three B12 shots, a week apart, have worked a miracle. I've also been seeing a fantastic Neuromuscular Therapist, Doreen Seager, recommended by my friend Drew in Texas (LOL - 4 degrees of separation!) She's managing to reduce the pain when no-one else has. I'm less sore, less tired, I have more energy, more enthusiasm. It's fantastic.

Yahweh is amazing in his timing. College is over, essay is done. Alex is here, working part time at Crystal Mountain. On 29 November I had my final B12 shot (till March); 30 November my Diabetic Eye check - perfect; 1 December I had my first session with Doreen. That night I got a call to say dad had fallen and broken his right patella. I spent the night at his place, and brought him home on the Friday. There was no way he was going to be able to look after himself.

This past week and a half has been very challenging for the whole family. But God is good. I couldn't have coped with any of this 3 weeks ago. While I'm still very tired (sleep deprivation not helping), the timing is actually really good. It's only a couple of weeks to Christmas, when David and I will be on holiday. Alex can look after Bill most days, and I can take leave on the 2 days he can't. It's hard to cope with Dad giving orders, and repeating them over and over; with him swearing at me in his frustration; with him acting like a 12 year old, not the 82 year old he actually is.

Tyler is part of the package. I spent $600 of dad's money at the vet - full blood screen, urine test, Joint Diet food, 4 Pentosan injections, painkillers and consultation. A couple of days later another $100 to get him clipped. He's a much happier dog now.

I did manage to get one piece done for a christmas card exchange:

I have no energy for art - my creativity is being squashed by the constant pressure of dealing with dad - I want to paint, to make art, but can't drum up the energy - and the days just aren't long enough. I want to work on the lessons from the Hot Wax workshop I've just done.

Tomorrow, Becca gets an award at the Academic Prizegiving. I will find out how I did on my OT Intro paper - an A- or an A? I'm having another go at starting to learn Hebrew over the holiday period. I can get the books thru the second-hand book sales at Laidlaw.

In January, the Plaster workshop starts with some of the Hot Wax group - I'm looking forward to that.

By the end of January, Dad should be back in his own home, and my life may return to normal.

College starts back up in March - Intro to the New Testament, then Theology.

Lots of things to look forward to.

Lord, I know your eyes are watching over me, I am not invisible. Let me fulfill your will, not my own.

Harvest Church Camp

2011-11-08T11:55:00.002+13:00

We spent the weekend at the Peter Snell Youth Camp, up in Whangaparaoa - 27 acres, with 20 of those covered in bush. The weather couldn't make up its mind - it would go from brilliant sunshine to freezing cold and back again - a low of at least 12C thanks to the sou-westerly wind.

Picked up dinner on Friday night at a Roast Dinner place in Whangaparaoa village - very very yummy, with extra crackling. Once everyone had arrived, we made our way to the hall, where we had a bit of a worship session, then went outside to watch the fireworks. Once it was dark, and the littlies were in bed, they put on a movie - "Holy Roller" - truly dire Aussie production, with lots of kiwi actors. We decided it would be more fun to go to bed early and read.

Saturday started far too early - the ladies showers were right beside my bunk, on the other side of a paper-thin wall. We were also on breakfast-setup and serving. I looked at the food laid out and had a little cry - there was NOTHING I could safely eat - and then they brought out something that was alleged to be porridge. Ok. That would do. Not a happy pixie. Got a text from our neighbor – the dogs had done a runner. David went home to find them, and make sure the house was secure.

After breakfast I met up with Lindsay and we planned out what we were doing for the womens' devotional session. We'd both run out of time during the previous weeks, so I'd photocopied the workshop on Pressure from our Weekend to Remember/Family Life booklets. Everyone seemed to enjoy the devo, and it sounds like I did ok - sort of semi-nervous – worrying about my doggies didn’t help.

Lunch was good - wraps, so more choice. The staff at camp are a miserable bunch - I think they have an allergy to smiling. In the afternoon there were activities - climbing wall/abseiling, shooting with air rifles (yeah, I can still shoot! lots of fun) and they had their huge waterslide going. Some of the people going down actually got airborne.

Dinner … how do you make baked chicken legs soggy? Don’t know, but the spuds were nice – had 2 helpings. Best thing about dinner were the boiled spuds - the chicken legs looked like they'd been boiled. After dinner was "Camp Idol" - only 5 families had a skit - we were among the many who hadn't. They were all very good, very clever. The Brown's won, with a song written by Alistair. Played cards with Deb, Azariah and Julia – Deb and Azariah were far too good. I didn’t have a clue. Collapsed into my bunk exhausted.

Sunday we were up early. Managed to organize lyrics for Worship. It was a really awesome church meeting, hearing Marcia’s testimony. Felt a bit strange to be worshiping God in a building with a cross on the wall. So ready to go home – my back was hurting, and I was over people.

Doggies were pleased to see us, and cats were lining up to be fed.
I love going away, but I love coming home even more. Thank you Lord for all my blessings.

Numbering Our Days

2011-11-02T16:33:00.002+13:00

This has been what I would call a ‘Spirit Inspired’ piece. I’ve been working on an essay for college on the function of prophecy from the Old Testament monarchial period (ie Saul and David), through to the New Testament, and its applications for today’s church.

The numbers 7 and 14 kept coming up as sacred and powerful. Then they started coming up in lessons at college, in sermons, on the radio. Then the phrase ‘numbering our days’ started popping up. When I googled that phrase, Psalm 139 was listed. Verses 7 and 14 of this psalm are:

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Wow – OK. That works for me. My text didn’t go down well, then I nuked it with the torch, and forgot to put white silk paper underneath. I also put a fish on it. The fish was not an ‘inspired’ addition, and it looked out of place.

I scraped away the fish and the text, put down the silk paper and text again, and stopped. Prayed for inspiration.

Heard an interview with a songwriter/musician Debbie Shepherd for her new album 139 – from Psalm 139. Picked up a booklet by Derek Prince, “The Holy Spirit in You”. Opened it up to read:

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

Flipped back to the previous page, where it was talking about God’s spirit as being likened to a dove or an eagle … doves have always seemed to me more like dinner than something that can see into the depths … so, an EAGLE! Thank you Lord.

So tonight, with a bit of luck, I can get the harrier hawk laid down before we take off to Bible Study (doing Toxic Religion tonight!), and perhaps even upload a photo.

Happy happy retail therapy

2011-10-28T13:51:00.002+13:00

Just finished lunch - honey-soy chicken nibbles, Moroccan carrot and Greek salads - yum. Topped off with fresh grapes and a wee nibble of Turkish delight. A truly Mediteranean lunch. YUM YUM YUM.

Went to the mall to buy some boysenberry cheesecakes - the containers are just the right size as dog-bikkie scoops, and our local supermarket doesn't stock them! Found an 'oven thermometer' that will sit flat on the griddle - hooray. Also got some masking tape and (baby) mineral oil. I really shouldn't use IPA to remove paperfluff from my transfers, lol, coz it takes the toner with it!

I also popped into the art shop, and scored two tubes of paint - Alizarine Permanent Crimson, and an awesome violet (they're in the car, so I can't check the name). They didn't have any large loop tools - maybe next week I can get to another shop and find one, coz the one I have is far too small!

Yesterday was a long day. Lecture in the morning, and I kept nodding off during the second period. Was better once I got coffee. Recently my car has started stalling at intersections, so I thought maybe the new battery was dying. I left Laidlaw ok, left the sushi shop ok, but when I came to leave David's work, the car wouldn't start. Nice AA man came eventually - no, not the battery - the starter motor is dead. Fortunately I was only about 10 feet away from a garage, so he gave me a jumpstart and I drove around 2 parked cars and into the service-bay.

By the time the car was sorted out, there was no way I was going to get to work - it was already after 1400. So I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch at David's work, studying - argh, yes, really!

We got home by around 1630, so I went straight in and turned on the heat. I had a Spirit inspired piece that needed to be done - and boy it went well. Pictures and more info either tonight or tomorrow.

Oh, and David is bringing my car home, so hopefully it's not too expensive!

Waxing Lyrical

2011-10-24T21:24:00.008+13:00

The top priority for the past couple of weeks has been my essay for college. I realised at 1500 on Saturday afternoon that the word count had footnotes switched on - so I suddenly had to write an extra 800 words, that I'd carefully edited out earlier. But now, it's done, posted on the college website - hooray.

And here's a link to the essay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm about a week behind on Judy Wise's 'Hot Wax' class - I've watched all the video's, but haven't had a chance to play with it, due to the essay deadline. I have got involved in some very interesting discussions, and looked various encaustic artists work, and other students (some of them artists in their own right), work.

Cooking up refined beeswax and damar resin on the kitchen cooktop at night was fun but stinky - it went all bubbly! Cooking up natural beeswax and damar during the daytime resulted in the house filling with bees again - all very dopey, but still dangerous for me. Every bee that was out the back on the flowers came looking for the wax - nom nom nom. David had the priviledge of herding them back out.

Mixing Pigments
I'd squeezed out 7 different colours of oilpaints (12 ml tubes) onto paper towels on the Friday night, thinking I would have a bit of time on Saturday morning - yeah, right. I think the extra sitting time actually did them good, because the towel was soaked with oil, while the paint formed long dry strings that were relatively easy to pick up and put in the tins.

It wasn't until Sunday afternoon that I got the time to pour the hot liquid medium into the cans - it took a couple of spills to realise that it would be a good idea to put the little cans into a bigger metal tray so cleanup would be easier. Oh, and I picked up at least one can and burned myself - darned if I could find the oven mitts.

Oven Mitts (and missing brushes) found Monday afternoon - in the coloured plastic bins on the scotch chest - labelled them now!

I was originally going to transfer the coloured medium into little silicon pattypans, but found this left a puddle of pigment in the bottom of the cans - grr. Sounds like this is a common problem, as the 'proper' pigments are milled very fine when they make the encaustic blocks. Anyway, I poured all the colours back into their cans, with the rest of their pigment.

One of the group members (Don, I think) commented that if he wants a more translucent colour, he doesn't stir the wax, and just dips his brush in the top layer, and for a more opaque colour, goes right to the bottom.

I realised this evening that I've squeezed out all my coloured pigments, so now can't do 'rubbings' which is one of the later classes. I've rescued most of the tubes from the rubbish - maybe I can squeeze a little more out.

Making Raised Spots/Dots
After looking at the work of Eileen Greenberg, I thought it would be fun to try her technique, which involves lots and lots of white lumps/dots/spots in a grid pattern, with colour washed over them. Sigh. I made a template - the holes were too small, and I didn't push all the centres out, the white medium wouldn't stick to the board, blah blah blah.

Anyway, this is what it looks like:
Before

After

There are about 7 layers of wax in this. The worst thing is scraping it all back off, and putting it in the 'mud' can for recycling. Not sure if 'excavation' does it for me.

Next thing to try is accretion, which I'll do round the edges as a border.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We finally shifted the big wooden bookshelf that we got from a friend out of the entry hall and into the Studio. This meant untidying, then tidying. There are still a few remaining piles around the edges that need sorting, but it's less worse.

Here's David cleaning the wall where my 'display wall' used to be:

Kama and Tara *Helping*

The untidied version

The tidied version

FRESH VEG
I now have a 'vege garden'. The waka is overgrown, and needs a massive digging over - metre high dock, and lots of california poppy - and BEES!

I bought some bags of vegemix and strawberry mix, and a few punnets of seedlings:

Encaustic Crackle Class

2011-09-20T20:25:00.003+12:00

Is all set to begin. I just watched the first lesson on using blow torches!

Arrroooo! love those flame throwers! I've been using a tiny little 'penlite' soldering iron. While it's been great for little pieces, it's very frustrating on bigger stuff. However, hiding in the garage is a mid-sized gas torch, similar to the brand recommended by Linda, that I bought a number of years ago, but had forgotten about, until hubby mentioned it.

I've got my pearl-ex pigments ($nz40 for set of 12), an electric grill ($50 second hand) (you can't get pancake griddles in NZ - they just look at you blankly in the stores.) I have a couple of white pine pallets from the US, with 7"/18cm wide planks, which I'll dismember, saw up and sand for boards. (And no, so far, no supplier of 'proper' encaustic boards in EnZed.)

So, all ready to go (ish). But no time to do it:
Tuesday - it's already 2030
Wednesday - High School Enrollment Interview, Small group bible study
Thursday - Lecture in the morning, Youth Group/organise posters and stuff for the church gala on Saturday in the evening
Friday - oooh, there's a possibility ...
Saturday - church Gala from 0700 ... sleep in the afternoon, housework
Sunday - church, visit mother, sleep, walk dogs
Work during the daytime, study for Lecture and Essay.

Then, suddenly, it'll be Monday again.

Under a Blue Moon

2011-09-13T22:44:00.003+12:00

Encaustic on MDF with controlled shellac burn and image transfer.

Not sure if this is done or not. I want to add a bit more glitz to the moon, but that will have to wait till my Pearl-ex pigments arrive.

A River Runs Thru

2011-09-09T09:44:00.002+12:00

Encaustic piece inspired by Linda Womack's Encaustic workshop.

Cork-backed placemat, with tannin dyed fabric, text on tissue and 80gsm paper, dried leaf, 'gold' flake, and, of course, wax.

My original thought was to have a text-based image, but then it just went off on a strange tangent. Some of the colours I have are working out well, and others are just 'blah'. These colours were from the beeswax crayons I bought. The yellow is good, the red is good. But the blue is too anaemic (too much extra wax in the mix?).

Anyway, home early today, so maybe I can have another go.

Be Still ...

2011-07-31T21:29:00.003+12:00

And know that I am GOD.

Encaustic on MDF: scripture printed on plastic vellum, fabric backing, found medallion, shell & semi-precious stones, pressed red clover. The clover was fused using refined beeswax, while yellow beeswax is used on the rest of the piece.

Encaustic Collage Workshop

2011-07-31T20:58:00.004+12:00

My friend Debbi and her daughter Emily came round to learn how to do encaustic work. We decided that doing a collage would be fun, so they raided my collage collection, and using a couple of placemats, did their design work before waving hot wax around. They mostly used the yellow beeswax, (from Bees R Us) and you can see the lovely golden colour it produces.

The refined beeswax I'd ordered earlier in the week from Lotus Oils arrived on Friday. It was actually cheaper to get 'cosmetic' grade than 'refined' grade, which I thought a bit weird.

Because they used so many small pieces for their collage, I thought we'd try the dipping technique, using a pair of clamps from a surgical kit. This made it reasonably safe for Emily to use. A baking tray of wax is sitting in the electric fry pan in hot water. Because it was relatively cold, we had to keep turning the heat up. The two cans hold wax that's rapidly hardening.

Debbie's finished piece. She's even managed to preserve a piece of tree from the placemat image.

ADDENDUM: The delicious smell of hot beeswax attracted the makers of said product. A swarm of bees arrived in the house, filling the lounge, with some making it into the studio. As both Emily and I are allergic to bees, this was FAR TOO EXCITING. Mr B dealt with the bees in the lounge (although it took several attempts to get rid of everyone), and Deb evicted most of those in the studio. Fortunately they were very dopey and slow moving.

It's a bit worrying for summer tho - there are a number of beehives in the orchard over the road (about a kilometre away), but David thinks they came from closer than that. All the same - me and bees do NOT mix.

Holding on tight ...

2011-07-21T19:13:00.003+12:00

far too early in the morning. Buzzy brain this morning, so got up just after Mr B left for work. Turned on all my encaustic gear, the radio, and the heater in the studio.

Printed off some text, and a woman's hands; grabbed some collage pieces, and set to work:

This is on a 12x12cm piece of MDF, undercoated with white acrylic. I coloured the woman's hands and dress with oil pastel and chalk, then started the layering/fusing process.

Spent a bit of quality time chasing little bits of paper around the desk from using the heat gun. Back in bed by 0700, and slept for 1 1/2 hours.

My thoughts behind this piece were that we all have dreams, which we hold onto tightly, but this can be best done with our hands open, as if we were holding onto something delicate, like a butterfly. In the end, it is up to Yahweh whether we accomplish these dreams or not.

Other Stuff
Got my grade from Laidlaw last night - A-minus for the first semester: both essays were A-, and the exam result was 31/40. Wow! Thank you Yahweh, Yeshua for your blessings - I do all things for your glory - thanks for sending some back down on me.

Went into Farmers and picked up a couple of nice knitted tops - one of them Merino, and spent the last of the vouchers.

Then popped into Gordon Harris Art Shop on the way back to work - sounds like no-one in Enzed stocks wax pigments for encaustic work! They offered me powdered pigment, which I declined - that stuff is far too dangerous, and you need special breathing gear to use it. Ended up getting a pack of 12 Honey Sticks - beeswax crayons made in NZ. Only $16.00. They're about 3/4" in diameter, and 2" long. They look like they have a good amount of pigment in them.

Boy oh boy they smell good enough to eat, lol.

Wet Shellac Burn - Fun with flames!

2011-07-21T18:59:00.002+12:00

What does one do with one's daughter on a cold winter night, except set fire to 'stuff'!

I bought a small can of liquid shellac (mixed with turpentine), and painted it on a canvas I'd bought at a garage sale. Just the addition of amber shellac changed the 'moon over the sea' image quite dramatically:

Then we used the flamethrower to set the wet shellac alight. Arooooo!

Note: Do not repeat too many times, or you will burn thru the canvas - this is probably best done on a solid surface, as opposed to fabric, lol. Great fun, and an interesting result:

I've also painted some on a glass sheet, and let it dry, to see if I can create some flakes - so far, it's still tacky in the centre, despite the cold weather.

Next experiment will be a dry shellac burn.

Look - I did manage to do something ...

2011-07-17T19:50:00.006+12:00

But first ... we watched 3 episodes of 'The Good Wife' back to back last night - what really despicable people feature in this programme - each time we watch one, there's something else that takes our breath away with disbelief. The third episode was the most disturbing for me, I think. A scheduled execution at a prison in Chicago. The warden was a stickler for the rules. The brutality wasn't callous as such, but so very, very calculated. Not justice, but revenge.

Sunday - had a bad nightmare; riding in the back of a truck, which was crossing a mountain road that had 'falling debris' problems. Sitting beside me was a fat old woman who was telling me what a bad person I was for letting my daughter play with the child of Muslim parents - "They're all terrorists, you know! And as for those Jews, well, you know what they're like!" I woke up from this at 0700, and got up and went to do some art for an hour before leaving for church.

I made a monoprint by laying a piece of gladwrap on top of a freshly painted canvas, (greens & yellow) then laying it on a 12x12" piece of scrapbooking paper. Later I repeated this with browns and reds:

It has a quite organic feel to it. And no, I don't know what I'm going to do with it. Yet.

Mr B & I did the worship audio this morning. I took my laptop to church with me, as the church laptop has reached the end of its life, and keeps crashing. It was very satisfying being able to do the powerpoint presentation - both worship and lesson - and record the audio. After church we went out to lunch with friends, to a place called Carriages - old train carriages that are placed between a garden centre and a pond - very pretty, and a good meal too. We then did a little retail therapy in the garden centre - only $4! After that, we were going to go wine-tasting - FAIL! the place was closed. Oh well, another day.

Came home, took the dogs for a walk thru Henderson Park - Tara went splashing thru the mud, so had to bath both of them when we got home. UGH.

Then - play time. I wanted to print some images onto tissue paper. I've never printed onto paper this fine before, and previously, just taping the leading edge of the lighter paper to a heavier carrier page has worked ok. Not tissue paper - printer ate it. Ok. Attempt 2. Put adhesive tape down the sides too. The result:

Tissue Print Fail
So, Google being my friend ... First one I find, of course, says stick down the edges. Tried that.

Then found a site that talked about using glue stick - yuck. Way too messy. Spray adhesive - now you're talking!

To summarise: * using a spray adhesive - I have some stuff from Arbee, colourless and fast drying - spray your carrier sheet.
* Use a larger piece of paper or light card or cardboard to lift off excess adhesive - pat down and lift off about 4 times, until the carrier sheet is barely tacky.

* carefully lay a piece of acid-free (lignin free) tissue paper on the carrier sheet. I had already cut the tissue to size.
* put sellotape along the leading edge, so you have a single layer. Previous experience has taught me that otherwise the feedrollers will try to separate out the two sheets anyway (there has to be something good about having been a printer tech!)
* run through your INK JET PRINTER - not a laser printer, because it will wrap itself around the heat/fuser rollers - watching its progress all the way.
* remove carrier sheet immediately - otherwise you risk a permanant adhesive!
* the youtube lesson was for decoupage use, so they used a spray sealer on the finished image. I'm using mine for mixed media collage, so want it to disintegrate a bit, so I won't be sealing it.

Except for the fact that my printer decided NOT to print blue/yellow (it's been ages since I used the machine, and I think the Melco inkpots haven't fed thru the tubes properly), I'm actually rather pleased with the magenta hue of the images:

A very satisfactory day.

Hooray, it's the weekend

2011-07-16T18:09:00.002+12:00

And long overdue it is too.

A long and reasonably unpleasant week.

Good things - had my hair cut and coloured - looks good.
Had a great massage - felt good.

Had a lovely sleep in this morning, followed by scrambled eggs and bacon for brunch. Fenced the grassy bog off, so the floor can stay unmuddier and maybe even get cleaner - need to get some more pallets from work, which look really good as fencing.

Went to the mall to pay off a loan, have lunch, and spend some vouchers at Farmers. Becca now has her own pair of jeans and a pair of trackpants. She's the same size as me! Friday was mufti day for her - she wore my jeans, spare black sneakers, and navy blue polarfleece jacket. Scary. Got David two pairs of trackpants, which means we can throw the worst old pair in the rubbish.

Popped into Craft Out West - arrived at 1515, did a quick zigzag-check-the-stalls-in-each row. Went and got some cash, brought the items I wanted, did a slower mooch, and was ready to leave by 1600 - which was closing time!

Loot from the craft show:

Two "Australian Woman's Mirror" magazines, 1932 and 1934. Contains such scintillating articles as: 'Was Women's Freedom Brought too Dear?', 'Should you Wed Your Junior?', and 'Building Good Teeth by Edith Butler.' Oh, and then there's the ads - 'Now a thrilling lipstick for 9d', 'Backward Children - world famous treatment at the Bio-Chemic Institute', and 'Rhyvol - the great papaw (sic) indigestion remedy'.

The third is a prospectus: "The Happy Highway to Success", from La Paula Art Academy, around 1930ish as well - "... we can assure you that the La Paula Training can bring the happiness attained from a contented mind, free from the petty annoyances of everyday life."
These are for collage work, but I'll scan the pages - I couldn't bear to rip them up - there's great stuff on both sides of the page.

3 fat quarters, a packet of coloured metal leaf, and a cross on a rock (David did roll his eyes at that one!) I also got some pre-war flower-style trim, but that didn't make it into the photos.

As to getting any actual art done ... well, Becca's gone for a sleepover, it's a light dinner tonite (hash browns, bacon and fried eggs), and then maybe I'll actually do something!

Postcard from God

2011-07-08T22:57:00.001+12:00

Found out that if you try and place 'lightweight' bits and pieces on your warm wax, and then try and fuse it with a heatgun, they blow away. Darn, I thought. I need an iron to fuse things like this. But not my good iron.

Back to the second-hand shops I'd visited yesterday, where I'd got an aluminium pot, knife, fork, cake slicers/pallette knives for the playing with of encaustic.

Listening to Christian Radio, and a guy called Tak Bhana talking about Postcards from God. "Please God, can you help me find a nice wee iron for my art?"

Sallie's shop - nada. SPCA shop - tucked up in a little baggie - "Hi, my name's Russell Hobbs, and I'm a travel iron. I want to be your special friend!" Thank you thank you thank you. That made me feel loved - it's the little things.

Tomorrow Blue goes to Animal Management for them to find him a new home. He's a lovely little dog, sweet, cuddly, affectionate ... when he's not being psychotic, and trying to bite either the dogs faces, or ours. He has a 'hard' mouth, and when he 'goes off' he throws himself against walls and furniture trying to bite.

Tonight's prayer: Thank you Lord for letting me have Blue for a week. Can you please find him a good home with people who will love him and take good care of him. Amen.

'Encaustic' Pieces

2011-07-03T19:33:00.005+12:00

Well, I finally got my studio to the point where I could shove what was left scattered on the floor into a couple of piles, clear the centre of the floor space, move my computer table back into the lounge, and find the small desk.

Got out 'Encaustic Workshop' by Patricia Seggebruch, set up everything I thought I'd need, and set to. Working on paper, newspaper or cardboard is not a good idea - but probably better than just working on top of a plastic sheet (hot wax, hot heat gun + plastic = ...). I need to put a big sheet of cardboard over the desk, under the plastic sheet, otherwise I'm going to ruin the surface. Changed to a glass plate for a working surface - the glass from a photocopier. I can scrape off waste wax, and clean up any mess relatively easily.

I'm using 10mm MDF cut into 12x12cm squares. I initially gave them a white acrylic paint undercoat, but now I know wax and acrylic don't mix well. Sandpaper is my friend.

I haven't added any damar resin to the beeswax - that will have to wait, and I understand you can get very good results without it.

This piece, a woman sitting at a cafe table, was a paper serviette, which I fused on; in addition, there's some sheer fabric, lace doily, paper tag with 'forget me not', and a dab of red acrylic paint, which I had tried to stencil on thru the lace, but when I tried to fuse it, it slid away across the wax - come back, come back ...

"God is the painter", has a blue/green fossil-batik print glued onto the MDF with PVA glue, a few layers of wax, piece of mussel shell, bits of semi-precious stone, and a found pendant. The quote is on 'vellum', which is actually a plasticised cotton, not paper, so just floats on the top. It's now been removed, and will be replaced with text printed on either rice, mulberry or tissue paper, so it melds more with the background. I think I'm going to put more wax in the centre, just to smooth it out.

This third piece is abstract. I think I'll call it "This Way Up". I wanted to try incising lines and shapes, then filling with colour. The rectangle was a right angle hex key, the circle part of a sewing spool, and the curve is from a French curve. I scratched the inside of the curves surface with a wire brush. I tried both Markal paint stiks and Reeves oil pastels. I don't know whether it's because the room is cold, the oils are old, or what, but it was very hard to make the colour malleable enough to go into the incised shapes. Really really messy. I used a blade to scrape off all excess colour, then fused with another coat of wax. I'm pleased with how this is going. There are a few more steps in this incising workshop, adding more layers. Updated photos to follow.

Another A- Thank you YHWH!

2011-07-01T19:26:00.000+12:00

The results for my essay tracing the development of the Tabernacle and Temple throughout Scripture were posted tonight - another A-. I am so very very pleased.

Insightfulness, Critical thought and application were all "outstanding"; and structure, communication and presentation were "good".

The Marker's (Rachel) comments: Sue, overall this is a good paper. I can tell you worked hard to research and reference it. You cover the story well and speak at length about the connections in the bible surrounding your theme. You don’t speak as much about Jer. 31 as I would have thought--- our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, and the presence of the temple/Jesus now resides in us. Also, you don’t speak about man as image-bearers--- which means that WE/HUMANS have been placed at the centre of the Garden of Eden/temple as God’s divine presence. This certainly has implications later as all of creation is redeemed. However, your paper is still very strong. Good work.

I've emailed her asking if she can explain a little more what she means - this is obviously very important, but I've failed to grasp it during lectures and in my reading/research. Hopefully she will respond to my request.

2011-06-28T21:36:00.004+12:00

My first attempt at painting with wax. This was the backing board from an upholstry fabric sampler, and you can see the chequered pattern and brand name in the centre of the image. I placed a paper towel with images of flax plants over the board, then used recycled paraffin candle wax, just sort of blobbing it on, then fusing it. The wax is very brittle, and the paper is already lifting.

As an experiment, and considering I hadn't really done any research, I regard it as satisfactory. Since then, I've read 4 or 5 books, looked at countless Encaustic artists' sites, and know a lot more than I did.

I'd prepared 10 12x12cm 10mm MDF blocks for encaustic, and coated them with a white acrylic housepaint. I now have to sand this off, as the wax will not adhere properly to the acrylic (coz it's plastic!) I'm not ready to go out and buy special encaustic 'gesso' yet.

In the pile of unburied treasure are some oil paints (Reeves, but they'll do) and Markel Oil Paint stiks, so I have at least some coloured pigment. I've decided to stay well away from powered pigment because of the dangers of breathing it in.

top on the experiment list is wet shellac burns. Dry shellac flakes in a carrying medium (such as pigment), and wet shellac 'paint' will both burn when you set fire to them!!! Pretty pretty shiny shiny. Hardware store here I come. Also in the buried loot is a piece of mica, which I will flake and crush up some of it.

Studio reorganising - the huge pile of stuff has been removed from the centre of the room, and is slowly being spread around the edges, as it finds new homes. My big table has gone into the corner, with the bookshelf on top, the little 'computer desk' has moved in beside it. Stacker in the corner where the scotch chest and tv used to be - I don't need a TV! I'll be too busy to watch it. And if I need entertainment, I have a radio, and will bring in my laptop, which has both music and inspirational pictures.

The view of the opposite wall shows the new table/shelf David made me last night. My harp has a safer place to hide, till I can tidy it up and put it on Trademe. One day I will finish the mermaid and her dolphin - it's only been up there about 3 years. There are various other fabric pieces on the wall in varying stages of completion.

It's so fantastic to have light in here again - I've got a lot done on Sunday, and over the last two evenings. Taking a break tomorrow evening for JaM, back to it Thursday evening.

serious reorganisation has occurred

2011-06-28T09:15:00.004+12:00

maybe I can call my craftroom a studio soon. David helped me turn two pallets and a wardrobe door into a large shelf/work surface. Desks have been shifted around, as have book and stacking shelves. The piles of 'stuff' have changed shape as I've taken things out and given them new homes. There's a huge pile of paper and folders and magazines on my big table that needs to be sorted through.

All sorts of treasures have turned up - my harp strings (behind a bookshelf); oil paints and oil paint sticks; pictures, papers, images that make me go oooohhh; the rubbish basket has been filled to overflowing twice; I need to find a bigger box to put the castoffs into - then get organised to put it all on Trademe.

Sell old, unwanted stuff to finance new, wanted stuff.

Well, that's the plan, anyway.

I went beserk ...

2011-06-26T21:04:00.002+12:00

and tidied my craftroom - after not sleeping last night with a huge download of buzzy-brain art ideas (thank you Yahweh), I finished writing 4 essays and studying.

So, I reorganised my craftroom - swapped tables and other stuff around. I need to grab a couple of pallets from work to act as supports for my new horizontal surface - in its previous life it was a wardrobe door.

I haz buzzy brain!!!

2011-06-25T22:28:00.000+12:00

Just finished the other book I got from the library on Friday night. "Encaustic Art: the complete guide to creating fine art with wax. Lots more cool information, some amazing pictures.

I melted, strained and combined my three lots of beeswax tonight on the stove - 2 lots that came from *my* grandfather's workshop, 1 black-brown, the other dark brown, plus the lovely yellow wax (that's smells all honey-ish) from Paihia when we had our holiday there at the beginning of the year.

I've made a list of photo's I have that I'd like to turn into encaustic pieces, and pages from this second book I want to copy, coz the ideas are great.

Hopefully this will be our last night under candlelight; tomorrow, our friend comes round, and we will have lights again - please please please ...

The week went sick ... (and quick)

2011-06-24T20:54:00.000+12:00

I am over headcolds. Snoik, cough, hack. Haven't got nearly enough studying done, and I had a night off tonight, because Becca kept taking my computer.

Picked "Encaustic Workshop" by Patrica Baldwin Seggebruch up from the library at 1700. Just finished it (2100) Read it cover to cover, and I SO want to play. Got another one to read, but maybe not tonight.

I think it's time to pollute my mind with Air Crash Investigation or something similar.

Yay, it's Friday

2011-06-17T21:42:00.000+12:00

Yesterday's messy canvas will be sprayed with white satin paint tomorrow - start again. Too busy to study today, or do much of anything. Spent a wee bit of time looking at encaustic techniques. I have lots of what is probably parrafin wax - going to have a play with that tomorrow. I just need to DO STUFF, not worry about what I'm making - easier said than done.

Too tired tonight to do much, and it's pitch black in the studio/craft room. It's persisting down with rain, so I figure tomorrow is study and create day.

But is it art?

2011-06-16T18:03:00.001+12:00

Darned if I know, but I had fun with moulding paste and paint and ink. There's too much blue ink - we haz the technology - we can fix it!

Spent the day at home, after dropping Becca at school I went back to bed and slept for at least 2 hours. Did some study, put Mr Piggy leg in the crockpot, and generally pottered round. Went back to bed and dozed for an hour, before getting back up and slapping moulding paste on canvas. Did a shunt, put the rubbish out, more study, and then went and picked up Becca from near the train station.

We took the dogs for a gallop in the park, and of course they went paddling - ugh. Bathed them when we got home, helped Becca edit her short story down to 600 words, threw paint and ink at not quite dry canvas. Nearly time for dinner.

I think my body is trying to tell me something ...

2011-06-15T20:05:00.002+12:00

Sunday night - no sleep, throat like razorblades, up and down like a yo-yo. Long day at work on Monday. Short nap, but no blankie or pillow, too cold. Last lecture Monday night, barely able to stay awake. sleep like log with help of antihistamine. Sinuses now draining out nose instead of down throat. Less worser. Tuesday: Fall back to sleep holding alarm clock. Drive to work, off with the fairies. Park car in carpark. Remove ignition key. Fall asleep for 15 min holding ignition key. Work for a few hours. Nana nap in car 1 hour (have blankie and pillow this time). Get neck and shoulder massage from David - oooohhhh so nice.

Sleep like log at night with antihistamine and maxigesic. Wednesday: fall back to sleep holding alarm clock again. Drive to work, off with the fairies. Park, fall asleep for 40 minutes this time! Give up and decide I need to go home. Go home at 1200 - sleep 2.5 hours. Woken by daughter at about 1515 - she's got a ride home from school, and forgotten she has maths!

Took Becca to maths, went to the Warehouse and got some candles (we're still in the dark - can't make the lounge/bedroom lights work). Went back, got a big KFC Mango/berry Krusher, then sat in the car with the dogs and studied for 40 minutes.

Very tired, almost ready for bed again, and it's only 2015.

Happy Happy Happy - Joy Joy Joy

2011-06-08T13:02:00.003+12:00

"We are pleased to inform you that the Applications Committee has approved your application to study at Laidlaw College, commencing in semester two of 2011.
You have been accepted into the Diploma of Biblical Studies programme. We trust that your acceptance will confirm the Lord’s guidance to you."

Does it what!!!

Essay #2 is sitting at 2600 words, without an intro/outro/linking sentences or NT/Jesus/Church stuff. Never mind. It's easier to cut back than to write more. Due Sunday midnight 12 June. I think I'm even looking forward to the exam at the end of the month - strange woman.

So, what's involved in a Diploma of Biblical Studies?

8 papers, worth 15 credits each, total 120 Credits at Level 5. You can take up to 8 years to complete it.

So far, I've done 3 papers: Ways of Knowing (mostly philosophy); Worldviews; and Biblical Theology. These were done as non-formal study, but count towards the Diploma.

Next semester, it's Introduction to the Old Testament.

2012: Theology: Introduction and Formation
2013: New Testament: Introduction and History of Christianity: Early church to reformation
By then, I'll need to have talked to the Academic staff and see what they suggest.

2014: Theology: God & Creation maybe.

Then it'll be time to look at the Bachelor of Theology - which would take another 12 papers to complete. The curriculum may have changed by then, but if it doesn't, I already have a list made up.

Story of the Bible - A minus!

2011-05-29T22:42:00.002+12:00

Thank you so much, blessed Yahweh! Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord! See below for the comments on my Biblical Studies essay
A- : 8 : Superior - Outstanding Critical Thought, Presentation and Structure, Good coverage.

Sue- excellent work! I can tell you feel comfortable in the Biblical story and you make connections within it with great ease. (See my comments below for more detail on particular strong points.) Excellent bibliography as well. I especially enjoyed your Hebrew words dappled throughout. I can also certainly tell that you enjoyed understanding the historical connections within the Biblical story and the Ancient Near East leading up to the time of Jesus. This clarity was very helpful. A few items would have made this paper even stronger: 1) You mention Adam and Eve and the beginning of Creation. But you don’t mention anything about their vocation. What were they placed in the Garden to do ? (Steward the earth and be fruitful and multiply) 2) You allude to the Exodus, but you don’t mention the concept until a bit later----with reference to John the Baptist and Jesus. I’m glad you included this--- I think it’s important enough to put in the body of your paper. 3) You don’t mention the Law given to the Israelites by God on Mount Sinai or the presence of the Tabernacle as God’s dwelling place until the temple is built. 4) Lastly you could have included reference to the New Heavens/New Earth. What is the final act in the biblical story all about? What will happen to creation and our place in it? Overall, however, beautiful job on your essay!

I'm totally blown away by this - considering how sick I've been recently, and fitting this in around work ...

All those things she mentions were stuff I had to take out because of the wordcount -phooey. Never mind - I'm totally stoked.

aarrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Saturday

2011-05-28T22:37:00.003+12:00

Lots of dreams this morning - I got so much done! Wrote something deep and meaningful about Solomon's temple; racked the wine; did some painting ... unfortunately, then I woke up. I did at least get a bit of a sleep-in, despite an aching jaw.

Spent the morning at the parent's place, messing with Dad's computer, and supervising Dad and David recreating a stone wall. Went shopping at Countdown - I don't think it's actually any cheaper than Pak n Slave - just a heck of a lot more choice - talk about being led into the path of temptation.

Took this a few days ago, when the whole planking thing was at it's height - not terribly clear, but Smudgy is lying along the back of the couch, and has sort of wedged his legs so he doesn't slide off.

This is 6 separate 5 x 4" canvases. It started off in reds (not my favourite colour), got some blues, purples and a bit of yellow on it, then sprayed with water and blue dye dribbled on it - I love the effect of the dye dribbles. Now it's got a 'swirly' stencil over it, and the gaps have been painted with 2 coats of crackle medium. I intend to dry brush the crackled areas.
After that, it's going to get some scripture stuck on it, then words over the top of that. I'm hoping the stencil pattern will link the canvases together, even when they're separated. It will eventually hang on the wall in the form of a cross.

I'm not sure where (if anywhere) this canvas is going. It started as brayered layers of red, gold and brown, but was too red for my tastes, so I put a bit of white on it. Ugh. Then sprayed it with water, and dribbled blue dye - interesting effect, but I think it looks a bit 'muddy' now. Maybe put some clear texture on it? Or opaque? We'll see.

Or, just put a layer of paint over the whole thing? Or attack it with sandpaper?

I was hoping to get some heavy card (taken from curtain/furniture fabric display books) undercoated for guerilla art, but that may be tomorrow, after church and lunch with friends.

Oooh, look - it's 2300 - not quite the witching hour, but getting too late to do much else.

It's only, nearly, the end of May ...

2011-05-27T09:18:00.005+12:00

Well, I just can't procrastinate any longer. Well, I probably could, but I've just been inspired by an article on Guerilla Art. This link will take you there: http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/media/p/4492.aspx

Now I feel inspired to go home, make some art, and leave it around the place. All I need is time! Sigh. Oh well, miracles happen!

So, why have I been procrastinating? Life, the Universe, and everything. I seem to have been sick most of this year, with flu, migraines, headaches, tooth problems etc. Misery and I have been close friends. I've had two wisdom teeth out (36 and 37, your time is up). Both ended up with 'Dry Socket' 'Alveolar osteitis' - the jawbone and nerves at the bottom of the tooth socket are left exposed when there is either no blood clot formed, or it falls out. Being a diabetic, I'm prone to this. The result is unbelieveable, excruciating pain.

Tramadol briefly became my friend, but after a couple of days started giving me the jitters and broken sleep, so I unfriended it. Maxigesic (Neurophen + Panadol) returns to #1 as my preferred form of pain relief.

I'm back at Laidlaw this year, doing Biblical Theology - essay number 2 is due in about 3 weeks - 2000 words on temple/tabernacle. At yesterday's tutorial, I asked the Lecturer, Rod Thompson, to speak on it - he told me how he'd like to see it laid out, and some key points to cover; Solomon's Temple (the high point of the story), look back from Creation till 586bce, then forward to the new Creation in Revelation, and on to the church today. I can do that!!

When I get all the paperwork together - it seems every time I think I'm organised, I realise I've forgotten something - I will be applying to do a Diploma in Biblical Studies, leading on to a Bachelor of Theology, majoring in Biblical Studies. Why Biblical studies - coz I love all those history papers! The ministry papers left me not only cold, but with a feeling of nausea.

I have a couple of projects spread out in my craft room, and hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to play. The other inspiring thing I've seen lately was called One Brush Painting with Donna Dewberry - very cool, so I'm determined to spend at least a little time painting. Then while things are drying, I'll do ... other stuff.

Other stuff this weekend:
* Go to parents house and supervise husband and father rebuilding stone wall.
* Rack 6 demijohns of fermented grape juice off the lees and rebottle.
* Shopping - for groceries, at Countdown, to see if it is cheaper than Pak n Slave.
* Church on Sunday
* Painting/art work
* Essay writing
* Study for exam on 27 June - ewww a written exam!
* Find out from #1 husband how I hide the link, so it becomes a word

Oops

2011-01-12T23:00:00.001+13:00

Um - well, that's not good, is it - over 3 months since the last post. Yes. Well. I must do something about that. But not tonight, Josephine. Tiz time for bed!

MDF CROSSES

2010-10-07T21:32:00.002+13:00

4 MDF crosses made for a fund-raising art exhibition. The orange one is my least favourite, the blue one with the leaf shapes the most favourite. All sold.

Driftwood Cross

2010-10-05T20:43:00.003+13:00

How about this - beautiful! Debbi and I made this in about an hour for the Inspire Art Exhibition. Pieces of driftwood glued to timber, sprinkled with yellow sand from Golden Bay, and found bits and pieces of jewellery, beads, shells and pretties.

Of course, it would be nice if I could manage to take a photo that's in focus, lol.

We bought 3 paintings at the exhibition. When we receive them, I'll put them up.

Tooth Extraction is NOT fun!

2010-10-05T20:34:00.002+13:00

It's been a long week - last Sunday I had a rear bottom molar removed. I'd had a late lunch of Crumpets and Boysenberry jam on Saturday, and bit down on a seed. The rear half of the tooth sheared off, and was left flapping. Every time it closed back up against the tooth, it touched the nerve - argh.

It took the dentist 45 minutes to remove two roots, and left the back of my mouth looking like mincemeat. Unfortunately the pain didn't diminish, and I managed to get an appointment with another dentist yesterday morning. I had tried to phone the original, emergency dental clinic, on Sunday, but they were closed!

Smile dental removed a fish-hook shaped piece of root - both ends had been poking into the soft tissue, aggravated by jaw movements. Two lots of antibiotics, pro-biotics, painkillers. Blasted tooth has cost nearly $400.

It still hurts like nobody's business, but hopefully, this time it's healing. The pain has been so bad, even a sleeping tablet hasn't been able to keep me asleep at night. I slept thru till 1100 this morning, which helped.

Becca and I picked up my girlfriend's daughter (Emily), and we went and played a round of black-light mini-golf - lots of fun, had lunch at the Mall Foodcourt, then returned Emily. Home to bed for me, and another 2 hours sleep.

For the first time in 8 days, I was able to eat without experiencing excruiciating pain - hooray!

SPRING IS SPRUNG!!!

2010-09-21T18:18:00.003+12:00

My garden says it's official - Tuesday 21 September - Spring Equinox!

The first California Poppy has blossomed in my garden, along with some Freesia's which have been showing their pretty faces for the last two weeks. Tho we've had a spectacular week of southerly rain and wind, and the lawn feels like walking on a sodden sponge, the garden is starting to blossom.

Strawberry and tomato plants have gone into a special tall strawberry planter, but not into the actual boggy garden.

At 1830, the temperature is heading down to 10 deg, after another day of squally winds and showers.

It would be nice to think that the weather is going to improve soon, and I can do more than look at the garden.

A LARGE HOT MOCCACINO CURES MANY ILLS

2010-09-15T15:52:00.002+12:00

Well, at least feeling tired and buggy and horrid. Of course, blowing my nose for the first time in a couple of hours helped too. I've been out in the warehouse at work for the last 3 hours shifting boxes off pallets and either onto the steel, or back onto pallets. It's too warm to wear a vest, but not quite warm enough not to. There's lots of dust, one of the guys stands in the roller door space and smokes, and my sinuses are dribbling.

I stayed home on Monday with this latest headcold (#3 since the flu I think), went home early and slept 2 hours yesterday, but I've worked a full day today. It's pathetic, but I actually drove the couple of hundred metres up to the coffee shop to get the mocca and a brioche.

The edict to handle every box, combined with the headcold, and a strained sacro-iliac joint means I'm not feeling an entirely happy pixie at the moment.

So ... happy things?

Um - the sky is blue, it's warm, the birds are singing (and randy). It's not that far to home time. It's JAM tonight - if I can stay awake. David is attending a Stress Management seminar. Becca is at Findlay Camp at Lake Karapiro (is this a happy thing????!!!) The mocca's really good!

A WEED IS A PLANT IN THE WRONG PLACE ...

2010-09-10T16:23:00.002+12:00

I've always maintained that a weed is really just a plant that's in the wrong place (unless, of course, it has prickles, like Gorse or thistles).

So when I finally went to use the bathroom about 2 hours after I got home, and found a bunch (well, 3 stems) of beautiful blue flag iris and some pinky/apricot tulip blossoms in the vanity sink, my second reaction was "oooh, pretty weeds!" The first reaction was, "oops, darn, should have checked earlier!"

I went down to the other end of the house to find David in his study; "Pretty weeds." says I.

I must admit, the flag iris's are my favourite - I love the beautiful blue, with cream inside, and that they last for at least a week.

On the other hand, the 'real' weeds in my garden are running riot. It's been relatively warm (not less than about 12 deg) for the last couple of weeks, and a reasonable amount of sunshine, and LOTS of rain. There's a pretty purple flowered weed, and forgetmenots, california poppy, nasturtium's, fireweed and who knows what else. Every time I think about going outside to have a look, it rains again.

We did manage to weed the front flower beds a couple of weeks ago (they're only about 500cm wide and about 4 metres long - already there's 'weeds' poking their heads back out, but the begonias and stuff look very pretty.

I have two blueberry plants crying out to be planted, they have little pink buds on them! AWWWWWWW.

The massive 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch last Saturday, and then the continuing aftershocks haven't affected us. My son Alex lives in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton, which sounds pretty safe. He was writing an assignment when the quake hit at 0434 in the morning - grabbed his monitor and computer and hung on for dear life. Only damage was a mirror. It sounds like the area that he lives is fairly stable, but the aftershocks are starting to affect his area too. There’s been more than 300, up to 5.4. An incredible amount of destruction, but no lives lost. I’m hoping he’s got involved with a student group that’s helping clean up the city, rather than the other bunch who are skateboarding the broken roads.

Makes me wonder when it will be Auckland's turn - but we'll be toast, not shaken and stirred. The city is built on a volcanic field, with more than 52 dormant and extinct volcanoes - the last to blow was only 600 years ago.

It seems to have been a really long month. Recurring stress-related migraines, lower back pain (now I've strained my sacro-iliac joint), hayfever, and not enough exercise. Serious blah-humbugs. I'm going to rejoin the gym, having quit a couple of months ago to try and save more money. I've tried 2 Zumba classes, but I really don't like latin American music, or the dance moves.

Church is good – a lifesaver really – or maybe a soul and sanity saver? It’s become a very important part of my life. I really enjoy the weekly Bible study too, JaM. It's interesting finding out the deeper meanings and background to the text, and the conversations afterwards are always stimulating.

It’s interesting to have confirmed the huge effect music has on my life/emotions/happiness. Now I listen almost exclusively to Christian worship music (the likes of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Newsboys, Mark Harris, Kutless) – Christian Rock, I guess you would call it. There are some songs that make me just stop what I’m doing, close my eyes, and worship the Lord. Todd Agnew’s ‘Grace Like Rain’, Malcolm Gordon ‘Haere Mai’, Hillsong’s ‘Here I am to worship’. College helps too – having a community, a family, a group of people that really cares, that I can talk to. I had to stop doing Sunday School/Kidzchurch - I found it too isolating. Once I’d cleaned up the schoolroom, I’d get back into the hall to find everybody leaving, having missed the lesson, communion etc. So now I’m on hospitality – almost every Sunday, sigh – helping set everything up, serving cake/snacks after the service, and then cleaning up. So, depending on my mood, I can hide in the kitchen, or go out and talk to people.

I’ve been to a couple of women’s conferences, and on Friday night we have a ‘women’s night’ of massage, painting and chatting. Could be fun.

Weekend Away Part .... 4?

2010-08-13T22:36:00.007+12:00

Saturday 24 July - In the Afternoony
After stuffing our faces with pizza, we drove to Paradise Valley Wildlife Park. The lions had just been fed, and were munching away on their beef bones. The two older females really didn't care that we were within a metre of them:

A younger male was irritating one female, who kept up a very low-pitched growl, warning him to back off.

You can see here how close we were to them!

We wandered up to the lion cub enclosure, where about 20 people were already in with the lion cub. We stayed for about 10 minutes, getting a quick pat, but the enclosure was far too crowded. There were all sorts of interesting animals, including a Thar, llama, goats, black sheep, donkeys, Kea, and a possum asleep in a treestump.

These are a couple of the kea running round, being silly:

We got back to the lion cub enclosure around 4.30. By now, it was 2 hours after the scheduled feeding time, and most of the tourists had already gone through the place, and gone home.

Chase, the lion cub, was pretty tired by now, and the keeper was giving him some quiet time. She let the four of us in, and then opened two doors so the cub had the full run of his enclosure, instead of the half he gets when it's full of people.

We got to play chase with Chase! He sucked my thumb, and nommed on my fingers. His hair was very coarse, and more like a brush than a cat or dog's hair. He chased us around and around, leaping up and wrapping his paws around as high as he could reach. A truly amazing and awesome experience.

We returned home on Sunday, and made it to the Harvest Church Mid-Winter Christmas party!

What a fantastic weekend.

Textured Paintings

2010-08-11T18:51:00.005+12:00

"Hope" comprises self-adhesive gibstopping fibreglass tape laid in the form of a cross, polyfilla with the word 'hope' inscribed in it, polyfilla mountain; sand beach and a "ghost" leaf. The first layers of paint were dark blue, purple and red, which have made it seem far too dark. Tonight I'm going to visit my friend Debs, and after JAM (Jesus & Me bible study),she's going to show me how to fix it up - she has LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of paint!

"Faith" is in it's very first stage - polyfilla mountains, clouds and sea, fibreglass 'beach'. Faith is written in Greek - pistis.

Not sure if I'll get to play with this one tonight or not.

Weekend Away - Part 3

2010-08-09T09:49:00.002+12:00

Well, as promised, video footage. Becca took this with the dinky little digital camera we had got her for her trip to Singapore - photos, video & audio for around $150!

This was actually shot on Sunday morning, before we left to go home, so I was stone cold sober. But it was as much fun sober as it had been chookied the night before.

It was FUN!!!

Long Weekend Away - Part 2

2010-08-04T15:02:00.008+12:00

We (Becca, David, Lucia and I) went away for a long weekend to Rotorua.

Lucia is our Korean Homestay, here for about 8 weeks. Although she's spent about 2 years studying English, it's from American accented lessons, by people for whom English isn't in their first few languages, and concentrating on Grammar and stuff. We speak with a Kiwi accent, use Kiwi colloqualisms, and speak very fast (so I'm told).

We were on the road by 0900 on Friday morning, 23 July - a record for us, and made it to Katikati by lunchtime, to visit David's parents, and ask for financial help. Investment property - phoey! Terrifying black hole is more like it.

The drive to Rotorua was nice - would have been quicker if we hadn't taken a scenic route (ie, the wrong road) out of Tauranga. Marama Resort is on the top end of Lake Rotorua - almost opposite Rotorua city itself, and waaaaay out in the countryside. Most of the units are 2 stories, with a lounge/kitchen downstairs, and 2 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. There was a canal right outside the unit, which was really cool. We took a walk around the resort, talking to the Australian Coot's (black birds with a white beak), and looking at the trout swimming in the canal.

Dinner was at the resort restaurant - lovely lambshanks, that disintergrated when you looked at them. Seriously blew the meal budget, but well worth it. Went back to the unit, where David and the girls watched "Spiderwick". I went to bed and read "This Present Darkness" by Frank Perelli. I couldn't cope with seeing goblins and demons and other nasties on screen, as well as the word-pictures of these creatures in the book.

SATURDAY 24 JULY - Buried Village, Te Wairoa We thoroughly enjoyed it, but Lucia was bored! Te Wairoa was one of the villages that was buried when Mount Tarawera erupted in the mid-1880's, wiping out numerous villages, and the tourist attractions of the Pink and White Terraces. The museum was comprehensive, and well signed, as were most of the buildings they've excavated. It was really nice in the sun, but cold in the wind. Pictures of Becca and I wandering round the village.

This is a rainbow trout, here to spawn. There were dozens in the stream around the village, of varying sizes. Pretty pretty, nommy nommy ....

Last picture is of the 90 ft/30m waterfall. We had wondered if the trout were climbing this, but evidently not. Looking down from the top, it looked like the rocks were giant teeth!

After about 3 hours here (and for me, a trip thru the museum again, as I hadn't had a chance to read and look at everything), we went down to Rotorua and got Pizza, garlic bread, chips and softdrinks for lunch. Sat in the park, on the edge of a large pond/small lake, *enjoying* the smell of sulphur.

What Happens When You Have a Weekend Away

2010-07-29T20:05:00.003+12:00

Well, what does happen when you have a weekend away? Susie gets just slightly chooked after a couple of sherries, and bounces down the very steep stairs of the rented apartment at Marama Resort, Rotorua. Yes, I did enjoy myself. Yes, I couldn't stop laughing. Sometimes, it's quite good being a shorty!

When I figure out how, I'll upload a video clip - with sound! Don't you just love modern digital cameras!

Happy Fourth of July - Baptism Day

2010-07-04T22:34:00.003+12:00

Happy Happy Happy, Joy Joy Joy!

I have been baptised!

It feels like I've finally reached the end of the beginning of the journey. I felt very privileged this afternoon. Not only was I the 100th person to be baptised into our church since it was planted in 2002, but the man that performed the baptism, Alistair, who is a Messianic Jew, also said parts of the baptism rite in Hebrew. That was amazing. My parents managed to get to the pool in time - mum in her wheelchair. I was totally thrilled. After they dunked me, I did a porpoise-dive back under the water, and came up hooting.

I've been crook all week - tummy bug, food poisoning, and then on Saturday, I finally succumbed to Becca and David's bugs - NO VOICE! This morning, at church, I was totally freezing, couldn't stop shivering, and had to get David to take me home straight after the service. Curled up on the couch with wheaties and a duvet, and slept for an hour, before going down to Westwave pool for my baptism.

Being surrounded by other believers makes all the difference - I feel like I've finally found a home. And when I got home, there was a lovely pot plant on the doorstep, with a card from the pastor's wife, thanking me for being a blessing in her life, watching me come to Jesus, and hoping we'll be friends for a long time.

And, just to top off this week - I got an A- for my final essay - and there was I thinking it was a load of fluff! Hehe.

And in other breaking news ...

2010-06-15T20:42:00.003+12:00

I'm getting baptised! Rock on, Fourth of July. I am so very very excited - it feels like it's the end of the beginning of the journey.

Becca is off to Singapore on 3 July - 10 days. She's ok with missing the baptism, and looking forward to the trip.

I've finished the 12 Week Ways of Knowing course at Laidlaw College - a combination of Philosophy and Theology.
Essay 1 - 2000 words:B
Reflections - 200 words: 2 x B; 2 x B+; 1 x A-; 1 x A
Essay 2 - just posted to the College website, 2 weeks before I know the grade.

Signed up for the next paper - Worldviews and Ways of Life - Block course mid-August.

And Time Races past ...

2010-06-15T20:41:00.000+12:00

A month has passed since I last posted, and so much has happened.

Reading back through my Journal, I can see how pessimistic I have been about mum. Yet last weekend, we moved her into Selwyn Village's Sarah Selwyn Hospital. She has her own, very nice, room with en suite bathroom, a big picture window that looks out onto a cobbled courtyard, retaining wall and raised garden. The room has an electric hospital bed with high quality medical-grade mattress. Working on changing that to a KCI product, lol!

Since I last posted, I've taken two weeks stress leave. In the first fortnight after Mum's strokes and heart attack, I had spent over 40 working hours at the hospital, and around 35 working hours actually at work, getting a full days work done each day, plus doing school work, and ordinary mum stuff.

Monday 24/Tuesday 25 May
Sue on 2 weeks stress leave, David on RDO's: We both went in to visit mum on the Monday/Tuesday. It had been a week since David had seen her, so he could see the definite improvements that had accumulated, which I was too close to see. Both days she was bright and alert, and reasonably coherent. The words still get lost between brain and mouth, but she's getting more articulate. She wanted to catch up with Annie Whetton, so I asked Dad/Bill/Grandpa to contact them. They are still using a big 'cargo' hoist to move her from bed to chair.

We spoke to the Consultant Doctor, who was talking about what would happen when Brenda leaves hospital. Essentially the amount of exercise and effort she puts in at this point in time determines the range of movement and quality of life post-hospital. If she doesn't practice sitting, hand manipulation, swallowing and transfers (putting the weight on her good side), she will have to rely more on others to meet her needs.

The physio and therapist teams are currently working on getting mum to sit for lengthy periods - about 7 hours today. This strengthens back muscles, helps with breathing, and to keep herself upright, and swallowing. Both the speech therapist and consultant are happy with the progress in her speech. She can maintain conversations, get most words out, and it is only when she is tired that she starts slurring and getting muddled. Her upper dentures have "disappeared" - we suspect thrown in the rubbish by accident - so this has made it a little harder for her both to eat and be understood.

When she is being moved from bed to wheelchair to ordinary seat, she has been upgraded from a 2 person cargo-hoist arrangement, where they put a body sling around her and use an electric motored overhead hoist to lift her up; to one where they put a wide band low around her waist, and pull her up and forward into it. They can then lift her to a standing position.

She spent an hour in the gym today, practicing sitting and transfers. Was quite tired when I got there to see her. She said she wasn't feeling hungry, and didn't want any lunch, but when I produced homemade scrambled eggs n cheese + mashed pawpaw, she wolfed them down, asking for more. The hospital food is pretty disgusting/bland and just not like home.

The lady in the bed next door says she behaves quite differently when we aren't there, to when we are. ie - much more bolshie when we're not around! She has been a bit teary today and the nurse suspects she may be suffering from depression. She was saying to me (sue) that it just wasn't fair, not meant to happen like this etc. Having Ah-Poo to cuddle does seem to have helped. She also desperately wants to catch up with her friend Anne Whetton, who is dying of cancer. I will talk to Bill about getting in touch, and seeing what we can arrange.

David noticed a big improvement seeing her a week apart, and was pleasantly surprised that her wicked sense of humour was in evidence, and that she could talk about and was hungry for news.

Wednesday 26
Chaos day. Bill hadn't remembered to contact the Whetton's, and the number in their phone list was out of date. When I got through to the Retirement Village where they were living, there was only an answerphone. Fortunately, someone picked up the message straight away, and rang me back. They told me Annie had died at the beginning of the week, and her funeral was RIGHT NOW at St Andrews Church. We made it to the church by 1130, I got to put a sprig of lavender on Anne's coffin for mum, and to say goodbye on her behalf. Dad and I also got to the reception afterwards. Annie had actually died on the Friday of the previous week, and the Whetton's had left half a dozen messages on Dad's answerphone, which he had deleted. Grrrrr. I went to visit mum in the afternoon, and took in a copy of the Order of Service (whatever it's called), that had a lovely photo on the front. As usual, mum greeted me with tears - because she's pleased to see me, not because she's upset. I told her that her best friend was dead, and that I'd said goodbye on her behalf. We had a good cry and a cuddle, and she spent the next couple of days grieving for her.

Thursday 27
Mum doing well this morning - feeding herself. We had a good long talk. Got told by a couple of the other ladies in the ward that I'm a good daughter - then the grumpy one said I should show more respect - I said "Good Dog" to mum when she ate her food, to which mum laughed.

Friday 28
Took in a pile of clean clothes for mum. Arrived to find three old ladies sleeping peacefully - quite a lovely sight.

Saturday 29
Took Tyler in to visit mum - she was asleep when we arrived, so took him for a gallop around the domain, then brought him back to the hospital where mum was waiting outside the building - Bill had brought her down from the ward in her wheelchair. Was thrilled to see Tyler, and to be outside.

Tuesday 1 June
Took mum down to the coffee shop - got her a small flat white - she really enjoyed the outing. We're much more mobile now with the wheelchair. We're using a smaller, liftup hoist to move her now.

Wednesday 2
Meeting with Pip Cotching, the social worker. They think mum will be ready to move out of hospital in the next fortnight or so. Dad has already decided on Selwyn Village in Pt Chev http://www.selwyncare.org.nz/?t=158 Mum cried a bit, more about the dogs than anything else. She realises she needs hospital level care at the moment, and that she can't go home. Interview took about an hour, while we discussed all the ins and outs, including finance. Still waiting for dad to send the info to his lawyers (as of today, Monday), to see if they're eligible for a subsidy. Hopefully we'll find out more later. We have 90 days from when she moves into a resthome to settle the payment details.

Thursday 3
Mum was asleep when I got there, smelled of stale perspiration and urine. Went downstairs and bought some deodorant for her. Got her into clean dry clothes as well.

Friday 4
Spoke to both mum and dad. She's keen to visit Selwyn. Spoke to doctors, nurses, physio, social worker, uncle tom cobbley and all! Everyone is happy for mum to have an outing. Booked a mobility taxi for Saturday morning.

Saturday 5
Crash and burn. Mobility taxi NOT booked - hadn't been written down. They said they could send another one, but after half an hour had to give up, because mum was getting too tired. Bill was very frustrating. He had forgotten everything we'd discussed about this outing. His gammy leg was playing up so he had a rest in the hospital 'departure lounge' while we took her for a walk through the domain and wintergardens instead, all bundled up in a big jacket, blankets and hat. She was laughing and joking, calling out "I'm free! I'm free!" She had a terrific time.

Monday 7 (today!)
Hospital in the pm - Bill already there. Asked mum if she'd like a coffee - Bill said they'd just had a cup of tea. Mum said YES! I'd raided her clothing drawers at home again, and found some Samoyed clothing - that, and my appearance, gave her a good cry. Another good outing for her, sitting outside the Muffin Break. Then we took a turn around the 13th floor, having a nosey.

All in all, we think she's doing a lot better than we could possibly have imagined this time 4 weeks ago. She can hold a conversation, enjoy and make jokes, give as good as she gets. She is daily getting stronger, and now can be moved either using a strap around her waist, or just by helping/picking her up and turning her - as we did today to get her from bed to wheelchair. She knows she can't go home, that she needs hospital level care, at least for the meantime, and as long as we can sort out regular doggie visits, she's ok about going into a private hospital. She's much happier about life in general, getting bored being in the hospital, and seeking more stimulation.

09/6
On Wednesday morning, which was when the Admissions lady at Selwyn Village was due to return to work, I rang her to make sure that Mum had been put on the waiting list for a bed in either Christ's Hospital (the older building with shared bathrooms) or Sarah Selwyn Hospital (new building, new, single rooms with en-suite bathrooms). She advised that a couple of beds were now available at the new hospital (33 person waiting list!), (ie, a couple of clients had popped their clogs over the long weekend), and she would put her name down on the list, but mightn't be able to hold it for as long as two weeks. (The time frame I'd been given for mum's release).

When I got to the hospital at midday to visit Mum, the Social Worker, Pip, announced that mum was ready to be discharged, and go to a private hospital. We could either do it Monday next week, or on Friday - ie, tomorrow! Oooh, says I - um - how about Friday, because then I have the weekend to get her settled in, and move in furniture etc. If we did it on Monday, I'd have to juggle work again, and I've run out of leave. Mum and I filled in all the necessary forms for a Needs Assessment to apply for a subsidy for the hospital care - high level care is required. She was excited and teary at the same time. Looking forward to leaving, having her own room, with her own stuff, getting a good nights' sleep; but afraid of something new. I got the ward administrator to organise a mobility taxi for us, so we could visit the hospital and check it over, before moving day.

THURSDAY: Rang Selwyn Village, just to let them know we were coming to visit. Room 41 in Sarah Selwyn Hospital will be hers. Mobility taxi arrived early, excellent service, and a nice drive to the retirement village. Walked in the door. Mum pointed at a basket with blankets just inside the foyer: "Where's the moggy?" They have a cat there! Happy Happy. It was off on patrol, but comes in regularly for food and cuddles. Welcomed by the receptionist, who remembered me ringing, the manager, and a nurse, who was deputised to show us around. It felt very much like a 'home' and not just an institution. Everybody was friendly and greeted us with smiles. The room wasn't ready yet, but was clean, tidy, and smelt nice - not hospitally. Separate ensuite with shower, toilet and vanity, single hospital bed with good quality medical mattress. Huge picture window with louvre windows either side, looking out onto a cobbled patio, retaining wall with plants hanging off it, and sunlight coming into the room. Filled in some more forms, then went down to a small lounge, where mum got a cup of tea. The hospital physio found us there. She'd just spoken to Auckland Hospital's physio, and been told by reception that "Mrs Cottle is here right now!"

Mum was exhausted by the end of the trip, and we tucked her into bed to sleep when we got back.

Tuesday 15 June
Well, she’s been in the hospital most of 4 days now. I’m hoping she was just tired, but she grizzled about the other residents, some of her clothes were missing, there’s too much noise (about 4 different TV channels going, radios, people talking), doesn’t like the food.
The ward nurse in charge on weekdays took me down to the ‘laundry’ room, which is where the stuff that has been washed is returned to. Oh heck – we have to label everything with her name. Ordered labels for both her and Becca on-line from Aussie.

Now you’re up to date with Sue’s news! Hopefully, life will slow down a little now.

Waiting ...

2010-05-14T16:50:00.002+12:00

Took today off. Cancelled the weekend away in Rotorua we had booked about 6 months ago. Took Becca to school, came home and crawled back into bed, and had a lovely slow start to the day. Visited mum in hospital again.

Tuesday afternoon mum had a heart attack. Wednesday afternoon she had a 'continuation stroke' - ie, the original one let loose again. To treat the heart attack, they would need to use blood thinners. If the doctors give her blood thinners, it will trigger another stroke. Oh goody - the ultimate 'Catch-22' situation.

Today, Friday, she can sit up in a big comfy armchair for a couple of hours, before going back to bed. During those couple of hours, you can have a conversation with her, although she gets confused quickly. After that, she is sleeping again, crying out and talking in her sleep. They are using a hoist to lift her in and out of bed, and every time she is moved she seems to be in pain.

All we can do is sit and wait and watch. I don't think she is going to get any better than she is now. I don't think she will ever walk again. I'm not even sure if she will leave the hospital alive.

Update - High Functioning Cognitive Skills

2010-05-10T22:13:00.002+12:00

And the good news is .... High functioning cognitive skills. There doesn't appear to be a lot of damage to mum's brain from the stroke. While she is having problems getting the words out, they're still there in the brain, just 'mis-filed'. From what the speech therapists were saying this afternoon, it's mainly names she is having problems with, but, if given the first sound, can often get them out.

I spent the morning at the hospital, with Bill and Mick, first talking to a (different sort of) speech therapist, who was going to check Brenda's swallowing reflex and breathing. Pneumonia is a huge problem because food and liquid can go down the trachea instead of the throat, if there is no cough reflex. Hooray - she can cough like a horrid coughy-thing!

Next was an occupational therapist. Thorough description of the house and mum's daily habits, discussion of what her normal routine is, how much she was able to do for herself etc. Gives them a baseline to work up from, and an idea of how much help will be required.

Had a quick lunch of Nacho's with David to bring him up to date, before going to get Becca from school and take her up to see her Grandma. They both handled it very well. I had told Becca enough so that she wasn't too shocked by the change, and we had to wait while the speech therapists finished their test, which gave Becca time to adjust.

Took Becca home, and went to college - 1 hour tutorial, 3 hour lecture - Logic and Language. As usual, Mark Strom had more to say than time to say it in, and he's now 4 weeks behind on lecture notes. He has admitted that he's not going to catch up, and we'll have to buy the textbook the lecture notes will be turned into. Sigh. Still another week before we get essay grades. The tutor is spending 6 hours a day marking, at 30-45 minutes per essay, with around 100 to mark. As usual, the lecture was a lot of fun.

Now I'm home, had a couple of crumpets, a glass of wine, and a glass of cranberry juice - feeling a lot better.

Almost time for bed.

Stroke of luck?

2010-05-09T20:05:00.001+12:00

Oh heck - It's 3 months since I last posted!

No, I haven't done the Faith piece yet. Started College instead - two B's and 1 B+ for my journal assignment. Hanging out for the essay mark.

More on that later. First, the bad news:

Why the title? Well, it could have been a lot worse.

Sometime early Friday morning my mother suffered a stroke – a blood vessel on the left side of her brain burst. She had been feeling nauseous in the night, and had “cramps” in her legs. When she tried to get out of bed and stand up, she found the right side of her body wasn’t co-operating, and collapsed on the floor. Dad covered her, called the doctor, the ambulance and me, in that order.

We spent all day Friday in the Emergency department, where she was poked, prodded and questioned by a number of doctors, had blood taken, and two CAT scans – the second with dye. It was 5.00pm before she was taken up to the Stroke ward.

I'm not really feeling any grief in all this - we've been waiting for something similar to happen for so long, it was just a matter of when. Friday morning, and the phone call from Dad, was actually the worst moment - I went into hyperdrive, making calls, and got to the hospital before the ambulance did. I just held mum's hand, and acted as advocate for her and dad - the practical me took over. One thing I've learned over the last six months, since becoming a Christian, is that I am a true "Martha" - practical service is a basic part of my makeup.

On Saturday night, we picked my brother Mick up from the airport – he had managed to get a flight from Melbourne, after receiving my email about mum that morning.

I stood up in church this morning to ask the congregation to pray for mum, and then the assistant pastor and his wife prayed with me in front of everyone - waaaay to much public time! (Our pastor is on holiday in Tonga at the moment).

Mum is actually doing surprisingly well - afternoons seem to be her best time - Mick and dad say she was looking pretty frail and unwell this morning, but when David and I got there this afternoon, she was looking pretty good, and joined in the conversation, laughing and joking. We're going to take Becca in to visit her tomorrow. We only stayed about 20-30 minutes, she got tired very quickly, but still looked pretty good, and could pick up a glass of water easily with her left hand.

We are going back in tomorrow about 1100 to try and catch up with the specialist team in charge of her care, and find out what's in store for us all. As of Friday afternoon, they were talking about 5 days on the Stroke ward, and then about 5 weeks on the rehabilitation ward.

I have no doubt that mum will be up and about again. It will take a while to find out how much damage there is to her brain, and at the moment, her right arm and leg are "disconnected" - we'll find out over the next few weeks whether the neural connections can be rerouted, and to what extent. I was joking with her today about getting her a mobility scooter, souping-up the motor, and having races with it. She thought that was very funny, and she was pleased to know that both I and my sister-in-law are praying for her. (Thanks Barrie – sisters-in law, and sisters-in-Christ!)

I've actually had a surprisingly good weekend - Saturday afternoon, after visiting mum, David took me to the garden centre, and got me a big terracotta planter, two blueberry plants and a bag of potting mix. Before going out to get Mick from the airport, I baked apple muffins for church. This morning was church, where the worship band absolutely rocked, and I was given a lovely cup, and a book called "Mary's Prayers & Martha's Recipes" for being the newest Christian mum (celebrating Mother's Day). Then we picked up Becca and went to the mall, where she got me a little resin wall plaque "If Mother's were flowers, I'd pick you!" Then back to the garden centre to get some little viola's. Put one in the cup, with some glass beads, and took it in to mum.

Tomorrow I'm having the day off to go in and see the specialist team, and then take Becca to visit mum after school. Then college for me from 1600-2130 - wow, what a day!

Stay tuned for the next update.

Faith Fills My Cup

2010-02-05T09:26:00.003+13:00

After Wednesday night's JAM (Jesus & me) meeting, I got talking with Deb, the pastor's wife, who mentioned she was entering a competition called "The 'F' Word". Her initial reaction had been 'no way' till a little voice said 'Yes, Way!' We talked about me entering, and then she showed me some fabric sample booklets she'd been given. Then she went out to her car and got a book of 'sheers'. My little brain started bubbling with ideas.

As I now do, I'd been thinking and praying for inspiration. I certainly didn't want to use THAT 'F' word! Creative ideas have started bubbling up in my head again, as the drugs work their magic. I'm sewing a purple dress as the moment, which, because of the high humidity and RL getting in the way, has ground to a halt - also known as procrastinating coz it involves sewing 4 long straight seams down the centre front, then doing about a gazillion button-holes.

Driving home from work last night, doing about 100k down the motorway, I suddenly started getting what I can only describe as a 'data dump'. "Hang on, God, I can't do anything with that RIGHT NOW!" Once I got to the end of the motorway, where the traffic goes from FAST to STOP on the bridge over the upper harbour at Greenhithe, I got out pen and journal and started writing and drawing. In the stop-start nose-to-tail traffic, with about 15 minutes of quality time, and Radio Rhema blasting out, the image below (with additional colour pencil when I got home) is the result.

As you do, I've also written construction notes, and inspirational ideas on it. Inspiration sources include Matthew 26, and Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, that day's Adventures in Odessey (yeah, I'm hooked to a kids Christian soapy :) and the daily meditation for that day, also from Matthew 26, and the Thought for the Day: When my cup hasn't been taken away, God's strengthening Spirit will with me stay. Ideas regarding construction include shibori dyeing, sky-dye sunset fabric, the use of Angelina fibre and sheer fabrics for the blood/water/wine and beam of light, fussy cut plants and maybe the rock, a whole or half plastic lizard (gotta have the lizard!).

The competition closes on 13 February, so I may not get it finished in time, but I think the main point is that I get it started.

KIDZCHURCH
Last night was a meeting of interested parents and children to discuss what was going to happen with the Sunday School this year. All the parents and children previously involved have left the church, and it was felt that it was time for a change of direction. Becca was invited to become a Junior Youth Leader. Although we've only been involved for about 8 weeks now, she's shown her leadership skills and intelligence. Of course, the chocolate fountain and cheese fondue were good reasons to come as well!

As usual with something like this, there are only a small number of people that actually turned up, and an even smaller number (5) that will meet again next Monday to refine what was discussed. Yep, I'm one of them. I'm gonna be a Sunday School teacher! Only about once a month, but it's pretty neat, and I'm excited about being involved.

One of the hardest things to get out of the large group was what the 'Vision' is, what are we trying to teach the kids. I think that's something the smaller group will be discussing again, lol.

Becca is keen and excited too, and looking forward to getting her first Bible. We discussed the idea of the Junior leaders reading a story to the 5 & 6 year olds, so a more complicated version can be read to the older kids, and she was coming up with some great ideas to involve the littlies. David has agreed to be a Standby Teacher/Leader if someone else is unavailable. So many new things happening in our lives!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-01-27T22:59:00.003+13:00

I think I'm now officially old - not that I feel or look old, but there's no room on a cake for that many candles. This photo was taken in the Chinese Gardens in Darling Harbour, Sydney November 2009. Me, blissed, looking at the beautiful garden, which is pretty much how I've felt today.

Had a fantastic day! Doctor said my weight and blood pressure and glucose levels are excellent. Becca and I went and got her school uniform and stationary pack for school starting Tuesday (it's Auckland Anniversary weekend coming up), Spotlight .... oooh, so much choice, so little money. Buttons and thread. Sigh. The Mall for lunch - frozen coke and Chinese buffet - yummy! Home to sew for me and play for Becca. Flowers from David - blue stattis(?), and crimson daisy-things (doh, can't think what they're called! Met the parents for dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Fantastic meal - more flowers (blue hydrangea and yellow roses, just opening), card and lottery tickets!

The food was great, and just kept coming. As dad and Tom got drunker, the conversation turned very strange, till David could be seen sitting at the table, his hand across his face, biting a finger to prevent himself from either laughing, or saying something completely inappropriate. Me? Well, dad was sitting on my left side, also called my "deaf" side, so, if I wasn't paying attention, I'd miss what he was burbling. Just let it all pass me by, and enjoyed the evening.

Dad is still having probs coming to terms with the whole Christian thing, and when told that his grandson Alex was attending the Parachute Music Festival (as in Christian!), he first declared he was Muslim, then Jewish, and didn't undertand that sort of thing.

Went downhill as we went to leave tho - Dad's car had been towed. None of us had noticed the "Clearway" signs, or realised that not only was the road being dug up, but the road crew were working on it tonight. David took B&B and Tom back to their place, then came and got me. Then he tracked down the towing company, so we went and picked up the car. I drove mine, while David drove dad's - he was totally tanked, but had planned to drive home from the restaurant!

Finally home just on 2200, and suddenly it's nearly 2330. Work tomorrow. Time for bed.

Photo's on Fotki

2010-01-25T21:50:00.004+13:00

I've started creating some albums on Fotki, so I can share them with anybody that's interested. This one is for the trip we took to Sydney last year, for the KCI Christmas party, held on a floating glass gin palace.

Here's the link:

link to fotki

If you're patient, or have high speed broadband, run the slideshow. Of course, once I'd renamed them, I realised that it would load them in alphabetical order, so you lose the sequence - darn!

It started out at 245 photos, cut down to 170 (after removal of dead possums - more on them later), and dud shots, and drunken colleagues revelling in the 35deg+ temps.

Did your mother dress you?

2010-01-25T21:01:00.003+13:00

The words on the t-shirts are different .... couldn't resist getting a photo!

A Song is born ...

2010-01-25T19:11:00.002+13:00

Monday 18 January:
After a long and restless night with my hip hurting like crazy, I woke up when my husband's alarm went off at 0640. As I lay there dozing, the words of a song started forming in my brain. It got to the point where I knew I had to start writing it down, before I lost it, so I got up, got my notebook and a pen, and started writing. The words were dropped into my brain a few phrases at a time, then I'd doze for a couple of minutes, then a few more, until I finally asked if I could please go to sleep as I had to go to work in a couple of hours.

It still needs some fine-tuning (lol, pun intended), and more words, and a tune, but here it is:

Thin Places/Sacred Spaces
I find you in the sacred spaces
I find you in the thin places
Where my heart has opened wide.
When I sing Your praises
My spirit soars on high.
I stretch my arms to fly with you,
My thoughts so high with you.
Voices ring, I will sing
Blessed be your name, Oh Lord
Blessed be your name.
You hold me as our praises ring
My love for you I will sing.
Your names are great, in the sacred spaces
In the thin places
Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai, Messiah
One God, one voice, one song

Finally got back to sleep around 0700, to be woken at 0800 by the phone. Do I want a couple of 5 litre jerry cans back, that we'd used for getting fresh milk from the dairy farm? Um - no. Not a bit. Thanks. Bye.

Made a visit to Spotlight, and bought 3 metres each of Grape and Violet poly-cotton fabric. If my craftroom wasn't imitating a sauna, I'd be in there now working on a summer dress - pictures to follow.

Becca's lost two molars in the last fortnight - and she's only about 4" shorter than me! 11 in April - she's growing up so fast.

Tuesday 19 - No lyrics or music overnight :( But woke feeling semi-blissed, and then the added bonus of a cuddle in bed with Becca. Visit from a mortgage broker - we fulfill the banks' requirements for repayments, but don't have enough equity to borrow extra money - oh dear, how ironic. Don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Wednesday 20 - Got my morning soy cappa with vanilla, went and sat in the shade and the wind on the kerbside in the carpark at work. Listened to some of my favourite Christian music from Matt Redman - a 'thin place' moment.

Oh Lord, blessed be your name. You give and take away.

Thursday 21 - Went to the acupunturist again - not nearly as good a result - I was much more sensitive this time, which she says is a good thing.

The wild weather in the States seems to be getting crazier, with typhoons, mudslides and super-high tides in Southern California.

Friday 22 - Something really stinks on my side of the bed - found that the sheepskin smelled of urine (probably yellow-dog), and that the carpet underneath it was damp and stinky. Scrubbed it, and sprayed some odor-remover stuff. As of today, the floor is pretty much dry and crunchy - can't smell urine - yet. Had a sleeping/anxiety pill - slept 11 hours straight! Of course, I knew that meant I probably wouldn't sleep well on Saturday night, but what the heck.

Saturday 23 - Slept till 1000. Trip to the osteo, who clicked and clacked my back/hip - that was good. Grocery shopping - ugh. Waxed my legs - oooh - WHY am I doing this? Nice result tho, lol. Stick to the professionals for bikini line methinks (yes, it did hurt too much!)

"Live" rpg - Spinward Traveller. Was going ok till the server we use crashed, and kicked all the players off-line. An early finish.

Because the shopping was under-budget, David said it was ok to buy a bikerack for my wagon - it straps on somehow, so you don't need a towbar. It will be so much easier not having to shove 2 bikes and 2 dogs into the car.

My new friend Marcia (from Church) came round to borrow some more books - unfortunately, I'm missing the second Gabaldon book (Dragonfly in Amber), and Becca's reading the first book of Katherine Kerr's Daggerspell books.

As I expected, a broken nights' sleep, mostly because I'd set the alarm to get up early for church, and kept waking to check if it was time to get up. Sigh.

Sunday 24 - At church by 0930, for the Prayer Meeting at 0945. Got sidetracked helping in the kitchen, laying out cups, communion trays and stuff. Sang along with the band as they practiced. I'm officially on the "hospitality team" roster as from next weekend, once a month. Missed the Prayer Meeting.

One of the guys spent an over-nighter in hospital with heart palpitations, but all the tests came back negative - looked seriously unwell tho, and left early.

I prayed for him; a little girl who's had long-term heart problems, and went into the children's hospital to get her heart flutter cauterised; the son of one of the ladies, who looks like he's broken his arm; also prayed for a lady who's having her depression bite deep, and is isolating herself. Damn, I know that feeling. Went over to talk to her after the service.

Worship was great, Aaron the Pastor was on fire - talking about Praying Women; Hannah and Mary. All the women stood up, and the men prayed for us. Very nice.

Becca went home with Marca and her kids, so we went and had coffee and wedges, then home to get dogs and bikes. Took them for a gallop from one end of the park to the other, till they were pooped.

Went to get Becca about 1530, and stayed and talked and talked and talked and talked. So, I have 4 new books to read. It was so much fun to sit and talking with interesting people, while the kids raced around like lunatics, having fun. Dog tired by the time I got to bed.

Thank you Lord for a fantastic day.

new books to read:
Jesus Freaks - DC Talk and the Voice of the Martyrs - not sure about this one.
Intercessory Prayer + DVD, Dutch Sheets - this looks interesting, still working on the prayer thing.
The Power of a Praying Wife, Stormie Omartian - looks interesting, and read a couple of quotes from her other books during the day (of course - syncronicity rules!)
Captivating, Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul, John & Stasi Eldredge - again, looks interesting.

Finished reading - Marcus Borg, Heart of Christianity. Writing a summary of it. Love the idea of panentheism - God is above us, around us, beneath us, inside us. That's how it's felt for me so far. He has some interesting ideas.

Started reading - What's So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey - 10 pages in, and already enjoying it.

Dear Lord - please be with all my friends, and the people I love in the week ahead.

Sunday Happy Sunday. Do I have to go to work tomorrow?

2010-01-17T21:11:00.003+13:00

And another weekend has raced past... the pain in my hip has been phenomenal. So bad, that when I left my book at work on Thursday, I didn't have the energy to walk back across the carpark.

I visited an acupuncturist on Friday - first time in about 25+ years. Great massage, needles, and cupping. I have a lovely set of bruises/marks from the cups, but had my first pain-free night in over 2 weeks. The feeling of relief was huge.

Went to see The Lovely Bones on Friday night, with a friend. Lovely imagery, cgi, and ... plot... uh, yeah, well. Went away with a feeling of dissatisfaction. So many opportunities to take the story deeper or further, and all passed by. The movie end was very frustrating, with no feeling of resolution. Dinner at Nando's was good, and then a long talk. Late night, but no pain! Invited her, husband and children round for Sunday lunch.

Osteo on Saturday morning, with quality gossip time with the receptionist - great to catch up. Home to clean bathrooms and toilets.

Saturday afternoon was 4+ hours of fantasy roleplaying, set in an alternative Ireland called "Eremon", 300 BCE. Lots of fun, playing with people from as far afield as Canberra, Illinois, Utah, Milwaukee and NZ. My character is a Sidhe - one of the fairy folk, who can't work majick without permission, after setting fire to the privy of a caravan of travellers (bat guano and sulphur!)

Sunday: Church - lots of lovely singing - I do love the singing. Sunday lunch grew to include more friends from Church, and their kids - 8 adults, 6 kids. Collapsed on the hammock about 5.00 pm and fell asleep for 15 odd minutes. Suddenly it's 10.00pm, and I'm typing this up, watching a doco called Battle 360, with a dreadful beat-up narration, about the Battleship Enterprise in WWII. Cool graphics tho!

Welcome to Twenty Ten - or is it Two Thousand and Ten?

2010-01-14T20:43:00.005+13:00

2010 2010 2010!!!!!

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? It's already half-way thru January, and I keep meaning to update my blog. Well, I'm finally getting round to it.

Christmas: Went to Church for the first time EVER on a Christmas morning - nice, loved the singing (as I always do!), got home to find David's parents had arrived early - oops! 11 for Christmas lunch - both sets of parents, brother and his wife (almost need subtitles for the strong Californian accents of both of them), me, hubby and 3 kids. Lots and lots of yummy food, and lots of talking. Nice to have all the family together. I even managed to find presents for both Mothers - sets of bathsheets and flannels in salmon and aubergine - and they liked them!

Spent Boxing Day gardening - it's always so much more fun gardening in company. Grapevine and climbers got tidied, front garden bed got turned over, and a general tidy-up. Back to Church on the Sunday, with David's parents. Comment from FiL - grumble "not used to going to a church without a suit and tie" ... hmmm - how often do you go to church? Except for funerals? Retail therapy at Mitre 10 - got a couple of big terracotta planter pots, and plants - a climber for the patio, and flowers for the front. All but one flowering plant survived.

David rigged the hammock just before New Year - really nice lying in it out the back, in the breeze, swaying gently. He was working New Year's Eve, I was tired, and in bed and asleep by 2200. Slept thru till 1100, with the help of a sleeping pill. Then of course, couldn't sleep properly for the next couple of nights, sigh :(.

Avatar 3D - Awesome! Wanna see it again, and buy the DVD. Loved the animation, and the live action, and the scenery and .... and KFC for dinner! nom. Happy happy happy.

3 January 2010 - 14th Anniversary! Went for brunch at a cafe in Titirangi - big breakfasts and coffee, then to Lopdell House, to look at an exhibition of glassware - amazing what artists make, and how much they charge for them (and that people will pay for them!!!!)

David worked in the afternoon, and I played Space Cadets RPG - 6 gruelling hours. This is fun? Well, in hindsight, it was. At the time, I wasn't enjoying a lot of it. What would you do if someone threw a gas grenade into your room? Or you found yourself in command of a US Naval Destroyer going to the rescue of a Coast Guard cutter boarded by pirates? Short answer - not do it right.

The return to work was a culture shock - I'd got used to (relatively) late nights, and lazy mornings, and pottering during the day - oh, and of course, reading and reading and reading ...

Back to School: Signed up for a paper at Laidlaw College - "Ways of Knowing", essays, assignments and exam: 503.515 Ways of Knowing: This course spans how we know (epistemology), how we interpret (hermeneutics), how we think from the Gospel (theological method), and how ideas shape society (public discourse). The aim is to throw useful light on how people actually make sense of themselves, ideas, events and things – both when we think about thinking and when we don’t – and to suggest how we might engage and influence in the marketplace of ideas.

- adds 15 more credits to my NZQA collection. Starts 1 March - really looking forward to it.

Hello possum! Been catching possums in a trap over on the reserve - 1 mother + joey, 4 males. In trouble with Animal Welfare for cruelty to animals because I've been drowning them in the pond. Why am I trapping and drowing possums? They are noxious introduced pests, omnivorous, to the point of eating not only eggs and baby birds, but adult birds on the nest, and anything else they can catch (sounds a lot like humans!) They destroy trees with their voracious appetites - they eat 2-3 times their bodyweight daily. They also carry TB, which they pass on to livestock and hedgehogs, who then pass it on to humans.

Animal Welfare were talking about prosecuting me for it!!!!! It's cruel to drown them, and when I asked for more humane alternatives, suggested I shoot them - pointed out you can't discharge a firearm in a built-up area; or to chop their heads off with an axe! Get real - take a possum out of a cage, and wave an axe at it? I do not need lacerations thanks!

The Animal Welfare woman left a message on my voice mail tonight: "she may have a solution for me". So, I can keep on trapping? Can't wait till tomorrow to find out!

OUCH! I've managed to strain my left hip. How? lol - don't really know, but possibly from pushing my bike uphill after checking the stoat traps up at Waitakere dam. Hurts like hell - like a corkscrew is being driven into my hip joint. Walking makes it worse, resting better. Been to the osteopath - useless. Voltaren has stripped my stomach lining, so no painkillers. Acupuncturist tomorrow - we'll see how that goes. It was so bad today, when I left to go home, I forgot my book, and didn't have the energy to walk back over the carpark to get it.

Thursday morning - 0300 - Angelina caught a tiny field mouse. Sat on the fence chittering, with it in her mouth. Went out, she came over and released the mouse, while the dogs watched at the door. Caught her mouse, and went off to chitter again. Bark bark bark. Another long long night.

It's only 2120, and I'm thinking of bed.

Books read this month:
Lee Strobel; Case for Christ & Case for Faith - grr - once over lightly, but had its moments, and answered some questions.
Edited by Marcus Borg; Jesus at 2000 - some very interesting lectures, and some very dire ones, but all in all, an interesting read.
Chuck Swindoll; The Grace Awakening (argh - didn't need sleeping pills after this one!)
Robert Heinlein; Space Cadet - I'd forgotten how cool this book is - a rollicking good yarn (Starship Troopers is waiting at the Library)
James Ryle; Hippo in the Garden - quite funny

Books in Progress
Marcus Borg; Heart of Christianity - now this one rocks!
Larry Kreider; Building your Personal House of Prayer - interesting, but having a hard time finding the time to put it into practice. (gee, maybe I'm reading too much?)
David Ebershof; The 19th Wife - only about 20 pages in, it has another 20 pages, and if it doesn't grab me ... bye bye.

Catching up

2009-12-22T18:39:00.002+13:00

Time has flown, as it so often does.

Depression has been biting hard the last two months, I've had two severe migraine's, on on the second one, kept working, instead of taking a couple of days off, because I had to train a colleague. To top it all off, I could no longer talk to someone I regard very highly, and the emotional overload took its toll.

Found out that if I quadruple the dose of happy pills (doctor's guidelines), I get dizzyness and nausea for 2 weeks! ugh. Plus a week of anti-anxiety/sleeping tablets, that took effect within 40 minutes of taking them, and knocked me out for the night. 7 hours sleep! Wow - that's a near record, I think.

Haven't had the energy or enthusiasm to do any creative fibre art, paint toy space wolves, play music, or much of anything.

What I have done tho is to start the process of converting to Christianity. Oh my gosh - Sue is becoming a 'born anew christian'. Found a church to join - the first one (Ranui Baptist) was a little too crowded, and too weird - the second one, Harvest Church, in Swanson, was "just right" as Goldilocks would say. (The third possible choice, West City Christian Centre is just TOOOOO large! A congregation in the 100's, if not over 1000!) Harvest is only about 100 people, half of those are kids! Been going, with David and Becca, for the last few weeks. Becca has been enjoying Sunday school, and appeared in the "Angel Dance" last Sunday.

Funniest comment from her: "It's a lot more fun being a Christian than a Druid!"

The path to this point has been interesting, with someone (!) bashing me over the head with a large book, smacking me back into line. I guess it started with me talking to two friends, on opposite sides of the Pacific, who were suffering a bit of a crisis in their respective faiths, and listening and responding with an open heart (and mind!). Meeting a woman who loved my dogs, that turned out to be the Pastor's wife, having one of my friends say - try that one, they sound good and solid (Harvest!), going to the local Christian bookshop to buy a bible-study guide, being pointed to Ranui, then making the decision to try Harvest. Going back to the bookshop, to meet the guy that turns out to be the assistant Pastor, who of course knows my name, because I'd ordered a book, and the other sales assistant had mentioned me ... and all sorts of other little "coincidences".

Sometime after Christmas, I'll be baptised - believe - repent - baptise - be saved. Oooh, weird and exciting.

Been reading lots of bible study booklets, and doing some stuff on line, reading the bible, listening to Christian music.

Still on an emotional roller-coaster, but not going as far down each time.

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T20:13:00.003+13:00

We got dressed up for Halloween, and went Trick or Treating! Lots and lots of lollies, and people thought it great that David and I got dressed up too! David wore a pirates hat, frilly shirt and dark pants. I wore my "altered" wench dress, with a purple shirt. Dogs came too, and got to talk to LOTS of people!

Hello Possum

2009-10-30T22:16:00.003+13:00

The council has recently cleared the creek wetlands of Wandering Jew - Tradescantia, and planted lots of little plants - hooray! Becca and her friend Noor, while exploring, found a possum trap, with a dead possum inside. I dealt to the rotting carcass, and reset the trap with an apple. Guess what we got! Unfortunately, someone keeps coming along and springing the trap, and now the council have taken it away. Sigh. Well, at least we got one possum!

An Oldie But a Goodie

2009-10-30T22:09:00.003+13:00

Scrapbook page, made in March 2006, of our wedding in 2003. David and my costumes were made by me, while his friend John is wearing costume sourced from a drama group.

ALICE

2009-10-10T13:38:00.001+13:00

Alice made her way around the edges of the crowd gathered in front of the Emperor's Cathedral of the Feast of Altheria. The bells were ringing, calling the faithful to evening prayers. It wasn't a Festival day, so there were only a few hundred people in the plaza, but it was still a good-sized crowd to work. Alice pulled her shawl further up over her shoulder-length brown hair, feeling cold drops of water from the drizzle breaking through the weave and dripping on her head. The long-handled barrow was awkward to manoeuvre, the iron-bound wooden wheels jarring on the cobblestones, and the axle needed greasing again. The intermittent squeal it made was really irritating. She wondered if she could get some good-quality machine grease this time, instead of tallow.

She was glad she'd chosen to wear a long coat over her long-sleeved, ankle-length shirt-waister. The fabric of both garments was thin, and the cold and damp were seeping through to her skin. The soles of her boots were thin too, and she could feel the uneven plaza through them.

She called her wares, putting on her thickest accent, her voice piercing and strident.

"Luvverly `ot tucker, cum `n get it `ere! Sausage in a bun, hot grox pies – look at that luvverly suet crust m'dear! Hot meat `n veg stew, `n the special today ... caramelised crispy river rat on a stick! All hot, all fresh cooked, best quality meat! Cum `n get it `ere, laydies `n gennelmen!"

She ladled soup from the tureen into a bread coffin, passing it over to a punter. The charcoal burners under the tureens sat on heavy ceramic tiles, preventing the wooden barrow from catching alight. Effective, but it made the brightly painted barrow heavy to push. The words "Drunken Ork" were painted in fancy script on the barrow's awning, and damp pennants depicting the Saint hung from the support posts. Everything dripped moisture as the persistent drizzle continued.

"Fresh made this mornin', these pies, sur. Only a quarter throne, stuffed full `a best quality meat, they are, sur. Yes ma'am, the soup is very hot! This batch `as bin goin' for a couple a weeks now – threw in some good rich grox marrow bones only last night, and there's fresh greens on the top there. Ah, I see you've got a load `a one cent coins there, sur. Saints' `oly Flesh, sur, I'd be grateful for the change. That's it, put it on the counter there, `n I'll swap you for some quarter `n half thrones for your troubles.

"Ketchup with that sur? Lookin' forward to the service are ye? Good crowd for a weekday night, innit? Saint's Blessin's on ye, madam! Keepin' a poor girl in `onest employ! Nah, I dunno wot that fuss is up the front there, dearie! Some sorta' nun, eh? Somebody fainted, `ave they? Ain't this drizzle depressin', then? `alf a throne, thanks – there ye go, give you the balance back in change, eh?

"Fresh buns `n spicy grox sausage – sausage in a bun, there, sur? Fried onions too? By the Blessed Lady, thanks be to ye, sur. Oh look sur, the crowds movin' agin now – don't wanna be left behind, do ye now?

"That's a luvverly `at ye be wearin', for sure, ma'am – two pies? Aye, one for the little `un, that'll keep `im quiet during mass – at least till they hand out the host, eh duck?"

Alice kept up a constant stream of patter as she pushed the barrow around the edge of the crowd, swapping small coins for larger, palming a good fifty thrones in the process. The weight in her pocket had increased, with a couple of watches, two tie pins, a tobacco case and other bits and pieces she had lifted off the more well-off parishioners. She wouldn't bilk her own people, but the others were fair game.
It was a bit of a walk back home, but she continued to sell more hot food as she went – the caramelised river rat was particularly popular in the poorer areas.

"Grain fed for the last week, mister, I be tellin' ya. Look at that – 500 grams if they're a pound! And a bargain at half a throne! Cut me own throat if I be tellin' a lie."

She looked up from this sale to see two of her least favourite local law enforcers standing further down the dirty street. The tall, fat, dark haired one was just a brute and a bully. But the other one scared her. Average height, blond, wiry, with a nasty disposition, he had a reputation for being rough with the girls – whether they worked the street or not. She pulled her shawl further over her head, checking that the two halves were securely fastened over her chest, and making sure no flesh was showing. No point in asking for trouble from these two.

She could hear them bickering from here. Huh, stupid men – they'd tried that F-Omega con again on unwary travellers. As she drew closer she could see the grime on their ugly grey uniforms, and the smell of stale sweat and urine assaulted her senses. Ugh. An Adeptus Arbites stamp, eh? That was interesting – who might be interested in paying for that piece of information, she wondered.

"Officers. Blessin's of Our Holy Lady on ye, this grey and damp evenin'. What will ye be havin' this night, then? Got some fine suet crusted grox pies – `course it's grox meat! How could you be thinkin' otherwise! n' some luvverly soup. Special tho is the rat on a stick – crispy caramel. You gennelmen would like crispy rat on a stick, eh luv? No, no charge for our finest." Ducking blondie's grasping paws and greasy lips, she gave them a rat on a stick each, and pushed the barrow past them as quickly as she could, trying not to shudder too visibly.

As she went past the front of the Inn, she noticed a man who looked like a drunken vagrant walking in. Huh, she thought – what's he up to? Going round to the back door of the Inn, she opened the kitchen door.

"Ma, I'm back. You know that Arbites officer's back again? You can smell `em from halfway down the street! Is Mr Sneed 'ere? I made a good hundred thrones tonight. And look at this lot – maybe another hundred's worth of bits n bobs. I'll need to go see Mr Tharpe tonight, see what jobs he has for me. Right, well, I'll bring the pots in, `n quench the burners before I get changed. Then I'll help Da out front in the bar. Back in a mo! There should be enough left on the barrow for supper."

Alice put the armful of wood and bucket of coal down, took off her wet boots and put them on the rack beside the range to dry. Grabbing a towel from the drying rack above the range, and replacing it with her damp shawl, she gave her Ma a quick peck on the cheek, before heading upstairs to their rooms above the inn.

She took off her damp blouse, gave it a sniff, decided it would stand another wear, and hung it up carefully to dry. She slipped another, lower cut blouse of finer calico over her head, not bothering with the buttons. Looking in the drawer at her collection of shawls, she decided on a lovely, finely woven rose pink one, decorated with the blood-red flowers that were said to be the favourite of the Blessed Saint. Placing it over her shoulders, she tucked the ends back under her arms, and adjusted blouse and shawl to reveal a modest amount of cleavage. The idea was to encourage the purchase of food and alcohol by the punters, without being immodest – that would attract the back of her Da's hand.

She used the towel to dry the hem of her skirt, squeezing the excess moisture out. It was easier to wash a towel than the skirt, especially if this drizzle continued. Checking her look in the cracked and discoloured mirror, she adjusted the pendant of Saint Altheria that hung low on her chest, and fingered the devotional scar at the base of her neck, in the notch where the collarbones met.

That had been one of the proudest moments in her life. She had barely flinched when the white-hot brand had touched her, marking her as an adult member of the congregation with the capital "A" of the Blessed Saint Altheria. The Confirmation ceremony had been completed a couple of weeks later with red tattooing over the newly healed scar tissue. Blood and Body of our Blessed Lady, Saint be Praised!
Slipping wooden pattens over her stockinged feet, she snuggled her toes into the well-worn shoes, and smiled. Life was good. Time for work. She almost skipped back down the stairs, delighting in the sound of wood on wood. Picking up a tray, order pad and pencil, a stack of clean ashtrays, a cleaning cloth and a small bucket of warm soapy water on her way through the kitchen, she paused as she opened the door to the front rooms of the inn.

The smell of damp fabric and leather, sweating men, smoke from the fire burning in the corner, and the pall of cigarette smoke hanging just below the ceiling assaulted her senses. Closing the door behind her, she slipped over to the bar, giving her Da a peck on the cheek.

"I'll clean the tables first, Da, then get the supper orders goin'."

Moving through the fairly crowded room, she wiped tables clean, swapped dirty ashtrays for clean ones, picked up empty glasses, and generally worked the clientele.
"'ere, Mr Jones, let me clean that table for ye – don' want to `ave wet elbows, now do ye, lovey? The missus would be most put out if she had to wash that jacket!
"I'll take that empty glass away for ye, shall I, sir? Like another, would ye? Be back shortly with that, duck."

"Mr Sneed, so good of ye to join us on this rare, soft night. Let me clean this table for ye. The usual for ye, is it? I've some luvverly `ot grox pies, with a thick suet crust, an' full o' gravy. An' there's `ot soup. I was just telling a customer earlier today, Ma's `ad it simmerin' on the back of the range for the last week – threw in some new marra' bones last night, serve that all up with some nice fresh greens, an' fresh `ot bread. Ma's just finished the evenin' bakin', don' ye know?" Lowering her voice, she continued. "'an I've got some verra nice pieces I picked up today for ye, sur, that I'll show you at your convenience." Nodding to him, with a smile on her lips and in her bright blue eyes, she said in a normal voice, "Aye sur, on your tab as usual, sur."

Moving on, she approached the table where the "drunken vagrant" was seated.
"Evenin' Officer Lorith. Saint's Blessin's on ye. Watchin' Mr Sneed agin' tonight, are ye? Special o' the night is Caramelised Crispy-Skinned Rat on a Stick, served with fresh greens and fried taties. An' I'll be fetchin' ye another beer, shall I? Only the best for the finest of the Adeptus Arbites, eh luv? `An ye'll be passin' on Saint's Blessin's to Intelligencer Amas from me Da, won't ye sur? All our contributions are up to date with the AA. I'll just be addin' that to yer tab."

Turning away, she thought sourly, . She continued through the large room, cleaning tables, making small talk, taking orders, keeping up the non-stop patter that was expected from her.

When the room was worked over to her satisfaction, she took the tray of dirty glasses and ashtrays back to the kitchen, giving Da a smile in passing.

Wench Fighting

2009-10-09T22:45:00.003+13:00

Oooh, aaarr - I went to a pirate party one night, and got into a fight....
Rubber sword in one hand, green parrot in the other, blindfolded. Ok. Enough said already.

Oh, I won btw - a box of M&M's!

2009-09-20T14:19:00.001+12:00

Why A Dancing Chicken?

2009-09-20T13:07:00.007+12:00

Well, why not? Pak n Save sells 2 for $13, with the most disgusting mush inside them that has ever been given the title "stuffing". So, I get to put my hand up the back end of the chook, pull out the mush, and put in lovely, fragrant garlic, onion and herb stuffing. But then of course there's the temptation to make said chicken do things it was never intended for - and it's much easier to stuff chooky if it's sitting firmly on it's head, with it's butt in the air. And of course, the addition of a metal spike to hold the stuffing in is obligatory.

Another fortnight has raced past. This week began with two separate migraine attacks. Monday, a “classic”, with burr-holes at the right temple and behind the right ear, held together by a tight band, throbbing away merrily. Tuesday, Migraine with Aura. Pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny lights. Two days of photophobia, nausea, grinding tiredness, lack of spatial ability. Took Wednesday off and went to the doctor, who confirmed my self-diagnosis, and gave me more Imigran – hooray! The stresses that caused the migraines have now come to a head, (lol, quite literally), on Monday, so hopefully no more for another 12-18 months. The last attack was early 2008, according to the doc.

The weekend has seen Becca’s headcold take over. Ugh. Tired, achy, sore throat, no voice, brains at half-mast.

Fun Stuff:
Thursday: I bought a packet of Space Wolf Blood Claws figures from Vagabond’s in Takapuna. Couldn’t get any Scouts. Wade at Vagabond’s was quite happy to talk to me, unlike the guys at GW, who don’t see the point talking to a WOMAN – even if she’s the one asking the questions. When I buy some more (like the new Space Wolf pack and a Codex) it will almost certainly be from there. Unless the stock from WarhammerMan on Trademe stays at $38 for the Codex, and $50 for the figures – but he’s put them up as an auction, not a Buynow.

I don’t think I have enough brain-power to actually do much with what I’ve bought – maybe cut them off the sprue’s, and glue some bits together.

FRIDAY: Becca went to the school disco with her friend Noor on Friday night, and agreed that it might be a good idea to dress up. But what’s a boy-girl to wear? Well, scary tho it sounds, mum’s jeans, knickers & t-shirt all fitted – and looked good. And she was pleased she dressed up.

Got accepted into Bryan Gibson’s (graphic artist of a lot of Traveller books) Terran Praesidium IRC game. Rolled a character, and wrote up a background for Kerangi Ataahua. Sent him and Matt the documents, including the Spica Publications’ “Careers Book 2” Companion pages, which some of her background comes from. Of course, a rewrite is required (about 30%) to make the background fit his universe, which is not surprising – a work of my imagination will need those changes made to fit his work of imagination.

SATURDAY: David and I took the dogs for a walk in Henderson Park, and got a photo of the amazing macrocarpa stump. I want to see if I can turn it into a fabric art piece. Even though I was feeling far from well, it was a nice walk. Talked about maybe going for a paddle on Sunday ...

Spinward Traveller on IRC. Dancing at the Harrington, jeep chases, and shooting baddies out of trees and off roof-tops! Lots and lots of fun!

Pirate Party. Spent quality time while role-playing doing repairs to a lovely lacy shirt for David. Buttons, hooks and eyes, button loops. Wore my wench dress with a red bustier underneath, and a Turkish Entari (long sleeved coat) on top. There were pirate games. Had a sword fight with the other “wench” – aim was to hit the parrot held on an outstretched hand, while blind-folded. I WON I WON I WON! Other games included bad pirate puns, jokes, and saying Arrrrrrr till you ran out of breath. We stayed a lot later than I expected, but eventually the cold won out, and we were home about 2330.

SUNDAY: Hmmm – not much fun – more like the living dead. Must have been breathing thru my mouth during the night. My voice is a bad joke – well, maybe a bad croak. Yes, very funny. Did a shunt, picked up paper rubbish the wind has blown in from rubbish day on Thursday. Drilled holes in an Activac case that came with a broken hinge. More challenging than the big Infovac case I successfully repaired last weekend. So, no. Not fixed. But, 2 catches, and I can still use the base, for the next lid that gets broken. Got David to cut a piece of threaded rod to length, so now I can cut the other three pieces to length too. Putting a slightly larger nut on the end, then cutting, certainly makes a difference to being able to thread the proper nut on.

It’s 1400. What am I gonna do now? Post this. I type it in word, then copy/paste across – but sometimes blogspot doesn’t like the formatting, so I have to copy it to word, save as txt, copy and paste ... Put the photos up. See if I can get the damn things where I want them.
Finish off some t-shirts I’m taking from a size 16 down to size 12. Look at Space Wolf figures. Read some of Bryan Gibson’s Terran Praesidium. Walk the dogs. Have a nap. OMG - and then it's bedtime!

Spring is sprung, and I'm starting to do STUFF

2009-09-06T18:44:00.003+12:00

A weekend of busyness.

Saturday: Clipped Kama – black dog has LONG legs! Lots and lots of hair.

David managed to keep the lawnmower going long enough to get the lawns done, and I weed-whacked round the back of the house. Moved the container of freesias round further so we can actually SEE them now – yellows, whites, dark and bright reds, purples. Now the garden looks lovely and tidy. Love power tools!

Quick trip out to look for paving stones, as the dogs have been excavating at the gates again. Found a place selling seconds for only $2 each (17”/43cm square). We got 12, + 2 circles, and a couple of bags of sand. Popped in to the mall, made an appointment for a haircut, grabbed cappuccino to go, and groceries from the Supermarket.

Back for Spinward Salvage IRC RPG. Called it quits 3 hours later, after a great game. Love playing real-time games – you get to talk to real people!

Chicken nibbles, roast veges, cauli and carrots for dinner! Watched Cate Blanchett in “The Gift”, then Pierce Brosnan in “Dante’s Peak”. Late late night. Oooh – and made home-made pina coladas – light rum, coconut cream and fruit juice. LOL – still packed a punch. David got home from work near midnight, and watched the end of the movie with me, and helped me finish off the rum thingy.

Sunday: Sleep in – not used to getting to bed at 0100! Went up to the Waitakere’s to check the Stoat Traps – all empty – no rats, hedgie’s or stoats. Awesome ride down the hill to the dam, then a long, slow walk back up the hill – the dogs were totally pooped!

Sent David off to the Wargames Club Bring & Buy session, and then to work. Collapsed for a while, then decided it was time to fix the darn fold-out-bed couch, as I was sinking further and further down into it. Went to Mitre 10 Mega and got a staple gun and spare staples, a length of architrave timber, panel pins, and sweet pea seeds (oh, how’d they get in there, lol!).

So, the couch is now fixed. Firmly attached the flap of fabric to the timber, then the timber to the couch with panel pins. Put some plywood on top of the bed frame, then sponge rubber on top of that. Higher and firmer. So there!

Sweet pea seeds are planted in another big container out the back – 60cm Bijou Semi Dwarf, Jewels of Colour in the centre, and 22cm Pixie Princess Red & Whites around the edge. 12-14 weeks to flowering.

Mr Piggy is for dinner – but it weighs 3kg! I’ve had to cut it in half, to have any chance of getting it cooked in time (and it went on about 1530!)

NCIS, Criminal Intent, The Children, and a doco on the Titanic. Thank goodness for the VCR!

Oh, and how many RPG’s am I playing?
40k/Hollow Worlds: Space Wolves [space wolf - Hriedmarr Tiefson], Shadows of Ballustrade [male Rogue Trader – Joaquin Balageur], and And With Strange Aeons [female scum – Pania Keredu]. All Play by Email.

Classic Traveller: Reaver’s Deep [male engineer – Patrick Kissilov]. PBEM

Mongoose Traveller: Spinward Salvage [female Salvage Expert – Claire Balfour] IRC – real-time chat.

And I'm trying to join another one! She's mad I tell you, mad!

Becca's Soft Toy Cupboard

2009-08-22T18:20:00.002+12:00

Hehe - we couldn't get far enough back to get a photo of the drift of soft toys on the floor!

Love Angel

2009-08-22T18:09:00.002+12:00

I bought this for David. She is making the "Sign for Love". I wanted something special for him. To show how much I appreciate him, and how much I missed his company.

Thursday - going home day

2009-08-22T13:39:00.004+12:00

Son, daughter, father! Scary

Mick, Sue, Bill

Mick came home just before midnight. Dad staggered onto his pile of pillows about 0200 - refused to sleep on Mick's bed - didn't want to disturb him. We picked him up bodily around 0300 and put him properly to bed.

Mick and I talked till 0430 in the morning. He's become an interesting man, my American brother. Not a kiwi any more. Staunch Republican. Hand on heart for the American anthem/flag. Anti-gun control. Doesn't like Australians at all. Doesn't like their lack of a work ethic, their attitude.

Says they don't like American's, and Barrie's going to hate being in Aus. Very down on it all. Sleep deprivation and alcohol talking, I hope. Mick is going back to California to help her pack up the house, and they'll both be down here for October.

Barrie has a job waiting for her here, but there's been a lot of politicking, and the Sydney UPS office doesn't want someone coming in from the US telling them what to do.

Bill was up and rattling around at 0700 - aarrgghh. It is so not fair, that after having drunk about half a bottle of gin, he doesn't have a hangover. I don't think he had any idea of the amount of noise he was making. Eventually staggered up about 0900. Had some breakfast, then took dad downstairs about 1000 - when the shops finally decide to open.

Took dad back to the shop I'd got a little resin angel for David from. He got a little resin statue of a boy holding a dog. Very cute.

Got back to the apartment to find Mick fuming - where had we gone. So we went back out for a late brunch. Yum. Mick had the Big All Day Breakfast, Dad a salmon omelette, and I had poached eggs on ham and toast.

Caught the bus at Southern Cross Station at around 1300, at the Airport by 1400. Got fed on the plane. Home again home again. tiddly pom.

So nice to be home. So nice to walk thru the arrivals gate, see the maori carvings, hear the native birds. Lovely to have a cuddle from David. Missed him so much.

So nice to sleep in my own bed, use my own, high-pressure shower.

I love going away, but coming home is nice.

Advertising on Melbourne's Yarra Trams!

2009-08-20T01:20:00.004+12:00

The other ad shows this guy in seriously ugly whitey-tities. My first thought was - "burn, baby burn - save the world, burn a ...."

Oh Happy Day!

2009-08-20T00:28:00.005+12:00

I spent today with Wendy. Happy songs running thru my head.

Grabbed a nice cappa at Southern Cross Station, and a beautiful bunch of bright orange gerbera's, and caught the train out to Craigieburn by myself.

Wendy and Turk picked me up at the station and we did some tripping round before going back to their place for lunch. Wendy and I had a fossick thru her wardrobe, and I've walked away with two pairs of jeans - thank you girlfriend! She and I spent some time out in the girl-shed, yakking, looking at the quilt stuff she's done, and just catching up. She says I'm much lighter and easier to be around - a noticeable change from February when we parted. All the emotional hard work is paying off!

She and Turk were caught at a police checkpoint on Monday, and told their car was unregistered, and had been since March, even after going thru about 5 different dealers before they purchased it. The cops took the rego plates, and they had to leave the car on the side of the road, till they'd organised a mechanic to come get it, do the "roadworthiness test", and tow it back to their place. Turk's dad was able to come and get them, but it meant that Wendy missed her job interview - but she gets to go back tomorrow, Thursday.

They were hit with a nearly $600 fine, which will be paid by the dealer.

Wendy and I took Mac for a run - us on bikes, him running, down to the local sports field, where dogs are allowed off-leash. We chased the crows and magpies, and watched the cops pulling over more unregistered vehicles, including one that tried to dodge them - bad idea! They have a van parked about a km down the road, which photographs the oncoming vehicle, relays the data to the Victorian Road Transport Authority, and fires it back if it's unregistered. The cops then pull the vehicle over! Wow, talk about efficient.

Then we went for a drive to the reservoir, which is evidently looking the best it has for a while, but looks pretty sad from my point of view. They're going to have severe water restrictions again this summer - level 4 at a minimum, so no washing cars or watering gardens, and 4 minute showers.

Then we went to a couple of Turkish shops. Both really only sold food, tho one had cookware, hookah pipes and musical instruments. No suitable knicknacks to bring home. Wendy says there's a third shop, where she might be able to get me a little set of worry/prayer beads, and a tiny Koran-in-a-baggy talisman. Then we went and picked up the kids from school, and they took me back to the train station.

No louts this time, thank goodness. But a couple of cops got on the train, and rode it for a couple of stops. Cops with guns - pistols in holsters. Scary for this kiwi girl! There is a noticably high Police presence in Melbourne - mostly cars cruising the beat, and checkpoints, but also popping up elsewhere.

I walked around the back of the Etihad Stadium, which used to be Batman's Hill, named after one of the founding settlers. The original city grid is laid out from this point, so the old city is a tiny, compact grid laid against the Yarra River on a north-east/south-west orientation. However, when the city expanded, they set up a new grid, running north-south, which makes working out which direction you're going very complicated. Me, I think it's kinda cool, and once you work it out, it's fine. Brother Mick's not so sanquine about it. LOL.

Got to Costco, and had to sit on the seats/concrete anti-ram-raid blocks, and have a wee melt-down. Damn, I want to go home. Really hard not having someone to share my day with. It's so tiring having to repeat myself over and over, and shout to be heard/understood.

Picked Father William up where he's been lurking at Costco all afternoon. It's still insane - they're at least 50 staff short, and they're quitting as quick as they hire them, even at $20/hour.

Dad has realised he hasn't got a pressie for mum. Said he'd seen a really nice set of drinking glasses at Costco. And they were really cheap too. What did I think?! NO! You wanna buy cheap glassware? Go to the Warehouse or Briscoes. You wanna get mum a pressie? Get something nice. Please. And no, there's no point in getting up early to get something, because the Docklands doesn't open till after 0900 - not even to get a damn coffee!

Talked to David, and Becca on the phone for half an hour. Better for that. Helped with the loneliness a bit.

Bill decided he wanted Szechuan for dinner, so we took off for Lygon Street again. I'm afraid my ability to eat organs, feet and other icky bits is non-existant. Settled on Gong Bao Chicken (hot hot chilli!), and Fragrant Fish Eggplant (allegedly hotter than the chicken, but didn't seem so). It was a heck of a lot better than I thought it would be. The eggplant was NOM! Chinese restaurant served beer, wine and fizzy. Two diet coke later ... Dad's order of the chicken dish arrived first, and he commented after about 5 minutes "you did order, didn't you?" "Ah, yes. Traditionally, you share the dishes, that's why we have the little plates, and the bowls of rice ... so when the eggplant arrives, we share that as well ..." Hmmm - am I being a smartarse again? He deliberately wanted to come to this particular restaurant, but doesn't know the customs ...

Had to walk a couple of blocks across the city to find a tram heading back down to the Docklands - #86! Oh yeah, baby, come to mama! Yes dad, this way... no, this is Russell Street, it becomes Lygon Street, remember? Oh well, we made it back.

So, Dad turns on the TV. Loudly! I need a drink. No dad, I don't drink beer (yuk - VB [Victoria Bitter!] I NEED VODKA! Grabbed book and glasses, and went back down the the Hotel, double VLL, and a piece of lemon curd pie - pie was average, VLL was aaarrrrooooo!

Nearly finished Clive Cussler's Treasure - what am I going to read on the plane tomorrow? Darn, I have so many books at home I want to read, but looks like I might have to buy something tomorrow.

Nearly 2300 - Mick was hoping to be home about now. I suspect there's two chances of that!

2315 - Not home yet.

2330 - nope.

Me! in Melbourne! In my new T-shirt

2009-08-18T23:09:00.004+12:00

Not the best or most flattering of pictures. But I do like this T-shirt! "Music makes me lose control!"

Hoped to show the necklaces - I love the way the three of them sit. Simple heart at the top, then the double, more complicated hearts, then the goddess at the bottom. I'm going to try for a better, infocus, photo tomorrow.

Gonna go read once I've finished checking all my games - dad's watching some awful Aussie cop show now, and it's hard to concentrate.

Space Wolves, Strange Aeons, Shadows of Ballustrade and Reavers Deep, here I come! Goodnight folks.

A couple of hours in Pompei

2009-08-18T22:21:00.005+12:00

PHOTOS: A Day In Pompeii: Small Altar, used in a household shrine for burning perfume and incense; Portable Stove, meat and fish would have been grilled over the coals in the flat base, and pots and pans arrayed on the semi-circular raised sections; Dinosaur Alley - looks better in real life!

Melbourne Museum: Fantastic exhibition! Very very cool. I took a few photos (oops, naughty me!). I think our camera is dying - almost all of them are out of focus. Great displays of finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum and a couple of other small towns. Coins, amphorae, balances, shrines, urns. And last, but certainly never least, the body casts. So sad. You could feel their terror and helplessness.

Aaarrrggh - Bill's playing with the remote for the TV, "Just finding out which channel goes where..." Uh huh. Can't concentrate. What am I writing about?

Oh, yes - the museum. Spent about an hour wandering thru. Bought the book, and a little pewter dog on the way out. Went and had a look at the Rainforest exhibition, the dinosaurs, bugs and human brain. Then it was 1700, and time to leave.

After talking to David and Becca for about 20 minutes, I walked back over to Lygon Street, where all the Italian restaurants are - found a nice, garlicy smelling one, and they offered me free garlic bread and wine - Yes! You'll do very nicely, thankyou.

Braised veal shanks, with the meat falling off the bone, with mashed potato, sauce and veg; followed by a berry and crepe dessert. Got a chocolate icecream as I walked back to LaTrobe St. There are no trams after 1700! Pox. So, at 1900, I started walking. Back down LaTrobe, right to the end, where I finally found a tram to take me the last kilometre.

I think I've walked about 6-8 k's today. Certainly walked dinner off. Nom Nom Nom.

It's really frustrating not being able to use my own laptop to work on. Never mind. Last day tomorrow, home on Thursday. Can I go home now?

Actually, today has been really good. Dad has admitted he couldn't have done any more walking today. Me, I could still go further if I had to. (Like, ooh, to get more Smirnoff Ice's!) I've really enjoyed walking thru the various parks and open spaces, at my own pace, going where I want to. The hardest part, as always, is having no-one to share this with. Never managed to get a photo of myself taken - have another go tomorrow.

Run away, run away ....

2009-08-18T14:59:00.004+12:00

Slept like a log last night - being totally trashed helped! Woken by next door's dog at around 0300 - aaarrrrroooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! bark bark yelp. I think they must have gone out. Earplugs worked!

Woke up this morning at what I thought was 1000 - but was really 0800 - my mobile had gone back to nz time, lol! Mick and Bill both asleep (Bill on the floor in the lounge!). Got up, showered, dressed, left a note and ran away!!!!!

Grabbed a coffee, caught a tram, and went uptown. Eventually made my way to the University, and then up to the Cemetery. Caught a tram back downtown around 1100, I guess. Trams alternate between really really cool, and .... aaargh, oh heck, where are we going? Darn, ok, let’s walk back a couple of blocks . So the morning's trip was a little more exciting than it sounded.

The city is really quite beautiful - lots of lovely old buildings, some just facades, but at least they've kept them! Looks like there's some sort of fund that encourages developers to keep them as part of the building.

The university looks a lot like Auckland’s with a mix of old and new buildings. The cemetery is surrounded by a huge fence, so couldn't get in, but just walked around the outside.

The weather can't make up its mind - there are short periods of brilliant sunshine, take off the clothes.... followed by longer periods of cold wind, and cloud. There's an overcast settling down now, so I think it's going to get yuckier.

Came back to the apartment to find both male Cottle's still asleep, so went to the loo, and ran away again. Retail therapied! Found one of the two bookshops. No SF or decent history or anything else - it's an outlet of one of the big booksellers. Lots of craft, food, and WW2 stuff – the usual.

Have bought some clothes tho; two 2 t-shirts and 1 knitted top. Also bought a little silver heart necklace. So that's probably me shopped out. Bought groceries yesterday, too. Most of my spending money seems to have gone on boring stuff.

Bill's just woken up - 1230 - no-one's home in his brain.

Don't know if we're going to get to the museum. See what happens.

More later.

Photos

2009-08-18T00:26:00.002+12:00

The Wheel at dusk; the view of the "Commons" from the apartment; Exhibition Hall at Carlton Park; Southern Cross Station, downtown Melbourne.

Heaven over Hell - Chinese Hexagram 666

2009-08-17T23:58:00.004+12:00

Totalled. 4 x double vodka's, 1 x green lime/mint cocktail thingy. Totally Totalled. Smile on my face, finally.

Dinner at Harbour Town Hotel - 300g Porterhouse steak, medium rare, chips n salad. Sticky date n toffee dessert. NOM. Heaven. I feel blessed now. And totalled!

Makes up for the day. Ooooh, what a long day! Sitting here, snuffling, eyes barely open, grinning inanely, so very very tired.

Sunday finished at around midnight, having sat on the balcony, talking. Monday started 0400, with brother Mick unable to sleep, between stuffed body-clock and Father Bill thrashing and snoring; breakfast time. Woke back up at 0600 when Mick showered etc. Saw him off, gave him a hug goodbye.

Day restarted at 0830. Father William coming into my room asking if I was Ok, and did I want cereal and milk for breakfast. Ah - No! Back at 0850 - shouldn't I be getting up now? Ah - No!

Got up, showered, found semi-gluten-free meusli & soy milk for breakfast (thank goodness I'd bought the soymilk yesterday). Watched as Bill cleaned ashtrays out with dishbrush! No, that's the dishbrush Bill ...... then cleaned dishes with the dishbrush ...

Tram to town. Southern Cross Station. Walking at snail's pace. Would Father William believe my directions? Ah - no. This way, Bill, no, this ..... ok. Whatever. Got a soy cappa - that helped. Eventually found Real Estate Agent (and boot laces). 2 hours later, left real estate agents. Yes - 2 hours, waiting. Key? What key. Oh, well, no, that actually hasn't been cut yet - swipey - oh, Building Manager has that. You need to be back here by about 1500. Building manager before 1630.

Are we going to get to the museum to see the Pompei exhibit? Hmmm - let's see - it's nearly 1300 ... Yeah, right. No F'ing way.

Caught tram to Lygon Street - Little Italy. Walked, at snails pace (everywhere! aaargh) Restaurants - mostly Italian, some Mexican, 1 Kiwi, scattering of others. Regaled with tales of desperate restrauters dragging people off the street with offers of free BOTTLES of wine. Shortly after that, got accosted - free Glass of wine, amazing smells of garlic and roast lamb coming from the restaurant .... no, no, no - don't drag me away........ :(

Walked, at snails pace, along Lygon Street. Lunch at a lunchbar - fish n chips for me, an omelette for him! WTF!!!!!!! Sigh.

Made way back across town to the Carlton Gardens where the Museum is. At snails' pace. This way. No Bill. This way. F*)(&*&(&()&

Caught tram. Wrong tram. No Bill, not that tram ... ok, sure, we'll catch that Tram. Yes, you're right, it's going the wrong way.... yes, we have to walk two blocks back... at snails' pace. Time? 1520 ....

Collect key - abject BS apologies from real estate woman. Catch wrong tram. Wait for right tram. Time? 1600 - deadline for building manager? 1630 ....

Got key. Have swipey. Arrrooooo! We have access to apartment! OMG! Fantastic. Clean bathroom/shower/toilet and kitchen. Ewwwww - that's better.

Walk to Cosco - packed. Staff with brains hanging out, eyeballs on stalks. Cars and people queued up! "Biggest turnout for any store opening worldwide!"

More groceries - Dishbrush - Gluten free cereal, soymilk, fruit. VODKA - Smirnoff Black Ice - 6.5% alcohol by volume!!!! Went back to apartment and drank 2 - straight down! He's not hungry, doesn't want dinner, but won't let me go out on my own.

1900 go out to find dinner. Almost nothing open. Settle on the same place as last night. Oh no - Bill's forgotten his glasses! Bye! Don't hurry back.

2220 - totally trashed, feeling a happy girl - full of food and booze, ready for sleep and bed. (0020 nz time!) Done my post. Except the photo of the food, which the Blackberry won't release.

Goodnight all! Photo's to follow.

Melbourne in Winter

2009-08-16T23:00:00.003+12:00

It's cold. It's wet. It's windy. 12 deg C, showers, 100 kmph wind gusts.
What's the difference between here and Auckland? Ummm ... not an awful lot.

The photo is of the [non-working] Wheel at night - the ultimate white elephant - worked for about 4 weeks, before a heat-wave distorted some of the metalwork. Now they have to take it apart and fix it. Only problem is, when they built it, it was in the middle of a swampy open paddock. Now, it's surrounded by a shopping mall.

http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=12219

The Costco VIP opening was pretty impressive - over 2500 people thru the door between 1600-1700. Food. So much FOOD! Lots and lots of lovely food. And that was just the stuff on the shelves! Lots of pretty, shiny toys. Lots of pretty shiny toys I'd like to buy. My brother is the Night Floor Manager - or something like that. Not nearly as high up the foodchain as my father made out, but still has a staff of 8 reporting to him in the deli section. OMG! The deli section - huge, pizza-sized brie and camembert, for about $30! Crayfish, salmon, meat, shellfish .... ooooh. Walk away walk away.

NZ won't get a Costco till they've opened up about 5 in Australia. Darn - we're stuck with Gilmour's.

Took a train ride out to Craigieburn to visit my friend Wendy - haven't seen each other since February - she came over just after the drought and the Black Saturday fires. Nice train-ride to the end of the line. She has a very nice house, with a "Man Shed" out the back, sewing area, husband's play area, where he can play his guitar till all hours, treatment room ...

So good to catch up and chat and gossip. Slightly hindered by the presence of father dearest - but a brief escape to the Shed helped. Scrummy pumpkin soup for lunch.

Overly exciting trip back - bunch of scruffy, white-trash kids had taken on some Indian boys. White boy got pummelled, and they brought their fight onto the train - looked for a bit as if they were going to trade blows, till some older Indian men got involved and seemed to break it up. When the Indian boys got off the train, the white boys hung out the door abusing them, and the Indian's tried to pull them out the door of the moving train. Can I go home now?!

Bill & Mick have gone off to steal a newspaper from the bar around the corner, and visit the money machine. Somehow it's my fault that Bill hasn't had a chance to get any cash out, because I'm always in a hurry to catch a train or something. Counting. Slowly. To 10.

I will be so glad when his hearing aid arrives from the States. Then we'll find out if his hearing is the only problem.

More tomorrow night.

Ooooh - that's nice!

2009-08-02T16:27:00.006+12:00

Well, here it is. What do you think? I like my new hair colour! Continuing technical problems meant that taking photo's got increasingly challenging.

It's now late Sunday afternoon, and we're round at a friends' house to celebrate Imbolc. Finally, one of the other couples that were meant to be here around 1200, have arrived. We have to go in about another 2 hours, as it's a school night, and Becca is home alone with her brother.

Just made apple crumble, got a couple of hot chickens and vogels bread from the supermarket. We're going to have an early supper, maybe perform a ritual to celebrate the festival.

Happy happy happy!

Captain's log - Update: David went home and got Becca. By the time they returned, someone else had turned up, so we stuffed ourselves silly with roast chicken, beef stew, fresh vogels bread and salad, then had South African Milk tart, Apple crumble and lewd conversation for dessert.

And, not only that - we did some ritual!!!!! Nice to do group rituals! So we decided to create a new seed group, and call ourselves BODS - "Bunch of Druids" - so we can get together more often, to do rituals, study and craftwork together, without politics.

What a busy weekend it turned into: Saturday morning was Stoating, finding 3 rats and 1 thing with spines, which once may have been a hedgehog (but can't be sure, because the traps obviously haven't been cleared on the last two weekends by the other "volunteers"); getting soaked to the skin in the rain; followed by "afternoon tea" with friends, and not getting home till nearly 1900; then a quick visit to the parents this morning that lasted about 3 hours, and included almost freezing to death; and this afternoon stretched into the evening.

And yes, you're right - I should update my blog more often - but that presupposes I've actually done anything.

Well, spring has sprung, creative (among other) juices are starting to flow, and brain and fingers are getting itchy - must be time to make something!

Maybe I should write something about the roleplaying games I'm in! My friend Caroline was sitting on the floor, carving lines into a large stick, commenting how weird it was me playing guys in on-line roleplaying games! Oh pot, calling kettle black.

hugs to all
sue:)

Ming the Merciless Plots to take over the Planet

2009-08-01T22:33:00.005+12:00

Subheading: The day I had my hair streaked/low-lighted!
In a moment of madness, I decided to change my hair colour - which had nothing to do with a wee girly at KFC asking if I was Becca's grandmother. Grrr!

No, I am not her grandmother. Yes, my hair is silver (much more preferable to GREY!). It started going grey at about 28, and I have dyed it for YEARS! Then about 5 years ago I became increasingly sensitive to the "home" hair-dyes - itchy scratchy! So, made the decision to go grey gracefully (well, as gracefully as I do anything).

I didn't want to completely change colour, but to lift the grey (7G + 7N - dark golden blonde and something else), and, being me, took photo's of the process. This was just too funny not to record for posterity.

Tomorrow, the finished result - which, to my surprise (and relief), I'm actually very happy with. (Technical problems include out of focus, squinty eyes, and aaargh, do I really look like that!)

Winter Solstice 2009 Road Trip

2009-06-25T20:30:00.002+12:00

Friday – Rotorua/Taupo
We left Auckland on Friday 19 June, for Rotorua. I had prebooked us into Whakarewarewa Thermal Village www.whakarewarewa.com for the Cultural Display at 1400, so we had a deadline to meet! The weather was fantastic, with clear blue skies most of the way. We grabbed a couple of great cappuccino’s and a hot chocolate in Matamata, and stopped at McDonalds in Rotorua itself for lunch. We got to the Village early, so had an explore by ourselves, walking up to the top of the hill, through the village urupa (burial ground) and around some of the hotpools, before going to the Display. This was performed by 3 women (in piupiu) and 3 men, with the hinderance of a small girl-child. It included a greeting, waiata, haka, poi and stick games. One of the guys was really hamming it up for the people watching, posturing, pulling faces, and having a lot of fun.
After the display, we wandered round for another half hour, noticing how low the water levels were in the lakes, and the general air of having been sucked dry and dying. The scrub was starting to get ahead of the lake, particularly in the shadows.
At 1500 we met up with the guide, who took us back round the village. There are 26 families living on the tribal land, I think around 500 people, aged from 11 months to 84 years. In the last 5½ months there's been a lot of geothermal activity, which is why many of the pools are lower. The "upper baths" have been closed completely, as no water can flow into them.

We drove down to Taupo, trying to find a motel with a restaurant attached, that we could afford. We eventually settled on "Twin Peaks", wondering if there were any plastic-wrapped bodies in the lake. The room was a concrete-block box, freezing cold. The restaurant was "British-themed", and the food was pretty good. David had Chicken Brie, I had a Lamb Shank, and Becca had a burger and chips. It was a long, cold night.

Saturday – Ruapehu/Whakapapa-Waikanae
There was ice on the car and carpark in the morning – aaarrgghhh.
We drove very carefully to Ruapehu – there were a number of vehicles that had gone off the road, driving too fast, slipping on black ice. We drove up the Whakapapa Road to the village – every carpark level was covered in thick ice, the sides of the road were icy, there were icicles hanging from the roadsides. The wind at the Bruce was 50kpmh, gusting to 80kpmh – bitterly, bitterly cold! The car thermometer was at 2degC. I slipped getting out of the car, and just couldn't get warm. Becca got dressed in the car. We walked across the road, gasping with the cold, picked up a lump of ice from the side of the road, and got back in the car and drove back down the hill!

We'd seen a lovely frozen waterflow as we'd driven up, about 4 kilometers back down the mountain, so we stopped just below it where the road widened, and walked over the tussock back to it. You could see the meltwater running inside the frozen icicles and shawls – nanite infection! We met a couple there with two small boys – they were keen trampers, and the guy had not only snow-caved on the mountain, he'd also done two 3-month trips down to Antarctica, and was trying to go on a third. It was about 3degC there, but the windchill was much, much less.

Drove down as far as Waikanae, and found a motel down near the beach – Waikanae Beach Motel. Very nice two bedroom unit with lounge/kitchen and bathroom-toilet. Lovely and warm! Drove back up to town, round and round, looking for a damn restaurant. Settled on Vela, had a very nice dinner, prawns, pork, dessert - $160! Slept well.

Sunday – Solstice!
Today is 21 June 2009, the shortest day of the year, and the Winter Solstice. This afternoon, we will be gathering with other druids, pagans and members of the public at Aotearoa Stonehenge to celebrate the Solstice.
http://www.astronomynz.org.nz/stonehenge/
Drove down to Pukerua Bay and found The Woolshed. It's a converted Shearing shed, with a meditation/meeting area and bedrooms downstairs, and a wonderful open space upstairs. Shared lunch. Drove to the place where we met the bus. Caroline, Phil, Theresa, Yvette and Brendon on the bus! Sat with Caroline on the journey over the hills – 70+km to Carterton.
There were 70+ Druids/pagans etc, + 180 members of the public. Stonehenge was amazing. Becca was the Mabon, and said her lines perfectly. The ritual was fantastic and totally absorbing. Stayed in the circle after the ritual, to discharge some energy. Aaaroooooooo!

Fell asleep in the bus, curled up to Becca and slept. Clever babe!

Monday – drove home to Auckland, via Bulls, Taupo and Hamilton – a long drive.

This was an awesome long weekend!

Rangitoto PEX - February 2009

2009-05-13T18:32:00.002+12:00

Rangitoto is a 7" x 5" quilty card, made for a swap.

The front shows Rangitoto Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland. Auckland's Maori name is Tamaki Makaurau, also known as the "City of Sails". Rangitoto is a near-perfect circular volcanic cone, which last erupted around 600 years ago. The volcano is dormant, not extinct.

I used commercial batiks for Rangi, cut and fused to the background. The sky and grass are from skydye type fabrics, chosen for their colour changes. The sea has a sprinkling of Crystal Aurora Angelina fibre on it, to show the sparkling waters. The rocks and flax plants were fussy cut from commercial prints. Free motion stitching was used to highlight the landscape, sky and the flax plants. A piece of heavy-grade non-woven interfacing was used to strengthen the piece.

The legend on the rear of the card was printed on 120g copier paper, then blanket-stitched to the front fabric. Three fibres in maroon hues were used around the outside edge.

Hearts Held Close

2009-05-10T16:33:00.003+12:00

"Hearts Held Close" is a 7" x 5" Quilty card, made for a very special friend's birthday.

The poem was written to express the difficulties of having a friendship with someone who is on a different continent, in a different time-zone, in another hemisphere. Although our communication is via email, instant messaging, and very infrequent phone calls, and we have never met, there is a very strong connection between us.

The entwined couple on the front were inspired by an illustrated edition of Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet". Embellishments show points of connection between us - the gecko, moonlit nights, puzzle pieces. Also included are precious and semi-precious stones that we both like - amethyst, sapphire, emerald, ruby.

The fabrics are commercial batiks. The figures were fused with visoflix to black cotton, then to the backing fabric with a glue-stick. I then free-motion stitched using two shades of purple thread to enhance the body contours of the couple. A heavy-grade fusible, non-woven backing and a sheet of card were used to stiffen the piece. The paua shell laminate, paua shell piece, letters and embellishments are all handsewen on.

The poem was printed on transparent vellum paper using an inkjet printer, then cut out with "heartbeat" patterned scissors, and free-motion stitched using rayon and cotton variegated green threads.

I now make duplicates of all my art pieces, the best version being sent out into the world with my love, while the other stays home with me.

Hear my Song - March Post Card Exchange

2009-04-05T22:55:00.003+12:00

This was due to be sent out in March, but what with sick computers, on-line roleplaying games, making a copy, and general procrastination, I've only just finished it.

The background is rust dyed fabric, with fussy-cut clematis flowers, and a fantail sitting on a punga tree. I've embellished it with brown and green seed-beads along the punga fronds. The reverse is hand-dyed fabric with stamped words, and a hand-written greeting.

Waitakere Trap Line

2009-04-05T20:50:00.004+12:00

It was my turn to check the traps on the Dam Road this weekend. It's been at least a month (or is it two?) since I've been up there. Daylight saving ended today, so I was up there bright and early, with both dogs. The weather was warm and sunny, and at 0800, the sun was still climbing over the ridge.

Just for a change, there were rats in the traps - very dead and squashed. The lake was full, and they've built a new building at the bottom of the dam to control the excess water - and water was pouring out, and down the waterfall.

The bush is in flower - rata, rewarewa, hebe, lillies, with lots of lovely smells.

It would have been nice if I hadn't caught my finger in a trap - got a lovely bruise now. It hurt so much initially, all I could do was stand there. So ... lots of lovely pictures.

Endless March

2009-04-05T20:39:00.002+12:00

This has been the month of no laptop. It's been pretty neurotic since I purchased the blasted thing, and Vista is a total pain. Then it started having increasing problems connecting to the internet, until I couldn't connect at all. Backed up most of the files - took 7 disks, and then I ran out.

Took it back to Harvey Norman, who sent it to their repair people, who said "no fault found" .... and then replaced the main board. Over the next week, it became increasingly unstable, until by the end of the week, I again couldn't connect to the internet, or the home network. 2 weeks with Harvey Norman's repair people - and now it has a new hard disk.

But .... it won't accept the backup disks - wants an administrator file. So now I'm trying to copy each batch of files back over into the computer. But of course, inevitably, some really important ones, like the document that contains all my logins for various sites, has been corrupted, and won't open.

Not only that, each file transfer has crashed the laptop.

So, I haven't been able to update my blog, log on to sites, download email, or do much of anything. Time to catch up.