muppinstuff

random bits from a queens birthday weekend

My new Ugg boots are too tight in the toe and very sloppy in the heel, meaning that I can't walk in them but sort of scuffle along. They're not nearly as good as my last pair, which are not being made anymore. Sigh. The new possum/merino stripey socks are pretty damn fine though. Especially with my winter birks. I know, such a trendsetter.

Listening to New Order in the kitchen during a monent of domestic calm. It was the one G gave me for Christmas in 2001 (I think). The Christmas we went to Tasmania and drove along the road to nowhere in the Toyota (which probably killed the car, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat except I wouldn't camp next to blackberry bushes near rivers, too many big black snakes, shudder). I'd forgotten how much I like this CD, how rich it is.

Watching the stick structure come down and various bits of backyard junk being burned in the big burny barrel. I wouldn't let G pull it down until we found a house, just in case we were still here next summer and needed the shade. It's kind of sad and exciting all at the same time. Now our weekends clothes smell of smoke which I quite like. It reminds me of camping and barbques.

Life with Grace can be a battle at the moment. Lots of wilful throwing of things on the floor, shoe refusal, bath issues, hairwashing issues, flailing, gouging. Then there's the shouting. I'm trying to keep in my mind that parental shouting is like smacking inasmuch as it shows children that shouting is an OK way to handle things. Trying to read Buddhism for Mothers but it isn't sticking yet. Need to find a way of discipline that's gentle and not spirit crushing. Also need to get child out of the house in time for work/playgroup/whatever without needing to start an hour and a half before we go and wearing sufficient seasonally appropriate clothing that a) she doesn't catch a cold, b) she can play outside and doesn't become one of those pale inside children and c) no-one calls DHS re neglectful parenting. Clean, attractive clothes would be nice too, but I'm picking my battles. Have also been wondering if this is my karma for being just a little smug when Grace was such a good eater, sleeper etc when other children weren't.

Wondering whether I should start a house blog as a companion to my scrap book. Not that I need another blog, but I've wanted to play with a blog that would suit advertising which this doesn't. Who am I kidding? Like I'm not going to be even more busy when we start doing the house. Still it keeps rolling around in my mind.

My theory of the one good thing a day in the hated shoes and socks seems to be working. We went to a park with big old elm trees that used to have a train in it, but doesn't anymore. There was however, a good playground filled with lots of designery parents and well dressed children, a friendly french traveller with a van cooking his food on the barbque and the skate bowl.  It good until we tried to drag Grace away from the skate bowl, where she was entranced by the teenagers and older children.

Can't stop singing rock-a-bye bear. Love it.

more sewing

I'm on a bit of a sewing campaign at the moment. Maybe it's the possibilty of moving house and having to pack up all my material and set up another workspace, or indeed maybe not having even a semi-dedicated workspace for a while. Not that anything has happened yet, we're still at the if and when stage. Still I can see that establishing a new home is going to cut into my sewing time, such that it is. For sure.

So far, I've made two pairs of trousers, neither of which I thought were a great success. However I put them through the wash the other day and was certain that one pair was destined for the opshop, but I wore them today and really they weren't too bad. I think I'll keep them afterall, with some tightening in the back, I think they'll be quite good even. Grace on the other hand has decided that the skirt I made her is for other childrens and has to go in the opshop. Can't even get her to try it on, even with the promise of a biscuit. I realise that perhaps the material was a bit weighty to have that much gather around the waist, but I wouldn't have thought that it would be uncomfortable over a singlet. It has several features I thought she would like; pink, stripes, a ruffle and pockets.  The trousers in the same fabric but with butterfly pockets that she loves, except that they're on pants, have had even less of a look in. Although she did wear the smock (pink with butterfly fabric raglan arms and a pouch pocket) I made her for painting the other day. So I'm told.

Sewing or shopping for Grace is such a minefield. I can't predict what she'll consent to wearing, even when she came to the shop with me and chose it herself. And getting her to wear something she is determined not to wear is extremely difficult. Even with closed choices, ie the red skirt or the pink skirt. So I don't really want to spend too much time or money on her wardrobe, but on the other hand I want her to be warm and comfortable and as much as I hate to say it, look stylish in some way. I wasn't keen on the butterfly fabric, it's a gary pink with badly printed butterflies on it, but Grace loves it. But even that wasn't working. Oh well, maybe in another year we'll be able to work out together what she'd like me to make her.

My next project is a dark green sort of a-line skirt out of some wool crepe I found at the opshop back in the day when the brotherhood had a fantastic fabric table. And a pair of heavy weight black cotton but not denim pants. When those are finished, I have a really fabulous piece of back wool suiting with 5% elasticene for some stretch. For pants. If I get them right, they'll be the mainstay of my winter wardrobe for years to come. You know, the pants you can wear almost anywher, that are warm and comfortable and wash well. And after that some tops for me and Grace. Ambitious, but I guess planning it is half the fun. Truth is, I'd feel pretty happy to get at least half of it actually done.

Have also started knitting at night. Very remedial. I made a short scarf from some wool my mum gave me and I'm pretty impressed that I managed to put a hole in the middle, by design. And that I figured it how to do this. Not so impressed that I couldn't knit in moss stitch which I thought I'd done before. Anyway, we have someone staying tonight, who said she's teach me, so I'd better stop being anti-social (or unwinding from a tough day at playgroup depending on your point of view) and go out there and knit.

seven random things about me and pineapples

On Wednesday morning as I rushed out to work, there was a wonderful gift in my letterbox from Suse (thank you). Three beautiful old linen tea-towels. Featuring pineapples. On Thursday, late in the afternoon, I hung them on the line and pointed the camera, hoping to preserve their complete glory before they start doing the hard work of tea towels in this house (although the one with the surfer may be a wall hanging for a while).

Then I had the idea of a pineapple meme. How hard could it be? While on summer holidays, now so long ago that my memories are more faded than my tan, I was tagged by Schmutzie to do the seven random things meme. I didn't do it at the time because the internet connection at the sandy point internet cafe was at best flaky. And the computer was on a shelf in a passage between the kitchen and the door to the toilet. Where I  perched on a high stool, watched chips being cooked and thought about the beach or other holiday joy I was missing, sometimes trying to keep the small child out of mischief. Although I was only ever charged for 15 minutes, even when I'd been there for a good 45. Anyway, this meme continually circles blogland, somewhat like the playgroup cold/lurgy. It nonetheless has a certain charm. I like this meme, but it's hard separating out what is and isn't weird and /or random. Hence the pineapple thought. And I get to show you my new tea towels!

1. When I was a child, a dinner we sometimes had was ham steaks, or rather slabs of ham like meat, possibly out of a tin, grilled (as in broiled) and with tinned pinapple on top.  I loved it. Now it doesn't even seem like proper food.
2. Sometimes when I feel a bit liverish, tinned pineapple juice and soda or (diet) dry ginger does it for me.
3. I still make the boiled pineappled fruit cake that was my grandmother's recipe. It's probably from the fifties, uses a tin of crushed pinapple and a standard packet of mixed fruit. It's really very nice.
4. Back when I bought my own point and shoout camera, an olympus mju, I spent days racing around taking heaps of photos. Here's one of three pineapples against the window in the sunroom on a rainy day. Why would I have had three pineapples? Where they really cheap back then? Now they tend to be a bit of a treat. These tea towels made me immediately think of that photo. Gee I loved that camera. Pity it got stolen, not once but twice. The replacement also got stolen so I just gave up.
5. When I was in Paris and twenty-one, I remember being in a shop that sold dried fruit and asking for ananas in French. When I checked the spelling by googling, I got "Je suis un ananas ivre" which means I am a drunk pinapple.
6. I rather like fresh pinapple, but only if it's sweet enough not to hurt my mouth and has been cut up so that all the core and all the skin and all those little sharp bits are gone. Sometimes it improves sitting around for an hour or so cut up, but more often than not pineapple is just a waste of money. I think the only way to got a good one for sure is to have a greengrocer that tastes their own fruit and will tell you for sure. Like Cramer on Seinfeld said, fruit's a gamble.
7. Here's another picture of a pineapple, from about this time last year. I remember the fruity smell of this one on the kitchen bench. Rich and ripe. Attracting for those little flies that hang around fruit shops. I don't remember being dissapointed. Maybe I'll get another one tommorrow when I do the shopping.

So, whew, meme all about pineapples. Didn't think I could do it. Although I do have the sadly neglected blog about washing, which is soon to feature a delightful laundry related gift from another lovely blogger (scanner has started working again). I feel very lucky and smooshed by blogworld sometimes.....Thank you. Now I'm going to tag, because it's in the spirit of it all.

Girl on the Avenue
Alby Mangroves from new blog on the block, Life in General
Saha
Stomper Girl
Susan from Five and Two

Rules, you know, seven weird or random things about yourself. You can even re-cycle a previous seven or pick a theme. Tag another five people. But any or all of it, only if you want to.

of cows and clouds

I do believe I may have a type of bloggers block. Ye olde compose fantastic posts in my head but unable to write them down sort block. Or perhaps, afternoon naps on languid afternoons and telly on balmy nights are seducing me into idleness. Although I have started purging our possesions again; there's possibly a car load to go back to the opshop piled on the verandah. Yep. And when I can get to my computer, I've been working on my photos and wondering why I take so many. Like with material clutter, it takes me ages to sort through them. I'd like to have an easy knack of keeping only the really, really good ones, but that must take a relentless discipline. A bit like people who have a capsule wardrobe of perfect matching outfits that fits into a small suitcase. That they update and maintain in a measured and planned way. Sigh.

So anyway, the beach holiday feels a long time ago. Life has slotted back into the Melbourne groove. I was going to show you some cows and clouds, and talk about this and that, but I've forgotten exactly what so I might just move right onto the craft weekend. It was excellent. And this time, I remembered to take my sewing machine pedal. The great plans I had of sewing many outfits didn't exactly come to fruitition, but some things take longer than you expect. And really like always, the best part of all was the company of fabulous women; Sooz, Suse, Di, Lauren, and the blogless but just as fabulous Cath, Jody, Maria and Stephanie. Working and talking, looking at fabric and yarn, eating fantastic food (extra special mention and gratitude here to Maria, who spent most of Saturday cooking - as her craft!).

 

As for the crafting, I finished the doll's quilt that was going to be my holiday handsewing project until I worked out that I don't enjoy hand quilting. Dolly also had some new stuffing inserted and received a new outfit. A dress and some underpants (something I'd like Grace to aspire to). Anyway both the outfit and the quilt have been very well recived. I'm also halfway through a top for me, from some quite nice Nana silk I bought at the opshop last year. Hopefully I'll finish it before Christmas. While we're on matters craft related, I was kissed by the Craft Fairy just before we went away and received a package of some lovely fine cotton yarn. Thank you Craft Fairy! I'm yet to work out a project for this, but maybe I should have a go at some knitting? My knitting is very basic, but I have to learn sometime. I think this would be nice to knit with? As opposed to crochet, which would also be nice.

Coming home from the craft weekend was the end of my big holiday. It was hot. So hot that going back to work was almost a relief.  And evenings were spent in the heat battling (or giving up) the hundred and one things that take up your time when your computer has had all the programs reloaded. Like learning a newer version of my photo software, just when all I really wanted to to do was get my photos done. In the heat. Oh, I could have cried. As it turns out, once I started with the new program, I realised it's way better than the old one, no more using photoshop just to straighten a horizon line. Have also had to get Dad to help make my outlook work again, what no address book? Anyway it's all done. I'm back online. Properly. Now I just have to figure out why the Flickr uploadr isn't working well like it used to. I tried the new version, it kept crashing and when it worked, was very slow. Which is a pity, because it looks quite the business. So I went back to the old one, which is having issues I've never had before. And why the Feedburner email subscription form isn't working properly on the pool site. There, that'd be a list almost... I do belive the block is gone now.

And it's raining. Real rain !!! With thunder! There's a whole lot of washing on the line, but who cares?! Rain....

oh dear, not another post about breathing

It's been another intense couple of days. My computer, my beautiful computer has refused to start properly. There are various theories being bounced around but none have been proven. Oh, the anxiety of it! Especially when I've set myself new tasks to learn, new projects, all requiring access to the internet and email. Alongside the gazillion photos that need to be sorted (I hate not being on top of my photos). And my dad, expert and problem solver extraordinaire is away for a while. We've been talking by phone quite a bit and with his help, I've run a scan for the quality of the backup, restored to a known good point, reinstalled software, followed my nose around Windows Vista and waited for it all to come good. But no, not unless I'm missing something obvious, which is completely possible. It has taken hours and hours. Anyway, to cut a long and tedious saga short, I've decided to operate in safe mode for a while and to do what I can't do on my computer on G's. Like upload photos. Which may well involve using sneakernet (walking) to transfer them across. Lucky I can. Because I want to get back to chipping away at my projects and reading blogs and writing. The very thought of being computerless (except while on holiday which I suppose I'll cope with) just makes me want to cry. Pathetic, I know.

Anyway, I've managed to set safe mode so it looks OK. The photo editing software is working, as is the internet. I've lost emails back to mid January but that's OK I guess. I'll catch up.

These pictures are from the unsorted file and were taken early one evening before the crash, down by the Merri Creek. Gerard was chasing Grace, who was very interested in ducks and the water. I was looking at every rustle in the grass worrying about snakes and taking pictures of the pool. The council meeting was an interesting process to see. I think it's going to be a big fight.

All of this has come at an interesting time in my recovery from the mania. Mostly I'm fine. But still not quite ready to trust myself out in the world. It feels a bit like in the old days, when I'd enter a vigorous dance floor and there would be this time before it clicked, a time when I felt all arms and legs. Really clumsy and overly self conscious. Some people can jump right into a dance floor (or kitchen) but I always had that sense of dislocation at the start. Of course, some dance floors never clicked but then life is not a party, so I wouldn't want to push that analogy too far.

I don't know if I'm over reacting when these computer issues bring me to the verge of tears (more than once), or if being nervous at a council meeting is normal for me. Something about this pool issue really gets to me in an emotional sense.  My outer shell has not quite reformed and the hall of mirrors effect still lurks in the background occasionally. Not nearly as bad as it was, more like the odd shimmer than a full on halucination. It's still hard to relax or switch from one task to another and I could easily sit here well into the wee hours with the tap, tap, tap. Being obsessive. Have I filled my life too full or with the wrong things? Yep, that's the hall of mirrors effect again, because really there are just little spaces here and there where I really get to choose. Time that would be otherwise spent watching telly or something. The rest is full with family life and working and the business of life, like eating and sleeping and going to the supermarket. My doctor thinks I'm doing well, citing improved sleep, returning to work, calmer moods, but she says I have to expect that full recovery will take time. Just as it would if I'd broken a leg or something. I know. Alright. Bedtime. Blogreading tommorrow.

getting organised blogwise

As I've had a little bit of spare time and the domestic paragon routine is starting to wear a bit thin (unlike the rest of me sad to say. Damn, I wish there was a mood stabiliser that made you lose weight, as a side effect without effort, hmph), I've been doing a few little blog and flickr jobs.

First Flickr, have moved all my 2007 sets into collections, which won't be obvious but I'm going to start new sets for the new year. Just feels new yearish. I wish I could have my old photos in collections and display my current ones in sets. It's not the best archiving system is Flickr. Oh well. What I really meant to document though, was how to put a picture on your profile page, because I think it's a nice thing to do and it isn't really that obvious. I forgot from last time and spent a good part of an afternoon faffing and swearing. First you write your profile blurb in the describe yourself box on your edit profile page. Then find a photo that you like and go to the individual page for the photo. But wait, the URL in the browser, that's not what you use, eventhough it will link to photos in blog posts. On the right hand side, click where you can view different sizes. Number 2 is called "grab the photo's URL" and the code ends in jpg. Copy and paste this code into the profile thingy blurb and use this html <img src="URL"> to surround it. Well, that will possibly make sense to me next time.

(Lemons picked from the tree before ripe to allow space for others to grow and to stop the young branches from being too heavy. Grace has been making them into soups for about three weeks now.)

I've also chosen a new avatar (I love that word and how it came from from Hindu philosophy and always have to go and look it up again). The crochet square was starting to feel scratchy and woollen in the heat.The orange doily is cotton and I bought it at Savers when Grace was a tiny baby. I used to sit my favourite greeny blue vase filled with pink geranium branches on it in the loungeroom, to look at while she was breastfeeding. Of course, back then she was not a moving, grooving and chaos causing toddler. The doily has been languishing in the back of the teatowel cupboard (which is now neatly folded) for quite some time.  Still, I think this year we'll be able to have more flowers in vases again. Another domestic pleasantry to add to the the resolution pile.

What else? Updating my blog profile behind the avatar. So much easier now that I've set up a "page" because typepad about pages and associated designs are a right royal pain in the arse. Some minor tweaking of the banner, although do you think I could get the colours to match? It's meant to be all a light cream background with a darker cream at the sides. And seamless, no edges showing between the banner and the page. Photoshop and Typepad read colour numbers differently, so it would seem. Or maybe it's my computer screen playing tricks on me. Not to worry. I'll go with the (slight) imperfection. It's OK.

So all ready for summer. I have all manner of serious things to write about but I just can't be faffed. Yet.

reviewed and resolved; and a bit about jam and the weather

It's been stinkin' hot here. Yesterday it was 43C (that's 109F) and emerging from the comfort of mum's car was like walking into a fan-forced oven (at the temperature for merringue?). Yes, we went shopping, Victoria Gardens. Fewer shops, much less crowded than Highpoint, but with Ikea.  I love Ikea and it's so very seductive. At the end I had to sort through the trolley and decide whether I really needed another cutlery drainer. Spent an appalling (for me) amount of money on baskets, kid room storage, tin bowls and other faffery. Useful faffery, which makes it OK on occasion and last time I was pregnant with Grace. So it's all good.

Last night it only got down to 37C (99F),and as the Bureau of Meterology said, it was an oppressive night. So not much sleep for me. Luckily I made apricot jam the other day, when it was just hot, not ridiculously hot. I used a new method and am absurdly pleased with how it turned out.

There are now twenty jars of jam in the cupboard, which was my freaky jam making goal for this summer. If I make some yellow plum jelly, I'll exceed my own expectations, which would be quite nice at present. So anyway, for the reviewed and resolved, new year type stuff, I'm only going to talk about the good stuff. The other stuff, that's too dour a way to start a new year.

Looking back at 2007, I'm pleased about:

• Learning to use DSLR camera my Dad gave me. There's a life time of learning to be had there, but I've made a good start.
• Putting my photos on Flickr. Eventhough I don't have time to comment and browse much, uploading a couple of times a week has gotten me in the habit of working through all the photos I take as I go. My filing and archiving systems are also better now. The thought of thousands of unedited photos clogging my hardrive gives me the shudders.
• Getting through most of the year at work, some of it nearly full time and mostly being genuine and compassionate with customers. Improving my skills and knowlege, including developing expertise in a particular field. All the time working within the legislative framework. Obviously I can't go into too much detail, but I'm giving myself a rather big pat on the back here.
• Changing our routine at home so we always eat dinner at the table together. This bowls me over, we didn't do this all the time when I was a child. I remember wanting to and my instincts were right. Sometimes it's hard eating with a two (and three quarters) year old but mostly it's great. It forces us to stick to a sensible dinner time and we groove out to music and chat. Our cooking has improved too.
• Blogging. Somewhere to offload, debrief, be shallow, think about things in more detail. I've truly come to love this form of writing. It's bought me back to words and enriched my inner life in a way I never expected. It's also been a great community for me. And I've met lots of lovely ladies in person. Who'd a thunk it? Details; here, here and here. So to everyone who's been a reader, commenter or casual lurker, thank you.

In 2008 I'd like to:

• Do another photography course. One specially aimed at DSLRs, including a photoshoot. If anything, doing a course sets aside dedicated time for learning about my camera. The last one was such a buzz.
• Make another calender for Christmas.
• Buy a house. Not just any house but one that can become our home and not split us asunder in the process.
• Start working towards another form of income for the future. Something more freelance. I'm thinking about writing books (ideas for children's fiction and adult non fiction), small business commercial websites, a way for G to sell his woodwork maybe. Not starting a new business. Realistically, that's going to be too hard alongside working, buying a house and making said house livable, but just sampling some ideas here and there. Trying things on, seeing how they fit.
• More waterplay. Perhaps swimming as excercise for me during summer. Start Grace with swimming lessons (maybe in about six months). Make sure we go to the beach, the pool, the river and maybe a dam. Grace loves the water and so do I. Learn to take pictures underwater, because my new little carry everywhere camera can.
• Try and keep some space in my life for art with Grace, art for me (ideas for wrapping paper and cards) and sewing. Learn to make a quilt. Make some more sewn knitwear, because I really enjoy that.
• Clean the windows. Let the floors, the dusting and the bathroom go, but clean windows, they lift your spirits. Well, they do mine.
• Learn the art of the short blog post. Ha!

Happy 2008 everyone!

And it's now a comfortable 24C (75F). Time for some sleep.

in pink

I have this idea that I wear black all the time, and it's true I do wear a lot of black. Last year I tried to go a whole year without purchasing or making a black item of clothing. And it was hard. Women in inner city Melbourne often wear a lot of black or other dark colours, particularly those that came of age in the eighties. I remember my mother taking me clothes shopping and trying in vain to get me to wear another colour. It's funny, but these days I sometimes wear quite a bit of pink.

In this photo I'm wearing an old t-shirt from Best and Less. Nothing special, just super comfy. And very pink. It kind of fits in with the decor of this room which was an extraordinary mix of cutsie pictures, weird bedspreads and gruesome Mary Leunig cartoons. In a house full of very umm, quirky decor. I packed in a hurry on Saturday morning after the house auctions (we didn't get either of the houses but I'm OK with that, our house will turn up at the right time). My destination, a house in the country for a craft weekend with some very special ladybloggers and crafty women. During which I made half a pin cushion and took over 200 photos. But as others have said, the real prize and delight was the company of fabulous women. It was a shame not to be able to go for the whole weekend, but going on Saturday meant I was able to attend another bloggy gathering of another lot of fabulous women on the Thursday night. Hugely fun!  I feel so lucky to be part of this wonderful bloggy community. Tickled pink, you might say!

See what others are wearing here.

we love it

Last Thursday when I got home from work and before we headed off to Hobart, there was a a parcel waiting for me. It was very exciting, a welcome break in a trying and busy day. Grace helped me with unwrapping and the first thing she said was, we loove it. I'm trying to catch her particular intonation here, because it's very serious, yet also funny and cute. The next two things she said were; it's Grace and then it's Grace's? And I said no, it's for mummy, from one of her friends on the computer.

Grace was OK with that because what's mine is generally hers too, and we put it up on the shelf in the kitchen for everyone to enjoy, next to the yellow rabbit eggcup and blue tea cannister. In the longer term, it's a toss up whether to put this painting above my desk or in the back room near my sewing shelf and where the light falls in particularly pleasing ways. It's a present from Sue at fiveandtwo. A while ago, Sue asked for a photo, and to be honest, I was quite chuffed to be asked. And it prompted me to start learning how to print my pictures. Something that ended up taking quite a few weeks but that I've been meaning to do for ages.

So thank you Sue, we love it!

so is it art and do I care?*

Yesterday morning, as I was drinking my second coffee and checking my email, all relaxed by the public holiday in the middle of the week, I noticed a new commenter. Hmm interesting, I thought. I opened the blog, because I like to read my comments in context, and there it was, the first deliberately unkind comment I've received here.  At the end of the post I wrote about our friend Steve. So I shot off an email;  Yomamma. I'm curious. Why would you go out of your way to comment that someone's photos are crap? Especially on a post where they're writing about a friend dying, and especially after you would have read that another friend just died. It seems like a cruel context in which to make such a comment. To be honest I don't care what you think of my photos. But really, I'm curious why you would write something like that. Please enlighten me. Of course I haven't had a reply (and I realise that there would be nothing to stop a troll using someone elses site name in the comments box) but nonetheless, I am curious.

As I scrolled though the last five posts, I realised that maybe these aren't the best lot of photos I've taken, but I'm more than OK with that. It's a blog, which being diary like in nature, repsonds to life and time and is therefore kind of fleeting and imperfect by it's very nature. Not a coffee table book where every word and image has been laboured over endlessly. Then I started to think about something I read recently about some photos being art and some being just pretty pictures and that if you're churning out the latter, you really shouldn't be representing yourself as an artist. That might be true I suppose, but where do we draw the line? And who gets to draw it? It's very easy when when faced with a great and recognised artwork to say, oh yes that's art. But what about the works the artist made on the way to the great artwork? What about art that is yet to be recognised as great? Is it art if the artist is prolific? And what about art that I don't like, is it art if it's the work of someone reconised as an artist but not if it's from someone unknown? Is blogging an art? Do I really care? I know on some level I do, but I'm a lot less hurt by the comment than I would have expected. It appears that the act of the blogging has made me reform the thick skin I grew in the hurly burly of writing workshops more than a decade ago.That's a good thing.

I love taking photos. Anyone who reads this blog would know that, but what I've come to realise is that I'm a lot more attached to the process of making the picture than I am to the finished result. I like some of the finished results, but once they're done, I just want to go out and take more photos. There's something I really enjoy about looking for the picture. Finding something new to see. Reframing my world. The pictures in this post were taken on the hill around Hobart airport, waiting for a delayed plane. Shan said that the light was all wrong but I dragged him up the hill, saying there's always something. In the end, he thought the tree was the photo and went and collected rubbish and discussed framing and other technical matters. But I liked the ones of the hill without the tree better in the end. He's strictly a film type photographer, but I love the immediacy of digital. And that once you have the camera, it's cheap. But no matter what the process, hanging out with and taking pictures together, that was great. It really was. And I like these pictures, even if I look at them and see some ISO and manual camera issues. Because apart from any minor quibble about technical learning issues, they remind me of the weekend just gone in a sweeter and more sorrowful way than words alone.

If I'm ranting, I guess I'm still in angry mode, not from the comment so much, but from life and loss. It seems to be that every time something sad happens, I travel down that road again; re-visiting old griefs and being mad at myself for feeling like that. It didn't help that work today was extra, extra busy, two days worth of customers and I was keeping all that anger locked inside of me in a tight little ball. Being pleasant and helpful. I suppose that's why people make comments like that, because they have anger inside that has festered. Funnily though, it kind of makes me feel as though I've come of age as a blogger. The trolls are visiting. Pfft.

Anyway, there's two really nice things to look forward to on the weekend. Like really nice, involving fellow bloggers, who I imagine will be really lovely. Actually, I know they will be really lovely. And there will be relaxation and craft. I can't wait. Just one more day at work.

* Yes and Yes/No. If that makes sense.

Updated to add, I've deleted the nasty comment. Meant to before, but have just got around to it. I think the gist of what was said is contained in my response. Which is enough to hold onto.