Thursday, October 28, 2010

there's a snail in my garden...


well, there was - he's currently in the kitchen with the sacrificed beetroot leaf he was lounging about on, while i contemplate his fate. so...what does an animal-loving vegetarian do with an interloper like this?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

kahlil gibran

your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

and the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

how else can it be?

the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

and is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

when you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find that it is only what has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

when you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

spiderweb symphony



i caught sight of another spiderweb while watering this evening - and went running for the camera again. love the way the drops of water catch on webs and transform them into something that resembles nature's own version of jewelry. it looked so perfect...then i managed to half destroy it! so sorry little spider.

it reminds me of a pearl collar necklace my grandmother gave me, and the shots where the shutter speed was technically too slow make me think of the movement of a conductor's baton.

dietes at dusk

one of the multitude of wonderful things about tending my vege garden is the way it draws me outside and reveals things i would have completely missed otherwise...in the mornings a quick 'check in' as the day begins shows me any new growth overnight (or other surprises like new holes in things), and towards dusk when it's time for the daily water i find the whole world turning a little magical in the evening light.

(picnik-ed image...not quite this magical looking without some enhancement)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

how cute is this?

somewhere approaching as cute as a newborn i think...excited to have the current baby boom among my friends starting with a couple of girls (as requested!) - a good excuse to sew some dresses and such. in fact i thought this was so cute i hung it on the bedroom wardrobe door the night it was finished, and ohhed and ahhed at its sweetness every time i caught a glimpse...

it's my normal imperfect style where i'm most impressed by the overall effect. this time though most of the inside even looked presentable. that's some soft cream damask that had been sitting in the cupboard for a decade or two on the inside. and the main fabric is another vintage purchase from my faithful friend ebay.

(i'm still taken with including these details on the selvedge - anyone know if they actually have a name?)

okay, baby-sized drumroll please: here it is!


it's a slightly bigger version of the previous 'itty bitty baby dress' i made - a free made by rae pattern. the last attempt was so small it barely fitted its owner (one of the most delicate specimens i have ever seen) just after she was born. this is the next size up - 1 to 3 months, plus a teeny bit more for insurance - and hopefully i'll get a bit of feedback on how it fits. definitely recommend erring on the larger side though if you're going to give it a try. now, i just need to ask the universe to kindly bring on a few sunny days again...

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

klimt reincarnate



once upon a time this klimt panel was a little singlet top - a lovely little (too little) singlet top, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. so it decided to make itself useful, morph into something entirely different, and head off on an adventure to find somebody more than a little special to love it again.

it enlisted the aid of some vintage velvet and destash velvet and backing friends, prettied itself up, stuffed itself silly and emerged a cushion (then tried out a few of the local chairs for size). before i knew what had happened it was out the door - traveling all incognito as a brown paper package tied up with string - and on its way across the country to a new home and a new life...


(post name inspiration from one of my favourite blogs - melanie's kimono reincarnate )

Monday, October 18, 2010

smiles, glitter and gratitude - with tea





unexpected surprises in brown paper packages really are one of the great pleasures in life. lately i've been sending a few out into the world and getting such a buzz from it that i'd almost decided giving was better than receiving...almost!

and then
this morning i'd just boiled the kettle before heading up to check the post, so when i found some treasure i took it out to the verandah with my tea to savour as i opened. inside the beautifully decorated outer wrapping (enough to elicit many smiles in itself and make me hesitate to unwrap it) was the most beautiful little gift from from two beautiful women...

under a whole lot of glitter i found one of miras fabulous artworks - soul medicine every time - and a lovingly handmade beaded string with little origami cranes from the talented alex. with glitter everywhere (including in my tea) i soaked up the feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the thoughtfulness, creativity, colour and beauty in that little box. and decided that receiving really is pretty good too!

thanks so very much alex and mira for making my day, it was a truly special surprise to find on my daily pilgrimage to the mailbox. i feel so touched and blessed and am still smiling to myself.

Friday, October 15, 2010

waterlogged wonderland (the green series)




i had so much fun playing with some of my images from the flooded parklands the other day that i can't resist posting a few more - in shades of green this time. amazing what you can do deliberately changing exposures and mucking around a bit in iphoto and picnik.

really enjoying all the lush new growth and incredibly beautiful colours everywhere (as well as the overcast days...music to my eyes, if there is such a thing). thinking that it's probably enough water for a little while though - hard to believe that this land of overflowing dams is the same drought-ridden one which was driving us in the direction of recycled water not too long ago.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

happy anniversary?

a year ago today a landmark study linking CFS and the retrovirus XMRV (xenotropic; murine leukemia virus; related; virus) was first published in the prestigious journal 'science'.

a year ago today i didn't actually know what a retrovirus was. a year ago the idea of testing positive to an illness which
counts AIDS and leukemia among its unenviable retrovirus companions would have been horrifying and terrifying. it still is, in many ways, but somehow the possibility of testing negative in the face of a new frontier of hope is scarier still. the devil and the deep blue sea...

so, a year on, what has changed? politics and egos appear to have gone into overdrive - but how much closer are we to answers? to the elusive cure? only time will tell. meanwhile patients are being led on an emotional roller-coaster ride, and the clock is still ticking away.

it makes me something far beyond angry to hear people in power playing politics with this, while millions of us lose more and more of our lives and continue to suffer. while the thought of others being exposed to XMRV in the meantime and potentially going on to develop this devastating illness makes my blood boil. this is not an issue that is just about the ME/CFS community, this is about everyone - XMRV has also been found in the general (healthy) population, blood supplies are not being screened for it at this stage and methods of transmission are yet to be fully understood. we all need answers so that we can make informed decisions. we need the scientific process to be able to evolve unhindered by government and personal agendas - to show what really lies beneath. and, if XMRV happens to turn out not to be as significant as many suspect, then we need to know this and move on.

i want the 'games' to stop. i want my life back. i want everyone with this illness to be able to enjoy a healthy body, to be able to live their dreams. and i don't want one more person on earth to have to live like this.




(i wonder where we'll be one year from today?)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

the start of something beautiful


'they' (of infinite and anonymous wisdom) say that you can't choose who you fall in love with. not sure if this generally extends to inanimate objects, but i can't even explain how head-over-heels in love i am with my new rotary cutter - after less than 24 hrs together. i don't think it will be long at all before i can't imagine life without it. and afraid i can't resist naming my new sidekick,
so...introducing ollie.

Monday, October 4, 2010

blaze of glory



the sun put himself to bed tonight in spectacular fashion...the most gorgeous combination of soft peaches and vivid blazing oranges, setting the sky alight so dramatically he begged to be photographed.

(missed the most impressive moments chasing him through the trees - just caught him before he disappeared fully into nightly slumber)