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 )

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.

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.

wood and water

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?)

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.

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)

rainy day meditation

it's cold (and wet) outside

the local ensemble of wildlife was not too impressed with the weather here yesterday. the second i appeared in the kitchen in the morning there was a sopping little butcher bird calling out urgently to me from the balcony railing (later found out his whole family had already been through that routine once before he got to me!). when i took pity and went out to feed him a kookaburra came swooping in...then another...and another - all looking pretty sorry for themselves. and three of the butcher birds spent much of the afternoon taking shelter perched on the struts under the carport.

when i went down to the next level of the house a bush turkey was pecking at the outside bed (no idea what that was all about) and later in the day there was a turkey chase going on just outside in the same spot - think the mound isn't ready for his girlfriend yet. mama poss has been back wedged in her spot on the beam near the front door for the last three days. and last night there was a soundtrack of an owl hooting from the bush nearby and a curlew crying. sometimes i feel very very close to nature!

peek-a-boo