psst..

come this way and we'll show you some things.

let me know what you think...

cassette fetish

Quite a haul from Tallangatta yesterday.  Amoung other things, this gorgeous little cassette recorder.  The tapes were from an earlier jaunt and I've almost binned them  a number of times.  Joseph's been playing DJ from the weird selection - Dance Music 1 and 2 are all jigs, U2 War reminds me why I never got into U2...and then there's the demo tape called Silver Suits from Astronauts from a band called Ball Boy. They're from Iceland.  Fun  to wonder how on earth the tape made it to our small town.  Also not sure what to think about the compilation: Side A: Songs to Wake the Soul, Side B: Songs to Raise the Dead.  We haven't played it all the way though. Yet.

auntie beuys boone venus

all hung up

This is perhaps the most conventionally pleasing hanger to emerge from my Great Hanger Experiment. Brace yourselves. Things are about to get weird.

little green mirror 2.

as your hands work under water

and cobwebs grey your hair

the little green mirror

gives a glimpse of your brow

and hints at what's behind you

quick. unpick.

1. No pattern, no instructions, no pins, no pressing, no measuring. Feels like base jumping.

2. I'm cutting straighter, but this is because my material is restricted to plaid.

3. All my biscuit tins are tartan.  I am becoming plaid-obsessive.

4. I have a history with plaid - there was one outfit in the 1990's composed of tight plaid waiscoat over plaid wool flares under black watch tartan skirt, bustled, under brown wool skirt. Brave. Too brave.

5. It's an unjustifiable 120km round trip to Spotlight for the Quick Unpick, but I need it NOW.

6. Wood block carving tools do not work as quick as a Quick Unpick.

7. On the work table - little plaid bags for collecting fruit from the shops (I hate those plastic bags on rolls) and a superb plaid plastic bag-holding tube. Tried to sell them to  my friend, but he said he would go into ideological melt-down over the two concepts - wanting to fill the tube with plastic bags, but wanting to use the cloth bags. We could solve this by filling the tube with cloth bags, but....

8. Plaid is the new satin, when it comes to covering coat hangers. But that's another story...

wish blocks

pinching cheek

Joe keeps a close watch on the ripening produce in Granny's garden.  We ran out of bought(!) apples the other day and he recommended checking the orchard.

"I love pinching fruit", he said, as we sneakily went round with the billy can.

The orchard has been around for as long as there has been a farm here, and there are people in their 80's who remember childhood summers when they crept up the creek to raid the trees. When we came to look at the place in 1988, my brother and I fought our way through chicken wire and grass to an apple tree down the back.  The fruit was big, red and perfect from the first cheeky bite. 

It makes me smile to see the custom continued.

Spearwood Spectacle

Just before Christmas in Perth, our relatives took us on a  quick tour of the lights. The grand finale was in Spearwood - a whole front yard lit up and populated with robotic creatures.  I almost cried when I saw this grotto in the front room.  Something to do with the generosity of the feat.  Then an awestruck Joe grabbed my hand.

"Look mum. Come and see this..."

In a corner of the porch, on a little round table, a black and white cat watched us back.  

It was the only thing that wasn't flashing.

Perfick

Home smoked trout

Garden grown salad and so so waxy potatoes

Eggs from happy hens just down the road

Friends and family

Gentle sun and a light breeze

So nice to be here this year