Handsome boy

Brunch

This is my best brunch, using up the last egg given to me by Rob from totally free range chickens in Denmark, and the first one from a supermarket free range box. There is a huge difference in the taste and size of the yolks as well as colour.

I like the poached eggs to be so runny that it's hard to separate the yolk from the white. As much of the white as possible should be removed and given to Rufus before serving. Toast and egg should be topped with salt and pepper and a well grilled field mushroom.

This is plate-lickingly good.

Project 2009

Looking forward to next year, I am thinking of the various projects that I've wanted to start for some time, and have been clearing the decks for commencement in the next few weeks.

The beginning of a new year always fills me with optimism, especially this one. Two thousand eight has been a sad year in which I have lost a good friend, and other good friends of mine have lost their loved ones. But I have also seen courage in the face of adversity, and great personal growth through those losses. I appreciate my own good health and all the other good things in my life so much more. I've made many new friends who have encouraged me to share my creativity and try all sorts of new ways to express my ideas and my love of colour.

Now that I have a room dedicated to making stuff in, and all my bits and pieces are reasonably organised, I feel energised to keep making something every day (even if it's only a mess). I would like to have one main project on the go, which I can work on in between my other smaller ones.

I don't really know what to call this mega-collage project. The raw materials are pictured below: a tall cardboard box, and stacks of papers - mostly interesting pictures and patterns culled from magazines. The idea is to cover the box with the papers. It won't mean much to anyone else at this point, but there is a kind of order in the different piles of papers surrounding the chaise. (They were sorted yesterday while I waited for the Mod Podge to dry when working on some postcards). I am hoping that this order will become evident when I start gluing.











Stay tuned for periodical updates.

Christmas music

I know the Stabat Mater is not really xmas music, but I love it and haven't heard it for a while so it is spinning at the moment. Wonderful. The Chaconne CD is really something special too.

Right now I've got seville orange scented wax melting in the burner and I'm about to sit down with ripped-up paper images, a paintbrush, a pot of Mod Podge, and an early glass of champagne. And I'm still in my pyjamas. Bliss!

O yeah, and I'll be doing home made spaghetti and meatballs later for me and the boys, if I get around to it. Then, Monty Python's Life of Brian on DVD. And perhaps some sewing at some point today.

Wishing you all happy days, whoever you're with, whatever you're doing.

Sam xoxo

Pencil shavings overexposed

Pencil shavings with cat hair

Ow

My wisdom tooth is cutting into the inside of my cheek, and I can't get a dental appointment until the 5th of January. (/moan)

Spider in Denmark

Above is a huntsman spider which was crawling over someone's car when I went down south recently.

Some of you may remember a while ago I posted about the spider living behind one of the exterior mirrors of my car. Whilst I was driving 110km/h down the Albany Highway on my way back from Denmark, I saw her venture out and sit in the web. I thought she'd been blown to bits, since when I arrived home, the web was demolished.

But a few days ago, the web had been rebuilt in the same place.

Moth

Rufus enjoys the morning sunshine

Raid

Six o'clock this morning I was woken by what sounded like an aeroplane circling somewhere very close by. I went outside in my PJs and slippers to see a helicopter hovering almost directly above the house. Turns out the police were raiding the Coffin Cheaters' clubhouse just around the corner. The Coffin Cheaters are a bikie (motorcycle) gang. The whole street is cordoned off still.

I must apologise to my dear readers for the very unexciting photos. I tried to get up closer but the cops moved me on, and they also moved the Channel 7 news van on. Spoilsports.

Road trip

I've just returned from a very short trip down to Denmark, to accompany Rob and Cathy's family and a couple of close friends in scattering Cath's ashes on Ocean Beach yesterday (her birthday). I can clearly remember a walk we took there a couple of years ago before she got sick and it was lovely to have that memory of her flooding back. I remember the conversation we had - about opera - and the beautiful view we enjoyed from the lookout where we posed for photos which I'm sure I have somewhere.

Eleven of us (including Rob) went to scatter the ashes. We had to walk over a partly submerged bridge to get to the beach, and we all laughed when one of Cathy's nephews gave his grandmother a piggy-back over the water. The rest of us had to take our shoes off and roll up the legs of our jeans, and I got a prickle in my foot which I've only just managed to pull out (after soaking in a hot bath).

On a lighter note, I received a fantastic art doll (named Rusty) from a wonderful Melbourne artist on Monday, so I brought her along for conversation on the long drive to Denmark (over 400km each way). We manufactured a few photo opportunities, and there are more pics on my flickr. Here is a picture of her in the small country town of Kojonup where we stopped for lunch and coffee (notice the little tractor mowers in the background):

Ready....steady....sew!

Finally my craft room is tidy enough to work in!

Fuchsias

I have two different fuchsias - this one has more subtle colours and flowers less often than my red/purple one. At the moment it has three pairs of gorgeous flowers in full bloom.

Gazanias

I planted these last weekend, too, and they have just started flowering:

Western Australian sunset

Had a lovely meal at the Trigg Island Cafe last night, and this was the view out of the window:

Fresh flowers

I felt better after a couple of pain killers and decided to plant petunias in one of my hanging baskets. And now I feel even better still - I can see the basket through the living room window - such a pretty colour clash between the red and the purple!

Tomatoes planted

The weather should be warming up soon, and it seemed like the right time to plant tomato seedlings yesterday. One is grosse lisse and the other one is a grape tomato. There are a few more seedlings in spaces that were available around the front yard garden beds. I also planted basil and coriander, along with some marigolds. I think I overdid it lugging the 25 litre bags of soil around, and my shoulder and neck are really sore. I got some other flowers to refresh the hanging baskets but I just can't manage at the moment.

Looking up in the city

Pelicans on the water

Hibiscus

One of my favourite flowers - spotted this beauty during my daily walk.

Unknown plant

I have no idea what this flower is but it's kind of prehistoric looking. Anyone?

Suppertime

"I told you so."

Clouds, and a bougainvillea snuggling up to a jacaranda

There's a storm brewing - I can smell it - and look at these clouds. This photo was taken about an hour ago and the sky is considerably darker now.


While I was out looking for more photo opportunities I found myself in a street off my usual route, and I spotted these two good friends:

























In other news, I managed to solve six clues in yesterday's Guardian cryptic crossword.

Jacaranda

Lights on

Who will attack first?

The hand

I'd love to know who did this fantastic work. I think it's beautiful. And it certainly brightens up a dull industrial area!

Street art in Bayswater

Craft room - ta daaa!

Okay, I'm cheating just a little bit here, because what these photos don't show is the vast pile of papers, sheet music, files and books that are scattered on top of the computer desk and sewing table. So I'm not ready to start sewing in here just yet. But I feel it's a big achievement to have moved all Cathy's fabric scraps out of their bags and into the storage unit.

Eddie

Living Room

Now with added dance floor!

The CD towers still need to be secured to the wall.

Finally!

This is my happy smile after returning from the dentist today. The tooth fairy was a bit mean though.

Call the Waaaaambulance!

No new tooth today. Didn't fit. Gums too tight. Back tomorrow.

Waiting for the tooth fairy

Being child-free, I have no idea what the tooth fairy's going rate is now, but by my calculations, and taking into account depreciation, inflation, GST and capital gains tax, I am expecting a small windfall tomorrow when I finally get my implant.