Friday, January 16, 2009

foto on friday



The neighbours have knocked the tiny front veranda off the front of their house, then they took out the front steps. This is what is left.



Next they started in on the driveway. I am wondering if they are planning to brick veneer their house, but we have not been informed by the local authority of any work. It's tempting to call up the council and ask for an inspector to come out and check what they are doing.




Playing with the macro zoom on the baby camera. Self sown tomato bush.



And finally, my ISE7 scarf. It's done, and fringed. Its approximately 1.75 metres long and really soft, knitted in Lindcraft Prism, 70% merino 30% soy.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

my space

At 8.58am in my room it is 36 degrees (c). That's a whopping 98.6 degrees (f)!
Oh yeah, of course, it's summer! I remember.

Most of the year I love my room. I sleep with the blinds up and the curtains drawn, I wake with the sun and sleep with the stars. It faces east/south/east, and it catches most of the breezes that fly through Sydney's western suburbs. At night it cools fastest of all the rooms in the house. The large iron bark gum fills my view from the pillow, and it creates various soundscapes as the wind rustles the leaves or rain falls. The cicadas love it, and right now they are singing away. At various times of the year, rainbow lorikeets squark to each other, and the cats love nothing better than that rough bark for sharpening their claws.

Today, I don't feel the love quite so much. Its hot, again, and even with the ceiling fan going, there's no relief from the pervasive warmth creeping in. For only the second time this summer the blinds and curtains are closed and I have abandoned the spinning wheel and knitting, and decided to play on the computer instead. A little later the back half of my house will be stinking hot, (even though it is shielded by a huge verandah and some trees in the back yard) and I will be forced to run the air conditioner. I almost hate to say it, but the frigid air at work (where the air con is always set to antarctic) is looking good today. (I am still on annual leave for two more days, stop thinking of work.)

As always the main concern is for the pets, especially the dopey dogs, who love nothing better than to "dig" to the bottom of the water bowl, sending showers of water over themselves and emptying out the contents of their bowl. Pesky critters, who'd a thunk all that fur kept them warm????

Any hoo, I should do just a little more work on the ISE7 scarf, because in contrast to temps here, my buddy is drowning in snow and the trees at her place are having to have ice knocked of their branches to stop them falling down in the frigid temperatures. Hey bud how about sending a little cold down under??? She really needs some more scarf love to come her way.

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against the mainstream media propaganda

Yes mum, it's from a Canadian citizen, speaking about his country's view, but it could just as easily be about use. Please if you read nothing else or follow no other links, look at the map at the top of the article, and think about what I have told you previously.

http://thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/2009/01/canada-backs-gaza-seige.html

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Monday, January 12, 2009

holiday

Since there are really a lot of photos uploaded to my flikr page, I will just post the most amusing ones today on the blog.

The holiday week away encompassed my mum's birthday, so there is the obligatory birthday photos, but with a twist.


Also the sock saw a good time, and has been rewarded with many photos.



Our holiday this year was at Easts Beach Kiama, staying in a cabin. Mum stayed for the whole seven days, volunteering her car for transport as it is the smallest and most economical to run. My sister Catherine arrived on Saturday and stayed until Wednesday, at which time the pressure to return to her ratty kids (the youngest is 11 or so, and the oldest 19) forced her to return home, but hopefully the time away did her some good.

I spent a lot of time either in the surf beyond the breakers and away from the small children who always delight in squeeing and yelling in really obnoxious tones (of course my children never did this, why they were always and at all times perfect angels), or in the pool just treading water in the deepest part, so mostly the kids stayed on the edges and splashed about there. (That reads like I don't like kids, but that's also not essentially correct, I love kids, just give me a little space that's all I ask).

Unfortunately the neighbours at the caravan park decided to hold a couple of all night drinking sessions, which I slept through ok, but Catherine is a light sleeper (years of night duty in intensive care?). I always think the funniest thing about other people's parties is when one of the group is slightly sober, and spends lots of time sushing the others, and then they all giggle and just get louder. Sorry Catherine, but really I did not hear them, although in sympathy for you I must admit I rattled the tin garbage bin rather ferociously around 7am the next day. slightly more than once. (hey its all part of the living in each other's pockets that is caravan park life).

We visited the blow holes (little and big) several times, and sadly the only time either were performing their acquatic show was on the last two days, after the southerly change blew through.

On the way home but before leaving Kiama, we did a drive around to the Kiama Harbour and then the rock pool. Is it just me or is it wierd that two men at two different, but extremely public places, just decided to drop their daks and get changed? One was in the car park at the rock pool, under the blow hole lookout. Right beside his car but clearly in view one 55ish man just was standing there drying off and getting changed, buck naked people!!!!! (and he was nothing special I can tell you). The other was one of a pair of foreign back packers who were camping (illegally) outside the very stinky loos beside the rock pool. The young man (who was completely the opposite of car park guy) was standing and stretching after obviously having a morning dip in the pool wearing only his birthday suit. Now if you have to be exposed to some stranger's nudity first thing in the morning, all I can say is I still have a smile on my face after that show!! He was shortish (5.8 or so) but with no tan lines, and rather nicely built. Thank you universe.

We went out to dinner twice, once for mum's birthday to an Italian joint called Chiachi's which was nice, but we felt like they were rushing us the whole time, and even though it was only about 7.30 when we wanted dessert, they had already run out of the only thing mum wanted, creme brulee. 7.30 people, what about diners who started their night out much later than us??? I mean it was a menu item, not a special (whinge, moan here!) Had the baked riccotta antipasto as a starter, and then chicken/mustard/ sun dried tomatoes with avocado in lemon cream sauce (me), tortoleni bosciola (mum) and steak and sauce with veges (Cat). Too much food, but we took the leftovers home for another night.

the other night was at Monsoon Moon, which is a wierd mix of Thai food with Italian (pumpkin ravioli anyone?). Dinner was delicious, and even without a booking they accommodated us. Thoroughly recommended, we had a vegeterian/tofu with steamed rice, beef massaman curry, and pad thai noodles, with a mixed entre to start. Really fresh and delicious.

We visited Berry twice, but had a disappointing experience in Sew and Tell, when we tried to buy the pattern for a piece on display they refused, but we had spent over $200 the day before in their shop buying the exact yarn to construct this very piece, very frustrating ladies, and guess what, apart from the Cascade 220, we can get everything else you sell at Tapestry Craft (Morris and Sons) in the city, or online too, if we want, so that's one day trip off the itinerary.

We went to the Berry markets and had the best time, bought various condiments / pickles / chutneys and some candy too! I took my spindle (as I always do) and while waiting at various times for my sister or mother, stood under the nearest shade and spun away, amazing both small children and adults, and I'm not even very good at it, but I suppose if you have never seen yarn made from fluff before it is an astonishing thing.

All in all we have had a very good week.

And dear scarf pal (ise 7) I also worked on your pressy of a night time, when I was sitting and not watching the 3 / 4 hours of news per night (mum, get broadband for your computer and you will never watch television news again).

sexy garbage can photos, lactating asian babes, skany earings.

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Thursday, January 01, 2009

death glare


death glare
Originally uploaded by Gemma_Anne
The look on Bandit's face really says it all. After five or more hours of stupid neighbours letting off fireworks (some industrial sized), he just wants to be left alone in the hot weather to sleep it off. (try and be nice and ignore the assorted things lying around my bed room. I swear there's a good reason for a step ladder being there, I just can't remember what it is right at this moment.

ise7.scarf


ise7.scarf
Originally uploaded by Gemma_Anne
Ah ha!!! Part of the work of art that is my contribution to ISE 7 (International Scarf Exchange 7). If you requested autumn colours, reds, blues or green/brown, this could be yours ......