red

So close to the end of BLOGTOBERFEST now... so close, I'm really really running out of things to say, but being the stubborn one I am, I can't let myself skip a day so close to the end, I just can't.

So how about a picture? Will that do? Hope so...


"Don’t forget there are flowers blossoming beneath you"

random runout

I've been tagged by Nomes, Ashley , Cate, with the "6 Random Things" meme. I've done this one a few times now, and although I still try to come up with stuff, I'm sorry to say that right now I'm so "randomed" out that I feel very normal and boring in fact... I just don't have anything interesting to share.

But, don't worry, I have a plan...

6 Random Things

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Nomes + Ashley + Cate)
2. Mention the rules. (check)
3. Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
4. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
5. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you've written the post.

So here we go...
6 Random Things About My Parter in Crime; Mr You.
(After all, they say you can tell alot about a person by the company they keep)

1. He's the son of a fisherman, he tells me stories of sick days home from primary school having to sleep on a little matress on the floor of the fish co-op that his parents owned. The smell has remained with him (in his memory, not physically thank god)... He doesn't like seafood very much as a result.

2. Cats and children LOVE him. We used to have to factor an extra 15 minutes when we were walking somewhere to give all the neighbourhood cats time to come and say hello to him. The same thing happens with children, usually our friends kids, but sometimes complete strangers too. We'll be sitting in a cafe and the next minute there's a little kid coming right up to him for a bit of a chat, 30 seconds later they're best friends. It's the strangest thing. Like he's got some "Santa" quality to him or something (despite being quite slim and not having a beard).

3. There isn't a day that goes by without him failing to cite some nostalgia for the "great decade that was the 1980's". It took him a while to cotton on that I had turned this quirk into a joke. I now call him Uncle Rico.

4. Despite that, he is one of the smartest people I know. Either that or he remembers every fact he's ever heard. His team always wins at trivia. He credits this intelligence to Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire. Apparently everything you'll ever need to know is in that song.

5. One of his really good friends (that he's known for years) became a very famous "rock star" internationally in the last 5 years. It's very surreal seeing him everywhere. They've since lost contact, and although Mr You would love to let him know that he's really happy and proud for him, he worries that calling him now would seem like he's just being a bit of a groupy. He doesn't tell people about this, because name dropping is wanky.

6. He very recently found out that he is an 8th Aboriginal. At first I think it was a bit of a tid-bit, but now it's starting to sink in more and I think in future years he will really feel an urge to research the family line more deeply. We've been watching the "First Australians" TV series on SBS, and are both left speechless afterwards.

- - -

Thanks taggers! That was fun :)

Now I tag.. um has anyone not done this yet? Or wants to do it again? Leave me a comment and I'll tag you :)


And in case you're curious here are lots of random things about me.

what i'm surprised that i like

This is: what I'm surprised I like.

Okay so it's been a little while now, but I really was surprised at how much I like being a cat owner. Beforehand I would have called myself a "dog person", I had never had a cat. In the lead up to adopting Tilli I was still asking Mr You the cliched anti-cat questions like; "Will it scratch the furniture?", "Will it know right from wrong?", "Will it walk on the table?", "Will it climb the curtains?"... And I'm ashamed to admit, but to be honest, I just didn't know cats had personalities like dogs do.

So now, as I hug and kiss Tilli 6 billion times a day, talk to her constantly, and dream about her almost every night, it still surprises me how much I love having her around.

Huh. Who knew? :)

final week

Not only are we into the final week of Blogtoberfest, but there's also only one week left of my exhibition at artstream too.

The exhibition is called Affirmations, and if you haven't already had a peep, you should go have a looksee over here. It was a really lovely coincidence that Penelope, Amy, Sian and myself all seemed to turn to nature as our way of expressing what we see as the positive elements in our world. I know for me I find it both grounding, and uplifting all at the same time.

My works were all based on elements from my new neighbourhood (in fact most of them are in my garden), that are all so new and amazing to me. Both birds and plants, and the idea that it's all closer to us, more a part of us than what we'd probably give it credit for. For this body of work rather than creating something new, it was about excavating what was already around me. Making a practice of seeing.

So if you're looking for a special handmade gift for someone, perhaps a joyful piece of art would hit the spot... wink wink (sorry, it's the last week, I have to get a plug in there somewhere) ;D

The work above is titled "All the blessings are present in my thoughts today", which follows on nicely from how I ended my post yesterday. And indeed they are.

tenacity

I'm a bit lost for words today. I wanted to thank everyone for the warm responses to yesterday's post. And I want to say more about that, about Renee and Angelique both responding personally, about Nomes and Emma having such personal reactions, and about what that meant to me to have them all share it. But also how it's not about me at all. But like I said, I'm lost for words.

I keep meeting these people with such tenacity...

Today I had morning tea with a possible new friend who lives around the corner. Within the first 5 minutes she was telling me openly all about her little boy, who due to a bad birth, has been left severely disabled with cerebral palsy. He has full mental capacity, but absolutely no control of his motor skills, which means he can't speak, or walk, or sit up. Yet she was telling me this very matter-of-factly, with no hint of sorrow, and quite enthusiastically showing me all of his braces, chairs and equipment.

Again I was floored.

Lost for words at these people, who amaze and startle me with their joy for life, despite what it deals them.

And while I'm left feeling saddened for them, I also feel as though I have no right to be. As though I should be creating more joy for them instead.

So I'm going to sign-out by trying something new here. Something Sarah does every day...
Today I'm grateful for:
- mine and my family's good health
- living in such a beautiful, safe place
- the sunshine
- living my ideal lifestyle
- the use of my hands... as small and clumsy as they may be ;)


Thank-you all you lovely lovelies (that's people/readers/commenters/friends of course). You make my day!

the nicest people on earth

It's one thing getting a "for no reason" gift from an old friend, but it's a whole other thing getting one from someone you've never met.

Yesterday this amazing ceramic disc arrived in the mail, along with a sweet card that read; "My daughter bought me this in Mazatland, Mexico years ago. Since you love all things Mexican, I decided I would love you to have it. Take care sweet girl. Love Renee."

Those words along with the gesture brought tears to my eyes.

You see Renee is someone I've come to meet quite recently (on the web only). She has become somewhat of a patron of my art, and is buying alot from me. She emails me often with the loveliest compliments, and supportive words, and tells me I remind her of her daughter. And if that's not enough, she's doing all this during what must be the most difficult time of her life. She has terminal cancer.

(I don't think she'll mind me sharing that fact. She is quite open about it).

I find it difficult to believe actually, because of how much life she has in her. How it beams out strong and bright, with a melody and a damn good dance to go with it. She is absolutely full of spunk and charisma, love, generosity, tenderness, and humour. She is embracing. And I imagine her hugs would be unforgettable.

I don't know her well enough to know if she was always like this, or if this new life she's been given (in boldly defying how long she was told she had left) has brought these qualities to the surface more. Either way, I'm not sure I've ever known anyone like her before. I'm not convinced I will ever again. And I almost feel like the "chosen one" to be gifted with her company and friendship in this way. If I haven't made it clear yet, I feel completely honoured to know her.

I have no idea how I would react if I was in her shoes. But with her I have the feeling though that cancer really doesn't get a look-in. (although I'm sure she battles and suffers to no end in all sorts of ways of course)... What I mean is that with all of her bountiful qualities and abundant sense of life, cancer is way back in the queue, on tippy toes, straining to even get a look-in. It does not define who she is. She alone has taken that steering wheel. With her foot on the accelerator, music singing out, honking the novelty horn loud and happy, waving to kids out the window as they laugh with glee at seeing her, and the flowers at the sides of the road bending in to be close.

... And with a lump in my throat, a grin on my face, and a pencil in my hand, I wonder how on earth I get someone like that on paper in the painted form.



Thank-you so much Renee.

spring brooch winners

Thank-you so much to everyone for entering my Spring Brooch Giveaway! I've never had so many entrants for one of my wee gifties before, so it was very exciting. There were so many entries that I felt a bit scummy only giving away two brooches, so I'm going to make an extra one tonight, and I drew an extra winner. So all up there are 3 winners.

And those lucky three are:


- Geek+Nerd,
- Shellbells, and
- BigCat

Yay! Congratulations :)
These babies will be heading to brighten up your outfits, and spread the good karma asap!

- - - - -

Thank-you to everyone else. Sorry I couldn't make one for each of you.

The next giveaway I'll be hosting will be my annual Thanksgiving Illo Giveaway, in the second half of November (that's only a couple of weeks away!). The winner of this one gets to commission a painting from me as their prize (they sell for upward of $350 USD these days, so it's a good deal). You can request anything at all, or leave it up to me to decide. It can be for you, or a gift for someone special... it's completely up to you.

This will be it's third year running. Diana and Anastasia were the previous two winners.

So if you're interested in that one, check back in November for updates and how to enter.