Sorry all .....I have been away!

Hi folks.
I have been away in Melbourne for a few days. Forgot to mention it to most everyone,as I was so sick last week it just was not on the agenda.
But we had planned this trip for weeks.
Went to the Spellbox and ofcourse saw many, many things that were gorgeous but also went to the other Spellbox that can be found up the back street and it has all changed! No more a retail shop it is now a dedicated "Witch's House" only doing readings, workshops and it has a full range of herbs and resins for spell crafting.
It is totally wonderful but I was astounded by the changes. I asked why they decided to make it a "Witch's House" rather than a retail outlet, but they just said that it was time for changes to occur.
While in Melbourne I always get to look at some of this season's new calendars and there is some nice stuff coming our way..

Did some shopping, bought lots of coffee and cake, visited the Queen Victoria Markets and baby girk went to another Anime Convention with a friend of hers from Geelong and a friend who had come down from Queensland to visit.
We stayed at a dumpy place in town that had a great location but was full of students who partied all night - therefore preventing us from sleeping.
Am as tired as hell..

This one's for my girl!

I started this one in class on Tuesday.
My older daughter asked me for a piccy with seagulls.
I have not done seagulls before so thought that it would be a challenge.
Today I completed it.
All it needs is a few clouds, which I will do in class next week.
Hope she likes it!!

Better!

Happy Ostara to all!
A time for new beginnings and heralding in the spring - and some such stuff!

Wanted to go get a hair cut yesterday, cause I feel kind of ordinary after my week as a sicky girl, and I went down to Wallsend and could not find one hairdresser with a vacancy...and believe me there are 10 salons in very close proximity to one another!
So I came home, after fumbling around, as ordinary as ever and thinking that things must not be too bad out there with all of these women having 1) time in the middle of the day to make themselves "bootiful" and 2) the money to do said "bootifying".
I have a thing about salons....they terrify me...I just do not like them..maybe it's the mirrors....I am forced to sit there and look at myself..ewwwww.
I could think of many other more pleasant things to do.
Still need a hair cut.

Here they are!

Here are my latest two finished masterpieces!!!!!!

HORSESHOE BEACH.




This is the one I had problems with....too many rocks and a slightly larger canvas than I have done before...but now it's done.


"DOWN TO THE BEACH"





The man calls this one my picture of goalposts on the beach.


Please comment........

I have another one in the works, which is about half done of an old shed that I took a picture of when we where in the vineyards a few weeks ago and I started another one today, another beach scene with seagulls that has been commissioned by grown up daughter for her new flat.

Can someone make the room stop spinning please?

So, I am in a vertical position.
But everything is swaying.
Small trip in car this morning was important for me to see that I am not ready to return to the human race yet.
Also, my stomach is playing basket ball with any food I try to eat.
This is how sick I am folks........
I
CANNOT
EVEN
HAVE
A
CAPPUCCINO!!!
YES, it's that bad.

Surfacing...

Well folks I can truely say that I have not been this sick for many years...
worst of all is having balance issues ( or migraines, depending on which specialist you want to listen to ) and not being able to lift head from pillow.
This morning though, I am feeling better.
I am really very tired and have huge black bags under each eye...yuk, not a pretty picture.But I should improve from now on.
Thanks to all who sent me their wishes for a speedy recovery.

1 kilometre exclusion zone!

Do not approach!
Don't even look in my direction.

I be sicky girl....

Got antibiotics from Doc which will sort me out shortly.
Also yoghurt from supermarket to balance out my guts after taking antibiotics which will take care of virus.

Sicky girl...

oooh! my chest feels like it's on fire!

It has been so long since I have been sick that this feels really funny!
Baby girk has passed on her Youth Day Virus to me and now I have a firey chest and yuccky throat!
Probably will only last for a day...I get over these things really quickly.
But for the moment.
I need a Bex and a good lie down.

How can you do this to me!!!!!

My art teacher has told me today that he will be stopping art classes just before Christmas...and may not continue to teach next year.
POO
Bum...
I do't believe it...
Finally a teacher I am comfortable with, who has taught me so much in such a short period of time and to stop now is like having my life line taken away.
He said that he MIGHT consider running some very limited classes next year, but he is not sure at this stage.
He really wants to get back into his own painting, now that he is going to be extremely famous by doing paintings similar in style to the Dutch master Vermeer and getting rave reviews from art critics around the world already!!!

Yes, I am VERY HAPPY for him - he deserves to be rich and famous.

I am just hoping and will pray that he decides to not forget some of his devoted students.
Till then, I am going to try to get to as many classes as possible.
I do not have much time left.

This time next month....

This time next month I will have turned 50 and working at Calendar Club.
Rocked out of my safe home environment - made to go out into the mad, bad, wide world.
Oh well....we all have to do things that we really would rather not do, don't we.
This is my time to pull my finger out and contribute to the household coffers.
This year I also leave behind my art classes ( although I will certainly try to factor them in ) and also new puppy boy Maximus.
The big girl has now a new place to live.
She will be in a secure unit complex just behind Beaumont street, Hamilton.
She took me to check it out yesterday.
It's lovely. Totally secure. You have to have the front door opened for you by the resident you want to visit....you can't just walk in off the street. The complex is only 2 years old, so everything is fresh and bright and all she needs is her bed and TV. The place is fully furnished and has air conditioning.
I hope it is a new start for her - she is now a "very important" legal secretary and deserves a nice place to live.
She moves out next week.

What? 100,000 views???No - Now it's 400,000 Views!

This little video was taken a few days after we got Maximus!
Nothing much.
Just a moment really.
Yet....
The man put it on U - Tube.
Can you believe that we have had over 100,000 views.
And 2000 messages, including shit like "I hate that ugly dog " and much worse to "Awwwww, he's so beautiful. I want one!"
( Early update from Saturday 13th - it's now 400,000 views.)

World Youth Day Virus and bloody Horseshoe Beach!

Well it seems that all of those lovely Christian pilgrims left some very nasty germs in Australia, and now many people are getting quite sick with various fluey, virusy, squirty types of nasty things as a result.
So,
that's what you get for letting all those lovely young people in the country...
where was border security????
mmmmmm????

went to art class yesterday and asked for forgiveness and for HELP....
as I could not bear to over paint another rock in my latest artistic creation.
So I chucked a hissy fit spack..
stomped my feet..
and Tony sent me to the "quiet room" to reflect and contemplate
where he sends all of his naughty students..
where I was given instruction on how to fix the error of my ways.

Things improved.
The painting has improved.
I will leave it now and finish it next class.

Another family member down - beware the dreaded whatever it is!!!!!!

Woke up this morning with a queezy tummy.
Maximus was also making noises - normally he is very quiet.
Then the man gets up and says he is feeling like shit and so I called work and said that he was not coming in today.
So back to bed he went.
Could have been the massive amount of popcorn we consumed last night?
Went to see "Tropic Thunder" with free tickets that I had won.
It's a very warped Ben Stiller movie - very black comedy, very funny!
If you watch this movie and see Tom Cruise's role in it,you will never look at him the same way again!!!!!
Baby girk still sick as well - still high temps.

A day in the vines!

We spent a great day at the Vineyards today - with the change in the weather making it a superb day.
Lots of wine tasting ( after a very slow start and a sleep in ) lunch and a coffee at Hunter Valley Gardens. I guess it's been at least six years since I have been there and lots has changed with many new estates and attractions.
Still, a lovely way to spend a lazy day.

Baby girk is not well having battled a temp all day and went straight to bed when we got home.
Looks like a day off school for her tomorrow.

Well, I don't have a dad anymore.....

It's fathers day this weekend...and I hear that Christmas decorations are already out at David Jones in town!
How rediculous!
It's September!!!!!!

We are hoping to go to the Vineyards for the day on Sunday - maybe it will stop raining by then.
Some wine and cheese tasting sounds pretty good to me!!!!
My dad is no longer with us -
Father's Day was not an exciting day in my household as a child.
I could never really get him anything anyway. He used to always say,"What did you get THAT for?" whenever he received a gift for fathers day, birthday or Christmas. It annoyed the shit out of me. He just could not receive anything graciously without comment.
In his later years I resorted to food gifts - biscuits, lollies etc...at least he would eat those and have a moment of pleasure.
Now I take a bunch of flowers and put hem on his grave.....
and I think I can still hear him say.....
"What the hell did you get me those for????"

It's wet...

Boy, it has rained over the last few days hasn't it? I dont think it's over either.
My neck has been giving me curry over the last two days and I spend most of my day with a hot water bottle as my best friend.
Went to have our tax done yesterday - phew, glad that it is over with.
Older girl still looking for a new place of residence - she has a few to consider and I am sill trying to steer her to share rather than rent on her own.
Man is at work and loving it (NOT)!!!!!
Puppy is on my knees, sleeping, as I type.
I am frustrated with my latest masterpiece ( too many rocks.....)
Baby girk waiting to go to Melbourne at the end of the month to see a good friend and go to another Anime festival.
All is well....

Grown up Daughter comes home for a while!!!!

A rare time in the household....our oldest girl is home for a while. She is looking for a new place to live as the current place is too much of a "party central" and all grown up girl is an efficient legal secretary who needs her sleep and some respectful space....not noisy music at 4 am in the morning!!!!
but.....the cost of flats is horrendous!
It's Newcastle for God's sake ....not Sydney!!
Can you really be paying $450 for a one bed room flat?????
She is looking at a flat today after work.....
I'm happy to have her home for a while.
The man is slogging away doing early shifts this week, which means 4.30 wake ups....he is REALLY happy about that,
and baby girk demanded a day at home "cause no one will be at school today cause of the teachers strike!!!"
I am off to art to get my painting critiqued...and start another.