Was that a ghost in my room this morning???

Now, believe me when I tell you that I am one of the biggest skeptics that there is...it takes something to bang me over the head, twice, for me to believe it.
So this morning I awoke briefly to see who I thought was my husband walking out of our bedroom going off to work.
Indeed, not anything unusual.
I remember his distinct footsteps and his image was very dark, almost in silouette, featureless.
He came from around his side of the bed and straight out the door.

Trouble is, when I asked hubby about it this afternoon, he told me that he did not come to his side of the bed and when he was there the light was on and I had the covers all the way over my head...in no way would I have been able to see him go.
So therefore...
who was it????
A mystery!!!!!!

Trifle

Remember Trifle?
The last time I made trifle was about 15 years ago....
I think I have waited long enough...
Today,
I made trifle.

Pic No:8 for 2009

This is my first attempt at painting a fountain...and I picked a hard one..
Civic Park Fountain.
This one took some work with doing the background and then air brushing in water spray and overpainting water droplets..
How did I go????

The waiting is the killer.....

Cant say much today cause it all seems irrelevent considering what one of our sisters in blog land is going through today -
Dear Michelle - I ache for you and the waiting...
It throws me back to two years ago when I was sitting twisting myself into knots before finding out that the man had prostate cancer.
I am so sorry for your mum and what she must go through and for the family who have to sit back and watch it unfold.
It is truely awful...
I am hoping that there is some good news....

Meanwhile,
the small black dog is becomming a very naughty adolescent, causing fuss and mess and wanting to be the centre of attention all the time.
Cute little bugger....

Go! Hugh good thing!

Brilliant job done by an Aussie yesterday at the Oscars.
Hard pressed not to find something to like in Hugh - singing, dancing, eloquent and hunky....you just can't please some people.
Still the bashers and the critics had their say.
What spoil sports...
I loved the fact that he didn't have an American accent, but kept his Aussie style.
What a trooper.

In my quest for a photogenic Newcastle....

Ok...dont laugh all of you local people, but I am fast realising that there is a mass of Newcastle that I have never seen and its bloody beautiful!
I took a trip of discovery to Catherine Hill Bay yesterday - never been, and there is the old coal loader sitting there over the ocean.
What a great place to photograph!
What an amazing place miles of golden sands and clear water - we DO have the most brilliant beaches in the world right here.
If that spot were in Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia there would be hundreds of hotel lining the beachfront and tourists galore fighting for a spot near the water.
In Newcastle, we want to keep it secret, shhh...... twenty people on the beach and two lifesavers....shhh too gorgoeus to share with the rest of the world for sure.

So I snapped away happily for a half hour and am hoping that I end up with one image worth painting.

Any other favourite spots out there, beaches or bays that I should be heading to girls?

By the way...
I did not sell a thing at the exhibition on Friday night.
Poo bah, humbug....
My teacher sold the lot ( 20 paintings )
What does that say?????

What a loss!!!!

This is an unfortunate tragedy of the recent bushfires.
The website is www.brunosart.com
This is from his from page..
Welcome to Bruno's Art & Sculpture Garden. Hidden amongst the trees of the small Victorian village of Marysville is a world full of fantasy, beauty and humour.

Surrounded by the magical rainforest setting, Bruno Torfs has created one of the world's most unique and deeply inspiring experiences for art and garden lovers of all ages.

With over three hundred paintings and sculptures to discover, a journey to Bruno's is one of Australia's most special attractions.
How tragic to lose a lifetime's worth of work.

Bruno is safe but over 200 paintings and his gorgeous gardens are destroyed.

D-Day for the Windswept and Interesting Artiste!!!

Well I have just got back from the Christian Den in town where they are holding my art works captive and I must say they look damn good!
There are three artists works on display plus a phographer.
All Newcastle stuff.
Tony and I and the photographer are all very traditional works and the other bloke does quite quirky very clouroful slightly abstract works.
All very nice!
They look like they will be having a packed house tonight, so I remain forver hopeful!
Must have a glass of wine tonight as I sit nervously thinking that a whole lot of people that I do not know are looking at my pictures.
Very exciting indeed.
The man's birthday tomorrow.
He is 44.
Still a baby.
We are doing pizza tomorrow night in Hamilton ( so sorry Diana that I will miss your Witch's Kitchen )probably coffee and cake at Euro Bar.
He must be pampered all day long...
I need to take some pictures of Newcastle...some really ice spots so that I can get inspired to do more paintings..
Anyone got any ideas or favourite spots that they can recommend??

Saying goodbye to the babies!

I went in to deliver my art works today ( to the Christians!!!! ).
My babies!!!!

They are going to be stared at,
Critiqued.
Snorted at.
Snoffed at.
Possibly admired.
Maybe purchased.

I cannot go to the exhibition night as it is "by ticket purchase only".
There will be a Jazz band.
And lots of Christians. Don't get me wrong -
Nothing against Christians by the way, I used to be one!

Looking up?

Just when you thought that your mighty good plan for the year ahead was looking solid...
things start going awry!
I dont understand why we have to actually pay our bills anyway..
what a stupid idea!
Just can't seem to make a living out of being windswept and interesting it seems...
maybe because I may be windswept...but not interesting.
Damn it!

So its been raining...may as well paint! Pic No 8 for 2009

This one's a little different.
Nobby's in the afternoon sunlight.














Well, can't really do much else.
Made a spinach and cheese pie.
Some washing.
Can you believe "Bewitched" is on tv?
The original.
Samantha was a doll wasn't she?
And Endora!
And the original "Ocean's Eleven" with Sammy Davis Jnr and Frank Sinatra.

Been feeling off!

Its been a painful few days with a headache developing over the last three with the meltdown coming last night.
Today I am better.
Nothing else exciting.
Applied to do some volunteer work for the Cancer Council.
Am creating a new painting.
Am wondering how Bee's tattoo went today.
I hope she is happy.
Might see some of you next week eh?
I will be in Hamilton next Monday morning as I have to put my car in for a service,
So,anyone feel like a COFFEE?????

ON
MONDAY 16th February
at 12 Noon at "The GOURMET GOOSE" (opposite Enigma) at Hamilton.
Be there or be SQUARE!!!!

P.S.Happy Valentine's Day.

Pic No:6 and Pic No:7

Well here are the last two that I will do before the art exhibition next week.
I have to take my paintings in next Wednesday for the set up to be done.

THE SEAGULL ( very original title isnt it! )













"THE PUMPHOUSE AT NEWCASTLE BEACH"









I have painted both of these on previous occassions.
And these were the two that I was doing while attempting the Cathedral picture when I was getting frustrated with it.

This pain is just too much!

I have been watching the coverage of the bushfire devastation and I just cant anymore.
Its beyond comprehension.
People have lost family
and home,
and pets.
God, its awful.
I cant think of anything else.
And there is a permanent lump in my throat.

A new week....some are starting with nothing

As I sit sourrounded by my comfortable home, fan on and doggy at my feet..I am cast into the devastation in Victoria where some people who have been through the fires are starting this week with ...nothing.
How do you do that?
I know that...you JUST DO.
But, hell, it bwould be like your identity was ripped away from you.
You are left with nothing that identifies you with who you are.
Imagine that...
We spent uears collecting our identities...this house is mine therefore I am ...a houseowner.
This child is mine...therefore I am a mother.
These clothes are mine..therefore I have bad taste in clothes ( in my case )
etc..
you would feel naked wouldn't you, without all of this?

My older daughter did a scuba diving course on the weekend....she loved it.
She's going again next weekend for some extra dives.
Maybe the man and her can go diving together.
He used to do it when I first met him 20 years ago.
Can we find a wet suit that big?

Floods and Fire

A bit apocalyptic here in the land of OZ at the moment.
Floods and fire.
Poor people.
Poor animals.
Brave volunteers and emergency workers.
I hope it all settles soon -
I dont think that they can take much more.

Spare a thought and send them your love.
IT DOES HELP!

Pic No:5 for 2009

The church is finally done.
Hallelujah!
What do you think?

ITS GONNA BE FREAKING HOT!!!!!!

The Cathedral will NOT get the better of me!!!

Well I have been working on a new pic - Christchurch Cathedral!
You probably could hear me swear from your place!
It seemed a good idea at the time, but it slowly dwindled into an exercise in patience.
It have put it aside twice now, saying to myself...bugger this!
But today I took it into the Cottage and gave it a good going over and I think I have turned the corner...
Will probably finish it by the weekend so will post it for your critique!!
Bloody Catholics!!!!!!

Frikken Fridge!

Our fridge has been on the fritz again ( this is the one we have had for onyl 16 months ). So the men came and finally taken it away to replace the compressor.
All well and good, but we now have to wait two weeks to get our fridge back.
We have received a replacement, but it is much smaller than our fridge and by the time I put back all the jars of shit that i had, the fridge was full!!!
Where do I put the actual food????????
And,
all the fresh food that we had bought over the past two weeks has slowly gone off as the fridge was never at the right temperature.
So things had to be thrown after only a day or two.
Total crap.
We have spent so much on food lately and much of it has has to be chucked cause we are too afraid to eat it.
Anyone any ideas on compensation for this loss???
I had to remove all the food from the fridge this morning and the removalists did not come till 11.30.
So all my food was sitting on the kitchen bench for 4 hours......not good.

There is certainly some deep thinking going on out there...

Boy, reading your blogs today has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Such deep, deep thoughts.
You all need to be so proud of yourselves.
Really.
For not being shallow, or hollow ( even though some of you say that you may 'feel' that way ) it is not true, because you have dared to think below the surface and feel pain and emotion.
A good thing.
A very good thing.
I think so.
I rather feel pain than feel dead, cold and nothing.
It means that I am alive and dealing with my shit.
Not always pleasant.
Often horrible.
But the growth is always there.
Pain is a signal that you are a feeling, thinking person.
If you guys ever need an ear, I am about and happy to listen, but beware that I do not console for too long.

A life not felt.....is a life not lived.

A wonder filled Sunday.

An amazing day shared with amazing women who are really putting their heart and soul into their "Year and a Day" studies.
I will not mention the allocated "task" that we received today to complete, because I am not supposed to mention it, but the unmentionable thing has left me speechless..
how do I do this????
It was amazing to turn up on Saturday night and find my "Shave for a Cure" buddy from last year, Helen had had the same idea about cutting hair....great minds think alike!
Helen does look better than I do.
Then today Jane got in on the act with a head shave and she loks gorgeous too.

I look like someone has done one of those wierd photo manipulations with the computer where you can make the eyes look bigger or smaller etc...like "twisted whiskers" and someone has made my head almost dissappear..