Leafygal

What more can I say???

I try to take one day at a time... but sometimes several days attack me at once!!!

Musings on LIFE

Life has an unexpected way of falling on top of you or running away with you. Both can make one a little breathless and wondering if  running faster will help at all!  The answer seems to be to run away every now and then, and that is what happened this morning with  some lovely moments sandwiched in between the racing bits.

Today I took the dog as usual for an early morning Friday walk with my friend "I".   We go from her house across the Geelong Botanic Gardens, along Eastern Beach and then up the grassy hill to home again. Pepper loves the walk, although today was very misty/foggy and she got her feet wet in the grass. Her usual walking mode is more of a bounce from one interesting smell to the next.  She has a favourite fountain in the gardens where we stop for a half way drink.

It is wonderful to watch the seasonal changes creeping over the gardens. This morning a perfect autumn bed with splashes of blues and purples against the lime yellow fall of hanging flowers on a shrub made the best display.

In complete craziness I then drove to Queenscliff to meet my friend "J" who has semi retired and has the luxury of going for a swim at the beach almost whenever she feels like it. (Grrrrr!)

We swam inside the Heads at Queenscliff this time, but there were enough waves to force the issue of whether to get wet or not - WET! was the outcome!  It was still foggy and the sight of a large freighter looming out of the fog was quite extraordinary!.  We actually "saw 3 ships come sailing in" through The Heads as we swam, and watched the orange Pilot boat bouncing out to meet them.  Fog horns were the order of the day as they disappeared again on their way up the channel.  (This pic is Not of the foggy morning swim)
As we left the water the sun was struggling through and turned the incredibly clear water to turquoise, a little bit of magic for the soul.

Pepper was still with me and we tied her to a post while we swam. She was quite vocal, but I suspect that this was because she had never seen me disappear into the water before. I did try letting her free at the edge of the waves but she whinged so much  and I was afraid she'd get frightened by a wave out of her depth if she tried to follow me, so tying her up seemed the only way. Hopefully she'll get used to me swimming and I'll be able to let her run about a bit while we swim.
Swim followed by a healthy breakfast at J's with home made yoghurt on cereal, grapefruit and honey and my contribution of some very naughty and not so healthy danishes. We ate outside in the sun. It's hard to believe that the weather is still so perfect, an expected high of 26 today!

Back to earth now with me in my studio trying to come to grips with a design,  Oh well I suppose the good life must be paid for somehow!

Watercolour Collage

I recently became obsessed by Altered Books and that has lead me further into the realms of ART!

A Watercolour Collage group was set up as a Yahoo group and I duly joined. It seemed like a great idea as we would be given instructions for a mini painting session for each day of the program. This struck me as the only way I was going to actually get something painted - A Kick start to be exact.
Sadly the group disintegrated due to some internal tensionsa but I had printed out the instructions and now belong to a new group that started up following the demise of the first.
I know now why I have hoarded scraps of this and bits and pieces of that for years. (I thought it was because I was just following in my mother's footsteps!!). I have a legitimate use for  dip pens, ink, rubber stamps, scraps of paper, old magazines, Pictures from old magazines, threads and ribbon etc. etc.................... (the latest insanity is contemplating the lid of the yoghurt container and wondering if I could use it as a frame for Something? Anything?)

This an example by the group moderator

On my last day off, Tuesday I finally started the first series of instructions to create watercolour and mixed media backgrounds for the collages. Here is the work in progress - watercolours overlaid variously with drawing inks (gold and white) crayons, watercolour pencils.  I'm now dying to have some time do stamp and collage them.  More to come...

Good Car mah

I did finally get my baby car back.
Here are the sadly scrunched leftovers.
When I went to collect her she was being dusted!! and looked like a new car. I was soooo impressed.
The repairer is a restoration nut and took a lot of pride in his work, for which I am thankful.
While somewhat tentative about driving her, not for fear of accidents but just in case the front fell off (well I am a worrier from way back!!) I am now zipping around as usual and just loving her all over again. The weather is so great I'm planning a top down drive.

Ladies who Lunch

Three dear friends, all on holiday (or Retired!) from teaching joined me for lunch yesterday.
We try to get together each school holidays, and lunch is the best way I know to do some catching up.
They agreed to drive to Geelong this time, and we turned on the perfect weather for the day, which dictated the place to lunch... on the waterfront at The Sailor's Rest. We sat in the window with the sun streaming through and watched the yachts with the sun sparkling on the water. (Such a cliche, but it really was just like that!!)
A couple of hours later after great pasta, salads (See mine in the pic!) and risottos, not to mention the odd glass of wine or two, we had our second cups of coffee at the Wintergarden.
Its great to have friends you've known "forever".  We just pick up where we left off  last time.
I am seriously jealous of their retirement on superation plans. Why didn't I stay teaching??