Unleashing the creative monster...
Here is one of my sketches....I really had fun doing it. 'Called lady in a hat'

It isn't a work of art or anything, but I think the 'fun' factor in doing something like this is just as important as the content.

A Poster of election day
This got me quite excited - at least it got the creative juices flowing and so I popped out to the shops and bought.....wait for it a sketch book, pens and some other arty bits and pieces. Don't know whats come over me, but I like it! So take a look here: Wish Jar Journal

So, armed with bucket loads of inspiration ( but questionable talent for drawing) having had lots of fun...I came up with this:



only the paper I bought was too big for my scanner so it chopped bits off. Never mind, lesson learnt!

And for dinner we are having...
Southern fried chicken - ala my mums famous chicken recipe...I started on it this morning, leaving the afternoon free for other stuff, which I am quite excited about - all shall be revealed in time folks! Meanwhile feast your senses on this...

In the garden things are a moving along now thats its ideal planting weather. This went in on the weekend (last) and so far shows no signs of replanting trauma! Fingers crossed!

Up close - I love the colour of this climber - I think its called 'Crimson Fantasy' its gorgeous! Hope it grows.

The big vote
Election Day has finally arrived after months of political hype, and party speculation, started well...not....Dh and I decided to get up extra early to go cast our vote for the new Australian idol oops I mean a new Prime minister for Australia. Judging by the way the day has gone so far its not boding well for the candidate of my choice.


We left the house at 7.45 thinking that we'd beat the crowds and get in and out of the polling station in a jiffy. Wrong! The carpark we always park in next to the school was closed off, (?) so we had to walk - albeit with loads of others who had the same idea, all around the school which was one hell of a trek, up and over the school oval and around the playing fields.


Once there, I was shocked by the long queue. No going back so we waited and I chatted with someone whose child I used to teach a few years ago. In fact it was quite a chatty queue, and everyone was talking as we waited. I find that wherever I go - be it shopping, hairdressers, etc I invariably meet someone I know and chat to. Its nice.


With votes finally cast, slips of coloured paper deposited into the correct ballot box, we made the return trek back to the car, in the now pouring rain.


Its not going to be a day of celebration for me - I can feel it in my waters, or is that just a leaky umbrella?

What I miss about the UK
Mood:  happy


* my parents
* my family
* the Wimpy
* old friends
* Marks and Spencers
* Littlewoods
* catalogue shopping
* Argos ( don't laugh - you always miss what you don't have!)
* Asda
* Christmas in winter
* autumn leaves
* the countryside
* ok slough then....as someone once said - you can take the girl out of slough, but you can't take slough out of the girl. true!
* Places in UK would love to visit on a whim but can't, due to obvious reasons. (distance)




What I don't miss about the UK
* the weather
* Living in a crowded city
* traffic jams
* the rain,
* queues
* Did I mention the weather? lol - ok its not THAT
bad! is it??
* Terry Wogan


More later if something comes to mind.

Sunset over suburbia
I just had to capture this soft apricot sky over the suburban landscape. I took it about 10 minutes ago and because we don't have much twilight here, in the time it took to download the photos to my computer and put the camera away, its gone dark. Very dark, very quickly. Goodnight all!

Halloween display
Remember last week I said I was going to put together a display of my Halloween stuff? Well I didn't forget!I bought the pumpkins - all three of them, and a few days later I noticed that one was covered with this awful white stuff. It was obviously struck down with mould,( maybe due to the heat?) so I had to throw it out. Shame. I have two scarecrows that I alternate for the display from year to year, but one of them was also looking a little worse for wear. But in spite of ALL those setbacks - here is that display. I bought a plastic jack o' lantern in the UK last year and am looking forward to lighting it up on the BIG night itself! No one else around me seems to share my passion for Halloween, or putting up displays, just for the fun and colour if nothing else.

I also bought a pumpkin carving tool set in the UK, keen as they are on celebrating that day the shops stock all the right tools of the trade as it were. I usually buy a pumpkin here to carve, but looking at the pumpkins in the UK last year, I was amazed to find found that they differ HUGELY to the ones we have here. The ones here have skins so hard, that DH struggles to put a hole in in order to start carving out shapes, like the eyes and mouth. The ouside skin is also not a smooth surface,but an undulating hard peel. The pumpkins there are orange and the outside skin is very thin, making it a cinch to carve. I think that this is also the variety they use in the USA.
No wonder Halloween never caught on here. Too much like hard work!

Every picture tells a story
I just hope Dh doesn't end up looking like this after a few bevvies of the 'brew' (lol)

Recycling

Took this photo on my last visit to the recycling plant.I love the order in this picture, it appeals to my sense of organising. I like the way the bands of colour have a pattern too. Almost like a work of art? well....almost!

Old wives tales
Have you come across any of these wives tales before? Do you think its possible that any of them may be true?

Don't tickle an infants feet;
it will make them stutter when they get old enough to talk.


If a knife drops, a man will come to visit; if a fork drops, a woman will come to visit.

If a picture falls off a wall, it is a sign of death.

If a bird flies in the house; a death is soon to come.

If you eat cabbage you will grow large breasts.

Cure a toothache by spitting into a frog's mouth and
ask it to carry the pain away.

If you dream of muddy water it is a sign of death.

If you dream about a wedding it is a sign of a birth.

If you dream about a snake; you have an enemy.

If your right hand itches, you will receive money; if the left itches, you will get a letter.

If your nose itches, company is coming.

Cross your fingers behind your back for luck; cross them twice for double luck.

Don't go outside with a wet head or you will catch a cold.

Don't look at anything scary while you are pregnant or it will mark your baby.

Don't plant potatoes during the dark part of the moon.

Plant your garden on Good Friday.

Don't plant your garden on Rotten Saturday, the seeds will rot.

More potatoes from slips than anything else.

While pregnant, don't reach higher than your head.

If you sweep under a woman's feet she won't get married.

If you drink coffee it will stunt your growth.

If you cross your eyes they will stay that way.

An apple a day will keep the doctor away.

Hang a dead snake on a fence belly-up for rain.

When the wind is out of the east fish bite the least; when the wind is out of the west fish bite the best.

To keep a cat off your car, put a hat on your hood.

A sneezing cat is a sign of future wealth.

Red sky in the morning, sailors warning. Red sky at night, a sailors delight.

It's bad luck to walk under a ladder, or let a black cat cross your path.

There are two ways of stopping a run of bad luck if you walk under a ladder by accident. Cross your fingers and keep them crossed until you see a dog, or spit on your shoe and let it dry.

Breaking a mirror bring seven years of bad luck.

If you open a pocket knife, then you be the one to close it or bad luck will follow.