reorganised

I followed my plans. Here's the result that I'm very happy about. My reorganised room.My bedroom
My studio...with awaiting project on my work desk Ü

sweltering aussies

Man, we are currently in a week of 40°C heat (that's about 105°F) and I'm feeling it. We don't have air conditioning and our house isn't well insulated. D'oh. And the nights only drop to about 20°C. Oh well. We'll just swelter away.

Two days ago was Australia Day and it's nice to remember and celebrate being Aussie! We had friends over for a BBQ and then walked to the lake to watch the fireworks. Beautifully sunny and only 30°C, it was a great day for it.

Simon bbq-ing * Waiting for food * Two of my nephews so typically Aussie

Our crowd in our backyard

Me and the flag * Walking on Lake Wendouree * Waiting for the dark and the fireworks

We walked out on the lake and climbed up on the boat launch pier thing to get a good view.


Happy Australia Day!!!

room to reorganize

I had trouble sleeping the other night coz I foolishly looked at a bunch of creative blogs just before bed that got my creative mind buzzing. Amongst all my imagining of ideas, I decided I should really reorganise my room. Last night I got measuring and drew up a plan on my computer so I could shuffle things about until they worked. This is the plan...

So hopefully I'll get things moved this morning so you'll walk into my bedroom and then can move around the end of my bed into my "studio". He he. Down the left side of my room I have my desk (which will be removed of computer to create a larger work area), sewing cabinet and art shelves. Then there is my computer which will sit on a smaller table that Matt is going to give me from his room (coz he's been working on a desk anyway). So my electrical stuff will be in one area (I only have one double powerpoint so that's good) and my chair can easily move between my desk, my sewing machine and my computer. I'm so excited!!! Space to live and space to create.

second beginning

So there's been drama! I meant to delete a blog I don't use anymore and low and behold...AFTER I deleted it, I realised it was the wrong one! Damn. Tears. That all happened...about two months ago or so. I've been trying to get Blogger to find it and restore it. Haven't heard anything. However, my lovely friend, Tab, had been downloading my posts and says she has ones from Oct 08. Wonderful! So I can restore the last half of my USA adventures at least. Yay. So I'm back online...in case you thought this star had faded.

laughable moments

Kids! They create laughable moments while learning to master the english language in connection with their thoughts. T, 5yrs, was telling his mum about how each day after school he was checking the progress of a seed they'd planted.

Host mum--Are you learning about the life cycle of a pumpkin plant at school?
T--Yeah. I'm stupid, that's why I'm learning.

I simply had to laugh.

the student side of life

I've booked my courses to study to fulfill my visa requirements. I will be studying Elementary Spanish 1 all semester (Sept to Christmas) and Elements of Creative Writing for six weeks (late Oct to Dec). Spanish I get to study during the day, Monday and Wednesday mornings, while the boys are at school and Monday nights for creative writing. It's nice to know what is happening now and having got it all sorted.

san francisco zoo

Last Friday SuhRa invited me to go with her and her three kids to the San Francisco Zoo since I had the day off. I haven't been yet so I accepted. We got in for free since her family has a membership card. SuhRa's charges are 9yo J, 6yo M and 1.5yo K. They know me pretty well since I go to SuhRa's place often. It was a fun adventure--funny to see the kangaroos and koalas and emus in an enclosure as a spectacle. The bears were cool. Aparantly their area is new and while we were watching them the two of them started fighting/playing right on the other side of the glass where we were standing. Quite entertaining. There's heaps to see there. We didn't see it all. K got too tired and we were hungry so we went to a nearby restaurant for a late lunch. It was good to join them and see the zoo.

The Golden Gate under heavy fog and SuhRa with her charges

The bears at play and SuhRa and K watching the bears up close

me, J and M and an anteater and a meerkat

Just off the GGbridge heading north and further into Marin County the weather changes and the traffic gets compacted on a Friday afternoon