The Front Yard this time.

Aah, the Australian summer. Gum leaves, gum leaves, and more gum leaves. And not a koala in sight. Yeah, I should probably rake up those leaves sometime. Mm. Maybe later?

Actually I've been streamlining the housework this summer; mostly by just not doing it. The kitchen is clean but cluttered, the bathroom is acceptable, the rest of the house is dusty, but it isn't bothering me. I'd like to say I've been really creative during this spell, but I've mostly been resting, and idly dreaming of things I might do when I'm feeling like it. I suppose I know that my energy and sense of industry will return, and that the in-between times are just that, and not to be viewed with negativity. (I don't like the clumpy nature of that last bit of wording - suggestions, please?) BLW, loved your post this morning, and now I have the answer to my third option in my hot chocolate date with Amber - I would like to have learned more grammar. Unlike my friend BLW, I just write it like I say it. So, her words are the topiary and parterre gardens to my unfenced bush paddock. *sigh* But until I find a nerdy adult learning class on grammar (do they have such things?), I'm stuck with colloquial and clumpy.

On Gardens, Solitude and Photos

Baby waiting patiently for backyard picnic,
having carried the chairs out herself to get things started.

Biss, trying to evade capture,
while doing her Uni subject selections for Semester 1 this year.

The treehouse, having been restored to its correct place in the universe,
after being temporarily displaced by the Christmas tree.

I've come to the conclusion that a picture really does say a thousand words. I watched such a good documentary 6 months or so ago, on 4 photographers, speaking about their own work, how it evolved, what it meant to them. If I find the reference for the docu, I'll insert it here. But I've been musing this morning on how much I love blog posts with photos, from other people's homes, outings, kids, fashions - whatever it pleases them to post, I'm interested.
So, I thought I'd go on a photojournalism stint for a bit, and just capture some of what's going on around me.

There is a bit of a problem with putting this new idea into practice, though. I only use my phone camera. Point, shoot, plug in USB, finished. I don't crop, chop, slice or dice. Or even focus... I used to love the old Ricoh camera, back in the days when cameras used film. I didn't know the name of the things I was manipulating, but I knew how to set it up to take the pictures I wanted. When things went digital, I got left behind. Of course, I can see the wonderful innovation that digital photography is - I could barely afford to develop and print my photos in the old days. And there was that time when I thought there was a roll of film in the camera, but there wasn't...

SO - I guess I'll have to get photography lessons from my kids, and then get on with it. TBC on that.

Christmas Packing Up.

Reindeer Roadkill
(note to Amber - see crumbs on floor;
perfection in housekeeping is only
for those people who don't have better things to do :-) )

Knox, making helpful commentary on my photo composition.

Gardens. Sort of.

Surveying the seedlings by flashlight after a storm; Biss and Somer.

And on solitude. From Youtube. Like the other commenters, I just love this girl's Canadian accent.

Doings.

A quick post of piccies of the last week or so. Especially for our northern hemisphere friends, as a reminder that somewhere in the world, it is summer.
We've been doing a mix of family stuff, beach, backyard picnics and running (of course). Staying close to home, as I haven't been well, and just can't get my head around the usual camping expeditions. Maybe in a week or so. We'll see. Hope you've all had some nice family times these holidays as well.

For Amber, for fun.

LIVING
Where do you live: Oz
Favorite art: The Heidelberg school (Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton), my kids' photography, architecture, esp. early 1900s.
Pets: The kids are enough, I don't need anyone else to look after right now. Plus if I can afford to feed a pet, I could be helping to feed someone's starving child with the money.
Favorite neighborhood restaurant: Hah- Dominos pizza on Tuesday nights after athletics training.
Favorite cocktail: Don't drink either, or fizzy drinks (sodas to you). Homemade lemonade that I cheat and colour pink.
Who inspires you: Ooh, toughie. My daughter, for being young and strong in a time when it's difficult for young people to be true to themselves; my ex-husband, for his enormous patience with the children; my baby's dad, for having the courage to face each day even though it will be a struggle all the way; my blogging friends throughout the world, for their thoughts, their views, their experiences, that broaden mine.
Necessary extravagance: Hmm. One perfume, Miracle, that I ration to last 3+ years.
Favorite place in the world: Why do all these quiz questions have to be so absolute? Bangalow, because it's beautiful, and a nice dip into the cultural melting pot of country Australia.

CLOTHES
Designer: Sew myself from Japanese pattern books; op-shop finds; Country Road if it has to be new.
Jeans: Don't wear them.
Underwear: Undies. What else? This must be a guy quiz question.
Sneakers: Running shoes or Teva sandals.
Watch: Timex Ironman with 50 lap memory.
T-shirt: Plain black, small fit, short sleeves.
Day bag: http://www.envirosax.com.au/
Evening bag: Made it myself. See previous post.
Favorite city to shop: Sydney. Kinokuniya, to be more specific.

BEAUTY
Lipstick: Bepanthen (baby cream).
Mascara: Eyelash tint every 3 months or so.
Shampoo: Oh, I dunno, um, Clairol Herbal Essences (went to bathroom and looked).
Moisturizer: Something French the ladies from work gave me for my birthday.
Perfume: Miracle (Lancome)
Toothpaste: Macleans Sensitive
Soap: Aldi orange fragrance (in an 8-pack)
Nail-polish color: Never, ever paint them.
Who cuts your hair: Good friend, in the salon where she works.
Who colors your hair: Same.

Amber, I hope you enjoy reading and trying to picture the person behind the answers, as much as I did yours.

Re- The Fog; early parenting is just hard. Harder for some than others - it was hard for me, and still is, with a 3yo, and 3 more in their teens and early 20s. I don't have any advice, except to keep writing, and doing the other things that you love, and that bring meaning to your life, whenever you can fit it in and around all your other roles. Just for fun. And thanks for the quiz.

Been Busy.

Ooh, have been very bad at keeping up here and elsewhere online.

Have been busy close to home, moving half the house into one-and-a-half rooms, so the floors could be done (and now they are); and dabbling a little bit in sewing - an irresistible Japanese pattern for babyG from an upcycled men's shirt, and helping the ex-husband make a crisp white linen blend wrap dress for his GF (oh! but she hasn't tried it on for him - don't know what's with that? I'd swoon if someone sewed something from scratch for me!)

See piccies.

And BLW, I'm following the fashion class again in its entirety, and making notes.

Just for fun (aka Where Are My Shoes?)

I have a wedding to attend :-). Of friends I have made through running. I wonder if any of us have seen each other not red-faced, sweaty and dressed in shorts and singlets? And it's only through judicious op-shopping and sewing, combined with a bit of hit-and-miss eBaying, that I have anything much else to wear.

So, what will I wear? I like a fashion blog by this mummy. So following her style, I'll offer up my compositions so far. Actually, I've only come up with two outfits, but I have some other skirt options I can substitute for the rather short and wide cream one from eBay. One is a navy straight skirt that is part of my work suit - very plain but good tailoring. The other, a dark grey A-line with pintuck pleats. I still have to get the boys to crawl up into the roof space storage to get my two or three pairs of heels down for inspection (sorry BLW, such sacrilege, I know). Also shows about how often I go out in company, doesn't it...

The navy dress is a bit of a sack, but it is very comfortable, and not as short as I thought it was going to be.

Part 2...?

Oh. Knowledge gap on uploading pictures to Blogger identified. Post now, fiddle later.

So, piles of fabric, with two projects in mind. A-line top/dress for babyG; and bloomers for my nephew/niece, still under construction. The nephew/niece, I mean. As well as the bloomers. Inspired by this.

And while I was looking at Katy's pages, visited her sister Jordan's blog. Read and photo-ed my way backwards through Jordan's summer with her family. And then posted her a comment through my tears for her beautiful family times, and my own sometimes fractured ones. But sadly, I used too many words for a "comment", and Blogger couldn't upload it. Funny, it wasn't that long. Anyway, maybe one day I'll find the words or their close cousins, and send her another message to tell her how much I enjoyed my visit with a family from another time zone and place, that is otherwise a bit like mine.