Hi Ho, Hi Ho....

Lucky me...I've accepted an offer of a part-time job selling/fitting shoes and will be off to work in a couple of weeks - no longer a lady of leisure!  I'm so looking forward to it!  It will be good to get out into the working world again after a few years break.  I'll still have time for making art so it's a good balance, important for wellbeing.

I hope Spring and Sunshine is emerging up there in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here Down Under, I'm sipping iced water in front of an electric fan and longing for some cool autumn days!  It's a topsy turvy world!

We are Australian

The Floods in Australia have been devastating and viewing this 'flashmob' raises money for flood victims.  The song they sing makes Australians everywhere go all wobbly.

http://www.youtube.com/storytellermedia

From Yin to Yang



Living Room

Our living room, once a fairly 'yin' nook has now become a cosy and colourful 'yang' space.  I painted this canvas inspired by our new red rug.  The other wall above the other sofa needs another painting of mine for balance.... back to the easel I go!

I am searching for some new lamps and maybe a standard lamp to read by and will be re-staining the old coffee table as soon as I can muster some of that kind of painting energy.  Then onto the sunroom!

A Ferry Trip

Ettalong Wharf

Today I went on a ferry trip across the water from where I live on the Central Coast to the Barrenjoey

Headland and Palm Beach.  The day started off rainy, then blue sky took over.  Beautiful!



The Bay



A friend lives over that way and we met up to have lunch at a cafe at the beach, then we sat outside on her balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean to have afternoon tea and blueberry cake.  Really magical!



Seagulls



While I waited for the ferry, I walked along the beach, shooed some seagulls and watched the boats.



The Palm Beach Wharf



The ferry came at 4pm and I was home again by 5.  Tired but happy!



The Ferry



Lately


The past week was a mega heatwave, not good for doing anything much except staying cool.  By contrast, this week has been lovely temps and it's a pleasure to be out walking, doing a little yoga and pottering in the garden.  Autumn is my favourite season and I am really looking forward to more of it.

Today I'm off to buy a canvas for a big painting, I haven't done one for at least six months and I'm feeling the urge again.  My living area needs a painting with some lovely reds and oranges, so this one will be for me.

The above journal page was not intended to be a haiku, yet almost was one! 

Here is a proper haiku;

heatwave wore us down

rainfall and humidity

cool change came at last

Wellbeing

Holidays are over and I've reined myself in - back to mostly vegetarian foods, plenty of protein, dropping as much sugar as possible and drinking lots of water.  Snacks like carrots with homemade hummous or berries with natural yoghurt are delicious!  Saturday is treat day and I'm allowed to eat whatever I like and maybe have a glass of wine as well.  I find this is a good balance.

I'm back to morning walks along the waterfront, then along my favorite street - Florence Street, around the block and back to sit for a while under the trees.  Today was just perfect out there - a lovely high tide, magpies chortling, seagulls swooping and boats bobbing in the water... making the most of it!