Diligent
Self-effacing
Scatter-brained
Passionately curious
Bored with the mundane of copy paste updating and repetition that could be completed by optical character recognition and coding
Solving problems by identifying, sorting, and organising filaments of information into threads to plait into a rope to hold on to as we take steps toward a goal
Me
From Tuesday’s
Work weary wending walk
Carriage, shuffle tap to pay.
Glimpse Belisha beacon flash;
Fluorescent amber hoodie on a bike
My chariot awaits.
To
A handheld rainbow at Petrie station.
Last night we saw the 2010 movie of the same name starring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Cam Gogandet, Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming, and Kristen Bell. Its rich dark moody basement club and apartment scenes evoked the feeling of bygone speakeasies, jazz clubs, and Liza Minnelli in the film Cabaret.
I was reminded of awe inspiring evenings in the back bar of the Imperial Hotel, Erskineville, Sydney in this century’s noughties and teenies. We were delighted by the performance of Mitzi Macintosh reenacting the Rocky Horror Show, The Sound of Music, and Little Shop of Horrors.
In other venues in Newtown, Kings Cross, and Darlinghurst we were wowed by the antics of Miss Effervescence (Effie to her friends), Verushka Darling, Tess Tickle, Chelsea Buns, Fahrenheit, Joyce Mange, Vanessa Wagner, Portia Turbo, Miss 3D, Simone Troy, Robyn Lee, Clair de Lune, Atlanta Georgia, Monique Kelly, and Polly Petrie.
Now that we live in Queensland we get our occasional drag queen fix at the Wickham Hotel, and Cloudland in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
Wishing you and your loved ones warmth and joy for the festive season.
I met my future husband in 1993. In October of that the year I turned 30, and he reached 31 years of age in December.
On my 61st birthday this year, I realised I had lived with my partner, best friend, and soulmate for longer than I had without him.
Over the last 31 years we have visited 10 countries and moved home 10 times including from the UK to Australia – New South Wales then to Queensland.
We are already planning for our next home when I retire in a couple of years……..
Beach stranded, Pacific blue bottle jellyfish, smaller relative of the more venomous Portuguese Man-o’-war from the Atlantic.
The gas filled bulb sits above the water at the mercy of the winds.
It still harbours a nasty sting in its long single tentacle even when dead.
As children in the UK, we learned March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.
In contrast in Australia, the first day of each third month marks the change of the seasons. September, 1st heralds Spring.
September, October were mostly dry, and November is living up to its stormy reputation. Compared with last year, it is more humid than I remember, more than 70% most days.
We enjoy the benefit of one of the previous owners of the house being keen gardeners. The wild irises and amaryllis have finished blooming.
They are succeeded by fire star orchids and dancing lady orchids.
The rising sun heralds the arrival and departure of Brisbane bound commuters. Few appear to take notice of it or the surrounds.
Serpentine Saltwater Creek undulates through the North Lakes Environmental Reserve behind the train station towards Moreton Bay. It often breaks free of its banks.
The water results in a lush wetland ecosystem; home to gum trees, grasses, insects, 29 species of native birds, reptiles, eastern grey kangaroos, possums, and koalas.
Good morning
This abstract mixed media painting was inspired by the colours of water over submerged sand islands viewed whilst descending towards Cairns off the coast of Far North Queensland, Australia.
Whilst on holiday in Port Douglas, using my husband’s 1980s Winsor and Newton Sketcher’s palette, I completed a couple of concept sketches on A6 cartridge paper.
After returning home, I started with a pencil oval outline filled with light watercolour washes in acqua, blue, and green. Texture was created by adding large clean salt crystals that absorbed the water and hues.
The outline was inked in and more washes added.
Water was sprayed on sections of the picture freeing up the colours to merge, and the edges and outline to soften. Darker shades were added to the water droplets and encouraged to flow into each other. Salt recycled from other paintings was added to create random patches of soft brown and pink.
The above was repeated a few times until the final version emerged.
As the seasons shift and leaves fall, the Earth recycles energy, converting it into new life and carrying it forward. Embrace the positivity you need to progress in life. Happy Samhain.
theINFP 