BONDI BEACH - born and bred.

Last Saturday a tiny slice of land at Bondi Beach was sold for
$3.5m . This "postage stamp" is right where my Mum lived as a kid
from 1923-1925 in a three story block of red brick "flats".

In 1925 they moved to 148 Campbell Parade, (smack bang between Hall
and Roscoe St's) on the main drag, of Bondi. The trams rattled past their
front room eventually as a sad reminder of how Pa was killed when
he fell from a tram in Oxford Street Woollahra one night in 1931 on his
way home from work at East Sydney Tech. Life changed.

Mum and her Mum, Rene, stayed in 148 Campbell Parade. They saw
the bombs come over Bondi in May 1942 . By August that year she had
met and married my Dad.

Born and bred in Bondi has been a catch phrase of mine. My first
swimming lesson was at the now famous Bondi IceBergs Pool . Bondi Beach
Public School was my first school. From 1957 - 1960 148 Campbell Parade
became my home too.

My early married life was in Bondi, my kids were born and bred in
Bondi, my hubby used to surf South Bondi on a balsa board right in front
of the IceBergs.

With those and a squillion more memories if I'd had $3.5m I'd have
bought that smidge of dirt, but like I've said before ...
I was born beautiful not rich.

AW Week 5 & 6 in Review

Twpo for the price of one - Weeks 5 & 6

You might wonder - what happened to week 5 of
The Artist's Way.

WEllllll it really wasn't me. Too airy fairy. Too much about
wishes and those who know me know I don't wish. I'm a
realist and if I want something to happen then do my darndest
to I make it happen. Time is too precious to be wafting off,
daydreaming and wishing - get ya head out of the clouds, get
on with it or get over it - life's too short!

My 5 imaginery lives are - sort of the same, sort of not!

If I were 20 and had money - I would still do it all over again!

If I were 65 and had money - well we'll wait and see about that
one!

Ten way's that I am mean to myself - couldn't think of one!

Ten items I'd like to own that I don't - nope

My favourite creative block is - now I know here it's not meant
to be a Crazy Quilting Block - but that's what comes to mind!

My payoff for staying blocked is - don't have one as I am always
on!

The person I blame for being blocked is - well no-one because I
am not a blamer!
So there.............!

Week 6 - Recovering Abundance.

Money Madness Exercise.
my answers are in red

1. People with money are rich.
2. Money makes people rich.
3. I'd have more money if I won some.
4. My dad thought money was to hold on to.
5. My Mum thought money was to spend.
6. In my family, money caused us to live.
7. Money equals wealth.
8. If I had money I'd buy a house with an ocean view.
9. If I could afford it I'd have that house with an ocean view and a GSP.
10. If I had some money I'd spend it.
11. I'm afraid that if I had money I'd - wot is there to be afraid of??
12. Money is wealth.
13. Money causes - it depends.
14. Having money is not a worry.
15. In order to have more money I need to get off my butt.
16. When I have money, I usually spend it.
17. I think money is necessary.
18. If I weren't so cheap I'd - I'm not cheap.
19. People think money is the root of all evil and they're jealous.
20. Being broke tells me I was born beautiful not rich.

So there was then the pick the rocks, pick the flowers, clearing (I'm
always doing that), creation, (always doing that), communication
(ditto), acceptance (ditto), prosperity (there was plenty of that this
week) - I'm smiling!

I'm still up with the morning pages, the artist date was done,
synchronicity abounded, a week of health related high's and lows.

How can that be when I am only 39????

Synchronicity and Life took Over!

Gadzooks the last eight days have gobbled up the time.
If you want something done ask a busy woman says MJ,
I've been like the proverbial lizard drinking ... !

Briefly the last eight days have been ...

Sunday - The Stitches & Craft Show - The PIC, fun, laughter,
divas, inspiration, motivation, new horizons, broke the bank,
delirious delight!

Monday - Vitreous Floaters & Blepharitis.

Tuesday - The button pusher a haircut, facial & manicure.

Wednesday - Pulled the doona over my head

Thursday - The Portuguese smile created, MJ lunch.

Friday - The Artist's Date Bookstore browsing, books galore!

Saturday - Out with the old and in with the older.

If you can make sense of all that then we're on the same
page as Moi! If not - stick around and eventually all
will be revealed.

Synchronicity happened every day - Bliss!

AW Check in Week 5

The Morning Pages are still being done.
Today Sunday Feb 26 is Day 44.

AW remains inspiring, changes have occurred, patience
has been tested but the whole task and it's outcomes are
a joy!

So much to tell, so little time, I'll get back to your shortly!!

That's a Promise.

VODKA - uses for when you're not drinking it ... or if you have any left over!

Another illustrious, highly talented, Virgo, Maureen, posted
the following on other uses for VODKA ..... I have gallons of
it since I signed the pledge - now which one of the following
will I use it on first? Mmmm???

1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with
vodka.
The solvent dissolves adhesive.
2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a
trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set
five minutes and wash clean.
The alcohol in the vodka kills mould and mildew.
3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft,
clean cloth dampened with vodka.
The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting
]your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving.
The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
5. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, and then
blot dry.
6. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent
to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo.
The alcohol cleanses the scalp removes toxins from hair and
stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle and spray bees or
wasps to kill them.9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup
water in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshable
ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
10. Fill a clean, used screw top jar with freshly packed lavender
flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun
for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the
tincture to aches and pains.1
11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and
back as a liniment.
12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
13 Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove
the urushiol oil from your skin.
15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth.
Your gums to will absorb the alcohol to numb the pain and if the
pain stops then keep drinking is my advice!

They all sound so good don't they? If non of them entice you to part with
your Vodka then may I suggest - fill a long glass with ice then top it with
three or four fingers of Vodka (depending on the time of the day of course)
top with soda, a dash of squash and a twist of lemon ........ TD4 ... hic!!!

The Department of Me

Some time ago before thinking it possible to personally blog
I discovered The Department of Me and have never been
able to go online without popping there for an peek.
Love and adore your work Kate!

My posts been scarce these past days. So many things to be over
would have made me a whinging woc ... RU486 ... Yeah at that
result ... even that didn't quell the conniption.

KP's financed state farewell ...Grrrr ... Dana Vale's ludicrous
comment ... loonie neighbours to contend with and long over due
creativity to catch up on. All done and gorrrn so now I have a
clean slate.

Off to The Stitches & Craft Show on Sunday to learn, be inspired,
catch up with good friends and spend money ....wot more could
you ask for on a sunny Sunday?

I'll get back to you shortly!

SELF PORTRAIT TUESDAY.

The theme for February's Self Portrait Tuesday is

"All of Me".

Here's the first...

Hair restyled,

gob wide open, (how unusual).

Losing all of me

including breakfast was the fear.

During - I was Over It! Afterwards - I wanted it again!

Follow up to RU486 with my MP's reply.

Let's have three cheers for my local member for the
following reply to the email I sent via the GET UP
site.

Thank you for your email regarding the abortion
drug RU486.

I believe Australian women should be able to make
informed decisions regarding personal health issues
with their doctor.

The availability of RU486 will assist women to retain
some control and dignity, in what I can only imagine
as being very difficult circumstances.

RU486 should be dealt with like any other medication:
that is, it should be the experts at the Therapeutic Goods
Administration who should determine if this drug is safe,
not the Health Minister.

It is alarming that the Health Minister Tony Abbott is in
a position where his moral views on abortion interfere
with the decisions he makes in the health portfolio.

I have always, and will continue to advocate that decisions
regarding women’s health issues should not be made by
politicians, but instead by women themselves in consultation
with their doctors.

Yours sincerely

Anthony Albanese MP
Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Shadow Minister for Water
Federal Member for Grayndler

www.anthonyalbanese.com.au

Electorate Office:
334a Marrickville Rd,
MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204
Ph. (02) 9564 3588 Fax. (02) 9564 1734

Parliament House:
R1 60 Parliament House,
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Ph. (02) 6277 4031 Fax. (02) 6277 8445

The Artist' Way - Week 4 - Check In.

Week 4 has given me the irits over the 'Reading Deprivation'!

For me it's too off the wall.

Reading is not a reward, not therapy, it's pleasure.

Like how far were you expected to go? No reading

emails, the TV guide, recipes, snail mail, blogs, bill

boards, the back of shopper dockets, love letters,

postcardsfrom friends overseas, did I miss something

in the translation?

Like the inference that you could do other things instead

of reading is crap to me. Wash the dog, don't have one and

ifI did reading wouldn't stop me.

Rewire the lamp, paint thebedroom, go dancing...........Haaaa!

I could still do all or any of that and read as well - no not at

the same time - at well spaced intervals of course!

Can ya tell I'm Over It??

Why in hell's name deny yourself something that is pleasure,

not bad for you and part of every day life that surely doesn't

impinge on your creative self - well not mine anyway?

So I'm Over week 4 - well and truly.

Nope I still haven't missed a Morning Page. I am not thrilled

with the tasks this week either and NO there was nothing

significant in my creative recovery ...... NEXT!!

Artist's Way Week 4 Check In

Ok I'm not going to drag this out but Week 4 has really given
me the irits over the 'Reading Deprivation'! It's offensive,
intrusive and too off the wall. Reading is not a reward, not
therapy, it's pleasure. Like how far were you expected to go?
Like no reading emails, the TV guide, recipes, snail mail, blogs,
bill boards, the back of shopper dockets, love letters, postcards
from friends overseas, did I miss something in the translation?

Like the inference that you could do other things instead of
reading is crap to me. Wash the dog, don't have one and if
I did reading wouldn't stop me. Rewire the lamp, paint the
bedroom, go dancing...........Haaaaaaaaaa!! I could still do all
or any of that and read as well - no not at the same time - at
well spaced intervals of course! Can ya tell I'm Over It??

Why in hell's name deny yourself something that is pleasure,
not bad for you and part of every day life that surely doesn't
impinge on your creative self - well not for me anyway?

So I'm Over week 4 - well and truly.

Nope I still haven't missed a Morning Page. Nope I am not even
thrilled with the tasks this week either and NO there was nothing
significant in my creative recovery .......... NEXT!!

Ptolemy ll - it's in the Stars, again...

Ptolemy ll has done it again with the STARS in Saturdays
Sydney Morning Herald. Don't think I'm taking this seriously!
Those who know me know I love a laugh and so here's this weeks
dose ...

VIRGO

Cheeky Alpha Centauri has been taunting Virgos for weeks in a bid
to get them to loosen up and live a little. With another year of work
stretching glumly ahead of you, now's the time to surrender to your
inner child. Set aside some time each day to climb a treet, roll in the
grass with a puppy, and make a smell in the presence of grown-ups

Tell me that your not laughing - no way - I don't believe you!

Proud to be an Aussie!

Proud to be an Aussie is how it feels watching the telecast of the
Opening Ceremony at the Torino Winter Olympics 2006.

The man behind the stupendous extravaganza is Ric Birch.
An Aussie boy with a vivid imagination, sensational flair with other
people's money and the talent to make it all work. What a genius!
Adored the 80s discomania belting out as the teams came out - where
was the mirror ball! Memories of Patches and other night spots of
the era came flooding back!

And to top it all - 8 Women carrying the Olympic flag!

On with the games - Onya Rich Birch!
Oi, Oi, Oi!

Whether UR or R not for RU486...

Whether you are for it or against it is not the issue as Melody
has reminded me. It's the audacity of the nobs elected to
represent us, the voters, in Parliament that gets under the skin
here. How dare they flaunt their bias, their personal beliefs and
uneducated opinions.

The use of RU486 has been giving a better quality of life to many
people living with cancer. The scandal mongers in the media
have blown the use of this drug into the laps of the right for lifers.
You should see them as they haunt the local residents, jingling their
rosary beads, always standing alone, so they can't be nabbed for
an illegal protest, on one of the main streets of the inner west staring
at the building where supposedly pregnancy terminations are done!
One local resident keeps threatening to turn the garden hose on them
but is more concerned about the waste of H2O during the water
shortage in this fair city!

RU486 is another example of uneducated bureaucracy playing the
parent. Doing the so called keeper of our best interests at heart
routine when their time would be better spent looking at how much
their cronies are spending on OS jaunts ... if only.

You can make a difference - go to Get Up follow the prompts and lets
get Tony Abbott skulking back to the front pew with all the other
hypocrits!

AW Week 4 - Buried Dreams

The Buried Dreams Exercise sound like a hoot so here goes ...
5 Hobbies that sound fun -
Collecting - anything
Playing poker
Glider flying
German Shorthaired Pointer showing
Travelling on the QEII

5 Classes that sound fun -
Sketching cadavers at University of NSW
A year at NIDA
Textile Art
Water colour painting
Learn piano

5 Things you would never do -
Live in a high rise building
Travel in the tunnel under Sydney Harbour
Be the person I used to be
Work in an op shop
Absail

5 skills that would be fun to have -
Juggle
Play the drums
Walk on stilts
To run a marathon
To drive

5 things you used to enjoy doing -
Gin
Bourbon
Beaujoulais
Amaretto
and all that went with them!

5 things you would like to try once -
Travel the world
Have no bills
Be published
Sculpting
Book binding

Now we enter the Reading Deprivation week.

Mmmm that's gonna be a challenge! Hang on I
might fail this one ... emails still need to be read
but I'll stay away from the books!
Updates will be interesting!

Blogging & Visual Journals

At Day 26 Blogging AW with the 'Morning Pages', book one, A4 size,
is filled. My choice is to only write on the right hand page, on every
second line with some doodles and thoughts occasionally on the left
hand page. Sounds lavish to some. Maybe it stems from being tortured
as a kid to write on every page. Being scolded, reprimanded as wasteful
when missing a page, chastised even more when, oh shame, ripping a
page out if an error was made ... obviously the reason for adult
extravagance. Money was short , times were hard ... not now!
Printing stuff instead of simply clicking on save, ephemera is adore,
magazines, note paper, the card I see and want in case ... of what???
MJ went nuts as I searched for the first 'Morning Pages' book "paper
isn't like it used to be" was my retort, "I'm Over It" was MJ's.

The inital idea was to cover each of the MP books. I'd already covered
5 VJ's as gifts, plus one for Moi and another that's almost completed
but is currently missing with the WOMBATS. Oh how the list of to do's
swells to garagantuan proportions and are now looming bigger than
the projects.

So ... I Googled Visual Journals. Gadzooks the choices blew me away!
I've signed up to a Yahoo group via aisling net How to Make Art and WOW!
The talent, the links are fabulous, there goes the rest of the night, stupendous!
VJ covers have taken over for the time being ... it's only early!

My Torus Mandibularis.

The button pusher started the day off with a 9am request for a
loaf of bread. Internally fuming, muttering "pass the pillow" my
feet hit the floor with murder on my mind!

The day could have been a disaster had it not been for an 11.30am
appointment.

My long centric and torus mandibularis (doesn't that sound
almost R rated?) are under renovation by the most luscious
Portugese deep sea diver!
SMILE!!!

Some of my best friends are NETBALLERS.

Those who know me know my netballer line! Thanks Flick!

The greatest faux netballer of all time Sharon Strezleckie aka
Magda Szubanski is making a comeback on Aussie tele.
Tune in to NINE on Feb 14 for "Magda's Funny Bit's" where
the gorgeous "Chenille" and all the other glamours we know
and love will have you wetting yourselves!
What a Valentine's gift!

My Dream Purse Exchange.

There's a new group started over at Yahoo called
My Dream Purse Exchange.
Have you got that purse or handbag as we Aussie's call
them, that you'd like to upgrade? Then how about swapping
it?
It's only early days for the group but it will take off. You have
to fill in an application so they know who you are and where
you are if you want to swap ... Fab idea for bag lady's everywhere!

Beginner Blogger Blues!

DUH!!!
I feel a right TWAT... Twerp, Nob ... C'mon think of another!

Apologies to all you wonderful message leavers - just found a stack
of messages - left for Moi - since the beginning - and I didn't know!
It's been like findng that last prawn on the seafood platter, the last
skerrick of chocolate in the wrapper - thank YOU, thank YOU!

My profile went to the bottom of the right hand side for a week,
couldn't get the HTML working, still floundering with the links
but ask me to cater for an event for 1000 people and I'm there
with aplomb and you'll get a guaranteed spectacular event!

What a buzz to know someone has even been here!
YeeHaa ....Thanks Heaps!

A HOFF Replacement!

Last year we did The HOFF to death! MJ's party, emails, jokes, loads of laughs. MJ says there's a need for a replacement for 2006 and suggested Donny Osmond who apparently is about to tour here ... spare me!
My nomination is BARRY MANILOW ... any other suggestions?

Blogging AW Week 3.

For someone who leads a charmed, placid life time flys and I've not kept up to date about AW. I'm taking my time and savouring it. I've not missed doing the Morning Pages. Day 26 has been done and the first book is almost full.
Week three annoyed me. Dredging up old stuff about childhood found me turning the page thinking, been there, done that, OVER IT! Nothing more to be accomplished by going there. Nothing about my creative self lurks there.....Ha....maybe that is the lesson methinks.... a lightbulb moment??? Mmm AW is working it's mysterious ways.

The Detective Work Exercise was interesting.

The aim was restore the person we had abandoned - the child.

1. Favourite childhood toy ... doll Jennifer
2. Favourite childhood game ...
3. The best movie I saw as a kid ...
4. I don't do it much but I enjoy ... walking along shoreline of the beach.
5. If I could lighten up a little, I'd let myself ... WOT THa??
6. If it weren't too late ... it's not too late!
7. My favourite musical instrument is ... piano.
8. The amount of money I spend treating myself to entertainment each month is ... plenty!
9. If I weren't so stingy with my artist, I'd buy her ... nothing she's got everything she needs!
10. Taking time out for myself is ... a joy!
11. I'm afraid that if I start dreaming ... then I'm Over It !
12. I secretly enjoy reading ... toilet walls!
13. If I had a perfect childhood I'd have grown up to be ... someone horrible!
14. If it didn't sound so crazy, I'd write or make ... a sows ear into a silk purse!
15. My parents think artists are ... weird!
16. My god thinks artists are ... sensational!
17. What makes me feel weird about this recovery is ... these annoying questions.
18. Learning to trust myself is probably ... normal!
19.My most cheer me up music is ... John Farnham
20. My favourite way to dress is ... not like everyone else!

See what I mean???

The exercises were a pain in the posterior. There's no dreamer in me, I'm all realist hence the annoyances.
Like...
Describe 3 traits you liked in yourself as a child...
A good speller, good at composition and good in the school plays........trust me there was nothing else.

Name 5 childhood accomplishments...
Topped the half yearly exams in Domestic Science aka Cooking.
Played the paino
Was good at stealing threepences and sixpences out of my grandmothers' stash ... no way was I going to be the only kid without money to spend!
Stumped for any more...........

Name 5 foods from your childhood
Fish & chips from the fish shop at Bondi
I was given a saucepan and sent to the chinese restaurant next door to my grandmothers to buy a serve of Sweet & Sour Pork ... that was take away 1950s style.
Buying Cream Buns with Jam in the centre, dusted with icing sugar from the school tuck shop.
Meat Pie and sauce with the stolen cash!
Vanilla Slices.

The exercises went on to Habits ... Who Me ???

I'll get back to you shortly for now ~ enough is enough!

An Arty Sensible Frock

The gorgeous and talented Prudence Mapstone from A Girl Can Never Have too Many Handbags & It's Not Just Knitting posted the link to this amazing dress in her latest newsletter.
It's art, it's fun, it's imagination and depending on where you are and who you're with it, some of this frock could save your life (if you know what I mean)!
What a sensible frock!

High Class Blogs invite...

It amazes me who reads blogs.

High Class Blogs have invited I'm Over It to be listed in their directory.

New and discovered!
http://www.highclassblogs.com

High Class Blogs
cars, law, pets, songs,
pop, rap, fun pics,psp, dating, & more cool stuff

A Tickled Fancy by the Stars.

Here’s some trivia that has really tickled my fancy over the past weeks.

In the GOOD WEEKEND Magazine in the Sydney Morning Herald each Saturday

some character writes the stars. Under the nom of Ptolemy ll this person has caused

me much mirth. Now don’t take this all literally, no I don’t believe in the stars, like a

zillion other people I read them for a laugh …and a laugh it has been … you have two

choices here………read on or mutter I’m Over It…….it’s up to you!


On Saturday January 14 – this is the one that started me laughing.
VIRGO.
The thing with Virgos is that they are the biggest freaks of the zodiac. So any Vrogs

tempted to think that recent life triumphs make them somehow superior to others

should take a reality check. Deep down you are riven by the most pathetic fears and

tortured by dark secrets, aren’t you? So remember not to get too up yourself.
Well I laughed and laughed at this one and thought it was excellent blog material.

Having a go at myself, instead of someone else made for a jolly good chortle.

NOT…….

This was the start of the “not being able to access the blog for 15 days time”

Yeah…….you already know about that episode.


The following week - Saturday Jan 21 ……Ptolemy II writes…

VIRGO.
With a major project or pressing personal matter looming, you take to

your bed. The lovely thing about just lying there hour after hour with the

doona over you and all phones off is that nobody can disturb you. Bear in

Mind that you will, eventually, have to face your responsibilities. Until then,

turn often to prevent bed sores…………
My recollection for that week was as described. No of course it wasn’t what I’d

read lots of stuff was bugging me, all the major players, stinking hot weather

and you will be too if you think I believed it……stop being so serious!


Last week - January 28 ………. A Doozy!
VIRGO
Australia’s top literary agent calls you and offers a rather large advance

for your memoirs. The offer’s not entirely unexpected – you always knew

you had a pretty good story to tell – but don’t rush into anything. Talk it

over with family before you make your decision.
Haaaaaaaaaa……….Yep I’m writing again as part of The Artist’s Way, journaling

and back blogging….Haaaaaaaa I’m thinking yeah right!!

Well today this Ptolemy had Pet and I in stitches
February 4
VIRGO.
When I said last week that Virgos would receive a call from Australia’s top

literary agent, offering a motza for your memoirs, perhaps I over stated the

case. Not every Virgo received that call, in fact, only one of us did. And yes,

it was me. I just thought you might like to share in my joy.
I adore it ……………..Haaaaaaaaaa!

What's my blog worth

C'mon it's gotta be worth more than that...

My blog is worth $49,008.88.
How much is your blog worth?