Are you following me?

That is, if you know where I am...or if I know where I am! Since November 11 when I left Canada I've never been more than 3 nights in the same place. This morning I woke up in the peaceful bedroom where I'll spend most of the next few weeks so it's very nice to unpack & settle a bit. Thanks to my wonderful cousins in Melbourne who have a fantastic home with room for me to stay, and the generosity to open their house to me as they do annually. I hope I never wear out my welcome here!

It's been great to talk to some of the Melbourne cousins, there's a new little addition to the family who I haven't met yet, an all seems to be well down here. Australia has been strangely untouched by the GFC (as they call the "global financial crisis"here--an Aussie tradition to shorten words and phrases!) Everyone is well, happy, working away in the world, and the kids are almost all grown up. Lovely to see them all.

It was also good to see the box of things I left here in April including my pallet and some paints & some paper & big brushes. I started sketching too, on the sketchpad I left here, and will get my paints out tomorrow, I think. Lots of things to be inspired by here, and wip (work in progress) too.

So, while I must go now, I have access to a bigger computer & a bit more time to play with my photos so stay tuned & I'll show you my travel stuff!!

Ciao until later

From the Sunshine Coast

My first few days in Australia have been excellent, and I'm settling into my adopted country very well so far. Yesterday I had my first go at driving on the opposite side of the road (for this time) & didn't go wrong anywhere! It was a manual/standard transmission to boot, just like my little car that's waiting for me in Melbourne on Thursday, so that was a good start to my "walkabout" for 4 months, which is actually more like a "driveabout"!
I haven't been on the internet much due to travels so the photo upload will have to wait again. My camera is getting more painting material on it each day, and I still want to tackle the photos from California!
So busy catching up that it's hard to find time to draw or paint however I did sell a few cards & another calendar yesterday, and get some kudu horns drawn for a friend who is a kudu fanatic and wants a design for his cabinet. People in this area are very creative and artistic, it's a bit of a retreat that way, and I find it a very supportive and inspiring environment. Not that I don't have inspiring and creative people around me almost everywhere--they just don't have that funky Aussie accent to try to figure out!
Tomorrow I start heading south again, first to cousin Lynda's place in a suburb of Brisbane, then on to the airport for the short (2 1/2 hour) flight to Melbourne on Thursday. After a couple of days there, getting my carand seeing some of the cousins there, I'll be headed off to another beautiful little town called Lakes Entrance which is a 4 hour drive east from Melbourne & we'll be visiting our wonderfully funny friend Surge at his mansion that he built himself (& probably isn't yet finished).
Will keep you posted as I go, right now I must get off the internet at this local cafe. Too much fun to be had to sit inside!!
Oh yes, no fairy sightings yet however have had some wonderful bird spotting including the yellow-tailed black cockatoos, lorikeets and butcher birds. Heard the kookaburras calling this morning at dawn (5 am) but haven't spotted any yet.

Back in the land of Oz!!

So now you know, I am here! (Actually I guess I am usually "here", like, where else could I be--except away in lala land!)
Had a great week in California re-connecting & meeting for the first time with some excellent cousins there--was amazed by the creative talent, both musical & artistic, watching cousin's band 61 Trees playing, with the addition of their father, & my 2nd cousin, Richard Watts, and absolutely loved the whole time! The singing & art was amazing! Threw in some quick trips to Monteray, Carmel, the Lone Pine, Sacramento legislative buildings, trying to find Clint & Arnie with no success. All the spots were superb however, and I was really impressed with the richness of California.
And then, leaving those cousins along with UK cousin Mike who threw the whole week together so beautifully (some photos will be posted when I get my electronic act together along with internet time), it was off to LA then to Brisbane to visit 2nd cousins there & get re-established in Oz. Lynda & mother Dorothy are such excellent hosts, I had a swim, 2 walks by the beach, prawns for lunch, and a wonderful welcome & bed last night. This morning I woke up to the sounds of lorikeets chattering & squawking outside my bedroom window at dawn. So great to be back in my country of choice (for the northern winter!)
I do leave a marvelously charmed life, I must look out for some fairies around to keep the magic going!
More posting later, I promise!
e

3 days & counting

The time is flying by and yet I'm pleasantly relaxed for someone who hasn't started to pack for a 4-month walkabout! That hypnotherapy session last weekend really made a huge difference this week--really it is the only explanation for my internal calmness given all that's going on.

Today I held the first art show of the weekend, the next is tomorrow, and I was delighted to sell 5 original paintings along with lots of seasonal calendars and cards. All that & a great time was had by all. Wes cooked some most delicious appies, and served those along with a preview of his Christmas baking which is unsurpassable, and many bottles of wine were drunk--and almost as many bottles of beer! I think I'm sober as I type this!

Tomorrow is an open house for previous clients & will likely prove to be a bit more sedate--although hopefully some good buyers there too. Then it's time to get on with the packing, painting once more before I go, getting my surplus stock stored safely for the winter, some more paintings into exhibition at my massage therapist's office, along with various & sundry activities that go along with preparing for a long journey. Not to mention getting Christmas presents organized for leaving behind!

Meanwhile I've had some bad news about a couple of friends who may not be here when I return. One in particular is in intensive care with a rapidly advancing form of leukemia and the prognosis doesn't look good. Her family is around and it must be a very difficult time for them all--such great people who I have known for decades. Mel is in a lot of people's prayers this week.

I guess the fabric of life as we know it has many patterns--some of them we weave ourselves and others are woven for us--by who I don't know. Right now my life is absolutely beautiful and it's hard to imagine it could get any better, or that it might not stay this way forever. Then there are those things that remind us to enjoy the day as it comes, as there are no guarantees, except that it will end (again as we know it) at some point. I guess in some ways if you have been given a prognosis (as my father was, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer spread to the brain, of 4 months remaining) you have an opportunity that others don't get.

Anyway, enough with the bad news, and enough for the evening. I'll sign off from Vancouver & probably won't blog on until I'm upside down on the other side of the world, back to summertime! Until then have fun!
e

Getting ready to head south

Just like a snowbird (why do they call them snowbirds when they fly away from snow??) I'm getting ready for my annual trip to my country of choice--Australia. I'm on the count-down, 8 full days left to go and lots going on to fill them.

Last week I seemed stuck in some kind of glue & it seemed like nothing I did worked, no-one wanted to do anything that I wanted to do, & there wasn't much fun to be seen. No sense blogging when you feel like that!

Luckily I had scheduled a session with my world-class hypnotherapist on Saturday & things took a turn for the better after that. Thanks Jackie!! Somehow I came out of there, into the autumn sunshine, got some framing done for my 3 shows this weekend and started selling my art again. I don't know how I get off-track sometimes, maybe it's just to keep me knowing I'm human & not a fairy who can twitch her nose or wave her wand or cast a spell & everything goes right again.

So, now I'm into the homestretch, planning for the parties this weekend, the packing, the farewells, the travel, what paints to bring, all those electronics we haul around these days & have to remember chargers & batteries for...the list could be endless. Not to worry, I'm headed to a civilized country where you can buy anything you need or forget. Although with all the deadly snakes, spiders, sharks, jellyfish, droughts & fires & hurricanes some people wouldn't call Aussie civilized! For a Canadian-born person who hates snow & cold & winter, however, it's a paradise!

I'm looking forward to painting those magnificent gum trees again, the beaches & oceans, swimming & playing in the surf with cousins and friends, hiking around Sydney's beautiful headlands, exploring some new territory, seeing the Musee d'Orsay exhibition at the National Gallery in Canberra, and who knows what else for the next 4 months! Not to mention Christmas in Oz, usually a delight of seafood buffet, great wine, a trip to the beach, long sunlit days and evenings, maybe a bit of yoga for exercise! It's been 3 years since I was down under for Christmas so I'm ready for a hot one!

And this time I'll be looking closely to spot some Aussie fairies, or other creatures of magical ilk. All those dreamtime legends must have some basis in reality! The nature gods are very strong in Oz & there is definitely a magic to the call I feel to get down there. Going walkabout is good for me, being close to nature, finding some new spots, renewing my acquaintance with old favourites (no, Di, you're not an OLD favourite, just a favourite!!). And I'm really looking forward to re-connecting with all the family & friends I haven't seen since April. They are all very special to me and I love spending time with them.

That's about it for now, I might have time to post one more time before I leave, so stay tuned!