bet you love to hear about the weather

As you may have noticed on the weather reports lately, there is some confusion up here over what season it is. We reached a high of 35.3 one day, and this is winter...Queenslanders were complaining about how hot it was! I even dipped my toe in the pool one day to test the water, but only managed a short immersion of the legs. Some of the kids went in, but then, they will swim anywhere, any time. We even got down to one only sheet at night, and if you know how Charles feels the cold, you'll know how hot it was.
Bec and Remi have been battling a nasty virus - yes, another one - through the hot. Not at all pleasant, especially when you have a temperature. Fortunately they are on the mend now.
Mat and Jeff have bought a terrace house in Sydney - Surry Hills. It's on the end of the row, so only neighbours on one side. They are very thrilled as they have been looking for a while a just missed out on one in the same street a while ago.
Bec & I have been busy learning pattern making and are learning a great deal. I am about to put my lessons to practice and make my first garmet from my pattern, having learned how to move darts, change shapes...anyway, it's exciting. I have also made a couple of skirts for Nuiska and am about to start some chair and couch covers for her and Rudi, so I am keeping busy. I am also doing a small market in West End at the back of the wonderful book shop, that is held once a month. Very social - we take along a plate and contribute to wine. It's held on a Friday evening from 5 - 8pm. Tomorrow night there is an opening of Sam's latest exhibition. He also has one travelling Europe, which is now in St Petersburg.
Charles is busy doing a building project for the landlord and enjoying it. I't good for him to have something to get his teeth into.
Cheers for now fron the sunny north.

photos from my camera

Here are a few pics of many I have taken in our time up here.

cultural delights

Shirley & Kevin are on the road home. Left this morning - very teary. Have not had a chance to rave about the Kev Carmody tribute concert, with people like Paul Kelly, Missy Higgens, John Butler, Tex Perkins, and many more who gave a a wonderful time on August 1. Simon, Lisa, Nick and Deb came up, and we trooped along with Claudia, Jasmine & Sam.

After the concert we went to dinner at the local Indonesian then back here. A fantastic night with family.

Then last Sat night Charles, Shirley and I saw a guy from the US out here on tour - David Rovics - at a Palestinian fundraiser in an intimate venue just down the road. Great voice and fantastic songs, mostly original.

And then, of course, the film festival. Last night Kevin, Shirley, Charles & I attended the closing night film, Balibo. Great film. The seventies was very convincingly portrayed, including the look of the film quality & colour. Well worth seeing, tho there were some parts I could just not watch.

Get along and see it if you can.

TDC (The Divine Child)

In response to a comment from Mat that I had not put any photos of Remi on the blog lately, here is one of the latest with his new haircut, which he did himself, well, mostly, with electric clippers. You forget how quickly kids grow and change, and a simple thing like a new haircut can make you look again in wonder. Having been through a series of infections (snot, earaches, coughs and so on) this winter, his first year of kindy, he has reincarnated from a grumpy, unwell state into a completely joyous and delightful little boy. His world is filled with imagination, play, putting on shows, singing, dressups (I made him a bear suit and he has a kangaroo and horse on order )riding his bike or scooter, feeding the chooks and now collecting the egg each day, and generally filling our lives with a great deal of love.

friends, films and good living

Shirley and Kevin are here, working their way through a vast array of films on offer at the Brisbane Film Festival. I have managed to catch a few, with Kevin setting a cracking pace, and Shirley coming a close second. Tomorrow he is attempting 6 films in one day. They arrived with 3 days to spare before the marathon began, so we have had time to experience the high life, really wonderful spending time with them. We start the day slowly, with Kevin going through the program, whilst Shirley prepares herself for the day ahead.The weather has been nothing short of superb, and we have been making the most of it, walking along the river, as well as a morning at the Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens where the highlight was the dry garden, with strange, wonderful and amazing plants.

We all had lunch at GOMA today after a film and Shirly & I are going in for a 9.10pm start tonight. Highlight so far for has been a NZ film, The Strength of Water. Will be released so you can see it.

Three more days to go. We are all going to Balibo on closing night. Should be good.