On my mind today

[image source]

...besides knitting...

I've been catching up on a bit of blog reading over the past couple of days, and I'm so impressed (as usual) by all the lovely people doing things that they're passionate about. Shout outs today to Two Cheese Please, Ink and Spindle, and Little Suitcase, all for doing things that they love, and doing it so well. It also makes me slightly sad, as I still feel I'm wandering in limbo. I think I'd rather be doing the limbo.

A chance clicking on the Brown Owls blog, has found me in time to book a place for the next meet on September 7th. This will be my first for the year, I'm amazed, where has the time gone? In my mind I still think it's February, I'm sure. Anyway, if you're going, yay! I'll see you there. And we're playing with stationery, one of my favourite things EVER.

I've been moaning lately that I've lost my library card. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that libraries and I have a love/hate relationship. Oh! I love them! Oh! They hate me! Why? - my sieve-like memory means that time flies and I've got huge overdue fines before I know it. (As I write this I know I owe the Melbourne City Library $20.) Which means I return the books (eventually) but become too ashamed to show my face in there. Sigh. I'll have to bite the bullet soon though (payday perhaps?) as the list of books I want to read is growing, and I'm definitely not shelling out for new books. (That's tattoo money folks. Oh and wool. Oh and tunes.)

I haven't been op-shopping for months, I seem to be subconsciously trying not to accumluate more household stuff. But the itch is there...part of me regularly wonders what treasures I'm missing, but maybe they're not meant to be mine. Who out there believes that everything happens for a reason? I must confess I struggle with the concept.

Listening to: The Kooks 'Tick of Time'

Yeah Yeah I know...

I am the world's worst blogger. But I've always operated on the philosophy (being a quiet child as I was) that if you have nothing of value to say, don't say anything at all. I have been a confused mess of late and don't feel the need to commit any of that confusion to teh interwebs.

Something that made me smile this morning, a pic from Ms Cate's blog. Cate regularly does a post called 'Things I Like' and I invariably find myself loving her choices. This pic is one Cate shared, and because I can't work out where exactly she found it, I'll just link back to her post.

Thanks, love your work.

Listening to: The Sports 'Who Listens to the Radio'

If I lay here

If I lay here, originally uploaded by Le Petit Danseur.

...long enough, I might think of some words.

Not much to blog about here in Drewzelworld, I've been busy, but have no great crafty output to share with you. People and places are entertaining me. I'm having trouble finding words for how I feel at the moment, it's not a bad place, but definitely different...and changing.

So I'll let this lovely photo speak for me.

Listening to: The Avett Brothers 'Will You Return?'

Happy things

I think it was Toni's post that inspired me to think of this list, I'm not quite sure.
But as it's a Sunday morning, and the haze is slowly starting to fade (outside I mean, not in my head) I thought I'd type some happy things.

So in no particular order, things that bring me happiness:

- Staffys and kittehs
- chocolate
- sitting warm on the couch under my quilts
- making new friends
- catching up with old friends
- hot tea and more hot tea
- embroidering my little fingers off
- the endless challenge that is knitting
- tattoos
- nice smells - coffee beans, bread, incense, favourite perfume
- my bed, cuddling the dogs
- the creativity of friends, whether it be art, craft, or music
- photography
- finding something great at the oppy
- purging crap from my house
- magpies singing in the morning
- books and movies - preferably books that make me think, and movies that make me laugh
- perving on hot blokes (!)
- lollies, especially red frogs and Redskins
- kitsch china ornaments
- getting a pedicure
- being out in the sunshine
- making pressies for people
and of course MUSIC, I couldn't survive without that.

Picture credit "Happy Army" by Artmindetcetera

Rainy

The weather today matches my mood. And here's a pic I borrowed from Shorpy to illustrate.

Photo credit: New York, March 1943. "Times Square on a rainy day." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information

Summertime...

...blogging break. I haven't felt like writing much lately.

So...I'm a cranky old bag

aka the post where I wax lyrical about how much I wouldn't cope if it wasn't for music and knitting. As is the case with blogging and the world in general, if you want to say something, you'll generally find someone else has said it before, and so much better than you could ever hope to. All of us nanna-core types know how good knitting is for clearing the head, just the constant activity and rhythm is soothing, although for me, it can't be any harder than K1P1 when I'm troubled, or it leads to chaos.

I had a cow of a weekend, and definitely had what Holly G would call the "mean reds". I guess it's a bipolar thing, I don't know, sometimes I'm happy that I'm officially crazy as at least it gives me an explanation for my moods and behaviour. So what did I do all weekend, apart from moping and being angry? Knitted and listened to music. Specifically Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen. If you know me, you'll already know these two are among my favourites. I love music, I couldn't exist without it, and of course, I lack the ability to put into words the effect that certain songs and artists have on me. So thank God for my old buddy Nick Hornby. If you've read this blog before in the past couple of years, you'll also know how much I love his book of song essays.
So I'll give up now, and just quote from it:

In fact, thinking about it now, it's why I love the relationship that anyone has
with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words,
something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out.

And sometimes I'm just repeating myself.

Like Nick Hornby...how many times have I listened to 'Thunder Road'? Countless. The music thing, you either get it or you don't. And if you don't get it...sorry I just can't understand you, you must be existing in a parallel universe to me. But I'll still luv ya all teh same.

Also, this post is a reminder for me to start my own aforementioned 31 Songs project...although I think the best I'll come up with is a paragraph. Challenge to self for 2009.

And here's Broooce:

From the desk calendar

As is my habit every year, before I throw away the work desk calendar, I read all the daily quotes. And being the lover of words that I am, I usually find some that I like. Here's my faves from 2008:

Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible - WGP

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. - Tom Clancy

There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity. - Douglas Macarthur

Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese proverb

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. - Mother Theresa

Everyone must row with the oars he has. - English proverb

We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly. - anonymous

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth - not going all the way, and not starting. - Buddha

Blog as scrapbook. I promise some craft content soon, really.

Quiz time

Found via Amy's blog:

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.


• * Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.


• * Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.


• * Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.


• * Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

• * my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level


• * my ability to establish warm connections with people


• * admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life


• * my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor


• * being unique and being seen as unique by others


• * having aesthetic sensibilities


• * being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

• * experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair


• * feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved


• * feeling guilty when I disappoint people


• * feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me


• * expecting too much from myself and life


• * fearing being abandoned


• * obsessing over resentments


• * longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

• * have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games


• * are very sensitive


• * feel that they don't fit in


• * believe they are missing something that other people have


• * attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.


• * become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood


• * feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

• * help their children become who they really are


• * support their children's creativity and originality


• * are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings


• * are sometimes overly critical or overly protective


• * are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Going slow

What have I been up to? You've probably noticed a decided lack of posts on teh Portion lately...basically it's because in December I decided that I was going to go slow. I'm one of those people that tends to say YES to everything, without even stopping to think, when where how why, and November found me overcommitted and falling in a heap. So after birthday week, I decided to say NOES to most events, and to spend a lot of time doing nothing. (I think HP is probably glad too, because it's meant that I'm at home for a change.) I'm still reading your blogs, but maybe not commenting as much, and you'll find me on BookFace most nights as I leave the laptop signed in. My crafting output, apart from embroidery, is low also...I guess it's just overkill.

Have I put this vid up before? I think I love this boy, he can come and sing to me anytime:

I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications

Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know I'll be alright
Perhaps it's just imagination

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away
Come back another day

PS. is it just me or has anyone else noticed a lot of "we're sorry this video is no longer available" on you tube... and then the next refresh it works, and then sometimes it doesn't again? What does it all mean?

Me too

As you've probably seen in a few posts about the place, everyone's mourning the loss of Bettie Page, pin-up girl extrordinaire. Most men love her, and most naughty girls do too! It's her fault I keep trying to grow a fringe in the hope that it will look cute. RIP Bettie, loved your work.

Here's a super cute video from 1950...much better than the girls of the Playboy Mansion!

Older

Not sure if I'm any wiser! Thanks to all the lovely people for the birthday wishes and pressies. Hooray!
Becca emailed me this LOL:

more animals

Drink THIS MUCH everyday...

Drink THIS MUCH everyday..., originally uploaded by marcoa84.

...just make sure it's not champagne! Today was headache on the couch day.

Happy Poppy Day

Important to remember. Yes.

"Snot blocks"

A link for our overseas friends.

Hands up

Who thinks today is Monday? Bluergh!!

Activities for today

cup o tea, originally uploaded by drewzel.

...include lashings of tea. Do you ever have those "I can't be bothered" days? That's me today.
(This is my work teacup by the way. Think I might have to go make a proper pot o'tea.)

This is...something I'm surprised that I like

I'd never been here before until I met my husband over 10 years ago ...and now I'm a Frankytown resident. (HP refused to move to the city.) The place has a bad reputation, as the home of bogans and general scrotes, but like any large town, it has it's good points and bad.

Bad =
-Railway station, smells like pee and always has dodgy types asking you for cash. Further to that, the train ride seems to take agggggggggggges
-Young Street, especially near Railway Station crossing
-NQR in Beach Street is always full of deadshits (but I still shop there)
-Obnoxious people at the pubs/nightclubs on the weekends (but that could be anywhere)
-The fact that the lovely Art Deco building that was once the Post Office is now Kittens fanny-dancing club
-The fact that the stip style Nepean Hwy shopping centre has suffered as a result of the big enclosed shopping centre development a few blocks over
-The Peninsula Centre - the biggest eyesore on the landscape

Good =
-I live here!
-Proximity to beaches, bays and the goodness of the Mornington Peninsula
-Op-shop joy - I seem to be in the minority in my love for vintage goods and recyclable kitsch
-The new Waterfront development is looking fab
-The view from Oliver's Hill
-Big Spotlight 3 minutes from my house
-High availablity of snot blocks
-Can always park near your house - none of that parking 4 blocks away like I had to when I lived in St Kilda
-Local library = excellent
-Mornington Main Street shopping 15 minutes away

-I'm here! (oops I already said that.)

When I first moved down this way, it was a bit of a culture shock and I didn't think I'd get used to it...but it's okay. 10 years later, don't ask me for street directions, I still couldn't tell you, but I like living here. But that doesn't mean I'll be here forever...

This is...via Three Buttons. This week's theme courtesy of Earl and Cookie.

Photo source here. [taken in 1971 folks]

Time out

I'm currently having a few days off work, and a few days off everything really. I'm overcommitted, overwhelmed and over it all. But the sun is shining, I've been spring cleaning and it's rather good. Hope it's sunny where you are too.

Some 2-bit philosophy

I've had a funny old sort of day. And now it's pouring with rain, which seems fitting. And I'm taking a moment to read a few blogs (I know, I should stay more up to date, but ...) Anyway, to my point. I looked at this post on Mikes blog, and was so struck by this image, and maybe more so, the sign in the window:

Free kittens for kind children

I know I've probably mentioned on here in one way or another how my heart melts more for a kitten or puppy than a baby, so the image worked in my mind, and I read that and thought "that's it". The free kittens should only go to the kind children, life should be like that. (Use free kittens as a metaphor for whatever suits.) But I think the world would would be a better place if the free kittens only went to the kind children...not as a reward, but as the way things should be.

This also ties in with this card that I bought at lunchtime today as it eloquently summed up my philosophy on life:

Of course, if you think this is all the babble of a deranged freak, you'd probably be right too. Time to top up my medication. Hope you're enjoying this rainy Monday, where ever ye be, h'argh*!

* every day should be Talk Like a Pirate Day, really.