The Wave

Are Australians excessive wavers? I don't know. I love the wave and participate in the excessive waving with much gusto. Makes me happy and have even enlisted the dog. Jessie, our Jack Russell, loves a wave and always brings a smile to the kiddies faces when it's time for goodbyes. The older people, I'm sure, think we're nuts, but that little doggy does a cute two pawed wave like no other.

My eldest sister once owned an EH Holden (classic old Australian car) and a Kombi van and driving these cars required the two-fingered wave. When driving the Kombi/EH and passing another Kombi/EH owner, index and middle finger were raised from the steering wheel, acknowledging each other's coolness factor or sympathy depending on repairs and rust said car had. The slightest head nod was also thrown in, very discreet and completely hilarious.

Easter is still a loooong way off, put the chocolate away!

The shops are absolutely chock full of easter eggs. The shelves have been heaving with eggs since Boxing Day. Sheesh - can't anyone wait these days? Me, I'm on strike, from buying any eggs, till I can hear the pitty pat of bunny feet. Meanwhile those gold chocolate lindt bunnies are driving me nuts. The evil marketers have placed them at the supermarket exit lanes and there they sit in all their chocolatey goodness taunting me.

Fire and Flood Donations

I can't even imagine the devastation that the Victorian fires have wreaked over the last week. Many communities have been burnt to the ground. Over 200 people have lost their lives. So far Australians have raised over $48 million dollars to help people affected by the fires rebuild their lives and communities. At the same time North Queensland have been flooded. Having gone through floods in recent years, it is absolutely devastating to see people lose everything and my heart goes out to those people affected by fire and flood. If you're able donate to both of these causes, please donate through The Australian Red Cross.
Thank you.

Olive Tree Markets

Here are some lovely lady crafters from the Olive Tree Markets.

C'mon Kevin get those cheques out - toot sweet. It was a bit slow at the markets on Saturday. It was hot, but I think more than anything people are holding on to their money fearing an impending recession. Kevin (Our PM) has proposed a recession busting cash bonanza giveaway, but the money won't be coming out until March. Hopefully business will pick up after that. Anyway, I had a lovely day regardless of slow sales. I met the lovely Julia from rudy and the dodo and she bought some of my wares for her online shop, so go over here and check out some new items that aren't even on my madeit shop yet. Top pic is of my stall which I'm slowly perfecting and some other lovely lady crafters. My 6 year old niece came to the markets with me as she is a mad crafter and set up a table of questionable crafts and the lovely Natalie pictured 4th pic down bought one of her rock/softies. Thanks Natalie! And for those wanting to check out these ace new markets the next market is scheduled for the 7th March, 9am-3pm. Hope to see you there!

Bertie Beetle Comes to Stay

So our car broke down on the weekend. Nice one! It was a hot day and we had to walk the rest of the way to our intended destination. Forced exercise in the heat is not nice! When we broke down we assumed 'little red' (our bombie, but little goer of a car) had ran out of petrol, but nay as big man in flourescent overall later confirmed. So as I wasted my time traipsing to the nearest servo to buy outrageously priced tin, funnel from another shop and then had to fill the stupid tin with even more outrageously priced petrol only for the car still not to start - Ahhhhhh. And remember this is all in the stinking heat! I then rang the big man in flourescent overall (NRMA - breakdown service) and he informed me, with a dire look on his face, that it will all have to be pulled apart - cha-ching. So poor little red had to get towed away to a better place or more expensive one anyway.

So meet Bertie beetle, as her owners call her. Bertie has kindly been lent to us as an interim car by our kindly friends Ruthie and Tim. How funny is this? So I finished my VW beetle linocut on Friday and by Sunday we had the exact beetle and colour in our hot little hands. Bizarre I know!

Maybe I should knock out a linocut of the car or sewing machine of my dreams and see what happens.