I was going to.....

I was going to:

• join in colour week, but I couldn't find a yellow picture, so I kinda just gave up
• spend the night sewing, but I seem to have spent it on the phone with my brother
  
• go swimming, but my car is still with the mechanic. I think they're inordinately fond of each other. I'm trying to separate them.
  

So you know, things aren't quite going to plan around here. I made bacon and egg pie for my dinner. There's enough left for lunch. That's good. And Sooz showed me this. It's good for a laugh, so that's good too. Got anything else we ought to see to keep us going this week?

Distressed

The bedroom walls are distressed.
It's growing on me. I could leave them like that.

Up high

I took my visitor way up high above Wellington on a remarkable, windless Saturday, to stand under the wind turbine, to look at the view.

Kinda stylish, one white turbine in an endless blue sky.

Anzac Day

It's Anzac Day. Poneke writes about it, and deserves to be heard.

Nice.

I love the whole world

This is from Blackbird. I love Blackbird. She's on my bloglines. My blogroll needs some work, but that needs time. One day Blackbird loves the whole world, and the next day she's having a rant about the kinds of blogs that interest her. That's life, huh.

Oh the Places I Go (2008 No. 2)

I love airports. Travelling at the weekend for fun is a whole lot different to travelling during the working week, when fun is usually low on the agenda. You know that beginning sequence from Love Actually. That one up there. It's so true, and it's a little more true at the weekend.

I've been to Christchurch, welcomed with enthusiasm by the Sagittarian, the Stud and their girls. I was treated to some beautiful meals, good wine, love and laughter in abundance. Hugs from long haired, long limbed girls the same ages as my boys! The very funny photo albums with us as schoolgirls. Great music. Dreams and schemes. A few secrets divulged. A little delicious misbehaving. Oh my! I booked this trip on a low day, remembering it will keep me smiling for a long time.
Saturday breakfast, served by Miss youngest doing a classy waitress/assistant chef act was so good, I didn't eat again until dinner.
Homegrown tomatoes and basil. (Damn, I forgot to bring home a bunch of basil).

We'd planned to go out on Saturday night, but the babysitter cancelled so we stayed home. People always gather where the food is good, wine flows, and converstion ranges far and wide. The Sagittarian and her family make it look effortless. So the house filled up with people, and staying home turned out to be a great idea. We sat outside with the brazier glowing, empty wine bottle pile growing, until...well, you know that funny glow in the sky? It's dawn. It's been a long time since I stayed up all night, talking and laughing.

I like this one better

It's for Stomper's dare. Which was started by Soozadoo.
Oh go on, show yourself, I dare you.

Stripping

Wallpaper that is. In my bedroom.

I've just finished reading this. Well, re-reading, probably for about the 5th time. I bought it in 1985, according to the note I wrote on it. It was published in 1984. The bone people won both the Booker Prize for Fiction and the Pegasus Prize for Literature in 1985. I wrote essays about it. I remember that I loved it. When I picked it up, I remembered there was violence and sadness and hope within it's pages. But that was before I had sons. This time I found it compelling, and disturbing. Harrowing. It gave me nightmares, it changed my view of the world, I had to make myself remember it was a book I was reading, not a life I was part of. I cried. I was late a few times, most unlike me, because I couldn't put it down. It's poetic and beautiful, the language is rich and sings a story of a beautiful New Zealand landscape.

Keri lives still in Okarito, on the West Coast of the South Island. One of my most favourite places in this big wide world. I'm not keeping that book in my bedroom though. I need some peace and calm in there, now I'm done turning it's pages. Maybe I'll read it again, in another 20 years time.

The hopeful pixie....

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Writing letters to my friends....

...telling them all about Split enz......

I went to see Split Enz. The ex and I took the boys. It was a real nostalgia trip, a little bittersweet, there are some memories associated with many of those songs, but mostly it was great fun. Famous for their outlandish costumes, this time the Enz wore toned down distressed linen suits. Bathed in white light, they looked like they'd been dusted in flour or something, but hold on....it's just that they've gone grey, like many of their audience. Trust those kiwi brothers Finn to write love songs with such in-denial lyrics. Neil sang "I don't wanna say I love you, that would give away too much...." and Tim ...."and you know that I love you, here and now and not forever.....". Beautiful songs though, so we'll forgive them.

Photo from Stuff

Tim was in great voice, best we've heard him for a long time, and he can still whistle! He remains the king of silly dancing. Eddie Rayner is a genius. Noel played the spoons and I nearly cried....Jack loved that music when he was about two, and would go running to get spoons to play along. ha!

They played Shark Attack and Give it a Whirl. That glorious swirling instrumental lead in to Six Months in a Leaky boat got everyone on their feet, and they played I See Red so fast the crowd could barely keep up. Tim sang Charlie just perfectly. That song will always be special to me because it is one of the first that youngest learnt to play and sing, beautifully, from beginning to end. Of course they ended with History never repeats. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Neil remembered having his 21st birthday on stage in Wellington. Tim kept telling us what a beautiful day it had been.

In the programme they remember Paul Hester with love....saying he understood the magic of music and mirth. Which sums them up perfectly. Music and mirth. By the spadeful. So funny, but such musicianship too.

Here's a link to "Voices....." with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, a long while back. Which I guess is the last time I saw Split Enz songs played live. There are lots of links to that concert.....beautiful music, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6Qm1T3lCec

and here's Eddy Veder singing it, with Tim on piano, at a concert I should've gone to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC48fcPlAfc

Because the Australian is too far away.....

Okay peeps, what do you think of this picture? I'm going to sign up with an online-dating thing. I need a picture. Maybe I need to actually wear make up for a picture? Maybe I need to lose the glasses? I dunno. Filling in the forms feels like applying for a job. But worse. I have this nagging feeling that the men I'm interested in really want someone who is under 30, thin and blond. Sigh.

A long weekend

It was too short, wasn't it? I moved a load of firewood, from down on the road, up the hill, up a few steps, and stacked it (roughly) behind the house. I felt fit and strong, and I'm very pleased with myself. The boys helped a bit. I'll probably need another load, but I'll ask friends to help with that one. The fire is going to be great!Gratuitous Kitty picture. Favourite cat on favourite quilt. I didn't used to let him sleep on it....

I bought this, from a remnant bin. I was cheeky and offered the shop owner half of the price it was marked at. She agreed, but told me not to tell anyone. So I won't. They're designers guild cotton sateens. Great colours. I think I'll cut them up into 2 inch squares, but there's probably only enough for a cushion. Or maybe a doll quilt. Now there's an idea.

do you remember when this used to be a craft blog?

enjoying....

• ohh, that last post was number 222 and I didn't notice.
  
• Questionaut thanks to Ampersand Duck. So beautiful. I like the questions, I can answer them pretty much.....
• this little story, by the Sagittarian.
  
• Amy Winehouse. Yes really.
• fantails in the garden. They like that I did a little clearing of grass and weeds to make a place to put the firewood. It makes the bugs fly about for them to catch.
• Easter weekend coming up. I'm staying home, the firewood is ordered, and like Shirley, I'm gonna have to shift it. But I've got four days. Just gotta figure out how to get the wheelbarrow tyre pumped up. I figure if my back or hands object to the heavy labour, I'll quit and hire some nice young men to do it.
  
• the work of Lisa Call. I love her quilts so much, I'm seriously thinking I should take her off my bloglines for she shall influence my work too much. Either that or I'm gonna blow the money I'm saving for a new bathroom to buy this one.
• and best of all? I'm in love. I'm in the totally infatuated, can't get enough of you phase. It's drop dead sexy, and I'm not sharing. I've got a pretty silver one. Maybe I should've got that pinkish one, to ensure my boys would keep their mitts off.

• 

done dinner

Dinner was great fun. I enjoyed all the cooking, all day, even though it was one of Wellington's sunniest days in March. I joined my sewing table to the dining table so it would seat 10 easily. I set the table extravagantly with my blue and white china collection, and lit lots of candles, the house looked good. The wine and conversation flowed, the food received lots of compliments. Dessert turned out to be a pavlova that someone brought with them, with icecream someone else brought. While we would have all loved a glass of port, I forgot to ask anyone to bring that, so we drank liquers over ice, and talked more and more into the night. I had a great time. There were enough leftovers for Sunday dinner, only just.

Funny though, a whole lot of people who hadn't been to my house before, and the men (single, unattached, I wouldn't say no.....) said the same things .... "oh, my (ex/aunt/mother/sister) does patchwork" "I see your wetsuit, do you.....???"

I'm cool with the wetsuit conversation, it hangs behind the bathroom door after all. But this patchwork thing? I am not your ex/aunt/mother.

Oh no, that's not what I want you to be thinking about me at all, at all.

Oh, and I'm a bad blogger. No photos. Not even one.

The menu

Dinner for 10, chez Pixie, Saturday night.

• beggars bundles (ham and herby things parcelled up in filo)
• platters, with prawns (I'm still missing Melbourne), sun-dried tomatoes, char grilled things, olives, and crostini

• slow slow slow roasted lamb. It will be marinating from tonite, in wine, brandy and herbs. This party is all about the lamb.
• mushroom risotto (cos I don't want to be making mashed potato on the night, and there won't be room in the oven for roast spuds.....)
  
• green salad

• dessert? yikes....do I have to make them dessert too? I need to think about that one some more....got any ideas?
  

2 sides

There are, of course, 2 sides to every story.
At the moment I am surrounded by 2 scenarios. There is the buying of rental properties for investment, the 10 week holidays in Europe with the family, the new job, new house, new baby, new car......
And then there is the unemployed, the business going into liquidation, the chronic illness, the suddenly single......

I am reminded to be happy about little things. To celebrate the here and now. I went and invited 12 people for dinner on Saturday night. I even told them where I live. Guess I'll start cooking tomorrow.

Islay girl posted this quote. She says Miles said it, in Risky Business.
I had to Google 'Risky Business' cos I had no idea what she was talking about.
I'm in a 'what the f...' kindof headspace. Readers of a more sensitive nature may say 'what the heck'.

"you wanna know something? Every now and then say, "What the fuck." "What the fuck" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future"

Hotel encounter

I got back to my room about 11pm. Tired, but happy, after a really great dinner with much loved colleagues who really should be called friends. It's great fun to have fine food, wine, and conversation that ranges from the academic, the operational work issues, to what the kids are doing and how the rennovations are progressing. They're passionate about what they do, some people in my line of work. But I digress.

I had one of those rooms with a connecting door. It was locked. Next door, a man is playing the guitar and singing. Occasionally he plays a harmonica. I had to listen hard to figure out if there was just one person or a whole band in there. He's good. He's really good. At midnight I bang on the door, and he stops playing immediately.

The next night, I came home about 10pm. I'm really tired now. I've been working hard, and days of enjoying Melbourne's fine food and wine is catching up with me. My neighbour is home already, and playing his guitar again. Sounds like he is learning a new song. Maybe he's writing it. Maybe he's a famous musician.

I don't want to be a grumpy old bag, cos really, it's very pleasant. I push a note under the connecting door. "Dear neighbour, you make beautiful music, but I have to work tomorrow. Please stop at midnight".

A note comes under the door from his side. "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget I'm in a hotel. I'll stop now".

I replied. "Nah, don't stop, I've got a good book, midnight is fine".

He pushed a reply back. A clean white page with a big smiley face. He played me a song or two more. The one he was working on, and a new one.

I hope he had a nice neighbour the next night.

Body movies

http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/video/bodymovies.html
(that's the long version)

http://www.nzfestival.nzpost.co.nz/visual-arts/body-movies
(that's the short version, go there first)

Went out to play with the boys tonite. Body movies is projected onto a wall outside at Te Papa. It was a warm still night, lots of people about, and lots of laughter. Playing with strangers! Eddie made an emu shadow and pecked at peoples hair. We chased each others shadows about, and very big feet stomped on very tiny people. Well, I guess you had to be there, but we had lots of fun.

Ahh, Wellington aint so bad I guess!

Oh the places I go (2008 No. 1)

Oh, Melbourne, you're such good fun!

• I spent lots of time on Southbank. Hadn't been there before really. Lots of useful, inspiring work and mad Aussie colleagues. Plenty of Kiwi Sauv Blanc (they seem to be over the Aussie chardonnay now.....)
• drinks in the Atrium bar at the casino, which was all decked out for chinese new year. I felt like a big city girl!
  
• Introduced a new Brissie bloke to my favourite kiwi Pinot.
  
• Yes a couple of hot dates (insert very big smile) with the Australian. Nice. But.....
• Drinks with Kirsty lime leaf, just squeezed in. It was a breeze, like meeting a friend I hadn't seen for a few months
  
• 2kg of blue swimmer crabs, 1kg of prawns cooked by AOF's not boyfriend. It was slow food, messy eating, a meal I'll always remember
• drank Rose. I've forgotten the label already, but it was delicious, and just right with the seafood and the hot summer night
• caught a tram to St Kilda on a cold windy night. Swordfish for dinner, intense work related, and not work related conversation. v. good night.
• drinks at Seamstress.
  
• dinner here there and everywhere.... (argh, links to come.....)
  
• I went to Ikea. I did. On the tram without getting lost, and I bought a doona cover. Only it lives in NZ now, so it's going to be called a duvet cover. I'm sure it will cope.
• fell in love with a gizmo. got music. I'll show you when blogger decides to co-operate.
  

This post bought to you with underlining by blogger. I dunno why. and it won't go away. and no pictures either, cos blogger is stubborn.

I've got post-trip blues. I've got 'em bad.