Buddha’s Birthday

Today under bright blue skies we went walking.

We followed the strings of red lanterns to the festival for Buddha’s birthday.

We enjoyed beautiful food.

until this single dark cloud suddenly burst above our heads and soaked us through to the skin.

Hopefully when we go back for lunch tomorrow that single cloud will stay well away.

First Day

Today was my first day at my new job.

I have been in Brisbane for a week and a half now and I am very glad that I came here well before I started work. There have been so many things to do in preparation.

I have

• settled into my unit – worked out how to use the washing machine/ dryer; unpacked and put my clothes into drawers and wardrobes
• purchased a few items that seemed to be missing from my unit – tongs (incredibly necessary and useful in the kitchen), a sharp knife (the one here alleges to be sharp, but is deluded), a power board
• walked the streets of my new neighbourhood – found the supermarket (a ten minute walk), local restaurants and take aways (these abound!), wandered over to the city (a 25 minute walk)
• found a great walking route for the weekends along the river and across a walking bridge
• cooked and frozen a few meals for one for those mid-week nights when I can’t find the energy

I’m glad I had the time to do these things before starting work. I would have been exhausted trying to settle into a new job and a new routine in a new location all at the same time.

One very good thing is that my Pete is here with me now and will be for the next week. The firm he works for is based here and is a five minute walk from my office. Very conventient, don’t you think? He has been asked to do some training here so managed to time it well.

When I came home from my first very enjoyable day at my new job these were waiting for me on the kitchen bench.

He’s avery good man.

Safe Arrival

I am pleased to announce the safe arrival of

my sewing machine.

It has travelled a long way by mail and I missed it.

Settling In

I have arrived in Brisbane and am settling into the one bedroom unit that will be my home until early July.  I’m quite pleased with my new digs. They are located very practically.

From the patio outside my lounge room you can see this…

Just peeking above the tree line is the building where I’ll be working. It takes five minutes to walk there. Mind you, that’s downhill. The walk back up a hill after a day at work is going to take a little longer.

Ten Tiny Stitches

Ten tiny, neatly formed stitches can be found in each ruffle of my new scarf.

Sharon knitted every one of them in her most prized wool just for me. Thousands of stitches in endless rows will keep me warm throughout the winter.

So will the thought that I have good friends at home.

Thank you, Sharon. I’m very glad that I know you.

The Busy-ness of Me

In just a few days I am flying south to take up a secondment to a job that I am certain to love in Brisbane.

Do you see the folly of this? I am flying south for the winter. In the northern hemisphere this may be encouraged, but for me it means travelling closer to the polar cap. I live in a place where in winter you wear your summer clothes and pop a cardigan over them. A place where long pants can be worn once it gets down to 26 degrees. I don’t remember the last time the temperature could be measured in a single figure. The only reason to own a heater is for ten days each year when the two minutes between getting out of the shower and being dry and warm requires it.

I am flying south for the winter.

The upside of this is that Ashy and I have spent lots of time and a considerable sum of money purchasing a professional woman’s winter wardrobe for me. Dresses, tights, pants, boots and accessories have all been brought into the house in multiple shopping bags. Lots of greys, charcoals, blacks and just a bit of red and blush pink. I now own a whole suitcase of these colours. The downside is that suitcase must remain below 23kg in order to be taken on the plane with me on the weekend.

I am flying south for the winter…

Eureka!

Do you ever have a moment where a great idea strikes you and then believe yourself to be the cleverest person?

I have just realised that you can buy fusible webbing for applique in A4 sized flat sheets. Generally I buy it from a roll of paper. It’s wide and it always has a curl to it. I draw up the shapes that I want to applique by hand, tracing each shape with a pencil.

NOW… with these A4 sheets, I have drawn up my applique shapes ONCE onto a piece of A4 paper and…

I can just run the fusible webbing sheets through the photocopier on my printer.

You can’t begin to imagine how exciting this is, how many hours I’ll save, how tricky I feel every time I push the copy button and one more copy just slides right out ready to be cut up.

Eureka!