Celebrating...

Three significant things celebrated significant anniversaries in the past few days.

Barbie turned 50 (so is it a birthday or an anniversary????)

Either way I loved Barbie when I was a little girl & longed for clothes for her from the shop, not appreciating the handmade clothes our Mother painstakingly made in the days before velcro.

My daughters both loved playing Barbie & Erin still likes to even though some very slutty Bratz dolls have tried to encrouch on Barb's territory, some tough Action Men have tried to muscle in too.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar also celebrated a 40th anniversary, that's a lot of munching through colourful pages. Its a delightful book & you can learn more aboutEric Carle here.

My older sister & her husband celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary also.
Congratulations!!!!!!
Bridesmaid fashion is timeless isn't it.....ISN'T IT!!!???!!!

Agony...

I've been doing my crafty thing.

I would like to say I whipped these layouts up in no time...but that would be a lie.

Sometimes my crafty thing is agony. It should be a pleasurable pastime but sometimes when the creative juices aren't flowing I need to walk away for a little while. I usually end up happy with the end result but it feels wrong to want to fast forward the process.

These are not particularly complex but I can make things quite complicated, dragging out the choices of paper, photo placement, which embellishments to use, whether or not to use some stamps....blah blah blah.

So here they are, I'm going with the less is more theory.

Hayley thought this layout of Erin was a bit too plain, she suggested some stamping along the edge. It may get some before I put it away.

I was happier with this one

And this one took all of Sunday to complete!! Why oh why you ask....I have no idea

I won't even go into the 4th layout, it may never see the light of day in its current form, I dislike it even more now that I am home from Louises & am going to pull it apart.

Maybe if a certain sister would scrap with me instead of sewing (!) the results would improve!

Toilets...

One of the images I captured whilst riding through Williamstown last weekend has stayed in my mind.

This picture of the housing commision flats reminded me of when Chris & I first met.

How you ask...

When I first met Chris I was a student nurse at the Alfred Hospital, 'living in' at the Nurses' Home grandly named 'Fawkner Mansions' on the corner of Punt & Commercial roads. It was not actually a mansion just a two storey building purpose built in dormitory style with large bathrooms & a small kitchenette on each floor. There was a small office in the foyer with a caretaker to keep an eye on us, not that in the early '80's there were many rules for us to comply with.

Chris was working for a reprographic services company cleverly named RSA, Reprographic Services Australia, in Bank St, Sth Melbourne.

Sometimes I would meet Chris for lunch. We would walk to a small park near to his workplace & spend half an hour together. The park was actually the grounds of a housing commission building similar to this one (maybe bigger). I don't think its called the housing commission anymore, its probably got a fancier, slightly confusing name now.

One day over lunch whilst gazing up at the multi story building Chris came up with this gem

"Imagine how many toilets are in that building."

We often laugh about this now.

It was a observation that when you actually think of the logistics of such a building, the details are staggering, not that such thoughts cross our minds very often.

So next time a new mega structure - hotel or shopping plaza- is opened, just think about how many toilets might be inside!

Go Braeside...

Despite our loudest barracking, despite Erin running in 3 events & doing her best efforts Braeside came in 4th at the Athletics carnival today.

In the 800 metre event Erin started off strong
Then she walked for a bit
Then she ran a bit more
800 metres is a long way.

Then she ran a 200m & a 100m dash. Athletics aren't her thing but she had a go & earned a few points for her house.

In the end Hilton came out on top & I got a little sunburned watching all the action!

Rainbows...

Today's find whilst browsing the blogs comes from Gina.

Surprise surprise my 'rainbow' is yellow!

Your rainbow is shaded yellow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is says about you: You are a joyful person. You appreciate optimism. You're good at getting people to like you.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Try yours...

Edited to add: Hayley said to me after she read my rainbow comment "i knew you were Joyful Jo" !

Unfortunately...

Have you ever googled your name?
Ever had a giggle that you share your name with a professor or a published author or a whale saving greenie?
Well next time google 'unfortunately Jo' but insert your name & have a giggle at the result.
Fortunately Pip suggested this meme as a bit of fun.

Here what is unfortunate for Jo...

Unfortunately, Jo has been left with a lot of medical expenses she will be struggling to cover
Unfortunately, (Liu) Jo does not have an online shop.
Unfortunately, Jo has has completed Supernanny in the UK
Unfortunately for Jo, his owners moved him to the side of a road because they were unable to keep him in their house anymore
Unfortunately Jo very rarely responds directly to people's posts
Unfortunately Jo no longer models
Unfortunately, Jo now suffers from an undiagnosed illness that stops her from working
Unfortunately, (Mary) Jo doesn't dig for any dirt

I'm all good

Labour Day...

Warning: long post ahead...actually its a pictorial essay

I should have painted my door

Chris should have stacked his wood pile
But instead we celebrated the Labour Day public holiday not by labouring but with some deserved recreation - A RIDE...

Start off down the Avenue of Honour, note how Chris is obeying the speed limit

Past the orchards

Past the lettuce farm.
The workers were picking today, I hope they get penalty rates

No-one was picking their own strawberries

Seems to be a golden arches every few kilometres

On the Westgate freeway approaching the city, I'm glad I don't have to commute into the city each day for work

The leafy streets made a change from the busy roads

I saw some pretty homes

and some old ones

and some ugly flats

and some more pretty homes

And some more ugly ones

We ended up in Williamstown with what seemed like the entire population of Melbourne.

I liked this view of the Westgate bridge with all the masts in between

Lots of people were out enjoying the sunshine at Williamstown

Don't have to fight for a parking spot when you're on the bike
A latte, a stretch of the legs & off home again

How would you like to live with that in your backyard?
Not a great pic but that is supposed to be the wire 'sculpture' that hangs near the Westgate freeway. This also marks the spot where you have to hold your nose because the pong is unbelievable!
Grrr Australia Post truck...I'm still cross about my non-delivered parcel but I suppose it is a public holiday today & that driver is working

This is actually the back wall of home units that have been built right up against the Westgate Freeway

Pretty ugly eh? & way too close for my liking. I won't be buying one

Fill up with petrol

Back on the highway with a full tank

Winding through Anthony's Cutting

Still winding through Anthony's Cutting

Back past the market gardens with their rows of cauliflower. I don't know what they grow in those rows but it always looks like cauli

Back past the fruit stalls in the Avenue of Honour

Past the heritage home on Main St.

You'll have to excuse my photography, not so easy with motorcycle gloves on

Cruise down Main St...the trees look nice & shady today, soon the leaves will fall

Wave at the patron at Flanagan's Hotel, enjoying a lemonade in the shade.

That is the pub where the bikies usually meet, none there today when we went past, they're probably still at Williamstown

Through the roundabout

Up Stamford Hill towards home

Turn one last corner & we're almost home

There it is

Home

Now reverse the bike into the garage

All done for today.

It was a lovely day out, the gift of a public holiday.

Thanks Darl (he hates it when I call him that)