Lost Aussie on the loose

Caption Please?

Yes, I have been sweeping, clearing and otherwise taking care of the mess that Irene left us with.
I am more than grateful that we endured this mayhem relatively unscathed as there are many folk not too far away from my house who have not been so fortunate.  I am definitely counting my blessings.

I would also like to thank ALL my friends, both near and far who called, texted, emailed and otherwise tried to make sure that I was OK.  I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart.

#1 Son is faring OK.  I'll be happier when he gets his next check-up and has some more info on his prognosis.

And so that I don't get completely overwhemed with life stuff, I futzed with some photos last night.

It's a while since I made a new girl to add to the collection.  Now all she needs is a caption or a name.

Any suggestions?

(Model by Penguiunpantsstock - Deviant Art)

Hurricane Irene - Who Came and Went

The last 18 hours have been less than fun I must confess, but thank fully apart from a shredded garden and a good layer of leaves in our pool we have escaped the wrath of the hurricane unscathed.

It was not in the top #10 of life experiences.  DH was away and I chose to hunker down on a makeshift bed in the basement for a good 12 hours or so and it's really only in the last bit of this evening that the winds have calmed enough for me to head back upstairs and start to restore the house to it's usual place.

We'd taken lots of precautions, putting things away, moving furniture and vulnerable knick knacks out of harms way.  Boxed papers and documents into storm proof containers.  And whilst the repair of all those efforts will take time I don't regret the preparations for a minute.

It was scary!  And I spare many a thought for those on Long Island (and elsewhere) who have been much less fortunate.

Living a'top a hill is apparently a good thing.

Whilst managing the Hurricane I was also dealing with life enfolding dramas down in Australia...
#1 Son had a terrible bicycle accident on Friday night and ended up breaking his hand and incurring some nasty cuts and abrasions and was ambulanced off to Hospital.

His first time dealing with this sort of thing with no "next of kin" available and I was scrambling to find people to check on him in a proper fashion.

Thank God for Skype and internet connections that keep you in constant contact - hurricanes or hospitals, it is indispensible.

(Image courtesy http://www.thedailybeast.com/)

Something In The Air

Either my cats have suddenly developed acute hearing and have been tuned to the news .... or, more likely, their sense of self-preservation is kicking in.

All day they have been meowing and moody and clingy.  They know something is up.

Irene is on her way.

It's already windy outside.  Today I took pictures of the summer garden, I don't expect there will be too much left of it after Sunday.

Stay tuned ......

Still Standin'

Seems there was a teensy weesny bit of an earthquake hearabouts.  2pm or so they say.  I think I was shopping in Trader Joes or on the road and, well I can't say that I felt a thing. 

Probably good as my last memories of earthquakes were back in Australia in 1968 and not something that I ever need to revisit.  Earthquakes are right up there with snakes as far as I am concerned.  The less I know and the fewer I see the better.

I'm just glad to know that I missed the excitment, for whatever the reason.

L'Ange Perdu

L'Ange Perdu
Marie Otero © 2011

All good intentions of going to bed early were dashed to heck with the neighbour's daughter having a fun fandango shindig until way past 1am this morning.  I absolutely don't really care until it gets to the point when you have young people you don't know "peeing" on your front lawn, throwing beer cans about the street and lots of them trying to get into their cars to drive home. 

Then I get upset.

I think anyone who condones drinking and driving is probably about as low on the totem pole as you can get and when you can fool yourself into believing that all your children's guests have designated drivers when they are screaming up and down the street and waking up the whole neighbourhood with drunken antics, then I feel pretty sure you are aiding and abetting something seriously wrong - and why the hell would you want to do that!!! ????

I sure as heck hope all those kids get home safely tonight and I don't have to read about one of them on Fox news tomorrow, wrapped around some lamp pole or smashed into some other person's child.

I also hope that my neighbour sleeps well in her bed knowing full well that she and her daughter were being totally irresponsible in SO MANY WAYS!

UGh!

Coney Island

At least once every Summer a trip to Coney Island is a must.  So Saturday saw us brave the Parkways and weekend traffic to spend a fabulous afternoon dipping our toes in the water and strolling along the boardwalk.

The carnival was in full swing with lots of fabulous, mind bending, stomach lurching rides.  Along the Strip there was Latino Cha Cha music for the tango inclined and Hip Hop Disco in the middle followed by Gospel Singers down at one far end.  A guy parading lizards. On the Pier they were fishing and playing Salsa music. On the beach they were cavorting in the waves and flying kites.

I opted for a Beer and some Icecream and just enjoyed my 4 hours strolling in the sun with DH, watching the passing parade and taking lots of pictures.

Nope, there is nothing quite like a Summer's day at Coney Island.

Sew Distracted

Some people seem to take an August Blogging Break and perhaps unintentionally, this year, I am too. 

In fact it seems for the last few weeks the last thing I want to do is load camera images, process them or create very much in the way of digital work.  I feel very much like a balloon that has been popped.

This sort of feeling often co-incides with the end of one of my online classes.  The prep, the drama, the questions, the pump and rush of endorphins.... and then it's done.  SPLAT!

Hmmm...

Fortunately distraction lies in the basement (as well as at the Library) .... I've been reading my "whodunnits" at a voracious pace and seeking solace downstairs with my sewing machine and embroidery needle.
Not creating anything in particular, save for a few feathers here and there ...

I've also sought solace in the kitchen, cooking up new and wonderfu rissotto recipies.  A wooden spoon, sharp knife and fresh veggies are like a balm to the soul.

"Normal" has changed this year - and life in general needs an "adjustment"

Just not quite sure how to achieve that.

 

Imagination

  "The Three Faces"
© Marie Otero 2011

It is not enough to know your craft

– you have to have feeling.

Science is all very well,

but for us imagination is worth far more.

(Edouard Manet)

The Help and The Rain

The last time I was home in Australia my Mother presented me with a gently worn copy of a book that she said "I must read". Partly because I lived in the US and also because she knew that I had good friends who lived in the "South".  She said it was great.

Initially I was not so enthusiastic about reading the book, as for the most part I confine my reading to "Who Dunnit's", Crime and Espionage style books and seldom read any other sort of contemporary writing, non-fiction or otherwise.

Anyway, as long-haul journeys would have it, my return to the US between Dubai and New York saw me short of something to read so I hauled out from the hand luggage the one that Mum had passed on.

To say that I was instantly captivated would be an understatement.  I knew a little of the social issues that faced America in the 1960's but like many others who have now read the novel, never really understood many of the intimate problems that were faced by the people at that time (on either side of the fence).
The book was devoured by the time I reached New York and has since been passed along to others to read too.

Anyway, today I went to see the much anticipated movie.  As with most book adaptations I was a little trepidatious about how it might work but my concerns were totally unfounded.
This was a very well executed adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's book, with the characters, atmosphere and history portrayed in a heart wrenchingly splendid way.  If one or several of these ladies does not garner an Academy Award for their performance I will be most surprised for it would be well deserved.

So my recommendation is buy the book AND see the movie.  You will not be disappointed.  There are many lessons to be learned, whether you lived in the US in the 1960's, now or elsewhere.

And ....

In case you are interested ... we had 7 inches of rain here today.  I think "driving" to the movies was a bit of a stretch, it was more like SURFING down the highway and we've pumped the swimming pool out twice.

I sure as heck wished I had a rainwater tank.

 

Over at Vision and Verb

I'm posting over at Vision and Verb today .....

Why don't you pop on over and check out what's been happening over there?