Project 365 Sun 1 Nov 09

POMPEI'S BRIDGE
Everytime I turn around something changes in my local area, oftentimes nothing big ... but enough to make me think I need to be more vigilant about taking photos of the things I see every day.

One of the big changes has been the upgrade of Mordialloc's bridge from a single lane to two lanes in either direction, and its renaming as Pompei's Bridge.


Looking across the new bridge towards the pub on the far side.

I've lived in Mordialloc for over 20 years, but I'm not really a 'local' ... I'm really one of those nasty yuppies who work all week and live by the beach for lifestyle reasons.


Pompei's Landing, to the left of the bridge in the first photo and in between the bridge and the boat yard in the background.

But that doesn't mean that I haven't heard of Jack Pompei and his contribution to Mordialloc. His boat building workshop is a major landmark as you cross the bridge over Mordialloc Creek, as is the boat ramp close by.


The boat yard looking on to the highway ... still as full of unfinished boats as when Jack Pompei was alive.

And it was around the time the bridge was being upgraded I learnt more about him and his unselfish work with water rescues ... with more than 600 people in fact. An amazing contribution, and I love that he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to marine search and rescue in Port Phillip Bay.


The view of the bridge from the other side of the road, looking towards Pompei's boat ramp in the background.

When the call went out to name the bridge I didn't really think there was any contest ... it was Pompei's Bridge or nothing. He's definitely a big part of Mordialloc.


This time Pompei's boat ramp ... the bridge, boat ramp, landing and boat yard are all within a few steps of each other.

It makes me smile whenever I see the name plate for the bridge ... Jack Pompei deserves it.


It's nice seeing the name of the bridge.

Day 31 Blogtoberfest 2009 Eye spy: Shoes

It's the very last day of Blogtoberfest, which I've enjoyed hugely ... and I can't think of a single thing to write.

So thank goodness for memes ... over at Anastasia Drawing and Dreaming Eye Spy is under way with this week's theme: Shoes.

I have no difficulty whatsoever with this theme: I'm a shoe junkie (Mary Jane's thank you very much) from way back.

I grabbed today's pair out of the wardrobe after not wearing them since before we went overseas in August. These little babies are so sweet: the softest tan suede, a wedge heel and bright pink leather lining. Very cute.


You can just see the pink lining, and I just love the braid and shaggy hem to my skirt.

On a side note ... I'm still wearing my baby Wini's denim skirt. She bought this skirt when she had her first job at school ... she must have been 16 at the time and now she's an ancient 23! She long since stopped wearing the skirt but it's still good and I love it. I think I wear it every week and it always makes me think of her so far away in Canada. It's like taking a piece of her with me every time I wear it. Love you baby girl. xoxoxoxoxo

Day 30 Blogtoberfest 2009 My place and yours: Blog HQ

This is the second time I've participated in the My Place and Yours meme through Meet Me at Mike's and I'm enjoying it. (PS I'm really enjoying it the most because I'm getting a little of the spring cleaning done that we really need. Now, if only someone would pick the oven as a theme I could get that crossed off my list as well! LOL)

This week's theme is Blog HQ; which I like because some folks have a set place (like me) and others it's wherever they lay their hat, like Owlet. It's nice getting those different perspectives. PS Thanks Ninon for a great theme.

And my Blog HQ; our trusty computer desk of ten years. Absolutely functional and with none of the wonderful whimsicalness (is that a word? LOL) of Melanie. That girl is a champion op shop hunter and her house reflects that so beautifully.


Our little corner for communicating with the www world.

Day 28 Blogtoberfest 2009 Knitting excitement

Sometimes when you wonder what your next post is going to be, you check a blog (the creative Miss Muggins), and what could be more exciting that finding out where more beautiful yarn can be found ... and that it's on sale at the Bendigo Woollen Mills.

Now I have the gorgeous Bellsknits to thank for turning me back to knitting. I hadn't thought about knitting in years.

But that was then and now I have three projects on the go:

1. A scarf, hat and mittens for a two year old in these gorgeous colours ... what two year old doesn't love pink and purple? I'm working on the scarf at the moment.


The pink and purple are really close ... but the pink is way off. It's much softer in real life.

2. A pair of socks in this glorious multi-coloured yarn. This is my first attempt at socks and I'm understandably nervous. So to keep up my excitement and to shamelessly ask questions I've signed up to the Southern Summer of Socks with Bellsknits and RoseRed so I'm feeling in really good hands.


I'm still working out the tension and how many stitches to cast on ... but I love just looking at this yarn and I can't wait to get started.

3. A lacy summer cardigan for me in cream. The Patons Bamboo/Cotton is so soft and beautiful and while I really have to concentrate on the pattern it's knitting up so fast.


I wanted to make something pretty for me ... so far just a small amount of one sleeve done.

Now to wander over to the Bendigo Woollen Mills site to see whether there's anything I absolutely can't resist. The cotton looks really nice and $9.50 for a 200gm balls ... it's a good price. Perhaps the next time I go to visit my Mum in Ballarat we can take another trip to Bendigo?

You see ... I got all this inspiration from one post! LOL

Day 27 Blogtoberfest 2009 Bedside photo

This week's theme at Meet Me at Mike's is Bedside, and I've been loving everybody's posts so much I thought I'd share one myself: the drawers next to Horace's side of the bed.


Horace's side of the bed.

These drawers are really cheap and nasty, but they have great emotional significance for me because they were purchased and stained by my dad 30 years or more when he was still alive. I just can't think of getting rid of them.

And the things piled on it are a small selection of the various things we love:
* a nice stash of library books to be read
* a photo frame with a range of photos that are rotated
* a clock that ticks ... Clarissa bought it as an alarm clock but it's so loud it keeps her awake
* a brass bowl (I love brass) which is always full of odds and sods.

And I love the way Horace's caps push their way into the photo. He has so many hats ... and this is only just a small selection.

Day 26 Blogtoberfest 2009 Mmm ... Chocolate

My baby went away for the weekend with friends ... and the house was beautifully quiet without her. Just Mr H and I kicking around minding our own business and doing what we wanted. The bliss of being "almost" empty nesters.

But it was nice when Miss C arrived home Sunday evening ... tired and with a case of dirty washing to be done (by her not me!) ... and with a surprise present for me.

Chocolate ... from the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory.


Look at my lovely goodies ... spoilt!

I'd never heard of the place, but I'm sure impressed with their goodies ... which, of course, I've had to share. When it came right down to it, I'd shared the white chocolate with Miss C before I even knew I had it! LOL

Nice to be thought of ...

Day 25 Blogtoberfest 2009 Bucket lists

I love Margaret Rowe's blog and I'm so enjoying her journey. She's such an inspiration and when I read her post of 19 October I thought I'd put together my bucket list.

So I did; ten things I want to do before I kick the bucket: going to the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, writing a novel, learning how to use Photoshop, taking photography classes, starting yoga again ... lots of really worthwhile stuff.

And then I slept on it and woke up the next day with another view of it.

So I'm not saying that the bucket list approach is not a great idea ... because it is.

Margaret is living proof of that ... her list has given her the push to start doing the things she's always wanted to do; she's actually written that book on her list (two so far and she's working on her third!) and she has plans to learn to drive a helicopter and live in England. She really is inspirational and I think her bucket list is an imforward to finding out what other things she'll cross off her list.

But ... and there has to be a but ... a list isn't a positive thing for me; it's a thing of terror.

You see, I live my life hemmed in by lists: lists at work, lists at work, lists for craft ... and I spend my time rushing to get things crossed off any list as quickly as possible.


My lists for two days of my life ...always too much to do and too little time.

So, another list with things on it for years on end ... I just can't face that.

Day 24 Blogtoberfest 2009 Who's a lucky girl then?

I think I've posted before about hardly cooking ... and why.

Today I got a reminder of how very lucky I am in that department.

Horace and I were sitting chatting ... and me feeling hungry asked "What are we going to have to eat?"

It's the weekend, and my favourite meal is the brunches Clarissa and I often make on the weekends: hash browns, bacon, eggs, baked beans, toast ... sometimes grilled tomatoes and mushrooms.

I had that in the back of my mind ... but Horace responded by asking me if I wanted fish ... and then he shooed me out of the kitchen with his hand when I suggested I make brunch.


My beautiful curried fish lunch with homemade roti ... inelegant in its tacky bowl but oh so tasty.

Fish it is! LOL

Day 21 Blogtoberfest 2009 Bitten by the Karma fairy

After my comments last week re not losing things, the Karma Fairy decided I needed a little wake up call and I've lost not one ... oh no ... but two things since then.

On Friday I lost my umbrella; the pretty little red and white polkadot umbrella I bought in London, and all within 30 minutes of leaving the doctor's surgery to catch the train.


All I have left is the cover and the memories of what a sweet little umbrella I had for all of 8 weeks!

Then on Sunday I lost my big orange recycled bag I was carrying for any stuff we bought at the Sunday markets. I got off the train and it must have just fallen out of my pocket.

It was that it was a particularly nice looking bag because it wasn't (it was orange and covered in companies promoting scrapbooking stuff), but it was a bloody useful bag. The 14"x14" size was brilliant for carrying scrapbooking goodies and it just handy generally.

I've tried hard to find them.

I rang all the places I've been that have phone numbers and even visited the Lost Property office for Melbourne trains .. but no joy.


The place my umbrella used to hang ... it reminds me all the time I've lost it.

The Karma Fairy has well and truly spoken ... and I'm much humbler for it!

Day 20 Blogtoberfest 2009 New haircut

I finally got my hair cut yesterday after weeks of waiting for my hairdresser to come back from a family problem ... and it was worth the wait.


My new do in all its post hairdresser blow dryed newness.

She's styled in a simple, easy to manage way ... but in a way that looks new and modern. (PS To all those not so "with its" like me; apparently wispy ends are no longer in.)

I'm loving the new hairdresser I go to now ... she's bubbly, outgoing and very entertaining ... and best of all she listens to what I say and then cuts accordingly.

My last hairdresser--who I went to every six weeks or so for years--couldn't have been more different. Over the years it got worse until I got nothing more than a bored nod and hello as a greeting ... and he couldn't have been further away from listening to what I wanted. Every time I left him I'd be annoyed that what I asked for was definitely not what I was seeing ... and before I found my latest hair dresser I actually waited several months before I went to see him so he couldn't cut the layers in my hair so short they would drive me crazy ... again!

But in the end I never saw him and instead found a new hairdresser. It was her who cut my hair before I went away, and the only thing I asked was that she cut my hair in a way that was easy to manage while I was away ... and it was. A quick style in the morning with some mousse and the hairdryer and I was good to go.

Sometimes it seems as though a good hairdresser as important, or more, than a good doctor ... and I don't think I'm the only one who finds it hard to find both!

Day 19 Blogtoberfest 2009 Loving a flea market

I think I'm in good company with much of the rest of the world in enjoying hours spend poring over other people's junk ... and Horace and I've had a good few days on the flea market front. We actually managed to get to an op shop between doctor's appointments on Friday, and two flea markets in on Sunday morning.

But a disappointing haul. I didn't find anything much no matter how hard I look and begged people to offer me something that had my name written on it ... sadly, no takers!

What we did manage to get were these plates and three Vegemite jars from our trip to the op shop. Total $2.60! I've loved old crockery from the 80s and have a nice collection of blue, cream and white stuff. I don't buy anything else.


The three plates ... not a good shot but enough to see the faint edge of gold on the two larger plates.

And I love vegemite jars as well. We store all our spices etc in these babies and there's nothing like them. The lids stay good forever, they come in almost half a dozen sizes, they stack neatly on each other and thoughts of Vegemite (the traditional stuff that is) always reminds me of breakfast on winter days for some reason.


Two jars cleaned and filled with corander seeds and mixed herbs and one to go! And a peak at the lemon bowl ... full of lemons.

As for the flea markets ... they were kinda blah, although I love the atmosphere of the Bentleigh train station car park flea market! Well worth a wander around whether you find something or not.

I managed to find Clarissa some almond oil for her hair (which I've looked for everywhere and haven't been able to find) and some floral oil for the burner ... the house smells wonderfully like spring.

And a big bag of lemons for $2. We go through so many and they can be so expensive.

But the classic find was this old grinder, which Horace bargained down to $3. Love that man's ability to bargain, something he's passed on to Clarissa.


Isn't this thing amazing? There's a slot on the top to put nutmet or whatever, and the drawer at the front slides out ... it's metal.

It's the most intriguing old thing ... all old wood and metal and really interesting. The tinkerer in Horace will get hours of entertainment from it.

Day 17 Blogtoberfest 2009 Pompeii for a Day

Horace and I finally made it to the A Day in Pompeii exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which closes next week.


Looking through the flowers and fountain in front of the Exhibition Buildings to the Museum beyond.

I really enjoyed myself and I'd recommend it to anybody who hasn't been ... but no are photos allowed.


Horace and I at the entrance to the exhibition ... taken by another visitor.

I love shooting everything; my 50mm 1.4 allows me to shoot in almost any light and I love playing around with the settings to see just how far I can push. So, of course, and it was a total pain because there was so much I would have shot otherwise: pottery, recreations, jewellery, medical instruments.

So much packed into such a small space and it still took up 2.5 hours to walk around it.


The first centurion at the display outlining the history, chronologically, of the Roman Empire.

And that was only the actual exhibitions ... there were also two short films/documentaries about the fall of Pompeii, with one of them 3D complete with glasses. That was impressive.

If you get the chance rush out and go because if you're like me and probably won't get to the real thing this exhibition feels as close as you can get.


Some of the background information about the Roman Empire at the entry to the exhibition.

Day 16 Blogtoberfest 2009 It rained most of the week

At another time and place rain would've been something to complain about ... but the drought's changed that.


The rain glistening on the plants next to my front door steps.

But now it's cause for celebration, with October this week more what it was like before the drought started.

Cold, windy and raining every day ... and even better the dams providing water to Melbourne have hit around 35%.

That's definitely worth celebrating.

Day 18 Blogtoberfest 2009 I cooked tonight

Unlike the rest of the female population (or pretty well near it) I don't cook regularly.

I count myself pretty lucky ... my afternoons aren't spent thinking of what to make, my evenings after work aren't spent slaving over a hot stove, and I don't spend much of my time frustrated thinking of something new to make.

It's not that I can't cook ... although my children are utterly scathing about what they call my lack of talent in kitchen department. (But how come they seem to eat twice as much of my spinach and ricotta cannelloni than any other meal?).


A close up of dinner ... I love roast vegetables, especially carrots.

And tonight I volunteered to make a lamb roast with a slight difference: I cooked the lamb in a pyrex dish in a small amount of olive oil, added rosemary and loads of onion and garlic, and put a lid on the pyrex dish. The lid and liquid left the lamb tender and hardly shrunk, and I made an old fashioned gravy from the onion/garlic mix, cornflour and tomato paste.

It was pretty darn tasty.

I suppose I should cook more often?

Day 15 Blogtoberfest 2009 Horace found my glasses

Several months after I couldn't find my glasses ... after turning the house upside down looking for them and having to get a new pair to replace them, I now have the glasses I lost a couple of months ago back in my hot little hands!


The prodigal glasses!

This morning Horace asked me if I had my glasses ... which I thought really strange, as unlike many other mornings I actually knew where my glasses were ... both pairs, and I could show him exactly where they were on the top of the bureau.

And then Horace held up a blue pair I didn't even recognise as mine.

I am so happy to have them back. I love these little blue babies: they fit so much more comfortably than the other pairs that slip and slide all over the place.

And they go perfectly with my favourite outfit ... my new cream Esprit T-shirt from the UK and my absolutely favourite Esprit skirt. I love this skirt and I love how this lovely (of course) little old lady stopped me in the streets of East Orange when we were there to tell me how much she liked my skirt too!


I seriously love this outfit ... it gets an airing every single week at the moment.

I wonder how long it'll take me to lose another pair of glasses again. Hardly a week goes by that I'm not yelling for someone or other to help to find me ... because of course person who needs glasses but can't find glasses, needs glasses to find said glasses!

I'm utterly hopeless with glasses.

I stick them on my head and they fall off, I fold them up and stick them over the top of t-shirts, and generally I put them down wherever I am without any thought I might have to put them back on again.

I don't do it with anything else: I put my keys and phone religiously back in my bag in the same place so I always know where they are.

Now, various theories have been thrown around re why the glasses have suddenly come to light. Conspiracy theories that speak of nefarious deeds by people hiding my glasses to pay me back for past posts re losing passports and other items.

I'm planning on giving that a little more thought ..!

Day 14 Blogtoberfest 2009 I have serious train issues

Melbourne trains suck ... as if having to go to work isn't bad enough Melbournites have to battle the train service as well.


The sign directing passengers to the Frankston, Dandenong etc line at Flinders Street. Guess which day I took this photo?

And I'm not alone in Melbourne ... we have two regular topics of conversation in the mornings: the weather (because we get four seasons in one day!)and the train service (or lack therof!).

In point of fact, problems are now so bad you only have to say I had a train experience on the way to work and instant explanation re why you're late ... you don't have to say anything else.

And just to show things don't occur on an infrequent basis, these are my train experiences over the last fortnight (PS some of my negative experiences are self inflicted, and in the interests of honesty I'll add those in ... but Connex is pretty darn annoying).

* The train I planned to catch to get to work was cancelled (them) so I caught the next train after that, which was running 10 minutes late (them). The train ended up sitting outside another station for quite a while, with the result it took me 90 minutes after I arrived at the station to actually reach work (definitely them!).
* On the way home from work I woke up as the train was pulling out of my station (me). I got off at the next station to wait for the next train heading home. The first train went straight through without picking up passengers and the train I caught was five minutes late (them).
* A train at Moorabbin broke down with everybody from that train piling onto my train (them). Around Ormond there was an announcement re overhead problems at Caulfield and I arrived 30 minutes late at work because we crawled the whole way from Ormond to my stop at Melbourne Central (them).
* I got off the train at Richmond because it wasn't going to my station in the loop only to get on another train not going to my station (me). What an idiot!

I'm hoping Metro Trains Melbourne, which takes over from the beginning of December, does a better job ... definitely not an issue to hold my breath over.

Day 13 Blogtoberfest 2009 One word meme: pass it on

ONE WORD MEME: PASS IT ON
I was a little stumped re today's blog post but I got the best idea over at Bec at Things to make and do.

A couple of days she posted about being blogging memes, and about one she found at Meet Me at Mikes, and that's not the first blog this has appeared on ....

It looks like fun so I thought I'd try it: The idea is to copy and paste all the questions and answer them with one word only.

1. Where is your mobile phone? HANDBAG
2. Your hair? MESS
3. Your mother? AMAZING
4. Your father? GONE
5. Your favourite food? SUGAR
6. Your dream last night? HUH
7. Your favourite drink? WATER
8. Your dream/goal? CREATIVE
9. What room are you in? LOUNGE
10. Your hobby? JOY
11. Your fear? FAILURE
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? EVERYWHERE
13. Where were you last night? HOME
14. Something that you aren’t? INSPIRED
15. Muffins? RASPBERRY
16. Wish list item? TIME
17. Where did you grow up? BALLARAT
18. Last thing you did? DINNER
19. What are you wearing? STUFF
20. Your TV? ON
21. Your pet? NONE
22. Friends? FAMILY
23. Your life? BUSY
24. Your mood? TIRED
25. Missing someone? DAUGHTER
26. Vehicle? RED
27. Something you’re not wearing? SKIRT
28. Your favorite store? ETSY
29. Your favorite color? RED
30. When was the last time you laughed? TODAY
31. Last time you cried? DON'T
32. Your best friend? HUSBAND
33. One place that I go to over and over? WORK
34. One person who emails me regularly? DAUGHTER
35. Favorite place to eat? MUM'S

And because my darling daughter Wini came up so often as I was writing this ... a photo of her reading at Lloyd's house in New Jersey.


So hard to get a good photo of this girl ... she's so gorgeous but she never wants to smile.

Day 12 Blogtoberfest 2009 Mail box

I went for a walk in Cheltenham last Friday (basically to see if I could find my scrapping mojo) and I had to laugh when I first saw this.


The City of Kingston mail box.

So, it's a mail box ... wait for it, for mail only!

It was only after a little pondering I realised it was a mail box intended only for City of Kingston mail.

Did you get that long before I did?

Probably ...

Day 10 Blogtoberfest 2010 I can't stop sneezing

I'm allergic to two things: dust (hence my aversion to house cleaning) and those little yellow daisies I always thought were called cakeweed. (Any ideas what they're called since google doesn't throw up anything called cakeweed?)


A close up of cakeweed, taken on the church lawn across the road.

I've hardly seen cakeweed for years ... and I realise it must be because of the drought. There just hasn't been enough water for them to flower.

But we've been lucky enough to have quite a bit of rain during September, and now
those little babies are everywhere.

It's a brilliant thing getting more rain ... but it sucks having to rememeber to take a double dose of hay fever medication when I'm going to stay out all day.

Gee ... what a hard life I have!

Day 9 Blogtoberfest 2009 Desperately seeking scrapping mojo!

I spent days putting together stuff to take with me to the all day crop at Scraptacular ... and spent most of the day desperately seeking my scrapping mojo!


It was a beautiful day: the weather was gorgeous and I had a great day with Cara and Didi and the others.

But I didn't get much done ... just a couple of layouts using scraps and no idea what to do with them.

I think I need to walk away from scrapping for a while and concentrate on other things ... like getting my holiday photos into order and return refreshed and ready to scrap.