I took my camera on my walk around the lake today.
A beautiful sunny day after a cold morning.
I took these pics of fungi I found in "the place where bluebells grow"..
Yesterday turned out to be a happy day.
A surprise visit from two favourite people in my life.. Marilyn and Jeff.

Haiku

no bluebells today
fairy like fungi instead
winter's chill is here

Another doodled Envelope..

This was such a long envelope it did not fit on my scanner.
It was an envelope from our lawyer made from a beautiful paper.
The stamps are from a series of non-denominated stamps with a Kiwiana theme.
(Sometimes I feel akin to a tattooist!)

Haiku

one letter in my box
is worth two in your mind love
write to me today

Daily Doodle on an Envelope..

I don't receive many letters these days.
When I do I often think how nice our New Zealand stamps are.
I began saving envelopes and here is one I have doodled on.

The stamp was issued to celebrate Matariki - New Year.
(June is the time of new light/ new year in Aotearoa/New Zealand.)
It shows Manu Tukutuku.. the bird kite that was traditionally flown at Matariki.
The bird shape reflects the Maori belief that this is how a person's soul or spirit is made manifest.

Haiku for New Year

Ahh Matariki
new light has come to our land
no northern sky this

Daily Doodle /collage

Iwent to see the movie COCO AND IGOR this morning.
I loved the fashion, the decor, the music...and the passion, the tension.
I admired Coco's independence..and hated the affair.
Anna Mouglalis was a wonderful Coco..
and Mads Mikkelsen a dour Stravinski.

I haven't attempted collage for over a year.
Maybe this is a new beginning!

It is interesting how I can create something and then see things later that I was quite unaware of . I like the roundness of the eggs, the water drop and the other round shapes below. I did this quite unconsciously. It is the same with all art.. the artist paints and I see more than or differently from what was intended by the artist. How fascinating art is.


To Katerina, Stravinski's wife..

She shared me her house.
I did not think my husband
Would suffice for rent!!

A Sewing Day..

To prove I have been sewing

and just look at the view from my sewing room.
A very wet day out there.

The view from my computer, upstairs at my place today

A rainy day is a good day to stay indoors..
and sew a quilt!

A Doodle While watching TV.

I watched Criminal Minds on TV last night..and doodled while I watched.
The older I get the less I like watching violence and other nasty things (by myself especially)
but I got hooked into the story last night and doodled to calm my nerves!
I'm not sure where all this doodling is heading.
It is very addictive and I love doing it. My intention for having a blog was to do something creative/arty daily after finishing the year of art study..and doodling is what I did over the summer ..and now I am hooked!
I did one year of an art diploma when I first retired so I would have something to say when friends asked me THAT QUESTION ... "What do you do all day" !
Today I will have another go at quilting my quilt on my new-ish sewing machine. It is very computerised and clever. I am a bit scared of it when it comes to quilting. Wish me luck!


I think the birds are whistling "whenever you feel afraid, whistle a happy tune.."

A Sunday Doodle...

rose
rosary
realms rose tinted

walk tall woman of the earth

Daily Doodle and a Haiku.

exquisite milieu
infinite variety
delicate balance

universe
mystery

Victoria-Sofia Has Been Baking!

Thank you Victoria-Sofia,
Your pinwheels were delicious!
Delicate pastry with jam and fruit inside and pink icing on top,
delivered to my door...

Happy Birthday Absolutely Gorgeous Daughter-In-Law!

Another middle of the night doodle.

One doodle didn't put me to sleep so I did another!
I listened to Music Mix on Radio NZ while doodling.
The words came from a song I was listening to as I doodled.
The singer was Karen Elson.
I went back to sleep when I'd finished this doodle!

daily Doodle..at midnight!.

I decided I needed an early night..
but woke at 11.30, wide awake, so I doodled - as one does.
I have developed some recurring motifs while doodling daily.

The boat - me
The nest - home
The tree - life
The Little singing bird - celebration, creativity
The koru / spiral -unfolding, growth

That's how I've interpreted then anyway.
Metaphors as ancient as art.

My favourite pic of Nic and Andy.
Ohope Beach, Bay of Plenty.

The Daily Doodle.. in Mandala mood.

Thinking happily about the engagement of Nicola and Andy.
Sending wishes of happiness and love to two wonderful people.
Nic is sister Linda's lovely daughter. Nic is having a good week..
She not only had a marriage proposal from the love of her life ..
she topped her whole class at Law School!

A Doodle Mandala.

Happy birthday Jan.
I doodled this mandala while talking to you on the phone.
It brings all my good wishes and love for your birthday and the year to follow.

I do love drawing mandala. Very soothing and meditative.

My Daily Doodle.

A little bit of fantasy at the end of a lovely quiet day at home.
Today I tidied my sewing room and set up my sewing machine and did some free form quilting on a practice piece of fabric.
Getting started on my quilt is like jumping into a cold swimming pool!
You could call my doodle ..procrastination!

The Queen's Birthday.

Today is The Queen's Official Birthday.
It is a rainy day here today and a public holiday.

In 1953 I was 9 years old and the Queen came to New Zealand.
The children from my school were taken to Pukekohe to see her.
We walked along the streets behind a brass band.
I guess because we were from Awhitu School we were first in the march
and we stood right in front of the dais.
( The word dais was new to me and seemed a very royal word at the time.)
How we waved our little flags when the big shiny black car pulled up with
the beautiful young Queen and the handsome Duke
smiling and waving the royal wave.
If I had leaned forward I could have touched the Duke.
What a day it was.

Little sister and I kept scrapbooks with pictures of the Royal Family
cut from magazines and newspapers.
We had glossy books about the Royal Family too. Complete and utter Royalists we were.

The year of the Queen's coronation our father decided to take us for a real holiday.
We stayed at the Arckles Bay Holiday Camp, Whangaparaoa Peninsula.
The fact it was winter did not deter us at all!
(Farmers were much too busy in the summer to take a holiday!)
Mum and Dad bought us a replica of the coronation golden carriage and horses.
Little Sister caught pneumonia and we had to stay longer until she was well enough to travel home!
One morning the holiday camp owner knocked on our door to tell us
A New Zealander, Edmund Hillary had conquered Mt Everest.
The Queen was very happy this happened just in time for her coronation!

Happy Birthday Your Majesty!

Victoria-Sofia Has a Birthday Party.

This is one special little girl.
Happy birthday my sweet nextdoor neighbour... Victoria-Sofia.
We all love you!

Getting Back My Mojo!

I have been practising free form quilting this morning on my new sewing machine. .
At last I have made it to patchwork class.
I had been procrastinating badly for over a year!!
I was using weddings etc as my excuse.
Really I was afraid of my new machine when it came to quilting.
Friend Joan has been encouraging me ..
and ..thank you Joan.
I did it!

Two Joans or Joan Squared or Joan to the power of two.

This is me and friend Joan at patchwork class this morning.
We met through patchwork and became great friends.
We travelled together for nine weeks in 2008,
HongKong, London, Scotland, Europe and San Francisco ..
and an amazing trip through Morocco.

Next week is Joan's last patchwork day here..
she and her new(ish) husband are shifting to live at the beach.
I will miss her very much.. our lunches, our movies, the operas...
it has all been wonderful.
Thank you Joan for all the memories.
Friends forever.

This is so funny!

A Little Bit of Nonsense. By Me.

Inspired by friend Joan who is going off to live by the sea....


Oh for a little house down by the sea
With a bird and a cat
And a nice cup of tea.

I'd have a good garden and bees for my honey,
I'd play lots of music
and dance when it's sunny.

I'd dance in the Autumn and dance in the Spring.
I'd dance in the Summer
When all the birds sing.

And when it was Winter I'd breathe the salt air,
And do lots of dancing
'til Summer was there.

Renee Fleming : ARMIDA

The First Day of Winter.

I walked into town today and took my camera
to snap the first day of Winter.
Unfortunately I hadn't charged the camera and these were the only pics
I got before the camera died!
A beautiful day after much rain.
I went with Ruth to the final NY Met opera at The Lido.
ARMIDA
Starring Renee Fleming. It was wonderful.
I am sad this series is finished but happy another series begins in November.
My love of Opera has grown hugely with these productions.
I just can't get enough of them!

Breakfast in bed.

It was rainy and cold this morning
so I took my cup of tea and some toast (with honey from John's bees),
upstairs and climbed back into my cosy bed.
I'm very fond of this little teapot and cup.
It was a gift from my lovely friend Felicity when I moved into this house.
Breakfast in bed now and then is a must,
so I can use my little teapot and cup,
and a cold, rainy morning is just the morning for doing it!!
While in bed I had conversations on the phone with friend Ruth, friend Jan and dear Aunty Vyver.
In fact I talked so long my phone began beeping to say
"enough is enough! I'm running out of battery!"