By my chair and Waitpinga beach today.

Much cooler today, lovely. We have a house inspection tomorrow so there has been a lot of cleaning, not that it really needs it but best to be prepared. That 43 degree day knocked the plants in the garden around,thank goodness for the rain that followed. We are sltil walking the beach but my repaired knee is finding things a bit difficult as it has got quite steep. I love the short drive out to Waitpinga even the name gives me joy.

This and that

Another small sketch, this is one of my favorite little bird houses, made by Wendy who lives no Kangaroo island. I have bought quite a few over the years but I think this is my favorite. Late yesterday we went for a drive over to Kings Beach car park and I took these photos. It is quite hot today so we we were up early to go to the farmers market and then a short walk to the beach as I am not feeling brilliant. Back to being a bit dizzy, a side affect of my new medication. Just as bit unsettling so I painted, I have finished knitting a rabbit head, now for the ears. All a bit boring. We should be going to young Lachie's 4th birthday party but decided I really ma not up to it. Heat and I are never good together.

Yesterday was one of those days

I woke up aching, all over, and my replaced knee didn't like me at all. On top of that we had a dentist appointment in Adelaide. Due to covid we hadn't been for 18 months so, much as I like my dentist,I hate going to him, I always seem to have a lot of cleaning and this was horrendous. Our road up is often a nightmare and yesterday it was worse than normal,school holidays, tourists who are not sensible or polite, ugh! It was hot in town too so I stumbled along with my stick and everything aching feeling all of my 81 years. We are both finding it harder and harder to get to Adelaide and back. The joys of getting old. We were both so tired when we got home we had no energy for anything. Not much done today but thank goodness I don't hurt quite so much but my knee is swollen and I have no idea why. A few hot days ahead of us I am afraid. We went over to Waitpinga beach on Tuesday. Big surf and it was lovely so here are a few photos.

Around the garden.

It has been a very strange start to summer, cool and mild and I must say very pleasant but we are heading for very hot over the week end. I do not enjoy hot weather. My plants have been all over the place but these looked quite nice, I run out of things to take photos of so a wander around the garden sometimes brings out new things.

Some of my dolls

I have so many of my fabric dolls packed away and I thought I would bring some of them out, so lovely to see them and remember why they were made. I went to DollU in California twice,I think in 1999 and again just after 9/11 (first flight out of Australia to San Franziska! ) wonderful times. I made both of the African dolls there, the elegant doll was based on a Jill Maas doll that I drew up and my house elf,was a design by, can't remember but she was an Australian girl. Looking back I made so many dolls, even designed some of my own. It was wonderful time and some very talented instructors came out to Australia to teach. I do wish we could go back and do it again. Thank you Joy Martin for getting us started. My arthritic body makes it harder for me to make very complicated dolls any more but I do enjoy going back and trying some of the simpler patterns. Loved DollU and San Francisco is one of my favorite towns. So many memories.

More daily sketches

I have really been enjoying doing these little sketches. The tree was something I imagined which was fun, a bit reminiscent of the trees we saw in Japan, the bold bad banksia was adrwn from a pod I had, I always loved May Gibbs description of them in Snuggle pot and Cuddle pie. We walked, a longish one on the beach this morning, we had a cool change last night and it was very pleasant. Lots of the brown jelly fish washed up on the beach, just glad I wasn't swimming as they give a nasty sting. Our Woolworth grocery delivery came this morning and the last of the towels we ordered, no bath mat but have found a toning one. I had hoped for a brown but obviously it is not an in colour. Just sent off to join in with India Flint latest February on line class. Books this time. Sounds wonderful. I am trying to keep busy.

Doing a sketch a day for January.

I am having a bit of an adverse reaction to my new medication. Feeling dizzy so going slowly I think it will pass. I am enjoying doing these little few minute sketches every day. Some are better than others. Suddenly it is hot, I ma not really enjoying it.

Bits and pieces

My new diary cover,I always make a new one every year.Just back from a lovely drive to Parsons Beach, cold and windy but so nice to have this not faraway from home. These shrubs on top of the cliff were such a lovely contrast of colours. I am doing, or trying to do a sketch a day for January,this is one of them. I have started a bit of knitting, a little fair isle boot for next year's tree. I used to do fair isle years ago but not for years. I will see how I go.

Not the best

I hope that 2021 is better than 2020. I feel as if we have just marked time for most of it, friends have died and we have not been aable to comfort those left behind. I haven't grocery shopped for months, thank goodness for deliveries. I haven't seen the Melbourne family for over a year. My new medication is not agreeing with me. But, I can most days walk on he beach and I can be driven around our lovely area. Summer is here with dried brown grasses but thank goodness the temperatures have been cool and pleasant.I have made my vessel using the materials I painted in Lorna cranes on line class, I had to think about it for a while but now it is done and I am quite pleased with it. Now to stop feeling feeling a bit ill.