Recalling Autumn

some humble shots...

winter babies

Look at that wacky radish!!

Other seedlings:

I need to do some weeding.. I'll save that for my next phone conversation (I like to call it phoneweeding. Tonight I practised phonecooking - vietnamese ricepaper rolls, yummo!)

the day I died and other stories

Twas the night of our housewarming, several moons ago (ok maybe two), right on 6pm (the official party-beginning time) and I was in my room preparing myself to receive guests( ie trying to find clean clothes to wear) when I hear a knock at the door. And a strange voice.

"Hi, I'm a friend of Josiah's, I was meeting up with him here". Oh ok. Didn't know Josiah was coming tonight. And inviting a friend. Random.

One of my friendly housemates invites him in. He takes a seat and they make awkward conversation.
I come out, introduce myself, sit down. The penny still hasn't dropped.
Conversation begins again, I look away, and all of a sudden I'm being poked in the arm with a plastic card by mystery man.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! That means he's my assassin*. That means I'm dead. Why the heck did they let him in?!?!?!?!?!

That was my head voice.
In reality I wailed 'oh no!', laughed dolefully, and offered him a drink. He declined, and took himself off soon afterwards, the dirty deed accomplished.

Apart from the grisly start, it was a great night.

There was sushi:

And fire:

(photo courtesy of Em)

The other stories?

Well, we had a Passover celebration, with as much Jewish tradition as we could muster. Rich and thought-provoking.


And our clothesline got squashed by a giant branch:

(photo courtesy of Mandie)

I should really have a good rave about Postcolonial literature and lamb-eating and bike-riding and QUIDDITCH. especially quidditch.
Maybe another time..


*uni-wide game of Assassin. You kill your target by hunting them down and touching them with a card.

Go West Find India

Last week I spent 3 days pruning pomegranates at Condo, because my Dad was working near there and they needed people.. and I could use the cash.

What I didn't expect was that going a couple of hours west would sink me straight into a little India!!
I (and my bro Ben) were working with a whole bunch of guys from Punjab, Gujarat, and Pakistan. They rattled away in Hindi and Punjabi all day long - and I understood nothing but 'Sahib Paul', 'Sahib Cartic', and 'smokee'!

They chewed on tobacco and pruned away to the tinny bollywood tunes bouncing from phones or mp3s. Every now and then the braver (and better at english) ones would strike up a brief conversation with me or Ben.. and the more flirtatious of them threw small pomegranates at me and moaned about how little sleep he got because he was addicted to facebook (um, excuse me but how is that attractive?!) haha.

I wiped sweat from my top lip and prickles from my legs.. and worked on developing blistered fingers, muscular thumbs, and a decent sock tan.

We swilled litre upon litre of chilled water (ah, heaven!).. and at lunch break they shared some of their curry and chappatis with us.

When they found out I was visiting India they were very excited - though a little disappointed when they heard I wasn't going into the north at all, they still tried to think of friends in the places I was going who might be able to show me around!

So despite the 40 degree heat and ensuing exhaustion, it was actually not a bad few days.. :)

Lover [ly]

I am a little bit in love. Maybe more than a little bit. One of the current objects of my affection is the poet Mary Oliver. So hard to choose which to share here!

Next Time

Next time what I'd do is look at
the earth before saying anything. I'd stop
just before going into a house
and be an emperor for a minute
and listen better to the wind
or to the air being still.

When anyone talked to me, whether
blame or praise or just passing time,
I'd watch the face, how the mouth
has to work, and see any strain, any
sign of what lifted the voice.

And for all, I'd know more -- the earth
bracing itself and soaring, the air
finding every leaf and feather over
forest and water, and for every person
the body glowing inside the clothes
like a light.

Morning Poem

Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange

sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again

and fasten themselves to the high branches ---
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands

of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails

for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it

the thorn
that is heavier than lead ---
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging ---

there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted ---

each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,

whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.


Black Oaks

Okay, not one can write a symphony, or a dictionary,

or even a letter to an old friend, full of remembrance
and comfort.

Not one can manage a single sound though the blue jays
carp and whistle all day in the branches, without
the push of the wind.

But to tell the truth after a while I'm pale with longing
for their thick bodies ruckled with lichen

and you can't keep me from the woods, from the tonnage

of their shoulders, and their shining green hair.

Today is a day like any other: twenty-four hours, a
little sunshine, a little rain.

Listen, says ambition, nervously shifting her weight from
one boot to another -- why don't you get going?

For there I am, in the mossy shadows, under the trees.

And to tell the truth I don't want to let go of the wrists
of idleness, I don't want to sell my life for money,

I don't even want to come in out of the rain.

Why you should go for a Walk

You should go for a walk because:

-you might find a mulberry tree, or other fruit tree to surreptitiously sneak a sample from (yes, it's at the top of my list)

-you might find a cool leaf or feather

-you might find a damp drainpipe to sing songs in

-you might find a big group of people playing cricket on an oval, sausages spitting on a barbie, onlookers wisely huddled in the scrawny eucalyptus shade

-you could be blown about on top of a hill

-you could swing on swings in a park

-the musty murky bits could get cleared out of your mind

-you could find an amazing variety of bits of broken glass, cans, and faded chip or lolly wrappers

-you could have a secret little dance, all to yourself (oh wait, it's meant to be a walk!)

-you could get rained/hailed/rainbowed/shone/spat upon (don't worry, that particular one hasn't happened to me yet)


all this could be yours, AND MORE!

That's the thing - you never know...

ps - and there's that little thing called exercise, but that's not as interesting in itself as all of the above.

spring.. round about where I live.

Peas please!

Dandelion clocks - telling time the faerie way

Couple of handsome birds out for a stroll..

Freesia. [if only you could post scents..]

Look! Blue sky!

From, little things, ...

wondrous growth
green and blossoming
shooting
burgeoning
swelling fruit so lushly marvelous..

And then we eat it.
chomp down on living miracles
!
Yep, so there's awesome caulis, sweet little bok choys as pictured above, spinach, 'erbs, and last, but of course far from least:

Potatoes!!!

Gosh, gardens are exciting.