Spring Downunder

If I pretend Summer isn’t just around the corner, I love this time of year. Summer in Brisbane is sweltering, but the rest of the year (April to October) is delightful.

Sitting on the verandah, I am daily enchanted by the coming of Spring. The changes are not as dramatic as in the northern hemisphere (eg most trees don’t lose their leaves for the winter), so you need to watch more carefully. The garden is currently overflowing with birdsound and bee-buzzing and flittering butterflies, and the white wisteria explodes with fresh new leaves, pendulous flower bunches and explorative tentacles. That’s too many adjectives, I know, but surrounded as I am with such abundance I just couldn’t help myself.

More photos …

Trust the process

In recent months I’ve been suffering a serious case of artist’s block. My mind’s been buzzing with ideas, but as soon as I try to translate them into a piece of work I sit in indecision and frustration, surrounded by masses of materials and tools. My mind has been filled with negative thoughts: “What do I want to say?” “Who cares what I have to say anyway?” “Why would anyone want to buy the stuff I make? It’s nice enough, but hardly of the ‘must have’ variety.” And so on.

In the hopes of putting an end to this nonsense I enrolled in an online course called Creative Voice (http://www.centeredpath.com/CP/index.html)

Just to ensure that I remain time-challenged, I also enrolled in Barb Kobe’s Medicine Dolls course (http://www.barbkobe.com/index.html). Both courses run for 3 months. I told myself they would work well together, and I’m probably right … provided I apply myself and do all the exercises.

A little magic

If you’ve never encountered Xian Tao flower balls, go get yourself one at the earliest opportunity, even if you don’t like unusual teas.

Colin and I visited a new shopping complex last Saturday and stopped for tea and cake at the delightful Tlicious café (http://www.tlicious.com.au) . After reading the description, I simply had to buy one of the Xian Tao flower balls.

“Constructed by hand, these Xian Tao flower balls are a green tea with jasmine and a pink chrysanthemum centre. Place in a glass teapot or cup for best results. Pour in hot water and watch as a beautiful flower slowly unfolds.”

Sheer magic.

The tea was wonderful too.