Our Aussie Flag

We've decorated our picnic table with it,





We've suspended a giant version from a helicopter and paraded it around Sydney Harbour,

We've draped ourselves in it,

We've popped it on our pocket, in the clutches of a koala,

....and even made a shirt out of it!

Any way you look at it, we've flown it with pride this Australia Day weekend, celebrated our country and thanked God for our blessings!

Scatterday N - Week 23

Scatterday N - Week 23
Originally uploaded by dijobbins

Surprise!!!! I'm early this week. Tomorrow is Australia Day, and I plan to spend it by Sydney Harbour making the most of our wonderful summer weather. I can relax now that my homework's been done, and handed in.

Most of this week's were "drive-by shootings" including one taken out the front window of the car as I hurtled down the Warringah Freeway towards the Sydney Harbour Tunnel.

After a week of angst, in the end the solutions were easy and presented themselves to me in a morning's drive today, so here we go....

Orange -
This orange netting outside a house at Roseville fits the bill perfectly.

Something South American -
Nuts! Brazil nuts, of course!

Things that are good for you that you don't like -
My friend Moo hates thunder storms, and these nimbus clouds are harbingers of rain and, often, thunder storms. The rain they bring is wonderful and life-giving, but the sight of these nimbus clouds is scary for some ... like my dear Moo who has been known to hide under the bed! (Me? I love rain and storms - as long as I'm inside!)

Oh, and if you have your speakers turned on you can probably also hear the delightful Norah Jones who, although beginning with the letter "N", is not nutty (or from South America) or orange, and is definitely good for me - and I love her music!

Have a great Australia Day, dear friends!

January Garden

January Garden
Originally uploaded by dijobbins

For some time my friend Pennie has been posting a monthly mosaic of the colour in her garden, and I hope she won't mind if I emulate her.

So here is January's compilation of zinnias, hydrangeas, petunias, cleomes, diplodenias, star jasmine, geraniums, magnolias and more. Such a pretty space at this time of year!

Scatterday U - Week 22

Scatterday U - Week 22
Originally uploaded by dijobbins

This week's Scatterday letter is U, with the categories...

Street -
Here is a photo of Underwood Street, not far from me. If it seems slightly un-composed or out of focus that's probably because it was (as a friend of mine is fond of quoting) a "drive-by shooting". Stopped at the corner, would down the window, and snapped!!! Wonder what the drivers of the cars behind me thought.

Cartoon Character -
I have to admit I Googled "Uncle Scrooge McDuck" to find this photo, not having a stash of comic books in my storeroom (wish I did, they've got to be worth a fortune on eBay!).

Things people pay a lot of money for -
This ultrasound of my precious granddaughter (at 12 weeks' gestation) cost quite a lot of money. If you look carefully you can see that, even though our darling was only 2 inches long (!!!!!!!) she was already sucking her thumb. Don't you just love modern technology that allows us to observe such wonders!

Scatterday E - Week 21

Scatterday E - Week 21
Originally uploaded by dijobbins

I'm back!

My slackness of recent weeks has been due to a mini-break of 2 days away between Christmas and New Year, and then being attacked by a virus that had me in the grip of an all-consuming lethargy.

But I have done my homework this week and, apart from a recalcitrant "E" that simply refuses to sit up straight in spite of repeated rotations, I am happy to hand it in for your appraisal.

Our letter this week is "E", and the categories...

White - An exercise bike! Yes, in my house it's a White Elephant. Planning to remedy this state of affairs in 2008, though. How many fellow Scatterdaisies, I wonder, have a similar white elephant sitting quietly in the corner...

Terrifying Things - An empty page! I know it doesn't look too frightening to most of you. But when you've been asked to write a couple of paragraphs as a tribute to a friend who's having a significant birthday, and when these words are to be on behalf of around 20 of her buddies, and when the deadline to hand over my piece is looming fast and writer's block has firmly set in - that empty page (or in my case, computer screen) is mighty daunting. That's what happened to me last week. Inspiration eventually struck and I dashed off a piece of verse as I drank my morning coffee. Phew!

Plant World - This is an Echium. "A what?", I hear you chorus. An echium! For around 10 months of the year it sits sedately in the garden, a pretty grey-green velvety leaved shrub, hardly noticed by passers-by. Come September, though,it throws up spectacular purple-blue flower spikes on candelabra-like branches up to a metre tall, and stops admirers in their tracks with its gorgeous display. This is our specimen which is only a baby - we're expecting great things of you, little echium.

New Year's Eve in Sydney

On Monday afternoon, feeling somewhat laden down after a week of Christmas feasting, I decided to go for a 30 minute walk. I carried just my bus fare and my iPod - so I could listen to my two favourite quilting podcasters, Alex Anderson and Annie Smith - and set out towards the city.

I was interested to see just how far 30 minutes of not-too-brisk walking would take me.

Here's where - beautiful Hyde Park, right in the centre of Sydney! It was so tranquil and cool.


I really must do this more often, but next time I'll take more money - the Sales were on and I couldn't shop ....aaaarrrrgh!!!!!