Sunshiny days

 This is the year  of la Nina. Already we have surpassed the average rainfall for the total of our summer months and the hills are oddly green from the recent deluges. Its an odd thing to drive out in to the countryside and to expect the usual browned grassy hills instead lush green. 

I ventured today to pick blackberries. I thought they would be near  the end of their run but found plenty of plump berries ready for the picking.

The road side picking spots may look serene but really are just busy with fast moving traffic whizzing by. Quite noisy . 

I managed to pick 4kg of blackberries before my back decided I had enough. A few hours of cooking jam has left me exhausted and contently I rest on my bed writing to you instead. 

day1 Amsterdam

Walking on foot is by far the best way to get to know  a city and walk we did. In measured terms we did 11.3km the first day. We may have headed off in one direction but we always manage to deviate slightly off to the side of our original direction. Google maps is great if the GPS keeps up with your steps, which it obviously doesnt but at least it gives an indication of whether you are heading in the general direction.
First day destination was Albert cruypt market, a general disappointment full of cheap imports but the people were friendly enough. I purchased a couple of cheap magnets for friends back at home. We had a quick coffee at the Bazaar, which would have been a pleasant experience had it not been for one of the proprietors  moving furniture around and scrapping them across the floor- I swear he did not want us in there because there was definately nobody else in there to serve.I didnt realise it at the time but the short black coffee that we received at the time was to be hands down better than some of the lattes we were to have later.
I took a few photos on the walk to the markets of the canal houses - every thing was of interest
We managed to visit a vintage store where Richmal purchased a lovely pair of hand made leather shoes at 36euros - a bargain , we also purchased picnic food from a Turkish deli 11 euros for bread hummus, eggplant pickle, tub of strawberries, a hand of fresh cherry tomatoes, couscous and two roopio tea 
We walked and walked and walked to finally return to the hotel and then sit in the park for a late picnic lunch, We watched the passing parade of bicycles and dutch speaking riders, children play in the park on a sunless and cool day. A rest was definately necessary to recuperate from the previous travel and that we did

view  from our hotel window looking out to The Tropen Museum

I Amsterdam It

Currently I am holidaying in Amsterdam  with my dear friend Richmal.  Consenting to holiday with me for three weeks sharing the same room makes her a brave woman. We chose a particularly busy time of the year to visit the Netherlands - with the king's birthday coming up, the cheaper hotels nearer the city were  booked up.  Konningdaag or Kings Day promises to be a big event and the city will be filled with people . I am jumping ahead of myself and should really start our tale from the beginning.

Our journey from Adelaide to Dubai was uneventful -  It was long and arduous for someone who does not  sleep on a plane.and wearing my knees in my face is always  a fun way to travel. This may be one of the only times that I am really envious of short people, Oh what I wouldn't give to have my feet dangling from my seat with uninhibited room to spare
.
The endless queueing through airport security  like one of the herd steers me to start mooing or baaing and as I  wait in the throng of human kind wondering why  I packed so much rubbish in carry on luggage. I must admit my idea of packing is throwing it all in bag and regretting it all later. Being decisive is going "oh well that is good enough and I don't really care" The trouble is I do care when the weight of the bag starts to cut into your shoulder and reminds you that your back is not what it used to be. The joys of growing older and falling apart,

Thank God this time  all the tray table were intact and I didnt have some obnoxious man banging the back of my seat yelling at me because I deigned to move  and their tea fell on them...get angry at the airline for poorly managed maintainence for peats sake,

Are  you a big fan of airplane food? I am sure there is a carefully planned psychology behind the food you receive-fill them up and make them sleep. Part of  the process  is to cause grievance to any ancient passenger with gnarled arthritic fingers, a great deal of time can be spent observing the machinations of trying to open tiny little prepackaged foods and the eventual surrender to eating nothing at all . Those of us that do manage to eat are left feeling sated and then bloated. By the end of a trans Atlantic journey you also feel constipated.  Preventing constipation would involve drinking copious amounts of water  and mobilising frequently to keep your gut motility going. But what's the fun in that? I'll have two gin and tonics, just so that I dont have to bother you again flight attendant in the near future,  Yup that will keep me hydrated, right? Another five minutes of my journey will pass

So arrive at Dubai, cattle cart off the plane to either of two designated terminals to continue the journey. In this modern age you would think that the worlds busiest airport would be able to inform you of which terminal and GATE you will next be boarding from next
Insread you are reliant upon a man holding a placard in English only.to direct you to the correct terminal by bus ( too bad if you dont speak english  or arabic). This means if you get on the wrong bus you will have to find another to make the half hour journey to the other terminal. So what if they dont like the look of you and send you on your merry way to the end of the world.? Best not go there.

So cue again through security,where most likely your duty free alcohol will be opened to be checked
Sprint down the endless terminal, although this part of the journey is welcome just to stretch my legs and then jostle for a seat in the boarding gate area. So once again we have been corralled into an enclosed space to await our next departure.
Im a little bit of a people watcher and often look at peoples faces deciding what disease process they might have. I cant help it , its the nurse in me making that quick assessment. So whilst sitting in our pen I saw an Asian gentlemen somewhere over the age 60 ,  enter and pace the floor, His pallor was of yellow / grey and he was somewhat aggitated, really I just thought he had cancer or liver failure. I commented to Richmal that he was not a well man and was not long for this world. We then had a discussion of why I looked at people in certain ways and whether we should actually switch off from work. Either way neither of us after long and arduous journey thought anymore of him and whether he was fit to travel If only...
Half an hour into our flight a call for medical assistance was made in several languages and 10 minutes later the plane was turned back to Dubai. He received medical treatment on board and did not survive the journey. The staff handled it well and by all appearance so did the passengers

So delayed and awaiting a flight to end our journey to Amsterdam, which did occur the same day... In just another 10 minutes or so,,, Being vague and evasive are good qualities for ground crew to have. Placate the grumblers and feed the multitudes.

Fed watered and back on board our flight to Amsterdam. How else can you managed to delay the day? well of course you take someone else's bag  out of the terminal and then have to pass through airport security to return it...what a tired old twit I was. So we are now 24 hours later and finally are in Amsterdam....ready to sleep.

HI

Hi,
Im wondering if this space is of  value anymore. The infrequent visits I have made mean that now I am most likely talking to myself once again. Its a bit like returning to an old friend and now I have to re establish a conversation which is inclusive of the life I have lived but encompasses progression and planning for the future.Old friends are; hopefully more understanding than my keyboard is being to me right now. As I work in the dark and miss the keys , I backspace repeatedly trying to form words that are at least a little bit coherent. I have decided on some rules of engagement to enable this process to occur a little more freely and less haphazardly, well at least one, My first rule is to ensure that I turn on the light so that I can at least see where my fingers go on the key board. I was taught to touch type at school many years ago and although I have retained the basics if one cant see where your fingers are starting from then you have buckleys and none of typing a lucid and coherent word.

I am pleased to announce that I have turned on the lights. Of course this event will be short lived as I will probably want to turn them off to go to sleep. I do choose the most in opportune times to have a conversation with myself (may I add also about nothing) It may mearly be nothing but it does establish a rhythm about starting something. Perhaps I will return sooner rather than later to say something or yet again nothing. It is good to know that this is my space, a blank canvas on which to create and scribe, somewhere to return and talk amonst friends even if they are only shadows of my mind. I will liken this to Simon and Garfunkels - Hello darkness my old friend Ive come to talk to you again......-

but for this I will return

Crochet Reminiscing

Some how I think it is okay to be reminiscent when recommencing something you never intended on leaving : this blog for example. Having been away for a short period of time ( nearly 4 months) makes me want to look back at some of my past projects and expeditions. With that in mind I thought I would travel back through some of the last six years diatribes and pull the best of - Crochet, quilting, printing, eco dyeing, birds and nature. A pictorial journey of my creative life. i hope that is appealing to you!

First off the hook is CROCHET

This actually is the spoke wheel scarf I made but rolled up to a cabbage head. There is a full tutorial for the scarf in Moniquesmess under the heading SPOKE WHEEL SCARF TUTORIAL 

and  here is photo of me wearing it ..noice! I wonder where that camera is?

 Fancy jam jars

Spidery flowers that later became a bag

Eco dyed yarns made beautiful soft colours to crochet

 A daggy bag for my daughter

 And the said child draped in a crochet blanket

star upon a star- free wheeling with pattern, making it up as  I go

Scarf pattern by ...?cleckheaton

My own pattern for bag

A selection of some of the crochet projects finished but by no means a complete history, just a nostalgic nod to the hook and knot.

Return to Sender

A little bit of Elvis to return to the land of blog. "Return to sender , address unknown..."

Although my blog address is well known to me I failed to memorize or write down my Google password and had locked myself out of my blog. I think everyone is able to relate to forgetting a password. I have 3 different passwords for work to access different programs.. I try to keep them the same but somehow the anniversary date to change the passwords never coincides with each other and invariably i am easily confused. Couple that with the disposable names my patients have- they arrive and leave at  a rapid rate and with each coming and going I have to memorize a new list of names and diagnosis, as well as progress and conditions - you'll find me at a loss to remember what or whom I was talking to yesterday.  So Password--yes it is an easily forgetable thing

So I find myself back at the beginning..deliberating whether I would keep the ridiculous name "Moniquesmess" or change to something a new and less suggestive of other things. As you see I kept with what I know, my reasoning that perhaps maybe a few of you may wish to continue this journey with me. I welcome my long time friends back and welcome with gusto and aplomb any new friends.
I'd like to say that this is a rollicking ride but mostly you will find a slow journey interspersed by some knee jerk reactions. I will rarely write about work or family and if I do it is usually a tirade to vent bubbling emotions, but I try not to tie the narrative anvil around my feet and jump overboard for fear of scaring my friends and washing them away with emotions.

Generally you'll find me involved in creating. I'm a messy creature by nature and work in a frenzy to create, I'll bandy around ideas and banish them aside just as quickly, I will have aha moments and  make with fervor and then...all will be quiet whilst I deliberate my next project.

I have played with instagram and still post there under IG name: moniquesmith64. I am inspired the craft community on IG and have quickly become ensconced in swaps with my quilty friends. It is a great way to stimulate the creative juices and yet I miss the written word.

Few things require an actual sentence to be completed in written format and the eloquence of the verbal diatribe is a little lacking in the Australian vernacular. "How ya going Mate?" Tre drivel would you not say?
So to you my friends I will practice my whit and polish my pros, trusting that you will keep me on my toes. I'll eagerly converse and try to reply. All this I promise until I am afflicted with Password demise......

So let it begin.