So very different from my first visit! 

Trees with leaves! And the banner, above? Some of the roses on my friend’s terrace. I do have some other pics, but I’m a bit pushed for time, so here’s a small amusement for you…

Wylye Girl, over at the River Cottage (no, not Hugh get-yer-hair-cut) has a post about ageing and how to tell whether you are showing the signs of same. It amused me, possibly because I am approaching that time of life when people expect one to show such signs. Unless, of course, you’re like me and quite happily get on a bike (eventually!) and pedal around Central Park. (no photos of that, I’m afraid. Daisyfae and I were intent on not being taken out by a herd* of skate-boarders.More later…)

Anyway, while you wait to hear more about my cycling adventure, see how you score. This is an Anglo-centric quiz, but I’m sure you can adapt it for your own locale. These responses are mine.

…came across some new research that claims to have found the top 50 signs that you are getting older so I thought I would see how I stacked up against them, so here goes:

1. Feeling stiff. Yes, but some things have been stiff for years.

2.  Groaning when you bend down. No. Might groan if I can’t bend!

3.  Saying ‘In my day’. Probably.

4.  Losing my hair. Yes, to the extent that I no longer tear it out when ranting. The cats are looking a bit mangey…
5.  You don’t know any songs from the Top 10.  Didn’t even know there still is a Top Ten!

6. Getting more hairy (nose, ears, eyebrows, etc). I notice they don’t mention the Menopausal Moustache. So neither shall I!

7.  Hating noisy pubs. Yes.

8. Saying it wasn’t like that when I was young. Does repeating #3 suggest the author is getting old?

9.  Talking a lot about joints/ailments. What is “a lot”?

10. Forgetting people’s names. Like the new James Bond? Or the fellow who wants to be my next MP?
11.  Choosing clothes and shoes for comfort rather than fashion. Honey,comfort has trumped fashion for more than 40 years.It is possible to have both, y;know.

12.  Thinking policemen/teachers/doctors look really young.  Well, given that most who are older than I have retired…

13.  Falling asleep in front of the TV. Oh, yes.

14.  Needing an afternoon nap. Only at weekends when we have leisurely lunches involving wine (sorry, Z!)

15.  Finding you have no idea what young people are talking about. I often have no idea what ANYONE is talking about

16.  Struggling to use technology.  Like DVD recording and electric can openers?

17.  Losing touch with every day technology and tablets. see #16  Oh,wait! Maybe they mean the pill kind of tablet? Forgetting to swallow them. Um, yes. But only because I forgot to pack them…

18.  When you start complaining about more and more things.  See! Repeating questions again!

19.  Wearing your glasses around your neck.  Good God! No. When I need them, I need them in front of my eyes. Not dangling around my navel.

20 .  Not remembering the name of any modern bands.  I’d also like to forget that I heard some of their music.
21.  You avoid lifting heavy things due to back concerns.  Hey! That’s not age, that’s the wisdom that comes with age. Says she who was side-lined 6 months ago!

22.  Complaining about the rubbish on television these days. Doesn’t seem to have any effect ,does it?

23.  Misplacing your glasses/bag/keys. Does it count if you did these things at 20?

24.  You move from Radio One to Radio Two. For me, that would be like switching from Triple J to Classic FM.  (All radios Chez Dinahmow  have been tuned to Classic FM for 20 years.Sad.I know)

25.  You start driving slowly. Start? With constant roadworks and heavy traffic slow is the norm (except out by the golf course!)

26.  Preferring a night in with a board game rather than a night on the town. I wonder if this is not a typo?     Broad? Bored? Knight?

27.  Spending money on the home/furniture rather than a night out. Probably.This is a small town.

28.  You talk to colleagues so young they can’t remember what an Opal Fruit is. Who the bejeezlehoop has conversations about Opal Fruits? In my day (!) colleagues talked about a)other colleagues b) the boss c) the chances of snagging a Saturday date.

29.  Taking slippers to a friends’ house.  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

30.  Listening to the Archers. Blimey! Is that still running? No, never did

31.  Falling asleep after one glass of wine. Define “glass” in terms of size

32.  Never going out without your coat. I live in the tropics.Don’t have a coat

33.  Getting bed socks for Christmas and being genuinely grateful. Pretty unlikely.On both counts
34.  When you can’t lose six pounds in two days any more. Wouldn’t you need to be bulimic?
35.  Gasping for a cup of tea.  Not me. I’m a coffee gal.But I still don’t see that tea-drinking qualifies one for an Old Fogey award.

36.  Taking a flask of tea or coffee on a day out.  Nope

37.  Joining the WI. Here, that would be the CWA. And my answer would still be no.

38.  Taking a keen interest in the garden. Less keen than when I had a much bigger garden and much younger body

39.  Spending more money on face creams/anti-ageing products. I don’t spend any money on such things. Probably why people think I’m old!

40.  Taking a keen interest in Antiques Roadshow. No. I have a lot of “old” things. And one of them refuses to throw the rest of them away.

41.  Taking a keen interest in dressing for the weather. Again with the “keen interest.”No, I don’t

42.  Putting everyday items in the wrong place. My bone folder in the pantry does NOT count. That’s not an everyday item…

43.  Obsessive gardening or bird feeding. Not obsessive.And I don’t feed wildlife (unless in rehab.Them, not me!)

44.  Really enjoying puzzles and crosswords. Nope. Too busy.

45.  Always driving in the slow lane or under 70 in the middle lane. No. see #25

46.  Consider going on a ‘no children’ cruise for a holiday.NEVER! sprogs or no sprogs. not.my.thing.

47.  Your ears are getting bigger. Are not!

48.  Joining the National Trust. Why?

49.  Drinking sherry. Hmm…the elderly ladies whose tipple is sherry have probably been drinking it for years in the belief it would not make them tipsy.So, no.

50.  Feeling you have the right to tell people exactly what you are thinking even it it isn’t polite. It is seldom polite.
* is there a collective noun for 200+ skate boarders? Herd suggests Serengeti wildebeest, which certainly was what it felt like the other day!

I have some more pictures from the Libris Awards.

  “Obsolete” by Gail Stiffe

Handmade papers, looking like crumpled and discarded wrappers with digital prints; a statement about profligacy. Approximately A4 , landscape orientation.

“Punctuation and Full Stops”   Lesley Kane.  These books are all approximately 4 or 5cms high.

Well, yesterday I asked for someone with gloves to turn some pages for me. The request had to be referred to  a higher authority, but, after waiting (Papal consultation ,perhaps?), a staffer appeared with gloves. And most of my photos were of quivering white-clad fingers and shadows!

Now, about those horses. And jockeys. Here’s what you need to do…

Place your horses back- to- back, one head facing left, the other, right. Now position the jockeys image.

Like this…

And what is this all about? Apparently, an exercise (for management types) in problem-solving.

Time to don my chef’s hat…

“Shyness” by Elizabeth Banfield. I’ve been almost mesmerised by Elizabeth’s delicately cut lino for  quite a while now. This book is approximately A6 (maybe a little bigger) in size.   
http://elizabethbanfield.blogspot.com.au/

A beautiful book, if a sad subject. Helen Malone has produced this  as her depiction of the devastating Brisbane flood in 2011.Her own photographs, in sepia tones, echo the mud that covered acres and acres of land and the book, displayed as intended, swirls like the river it records.  
http://biblio-tout.blogspot.com.au/

“Peace Mends the World” by Fiona Dempster. A “patchwork” of metal and Perspex. These are pieces of  reclaimed copper sheeting, stitched (!) together with copper wire;the “pages” are fastened with copper rivets.  A little bigger than A5. 
http://paperponderings.blogspot.com.au/

“Carpe Diem” by Rhonda  Ayliffe. A clever look at today’s hi-tech world. This book requires an app to read (I don’t have such a device). I believe Ronnie explains a little of the construction on her blog. 
http://www.rhondaayliffe.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/some-bookiness.html
. And you can see a related piece by Ronnie as part of the current round of BookArtObject exchange here 
http://bookartobject.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/carpe-diem-is-not-tale-about-fish-of-day.html

“A Burning Question” by  Sara Bowen. Sara is the artist who initiated the BookArtObject exchange group and this is one of her titles  in the current round. Intricate paper cutting and pop-ups, this is presented in a “match box”, with a spent match attached.Quite scary, especially after such a summer of fires! Another small book, approximately A6 or slightly bigger. As the match box is not displayed, here is a link to Sara’s own picture
http://bookartobject.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/a-burning-question-45-group-12.html
 and her  blog 
http://doubleelephant.wordpress.com/

Speaks for itself, really! Well, anyone who used an earlier  pc will know. As I wander around the web looking at artists’ books, I am struck by the great humour shown by so many. In this presentation Caren Florance addresses the thorny issue of display,something that drives gallerists and curators bonkers – how should we place this !**$# item so that everyone can see/read it?Just click the image and all is explained, right down to the type setting. 
http://ampersandduck.blogspot.com.au/

This has been quite a long post! I might show you some more books next week. I am lucky to be living  in the same town as I can take my time, absorb more, exchange views with other visitors. And share it  here.

Oh! yes…the horse and jockey things. Hmm…perhaps I’ll tease you  give you another day to work it out.

* Thanks to Helen Malone for these links, giving a judge’s perspective. 
http://bookartobject.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/helen-cole-talks-about-libris-awards.html

updated to add Artspace ‘s photos link 
http://www.artspacemackay.com.au/whats_on/photo_gallery/photo_galleries/exhibition_works

Here is a photo of 3 pieces of card, printed with horse and jockey images.

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to print and cut out the 3 rectangles. That’s 2 horses ( with strange caved-in tummies!) and one strip of card with 2 jockeys. Don’t cut out the images! Yes, I chopped the corners, but it doesn’t matter.

Now, make the jockeys ride. (Should be a piece of cake for Linda and Daisy Fae and Andrea!)

I’m pleased to say I’ve finished my books! It’s a bit like the last day of exams, not that I’ve had one of those for a while!

So now I can get on with other things.Perhaps clean the windows? Sort out the tattier bits of the garden? Prune a few shrubs before they re-classify themselves as trees? Pack my bag?

Here are some pretty pictures from the Libris Awards 2013 show. Yes, more artists’ books. This is the winner, “Wave Form.” Paper, printed from a woodblock, presented in a hinged box.

Wave Form

Back of the box

close-up

I’ll ask some of my friends if they mind my putting their work on the blog.Probably not, but I try to be polite!

Who is this fellow? Well, if you believe him, he is a font of knowledge on myriad topics. And almost always knows the best place to get something at the best price (sometimes off the back of a lorry, but  we wont delve into that here.) And he either knows or is a close personal friend of someone who knows someone else. You may insert any colourful expletive here.

Over the years, I’ve heard the bloke in the pub claim to:

know a GI who was actually with Sean Flynn when he was captured by the Vietcong.

have been drinking in a pub in Chelsea with Lord Lucan the night of the murder

have the “inside track” on whatever racing classic was due to start.

Strange, but I doubt I could pick this bloke out of an identity parade; his appearance is, shall we say, amorphous. What I am absolutely certain of is that he had a damn good method of getting someone else to buy his round!

The debonair Mr Musgrave has honoured me with an award. Apparently, for “being fun down under ” and I can tell you right now I’ll be keeping a sharp eye on incoming spam. Well, you never know…

Anyway, I am to show my badger..oh, sorry, that should read badge  

This is the badge.

And then I am to answer some questions…

1     If I could change one thing in my life, what would that be?

Well, that’s a bit silly! As Sav has already said, when you change even one thing, that will affect/change everything else.

2    If I could repeat any age, what would it be?

Oh, please! I wander through childhood re-inventing myself all the time! Of course, the question might be using the word age to mean a certain period in history. Hmm…a tricky one, innit? Let’s shoot for early human development. Or being a six year old, because Mr. Milne made it such fun!

3   What really scares me?

I’m a bit of a sook about heights. Let’s be brutally honest – I’m too scared to go to the top of Very Tall Buildings. Flying doesn’t count.

4  If I could be someone else for a day, who and why?

Oh, I think for the novelty and the freebies, I’d be that bloke in the pub!

Now, I have some paper to measure and cut and some labels to paste on some packages and then….some books to send out into the world.

But before I go, I have to dob in    nominate some other poor buggers   worthy bloggers. Five, apparently. Well, some  have already been targeted, some are unwell, on holiday or don’t like these  games. But here goes my pick of three.  (and I hope they don’t hate me.)

Guyana Girl

Kim

Rog

What? You expect stunning photographs of an eye-catching garden? How about  some lethal weapons?

Some of my rusted blades after soaking in  this…

Not creosote – tea. Sorry, no biscuits.

Actually, I’ve had a gutful of politics from all quarters, but can’t be bothered changing the title completely. Here’s what I gleaned from my dip into the font : 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_stop_train_tour

So, it’s a whistle-stop in that I’m just stopping long enough to post something. Mainly because Jane, over at Small But Charming, is holding  another ” flowers in the house ” as a tribute and a gesture of empathy for Bostonians.

I just happened to have some flowers in a vase as part of an observation. I’ve posted elsewhere about the Hibiscus mutabilis, whose blooms change throughout the day from white to pink. I’ve never used them as cut flowers, but on Friday I picked a fresh bloom and brought it indoors to see what it would do. I took pictures over a 12 hour period, beginning at about 7am. No, of course it’s not a precise scientific record!

It does exactly as it does when on the tree!What I did learn, however, is that unfurled buds do not open in a vase. So, as it’s a multiflora type thing there will be no more indoors. Why sacrifice 5 or 6 buds? I have more flower pictures on Flickr as most blooms wilt too quickly indoors. And I really prefer to leave them in the garden for birds and insects. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18554857@N03/sets/72157631618055245/
  and, for anyone confused by its common names, Rose of Sharon and Confederate Ros,here’s a link to the other Rose of Sharon!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_of_Sharon

In the garden, this morning. It’s what we call “fall” in the tropics.

Hibiscus mutabilis…by 2pm it will be a pale blush; deep pink by sundown and soggy tomorrow.

.A jasmine. No, can’t remember which one! Probably J.sambac.

Hoya. Again, I don’t know which one. Personally, I always call a it  **!## wonder, since the bugs (I suspect grasshoppers) always chew the flower stems. Look closely and you can see nectar dripping.

* I almost published at this point, then realised I’d look like one of the post-a-day twerps who just write 2 lines of twaddle X 365. I have  what’s left of my life to live. Blogging has enriched  that life, but it is still a far second to living.

So I’m a tad late with posting these pictures. What are you going to do? Sue me? Don’t bother – I’ve spent all my money!* hahaha!

Pi has been in the news lately. That film “Life of Pi” scooped some well-earned plaudits in Hollywood. And Pi is also a mathematical constant.

A few years ago someone decreed March 14th International Pi Day and mathematicians, cooks, book artists and  well, anyone, really, celebrate the day. I always say I’ll make a pie for Pi. And I always forget!

But not this year! To celebrate the day and to perpetuate a silly running joke Chez Dinahmow, I made this…

A square pie, with the TT symbol on the lid.Filled with apple and apricot and very tasty, according to The Man. And the joke? Little boy comes home from school and says his teacher don’ know nuffink. “She told us pie are square an’ we all know CAKE are square an’ PIE are round!”

Moving on…I think I’ll just make it for Jane’s  Monday Flowers In The House.

The beautiful old rose, “Apricot Nectar.” Plagued by grasshoppers and, recently, battered by storms, I was delighted to see one new bud swelling. And then the birds zoomed in, chasing bugs and snapped the stem. I waded in with secateurs and performed a mid-season pruning.The wind eased, the rain worked its wonders and the rose put out three more buds. The grasshoppers, meanwhile, had had their own reproduction orgy. So I picked the remaining bud and here it is. Want to see what else people have in their vases? Pop over to Jane’s blog

Those of you with sharp eyes  and good memories will see that the vase is on top of my mini-piano. Only for the photo shoot!

Good grief! I didn’t realise the time had flown. It’s Wine O’Clock. Time for fizzyotherapy.   Salut!  

*Most of it on medical bills!

But Carol sent me a link to some fantastic sculptures and I’m sharing it .
http://www.crookedbrains.net/2009/11/design.html 

Those horses! 

Now, I must get back to work…well, as much work as I can do in this unfavourable climate.

“In tropical climes, there are certain times of day…”