Frame Your View

Hellooooooo! Well, that was a long break!

Di has kindly taken over the reins of Scatterday, and the concept is a bit different now - every month there will be a new theme and by the end of the month you choose your 3 favourites of however many you wish to display. June's theme is "Frame Your View".

And currently being Goddess Of The Last Minute, here I am with mine on the evening of June 30th....

I took this photo at dawn this morning, with the moon framed within the power lines.

I took this shot in Melbourne in 2004, it's the Shot Tower building under the very cool roof of Melbourne Central. The direction of this shot meant I had to squat on the floor of the shopping centre, much to the embarrassment of my family.... they all walked off and left me!

I love this photo of a willy wagtail framed by a wire fence. We were on holiday in Albany back in January when I took this photo.

This is a photo of the Tasman Arch, on the south east coastline of Tasmania.

Another Tasmanian photo, taken in 2007 at the Port Arthur ruins. I was trying to be a clever dick and photographed the back end of the church ruins framed with the window in the front end of the ruins.

Tasmania again. This is one of my favourite photos of Steve, framed by trees and the boardwalk of the Dove Lake wilderness walk at Cradle Mountain.

I've always been rather fond of this photo. It's my mitred square knitted cushion, framed by a chair. Asta cat loves that cushion, she sleeps on it every afternoon in the lounge room.

Maxie was being a very obedient girl this morning when I asked her nicely to sit so I could frame her with the foliage around the little bridge in our back garden. What do you think of our new acquisition to the left - we LOVE our Easter Island head.

After some deliberation, here are my three favourites


July's theme is REFLECTIONS.

Blog Hiatus

I'm having a blog holiday for a bit. I feel really bad about it too, like I'm letting the Scatterday side down. Sorry Daisies! But I need a break for a few weeks, to recharge batteries and rekindle enthusiasm.

Next week it's the letter M with the categories of Music, Dangerous, and Cold Things

This is occupying a lot of my time at the moment, big changes in our front garden, which will be terrific after it being exactly the same for over 25 years. And sadly neglected for the last 5. I'm up to my ears in garden plant research and the like. It's going to be great when it's finished.... a lot less lawn, more brick paving, limestoned garden bed walls, low maintenance.... wonderful!

Scatterday K

For my K Scatterday this week I thought I'd choose....

Office Things, my work KEYS, for opening all sorts of doors and cupboards.

Hobby may well be a unanimous choice this week, with KNITTING. This is my progress on Steve's jumper, spun by my own fair hand from a bag of fleece. I haven't laid eyes on this knitting for some months and it's bit yucky.... there is still some lanolin in the yarn and it's gone all stiff from lack of use - that'll learn me for being slack and not getting on with it. T'will be fine after a wash.

Something I Like The Smell Of is the deliciously fresh scent of KAFFIR LIME. We have a tree in our garden which is very handy if only I'd remember to use it. :-)

Next week fellow Scatterdaisies we have the letter T and the categories of Square, Blue, and In My Neighbourhood. Michelle and I are still chewing on ideas for how to change the challenge to make it fresh and new.... if anyone has any comments on that please feel free to speak up!

Scatterday X

If I told you that I had a ride in a helicopter today, specifically for the task of taking a couple of Scatterday photos, would you believe me? :-)
Well, Steve and I did actually have a ride in a helicopter today, and I took my camera and just happened to be on the lookout for appropriate things for Scatterday! Pretty exciting huh.

I decided to bend the rules this week, and instead of finding things beginning with X, instead I looked for X shapes in things. Clockwise from top left...
1/ Yea ol' garden hose.
2/ An intersection on the outskirts of Perth city, taken from the helicopter. According to the pilot, we were 500 metres up in the air, flying at 180km/hr - wow!
3/ Part of an old garden table that we now stack pots on to grow herbs.
4/ The security screen on our laundry door.
5/ A couple of old pieces of bamboo that Steve left lying in a garden bed. He uses it as stakes for his tomato plants, and occasionally they sprout!
6/ Another helicopter shot, believe it or not this is Perth's main cemetery - Karrakatta. I was really taken aback at the regimental grid-like structure of the place.... not the sort of thing you'd notice at ground level.
7/ A boat travelling under Stirling Bridge in Fremantle - another shot from the helicopter.
8/ A nice colourful X in the middle of my unfinished Indian Orange Peel quilt.
9/ And in the middle is a section of a painting that's on our wall.

And for next week it's the Letter A with the categories of Restaurant, Something You Find In The Dark, and Turquoise.

Scatterday N

My contribution for Scatterday this week is my dear old friend Noel Nome (we all know it's meant to be Gnome, but Noel wont have it, he's thinks he's definitely Human). Noel and his fishy pal Nigel have lived with us for 20 years, they guard our garden with great diligence.

Noel has HUMAN characteristics, from his looks (ignore the funny hat) and he displays HUMAN qualities, such as kindness. Every year he used to make Nigel hold an easter egg in his mouth for the children to find.

Noel and Nigel are also SMALL, standing about 25cm in height.

And they are also made from MINERAL. Now, I define mineral as not animal and not vegetable - with mineral being something created from the forces of the earth. Noel and Nigel are made from some sort of stone, which is probably a MINERAL AGGREGATE.

Next week we have another free-for-all, take three photos of things beginning with the letter X.

Scatterday L

Ello Ello Ello, it's Scatterday and it's the letter L!

I was sitting there, flicking through the dictionary looking for an inspiring choice for the category of Household Item, and there is was - LEXICON - the very thing I had in my hand has another name! Did you know that LEXICON is another word for dictionary? I certainly didn't, and as my dictionary is very definitely a household item then what more perfect thing can there be for the category of household item than LEXICON! :-)

For the category of Round Things I chose a LIGHT GLOBE. Not entirely round but certainly round at one end. I was playing with the photo trying to capture something interesting in the morning sun on the glass.

And finally for the category of Tools I went for LINO CUTTERS, artistically presented along with an example of what lino cutters can do. I made this leaf stamp some years ago and used it to stamp on fabric. Must have another play with that....

I have an "L" story for you.
When Meshell was a wee girl of about 4 we were driving along in the car playing "Eye Spy".
"I Spy with my little eye something beginning with L" says little Meshell.
We went through everything we could think of in the car to no avail, and she sat there very pleased with herself.
Finally we gave up.
"We give up Meshell, you're too clever for us, what's the answer for something beginning with L?".......
"Elbow"

Next week we're looking at the letter N with the categories of Little, Human and Mineral - a nice diverse bunch to ponder.

Scatterday V

For the category of Pink, I've gone with VASE. My aunt gave me this vase some years ago, it's been in the family for a wee while I believe. I'd love to know more about it. It's very strokeable... lovely and smooth on the back.

Next was the category of Signs. I went hunting for a "vote" sign, a leftover relic from the election, without success. So instead here is the sign for a noice bag shop called VICTORIA STATION.

And finally, the category of Big. Had there been a volcano handy that would have been fabulous, however I settled for VINES. This is a lovely vine covered walkway at a big shopping centre nearby and I love the twisted gnarled stems of the ageing vines.

Next week it's the letter L, and the categories are Household Items, Things That Are Round and Tools.

Scatterday O

Something Found In A Library - I've gone with OPAC, or more specifically Online Public Access Catalogue. I don't know about you, but I love online library catalogues.... no longer do I spend ages wandering shelves in a fruitless search for books, I access the online catalog of my local library, find the books I want, request them online and only venture to the library when they notify me the books are waiting for me. Easy peasy!

Something Hawaiian - this one has me stumped most of the week. Finally I was on a website looking at Hawaiian facts when I discovered that the State Team Sport of Hawaii is Outrigger Canoe Paddling. And as I don't have any outrigger canoes handy to photograph, here is a drawing of one in our ancient encyclopedia.

Something Sweet - Oranges of course. Navel Oranges to be precise. I love navel oranges, I don't like valencia oranges very much as they are not as sweet as navels.

Next week Scatterdaisies, we have the letter V and the categories of Big, Signs, and Pink. Should be a bit easier I think!

Scatterday H

Phew, finally made it! What with our network down this morning, followed by a fish pond disaster (I couldn't just leave those poor gasping goldfish to gaily be a scatterdaisy now could I?) and also visitors, I've only just got here on Scatterday by the skin of my Scatterdaisy teeth!

H is for Colour, Games and Pointy Things.
For Colour I've gone with HELIOTROPE, which according to the blurb I read is on the pink side of purple. This is a cushion Meshell made way back in Year 11 at school - it's painted and beaded. She doesn't like it any more and donated it to the dogs to rest their weary heads on.

For Games I've decided to show you the cover of HALO 3, which is an XBox game that I don't myself play, but hear the constant sound of gunfire from while Steve and Paul run around like cyber Rambos! :-) They enjoy themselves immensely.

And finally, my pointy thing is my HAIRBRUSH, which has lots of points!

Next week we are working with the letter O, and Michelle has chosen the categories of In A Library, Sweet Things and Something Hawaiian.

Scatterday S

Good Morning! Okidoki, it's Scatterday, and it's an S!

For the category of Gold I chose a golden SUNRISE. Specifically a beautiful sunrise in Palm Cove, North Queensland where we had to pleasure of visiting back in September.

My Fruit is the small but delicious SULTANA. I add a few of these to my morning cereal every day to give it a bit of zing. They are being carefully weighed at present, what with calorie counting and all... which is going well by the way - I've kissed goodbye 2Kg so far and already feel the difference :-)

Lastly is the category of Things That Make You Itch. Now, you're just going to have to trust me on this one, it's a photo of SAP. I had great plans of a lovely close-up of a broken dandelion stem with a bead of sap on the end, but it's so dry here that most of the weeds are dead and the one that I did find was almost sapless. But trust me, there are a few molecules of sap on that stem! If I do weeding and I touch these dandelions, my arms get itchy and my lips and tongue go all tingly and I sort of 'prickle' - good excuse not to the weeding eh! ;-)
Are you proud of me sacrificing my comfort to set up this photo? My arms are itching as I type!!

Next week you can be tantalised with the letter H and the categories of COLOUR, GAMES and POINTY THINGS. Interesting, hmmm .....

Scatterday Week 25

The I's have it, Scatterday I that is. :-)

For the category of Yellow, I chose the INSIDE OF AN IRIS. This is a photo of the one and only Iris I've ever managed to grow, boy was I excited when it flowered! Blue Irises with the yellow inside are my very favourite flower.

Moving on to the category of Something Australian, I took a drive to the beach and photographed the INDIAN OCEAN (Australian waters of). This particular section of the Indian Ocean is Cottesloe Beach, isn't it beautiful. Perth beaches have the whitest most gorgeous sand - we are very lucky here.

And finally, Something In The Air. This is INCENSE, and I had great plans to do magnificently detailed photos of incense smoke - I found out that it's actually quite difficult to do! This shot involved a black cloth in the background, lighting from the side and the camera on a tripod. You're supposed to use a fast shutter speed to catch the smoke crisply, but I didn't have bright enough lights so it ended up a bit fuzzy cos I had to slow the shutter speed down.

Can you believe we've been doing Scatterday for half a year! It's been really great to see how many people have joined in - thank you for helping to make it fun! As of next week Michelle and I are throwing all the letters and categories back into the pot to start again, making sure we don't have any combinations the same as last time around. We wont use Z this time, but we will use X, and we'll do a free-for-all with that one when its turn comes round.

But for next week the letter is S, and the categories are FRUIT, GOLD, and THINGS THAT MAKE YOU ITCH.

Scatterday Week 24

This week it was a free-for-all on that tricky letter Z

When my son was an Army Cadet, he collected all sorts of boy-fend-for-yourself-outdoors things such as rope ladders, water purifying tablets, waterproof matches and ration packs. And for some reason they had a fixation on Zippo lighters. I think Zippo was some sort of world-wide phenomenon, can't see the joy myself! Anyway, I found the long forgotten and not-working lighter in Paul's room and decided that the joy was that I could use the ZIPPO LIGHTER for Scatterday!! :-)

To show that I occasionally do sewing type things, here are some of my collection of ZIPS. I think it's Murphy's Law that no matter how many zips you have and in all different lengths, you never have the one you need. My husband has the same trouble with drill bits!

As I'm totally focussed on nutritional food with the official Trying To Shed Some Kilos (and going along ok this week), I was humming away this morning chopping up fruit for a fruit salad, when I realised that the ZEST I like to add to the salad was another perfect candidate. Do you like my zest writing? I had to concentrate to zest big long strips off the orange to make good writing, before it got chopped up for the salad.

Next week the letter is an I, and the categories are Yellow, Something Australian, and Something You Would Find In The Air. Sounds like we're in for an interesting week!

Scatterday Week 23

Happy Australia Day to all the Aussies! Scatterday again, with an N

For the category of Orange I've used one of the gloriously cheerful NASTURTIUMS that self seed in our back garden every year, in varying shades of yellow, orange and red.

Something Good For You That You Don't Like - well, I chose NOT EATING CHOCOLATE. :-) Need I say more... (thanks Meshell for that brainwave)

And finally, something South American. I may just have stuffed up with this one, as I gaily decided that Mexico was south of America (as in USA), but I have an awful feeling that it might be part of North America. I apologise for my lack of geographical skills, but I'm going with it anyway cos I put together a meal so I could take the photograph and it was a lot of effort!! So, here we have NACHOS which are not exactly South American, but close??

Now Scatterdaisies, next week we have the letter Z, a tricky little devil indeed. Far be it for Michelle and I to cause nervous breakdowns in others, we thought we'd throw the categories to the wind for this one. So, all you have to do this week is take three photographs that relate to the letter Z. Let your imaginiation run wild! :-)

Scatterday Week 22

Helloooooo, I'm back! :-)
We had a lovely holiday down in Albany and I took a zillion photographs with the new camera - more of that later.
Now - Scatterday with a U... better late than never I always say

Now, I must confess, due to time constraints, that I have been very naughty with my image for the category of Cartoon Characters. This is URSULA, and you will find her in the Studio Ghibli anime movie called "Kiki's Delivery Service" (and a delightful movie it is too). Michelle, I'm sorry - I've pinched the image off the Studio Ghibli website.... grovel... kneel... I couldn't work out for the life of me how to take a photo myself until Meshell wandered out a minute ago - AFTER I'd spent freaking ages doing my layout and informed me that I could have taken a photo of the webpage - duh, I didn't think of that

For the category of Street, I went for the obvious and took a photo of the cover of my UBD, a vital item that lives in my car, that contains lots of streets!

And finally, for the category of Things People Pay A Lot Of Money For, I went for a day trip to UBUD (in Bali). When we were there in 2001 we hired a driver for the day, which didn't really cost us a lot of money in Aussie dollars, but in Balinese money it seemed like a huge amount, and we asked him to take us to Ubud and choose somewhere nice for lunch. He gave us a fabulous grand tour and then we ended up at a magical place called Cahaya Dewata - a simple restaurant in a sort of hotel/spa type place that was tucked away on the top of a mountain. The restaurant was open to the air and looked down over this valley. It was amazing and if we ever go back to Bali that's where we'll stay.

Michelle got to choose all the thingies for next week as we were still away yesterday morning, and this is what she has delighted us with.... the letter N and the categories of Orange, Something South American, and Things That Are Good For You, But You Don't Like.

Scatterday Week 21

Ah, Scatterday, letter E Scatterday to be precise. Now, I'm a few hours early but I'm going on holiday tomorrow morning for a week (down to Albany to read/photograph/sew/sip wine/wander/walk on the beach/relax with Steve and the kids) and wont have time to do my post in the morning.

I have been inspired by one of the newer Scatterday's participants - Dawn in Auckland. Dawn has been posting fantastic layouts on her blog, sort of like scrapbooking but without using scissors or glue! :-) It looks terrific and I thought I'd have a bit of a play too. I had downloaded a heap of free vector brushes for Photoshop a month or so ago, and hadn't had a good play with them, so this was the opportunity.... all the background doodads...the eyes and the e's and the tendrils are vector brush stuff.

So, Scatterday, garden oriented this week for me.....
For the Category of White, I used an ENGLISH DAISY - a ground cover in our garden with tiny little white petalled flowers.

Next is Terrifying Things, and for that I chose ENCLOSED SPACES. Ooooer, any place very small that makes me feel trapped is a terrifying thing indeed. Me no likey

And finally, The Plant World. My choice is a small plant called EUPHORBIA MILLII. It's in a pot under the pergola, has mean spiky stems and bracts of these bright waxy looking flowers pretty much all year round. Mum and I bought our plants at the same time and we've been having a little competition to see whose plant grows best. I think mine's winning :-) Well, I must say that Mum's plant is having a little growth spurt lately and seems to be catching up, but I've discovered that this plant thrives on neglect - a variety of gardening I am very good at :-)

Now Scatterdaisies, next week. It's a bit of a doozy. I have blessed us with the letter U, and Michelle has kindly given us the Categories of Street, Cartoon Characters (flippin heck!) and Things People Pay A Lot Of Money For. Get those thinking caps on!

Focus, Zoom, Snap

You'll have to bear with me for a bit, while I bore everyone stupid with lots of photos of nothing in particular - I love my new camera! :-)

Now first, a Scatterday update.... you know I mentioned I wanted to use a Viagra Pen for last week's V thing in the Office, and that I couldn't find one..... well, I found a whole heap of them, so here, for your viewing pleasure - Viagra pens! Not all that exciting are they :-)


I think this is really cool, this is a close up of a thorny stem on one of my pot plants.... don't you reckon those pale bits look like the upper part of little people? Or am I delusional? Interesting blend of colours and textures anyway, those tendril looking bits are actually cobwebs I think.


My Mum and Dad had a recent holiday to Egypt and look at what Mum brought back for me.... I must stress that my photo does not do this glorious Egyptian cotton justice, it's the smoothest, softest, most lustrous fibre I've fondled in a long time. Both pieces are fringed on each end and could be used as pashminas, I haven't decided whether to wear them or sew them! For now I'm enjoying just looking at them.


I bought myself a treat today - a DVD. I love creepy, gruesome, bloodthirsty movies and fantasy ones in particular. I don't know too much about the story of this one, "Pan's Labyrinth", but I know when I saw the previews of it at the movies last year I got all prickly and excited and decided that I just had to see it. Never got round to seeing it at the movies so what a good excuse to buy it eh, especially as it was only $20.


And finally, Steve picked the very last of the tomato crop today. We've had oodles of them from his vegetable garden and they have been delicious. There are two types, the longer ones are grape tomatoes, my favourites - they are nice and firm. The rounder ones are cherry tomatoes, sweet and yummy. Steve's favourites are Tommytoes which finished a few week's back.... they are slightly larger, like a big cherry tomato. They're all good!

Scatterday Week 20

Ohhhhh dear, I am very late naughty girl - I guess this is called Scunday instead of Scatterday!

In the Kitchen I decided to use VANILLA in its various forms. I don't know about you but I get right off on the smell of vanilla beans, and I love poking the used pods into my caster sugar cannister, makes it smell soooo nice.

The Car Part I chose was my VOLUME CONTROL DIAL on my sound system. I love the sound system in my little Getz, it plays MP3 discs, so I put together all my favourite songs off my CDs and make super dooper MP3 discs that hold about 90 songs! This disc is all my heavy metal stuff, hence why I have scrawled the word "loud" on it. :-)

Office Items had me stumped for a while, and then frustrated when I couldn't use what I wanted. I had intended photographing a Viagra Pen, we get given them by the Drug Reps, but I couldn't find one, darn it. So, instead I have used something that alas is nowadays absolutely vital to me in the office - my VISUAL AIDS. I only need them for reading, so I wear them halfway down my nose and thus peer over the top of them to talk to people.... I feel very 'school marm' ish. :-) You don't appreciate your eyesight until it starts to fail do you.

Now, onto next week - Michelle chose the letter E, and the categories I pulled out of the hat are WHITE, THE PLANT WORLD AND TERRIFYING THINGS.

Scatterday Week 19

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! I sure did, and I have a brand new whizz bang camera to play with. Lots of dials and buttons on it so it will be a big learning curve, but what fun eh!
Anyway, here we are again, Scatterday, with the stinky letter Y.

For the category of Green I went with YARN. This is some handspun yarn I bought in skeins last year, wound with our nifty ball winder.

For Animal here is a YELLOW FIN BREAM (3rd down on the left), also known as a Silver Bream. This was the result of a fishing day out Steve had with one of his work mates.

For School Days I chose YEAR BOOK. This is my contribution from the tender age of 8 - I was most chuffed to have my poem selected for publication in the year book. Looking at it now the first verse looks like it came straight out of a greeting card! And there's a story with the second verse - the last line should say "who always beats me up", but my teacher informed me that 'beats' was not a ladylike (I went to a pooncy girls' school) word to use and I was to select something another one, which is why is doesn't make sense - who says "punches me up" (and that, apparently, is a more ladylike thing to say) - but it had to end in up to rhyme with pup. I'm still pissed off about it - I can hold grudges for many many years! :-)

Right Scatterdaisies, next week we are looking at another tricky letter - V, with the categories CAR PARTS, OFFICE ITEMS and IN THE KITCHEN. Good luck!

Scatterday Week 18

Good Morning! Are we all in pre-Xmas hysteria or is it going swimmingly? I'm pleased to say that I'm quite organised now, except for some nail biting over 4 purchases from England that haven't arrived yet. Eek, air mail that left UK on the 5th December should be here by now!

Anyway, it's Scatterday! With the simple, straightforward letter S - luvly.

For the category of Christmas I photographed two of Meshell's fabulous array of decorations. Firstly we have SANTA PANTS (don't you just love that name) - a china dish for lollies that is only Santa's bum and legs. I love STARS and I think this is a particularly nice one that Meshell received in an handmade ornament swap.

Beverage was a no-contest. SAUVIGNON BLANC, a variety of wine that I've been indulging in this year. We've always been Chardonnay drinkers, but we've spread our wings to Sauv Blanc and Semillion Sauv Blanc. Western Australia produces some damn fine wine!

And finally, Medical. As this relates to my line of work, I had a field day with photography after everyone had left. I culled it down to these three items, firstly a model of a SPINE, with a somewhat wonky looking foam intervertabral disc. The trusty STETHOSCOPE, every doctor's essential item; and finally a SPHYGMOMANOMETER - to check your blood pressure.

Wow, next week will be week NINETEEN!! The categories are Green, School Days and Animal. When you are wracking your brains and tearing your hair out, you can blame Michelle because she is the one who gives us our letter - and it's a Y. Yikes!! :-)

Scatterday Week 17

Hip Hip Hooray, it's Scatterday! Starring the letter D.


For the category of Sewing I've chosen DMC EMBROIDERY FLOSS. I use it a lot, for cross stitch and embroidery. I love the fantastic range of colours they have, and the newer variegated ones are a bit special for embroidering flowers.

Watercraft is the Vehicle, specifically Steve's DINGHY. He's been busily organising it for a fishing trip this morning which alas didn't eventuate as it was blowing a gale. Fickle this weather.

And for Touchy Feely I couldn't go past my DOG'S EAR. This is Maxie, one of our two Mini Schnauzers and she has the softest most lovely coat. Her ears are delightful to stroke between finger and thumb, they are like velvet when she's just been clipped.

Michelle has chosen some interesting categories for next week - we are looking at Christmas, Medical Things and Beverages, and I pulled the letter S out of the hat. Should be fun!