Bye for now

I realize that this blog caper has been only for me really, a way to keep track of what I have been doing since coming to Australia, but other people cannot possibly be that interested.

Therefore I am saying farewell, but not doing anything stupid or anything, just bye for now.  I have enjoyed sharing with you, and who knows I might get back, but right now I feel a bit despondent and I will try to get on to doing other things.

Cheerio from a discouraged blogger.

Found a house!

As you know my whole life has evolved around trying to find a house, i.e. reading the ads, surfing the web, and visiting houses, and at the same time being here for people coming to visit this house. I make a point of coming to the door with my big ear muffs on so they understand what it is like to live here.
The noise level these days is beyond anything.  I am very glad to get away from here.

The house we have found is not so far away. It is a little less expensive and has a pool and polished floorboards. These were my main criteria when I was searching.

I have been going to the beach for a couple of hours each day to get away from the noise and every time I am kicking myself for not having brought the camera. There is this person who is so-o-o tattooed you would not believe it. The whole chest is covered from neck to stomach with a very colourful tattoo. The one arm and one leg as well, maybe the back too, but I haven't seen.  It's just that yesterday the person sat up and it was a woman. First of all, it is not that common here in Australia to sun bathe topless, so that in itself was something, but the tattoos ... it must have hurt!  If I have the camera tomorrow I am going to ask her if she would mind if I take a photo. First I was just going to sneak off one of the beach and accidentally she would be in it but this way maybe she will show it all!

The week end was peaceful. I went to my old art school Hazelhurst for a sort of happening in their gardens. It was called Artexpress, and they had young artists painting together and later on there was live music.

This was on of the big murals.

Even the trees were decorated with  crocheted scarves

Don't you wish you had hair like that?

Next time you hear from me might be from the new place. By the way the address is Cuthbert Place. Here is why it is so suitable:

Saint Cuthbert (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria. After his death he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, with a cult centred at Durham Cathedral.

If you know us, and especially if you know hubby, you know that he often goes to Durham University so I thought very appropriate to move to this address.

Stalker

Yes, like many famous people I now have a stalker. Someone who observes me relentlessly.  To paraphrase Sting, "Someone who watches every breath I take, every step I take, .... he is watching me."

I am talking about  F..... the cat of course. Cats are very scary and mysterious.They are also incomprehensible and unfathomable and sphinxlike. Yes, I did have a look at a Thesaurus to get a few suitable words. But if they feel like it they can also be attention seeking and needy and I don't quite know which is worse. And they can get in or up anywhere. Last night when I went to bed up on the third floor, the cat was sitting outside on the balcony watching me through the screen door. How did he get up there? I had let him out the front door on the ground floor before going to bed. I thought he wanted to do normal cat things, like hunting, prowling at night, etc, but no he has taken it upon himself to guard me, to stalk me. It is very spooky!!

On another note, when I went out this morning to go to painting class I was met by this sight, so I guess now it is final, we are moving.....but where?

I think that we will miss waking up to this view, but it will be nice to be away from the noise.

What else, oh yes, I went to a meeting at the local community center for 50+. What they had not told me was that it helped if you were a 50+ female and divorced, preferably with a bad divorce behind you that you could kvetch about.  Most of the ladies had a story to tell, and somehow I didn't feel like that was what I was after. 

Nothing more to tell right now; it is a bit slow. I'll just finish off with a bit of cat trivia.There is no personal research behind this, it is just taken from the web, so take it with a grain of salt.

Did you know that in ancient Egypt killing a cat was punishable by death!  Or did you know that in the Middle Ages during the festival of St John, cats were burned alive in town squares. And then we have this little gem and by the way, I totally believe it. In the Netherlands cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were taking place. The Dutch believed that cats would spread the gossip abound town.