Winter Solstice [Southern Hemisphere]

The Winter Solstice has come and gone here in Melbourne. A fact for which I am terribly grateful. While I do not so much mind the cold weather, it is the lack of light at either end of the day that bothers me.

We left he house at 6.55am this morning and by the time we were on Citylink, some 20 minutes later, the sky had lightened, revealing the wonderful hot air balloons that gently float in the still morning air.

They are magical, sublime and so very, very pretty.

IHot Air Balloons...

2005: The Perils of Shopping

This is an email exchange between Anita and I in late 2005. By this stage I had moved to Manchester, but was still working for the same company where Anita and I met in London 5 years earlier. As I read this it just makes me giggle. Thankfully, some things never change...

From: Anita
Sent: 22 November 2005 14:40
To: Claudine
Subject:


I was in Boots when you called I think - no reception on my phone in there. I tried the perfume called Echo - quite nice. The girls at our Benefit counter are unbelievably pushy and I go nowhere near them now!


From: Claudine
Sent: 22 November 2005 14:44

To: Anita

Subject:


I had a green-eyed (I'm talking emerald green eye-shadowed monster from hell) get into my personal space at the Red Earth counter today. I said 'no, just looking thanks'. She didn't move from my elbow and asked 'would you like to trying anything?' I repeated 'no thanks, just looking' and eventually she shoved off. Can't bear that!! They either ignore you, look disdainfully at you or attach themselves to your hip!

From: Anita
Sent: 22 November 2005 14:47
To: Claudine
Subject:


I hate they way they follow you around expecting you to steal - I always feel guilty and end up trying to show them I am not a thief, next time they hover I am going to loudly discuss my bad case of shingles.








From: Claudine
Sent: 22 November 2005 14:52
To: Anita
Subject:


I ignore them mostly. If they think I'm thieving that's their problem. I guess so many people do steal they have to be vigilant. Makes you wonder what they must think of you eh?


I was looking at costume jewellery in House of Fraser today and the visual display woman was hovering so I tried on every single ring in the tray with my plastic bag hanging from same hand I was putting rings on. She almost frothed at the mouth!

Thomas Sabo Ring

Thomas Sabo Ring

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 15:08

To: Claudine

Subject:

I'm going to steal something one day - just to check if they are really paying attention! I might regret it though once I have been arrested, charged and handcuffed.

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 15:16

To: Anita

Subject:

I think the regret will kick in when your one phone call is to your mother.

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 15:32

To: Claudine

Subject:

Oh god yes! I would want to be chatting to everyone and would only get one call!! I just sneaked back to Boots to buy a lippie I saw earlier - shopgirl came and stood RIGHT next to me and tidied the nail polishes. I AM NOT A THIEF!

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 15:39

To: Anita

Subject:

We should get little business cards made out that say 'I AM NOT A THIEF' and hand them to shop assistants who encroach on your personal space.

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:00

To: Claudine

Subject:

Mine would say:

'Thanks very much for standing on top of me and assuming I will steal anything I am looking at. Back off shop girl.'

Or is that just nasty ?

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:09

To: Anita

Subject:

I just had to explain to a colleague why I laughed out loud. Again. He didn't agree that shop assistants hang around him assuming he'd steal. Maybe its just you and I...

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:11

To: Claudine

Subject:

Perhaps it's just focused on the theft of cosmetics ??

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:12

To: Anita

Subject:

Perhaps.

Perhaps.

Perhaps.

I love that word.

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:19

To: Claudine

Subject:

You can shorten it to Praps or drag it out Puuuuuuurrrrrrrhaps

I need to get out more.

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:25

To: Anita

Subject:

I need to get out more.

::raises eyebrow and reaches for the anti-psychotics::

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:47

To: Claudine

Subject:

I need to get out more.

::Raises glass and reaches for lippie::

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:49

To: Anita

Subject:

She needs to get out more

Her friends whisper while watching her smear the wrong shade lippie across her forehead.

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 16:51

To: Claudine

Subject:

'bet she stole that' they whisper.

From: Claudine

Sent: 22 November 2005 17:00

To: Anita

Subject:

As the muttering ensues around her she reaches into her voluminous handbag and drags out a carton of milk. Carefully opening it she...

[By this stage I figured this was not going to end so I left my turn open ended. Anita's response...]

From: Anita

Sent: 22 November 2005 17:16

To: Claudine

Subject:

…proceeded to launch her mini missile carefully

disguised as a pint of Rachel's Organic milk, she hit

the little red button on the side of the rocket and

counted down the seconds until lift off...

I'm a Smiggle sucker!

I went to Smiggle today.


I literally could. Not. Help. Myself.

My Succulent Succulents!

My sister has a massive assortment of succulents that she has grown from cuttings she 'acquired' from around the place. A while ago she gave me a car load full for our then, rather bare back yard. I have about 10 different species which all just thrived. She says she still has about 20 Agave 'pups' for me. All I need to go is go and collect them. Oh, and find somewhere to plant them as they grow into rather enormous plants! And apparently agave juice is the base ingredient in tequila. Note to self: Google 'How to make tequila at home...'