A compliment a day keeps grumpiness at bay

We have a new internet-based business services tool at work which I have used a few times now to get work done by our print room. I emailed the project manager today to tell her how much I like it and to pass on my compliments to her team.

She replied and said she sent my email to the team and they all had smiles on their faces courtesy of me. Yay! That put a smile on my face. It's just SO easy to make others feel good that there's no reason not to do it every day.  A genuine compliment is a powerful thing. I'm going to compliment someone every day (not that I didn't already pay compliments freely).

I got a delivery from etsy.com today - a handmade shrug (the super-cropped jacket-type garment, that is!). I love getting that "you have a personal delivery to collect" email from the mail room. The Etsy seller also put a (yet to be inflated) red balloon and a little packet of lollies in with my order.  How sweet.

How do you like my big red sausage?

She also enclosed a thank you card with a cute little embossed kitten on the envelope.

More comments are coming in on my 39 Secrets of Adulthood post via The Happiness Project. This makes me very happy - the connectiong with like-minded people most of all. I've got a few new followers as well, which is a bonus.

Tonight's blogging beverage: tonic, lime and mandarin juice and vanilla sugar. Tasteee. 

A little bit thrilling

I discovered last night that Gretchen Rubin, of The Happiness Project, posted a link to my 39 Secrets of Adulthood on her blog. I'm a little thrilled, I have to tell you. Yes, I did email her and she often links to her readers' blogs (she's very involved in her community) but still...she is a New York Times bestselling author, you know. 

I had some extra traffic as a result of Gretchen's link, which warms my bloggy heart - I do like to see new faces in the comments. One of the new visitors, Meagan, is from Melbourne too! It's weird but cool that she arrived at my blog via the United States. She left a lovely comment saying my blog had brightened her evening. I read her comment as I was leaving work after a frustrating and long day, so her comment had the same effect on me. It's the circle of happiness. (I liked Meagan's post about The Fish Philosophy.)

Oh, while paying a return visit to the blog of another new commenter, I read about HelpOthers.org - a site that aims to spread  kindness. It's slowly dawned on me how big a happiness boost I get from doing nice things for others  - possibly even bigger than the boost I get from people doing nice things for me - so I'm keen to check out the ideas there.

Speaking of people doing nice things for me, a friend of a friend on Facebook (who I'd never heard of until tonight) has offered to lend his technical know-how to help give my blogs a make-over. People really are rather nice, aren't they? (I've decided I want my blogs - Gleeful in particular - to look less generic and more 'me'. Stay tuned.)

I'm drinking tonic water with lime and passionfruit juice as I type this. It's deliciously, refreshingly sweet and sour.

Decluttering, growing, clouds

I went to work today. No, no. You're in the right place. This is Gleeful. Bear with me. My department is moving floors in a few weeks and we need to clear some clutter. There's not enough time to get it done in business hours so some of us went in today to put a dent in it. Working Sundays sucks - especially on beautiful sunny Sundays like today - but it feels good to have nearly finished a job that's needed doing since the start of the year. (Oh, yeah - getting paid time and a half does help make going to the office on Sunday more bearable...)

Work has been a fertile hunting ground for rubber bands - my rubber band ball is growing big.

I walked back into the city (for a gluten-free cupcake) and then home on the south side of the river. The clouds were pretty.

All you needs is love...and bees and music and robots

Say "Honey!"

I stopped to take this photo near my building  - spring blossoms! blue sky! - and when I zoomed right in, I saw bees harvesting pollen.  Bees!  This one says hello.

I have some new music to share with you. I saw the video for this on Rage last night. Raphael Saadiq. Love it.

And this afternoon, while streaming Adelaide's Three D Radio online*, I heard a new track by the Dex Romweber Duo (among many other awesome tunes) and discovered they have a new album out. Hurrah.

* My very first blog comment, back in the olden days of Myspace, was from Jade, who hosts a couple of shows on Three D, including (The Whole) Kit and Caboodle. Thanks to the wonders of the interwebs, I can listen online. If you like your music with lashings of rockabilly, country, blues, gospel, funk, swing and "dreamy creamy mashed potato pop", I urge you - nay, I beseech you - to check out Three D. Now, I sez!

I have some other fabulous stuff to share with you too. If you're into love (who isn't, really?) and letter writing and especially the two of them combined, take a look at The World Needs More Love Letters. This lovely project grew out of one girl's attempts to ease her loneliness while travelling. She started handwriting love letters and leaving them in places for people  - complete strangers - to find. She left them in library books and cafe menus and on trains. She wrote 400 letters and then launched the website to help other people spread the love - you can write love letters and request a love letter for yourself or someone in need of a bit of love. I er...love this.  

If that's not enough love for ya, check out J's Love Project on her site, Zebra Sounds (which is where I read about Love Letters).  She writes about her year of "consciously, unabashedly, fearlessly spreading the love".  

"In January, I made a public declaration that 2011 would be my year of loving fearlessly. It's a project. A mission. My personal rebellion because here’s the thing: snark is funny, cynicism is cool, but I think the real badasses in this world LOVE... "

I couldn't agree more. There's also links to many awesome things on her site, especially if you like reading and writing and well, awesome things.

I'm still addicted to etsy. I love this clock and this badge and these bookends.

Lock and key, tasty toasty, corporate rebel

A glimpse inside AAMI Park

A graduate at work today complimented me on the necklace I was wearing, which was a silver keyhole. Then I noticed she was wearing a necklace shaped like a key!

That reminds me, I wore my button brooch yesterday and several people commented on it. 

I made a batch of gluten-free muesli last night with oats, rice flakes, buckwheat puffs, pecans and sesame seeds toasted in brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Tis yummy!

I wore my black knit armwarmers in the office today. I quite like subverting the corporate culture in my own small way.

Still mild, wiggle room, good timing

Today I didn't even need to wear a cardigan on my walk to work to keep warm - just a top with elbow length sleeves and arm warmers covering my forearms. And the arm warmers came off before I got to work.

I have been struggling to get up for work, as predicted, but I have forced myself to get up just 10 minutes earlier than usual. It's nice having the extra wiggle room in what was an extremely tight morning routine to ensure I arrived at work on time. I do enjoy a wiggle in the morning....

I found a purple rollerball pen in the coping room at work. Finders keepers.

I was feeling cranky coming home on the tram tonight and then I got a text message from Luke that made me smile.

Mild, fruity, new old sign

Me heading back to the office

It's still winter, but I went to work without a jacket today. My new red cardy was enough to keep me warm.

We've got passionfruit in our fruit box at work at the moment. Yum. I love the smell and the taste of passionfruit. Someone also brought in the surplus supply of lemons from their tree for people to help themselves to. Don't mind if I do. Thanks.

I'm sure this sign on Russell Street wasn't there before - it looks like they have removed a billboard that pre-dated the paint job. It also looks like there's an even older sign underneath the Abbotts Lager one. Not surprisingly, it's on the side of a building that is or was a pub.

The world and Jayne: a love story

The rail brige over Johnston Street...a portent of glee?

This might sound strange and arrogant, but today it felt like the world was in love with me. Everywhere I turned, there were awesome things that made me smile. It's like the world  was trying to make me happy. Damn fine job, world. Lucky - I wouldn't  want to disappoint the world.

I was up early again and as it was such a lovely day I decided to walk to Collingwood to meet Marian. I was worried I wouldn't make the 6.4 kms in the hour I allowed myself, but I got there in 45 minutes. Thank you, legs; thank you feet.

We wandered to the Abbotsford Convent and browsed the indoor and outdoor stalls of handmade arts, crafts and clothing at the market. We saw many nice things - jewellery, skirts, soaps that look like cupcakes (though we were a little let down when we realised they weren't actual cupcakes), T-shirts, and a sausage dog puppy that had gathered a gaggle of gushing girls about it (Wooh! Alliteration!). The sausage dog wasn't for sale.

We strolled around the buildings and grounds. It's a fantastic place with a slightly eerie atmosphere about it in parts, particularly where there's no people. Some buildings are still vacant and in a state of disrepair. We found an open door and poked about inside, which felt a bit naughty. It's still being developed and there's loads of potential there. It's going to be AMAZING.

I showed Marian this old building which I love, and she liked it a lot too.

We found this old thing which looks like a petrol pump. Maybe the nuns pumped their own fuel?

And this awesome tree, which, devoid of leaves, perfectly matches the eerie atmosphere (as did the crow call we heard).

The possum guard detracts from the gothic air a little.

We then headed to Lentil as Anything, a vegetarian eatery onsite staffed by volunteers where nothing has a set price - you just leave however much money you want to give in a box on the way out. I had tasty pancakes for second breakfast.

Lentil as Anything still life

When we were on the train back into town, we sat near a boy about six playing chess with his mother. I'm not sure if he was very good at it or whether they were just playing at playing and she was letting him win. He said "check" a lot and went on to win the game. I'm sure I heard him say to his mother, "You lose, sucker"! (Old person comment coming up) It's nice to see a kid playing an old fashioned game on the train instead of having their eyes glued to a DS screen or whatever.

Marian and I parted ways in the city. I went to Target to get some more photos printed for my collage. I bought (I bought, I bought, I bought!) a book on origami. Another project! I've been thinking about having a go at it after seeing cool origami things on Etsy.  It seems I'm good at ideas and getting the materials for projects, but less good at actually completing things... I have to stop getting inspired and going to art and craft stores...but...but...

I was at Lincraft yet again today and I finally found some square frames that are big enough for the art cards I want to display. And they were super cheap!

I also rearranged their paper mache letters again, to something less profane this time.

On my way to Lincraft, I saw this on one of those pillars that people usually tack gig posters to:

No, lovely person, thank YOU.  And then I had a hot chocolate at Muffin Break. Look what was at the bottom of my mug! How adorable is that?

When I was waiting for my tram home tonight at Flinders Street, the Yarra Trams staffer was very entertaining. As the City Circle tram approached he said, "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, boys and. girls. Lend me your ears...All you've gotta do is smile and board the tram.  It's free."  And then: "The tram is now departing. Stand clear please. Goodbye!" After I got on my tram and sat down, he motioned others to the door and said, "Good looking people use this door"! Hahaha. What a legend. (Why, yes. I did use that door.)

Walking home in thh golden late afternoon sun I saw guys in the park kicking the football and throwing a frisbee.

 Frisbee at top left.

I like to think these bikes are having a chat as they lie in the warm sun

 I am in love with Curly Girl Designs (the site itself is cute too. Run your cursor over the camera). My favourite of her cards reads: "I just don't like to see you waste your time on silly things," he said. "Well, then," she said, "Close your eyes." Ha. 

I think I'm going to fall in love with Pinterest, which Marian told me about today.

OK, I'm going to get off my laptop and actually work on a project. More action, less blog.

Cookin' with creative juices, robots, spring eve

This is a (rather tall) cupcake for one of my lovely loyal readers,

Margaret, for her birthday today. I'm sure it tastes better than it looks.

Another beautiful late winter's day full of glee. I got up early again. Again! My brain woke up even though my eyes didn't, and then the neighbours started hosting a monster truck rally in their backyard (or whatever), so going back to sleep was out of the question. But when it got to 2.00pm, it only felt like 5 o'clock. Noice.

I have been lurking in artsy craftsy shops again - Handworks on Chapel Street and Eckersleys on Commercial Road in Prahran. I adore Handworks. ADORE it. If I could, I would marry it and have its babies (I was going to link to its website but it's under construction and does not capture the wonderland that is the store at all). I've purchased supplies for yet more projects. I'm going to make some of these in a palette of blues and purples. I was competent at making paper lanterns and those Christmas chain bizzos at school so they shouldn't be a challenge.

I've got ideas for more creative stuff too...(mostly not stuff I've seen on etsy.com!).  Not just making crafty stuff, but writing and photography projects as well. I've had to start jotting down notes (well, putting notes into my phone). This week has lit a fire under my pot of creative juices. They are on the boil. I hope going back to work doesn't take the pot off the heat, even though it will obviously eat up a lot of the time I have to make stuff. I've wondered this before, but maybe I should go back to working in a creative industry, if not an actual creative job? (I don't think anyone will pay me to make paper hearts or button brooches)

I also bought some chocolate-scented stickers and a set of fridge magnets that are like the keys to an old fashioned typewriter. You can leave little messages on the fridge for people (more fun now I'm not a singleton living alone).

I saw a robot on Greville Street!

Speaking of robots, I bought this T shirt last night... 

(Aside: Gosh, a lot of my gleeful stuff this week has started off with "I bought...". But I do believe spending money can contribute to happiness. It's all in how you spend it, not necessarily how much you spend. End of aside.)

I bought (!) the new book The Fix by one of my favourite writers, Nick Earls. I think Dr Seuss and Philosophy will have to go on the backburner for a wee while. After I paid for the book, the sales assistant folded my long receipt in half and in half again, and handed it to me with a smile. (What's with the long receipts you get these days just for a single item?)

The city was buzzing with people enjoying the winter sunshine this afternoon. The atmosphere was delightful. It could be my imagination, but I think I can smell the scent of jasmine wafting through my window as I type this...

Another new fave word: velvet. It sounds lush and soft and luxurious. Another one of those words that sounds like what it is.

Check out this awesome photo gallery of a double rainbow over the city this week. Absolutely stunning, and fantastic photos too. I wish I'd seen it with my own eyes.

I'm going to the market at the Abbotsford Convent again tomorrow, with Marian, the twitter friend from NY via Auckland. She wanted to go to a Melbourne market and I thought that would be perfect - there's the art and craft market, but also a gallery, artists' studios  and, of course, the star of the show, the fabulously crumbling gothic convent, all in expansive grounds that can have you forgetting you're so close to the city. It's meant ot be another gorgeous day too. Yay.

Also - more new fantastic old signs (see my other blog for pics).

Effervescent

Early morning. The worm is oblivious to his fate...

(That's grass, not his heart rate)

Today is the last week day of my break AND I WAS UP EARLY AGAIN!  I woke at 7.00am and got up an hour later. There wasn't even a barking dog or leaf blower or chainsaw. What sort of topsy turvey world is this?!  Actually, I didn't go back to sleep because I was looking forward to doing the stuff I'd planned - I was excited to get started and I want to fit as much in as I can. I probably have too many projects on the go to fit into the time before I got back to work so I don't want to waste too long sleeping (Who am I and what have I done with me?). I'm sure this will change when I'm back at work.

So what did I do? Well! I finished base-coating the canvas I'm using for my colllage of old family photos. Look at how the paint came out of the tube! *giggle*

I also got the photos printed today.  Most are not in pristine condition - a little faded, a few wrinkles -  but I think that suits the character of the collage. I can't wait to finish it and display it.

I also had a gorgeous baby photo of my Dad printed and framed .

And this photo of my parents when they were young:

And this photo of Luke and me (the big reveal!) , which my mother took a few weeks ago. I was laughing because Mum said "Say  sex!" instead of "Say cheese!". Parents, eh?  I did also print the version of me with my eyes open, but I like this one too even though its a "blooper".

I bought  more kids' books. I couldn't resist - five classic paperback picture books of Australian classics - Click Go the Shears exquisitely illustrated by Robert Ingpen; AB Paterson's Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River; The Rainbow Serpent by Dick Roughsey; Advance Australia Fair (the national anthem with beautiful Australian paintings) and the fabulous Mulga Bill's Bicycle (also AB Paterson). I loved Mulga Bill as a kid. They were only $20 for the set and they came in this ace book bag with Mulga Bill and "My Bag of Best Books" on it! 

I spent more time lurking in art and craft shops. Just as well I'm going back to work next week! I bought a table top easel to display my photo collage and some heavy cardboard to make frames for some lovely arty cards I want to display (it's damned near impossible to find square frames, so I'm making them), among a few more bits and bobs. So many projects, so little time...

I got a text message from Luke (yeee!) telling me about the place he's staying in - a former pub built in the 1840s. He's in the attic room, which he accesses via a narrow, creaky spiral staircase. Sounds fantastic!  I have asked for photos. I wish I were there to see it. (Related: he's only been gone a few days and I miss him already.)

I forgot to mention my copy of Dr Seuss & Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!  arrived and I have started reading it. It's a little journey into philosophy using Dr Seuss as a guide. I haven't got far yet as I've been reading it before bed and I'm tired.

Bananas on toast. Yum. You have to smoosh the bananas though. Somehow the smooshing brings out the flavour.

I've got a new favourite word, though sadly not one I can use in daily conversation: meniscus. I remember this from science class (chemistry, not anatomy). I suppose it does broadly mean crescent..."Look at the beautiful meniscus moon!". I'm going to use it.

I think that's all. So much glee lately. I am effervescent with happiness and creative energy. FMLR!

No, wait! I also saw (and ate) the world's cutest baby baguettes from a hole-in-the-wall vendor on Flinders Street. Yum.

Back to normal programming: smilewhale, FMLR, crafty

I got up early again today - 7.00am! That's an hour earlier than on a work day. OK, I admit it was only because the yappy dog over the back was yappy, but I got SO much done. I have been a creative machine.  

To start, Doodle of the Day:

Yappy Dog woke me from a dream where I was having a philosophical discussion about the protection of a rare whale/dinosaur creature I had found, so I etch-a-sketched a whale (because I'm not good enough to draw a whalosaurus). I used my happy whale to cheer up a friend on Twitter who is blue. She said he's much better than failwhale, thus I have dubbed him smilewhale.  (Can you tell that I'm loving my $15 Etch-A-Sketch?)

 After that taxing artistic endeavour, I basecoated a canvas in preparation for creating my old family photo collage. There was something very satisfying about painting the white canvas black - watching the patches of white disapper, seeing how much paint I could can squeeze out of my foam brush thing. I even like the smell of the paint.

Then I hung a pair of little mirrors I bought from Lincraft (and cardboard).

I used some of my bits and bobs from Clegs to make a button brooch. It was like all of those buttons were made to fit together. Took me five minutes to make it and I'm happy with the result.  

(Middle button is shiny silver)

I also made something else, which was quite time consuming and required me to go up the street to buy a thimble and dredge up long-lost sewing skills, but I can't show you the thing for reasons I also can't reveal. Secret squirrel. I'm quite pleased with my protoype though.

And then I wrote my Gleeful special edition 39 Secrets of Adulthood and Stuff, which I'm rather pleased with.

Oh, I've also created an ace new Twitter hashtag to counterbalance a common one that gets my goat: #FML (f**k my life), mostly used for complaining about minor irritations such as breaking nails, lunch time meetings and running out of milk. I propose this: FMLR - F**k, my life rocks. Please use it, Twitter people.

I've made up some new words lately too - substituterus (an alternative to the creepy 'gestational carrier') and flabbygasting, which is how you feel when you first notice you have tuckshop lady arms (not that I do).

When I was up the street to get my thimble, I spotted a new old sign. I've walked past it hundreds of times and never noticed it. It is very faded though.

Hint: It says ENTRANCE

I heard from Luke, who's arrived in England. Yay.

A Gleeful special edition: 39 Secrets of Adulthood and Stuff

Taking inspiration (as I often do) from Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project and her Secrets of Adulthood, here's some stuff I've learned about life, love and happiness during my 39 years. They won't necessarily resonate with you, but they work for me. Feel free to share your own in the comments or blog it and link me.

1. It's easier to be happy if you can find pleasure in simple, relatively mundane things. They are everywhere, every day, if you look for them. LOOK FOR THEM! Life's major happy-making events are comparatively few and far between.

2. Look up. You never know what you will see.

3. Life is short, but there's no need to rush. There is a need to take your time  - to explore, savour, seek, question, think, take notice, be grateful, love.

4. Looking at your world through the lense of a camera is a great way to notice the little details. It makes you really see things. Living behind the lens of your camera....not so much. Sometimes you should just put the bloody thing away and be in the moment.

5. Walking a lot is a great way to increase your connection with your world. You notice things you'd never see in a car or on a train and you can take the time to stop.

6. Being able to enjoy your own company is priceless. Being able to rely on yourself is ace. Having people you can rely on is the best.

7. Cynicism is easy and boring. Letting your inner child out to play is way more fun. It's cool. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Your inner child (not baby!)

8. Perfection is also boring. Flaws add character. Imperfection is perfection.

9.  There is beauty in ugliness.

10. Related: ambiguity is everywhere. Learn to embrace it.

11. If it won't matter in six months, six weeks or six days, then it doesn't matter now. Let it go.

12. Give without any expectation of return.

13. Kindness rocks.

14. Sometimes things that are worth having in your life do come easily. That doesn't mean you will treasure them any less.

15. Do what makes you happy. Coolness is overrated. Cool schmool.

16. You're probably stronger, braver and more resilient than you think - you never really know until you're tested.

17. Sometimes things that suck can still be kind of awesome.

18. Sometimes you can't even lead a horse to water, let alone make it drink. Accept it.  

19. Always have a creative project and a book on the go.

20. A quote: "Every man makes his own summer" - Robertson Davies. And every (wo)man makes their own winter too.

21. Almost never say never.

23. Connect. Connect. Connect. And connect.

24. From my Mum - you catch more flies with honey.

25. From my Dad - half a piece of toast is better than none at all.

26. From Fleetwood Mac: You can go your own way.

27. Be an adventurer.

28. Be a tourist in your own town. There is always something new to discover.

29. There doesn't always have to be a point. No, wait - fun is as good a point as any.

30.  Punctuation matters. Well, it does if being understood matters to you.

31. Less actually is more. Simplicity is the real spice of life.

32. Decluttering your living space removes psychic clutter.

33. No, you don't really need that thing (unless it's oxygen, food, a cuddle or a toy robot). 

34. Women who say they could never be with a man who has a hairy back (or whatever) don't understand love. Love is big. Love eats hairy backs for breakfast. Raaaaar!

35. A gym is the best place to appreciate all the weird and wonderful shapes we humans come in. You're less weird and more wonderful than you think.

36. You will be happier if you stop reading women's magazines.

37.  Go to the library (one for my real librarian friends). Libraries are ace. Find something to replace your women's magazine.

38.  Play. Be silly. From C.S.Lewis: "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up".

39. Finally, even though you've probably seen it on my sidebar, I'm finishing with my favourite quote, from George Bernard Shaw. This helped inspire Gleeful and has become my mantra. If you take away only one thing from this post, take this:

"Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage: it can also be delightful."

 Life can be so f**king delightful it makes you cry (and use rude words).

Baby, signs, rude word

I visited my friend Paul's newborn baby Eliza Grace today. She's lovely. So tiny (although average sized). I had a little cuddle and she didn't cry too much (she did fart though. I made sure to point out that it was bub, not me). I may or may not be a wee bit clucky...

I saw some old signs on shopfronts in North Melbourne as I went by on the tram to Paul's. I wanted to yell, "STOP THE TRAM!" but instead I got off on the way home and took photos.

Advertise in The Age and Herald down the centre

Wertheim something...

And this church: 

I went to Lincraft today for more supplies for my projects and I couldn't resist making a naughty word with the 3D cardboard letters. A four-letter word. Something tells me I'm not the first peurile shopper to do this since the U, C and K were already in place; I just had to move the F. I wonder how often the staff have to undo the shenanigans of people like me? I put all the letters back into their proper place after taking a photo of the rude word though.

 Doodle of the day

Big glee, big book, no fart

Another gleeful day of not working. Another gloriously sunny and mild late winter's day in Melbourne, with magnolia and jasmine bursting into bloom all over the place. Another personal best in the Global Corporate Challenge - 23,470 steps so far today. I'm a perambulating machine.

In major gleeful news, I saw a new dietician today who thinks I might not need to do the extremely difficult allergy elimination diet I've been attempting for the last 31 years (not really, but it feels like it). She's fairly confident my worst food intolerance symptoms will improve by following a diet that only cuts out foods containing problem sugars (e.g. fructose).  It's SO much easier than the other diet. I can eat in restaurants. I can buy my lunch. I can eat a wider variety of tastier fruit and vegetables. I'm so happy about it. That damned diet has become my nemesis.

I went to the Chapel Street Bazaar after my appointment and bought a little green specimen vase the same as one my mum used to have. She got it when she was a teenager and kept it until well after I'd left home, but it got broken, which she is still a little sad about. I'm going to send it to her. It's not the same as having the original, but it's better than not having it at all.

I nearly bought a 1950s unabridged edition of Webster's Dictionary at the bazaar...partly because it was ENORMOUS and, as you might recall, I have a thing about big books (and words). It was in remarkably good condition for its age and well priced, but I decided it was a substandard dictionary because it didn't include the word 'fart'. Unabridged, eh? Pfffft.

You might think fart was excluded because it's vulgar, but when I was a kid we had an ancient dictionary - all yellow pages falling out, old book smell, the works -  and it not only included 'fart' but it defined it thus: an explosion from between the legs. An explosion! From between the legs! You can imagine the mirth that ensued when my brother and I read this. It makes me laugh now. It was also a little too heavy to lug home, especially with the other stuff I was already carrying. But after seeing the 1888 ad for Webster's on Wiki page, I kinda wish I'd bought it now. Webster's unabridged dictionary: a library in itself.  Maybe it will still be there when I go back. With my nanna trolley.

I bought myself an Etch-A-Sketch. But you probably know that already if you looked at the photo above. Hours of fun for only $15 at Big W. I'm practising drawing robots.

Instead of taking a known route from the dietician to Chapel Street, I walked up Williams Road and found this cool old Coca Cola sign.

Coca-Cola - Be really refreshed

  

And this fabulous ramshackle house. You can't quite see it in this photo, but the house has a name (as old houses often did). Its name is Haven. While I was looking up and appreciating the irony, I was listening to Boy and Bear singing, "Come dancing in the garden of my haven, won't you dear?". It's freakish how often the music I'm listening to provides the perfect soundtrack for what I'm doing.

It was getting towards sunset when I was walking home along the river. I stopped to take some photos of the view towards the city from a little jetty thing down on the river...and didn't stop...well, I did eventually because it was dark and I was hungry. I took 155 photos of the city,  the Our Magic Hour art installation, reflections on the water and trains crossing the Yarra. I walked home excited to see if the photos looked as good on my laptop as on my camera display.  I was not disappointed. Yay. Now to choose a few to blog...

 Part of the Our Magic Hour installation atop the Sportsgirl building

AAMI Park and the city