Fontage

It looks like I'm stuck with these dopey text size options that Blogger thought it would be great to implement. So, can you help me decide which size to go with?

There is this one, which is called 'normal', and is a fair bit smaller than I'd like it to be. Bit of an eye strainer, don't you think? And there are two options even smaller than this!

Or else there is 'large', which looks like you've inadvertently put on your Nan's reading glasses by mistake. Large is right.

So what would you prefer, Valued Reader?

The Quiz

1. If you want to get my blood boiling, just start talking about..
2. An album you can't not sing along to
3. I sometimes wish I was one of those people who..
4. I really should do something about that..
5. What are you going to do in the next hour?

Now, Where Was I?

Back to normal routine today, after a nice but tiring few days. Last night we got back from a party in Newcastle, after staying up there for a night. It was good to get away and go somewhere unfamiliar.

But I loved just getting home to my own surroundings again. I'm not much of a wanderer, I hate being away from home. Even a night away is enough to get me homesick. Is that a bid sad?

I like the place we bought, my only regret being that we didn't manage to find one with a mote or drawbridge. But you have to take what you can get in this current market, y'all.

Days Off

I've had Wednesday, Thursday and today off work, it's been good. On Anzac Day we trained it into the city, saw some of the march, and then went to the museum. It was nice. Then yesterday I went out painting. Felt good. I'll post the painting I did soon. Today I'm just having a quiet one at home with Little i, as E is out for the day, and Little e is at pre school. We might head up to the cafe, and then repot some bonsais together. Perfect.

Hope you are good, and I'll post properly soon.

Heavy Petting

Little i saw Buddy being a little over-friendly with his soft toy again, and she goes, 'look, Buddy's doing star jumps!'

Thanks, way to traumatise my children, dog.

Revenge Of The Clay People

Often I see these three girls get on the train in the arvo. At least I think they're girls. They are identically uniformed, and have apparently come from some sort of beauty school or something, and are so heavily made up, and caked, and perfumed, and powdered,and painted that it is hard to be sure as to whether there are actual human beings existing somewhere deep underneath all those layers of goop, and dust and muck.

My guess is that they spend their days in lectures and tutorials about beauty kinda stuff, and then just get let off the chain to practice on each other, pasting big wads of skin-toned clay onto each other, attaching massive black sky-scraping false eyelashes, making themselves basically all look the same as each other.

I'm not sure if it's the hairspray and nail polish fumes going to my head, but I get off the train feeling rather ill.

Stop Moving The Furniture

Hey, other bloggers who use Blogger, has your publishing set up changed? Mine's gone all freaky and different. Not sure yet if they're good changes or not, but one annoying thing is that I can't get my normal text size. I can either get mini and hopeless or giant and stoopid like this. Me no like.

The Quiz

1. Yesterday in a nutshell
2. What helps you to feel on top of things?
3. How many fingers do you type with?
4. I wish I had the guts to..
5. What music would suit your current mood?

My Body The Datsun, The Artwork, the Storyteller

I really liked this post of Belle's about our bodies, and embracing the dents and scratches..

One Blog To Blog Them All

A very kind reader nominated me for this Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition , held by the Sydney Writer's Centre.

There's this "Vote For Me" sort of button thing that you can get and put on your blog, but I don't think I can bring myself to do that... it's a little bit too "hands up who likes me?"-ish.

I will however put this link, and say if you want to vote for Vanishing Point, you are rather swell, but please don't feel obligated, arm-twisted or pressured. I'll never know whether you did or not. That tiny surveillance camera you just now noticed beside your computer monitor is nothing, a mere mirage, and I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The Voice

When I saw ads for The Voice, I crossly rolled my eyes and sneered "Pff! Another talent show!".

But, I've been heavily suckered in. It's great viewing, and the blind audition concept is gold. Anyone else experiencing the joy?

Thanks

Hi friends,

Hope you are well. Thanks so much to everyone for all the kind words, and prayers and emails over the past couple of weeks. I was really surprised and touched by it all. One of you guys, from interstate, who I haven't even met in person, ordered pizza for us online one night so we didn't have to cook! How great is that? That blew us away. So thanks again to to you all for the kind support, and for giving me a bit of time to come to terms with things. I'll try and ease back into things here..

Sad News

Hey friends. Hope you are all well and have had a happy Easter. It's been a pretty rough few days for us, actually. We were about 11 weeks pregnant, and very excited about the new little life in our family, but then last week we found out that we'd had a miscarriage. E was not very well, and after a long, unpleasant day in hospital on Thursday, she has been recovering over the past few days, and we've just been spending time together as a family trying to come to terms with things, and trying to say goodbye. We know God is good, and that His plans and timing are always for our best.

I probably won't post much for a little bit, I just need to uncomplicate the week a bit while I try and find my feet and get on with things. I hopefully won't be away long.

Ears Ahoy!

Right or wrong, one of lifes' great pleasures is sticking cotton buds into your ears, and giving your inner head a bit of a poke. It's like suddenly being able to reach that itchy spot on your back that you've never been able to get to before. The finger obviously is helpful to a certain point, but if you want to get right in there and get to the sweet spot, you need a cotton bud.

I know that you are thinking I'm gross, or tsk tsking me, saying 'don't you know how dangerous that is?'. But deep down (probably in the nether-regions of your ear) you know I'm right.

To be fair, I probably do push the envelope a little too far. Sometimes I'm left with a ringing for a few days, and the world around me suddenly seems to be full of mimes. My wife speaks silent exhortations, and I nod politely.

Sometimes when I prod inside my left ear, complex mathematical equations flitter before my eyes, and I have the sudden urge to don a lab coat. True story. And other times, when I'm prodding the right, I start speaking in poetic stanzas, and the world around me becomes all Monet-ish and impressionistic. Also true.

The other day I was watching some show, and a Professional, talking about cleaning ears, said very gravely "but make sure you never stick a cotton bud in your ear". I get that there can be danger, but if the things are going to continue to be manufactured, it has to be accepted that this is what they are going to be mostly used for. Not arts and crafts. They are made to go into ears.

It's like making shoes, but then saying, "oh by the way, shoes will make your feet fall off, so remember that they are only to be used for storing grain, or for whimsical cut flower arrangements". If they are going to make feet fall off, take them off the market.

BONUS FUN FACT: When Polish-born American Jew Leo Gerstenzang invented the cotton bud in 1923, he named his product "Baby Gays".

Book Review Wednesday by Crazyjedidiah

Escape from Verona
by David Gray

Review by Crazyjedidiah

Romeo and Juliet did not die in the Capulet crypt but managed to escape from Verona. However Duke Eschalus sent Ugo after them so that they could be brought to justice for the death of his cousin Paris. Along the way Romeo and Juliet are accused of murder and witchcraft which means that the Pope and his cohorts join the fight to capture and bring Romeo and Juliet to justice. They have many adventures along the way and meet characters from other Shakespeare plays such as Petruchio and Othello. They also meet up with a number of famous artists such as Titian and Tintoretto.

It is based on the lost diaries of Juliet Montague and is quite an interesting look at how things could have turned out for the 'star-crossed lovers'. I especially loved the intertwining of different fictional characters and real life people.

I would recommend this book to Shakespeare lovers, especially those who love Romeo and Juliet. As well as to people who love a good romance or adventure story.

Thankyou for the review! Crazyjedidiah blogs at Gibberish.

Blugging: crazy. precious. life

I recommend popping over and having a squiz at Suzanne's blog, it's a good'un.

Scroll down to see those three vomit drawings, which are the best thing I've seen in ages. "Wait. Let me catch it, my darling". Gold.

I. Am. Supreme.

At the supermarket just now I was served by a guy of Indian descent, called Supreme. Supreme. It said so on his name badge. Immediately, several questions flashed through my mind:

* What sort of expectations did this blokes' parents have of their child?

* Are they disappointed that Supreme now works as a supermarket cashier?

* Was he in fact a superhero, merely moonlighting as a supermarket cashier?

*Why would supreme choose one of the very few professions which required him to display his name to the general public?

* Was he named after a pizza?

* What was the rest of his name, and was it as great as his first name? Supreme Lee Orsum?

* How could I get my man Supreme to be my life coach and mentor?

The Quiz

1. Something you reckon you'd be good at if you set your mind to it
2. Something you doubt you could ever be good at
3. A time you consider to be a positive turning point in your life
4. What happened at that time?
5. Something to be thankful for today

Happy 3rd Birthday Ivy!