Drifting through life

high up on a building.... window washers! working in the rain. Not much rain, just enough of the soft drizzle to need an umbrella or get frizzy hair. 

It's Sunday Selections time again! Time to post photos that have been hiding away in your computer files, photos that you may have completely forgotten about. Have a hunt through your files and find some. This idea comes to us from Kim at Frog Ponds Rock, who realised one day that she takes many more photos than she uses, as we all do, and wanted to post some of the older ones on her blog. A once a week meme seemed like a good idea, so Sunday Selections was born and anyone at all can join in. I often choose a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week my theme is  >>>> HOLLYHOCKS   Most Hollyhocks I've seen come in varying shades of pink.  I like this particular shade more than the pastels. I like my colours strong. I apologise for using this photo again, Sunday Selections is supposed to be for unused photos, but I just love the way the sun has backlit the petals causing a striped effect where they overlap. I printed this one on 4...

I woke up this morning without a single idea in my head. Really, no idea at all what to write about. The reason? It's summer. It's hot. Sometime during the night my brain melted and dribbled out through my ears. I spent a bit of time frantically pouring the mush back in and hoped that in the cool of the morning hours it would congeal into something resembling my brain as it used to be. I'm not sure how well that's worked, but I seem to be able to form words and sentences, so I'm off to a good start. Maybe I should sleep with earplugs in for the rest of the summer? At least I wouldn't have to wring out my pillow every morning.......

Today is my probationary house inspection day. I've been here for six months now, (wow, already?), and it's time for the SAHT to inspect my premises and decide if I'm a suitable tenant. I have no worries at al on this score, I've always been a suitable tenant. I don't trash my home, I don't grow drugs in the wardrobes, I don't hide dead bodies under the floorboards. I pay my rent on time too. And I keep the kitchen sink clean. I spent a little time yesterday cleaning, but let's face it, this place is only about three inches square so that didn't take long. I even dusted the lightshades! I'm ready. Bring it on! I'm going to ask if I'd be allowed to have a retractable canvas or shadecloth awning installed over my front window. The sun beats down on that everyday and the heat just flows on in. It has a fixed "eyelash" type awning, but really, that does nothing to keep the sun out. So I'm going to ask about getting...

A customer came through my checkout yesterday with something I had never seen before. Today on my way out of the store, I bought some. Tell me what you think.  French Twists. Layers of sweet puffed pastry in a snack size, with only 30 calories per twist. Sounds good....let's read more. This is looking good for all those with dairy and egg allergies. No cholesterol...that's great! No butter....hmmmm, how can it be "real" pastry with no butter?  Let's continue this journey.... There's Original flavour.......mmmm, cinnamony. and Maple French Toast. sweeeet. There's also a Wild Raspberry flavour, but I didn't buy that one. Cinnamon on the left, Maple on the right. Nibble, munch....mmm not bad. Not. Bad. At. All. As a "little something sweet, but not too big" snack with an afternoon coffee, these are perfect. They're called pastries, but I'd put them in a not-quite-pastry, no...

Whimsical Wednesday has rolled around again. I can't believe how fast the weeks are passing! January is very nearly over already, only three and a half months before the cooler weather begins to arrive. I can't wait..... Anyway, here is today's giggle. and here is today's thank you to all the lovely people who put these images out into the internet for me to find and use. Thank You.

The song, sung by Billy Idol, which very accurately describes today in Adelaide. The day began reasonably well, but took a sharp nosedive when it came time to go to work. It was already too hot for me when I walked to the bus stop. A bus stop which faces the morning sun, with no shade whatsoever. (Welcome enough in winter but not in 100 degree heat). Well, there's a tree, but the only shade from that is a six to eight inch wide strip from the tree trunk. The leafy canopy shadow is already over the fence into the yard next to the bus stop. So I stood in the 4 inch wide shadow strip made by a light pole......just to shield my face. Then the bus arrived. A wheezy old-fashioned model with a narrow doorway and three steepish narrow steps to climb up. And it was packed full!! Like an unopened sardine can. With no airconditioning. Now I don't mind being packed in like sardines so much, as long as there's airconditioning. This particular bus got so warm, I was than...

It's hot here today, so I have the flat closed up with the blinds down to keep out as much sun and hot air as possible. I'm sitting here, scrolling through people's blogs, when I notice a strange odour in the air. Something not nice. Something that smells like pooh-ed newborn-baby nappies.  I get up and walk around and this is in every room! All three and a half of them! What could the neighbours be cooking to make the air smell like this?? I opened the door to the back porch and the odour is out there too. Perhaps it isn't someone's cooking.....I have heard a newish baby crying in the last week or so...but still.....to have this odour come right through my flat is more than a little annoying. I hope it clears quickly. I've turned the fan on high and turned on the exhaust fans in kitchen and bathroom.

When I was in town last, I spotted a display case outside one of the department stores. Inside was a red and white crab of quite large dimensions. There were leaflets advertising the South Australian Museum's latest exhibition. Titled "Journey to the Abyss", the exhibition features over 90 real deep-sea specimens with supporting information, hands-on investigation stations and a full-sized, interactive submarine ideal for junior explorers. More of the blurb reads: "Did you know that more people have been to space than to the bottom of the ocean? (personally, I did not know that) In Journey to the Abyss, the South Australian Museum invites you to experience life in the cold, dark depths. Discover an isolated wilderness thatis home to some of the most surprising and captivating creatures: some scary, some cute, and all fascinating." Did you notice that bit that says "cold, dark depths"? Sounds to me like a good place to be. Somewhere, ...

Welcome to another Sunday Selections day. If you'd like to join in the rules are so very simple! Search your computer files for old photos that have been languishing unseen, (or for something newer that you haven't used yet), post them under the Sunday Selections title and link back to Kim from Frog Ponds Rock. Then go to Frog Ponds Rock and add your name to Kim's linky list and leave her a comment. Here is my selection for this week, a few more photos of a stall at Adelaide's Central Market. A Taste of Marrakech. This is the spice stall for those wanting a genuine middle eastern flavour in their food. On this stand a range of whole and ground spices are displayed in bowls and jars. I haven't looked too closely at them, because I don't often use these flavours. Most of my food is quite bland. On the other side of the stall is row upon row of fruits and vegetables, whole, sliced, halved, and pickled with assorted spices. Th...

This quick and easy summer dessert is healthy and yummy. ORANGE FLUFF  2 1/2 cups orange juice 1 tablespoon gelatine powder 2 tablespoons honey 2 eggs. separated Place orange juice in a saucepan, sprinkle gelatine over it, let stand for 30 minutes. Add honey, heat gently, remove from heat just before boiling. Stir in well beaten egg yolks, allow to cool. Beat egg whites until stiff, fold into orange juice mixture. Pour into serving dishes. Place into refrigerator. Mixture will separate as it sets into a jelly base and fluffy orange topping. Sorry, there's no photo.

....to people riding on the buses. If you're sitting in one of those seats at the front that face backwards into the rest of the bus, this message is for you. If you are going to yawn wider than your home garage, (or even yawn at all), please, please, cover your mouth with your hand. I don't care if that means you have to stop playing with your i-phone for two seconds. I have no wish to see your tonsils. Ever. Thank You.

I have had only one pair of thongs for probably eight years now. I don't wear them often, so they've lasted well. See? Hardly worn at all. My very comfortable thongs . Rubber base, cotton webbing straps. Flip-flops for all the Americans out there. Yesterday, this happened.  Sigh. Now I have to go shopping for thongs. I hope they still make this particular type. I wonder how many people thought I might be talking about thong underwear?

Welcome to another Whimsical Wednesday. I'd like to remind you that these images don't belong to me, I've borrowed them from google images and I'd like to extend a thank you to whoever puts these gems out there for us to enjoy. Today's picture? Eggs gone bad. 

The weather was hot, (cooling down now), but not humid at all, so overall, not too bad. But I felt like I wasn't me, or possibly just half of me, a shadow of myself. I began to wonder if my mind had stayed home, sound asleep on its little pillow. Did my shift at work pretty much on auto-pilot, came home and veg-ed out on the couch for a while, then made coffee and checked the TV guide. Can you believe there's not a single thing on TV that I want to watch? There's tennis, no thank you. There's cricket, I'd rather watch paint dry. There's a couple of movies a bit later, both of which I've already seen. One that I wouldn't watch again if you paid me, (of course that would depend on how much you paid me....on second thoughts, no thanks). The other starts later, almost at my bedtime, so that's out too. I have that one on dvd though, so when I'm in the mood for it, I'll watch it. Just not today. Instead, I have the I-pod playin...

I'm sure someone out there knows the answer, but really, don't tell me. All I know is that every single one of mine is aching. Not as much as yesterday, thank goodness. Hardly at all now actually. The reason for my discomfort? The bike. And myself of course. I rode on Saturday, further than I've ever ridden since I first got on the bike. Heh, I'm such an over-achiever.... Anyway, earlier this year, I'd bought a basket to go on the front of the bike. Nothing as simple as the old-fashioned sort that just hooks over the handlebars. Oh no. This complicated little s*** of a basket needed a fixture fitted to the handlebars with power tools. I don't have any. Plus I looked at the instructions and they might as well have been written in Klingon for all the sense I could make of them. So, Saturday. I put the basket in a big old garbage bag, (bright yellow, for easy visibility by passing motorists), and decided it was now or never. I was riding into...

Welcome back to Sunday Selections.   Brought to us by Kim, from Frog Ponds Rock fame, sunday Selections is an ongoing weekly meme that allows us to post previously unseen photos on our blogs. Anyone at all can join in, all you need to do is post your photos under the Sunday Selections title, link back to Kim somewhere in your post, then go on over to Frog ponds Rock and add your name to Kim's linky list. Easy peasy. Oh, leave Kim a comment too. she loves them. I often (but not always) use a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week I've chosen to feature:- GRAPES   Seedless of course. Red grapes , which are very yummy..... ...and black grapes, also yummy and super sweet too. Did you know that eating black grapes makes your tongue black? Just like licorice. I didn't, but I do now. Grapes are a new passion of mine. When I was little, the only grapes we ever had at home were sultana grapes, because that's what was growing in the back...

and I suspect yours too... ....is that of bread and pastries  baking. That's why I always enjoy walking past (and lingering near) places like this>>> The Hot Bread stall at Adelaide's Central Market. This isn't the only bread stall there of course, but it is the only one called Hot Bread. It offers a range of delights, such as this above, whatever it is, I have no idea, there were no labels. Well, not on this basket anyway. Cheesy croissants. Cinnamon Swirls. A firm favourite of mine for many years now. Behind them, Maple Pecan Plaits, another favourite, but too sweet to eat too often.   Stay tuned for another little part of Adelaide's Central Market soon.

Walking around my new neighbourhood in the weeks before Christmas, I noticed that many homeowners around the backstreets seem to enjoy gardening. Not only are their front yards nicely planted and well tended, but so are the nature strips, the bit along the front fence as well as the wider strip that borders the footpath and divides it from the road. Here's a couple of examples >>>> These are different views of just two of the lovely gardens I've seen while getting my daily exercise.

wholemeal bread......half a leftover tomato......the end of the block of cheese = quick and easy breakfast.

It's whimsical Wednesday again! A little cartoon to make you smile. (borrowed from google images of course)

Last Saturday I went riding on my bike. I decided I'd go a little further than just around the block. It had been cloudy all day, with rain predicted, but what the heck....the only rain we'd been having was a spit here, a drop there. I'd go riding...it would be fine. And it was. At first. I went around the block, crossed over Glen Osmond road, then turned into the walking/biking trail inside the Glenside facility. Followed it all the way to the end, crossed Greenhill Road and continued along enjoying the cool air....  After half an hour, I decided I should turn for home. Two minutes later a few spits of rain came down, then there was a rumble of thunder, and suddenly the heavens opened. There I was, out in the open, half an hour's ride from home, getting rather wet. A lot wet. Soaked. Saturated. Drenched. I had to take my glasses off to see where I was going. To be safe I walked the bike across intersections, which had become completely flooded in the firs...

2012 is just over a week old now. How many New Years Resolutions did you make? How many have you already broken? One? A few? All of them? Why do people make resolutions anyway? In hopes of bettering themselves? Aren't they happy the way they are? If you aren't happy with yourself a resolution may not be the answer, since there is often a deeper cause. I digress. We all know that most resolutions will be broken. Many people make such fanciful resolutions that they couldn't possibly keep them. Perhaps they do this because "it was never going to happen anyway"...so don't feel bad about breaking them. I personally don't make New Years resolutions, I never have. I've never seen any reason to. If I'm going to make changes, I'll make them, resolution or not. If I'm not inclined to make changes, then I won't be disappointing myself by breaking a resolution. All of which makes those first few weeks or months of a new year quit...

It's Sunday Selections time again! Time to post photos that have been hiding away in your computer files, photos that you may have completely forgotten about. Have a hunt through your files and find some. This idea come sto us from Kim, at Frog Ponds Rock, who realised one day that she takes many more photos than she uses, as we all do, and wanted to post some of the older ones on her blog. A once a week meme seemed like a good idea, so Sunday Selections was born, and anyone at all can join in. I often choose a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week I've chosen one of my favourite foods. CHEESE The following photos were taken at one of the cheese stalls at Adelaide's Central Market last November. I prefer to buy my cheese in block form, so that I can slice, cube or grate as needed. I haven't actually tried any of these selections, I'm not so adventurous when it comes to new tastes and I was raised on mild cheese that we bought in wedges ...

When I first got married, wa-a-ay back in 1971, my mum organised the younger siblings, step-siblings and friends when it came to gift buying. (She knew what she wanted me to have.) I received three cutlery sets, each with settings for four people, but all with the same design. So I had enough matching cutlery to be able to hold a dinner party for twelve people if I was ever inclined to do so. I also received three dinner sets, each with a setting for four people, but all with the same design. So I had enough matching crockery to be able to hold a dinner party for twelve people if I was ever inclined to do so. (I never was inclined to do so...) Now, all these years later, these two teaspoons and a knife, are all that remain of the original settings. I don't remember what happened to the rest, I'm not one to lose things, but disappear they did. Here is a close-up of the design on the handles. In between then and now, there has (have?) been three different cu...

Why can't someone invent a toaster that works properly? I mean for longer than the first few days of use! And affordable for the masses of course! How many of us buy a new toaster every year or so, in hopes of evenly coloured golden brown bread to start our day with? How many of us put up with the same old toaster.... and bread that is unevenly toasted? Bread that is browned only on the bottom half of the slice? Bread that is browned only on one side, with the other side being barely coloured? Bread that is browned only in the middle while the edges are warmed and slightly crispy but certainly not browned. Bread that is browned, but only barely, on either side, no matter how high a setting we choose on the dial? I have a toaster that I bought within a month of moving here and for a few days the toast was lovely. A little darker than golden, coloured from crust to crust, both sides the same shade. Very nice. Now?   A small circle of bread in the centre of the slice...

Some of you may remember my post of 6/10/10, titled mid-north SA, in which I mentioned the high towers in many back yards around Port Pirie . These had TV antennas attached to them so that we could pick up TV programs from Adelaide. I'd asked my sister to send me some photos of these if she could, please, and expected her to take her camera on a little walkabout and snap me a few shots. Well, she didn't. What she did instead, was hunt up a photo that she knew she had somewhere, finally found it and had it photocopied to send to me. And then forgot to send it. Until now. I got a letter from J yesterday, with photos inside. Here it is, one television antenna tower, >>>> I have absolutely no memory of this photo being taken, but that is definitely me and R about two thirds of the way up on the tower, posing for Dad. And would you look at me wearing a skirt!  That's something I don't do anymore. (nor do I climb TV towers...) Another photo...