grey afternoon and orange balloons

In an Emily Green, by various brennemans.

With my camera in hand and a secret-garden-reading daughter beside me I rode into the city Sunday. We hadn't done this since November of last year.

Stop number one, Markit at Federation Square. Crafters and the likes coming together to sell their wares. The atrium was dimly lit and kind of like you were stepping into a little hub, the heartbeat of Melbourne's craft movement.

I live in this city I know the place is buzzing with creatives, you can't go ten feet without bumping into an owl or a deer. I love it, for me it was a little outing I hoped would inspire us both.

She, Bea that is, felt we just had to take home a little part of it. We choose an Emily Green necklace, and agreed we'd share it. She even wrote down which days we'd each have when we got home.

After we'd seen it all and seen it again at Fed Square, we ventured a little ways down the banks of the river. Orange balloons lining the way, bright against a grey autumn sky.

We went to Artplay, a great interactive art space with exhibitions as well as work shops for children. On exhibit that afternoon was Ross Brewin's "Play with Cardboard." I took a bunch of photos just to show Aaron, as he always told me "cardboard is a great structural material," and I remembered the sculptures he made when he was trying to get into visual arts many years ago.

He used to make cupboards, penholders, all kinds of mad things from cardboard. Once he made Phoenix a shield and sword where the sword fit snugly into the body of the shield. Why doesn't he do that stuff any more? He never did get into art school, really. Thank goodness he choose to study mathematics, one of us needs an actual income.

Anyhow these small room sized works were like cubbies, little warrens for tiny totts, or just lounging spaces for kicking back. I wanted one of each, fold away of course so I could store it or just build one within the kid's room it would be fantastic.

Heading back towards the train, our next stop was again at Federation Square at a busy Japanese restaurant, Chocolate Buddha, The service was terribly slow, we waited 30 minutes to order. Thankfully the food arrived swiftly, I mean within five minutes, and it looked impressive.

My Ramen noodle soup with salmon was just the thing for a cold Melbourne afternoon. I could also have eaten all of Bea's tofu and greens with rice had she not loved it so much, it was actually tastier than mine. The salted young soy beans were also delicious. We had wanted to order the green tea ice cream but gave up waiting.

After the meal minus green tea ice cream, we walked a little with no real plan.

I asked Bea if she'd like to walk into the Cathedral, then I realised she didn't know what one was. She had only been in a church once ever before and couldn't remember it. She had never seen a place as grand as this. We looked at the tiles, the mosaics, she was engrossed in the high ceilings and the quietness of the place.

I was trying to recall year 12 art: flying buttresses, vaults, naves, and rose windows. Yep I couldn't remember enough to sound even remotely like I knew what I was talking about, and on that note we left. Personal project, revise year 12 art.

In stark contrast to the Cathedral, we walked down Hosier Lane to see some graffiti, stencils, and illuminated art boxes, even some tin can art.

I was glad to have found my favourite stencil ever, this girl and her deck of cards.

Looking up I wondered what it would be like to live up in the apartments there on the lane, with potted garden window sills, the best restaurants on your doorstep. Ok maybe some drunks down below in the stairwells and music from the underground bars would keep you up all night, but it still seems a little parisian, a little romantic.

It was getting a little chilly and dusk bought with it a light fog, we made our way to Flinder's Street Station heading for platform 5 and our train home. Inside though, there are shops and there was taffy.

We'd seen some of it before at Markit, a $20 box of individually wrapped ones, but I passed them up. The box was something special, and I am a sucker for packages like that one, but I was being a little stingy. I mean lunch had cost us $58 dollars! So I'd not gotten them.

But here we were, still with a sugar craving from our no-ice-cream experience, and a second chance at taffy is not to be sneezed at. So we got eight, splitting each one betwixt us - cinnamon, peanut butter, chocolate, strawberries-and-cream. Yum. Darn it I should have skimped on the chai and had taffy for a week, I reckon that was better than any green tea ice cream, however long we'd have waited.


That was our artful afternoon last weekend, I was on a little high all week because of that time, on my day to wear the necklace I felt I had a small part of my daughter with me, something we shared and will continue to share.

one autumn day

ic I, originally uploaded by various brennemans.

For the moment I am enjoying the close of a beautiful Autumn day, the air from my open window is still and fresh. Earlier I was outside and heard the low whooshing sound of the fruit bats making haste as they heard the sliding of the back door. The figs are late this year.

I sat quietly out there a while listening to the rustle of my corn in the nights breeze, almost eerie. Today I wondered about the day, how we fill it, how it will never be this same day again. As I sat by this corn I remembered the afternoon Eliza and I planted it, her finger pushing the seed into the ground. As I let her be I wondered whether it would actually grow. When she stands by it now they quadruple her size. Days like those I push the moment into my mind, knowing that in a few months I will think back to this day as the passages of time take little corners in my mind.

My husband sits out there at night and listens, for him the sound is calming soothing, the memories of the Missouri corn fields still fresh in his mind. My heart longs to see the corn fields in Missouri, I have only seen the stalks cut to the ground, acres and acres as far as you can see. I wish I could plant up my entire backyard to see what it would feel like, a corn maze.

I am thankful for the moments I can capture with a click of my camera. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't see something beautiful, whether it be a big red apple in tiny hands or raggedy Ann slumped over my tiniest shoulders, the golden light of morning highlighting her slightly auburn hair.

Some things though I will just have to remember, like the angelic sounds of my 7 year old boy singing "Somewhere over the rainbow," there is almost nothing sweeter. He is in choir at school and just sings all day long, it is truly beautiful. Instantly though I am feeling dissatisfied at myself for not getting round to booking drumming lessons for him, as his drums sit gathering dust in the lounge rooom. Now I wonder do I book some singing lessons also or will I never get around to that either?

In my house right now I am listening to my two eldest children playing slamwich with a sleep over friend, their laughter coming in from the other room warms my heart. Earlier they rushed in from outside to tell me that the ice cream truck was parked over by the park. As anybody can remember this is so exciting when you are 3 or 7 or 10. How could I say no, I was once just like them, my brother and I always begged mum for money when we heard that sound. I love that some things are still the same.

I am missing my little three year old she is over the road having had an evening fire with toasted marshmallows and is now staying for a sleepover. Although I will miss her little shape in her bed tonight I know that she is safe and snug alongside her best friend. 

Despite my seven year old crooning that nothing happened today I am feeling like It is Ok to have days like these, he is happy right now cuddled up to his Dad in the cocoon of his Bunk bed, his belly filled with home made pizza and chocolate ice cream, his dreams dizzy with tyre swinging his body still from sleep. The days are beautiful even in our sleep.