Share Four Somethngs - July

I'm not sure if I misunderstood last month's post. Are we changing the prompts or was that promoting prompts for another link up? Anyway. I've done both so just read the apporpriate one and I'll be back to normal next month...ha!

Things I've loved and/or disliked  I've had a great month so narrowing it down to one thing is tricky...My friend is going to Ibiza to see Like Mike & Dimitri Vegas and Lost Frequencies so I'm loving that for her - infact beside myself with jealousy (the good kind). 

I went out with my eldest (whose moved out of home) to see a gig together (Andre 3000) for the first time in a long time, just the two of us. It was lovely for me to see the relationship evolve from Parent/Child.

I've also started rewatching Dispatches From Elsewhere and still loving that. (Andre 3000 is in it). I'm loving this song.

 

Linking with #GardenAffair

Things I've accomplished I hope this prompt goes as I feel I've achieved nothing. I have been taking a break so let's put it down to 'being on holidays' but I think it was really just disorganisation. I did book myself to Auckland to see Grace Petrie on points, as I miss her Sydney gig yet again. Ali Wong's insta photo of Piha Beach is what pulled me over the line to go....Other than car hire, I managed to get cheapie cheapie everything.

Linking with #MondayMusicMovesMe

Some things need improvement My focus and organisation. Enough said!

Things I've noticed My twitter feed is being ruined by American politics. Normally on race weekend my trending feed is just all F1. It's my happy go to place. Now there's all this other 'news' which is something I'm trying to avoid, as on Twitter it's the really ugly side of people. Interestingly my FB doesn't seem to have been infected in the same way - not entirely sure why but maybe the FB algorithym is more tailored? 

 what we're currently loving See Above.

looking forward to Got a full weekend booked for the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. Looking forward to being mentally stimulated and made to think! I am going to different sessions with all different friends so I'm sort of holding court and catching up with about 10 different people at different sessions. 

Finally getting around to seeing the Archibald prize exhibition. Got free tix, thanks to Schwartz Media (won them).

savoring Went to the new former Rockpool chef restaurant 20 Chapel Rd. It was lovely - it had garlic prawns in the style that was my favourite growing up in restaurants. It was a real trip down memory lane, and oddly comforting (I guess because it was what I had with my Mum & Dad). My Proustian Madeleine if you will. So more than the food, I guess I was savouring those moments in my childhood, flashes of forgotten memories when my Dad was larger than life - his booming laugh embarrassing us all, as all the diners looked at us.

celebrating Friends' birthdays. There seem to be a lot this month!

 and 

remembering See above, re my dad.

Linking with #ShareFourSomething #WOYP #ArtdateThursday #TrafficJamReboot #TheRandom #TalkaboutitTuesday

Snow

 Our annual trip to the Hunter Valley Snow Time - possibly more than a decade long tradition now....

Do you have annual traditions?

Linking with #WWOT #WWOAT #SundaySnapshot #KeithsRamblings #WordlessWednesday #GMAGernericLinky

Life Drawing at the Opera House

On Sunday afternoon I went to a Life Drawing workshop at the Opera House Centre for Creativity. It's heald a few times a year and usually books out quite quickly. Everything is supplied, though experienced drawers (artists?) brought their own utensils. 

I'm not a good drawers, nor am I really that keen but the lure for me to this expereince was instead of nudes, the model was an opera singer who would sing to us, in costume. She changed costume three times over the course of the afternoon, and sang three songs.

It was a really lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends - one was an avid drawer and one a novice. The first timer found the instruction really helpful, and was actually quite good at it. After each song, there would be a little lesson on composition, how to draw hands, proportion, shading, which utensil to use and other beginner class tips. (Please note permission was given to take photos but most life drawing all photography is banned)

I've become a bit slack on my Torshlusspanik List and I never did the follow up on the Life Drawing class I did before. That one was with a nude model and it was interesting how quickly you stopped to notice. You focus more on 'fragments' of the person - curves, shadows etc so it's not like seeing a naked person at all after the initial (for want of a better word) shock. I enjoyed that evening immensely for the zen nature of it. You become so focused that you don't notice time passing. We started with 1 minute poses and ended with a 15 minute pose. The 15 minutes seemed to fly as fast as the shorter ones. It was quite amazing how you built to that narrowed attention, even as a novice.

One of the teachers did this while showing us shading and spacing
See Pina Bartolo for more of her work

I am not an artist, and I have no talent in this field but I can happily attempt the curve of the dress or hips and buttocks - I just have to cut out hands and heads, which are hard. In the nude class, she put a lampshade on her head to be funny and that I did a fully body for (sans hands). She later asked if we had been ok with that and I told her it was actually the best for me cos I struggled with faces!

Bottom line, life drawing is worth an attempt for the mediation like qualities. If you really aren't comfortable with nudity, or with your artistic skill, this one with the opera thrown in is great, because you will still be moved by the beauty of the voice and music, even if art is not your thing.

And that's what's been on my calendar!

Life Drawing at the Opera House

Life Drawing at Camelot - this also has live music. I've just realised I picked both for the music not necessarily the drawing! Ha.

For those that don't know about my Torschlusspanik list, the origins lie here.

Torshlusspanik List:

1. Shooting (check)
2. Fencing (check)
3. Play croquet at Croquet Club
4. Laser skeet
5. Off road buggy driving
6. Play Assassins Creed
7. Jetpacking (check)
8. The Color Run (check)
9. Invent something
10. Cooking Masterclass (check)
11. Master a Masterclass (check)
12. Perform a rap song (check)
13. Trampoline adventure (check)
14. BMX Riding (check)
15. Do a cart wheel (check)
16. Ride an Electric Bike (check)
17. Astonish Myself
18. Write a book.
19. Participate in a distance event (check)
20. Climb Sydney Tower (check)
21. Dance in a dance class (check)
22. Trust a stranger

23. Get a truck for the Landmine Museum and Relief Centre in Siem Reap

24. Paint a picture

25. Go Rollerskating (check)

26. Do Chinese Square Dancing

27. Do some life drawing (Check)

28. Make something on a pottery wheel (check)

29. Try Axe Throwing (Check)

30. Get into a nightclub with 'a strict dress code'. (check)

31. Go to a gig that starts after midnight. (check)

32. Glass Blowing (Check)

Linking with #TrafficJamReboot #WowOnWednesday #TheRandom #FineWhatever #SundayBest #WBOYC 

#ConfidentTwosday &  #Stylewithasmile for the Opera Australia Costumes

Baby Koala

While not much of a koala person (all about the monotremes and wombats) I have been unsuccessfuly trying to see the baby koalas at the reptile park when they're born for many years. Always unsuccessfuly until this time! I was so excited! This bub was so cute!!

Linking with #WordlessWednesday #AwwMondays #NaturesNotes #GMAslinkup #SaturdayCritters and #GardenAffair #AnythingGoes

Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life. Linus Pauling

 I've written a bit about curiosity so I'll try not to repeat myself. Not a day goes by without me having to 'fact check' or google something.  I love that I can.

Guardian full story mentioned UK kids were shorter due to the austerity measuses of the last 14 years. I had to fact check.

At lunch someone wondered if you could lose your drivers license if you were riding a bike drunk (you can but it's not always, sometimes just a hefty fine). 

I can't watch a movie without googling at least one actor for what else I've seen them in or their age.

My husband can't stand this. He always says "You don't need to know!" But I do. I get a burning itch I need to scratch. I usually promptly forget the information or jumble it up or never need to use it again, but I get great enjoyment, dare I say happiness from investigating and learning.

I think people over look this part of happiness. It's not as elusive as people like to think. Happiness is in learning and expanding thinking. If you take notice, you'll find out Happiness is in finding out!

And that is why the entire quote is "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back!"

Linking with completely unrelated photos because i like them...

Linking with  #WWOAT  #WWOT #ThruMyLens   #TrafficJamReboot #HappyTuesday #HappyNow  #SundayBest #Skywatch and #GaleriaHimmelsblick

At first glance...

 This made me laugh, when I scrolled thru my phone I thought 'OMG! What is that/! It loooks like a murder scene....' but no, it was when I got a faulty tube of hair dye and was so mad I was going to write to them as it shot out the bottom of the tube everywhere.

Of course, by the time I'd cleaned up the mess, with a little staining but not enough to fuel the rage, I let it go and moved on...

What did you see when you first saw it?

Linking with #WordlessWednesday

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

This & That (Holiday Housekeeping)

Linking with #TforTuesday

I'm taking a break so will be in & out over the next two weeks.

I love the Wes Anderson vibe on this one

I will be on Insta, my new linky #FavouriteFotos will run as normal and #Allseasons will be running for 2 weeks, instead of weekly.

Be patient for my comments back, but they will arrive eventually.

Linking my bee shot with #SaturdaysCritters

In the meantime, while scrolling my phone, I came across these images that made me smile.

Stay safe, enjoy the holidays and see you in a bit!

Linking with #WordlessWednesday

Also with #MondayMusicMovesMe because it's about surfing.

And I'm throwing in this one with the sensational vocals of Lee Fields. But note it's about depression and suicide but includes the health benefits of surfing.