Mosaic

I had been wanting to try mosaics in the garden after visiting Guell Park in Barcelona. Nothing like starting with a grand plan!!

And I have been saving broken china plates etc for a while, so when this introductory course popped up on Cudo (cudo.com.au) even though it was in Oakleigh I decided to take it up.
The class is a regular one run by Debbie from Purple Dog lead light and mosaics (purpledog.com.au) but she has 3-4 introductory people each week.
It was a challenge to get to Oakleigh on a pouring rain Thursday night, travelling wiht the peak hour traffic : but I arrived in time and joined a very pleasant group of people.
Deb said that in the 3 hours we would only have the time to do a small tile doing all the steps as well as grouting, and I already decided to try a house number.
She provided all the materials and we had notes to take home.

A simple start Glass tiles 

After the number. laying small pieces as the fill
The white looking tile in 7 is actually gold and green

Mixing the grout

Used a grey shade 

Then just cleaning it off 

THE FINAL ARTICLE

Wide Open Spaces

Had a mention of this park by a couple I met on the Federation Trail
So checked it out on a map and also, Was it really totally fenced? Yes
I can't let Spencer off the lead in an open space as he can't hear me call, and in a crowd can't see me.

A little climbing hill

Off again

Trees a plenty to explore

Due to have a water tap put in I gather 

So we headed out there this afternoon.
 One dog there when we arrived but 6 by the time we left.
Driving time ? 4 minutes

Nick is 19

Age is relative! I can't believe how the years have flown. When I was 19 I was half way through my nursing training and no way did I think I was young. Guess Nick feels the same!
We had a lunch for him (he was going out with friends in the evening, of course.)

Nick and Kate (she did the Great Shave a few weeks ago)

Happy Families!

Out with the old sadly

It was a sad day during my holiday (last day in Budapest) to find that the faltering actions of my Lumix camera (birthday present from Celia in 2008) succumbed and refused to open (or if open, close) So relied on my iPhone for rest of trip.
On return home when recounting this to Andrew & Kate  he said why bother getting a new one when I had iPhone camera. Kate said "Well some people want to take photos, not just say that'll do and snap "
So I planned to buy one duty free when I go to US in December, with my $5 savings cache (very healthy) but then thought I'd check with Inner West Buy Swap and Sell. There were quite a few cameras, but mainly SLR, then I saw a digital Canon SX 170 IS. An almost new one with all the bits, and in Seddon to pick up. Thought it might have been offered a few weeks ago and already gone, but it had only been up an hour. So I bought it.
And tried it out today while walking Spencer along Altona Beach

Sun, sand and Grass

Hard to imagine we sat in car for 10 minutes with rain!

Storm gone overhead

The zoom is good! They are at far side of above Pic.

Prague

My second time in Prague. But this time I didn't do much touring but was at the Conference while Wendy was doing the trek!

We stayed at an Airbnb in Invalidovna which turned out to be amazingly convenient! A 4 minute walk to the Metro, then 3 stops to the conference, and for Wendy 3 stops to Namesti Republicky from where you could walk anywhere.

We met up at end of day to have dinner, and went to the Conference dinner together at the Zofin Palace

The amazing clock 

we went on a walk to find this the head layers rotated constantly so the head faced a different direction every few minutes  

Located in a busy shopping center in Prague, this twisting and reflective sculpture depicting the head of writer Franz Kafka is the latest kinetic artwork by controversial Czech artist David Cerny. Installed in 2014, the enormous mirrored bust is comprised of 42 independently driven layers of stainless steel and weighs in at some 45 tons. The piece brilliantly reveals Kafka’s tortured personality and unrelenting self doubt that plagued him his entire life.

stunning architecture 

I went on a little expedition over the river by metro and tram to pick up our train tickets for the overnight train to Bucharest. I studied many maps and ended up with the Google 3D one to show me what the drop off place would look like. Once I was there the pictures on the website made sense.

I took a day off the conference to go on a tour to Cesky Krumlov (next post)

Paul Bangay Garden

I had seen his gardening books but not been to his garden.  On the map I realised it is behind Fran's property where we went to see all the kids each Boxing Day.
It is called Stoneleigh and home of Paul Bangay, widely described as one of the foremost garden designers in Australia.

His Garden at The Melbourne Garden Show 

The Open Garden weekend was a fundraiser for Stephanie Alexander School Kitchen Garden Scheme so she was there as well in the book signing tent.
I didn't buy any books as I have been given her books for gifts of the years.
The garden and house were created out of a stone covered paddock so is amazing.
Parking was in a paddock with a road in and another pout! But traffic management was good so the exit out only took 10 minutes.

The car park was filling fast when I arrived at 1015 (opened 10am!)

The grass was like a dense carpet that dented sl. with footprints 

A swimming pool like no other!!!

The pool looking to the house 

A planted border

Hedge on the pool terrace

A stylised garden That I admire but would not plant for myself 

Roof  of a small pergola 

The Apple Walk

The white garden and the small gutter trail

The gate is on other side of the hole

The gate 

Paul and Stephanie busy in the tent!

   

Ann is 90

I was thrilled to be invited to help celebrate Dr Ann Morgan's 90th birthday.

I first met Ann when I requested help from the Mental Health Department at Royal Children's Hospital in 1986.

The patient I was concerned about was a baby, so I was not sure mental health would be interested . But unknown to me some of the Department were just developing a group interested in Infant Mental Health 

When I said it was for a baby, I jokingly recount that it was the fastest mental health referral accepted in history! 

From there I joined the IMH group and developed a respect and admiration for this amazing woman.

Ann with Joanna Murray Smith at an IMH meeting in 2014

We went on to do some joint consultation and her insight opened a new way of thinking for me .
Ann is a Paediatrician and a Child Psychologist and even now runs a tutorial for the Master in Infant Mental Health at Melbourne Uni.
The party was at one of her sons' house in Hawthorn (7 children ) and  many grandchildren were present as well.

There were lots of colleagues that I knew there to celebrate with her husband John. I expect they had many other family celebrations .
She is mentally as well as physically agile but had twisted and broken her foot a few weeks ago.
So her usual  beautiful shoe collection was marred by the boot she had to wear.

We were disappointed there were not 90 candles!

John and Ann