The Outer Barcoo

Be careful where you lay your head

One should always be careful of having too much to drink!  Extract of story, courtesy of News.com

A WOMAN was forced to hide in her hotel bathroom after an allegedly intoxicated naked Australian man wandered into her New Zealand room and fell asleep.

The woman was staying at a hotel in Queenstown with her husband when the incident occurred.

The couple alerted the hotel, and the man was not charged.

“It was far too funny,” Mr Watt said

Compassionate Friends

When a son or daughter dies, no matter what their age or the cause of death, grief lasts for longer than society in general recognises. 

Compassionate Friends promote the positive resolution of parents' grief, and to foster the physical, emotional and spiritual growth, in an open and friendly environment of bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings.

Link to Website

Footy

There's a little bit of Amelia in us all ... isn't there?

Just noticed this trailer for a new movie on Amelia Earhart due for release at the end of October.  Will it inspire a flurry of women wanting to fly?  Or just inspire the ones who can already fly, not to go over the Pacific with a drunken navigator?  

Trailer for "Amelia"

Slow Magazine

Last night was the launch of new magazine Slow, based in Castlemaine.  

The "baby" of Castlemaine local Jacqui Mott, Slow encompasses and promotes an unhurried approach, and profiles some great Central Victorian characters and ideas.  

Distributed by Gordon & Gotch, it is available in Victoria this year, and nationally in 2010.

The first issue has a lovely story about a small town barber who, in discussing his business over the last 40 years came up with a wonderful quote "...in the war years it was all short back and sides and then the Beatles came along and wrecked everything".  

There's a lively interview with veteran wine maker Gordon Cope-Williams, and Genevieve Barlow's colourful and totally intriguing story about European artist and now Central Victorian resident Katharina Rapp.  WHAT A LIFE she's had !!!

Anyway, hop off to the newsagents and grab a copy - you've got three months to enjoy it, and then subscribe.

The kettle's boiled and I'm going back to Katharina and her antics.  I just have to read  that story once again ....

(Giant Steps Are What You Take). "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED"

"Roger, Tranquillity, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot."

July 20.  

It's 40 years since the first moonwalk.  I was sitting on the floor of the school library watching it on a grainy black and white tele.  My husband was exactly a month off being born.  Gary was mustering cattle in the Northern Territory's Speewah Valley listening to it on a radio.  Where were you???

Buzz Aldrin wrote a book called "Return to Earth".  Written in the early days after their return, it's a good read and gives some great insights into his struggle to readjust. Two things that stick in your mind long after you've finished the book (for me it was 10 years ago), is that 

(i)  he stepped out of his rocket and wee'd into his space suit (and why the hell wouldn't you?)  "I'm soooo excited!"   

(ii)  his struggle to relate to ordinary society.   His latest book is called Magnificent Desolation

Later that week I found a 1969 National Geographic with the moonlanding on the cover.   20c in a junkshop!

Buzz is now an advocate for further space exploration, and as part of an attempt to reach "the young ones" has done an interview with Ali G.  Buzz Lightyear, Moonwalk, Horses trotting.  It's silly, but funny.  Don't forget to note the Jamaican Flag at the end. 

My cousin saw him speak in Sydney a few years ago.  Unfortunately it was a very technical talk about the future, and she said "all we wanted to do was shout "Just tell us about the moooooon, Buzz".  

Of course...

Bushfire Quilts, Quiltmania No 72.

My story on Bushfire Quilts has been published in this month's French magazine Quiltmania.  

I met a girl just last night (a non quilter) who has been working as a social worker in one of the worst affected areas, and she told me how comforting the quilts are and what a success the quilt distribution has been, with some families receiving more than one quilt, maybe one for each family member.

    

She also told me that some of the schools have a comfortable chair with a special quilt where children can sit and snuggle down if they feel they need some time out.  She very much praised the generosity of the quilters.

She also commented that as many of these families are still living in caravans etc., (and it's turned cold here now), and there is not much room for a lot of household goods yet, but that as each quilt is unique and immediately useful, then she felt they were an ideal donation.

Encouraging words from someone "on the ground" - particularly as I've now got half of Europe reading the story!

Enjoy the magazine if you can get one.  It can be ordered through their website.

And if you happen to speak German !!! Click here.

Oh Chocolate ...

I’m reading a book about the history of chocolate. The opening paragraph gives an extract from the film ”Chocolat”, as follows : “In my dreams I gorge on chocolate (don’t we all, honey).  I roll in chocolates (Oh?!) and their texture is not brittle but soft as flesh, like a thousand little mouths on my body, devouring me in fluttering small bites. (You’re losing me). To die beneath their tender gluttony is the culmination of every temptation I have known”.  Good Lord! 

The book “Bitter Chocolate” goes on to trace the history of chocolate from it’s known beginnings as a delight in central America in the 1500’s, at a time when cocoa beans were revered as currency, in the same way we value gold and silver.  And they were very casual about their gold and silver, the way we might be about chocolate. 

It seems there was always a secret to it’s delights, depending on who you comission to investigate it for you.   Mind altering anti depressant chemicals, love drug, antioxidant and cancer inhibitor. It seems to triple as food, drink and cure-all. No mention of cellulite or diabetes. Yahoo. 

As an anti depressant, chocolate goes a long way to doing my brain in. Valium, I’m sure, would rate a poor second. When the housework is done and the occupants asleep, I boil the kettle to steal another half hour for my private thoughts. But there is nothing to shatter the serenity of the sleeping masses like the hysteria of the mother when she goes to the pantry to find all is not as she left it, and the screams can be heard for miles .... and miles ... and miles.. 

 “WHOOOOOO   TOOOOOK   MYYYYY    LAAAAAAST    CHOCOLATTTTTTE?”

Here's a blog link for the chocolate lovers. 

Somewhere over the rainbow

Here's why we love Rainy Days.

Wondering what to write on your blog today?

Sholem Ash is quoted as saying "Writing is a lot easier if you have something to say".

So if you're writing a story, make sure you get to the point.  Same in conversation.  Same on your blog.  So there's your challenge.  What is it you're trying to say without boring the pants off everybody else ???