The Boot is on!

Yes, I am now hobbling around!
and will be for the next four weeks.
Super fun - I guess its a new experience.
Yesterday was quite a bit of adjusting with lots of pain as the foot got used to the constrictions of the boots and new muscles took over.
Today it is markedly better.
Could probably use a crutch for a week though just to get added pressure off the foot and let it heal more rapidly.
Otherwise we are off to a new week and lots to do.
June is a hectic month with a trip to Melbourne, workshops and fairs to be part of.
Yule marks the most activity with also a Yule Ball that I will be attending on the Central Coast...its dress up...mmmm..what will I go as?????

Congratulations Mrs. D- you have a fracture!

Well, there you go!
I have fractured a bone in my foot.
As the specialist said, "I do a good job".
So on goes a boot/or cast for four weeks.
Keep off my foot?
That will be hard..........
what about driving?
mmmmmmm...will have to think about that one.....
going back to my doc tomorrow for a run down.

Totally back to reality!

Getting back into it seemed pretty easy, but at about 3pm this afternoon it was like someone pulled the plug....
I was fading.
Also a trip to the doc has now led me to get a scan on my foot to check out torn ligaments and microscopic breaks..that is on the agenda tomorrow.
Also I take some paintings in to an art exhibition at Raymond Terrace and go to a full moon gathering tomorrow night..
its all good.

Was it all just a dream?

You know when you wake up in the morning and you are really still just semi conscious? That time when you are really not here yet...your body is but your brain is still coming....
Today, as the moments passed, I realised that I was in my own bed ( after an amazing nights sleep ) with all the familiar noises around me....had I really been anywhere at all?
Or had I just dreamt up the whole thing?

But as I moved to get up....my knee and foot started to ache and as I walked into the laundry there was still a huge pile of washing laying there to be done..........yes, it had been real.
My first wake up coffee was shared with Maksy boy plastered on my knees ( he was not going to let me out of his sight after not having seen me for two weeks) and I did not have to walk over two other sleeping bodies to get to the toilet ( they were both still asleep and probably would be for many hours to come )
My first coffee started to course through my veins and the realisation that I was home and it was all over really sunk in......
I think everyone has a bit of a blue day the first day or two after they come back to the real world from being on holidays....all that excitement...gone...
back to normality...
well, one thing I guess my life is nothing that I could call normal..I go back to work today.
I really cannot keep up the fascinating blogs though.. they may be a bit dissappointing from now on.
I will have to go back on another holiday so you all have something to read about wont I???????Anyone got any spare money??
I just need a few thousand...............

The day after the evening before!

Nice bruise happening!

Well I actaully managed to get out and about today.

We got some of those herbal patches from the local Chemist ( they are fantasic for reducing swelling ) and rebandaged tightly and I hobbled off regardless of pain - well, God damn it - it was my last full day in Toyko and there was no way I was going to stay in the Hotel room even if it took half an hour to cross the road!!!!

Hubby wanted to go to the Sword Museum so that was first stop and then we ended up standing on a corner in a hypnotic trance by the lights of Shibuya - thats after we eventually worked out how to get out of the subway...this is the place that has about 200 different entrances and exits and there are guides to help people make their way through the catacombes underground..

Thank goodness there are restaurants and toilets to save us poor wreched souls who may be trapped and lost for days at a time going around and around in circles.....

Heaven forbid anyone ending up down there on their first ever expedition out in Tokyo...they would be likely to  have heart failure and get the first taxi back to the airport...

I am sure that at one stage more people passed me just crossing the road than the total population of Newcastle....and all with umbrellas!!! ( yes...its raining )

I reckon it would be very easy to lose an eye and we wouldnt want that to happen now would we....

My hobbling was at times quite slow so it tended to take quite a bit longer today, but I actually enjoyed to slower pace - but we managed, and then we had stacks of chocolate cake for dessert which hubby made a special trip to get ( auwwww!!!)

Cost to get to the hospital? 780 yen! Cost of a visit and treatment? $180! Look of surprise on security gaurds face when I press the Emergency button in the invalid toilet? PRICELESS!

Well....only I could have done this...believe me!
This is a long story....bare with me...............
We decided to take a walk along an old part of Tokyo known to be quite beautiful as it remained untouched by recent earthquakes and bombing during the war.
It was a bit of a trip with two subway changes and a train trip but when we got there we could see why it had such a reputation.
There was also a very old cementary at the start of this walk so we decided to head in there first for some photos.
All was good till I spotted a group of Mormons coming out of one of the alley ways and thought...mmm...is there no where where these guys turn up?

Then we started walking out................... when ....................whoopsie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I fell arse over head on the concrete having fallen off the curb into a dip in the road ( where there was a manhole )........with a sickening twist and wrench of my left foot...
ouchy..............................that was then end of that.....I could not put any pressure on my foot at all and so we sat there for about 15 mins waiting for the pain to subside....but it did not.

So hubby put on his superhero outfit and flew to the nearest train station to get help....this was not going to be an easy task as we were in the middle of "no-where" city!!!
He came back about 20 minutes later with some poor dude from the station who then tried to make a call for a taxi to take us back to the Hotel.
Hubby said that he had to get to two stations before there was anyone there who understood what he needed...
So I hobbled into the taxi and we arrived back.

The Hotel staff immediately got me a wheelchair and ice for my foot as we called our insurance company before heading to hospital...( you can never be too careful about what they will pay for!)
We filed an incident report and got the go ahead to go to Hospital.
So we were off.
Now, today is a public holiday in Japan.
So, everything shuts early and normally hospitals only work on a skeleton staff.
We arrived and got seen to by a nurse within about 10 minutes.
We were one of only two people waiting.
We then got seen by someone who checked that we could pay for everything today or we could kiss treatment goodbye..
I then saw a doctor who spoke pretty good English and got sent down for an X-Ray ( the Hospital was empty - I mean....EMPTY )
Got an X ray and by the time I went back upstairs the doctor had the X - Rays in front of him.
All of this took about an hour.
Nothing broken....yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bad sprain and swelling so I need to rest and apply ice.Might reiki the bastard tonight!
I got bandaged and we waited for a medical report to be written out.

In the mean time I went to the invalid toilet and did not know how to turn on the light so I did my business in the dark...unfortunately I pressed the emergency help button instead of the flush...and so security came running.....oh God, how embarrassing!!!!!!!!!!
We paid our bill ( about $$180 including X rays )
Then a taxi home and now hubby has gone to find something open to get food.
Nothing like a bit of an adventure is there?

So there you go......could anyone else fall over in a cementary in a foreign country and do themselves an injury???????
I ask you.................................I blame it on the Mormons!!!!!

Am I feeling "effluent"?

We have purchased a two day pass for the subway costing around $12 which gives you unlimited travel on all lines in the city all day so we went for a ride last night to see other interesting bits and pieces of Tokyo.The great thing about this city is that you can actually go out at 8pm and the place is alive! ( Unlike Newcastle ) So many people out! Lots still coming home from a hard days work even at 10pm which was about the time we caught the subway back to our Hotel.
Many shops are still open till 10 while most of the little ones close either 6pm or 8pm.
Eateries are open till late ..and everyone eats out....I think lots of businessmen actually will eat before they go home or hit the Pachinko lounges which are Japans version of Pokies, accept you win little silver balls ( go figure?) and you can play to win more silver balls which you legally cannot exchange for money....but if you go around the back corner there is always a little place that will exchange them back for money..usually at the going rate of return as specified by the local controlling gang...
By the way...these places are garish, hideously loud ( like a jet engine taking off ) and totally unrelaxing...I would love to have a try just out of curiosity...but they are only open to adults and we have no where to put little geisha girl.....also my ear drums could not stand the noise...
It is quite eye opening when you get back on the subway at 10pm and there is a carriage full of men in suits and then there is us....little geisha girl in black and white fully co ordinated funky wear, me in black skirt and thongs very much worse for wear, and hubby in hand washed, un- ironed T shirt that says 'EVERYONE POOPS" on it!!!
Yes...we were feeling very "effluent" indeed!!!!!!!

HARAJUKU MADNESS

Well the Mecca of fashion was were I was headed this morning with mini Geisha girl for some seriously crazy shopping.
We first zenned for a bit at Meiji Shrine and the beautiful green forest walkway with two huge Torri Gates that were made from timbers that were 1500 years old.
We bought some good luck charms ( very potent from here I am assured ) and then braving what what to come....we headed into the crowds.
I guess it was better today as it was not raining and most of the sweet young things were still in school.
Actually looking closely the fashion was not at all expensive!
Most things were floral and layered for summer and all cost between $15- $50 including shoes.
The more extravagant stuff was much more expensive...and many of the anime inspired stuff was well beyong little geisha's pocket money...but she still managed some skirts and bags and a pair of funck shoes....she is a happy girl!
Hubby went his way to the world of knives and bought himself a handmade knife - he then got his name engraved in the blade by the maker.....way cool!!!!!!
so both parties arrived back at the Hotel happy...
Did I get something? yes....just a top....and another suitcase to carry all the shit that little geisha has managed to buy!
We are off again in a minute....more sightseeing....may as well only a few days left now!!!

Hiroshima and the Great Ramen orgy!

Well we have arrived back in Tokyo after travelling from 10.30 from Kyoto and arriving back at our Hotel at about 4pm.Being on the bullet train makes the whole trip a bit of a blur ( literally ) and also tends to send one off to sleep so there was a bit of a micro sleep happening very now and again.
Hiroshima yesterday was emotionally very draining.
The city itself is quite impressive with a beautiful river running through it which makes it very pretty by the banks.Its only a short tram trip from the main station to the A Bomb Dome which is a feature of the city - it is just about near ground zero and is the only building in the area which still stood ( albeit in ruins ) after the drop of the bomb when everything around it was shredded and turned to ash. Here the whole area tingled with spirits and strange energies.
Hubby camera refused to work on two occasions and I felt quite sick throughout the whole afternoon - like I was burning from the inside.
We walked through the Peace Park quietly looking at all the monuments dedicated to all the children that lost their lives and also we rang the Peace Bell which seems to be rung constantly by all the visitors to the Park. There is also another shrine on the other side of the road where people are encouraged to bring their 1000 paper cranes and add them the the growing collection that are also dedicated to world peace - beautiful.
The Hiroshima Museum is very moving. It has pictures of Hiroshima before and after with a story about the day. It has pictures of survivors and stories about families that dedicated shredded clothing of the children that perished during or just after the bomb from horrific burns.
It also tells of the reasons to why the bombing went ahead and how the plans were set out for which city would be picked for the drop.
Enough to make any sane person sick to the stomach!

We went back to Kyoto after a very intense morning and then we went back to Gion for a street called "Shimbashi street", the most beautiful street in Asia - unfortunately we were very late and very tired and also we were directed to the "ugly" end of Shimbashi street ( apparently it is quite long ) and very disheartened as this was our second attempt to find it - we went back to the Hotel.
Today we are back in Tokyo after showering and washing clothes we headed out to Harajuku street where all the real trendy geeks gather in their droves in theirr uber trendy ( and sometimes quite freaky ) clothing.
Did I feel a bit old and country bumpkinish?
That would be an understatement!
These Tokyoites go beyond the beyond when it comes to the height of fashion.
When we got there we really did not seem to see much of a crowd....but we weren't on the happening street were we?
Just another turn and corner and then....wow......five bazillion people down this little alley way totally dedicated to fashion.
Hubby was bored within about half a minute - so we tried to bribe him with a creper filled with strawberries and cream but that worked for about 15 minutes.
Then we decided that I would bring little girl her tomorrow on our own and he would go look at "man stuff" on his own tomorrow.
We then went to Shibuya to find food which is hard when baby girl wont eat much of anything......so we would find something ( finally ) then realise it was full of smokers ( uhg!!!) and have to leave.
FInally we spotted a little hole in the wall serving ramen noodles and we ordered from the machine ( as you do in some of these places ). The order was shouted to the chef out the back and we sat down along this really long table.
Out came the BIGGEST HUGEST bowls of noodles and broth you have ever seen in your life.
We could all have actually just eaten from one and been quite full - it was just too much, but it was soooooo good that we had to try to get through it.
Then we gurgled and woobled back via the subway back to our Hotel.

I was too afraid of sitting down because I thought that I would explode leaving a trail of broth and ramen covering a whole subway car with the mess ( not very pretty ).......

My amazing adventures part six!

It was baby girl's 16th birthday today!
What a day - starting with fresh custard filled cakes from the bakery.
The train trip to Osaka to the Aquarium to see manta rays and a " baby" whale shark.
Hubby and 16 year old did the huge ferris wheel ( like everything else in Japan it has to be huge )
and then back to Kyoto for part two of the day!
We had lunch at a disgusting KFC in Osaka before we left ( mental note : never, ever buy KFC!!!!!
we almost got ripped off by not getting our full order then nearly died laughing at the size of the burger and chips when we got them...and the coffee could have cleaned out your shower cavity! )
We went to a temple in Gion that houses 1000 statues of the thousand armed Kannon ( God of Mercy who listens to your prayers ) and is guarded by 23 Gods - it is one of the most amazing places that I have ever had the priviledge to see with my own eyes.
You are not allowed to take photos and you must enter without shoes - so I walked in bare foot and had tingles in my legs the whole time.
This place was amazing!! 10 lines of kannon 100 in each row..all made from wood, hand carved by over 70 sculptors taking over 100 years to complete.
I lit a candle at the temple for my dear friend Kay and the soul of her son and hubby lit a candle for our family.
What an honour!
Hundreds of years old....
Then we went back to where we were a day ago and went up to the top of a hill to the old temple in Japan and then down the old roads through some of the most beautiful old streets filled with women in traditional kimono.
There is just not enough time to see it all and take it in.
We then headed back to a special cake shop to buy baby girl some more birthday cake and to have dinner...then we struggled home after a final stop along the way at the local supermarket to buy up chocolate for our trip to Hiroshima tomorrow.

My amazing adventure Part Five...

Today we travelled by train to Nara, about an hour away.
It was a beautiful sunny day  and our mission was to go to the deer park and visit the biggest bronze buddah in the world.
The park itself is quite different to how I imagined it to be - it is huge and kind of runs around one side of the inner city including some shops and streets so you have buses driving through ( to take all the tourists ) .The deers are very cute, a bit like feeding the kangaroos back home I guess - they get quite feisty when the food appears ans baby girl had fun feeding them. We walked to the biggest wooden structure in the world which is a temple that hold the biggest bronze buddah in the world. Need I say more????
Then I read that the building which was moved to this spot is now only 2/3 its original size ( built in 17 century ) it is massive and very, very beautiful......The buddah is enormous and also very beautiful. Around the back is a pillar that has a hole in it where people can pass through - if they fit they are guaranteed good luck!
Baby girl did it twice - the first time with a hand to pull her through ( which was then pointed out as being not as good as making it through yourself ) so we sent her though again...( yes...we have the photos )
then she was mobbed by giggly girls who wanted a photo with her and she proceeded to have a bit of a conversation with them....very cool.
We stopped off for udon noodles and okonoyaki at a little cafe that had a griddle in the middle of the table for us to reheat our food on it and keep it warm and then we headed back.
We have found a really cool supermarket close to us with every sort of food you can imagine and so much sushi and prepared food that it is hard to make a choice....we got some things for dinner at the backpackers and we even microwaved it using the ovens at the entrance of the supermarket before we left. We sat in the common room and had free sake and our meals and coffee/tea and then little girl tried on a kimono - She looked beautiful! ( yes...we have photos! )
Tomorrow we go to Osaka to a very big aquarium..it has a whale shark  - how great is that???!!!!!
Can anyone suggest how I can fit back into my clothes?
I am expanding by the second!!!!

Amazing Adventure at the Inari Shrine!

Today we hiked up and down, round and round and then again.
If someone had told me at the start that this was going to be such a climb I may not have done it but an hour into the journey and having been bypassed by aged Japanese with walking sticks...I was down but not out.
Every step of the journey became painful up flight of granite stairs between vermillion Tori gates ( 1000 of them ) and past shrine after shrine....
But it was worth it even though knees cracked and thighs buckled on the way down. The whole trek took us over 2 hours - then we sat in a small restaurant and had more noodly things and I had some tempura veges..
Baby girl then went insane at one of the bookshops on the way home and bought more books...how ARE we going to get these home?
We are now contemplating whether we have enough energy to go out for dinner or just to fade away gracefully while watching Japanese TV.

How were the futons?
Well it was hard to get up...but overall not too bad I guess.....tomorrow we will do more of the same..Maybe Gion ( where the most beautiful street in Japan is supposed to be found ) and then there is a food market to explore in the evening.

Hello from Kyoto! The Amazing adventure continues...

Well the Shinkanzen is certainly an experience - its the closest I will ever come to being in something that travels about as fast as a Formula One car and still be attached to the ground! The only problem is that it travels too fast to actually film anything ...by the time you get your camera ready to take the shot or to film you are in another blasted tunnel .......freaking hell this thing can move..
I am surprised I didnt get vertigo!
So we are here at the Budget Inn....down a little back road about 10 minutes from the Central Railway station...
first night on the floor in futons ..ah! its an adventure!
We had okonomyaki today which is like a big omelette with veges and sauce and mayonaise..very nice after days of eating noodles.I had not eaten all day having had a light breakfast and then the travel and I was silly not to prepare and take food on the train trip opting not to have sushi on the train like hubby decided to, so by the the we hit Kyoto I could have eaten any unspecified meat product of any sort ( as long as it was fried ) ..most coffees here are a bit yuk..but we did walk past a nice looking place tonight with heaps of great looking desserts that we might try tomorrow ( yes food is still a priority! )
Forget about cheap trinkets and souveniers - there are none.
And the clothes and shoes are totally gorgeous but very expensive...my daughter would have a field day here..Tomorrow we are planning to go to the bamboo forest if the weather is good.

My Amazing Adventure Part Four

We decided to go to the Imperial Palace today to get some culture.....and thought it reasonable to find breakfast/lunch when we arrived. Unfortunately we arrived around lunch time to maddening crowds hovering around food shops which were situated along the length of the train/ subway station. We walked outside thinking that there would be shops outside to choose from to find a very heavy business district and not a food shop to be seen in any direction....so back down to the subway we went to find many of the shops quickly selling out of hot food. Of course, as usual, it is very difficult to find anywhere where we can all happily eat with food that suits all of us ( hint here: trouble child ) so we went to buy food firstly for baby girl and I and then headed back for food for the man. This all took forever and the atmosphere was less than warm.
We then headed to the Imperial Palace Gardens which found us in the first spot of green we have really seen for a few days. The gardens are beautiful and very soothing - we took many photos a few of which I can see as paintings in the near future.
We headed back for a short respite and then back on the subway later that evening for a trip to a Shrine and more photo taking. Then the huge hike to find somewhere to eat.
Now you would think that this would be an easy task...but not so.
Very difficult when you cannot read the menus ( little girl cannot read the kanji ) or the prices are a bit rediculous.We can only really rely on places that either have an English menu or pictures....NOT easy to find...so street after street takes us past places that look interesting but may be by invitation only, or bars that sell alcohol and not suitable for baby girl or just sell noodles or where you cannot sit to eat or sushi only........

Tomorrow we head for Kyoto...so its breakfast, quick pack up and out the door for the bullet train. We will be there by early afternoon....see you then!

Very Sad News!

Even though I am on holidays I have heard some very sad news of the sudden tragic  passing of a loved one of a friend, one of the sisterhood, and it has deeply affected me.
I will send my prayers to the family and to my friend whose life has now been shattered into a million pieces.
Back to our trip, we are starting to feel the pain of muscles in legs and backs from walking and carrying backpacks.
Last night we went to Shibuya again and we found the crowds that had been previously missing on our travels.The place was packed!
We are staying in the business district so ofcourse, we are seeing all of the suits and professional people.They arrive to work while we are still asleep - when we move out the crowds are all at work. During the day there are far less people on the street ( they are at work and at school ) but after about 3pm all of that changes and the streets become packed with colourful, imaginative, trendy, young people that could teach the Aussies about fashion and presentation for sure!
The young ones go home and change into their " other selves" and stay out for most of the evening well into the night parading into the night with their mobile phones and accessories that are jaw dropping.
We walked into this tine little pet shop last night at the edge of the red light district and there in a tiny little compartment were dogs to buy. One of them was a tiny pug, just a few weeks old....so beautiful, so cute I wanted to pick it up and give it a cuddle..so unfair to be aware from mum so soon...the owner of the shop demanded anyone who wanted to pick up these animals should disinfect their hands for which he provided bowls of special water...he was charging enormous amounts of money for these treasures - the pug was going to cost someone $2300 ( but well worth it - he was adorable )
One bad point is that people are still allowed to smoke in cafes etc..and we walked out of many last night due to the smoke which is just made worse because the places are packed and confined.....
the night life is totally different from the day time picture ...it is well worth experiencing both.
Today we are going to try to get some culture!
We have the Imperial Palace very close to where we are staying so as the sun is out - we are heading to the gardens and maybe some shrines....shopping tonight at Harajuku...this is where all of the uber trendy young Japanese hang out.

Blessings to you all.....

Our Amazing Adventure - Part Two

Well this must be the most quiet Hotel I have ever stayed in...you cannot hear any noise accept for an occasional crow that flies past.Other than that.....nothing...
We are right next to a subway station which makes it just so easy to get anywhere as the transport system is totally unbelievable to use.
The man just seems to know where to go bless him so we have really not been lost yet.
We went to what can be called a Myers Food Hall yesterday and it was food glorious food x 1 billion!
I was in heaven..what to pick when everything looks fantastic?
We went with some cream puffs that were then packed in a box including ice packets for travelling comfort....yes...ice packs for an item that cost $3....
then we also got some pork dumplings and the man got some exotic veges in tempura...then we went to a little corner used for eating were everyone stands around ( quietly ) and eats in silence and then throws all the bits in the bins directly under the stand...no mess....look after yourself and dont make a mess!!!!
We went to the most well know street crossing in Tokyo and sat and had a Starbucks coffee ( to combat my headache ) and watched to parade in front of us in the big glass windows. Everybody is dressed beautifully, everybody has an umbrella..everybody is quiet.................................it has been raining and it is cold...but thats fine...just right for travelling.
We went to a market last night and walked around and were handed free food to try at the Railway station in one of the shops.......Believe me you can eat off the floor here....it makes me ashamed of our public spaces...we are a filthy lot.
I cannot have a bad word of complaint about anything at the moment..
If you are looking for a bargain though..there are none...things are about the same price as in Oz....so we have to be sensible about money and travel here is a big part of the expence.
But all is good...seeing as much as we can...
Today we plan to go to Sunshine City - it used to be the biggest department store in the world and have an aquarium and a planetarium inside as well as 7 floors of shops...Also nearby is the baby's favourite anime shops ( a full street of them ) so we will be bored stiff but the little girl will be in her element....

Most Fantasic adventure - Part One

We have landed! After hours traveling, a few trips on trains and subway etc..we are here.
Somewhere in Tokyo....this place is huge.
We went walking last night to find somewhere to eat and did not fair too well with little interpreter who could not make out anything at all....so we relied on pictures and pointing. But it worked and we had our first meal of noodles and veges along with some assorted businessmen in a little hole in the wall.
Everything is uber clean.....so clean that actually I am embarrased about how we provide public transport in Australia.
Subways, trains are spotless.
People are also so well dressed......every male is in a suit and even the young people are clean and neat...not an arse crack in sight.
Our Hotel is quite adequate. Warmed toilet seat and flushing things that make you giggle..
Today we go outside and do some more subway travel to assorted distrcts to explore.
First though, is coffee and breakfast - an adventure in itself when everything is totally foreign....
So cool....

Happy Mother's Day!

Blessings to all the mothers on the planet! You are the glue that holds the world together.
I hope some most of you there would have been a special moment today - making you feel special and loved.
Take a moment to all of you who did have a day filled with gifts, lunches and hugs and kisses to our sisters all of over the world that struggle with inferiority, oppression, hunger and homlessness.

Consider those that wait helplessly while their children to die from starvation or lack of simple medicines
Consider those that feel threatened and cannot walk down the street or live in their own homes without fear.
Consider those that are treated no better than cattle because they are women.
Consider those that are shamed and violated without consent.
Consider those that have no voice and no longer a will to live...
We pray for all of them as we all unite on Mother's Day and send our love throughout the world.

May the time of the Goddess return quickly....we need her now!

Big Weekend People!!!!!

Our first open morning tomorrow....getting the place spic and span and then cleaning the hovel at home when I finish work....looks like a truck stop.
But will get to it tonight...
So I bid you all a cheery farewell and if I can blog while in transit I will...
we are taking a small laptop with us but you can never guarantee how these things will go..
but I guess...the Japanese have a toilet that can wash your arse for you and then dry it so I am sure they will also have internet connection......

Ten of Obstacles..

This card will now have another meaning given to it by one of my tarot students - ten of obstacles!
A beautiful, stunning Freudian slip that was hilarous and also quite profound...
I guess you had to be there...but its kept me smiling for hours!

Four Days to go!

Getting ready to go....cleaning, cooking, buying two weeks worth of dog food, always before a trip you realise that you dont have any new undies or bras or need new socks or you have no jacket etc...and then all hell brakes loose with frantic last minute buying of toiletries and incidentals....
I have heaps still do do but will probably not even bother with any of it...after all it will still be there when I return.

All Stomped out!

After an almost non start ( when we arrived it was absolutely bucketing down and we were told to wait in case they felt that they would just cancel the whole show ) we had quite a good day.
Lots of visitors ( thanks everyone who popped by to give us their support and help with the stand )...and also lots of people coming past to look at our stand.
I did a few readings and we had plenty to eat - from Turkish Gozleme ( you just have to have one! ) to Hare Krishna vege food and their fabulous semolina pudding.
The stage was close by and the acts kept coming all day.
The crowds were colourful and entertaining in themselves.
Gosh it was hard work...but it was very satisfying.