One of the perks of being back in my home country is the ENDLESS op shopping to be had. There were no op shops in KL, at least that I could see. Thankfully I've landed in a small coastal city that is awash with treasure troves of used goodies. Mostly goodies. Often you come against someone's well worn pilled trackies. Or feather yarn. Sometimes Roxette tapes. Once in a while there's an old high school art class painting that makes you look twice, "Is that mine?"... Although I had ample opportunity, I picked up none of these things. I got a blooming good book called 'Flower Arranging in Colour' by Betty Massingham (image). A kilo of zippers. Some sweet sheets and pillow cases. A teeny yellow saucepan. And a nice chat with the woman behind the counter about the virtues of a good haberdashery collection.

Oh gee, I've been back in Oz for a week almost, and this is only my first post. A little slack, huh? It's been family a-go-go here. Booze and food. Fish and chips on the beach on a cold windy day. Rediscovering old clothes. Patting the family dog. Shoe shopping with my mother. Drinking coffee with my dad. Cutting my sister's hair. Wearing two t-shirts, leggings and socks to bed. Asking if the heating can be put on in the morning. Cripes, it's cold!

I haven't made anything yet. These are images from some cards I collaged in KL. Oh, memories!

Tomorrow I'm off to visit old friends and new babies. Hurrah!

So goodbye KL, so long Malaysia. It feels so strange to be leaving. We did live together after all. And you introduced me to some new friends, I can't help but feel a little sad. But then, holy cow, tomorrow morning when I touch down at Tullamarine...I'll probably be really tired. But happy!

Leaving you though, Thistler, is very hard to do, so you hurry home ok?

Goodbye favourite local coffee shop. Goodbye sweet red bean pastry (will I ever see you again?)



Goodbye Bangsar. You look so nice at dusk, all blurry and glowing, the evening call to prayer ringing out.

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

It's home time. It's been almost nine months. Early Friday morning I fly fly fly out of KL and eight or so hours later I'll touch down in Melbourne. Oh my. So, goodbye swimming pool. Goodbye neighborhood.

Hello you, you like cherries right? Oh my yes. Did you know you can get yourself a sweet cherry brooch from the made by maude shop? But there are only three available! Quick, quickly run to maude’s shop and pick a cherry. They’re sweet and oh so very affordable ;)

No Coffee Blues

Yesterday our little gas bottle ran out of gas, which put our stove out of action. So here I am, waiting for the gas man. No gas means no coffee this morning, which is harder than it sounds. Yeah, you may scoff. I would, if I had coffee this morning. But I didn't. So instead I've got one of those slight, dull, no coffee headaches, wishing the gas man would hurry up. Ok ok, it's not all self-indulgent. I played around with those little giraffe's a bit and resolved the balance issue. Hurrah! Now they're a happy little tribe of giraffe brooches.