Docklands footbridge, yesterday

 
Since I last posted:

Sparky and I went to the States for a few weeks to attend my best friend’s wedding. Sparky met America, met the family, and everyone liked everyone else. Lots of hot weather and hugs and giant food portions. A very successful trip indeed.

 

Blowhole, one of my favourite public sculptures. It’s actually quite colourful in person, and I like the fact that it takes advantage of the windy conditions at the Docklands.

 
Also since I last posted:

I GOT PERMANENT RESIDENCY!!!!!!!!!! [does karate chops in the air] Easily the most exciting thing to happen in a long time, although I got tickets to RocKwiz on the same day, so I was extra excited. I cried when I got the sticker on my passport, which says I’m permitted to stay in Australia “indefinitely”. A woman in the street asked me if I was OK, and I had to explain that they were happy tears. Everyone on the tram must’ve thought I was a nutter, though. I really couldn’t stop, and it was that embarrassing noisy kind of crying.

I can apply for citizenship in 10 months. And study for the new test.

Since I got PR (oh ho ho), it feels as though a giant weight has been lifted. I’ve been organising and filing my life away, starting afresh. I did my taxes extra early (only to find out I owe more than $1000), rolled over all of my superannuation, and started throwing out stuff I no longer need to keep around just in case. I’ve also been cleaning like a madwoman, which is not characteristic of me.

Most recently, I’ve been attacking my mending pile (more like a mountain). This serves two purposes, you see. The first is that I’m accomplishing lots of little tasks — enjoying many little victories — and helping to clean and sort out my life. The second is that — since I cannot afford to buy new clothes — I’m making use of the clothes I’ve already got. Instead of buying, I’m fixing. It’s not as sad as it might sound. I did a brilliant fix-it job on a much-loved cardigan last week, using a piece of lace from an old petticoat I’d never worn. The buzz lasted almost all week. I also sewed some loose buttons back onto a blouse in a contrasting colour. Scandal!

I have not done any crafting while overseas or since I’ve come back. It’s very strange how being in a perpetual cleaning/organising frenzy has killed all taste for creativity. I think I like myself better when I’m slightly messy but making things. The good news is that my whiplash has decreased significantly. I still get sore a couple of times a week, but it doesn’t stop me from doing things anymore, or affect tasks like driving or just sitting at work. And I’ve started taking pictures again, but it will be a long while before I can carry my camera with me every day like I used to.

 

One of the many strange recycled creatures nailed to walls and telephone poles in Williams Rd, Prahran

 
I actually popped onto the internet just now to apply for a part-time job I saw. Not a replacement job, but a supplementary one. It sounded amazing and would suit me to a T. But the truth is — even though I’d make less money — I think I’d rather craft in my spare time. It’s much more flexible with my schedule, and there are no deadlines. There’s no pressure to come up with new ideas all the time, which I think the aforementioned job would require. And there’s something very soothing and soul-satisfying about making things by hand. I think the trick will be to stock my etsy store first, rather than ignore it. Leftovers can go to the shop.