muchnesses

melbourne.
what a trip.
need i say that there was a glitch
in ottawa/toronto?
then an almost miss in LA,
after being the last one on the plane,
and 15 hours 50 minutes
and australia was here.
quantas didn't give me a snack all night,
but i'm not about to faint away!
trace willan's exhibition
and her friendship and naomi stevenson's 
helped.
a very very strong piece
 we did some errands in melbourne
ate tapas
 at naked for satan
 and still the luggage travelled.
to sydney
to melbourne
and finally to felicity's
where i was nurtured by a famous parsonage
 and some notes
 in the most friendly boy's room ever.
 the trip to the grampians was hot. 
HOT. 
we had weather in the 90's.
 three plus hours in a car
with the lovely anne newton
 arrival at #32
my home for 6 nights.
 first there was a 2 day class
sharing of skills...
 returnees and newbies and new skills, too
 mixing it up
 a ring of shifu
 words and mitsumata and walnut
 stitching on inked pages
 samples.
there were 15 students in each class.
did i say it was hot?
 new learning.
 shifu appears.
 first viewing of the classes works.
a hot hot HOT wind blew mightily.
eventually rain came after more teasing of heat.
a dad and his five kids 
traveled through each morning.
 raining.
 my cabin kitchen where
i made much tea.
 then the four day class came along
and anne, well anne drove me everywhere.
thank you so much my friend.
see her wee leather weights?
(and more to come...)