On my want list

 Dale Chiluly is a remarkable glass artist and lucky Elephant's Child saw some of his work at the Australian National Gallery.  This is a pool and his glass shapes are encased on the bottom with one of his marvellous chandeliers lighting up the water from above.  It would have cost me US$1.7 million in 2010 so it's going to be on the want list for quite some time. 

But this is just my all time want want want pool.  When I get old I can even just run the wheel chair straight in.  No steps, just a quick stroll to the deep end and swim.  I don't care what the cost, this is the pool I want in my backyard, after I buy out the neighbours.

In the eye of the beholder

Lisa Fonssagrives (1911-92) was one of the most photographed models of the 1950s.  Born in Sweden and trained as a ballet dancer, she had every fashion photographer singing her praises and even married one, Irving Penn.  She was featured on the cover of Time magazine but in the article she was quoted as saying, "It is always the dress, it is never the girl, I'm just a good clothes hanger."
As for the figure, she maintained it by eating little and often, up to ten meals a day.  But a meal to her might mean 6 grapes, a single slice of cheese, one cracker and half a glass of wine. Always eating, but never anything much, was her motto.
In the last photo she does look very slim but it's hard to tell what's really underneath the big gowns or pencil skirts since the underpinnings were stiff bras and tight girdles.
Did she really look like this?

Cassie Van den Dungen copped a blast at Fashion Week when wearing this outfit.  She was miffed and said if she called someone fat and why don't you lose weight and they were upset, why was it so different to her being called thin and put on some weight.  Well, thin is not a word I'd use here and fat as I am, I'm not jealous of this figure.  Cassie even instagrammed (?) the food on her plate which might have been more believable if she'd put herself on YouTube actually eating the food.
My point is that Lisa might have been a great clothes hanger but Cassie is a coat hook.

A flash outfit for a DeLuxe Star

Now I can just see this outfit on Fenstar along with the matching Converse sneakers. I know where to buy a swell dress to go with this divine corset.  
 
 

And I found the perfect motto  for us.

Never forget, we deserve the best.

I'm getting too old to dream

If I have one fetish about shoes, it's bows. Bows on the back, the sides, the front or tied around the ankles.  I've just been looking at 1970s shoes, no bows just horrible clunks and I lived through that era so I went looking for something to soothe the blistered eyes.  Herewith....

These just made my eyes water.  They must be kidding, no-one could possibly walk with these on.  I mean there's nothing to keep the feet in the shoes for a start except maybe glue.  As for walking, how about little tiny wheels or ball bearings hidden in the heel and the sole and one just glides along.
 
 

 This was better, it has a bow and it's Valentino and I love the colour and I have absolutely no idea how you get the things on the feet and up the legs.  There might be a zip on the inside but I can't see dear Valentino wrecking the look of his fancy boot with a zip.  It must be very soft leather and just a pull up does the trick.  Unfortunately with my funny fat legs, I'd have to use a bullock hide for each leg so there goes another fashion dream.

Well, ladies, it all comes down to this. Peacock painted Converse sneakers, they look divine, we couldn't possibly fall off them and since they come in man size, they'll fit.  I could always stick a little sparkly peacock jewell or three on the canvas and you know where the bow part comes in.  I wonder if they make gold laces?

For the birds

At last I remembered to put the camera in my bag when I left this morning.  I didn't even notice 10 or 12 of these when I opened the front gate until one squarked. They didn't fly away, far too busy chewing through the berries of the Cotoneaster tree. I think it's a Corella but you know I can't tell one bird from another unless it's Magpie.  And did the Bear wander out to look when I opened the front door, not him. Sound asleep on the chair so I turfed him out before it gets too dark and when the mob took off so did he.  He prefers his birds smaller and in packs of one.  I finally got some great photos though.
UPDATE
When I arrived home last night, some busybody had tied plastic bags in the tree on my property to keep the birds away. So the ground and footpath was a mess but it was my mess and I was looking forward to another sit in my chair outside to de-stress. I don't know who but I have suspicions.

Pause and check.

Pretty isn't it. I loved it as soon as I saw it. I could see it on my new dress and I already have the earrings to match. Of course I have earrings, overflowing with earrings, very glad I don't have to answer to anyone about my earring stash.  Still if I have to wear granny boots then I must compensate at the other end.  Now, the brooch, inexpensive and pretty as I said but next time before I push the buy button, I really must check to see if the measurements are in inches or centimetres.  I thought 6cm was a nice length but it turns out that 6 inches measures 8.5 cm and the length is 15 cm and that 6 inches was the diameter of the round part.  Man, that is big and it's not like I don't have the superstructure to support it buuutt, big.  Length is not a problem, I'll remove the drop and hang it from a gold bow or put it on a chain.  The big round bit could become the centrepiece of a rose satin cushion and I might just break out the antique expensive lace. Whatever, it will be a nice surprise when it arrives.  Serves me right for messing about when I was tired.

I also have a new car in the drive.  Damn that kid is good with fixing cars. The Audi with the smashed in boot is now a gem, only waiting for its onboard computer to be fixed and it's his, sun roof and all. Now for himnextdoor to stickybeak through the gate and come asking questions, it won't be long, the suspense will be killing him. 

April, 7th day

I've sliced the top off my finger and I'll tell you, my blood flows freely and a lot of it went.  Murphy's Law, you always cut something with a new knife, usually a body part instead of a vegetable.

Mother lives another week. Lord knows what's going through her veins but a street corner dealer would retire a millionaire if he could sell it.  Something has changed in her though, realization that all good things do end and so she has had me buying Christmas presents in case she is not here to hand them out.  Good thing Bevilles was having a going out of business sale and I saved a lot of money and nearly killed myself.  Going down an escalator at any time is a hazard but carrying heavy parcels is deadly. I almost fell thanks to gravity and I didn't really want to fall on the nice lady I let go in front of me but it was close.  Of course there mustn't be any giving of gifts down at the Home, no favouritism, hell to that. Two ladies that have been looking after her very well for the last 4 years deserve more than a thank you from me and the old girl loves giving presents.  She's not being taken advantage of and it's not like I don't know what's happening but discretion is best.

Another little goodie for the garden. So cute and easy and wouldn't they be great painted with the luminous paint and stuck around the plants.  All I need are wire coathangers and the BOH with his strong hands to do the roundy bits and solder the antenae on.  Even better to have a line of them going up a brick wall.

From snails to serious.  I believe my granddaughters are coming down for a big family reunion at Easter.  I haven't been told as usual but it doesn't worry me, their family is huge and by the time they catch up with everyone, I'm happy to get a phone call.  I'm changing my will again.  One thing I do know is that my ex daughter-in-law is mixed up with a dubious Church, cult type not Catholic but something called the Christian Church of the do gooders but definitely not mainstream. My main aim in life has always been to outlive the Bitch Queen of the Universe and it was looking good there for a while as she was over in Africa building houses for poor people but she's back.  Wouldn't you have thought there'd be one hungry lion or angry hippo looking for a snack.  So changing the will has been on my mind since youngest granddaughter is still living at home under the influence of QB who has sent her off twice to missionary around Fiji.  So in order to thwart the Mistress of Greed, I've decided to leave the house to my sister to live in for her lifetime if anything happens to me before anything happens to her (sister).  The girls can have any money, my jewells and any or all of my collected crap in the house but they can't get their hands on the big money which is in the land and the house which leaves their mother up a creek without a paddle in a barbed wire canoe.  That decision left everyone in our little family group very happy not as happy as a well fed lion would have made us but life isn't meant to be easy.

 

April, lst day.

This is what you get when you need cake, tea and sympathy and can't be bothered waiting for the kettle to boil. I could really kill a cake right now but I'll make do with the Gin.
CT scanner is whizbang but I must remember to not take off my glasses until I'm on the bed. All white room and fuzzy eyesight makes me dizzy to the max.
Catch a cab to mother.  Mother looks terrible, eyes glazed which is good.  Sister says look out for glistening bright eyes, last gasp apparently.  Anyway we nearly lost her again last night which makes 3 times in the last 5 weeks.  Bitches on night duty did not answer her bell when she woke up and couldn't breath. She kept ringing, they kept ignoring. Then she had the bright idea to ring me so I could come and sit with her while she died.  "Shit, Ma you know I can't ride the broom at night"  If she had rang and after I had recovered from the heart attack, I would have rung the nurses' station at the Home and everybody would have been awake.  I can scream very loudly over a phone.  Fortunately the early morning nurse came in and she is of the old school and did she take charge. Ventilator, cold towells, ice and then oxygen and mother's colour came down from violent Puce to pale violet.  Doc Marvin was rung at 7.45 and he came in about l p.m. to check her out, not that he needed a stethoscope to listen to the rasping breath.  He's ordered more antibiotics but he knows, I know and my sister knows, it's palliative and it's slow.
Doc Marvin had words.  I bet he has more tomorrow.  He'll have my results from the CT scan but anything showing will have to be put on hold for the moment and I'm going to have to sleep with the mobile by the bed and broom at the ready.