Winter in South East Queensland

 Well, I did promise 2 updates in winter so there might be 2 fairly close together. Does anybody else suffer the mid winter blues? We have pretty mild winters here with some frosty mornings and a few days of cold westerly wind days but no really cold days for weeks at a time. Something has to explain why I seem to have been a bit slack about a few things of late. Don't misunderstand me though, I have managed to meet all commitments and tasks including the dreaded BAS and accounting work but there just seems to be little joie de vivre lately.  I did enjoy seeing the plum trees flowering a week ago- meaning the warmer weather is coming. I managed to prune all of the deciduous trees this year so maybe I need to include tasks like that higher up the happy to achieve list. Perceptions can change a lot of things.

I have had pieces of my artwork on exhibit in Chinchilla, Kingaroy, and soon to be at Goombungee Galleries so I must take pride in that too. We had an exhausting day out on the Quilt Trail in July held in conjunction with the exhibition in Kingaroy. My "Drought" piece was displayed in the members only Bundaberg Quilt Exhibition and was awarded The Judges Prize, they gave out 3 awards- Best of Show, Joan Finlay Log cabin award and the Judges pick. Their FB page had numerous photos of the show and someone has suggested maybe a workshop could be held to make a quilt like mine. Food for thought, might think about for 2022.

Maybe the Ekka being cancelled for the second year in a row might have something to do with the current mood of some queenslanders. I know of a few Queensland Axemen pretty upset they can't chop wood competitively for a second year in a row.

Probably the matter that is still on people's minds is the Virus that will keep on keeping on for a while yet. Debates about it all, have seen us turn off  MSM. I hear arguments from both sides about what to do, I read articles about the CDC cancelling Sars Cov-2 testing regimes and when you read the article in full, you discover the CDC has been completely misrepresented. Fact vs fiction and it has been going on everywhere.  Including here reading what I write, how do you know what you read on the internet is true? All a matter of trust isn't it?

I saw an advertisement for Australian Quilts in Public Places Exhibition in Victoria calling for entries for a juried show. I got out of my lethargy for 10 days and have made an entry. I won't show you any of it as the rules state: must not have been exhibited previously so am presuming that means on here. Will have to wait and see if it is accepted. I still have to photograph it so am hoping my new camera etc. will suffice. I played around with it today and have learnt a few more things about it.

I have also managed to get  a veranda rails section fully painted so maybe I have just been a bit hard on myself lately. We did purchase 2 5M high trestles earlier in the year, they were put in use last week. Dusty work, I was pleased that I was not allowed up on those trestles when the work was happening. 

 Maybe the other reason for the lethargy is my paid job. Upheavals in rosters due to multifactorial  staff shortages and no extra staff members in our lab to cope with the deluge of covid testing each time they find a case in Qld is starting to wear a few of us down. 

I hope to feel better about things soon. I have been working on a few new art pieces and I played around with a different technique today. 

An experimental piece of work, in the beginning stages. This is during the quilting part. More to come later.

Spring is nearly here, maybe the weather might just turn and be on our side soon.  2 views of our Gulf Gold Plum tree, a sign of promise. Hope your winter blues are on the way out the door too..