The Week of Flowers ...

The difference a week can make is very cool

I am well and truly used to my new lopsided existence

I am no longer on that odd lean all the time and doped to the eyeballs

and there has been more time in the studio so I am feeling pretty good all round

I can even get on and off the studio stool without having an entry or dismount

that is a cross between a rather bad gymnast and a uncoordinated high diver

mind you there were some fabulous dismounts late last week

that almost had the dog giving me scores out of ten for form and difficulty

but in the lifting the spirits stakes there is one thing that is working its magic for me today

and that is that winter has taken a break and spring has sprung

before you all grumble and scoff I know we don't have much of a winter here in Brisbane

I acknowledge that our winters are summer days for many of you

but this is early even by our standards

and along with the gorgeous sun and warmth I do feel a lift in the energy levels

the down side is that we now have a few weeks of the attack of the stupid birds

for the last few days, and quite possibly, the next few weeks 

we will have birds running into the windows on the eastern side of our house

now we have tried all sorts of things to stop this

 but after years of risking life and limb to attach things and appling every weird suggestion to prevent this we have yet to find one that works

so we are resigned to a couple of weeksof random thumps and whoomps

Luckily the birds never seem to end up injured and after a bit of a shake all seem to recover

and fly off, albeit with a bit of a lean of their own

What I don't understand is why they don't swerve

I understand the reflections on the window mean they think there is sky

but at some point don't they get close enough to see another bird in their path

and think of swerving to avoid the bird that is hurtling towards them head on

or are the birds all daredevils at heart and like playing chicken with other birds???

I can't help thinking maybe they get quite the shock when it happens

and I can just imagine them meeting up with mates later

and talking about the bird that knocked them for a loop and how he really packed a punch

or maybe they don't tell anyone and just pretend it never happened

because other birds find it endlessly funny like we do when someone runs into a glass door

and yes I have done just that... more than once

and am rather worried about doing it these days as I am down an air bag

I can see lots of bruises on my left hand side in my near future from running into things

Daredevil birds aside I can't help but be awash with the goodwill and wishes

of this extraordinary community of ours

I have a house so filled with flowers that Phantom has dubbed this week The Week of Flowers 

which is better than last week which was known as The Week of Losing Lefty Part 2

I can't help but be inspired and have spent the week doing some sketches of various doses of wonderful that have been sent my way

like these orchids in their blinged up vase that  I have been painting

 from a group of friends on facebook organised by the lovely Lynn Noyes

there have also been even an embarrassment of gifts,cards, letters and emails

which are filling my everyday with joy and more than a few tears

and overwhelming me with the generous spirit of my friends

not to mention my family... my sister gave me this very cool ceramic tea pot for the wall of my studio... it is totally cool isn't it

I am so crazy grateful for the support and thoughtfulness of this community

that I am not even freaking out at the chemo and radiation ahead

ok I am freaking out at times at the thought of all that

partly because I suspect bald is not going to much of a look on me

but dodgy dome head aside I can't help but be filled with positive thoughts and energy

so I am going to go and pour some of that energy into more painting and sketching

that tea pot on the wall is calling me not to mention I am so excited to be finally getting back into the Cuppa With Friends paintings!!!

PS ... Happy Paint Party Friday... xx