appalling...

Last night, ABC's 'Four Corners' exposed the realities of Australia's live beef export industry to Indonesia in a report that I must say - I didn't have the stomach to sit through....

Here's the link to see the episode in i-view if you can manage it....

Essentially (and saving us all a harrowing tale) beefy lovelies (mostly Brahmans) from Northern Australia are being exported live to Indonesia, with the endorsement and encouragement of our governments and Australian industry, where they are then kept and killed in atrocious circumstances (in Australia such systematic mistreatment of animals, I trust, would result in both fines and gaol terms...) - I can't even bear to type about the manner in which these poor creatures are mistreated. It is simply appalling (you will need to try to sit through the story if you can).

Here (in blogger land), There (in the home and around the traps), and Everywhere my personal position on animal welfare and vegetarianism has been stated and lived fairly clearly... I am a vegetarian, I live on a beef property, I advocate that all animals (and especially domesticated animals that depend upon human care) be treated with respect and... yes... LOVE,  for all their lives. I maintain that if you eat meat,  you should make yourself familiar with the beast you are consuming: where did it come from? (locally I hope), what did it eat? (milk from its mother and grass from the paddock I hope), how did it live? (naturally, out in the paddocks, in a herd, doing cattle things to the last possible moment I hope), how was it treated? (with considered care, and minimal intervention or chemicals I hope), how was it dispatched from this world? (without a long truck journey, stress-free, swiftly, painlessly, by someone experienced I hope)...

 I don't think this is too much to ask.

and if, like me, you feel that even with the very best circumstances, eating something that had a face, a mind, a heart, and a personality seems - well - just not right... then don't.

Choose a vegetarian diet.

Irrespective of individual choices - I hope that everyone, everywhere sends our (Australian) government and involved industries a very clear message:

LIVE EXPORT OF ANIMALS MUST STOP

sign the GetUp! petition: here

 FP and the Friesan boys and girls....
NOT destined for live export to unfriendly lands....

** I am so appalled by live export and inhumane treatment of animals that I've cross-posted this on both my sams creek farm blog and here.....

UPDATE Wed... I posted on the farm blog a lovely collection of pics taken this morning of some of our calves.... a cheerful sight to counter-balance all the horrible 'four corner' images....




....

slow work...

long hours with quiet work...

cutting, folding, bundling, adding wood to the fire, cutting folding, bundling, watching old movies, listening to new podcasts, cutting, folding, bundling, helping with kiddies homework, listening to deadly trombone practice, cutting, folding bundling, moving lap cat,  cutting, folding, bundling, thinking, breathing, loving process....

cutting, folding, bundling...

recent reads...

Candelo Books, my local independent bookseller, loves me...... loves me I tell you!

I'm always ordering books, books, and more books (it's one of my weaknesses.. but I don't count it as a vice). I thought I'd share a couple of my recent purchases...

 

Masters - Book Arts is from Lark Books -  so you know it's going to have lots and lots of delicious images.... American book artists dominate (and there are some notable omissions... and interesting inclusions) - but it was nice to see lovely pics of books by Adele Otteridge.

My verdict? its well worth the under $30 price tag

I've found the Green Guide for Artists by Karen Michel a real revelation.... fascinating ideas for making your own non toxic art materials and rethinking the sustainability of certain common arts practices..... (and I love the profiles of various ecologically conscious artists in the back of the book)....

Given that we have a girlie who has rather nasty allergies to chemicals (applying even so-called 'hypo-allergenic' sunscreen to EJ's face can end in a hospital visit) - I've become increasingly aware of chemicals in the home and studio and have set about minimising what nasties I use.  I've been slowly yet radically changing my arts practice over recent years..... I've given away certain materials completely (all solvent-based paints and cleaners for a start) and I'm questioning many, many others (all paints worry me... I mean have you read the ingredients? eeeek heavy metals... weird polymers....). And what about the manufacturing and distribution of art products? It's all a worry to me.  It just strikes me as a bit hypocritical to use unsustainable or environmentally suspect materials (not to mention the highly toxic damn stuff) within an arts practice, all the time trying to live a life that is environmentally responsible (I don't think all my organic home-grown vegies would make up for naughty art products). Hmmmm... I hadn't planned to chat about the environmental sustainability of art materials and practices right now.... lets just say it's something I'm giving constant thought to presently as I try to find a path I'm comfortable with... and it's a topic I'll no doubt return to at length sometime...

Maybe after I read a few of my other new books -

I've heard very interesting things about Post Carbon Reader 

(ps if you follow the link you'll end up at the post carbon institute - a very interesting webby place indeedy.... from here you can freely download quite a few of the chapters from the book)

I haven't had the opportunity to get into this book yet ...

or this ....

 Radical Homemakers (again - follow the link to the site..... it's all good...  trust me!)


ahhhhh I just need a few more hours in the day (I'm currently reading stuff to write more of my exegesis... )

ahhh well - I'll get there...

eventually...

new projects....

(yep its another hippy-stamatic pic)

I've started preparing another stack of world book encyclopaedias for a new (big) booky project.... 

I've spend days and days (and days) disemboweling volumes of knowledge...

soon I will be spending days and days (and days) folding and piercing

then weeks and weeks (and weeks) sewing....

 

...

new things....

Blogger's little hissy-fit over the last few days ('what? you want to post a story? I don't think so...') has meant I've held off telling you all about my great new thing.... yep, this week I gots meself a smarty-pants phone ....

view through the bamboo to the Kooraban National Park....
taken with the new smarty-pants phone and retro photo app hipstmatic

I DID have a mobile phone waaaaay back in the early 1990s (you know the sort - they were the same size, shape, weight and functionality of a brick) but since that monster muscle-building Motorolla I've been mostly mobile free...

Now that's not to say I didn't dream (ahhhhh when I read reports years ago of a smarty phone in development by a fruity little computer company I developed an instant crush..... I was teaching in local high school at the time and nerdy kids would tease me mercilessly about my crush on this little yet-to-be-released gadget.... the 'i-phone'..... ) but I honestly couldn't justify getting one....

UNTIL NOW!!!

(I've got a lot of 'projects' in the wings at the moment - and a bit of mobile action will certainly help me stay on top of things... like who's collecting the kids after school!)


I'm having a blast fiddling with my newest love... so you'll all have to put up with me discovering things that most of the rest of the connected world discovered ages and ages ago.... (like hipstamatic.....mmmmmmm LOOOOOVE hipstamatic)

this was the first piccie taken on the new gadget- using hipstamatic 

(mmm LOVE hipstamatic) 

this is without a doubt my favourite ever piccie of EJ.....

Retro Sass 

hipstamatic-style

(mmmm LOVE hipstamatic)

I'll try hard not to bore you all stoopid with my i-phone chatter ... and pics!

I promise

....

mumma's day 2011

I'm not a hallmark card-carrying sucker for artificially created gift-giving moments.... so today was not a day filled with expensive gifts and gestures - and anyway -  there's no way I could possibly give my mumma what she deserves. You see - I happen to have the world's very best mumma...

mummy and me - cobargo debutante's ball - 1971**

mummy is wearing a red and glittery silver tight mini dress with long glittery silver gloves

corrrrrr - what a looka!
mini me is wearing a look of total adoration....

Growing up I didn't always appreciate my mumma's special qualities. My mum worked full time (in a town and a time when NO mothers had a job outside the home) Not that this was her choice - and no, it wasn't because she was pursuing a glorious profession or career - my mum worked 6 days a week packing shelves and serving customers in my grandparents general store. More than anything in the world my mum wanted to be a full-time stay-at-home, bake-the-dinner, clean-the-house, make-everything-from-scratch MOTHER..... instead.... for most of my early childhood, my mum was the family's main breadwinner. On top of her very physical job, mum helped on the family farm, and helped to care for her parents, she did all our family's cooking, cleaning and housework,  she knitted, crocheted and sewed almost all our clothes and STILL found the time and energy to cook and volunteer her time with almost every community group you can think of.

My mumma is a spectacular baker of cakes and slices, a meticulous crafter (you name the craft - she will be just about the best you've ever seen), and in her youth was an incredible athlete (she was the fastest runner in the district ... ever.... and at 15 years old, she almost equalled the Australian record for 100 yards). Yet she's very modest and has the incredible ability to understand and empathise with all people. She can strike up a conversation anywhere and in a heart-beat will make life-long friends. She's really quite amazing - in an understated, under-rated kind of way. I always say - if you want to see what selfless giving and unconditional love look like - it's my mumma! (oh and she's also beautiful and brave, hardworking and strong, super sweet and kind, generous and loyal, tiny and terrific!)

My mumma is without a doubt the world's best mumma (a completely unbiased opinion of course. My mumma is my hero.

I am fortunate that we only live a few kilometres apart and I either see or speak with her almost every day. I can't imagine life without her.


I wish everyone had a mum like mine.

**Even though this piccie is 40 years old - everyone would still be able to recognise my mummy: she has the same hair style and colour (with only a couple of grey strands.... unbelievable) and could probably still squeeze into this tiny dress (unbelievable)

autumn colour....

It's a glorious autumn day on this May Day here at Sams Creek
(today is also National Permaculture Day dontcha know!)

my garden is only starting to don its autumn finery.....

and I'm disappointed that I had to postpone the Grand Opening of Sams Creek Bookworks as the weather right now is AMAZING! (autumn is without doubt my favourite season) the days start with misty mornings, the sun comes out for nicely warm days (comfortable for all activities), there are few vicious winds or storms.... mmmm delightful!

 

(I'm not the only one enjoying autumn in the garden)

Today I noticed an amazing fungi in the garden.... 

 I don't know very much about fungi 

so I have no idea what this one is called (or anything about it) - but isn't it fabulous!

(if you know about this one I'd love to learn more about it)

mmmmm its too nice to be inside ... 

I'm going outside to play!

...