While I was away...

I've been doing a lot of research on surface analysis on a change of medium and technique to see if it would work and I wouldn't be so hampered by the weather when working. Apparently it might. or not. Depends on who you read. Only way to find out is to test it really, so everybody cross your fingers they don't crack! [please and anything else you might like to cross, unless you might get stuck like that!]  I also made the males in the house move my desks & cupboards around in my studio, so I have zones & more space. I've gotten quite a lot of ATC/ACEO's done as I kept finding inspiration as I fell down the rabbit hole and I've started using them as a kind of journal while I have my toe up in the air, they're a lot easier to juggle instead of a larger book.

All the new grandkids are doing well, along with their Mums. Gaining weight & becoming little people really quickly. 

One Sunday we hit the freeways at 4am to go gallivanting to Phillip Island to watch the Superbikes. Caught up with friends and had a great day although it was a bit hot. My favouritest motorbike rider, Max Biaggi was the star of the show, 1st and 2nd in an absolute cracker Race2 after he ran off the track and came back on in 21st place & then flew back up to 2nd. Was the best race I've watched. EVER! and added bonus he's now leading the championship & has the fastest lap record at PI. We were all standing on the tables cheering as he came down the straight to take 2nd. Big kids we are LOL

1st!!

I got severely dehydrated and had to go home earlier than we planned, so missed out on dinner with everyone but they all enjoyed dessert for me. Evil friends I have! I had to be rehydrated so much that I can now tell you where every public toilet is between Phillip Island and Bendigo, surprisingly there a lot. I didn't get sunburnt but did get windburn and no, have no idea why I dehydrated as I was drinking water the whole day. The only thing we [ inc the Dr] can think of is the pain medication I'm on requires me to drink a lot more fluids than normal & it was when we had the mini heatwaves. Apart from that...????

I've broken the same toe twice now, once a few weeks ago trying not to kill a cat by stepping on it, then yesterday I tried to avoid killing the other cat, stepped on to the kitchen mat, slid wildly across the floor and the cupboard kindly broke my slide with my previously broken toe. I swear the cat smirked before she sauntered over to rub sympathy all over my face & then demanded to be fed. And everyone wonders why they're called Terra and Khaos.

oh! I forgot, I also play Words with Friends and Draw Something, my username is antikva so if you play, shoot me a game :)

wearing cement shoes, swimming in treacle!

I don't think I've read this much in years :)  I have 1000+ emails in gmail and wading through them is like walking in a river of treacle with cement shoes! So many add notifications for g+ , youtube, twitter and pinterest that I've now temporarily turned them all off, combined with an art workshop I signed up for sending stupid emails every time someone coughs! If you sent me an add request for anything, sorry, but it's going to take me a few days to get through them all.

I've set up a folder, so if you do email me, make sure the title is mittens and I'll see it straight away instead of it languishing in my massive to cull pile. If you have emailed me via gmail and don't get a response it's because I've now resorted to scanning the list & deleting in bulk & may accidentally miss it.

Add that to the busy bloggers who last week went nuts with posting :) and wow. just wow. Blog Land was a barren desert late last year and now it's like Christmas was rain & everyone is blooming again. I think I'm going to just mark all read and start fresh with posts.

I've been working hard and also following up some family tree research that was on the backburner last year, like everything else. I did make headway on trove & discovered his funeral notice & found he was married 2 more times and ended up using his middle name instead. It's definite as all the kids are named in the funeral notice & via a WW1 record for his son. Such fun searching for a needle in a haystack of Johns[t]on[e]'s  so, if you have a Henry Vincent or Vincent or Henry Johns[t]on[e] born in Dunedin NZ in 1875 who moved to Sorell and Hobart Tas before 1896, I have some descendants for you :) He's also connected to the Johns[t]on[e]'s  in Scottsdale Tas and his 1st wife was Florence Edith Gill, which is the line we connect with. Other wives were Ellen [or Helen] and Elizabeth. They lived in Murray St and also Liverpool St Hobart later.

 The last of our daughters left home to make her way in the world, one kidlet to go...I can see freedom! LOL just kidding, sort of. Spent some time with the new grandchildrens, they are so cute and adorable, especially as I can give them to their mothers for the yucky stuff :) Both are happy chubby bubs doing all the right things before they should and keeping their Mothers on their toes and Nana in fits of laughter!

I'm waiting on a new phone to come in, it's worse than being a kid on Christmas morning! I usually use prepaid but this is a great deal and only a couple of $ more expensive than what I have now, so I will be joining the cool kid brigade :) Supposed to be here tomorrow, then I shall be app'ing away for a day or 2 :)

I can't promise I'll post every day but I hope to at least every couple of days again. Once I have my phone set up, I'll be posting pics of stuff that amuses me as well. I did go a bit nuts with family portraits over Christmas hehe, I was in their face trying for arty shots to put up on the wall. But, they all have to be similiar, the babies were easy, it was the grown up one's who were hard to get as they all kept pulling faces :) I should post those, they'd behave next time! LOL

Gordon Dalyrymple Nicol

So, I have found some further info about the mysterious Gordon Dalrymple Nicol but not that much :( I still have a Canberra library collection reference to chase up though but don't hold much hope. On the bright side The State Library of Queensland is sending me the catalogue they published for the exhibition :D

He was born approx 1894 in New Zealand to Francis Maitland Dalrymple Nicol & his wife Rose [nee Tahn] and had 1 brother Thomas [ who may be a twin or just registered at the same time] and a sister called Dorothy. I've sent off for the certificates.

He died in 1969 in NSW. He may have had an image published in a London magazine in the 1930's but I can't verify that.

I spoke to a very helpful gentleman called Ralph in NZ and he gave me a few ideas to chase up in relation to the Christchurch School of Art, which now may be known as the University of Canterbury.

He actually illuminated 3 poems for Angus & Robertson Ltd [ nope, they have no info either]

Song of the Wheat by AB [Banjo] Patterson
Kiss in the Ring by Henry Lawson
Darrell by Will H Ogilvie

I've got my mitts on a copy of Song of the Wheat, so will be hanging out waiting for the postie now for a couple of weeks :D

Apart from this meagre info gleaned using my genealogical skills :D he remains an enigma.