Celebrating crayons

A little bit about me...

Another day, another dollar. I work in the mining industry in Western Australia. Which I know is a 'shock n horror' blow that is totally at odds with my environmentally friendly loving principles.
Unfortunately living in Western Australia is rather exspensive due to the mining resources boom the average house price in the local market is upwards of $500,000. So becoming a home owner can be rather tough. Especially when you are attempting to do it on your own.
Unfortunately for me getting into the industry was the only way I could afford to break into the market and get a mortgage, and even with that I was lucky I scored my house at the beginning of the GFC (global financial crisis for anyone who has been living under a rock) so prices were much lower than expected.

But despite working in an industry that's all about profits and completely anti the environment, the company's environmental efforts are a joke, nothing more than a transparent cloak to look like they aren't the money hungry, resource consuming monster that they are... I TRY to be a positive influence. By bringing the environment and what we can do into the workplace discourse daily. Chanting less is more. It's surprising how the people you think would be the least likely to pay attention , often surprise you.

We work on a fifo roster, which means fly in fly out, 2 weeks at work, 1 week at home. Totally the wrong equation it should be the other way around. AND I'm totally hankering to go home. One week in, one week to go. I can't wait to get my DYI and crafting on the go. Hopefully I'll be painting the house this week when I get home, organizing my paperwork, cleaning... Aaaahhh

It probably all sounds very blah and like a massive chore to most people but when you're away from home and have little else going on in your life that's positive (very recent break up of six years with my partner) it's the small things in life that you really appreciate. Generally once a year I go on these massive purges cleaning out every element of my life, clearing out all the shit that is no longer required. So I'm looking forward to it! (Spring cleaning only it's winter..)

Until I get home though all my creative urges which are being constantly fuelled by my reading books, mags, e-zines, blogs are being channelled into my writing and my latest love - Taro Gomi colouring books! Which I discovered thanks to Jane of Sea of Shoes

What I love about these colouring books is that it's not just pages of pre-formulated images to colour in, so you are forced to use your imagination. There is a lot of white space in a Taro Gomi colouring book to fill in. I like to create complete scenes filling in as much of the space as possible. It challenges you to think outside of whatever the given shapes provided are.
I'd really like to post them but at this stage I don't have a scanner and to be honest that's really the best way I think to view them, and even then you're going to lose the textural elements viewing them via the computer screen.
So that will be my next purchase! Any recommendations???

I don't think as adults we do enough of the things that we loved from our childhood. Everybody is so centred on finances. AND BELIEVE ME I GET THAT. Life is rough, but I still believe we work far too much and live too little. With everything that has happened in 2010 thus far, to live more has become one of biggest aims, to engage more, to do more things (Not buy more things which seems to be the mistake most people make). I'm currently working on making my home a sanctuary not a storage space for unnecessary belongings. I'd love to know how much people spend on storage facilities and storage gizmos every year. Who ever invented those rental storage facilities is a mastermind, a very evil genius indeed... Think of all the resources just sitting locked away... Such a waste!

Well I should be sleeping people as I'm on nightshift.
Just think, do I really NEED it the next time you go to make a purchase? Can you make a better choice? Is there a greener option- if so find it!

The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith

Okay onto the books!

The next few book entries will be slightly delayed in terms of the timeline from when I read them to when I post about them as I've been rather prolific with my reading lately and rather lazy with my blogging!

Did I mention I'm currently working my way through Hallie Ephron's 1001 Books for every mood, plus all the books that have been sitting on my book shelves, cupboards, bedside tables, beneath the bed... pretty much everywhere, that have been waiting patiently since I purchased them, received them as gifts etc to be lovingly gazed upon and devoured.

First off! The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith of White Teeth fame. This is one of the ones that has been waiting patiently on my shelves. The Autograph Man is one of those books I love for the smallest of details. But I must admit my first reaction upon finishing reading this book was one of disappointment.

There are so many questions left unanswered. What does the main character Alex-Li Tandem learn? I'm not that sure that he does. Perhaps only how important Esther is too him and even this is possibly too late. (Alex.. I can relate).
The only thing in Alex's life that can be deemed finalised is his quest for a Kitty. Which reaches a point of saturation. The thirst is quelled, denounced. Yet once filled the void, those spaces in between that have been left wanting in Alex's life, remain empty, life is essentially the same even though everything has changed.

But then again isn't that a true representation of life. Very little is ever truly finished in life. Or is it? The act itself maybe finished but do we ever let go of the thoughts, reasons, values that brought us too that point in the first place?
Is The Autograph Man any less of value as a text because of these representations- It is precisely because of these representations that I adore this book, it causes you to ask questions, without being so deeply entrenched in the religious and philosophical questions that you get bogged down, it's still a relatively easy read. But it's the unanswered questions that mirror the every day nature of reality that it poses for which I value this text most.

Oh.. and Alex holding the battery that powers Esther's heart, is there a more beautiful image of the fragility and futility of love?