Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

Art Doll - Wilma Simmons  Happy Australia Day... Although there is some controversy over when "Australia Day" should be celebrated. ( see this ABC commentary ) , for this year, Australia Day remains 26 January, with its official holiday tomorrow, 28 January.  Generally, I am fairly politically outspoken, but on this matter, I am still undecided. However, like many Australians, I am leaning towards the movement for changing the date...  I feel for indigenous Australians for whom this date is very hurtful. Whatever the date, we will most likely celebrate Australia Day in our usual way -  very quietly - either doing something in our community or just enjoying our native garden.  Anigozanthus Big Red - Kangaroo Paw  Grevillea juniperina - Pink Lady  Corymbia ficifolia -Summer Red  Syzygium ( possibly Resilience)  Chamaelaucium uncinatu - Gerladton Wax 

Photo - our neighbourhood    26  January  - the date of the official national day in Australia. This day marks the anniversary of the British  landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove in 1788. In contemporary Australia, its significance has become more inclusive, recognizing  and celebrating the diversity of our community. It is the day many become new citizens of Australia and we are all asked to reaffirm our citizenship.   As an Australian citizen I affirm my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I uphold and obey. To mark this special day, here are some images of past favourite tags with an Australian flavour - flashback from my work in early 2013.  Eucalypt leaves - sun sensitive paint on cotton fabric.  Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' :  flower  print on fabric, with additional  colour - felt tip pen & pencil  ...

First day of Spring in our garden .... all photos taken on 1 September, 2013 with a Canon Ixus. 

Today my sister-in-law had an operation on her pelvis. Before going to the hospital, we were talking about her friend who told her that she needed to think “yellow” as a special healing colour. I had coincidentally been reading about colour therapy, so we spent the morning researching and discussing theories about healing and colour. Here’s what we discovered about yellow from www.colourtherapyhealing.com : "YELLOW relates to the solar plexus chakra, situated below the ribs The organs to which this chakra relates are the liver, spleen, stomach and small intestine. The endocrine gland is the pancreas. Healing properties: Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and the mind. It helps awaken mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent colour for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles. Dark yellow soothes pains in the nerves (shooting pains)…. “ So while my sister-in-law was in the operating theatre this afternoon,...