Nesting Weather.

Okay – so I didn’t win but it was a great dinner with lots of really interesting people all over the place so I didn’t really mind. I was able to spend some time walking around the Art Gallery of NSW  at night looking at the Archibald Prize Entrants and being very, very impressed. Dinner was served after we’d finished looking about – it was magic having the Gallery and all those portraits looking down at us. I’m sure there’s a story in an Art Gallery for me – I did start one when I visited the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. It wasn’t all the paintings and famous, famous names of artists that got me going – it was the waiter in the Restaurant upstairs. It was this marvellous place with a giant clock on one wall – we were sitting behind the clock having our coffee and cake and watching the hands go around when I noticed the waiter. He had on the whitest shirt and swished around flapping a tea-towel (I’m sure it wasn’t a tea-towel – probaly has a special name or something but it looked like a tea-towel to me). He was mostly rousing on the other staff and hurrying people into the seats. We were all rushed about and it was a bit of a battle not to gobble the cake and gulp the coffee so we didn’t clutter up the place. We managed though – and while I watched him (and the hands  of the clock) I began to wonder what might happen if a little mouse lived in the pocket of a guard and at night he was able to come and the crumbs in the restaurant. I began to think that this waiter would be a mouse’s worst enemy – and the guard (and I’d already called him Guilliame) would be his best friend. And it would be well until Guilliame gets the sack…mmmm, what future then for a small, inconsequential mouse….maybe I’ll get back to that story.

I met some beaut kids at A.B. Paterson College. They were very keen and we laughed our heads off about me and my newest addition (more about that in a minute). We wrote stories together and solved problems. I love it when everyone giggles together – seems like the whole world needs a good laugh sometimes, don’t you reckon?

I didn’t intend to write about art gallery story making. I was intending to write about the lovely rain and colder days and grey skies and how its just brilliant being warm and snug inside. Its a time when I worry about people who aren’t as lucky as I am – I do the little bits I can to try and change that situation – mostly I fill bags with clothes and books but I’m thinking I’d like to get involved with some of the knitters who make squares and then turn them into warm rugs. The good news about grey skies, for this writer anyway, is that it seems to free up my imagination and my fingers twitch to start getting into some new work. I have started playing with a new idea this week – its another novel about Oliver Briskett, the seeing-eye private detective dog who solved the murder of Thomas A Gentle. This time I’m thinking he might have to help solve the mystery of the Missing Baby. Her name is L’il Chloe and she’s toddled off- well, maybe….or she might have been kidnapped…I’m still working on this….I’m a bit worried about who might kidnap her, and for why…is she rich, special, have super powers…what what what??

And, finally, I want you to meet my newest addition. He looks like a miniature Doberman (black and tan) so his name is Bonsai. He’s a tea-cup Chihuahua – he really is although he’s more coffee mug size now. My daughter sent him to me as he had no home – he landed via Qantas in a giant crate…such a wee, small thing in the corner. We loved each other straight away – he sleeps on my bed and chews my old dog, Noelene…and she loves it! They play chasing up and down the hall and generally have a fabulous time. If you want to see Noelene and Timon (the other Maltese) have a look in ‘Grave Catastrophe’ – they’re the Maltese whose names are Block and Tackle.

That’s all for this week. Have a wonderful winter. Snuggle down and, if you feel like it, try and get onto the knit a square thing. And then there’s the MS Readathon – are you doing it? I’m going to have a quiz night at my house..Oh, and just one last thing – had a great time at Mater Dei in Ashmore the other day. We made up stories about bears and kids fallin off cliffs and dogs who have no home. Brilliant.

Smile at someone close to you – they’ll either smile back (good) or think your nuts (better)!

Love Nette.