Airbrushing

Last Thursday night I headed back to my old stomping ground of Perth Modern School for my TAFE Photoshop class. I'm doing a short course so I can airbrush all the photos of Angus and compile a portfolio for the child modelling industry. JOKING (...but I know he could do it..hee, hee!).

I've got a creative project for 2009 to design and print a 2010 diary. The theme is memorablilia from the 50's and 60's. If you have any classic nostalgia hanging around that I could borrow for a photo shoot or scan...let me know. I'm thinking old ads from magazines, recipe books, fab dress fabrics, anything! So, the Photoshop course is to get me into the world of image manipulation and getting files print-friendly. As our friend Bruce says..."You gotta have a project".

AB got clearance from his paedatric urologist at the end of last week. After a traumatic forty-minute-straight-jacketed-radioactive-scan it showed the kidney had not got any worse since the operation so that's a 'great' result. He'll have ultrasounds for a few years to come but that should be the end of it. Yay.

Picnic Number 1

One of my gifts to Michael this Christmas was a fusion of his favourite things; picnics, great food and us. Last Sunday we enjoyed the first of 6 installments. We altered the venue to Kings Park at the last moment as we snuck to Bold Park last weekend for a swim in the 'Pool among the Gum Trees'.

When He Giggles, We Giggle

Peas in a Pod

This is the day these two were 5 months and 9 months.

Letter to TODAY show on 9

Hi team,

As a deliberate and dedicated watcher of TODAY I would like to comment on the Naomi Watts ‘news’ this morning.

It is an admirable stance to condemn the paparazzi for clicking the nude photos of her and only show “heavily pixelated” versions of the snaps. In my opinion, a more powerful and honourable stance would be to completely disempower the photographer and not even direct your viewers’ attention to him or his work. It would be interesting to know how many of your viewers curiously visited his website even after your scornful portrayal of him.

Lisa, with your extensive journalistic career and strong reputation, maybe you can help lead Australians to be healthier consumers of celebrity lives. For me, I made a decision a few years ago never to buy a glossy publication that supports the paparazzi industry.

In my opinion, as nice as Richard Reid is(!), his segment is the lowest point of your show. It would be a wonderful point of difference if the 9 network operated from an Aussie position of honour and solidarity (as has been so celebrating in the past week) and align themselves with women like the mortified Naomi.

I would love to support that kind of social action.

Fire

It hasn't be hard to turn the TV off this week. Hearing so many stories of the thousands of people traumatised by fire and loss has been too much for me in the morning news. It's hard to even write about because every word describing tragedy is inadequate.

The Danger Week

The remote control has been my worst enemy today. It was too hot to go outside and the day dragged on with the TV entertainment choices dulling my mind as each hour ticked over. By 3pm I was at a Hungry Jack's drive-thru ordering a vanilla shake just to break the monotony. So this is the week where the chances of getting 'addicted' to any number of new series is dangerously high. Why is it so alluring when my wish list is full of activities I really want to do?

So You Think You Can ... avoid getting hooked? I'm planning to even though I'm typing with a flickering TV in my sights.