The Steampunk Capital of the World: who would have thought?
Steampunk HQ in Oamaru’s Victorian precinct.Picture ©Caron Eastgate Dann 2013 There was a surprise waiting for me on my recent trip to Oamaru, a coastal town of 13,350 people in North Otago on New...
View ArticleThe World’s Most Romantic Present
Of these three, which do you think would make the most romantic gift? The French perfume, the diamond and Burmese ruby ring, or the pencil sharpener? Yes, you’re right: the correct answer is…the pencil...
View ArticleDon’t get mad…
Ever heard the missive “Don’t get mad, get even”? I agree with the first half of this statement, because getting mad serves no positive purpose at all. When you get angry, your stress levels go way up,...
View ArticleThe secrets of great cooking
Timing is the most essential element of successful cooking, according to my husband, Gordon, and I agree with him. But there’s another: ingredients. What to cook, what to combine, how to make something...
View ArticleFelix, that wonderful cat with his bag of tricks
There are some animated characters that stay with you all your life. I was never much of a Mickey Mouse fan. My favourite character was always Felix the Cat. The cartoons were very old when I was a...
View ArticleThe selfie you make yourself
“Selfie in oil pastels”, by Caron Eastgate Dann Taking a photo of oneself used to be a) difficult and b) considered distastefully vain (à la that great Aussie saying, “she’s got tickets on herself”)....
View ArticleA grand design
Here is my latest art work, based on a photo I took at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. I’ve been to the Grand Palace at least 20 times, and it never ceases to amaze me with its vibrant colour,...
View ArticleWhen the world’s gone mad, there’s always art…
Recently, a friend and I went to the David Hockney exhibition ‘Current’ in Melbourne. Known as the UK’s greatest living artist, Hockney, who turns 80 this year, is a master at embracing the new while...
View ArticleLook what we grew in our courtyard garden!
We don’t have a garden as such, but there is a small L-shaped area through sliding doors, big enough for a collapsible washing line, a table and four chairs, one long narrow garden bed and some pots....
View ArticleWhy do people suddenly stop blogging?
I always thought it odd when I’d come across a lapsed blog that had seemed full of enthusiasm, and to which the writer had posted regularly (even daily), until, one day…nothing. No announcement or...
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