If You Need A Little Love

 

The writing's on the wall, if you are in need of a little love, this ones for you.

SUGARBEE XX   01/12/12

5 Hours On The Lost Side

Take a look, see Time, beautiful precious time, tick, tick tick.  What's a minute mean to you? How about 30 minutes, an hour or more? Sure time is relative, but what if I give you an extra 5 hours today? How would you spend that time? _____________  _____________  ____________ (fill in the blanks with your wonderful mind).  Now imagine you are locked out of your house with nothing but the clothes you are wearing, no watch, shoes, keys, phone, money, pen, paper, bag, anything to read, eat or drink, no access to your car etc etc.  What will you do? That was my fate today and this is how I filled in the hours: meditating in the garden, strolling around the neighbourhood, chatting to strangers, smelling flowers, eating fruit hanging from trees, staying calm, refusing to think about the things I had planned to be doing, making daisy chains, having a wee in the garden and finally finding a place to lay my weary head and dream. 
I am grateful for my long afternoon of forced relaxation, and am awakened to the reality of modern life's need to accessorize itself with lots of lovely useful things have and do.

SUGARBEE XX   30/11/11

There Is Only One Way...

And that is how you do it! You smother on Nutella, you don't hold back, you wreck havoc on the bread with the sticky chocolate spread. Toast is good, hot or not, little bit of butter, followed by many spoonloads of that sweet brown chaos.  Really any chocolate spread will do, as long as it's quality. The trick is to keep the spread strictly on top of the bread, because if this yummy excuse for breakfast is not handled with care, it is likely to be one messy affair. Consume with a large chocolate milkshake. Mine was raisin toast covered in butter and submerged in Nutella. I'm proud to say I scored an A, clean fingers and clean face!

SUGARBEE XX   29/11/12

The Cutest Little Taco Truck In Town

This is without a doubt one of the nicest things in my neighbourhood. Cornutopia, come here to indulge in super yummy Mexican tucker. It's inexpensive, delicious and topped off with personal service that puts a sparkle in your day.  To experience this treat, you will need to make your way to the Preston Markets, which I have to say are excellent all round, just like one big family. Situated in Melbourne, Australia, but even if you're living in Japan, it's worth the trip. This little Taco truck offers organic fresh fare, with lots of gluten free, it's hmm hmm tasty and satisfying definitely. Best bet EVER.  Okay okay, you get the point, I love this little taco truck, but be assured, I wouldn't rave if it were not deserving. I will link the website and let them speak for themselves. http://cornutopia.com.au/Cornutopia/CORNUTOPIA.html  Yay Cornutopia, you rock!  

SUGARBEE XX   28/11/12

Tug Tug The Tinfoil Monster

"I am Tug Tug, Tinfoil Monster Elite.  If you can see me, I will send you a whole packet of Norwegian Breakfast Biscuits to munch on and you will gain secret powers. Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom." 
I heard him first, a voice from the ground, initially a low growl, developing into pronounced words delivered with depth and conviction. I turned to face the footpath, I saw him shiny and moving ever so slightly, a kind of shake, a kind of shimmy, an invitation to believe. I made a snap decision. I chose to believe in this low growling, shaking, shimming, tinfoil creature. Bang, like a flash in a pan Tug Tug was real, I snapped him with my camera, looked at my watch, turned and ran, I was late for a date. That was Saturday. On Sunday I opened the front door of my teeny tiny apartment, and waiting on the porch was a whole packet of Norwegian Breakfast Biscuits. I have yet to open them, something is telling me I'm better savouring rather than gobbling this delivery.

SUGARBEE XX   27/11/12

Save A Bike

I love bikes and this bike is a GT, and that's a little love story right there!  But look, in the top image we have a sad phenomenon in life, a bike that has fallen. Observe how the back wheel is hanging over the gutter. A few big vehicles rushing past, whooshing air pulling the bike further onto the road, could mean one crumpled wheel or worse, one crumpled bike. And if a driver sees the bike, and swerves to miss it, hitting another car in the process, that's a whole world of trouble no one in the world needs. Now observe the bottom image.  An upright bike, a thoughtful motion by me because it takes only a quick moment to save someone an afternoon of grief. So when you lock your bike, take a second to check it is standing straight and secure. And people, when you see something you can do to improve a situation, don't hold back, it's these actions that make the world a better place to be in.

SUGARBEE XX   26/11/12

Sunkist Me

It's days when you have Sunkist ice cream, you know the world is pure and fine and just how you wouldn't mind it staying like that forever.  Sunkist to me was always tanning lotion, yet they also made ice cream and I bet you it was well worth the money spent. The packaging looks delightful, but have you noticed it is a tin? How long ago did ice cream come in a tin? And have you noticed how vanilla is written on the pink side and strawberry is written on the white side. This recalls to mind a little ditty I once heard.  Elephants don't bite; mosquito’s do, so it's the little things that count.  Now having had a wee nosey at Sunkist online I find that Sunkist Corporation is oranges, orange juice, lemons, almonds, pistachios’, various fruit and vegetable juices, various flavours of soda, vitamin pills, protein shots, lollies, juicer machines, a place in Yesterland at Disneyland, a bar somewhere, but no mention of tanning lotion. Suddenly the penny drops and I realise I've been thinking of Coppertone, silly me.  
You can see the delightful tin sitting on a shelf at Pearl Oyster Cafe, 114 Miller St, Preston / Thornbury, Melbourne (Is everything good in Melbourne? I think it might be) Tram 112 will take you right to the door!

SUGARBEE XX   25/11/12

Racial Harmony In The Land Of King And Queens

It's a lesson for everyone who hasn't quite got with the program yet, racial harmony in the land of Kings and Queens.  I saw these two in a little knick knack shop, otherwise known as a $2 shop.  My reaction was something akin to blown away, wow, speechless, what on earth am I looking at? They are pretty cool, but I didn't buy them, they just wouldn't fit the decor at home. The funny thing is, it is only now as I write this post that I'm questioning the gender roles I assigned at the shop, immediately King and Queen popped to mind, I guess that's fair enough considering the crowns, so the black frog became the King and the White Frog became the Queen. You know how it goes, king queen, left right, up down, in out, try reversing the order and it just doesn't roll off your tongue quite so smoothly.

SUGARBEE XX   24/11/12

The Beach Paradise

 

Who wants to pack up and run away to the beach like forever! Me, Me, Me. It's a summer scene set in paradise and that's why Sugar Bee was there with her hands up in the air singing "la la la la la, it's a good day." This might be a photo that suits a larger format, I feel robbed of the feeling just looking at the small size image, so I close my eyes and recall the heat of the sun, how it wrapped me in an angelic sense of freedom and the bliss and intensity all come flooding back. And then that lovely honey child moving through time, strolling to the beat of her own drum, caught by the camera just before escape. She leaves me feeling content and at peace with the world. These are the days I carry with me when the sky is grey and the temperature drops below comfortable, these are the days I think about when I forget to bring a coat, these are the days I quietly slip into when I just want to slip away.

SUGARBEE XX   23/11/12

Meet The Hungarian Puli

That has to be the funniest dog in the world. Meet the Hungarian Puli and I can tell you that dog hair is 100% natural, no styling here at all.  I'm guessing around about a foot in height, he's like a terrier, also illustrated by the inset image, if you look closely you can see a tiny pink tongue sticking out in an effort at expression. When researching his breed, Google threw me a buffet of images of Hungarian Puli with shorter hair, but in my humble opinion this boy wins the appearance competition hands down because when he moves, it's surreal. It's like he is gliding, First you do a double take and then a massive smile wraps itself across your face in wonder, and you imagine the entire series of The Goodies was created because someone walked by the studios with a Hungarian Puli.  The following link gives you an idea of what he looks like as he moves but that shorter hair just doesn't do justice to what I saw. It's the difference between a ballet and a Bob Marley Concert. http://www.wiki-pet.com/breeds/dog/breed.php?breed_id=163&name=puli But I did learn this is a smart breed that needs maximum grooming. Fancy that!

SUGARBEE XX   22/11/12

1, 4, 9, 16 or 25 Today Sir?

And if I wanted an egg from the bottom row? No, just kidding. This is a grand effort by a local shopkeeper, employing skill, creativity and trust in the neighbourhood. The table is on the footpath rather than inside the shop, appearing out there daily. The top egg has its own little hold, and how cute is that! A world in itself, a world you can view, a world that invites you to take it apart but chances are you would never dare to. Close your eyes and imagine for half a minute the entire world was built this way.  What do you see? Pyramids, care, or craziness everywhere. Perhaps it's a mix of all three? And the eggs are free range, yay, yay, and yay! When a spare moment shows itself later today, I shall use that spare moment to venture inside the shop and see what other wonders lie waiting.

SUGARBEE XX   21/11/12

It Is So Much More Than Hair

Love it, loved it the second I saw it, loved it so much I fell off my seat at the local cafe and made the trip over the road to capture this fantastic hair on camera. Tattoos are everywhere now days, but wild hair seemed to settle down with the retiring punks. And then this man (whose name I forgot and I apologize to for forgetting) walks down the street and brings the sunshine with him. Maybe he only went in for a hair style, but he came out giving permission to dream to those who are tired, bringing smiles to those who are bored and rigid, and carrying stars for his girl on a cloudy night so she knows everything will be perfect and right. 

If you are reading this dear sir, please comment with the name of the salon, I forgot this too, opps. Thanks and thanks for being you  

SUGARBEE XX   20/11/12

A Lady Spider

I can't exactly tell you if this is a lady spider or not, but against the perfect flower, delicate is what comes to mind, and in my mind delicate and lady go hand in hand.  I am a fan of spiders, I realize a lot of people run a mile in fear and cause all sorts of upset in the process, but I love spiders.  See a spider inside and you simply take it outside, it's not like they are going to be able to eat you, or take you home to make a meal of you for their family. Okay so there are poisonous spiders and these require special consideration, but I find ignorance is best in this situation, you simply take the spider outside. To date this has worked fine for me, I have yet to live in a place where the spiders are a big problem and if I do, then I shall still love spiders, although I might add caution to the mix. National Geographic put it like this: "In fact, spiders are less life threatening than snakes or sharks, or even bees."

Further spider information:
    Here's is a link on white tail spiders, please read the danger to human paragraph if you have a fear of these spiders: http://australianmuseum.net.au/White-tailed-Spider
    For those of you who are spider fans, I have linked in a little treat, and in the process learnt about the Saint Andrew's Cross. http://www.spiders.com.au/ The chart is great but the site is linked to pest control which upsets me tremendously, being the just take it outside and be done with it kinda girl. 

SUGARBEE XX   19/11/12

The Buddha Hand

If you have never seen one before you are not alone.  At first I was like "What?'' and then the super sweet French backpacking girl told me all about it. You are looking at a Buddha Hand, also known as a Cthulhu Fruit. Exactly how you pronounce that, I have no idea.  This is a citrus fruit, apparently used as a flavour or a scent in salads as opposed to a fruit to eat outright.  Since I am particularly unfamiliar with the Buddha Hand, before I go spreading untruths, let me link you to some gourmet information. http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2009/03/06/how-to-eat-a-buddha-hand/  All you have to do now is find one. Good luck with that adventure, I suspect not every local park contains one friendly French backpacker with a selection of uncommon fruit on hand. Originating in Northeastern India and China, now common in Southern California according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha's_Hand  The rest of the story is research as homework if you so desire, me I'm still playing aliens with my Buddha Hand and laughing all the way round the lounge.

SUGARBEE XX   18/11/12

The Saddest Little Flute In The World

Oh my, I spotted him straight away; he is officially (in my book) the saddest little flute in the world. I picked him up off the harsh grotty gravel, took him home and placed him in the warm beautiful garden. It's been sometime since he came to live at my house, still sad to this day, he won't tell why, he won't let even a peep of a tune out, no, only silence and this makes me a little sad too. 
But every so often in my dreams I hear the saddest little flute quietly pipe out a slow low tune, dressing my dreams in sadness.  I cannot recall the secrets he's told me when I wake, the only clue he sung at all is a soft dry line of tears on my cheek.

SUGARBEE XX   17/11/12

Bianca Is A Beauty!

Is this the cutest little bike you ever did see?  Her name is Bianca, she is tiny and precious and rebuilt to fit the owner, notice the tall seat post and the headset. In bike language the headset is the curvy white bar beneath the handlebars. Here's a link if you want to know more about bikes: http://www.whycycle.co.uk/bike_jargon_buster/ I'm thinking this bike was built for an average size 8 year old girl. Personally I love the ingenuity that transformed the original into Miss Modern Bianca.  The end result is a mix of BMX and Ladies City Stroller as I like to call them, you know the ones with the wide seat and the huge wheels that look rather hip, might weigh a tonne, but go quite fast, the ones you can successfully ride to work in a skirt and arrive without a drop of sweat falling from your forehead. Yes but back to Bianca, what a doll, what a darling, what a cool expression of Awwww. And notice the wheel lollies (another one of my terms) and those beautiful white trims on the tyres. Bianca, Bianca I am in awe!

SUGARBEE XX   16/11/12

The Tiniest Things

It is often in the details where the sweetest things lay waiting.  Along a city fringe street where houses begin to take prominence over shops, offices, or anything else, someone has thought to stencil a tiny man holding a branch while a rather large bird (if we are not to get hung up about perspective) tweets a merry tune. Maybe a baby’s cradle resting on the ground as Daddy sings his song. And of course me being me, a third option presents itself, I see what I’m sure the artist intended, a pair of boots. The legs apparent because the concept of negative space has been understood and utilized in a way that would thrill any art teacher. “Ah ha, my pupil, she understands me” echoed around the studio walls.

SUGARBEE XX   15/11/12

The Macaroon Arrangement

This is a macaroon arrangement that makes me smile and the reasons are many. The heavenly macaroon, the colours chosen, the coffee beans, the lolly effect, and on and on it goes.  Maybe it is the collective effort of all parts that stops me in my tracks and invites the dream to begin.  It advertising in its honest form, nothing here is a lie, you can have it all, there are no beautiful girls dressed as maids offering you the treat on a tray, no candy coloured apron wearing sweet boys in the background munching the goods to tempt you inside, no loud disco music, no try this try that 2 for 1 specials, no, no, no, just two sweet macaroons dancing in a jar of coffee.  

SUGARBEE XX   14/11/12

The Rabbit

The dish was jam, butter and toast, a simple fare in the first world, sourdough if I recall correctly, although the flavour is irrelevant. It is the shape that set my mind to whirling immediately. Hungry when I ordered, hungry as I waited, then BAM like a batman scene, breakfast was delivered and all I felt was creativity, all I saw was jam as paint and bread as my canvas. Half a minute later Rabbit was born. A second cup of coffee downed before I could contemplate eating Rabbit, but my hunger still there, and so the nibbling started, a somewhat guilt ridden affair.
Forever since, Rabbit has always come to life when such sliced bread is in my presence.  It’s not like I see Rabbit in supermarket bread, no, Rabbit is only alive in special bread, but he is there. Rabbit is not just for my eyes; you have been introduced to Rabbit now. But think how many Rabbits are waiting to be seen, they are born in bread ovens the world over, each loaf a family of 12 of so, and that is a lot of rabbits.  I haven't met anyone else who ever saw Rabbit; I sincerely hope I'm not the only one.

SUGARBEE XX   13/11/12