One of the things I love about living where I do is the profusion of nature that surrounds us. (It's also one of the things I hate. YOU try sleeping peacefully when two inch wild cockroaches are clattering in through your window.)
Two nights ago, the peace of the night was shattered by an animal sound so loud it drown off Leno's interview with Dwayne Johnson (lookin' good, by the way, Dwayne, whoever knew you could be so pleasant after we stopped smelling what you were cooking?).
We tried to ignore it, thinking it was perhaps a lizard in the wall, but it got so loud that Hanshen was forced to evacuate his comfy chair and search for the source in the garden. Believe it or not, a huge toad was sitting on the border of the tiny pond in the garden, making an absolute cacophony, probably a mating call of sorts.
He was so obsessed with calling out to the lady amphibians in the garden that he didn't bat an eyelid when I approached him with Bobby McGee. I got so close Bobby McGee went into macro. (I was going to say perhaps he didn't blink because he didn't have eyelids, but from Wikipedia, the source of all things true, I gather that toads have three eyelid membranes. Also, did you even know that there is apparently no taxonomic difference between toads and frogs? We just call them different things because, well, why have one word when two will do?!) (Also, in a side note, Bobby McGee is henceforth the name of my camera. I figure it's just easier to say when people ask: who is going to the integrated resort? and I reply: well, me. Me and Bobby McGee. I KNOW that's not grammatically correct. It's called artistic license, okay people?)
ANYROAD. After I finished snapping away, Toady McToaderson went on singing love sonnets to all and sundry so that my brother was forced to sweep him (gently!) on to the grass with a broom.
Yet, last night when I came home, guess what - a familiar violent croaking filled the air yet again! I have no clue what inspired the dude to pick our pond, but my mother actually tells me that she regularly finds frogspawn and tadpoles in the water, so I guess our little tub must be getting some hot frog action.
Next on my list of my favourite things about our house: Chip lying in the sun to warm his bones after a shower. I love it when he lies in the sun with his eyes half-closed and comes trotting in afterward, it's like hugging a toasty, delightfully wriggling puppy who smells like hot peaches. (I call animals "who" and not "which" because animals are people too, okay?)
Also, how COOL is my mother's dress? I chopped off her head because I'm not sure how she feels about her picture floating about on the Interweb... you know these old fogeys!
Apparently it's from some local designer called Nique D Adure or something along those lines. I don't know how I feel about the name, but I'm totally digging the print and cut of it.
And Hanwei's Threadless t-shirt about the future which says: "They lied to us"
Top: Camden market. Leggings: Cotton On. Shoes: Doc Marten. Earrings: Claire's. Satchel: Vintage, Lucky Plaza. (this is the one Jamie supposedly split stew on)
Cardigan: Cotton On. Dress: Forever 21. Tights: Topshop. Brogued heels: France. Satchel: Vintage, Lucky Plaza. Bracelet: Gift. Earrings: The Cathay.
One of my best friends, Beck, made me this bracelet something like TEN years ago and I still wear it regularly... it's one of my treasured pieces of jewellry. Which just goes to show - no matter how much you spend on diamonds, some of your favourite things may end up being just a few bits of thread.
Yesterday, my mother, my very own flesh and blood and genes, pointed out that while many of our cousins are in what she calls "Tier 1" of good looks, my brothers and I are closer to being "second tier". When she saw how crestfallen our faces were, she hastily added "well, I mean, the upper half of Tier 2. So like, second upper class honours."
Um, thanks mother, I suppose between being an encouraging parent and a parent with perspective, you've made your choice.
When I told Dhany he chuckled and said cheerfully, "Well, I'm second upper tier too. We can be second upper tier together."
I've been away from work for two weeks and I'm FINALLY starting to feel more like myself. If only life was like this for always.
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