Snapshot

I was playing with the camera this evening - just taking random photos with different settings - and was thinking about some of the objects in the photos. There are things that I don't notice much day-to-day, but which are significant because of their context - when I got them, who from, what was happening at the time ... So here's one random photo, and what it all means to me:



These things are on the top of a tall triangular set of shelves made by my father-in-law. The lower shelves mainly house cookbooks.

The big blue vase was from a shop on the city end of King Street, Newtown in Sydney. Cobalt blue is my favourite colour, and I've accumulated a few things in cobalt blue glass. This is the largest, and I saw it as I was walking to visit an Ankali client one day about 13 or 14 years ago. Ankali is a marvellous, mainly volunteer organisation, set up to provide emotional and social support for people living with HIV/AIDS and their friends and families. I decided that if the vase was still in the window on my way home, I'd buy it - and I did :)

The Swiss cow bell is from my parents' trip to Europe, as is the Russian babushka doll in the centre. The children love playing with the doll, but were a bit rough with her, so we bought the cheap one on the right for them to play with whenever they like.

I painted the picture of the lilies and bluegum leaves at the back about 15 years ago. I used to paint and draw a lot, but I seem to be too busy these days. I have a cartoon on my desk which has a boy saying "When I grow up I'm going to be an artist", then the same person as an adult saying "When I get some spare time I'm going to be an artist", as an older man saying "When I retire I'm going to be an artist", and in a hospital bed thinking "When I get off this life support system I'm going to be an artist". I think I need to stop making excuses and get on with it.

The brass thing in front of the painting is the nozzle from a fire hose. The husband took a fancy to it when we were visiting Captain's Flat a few years ago - I remember changing a baby (I think the X-man) on a bench in front of the little museum (ex-hospital?), so it must have been about 2003-4.

The little lacey thing is a doll - a small porcelain doll given to Miss Tizz by her Nanna. She's been up there for quite some time - put up for safety as Miss Tizz was too young for it at the time, and forgotten until now. Must remember to get her down.

The little wooden bowl has no particular significance, but I must check it out - there's probably something in there that was put out of children's reach a long time ago!