Bill

Yesterday I went searching for Bill.

His pigeons were searching for him too. 

Where are you Bill? I am starting to get worried.

Of course he won't see my online concerns about his whereabouts...

... as he has no computer, nor electricity... nor shelter for that matter.

We had an arrangement. 

Fridays, after school drop off. 

I was going to sell some more of his artwork, through my blog. 

He was so excited and positive and full of ideas.

I thought I might try a 'non Friday'. 

Where are you Bill? 

He loves Golden Circle Pineapple Juice.... chilled... in the tins.

I couldn't find the tins??? .... have they stopped making them?

 This one has been sitting in my fridge for weeks. 

I keep putting it back when I can't find him .... and the boys keep asking me if they can have it....

.... and I keep saying ..."it's Bill's".

So yesterday I left it for him ... with a note ...

... and I sat and worked on my computer in the car, parked nearby... just in case he showed...

.... and then I had to go, so went back and wrapped it in another note that said, 

"Please don't steal. This is Bill's".

I hope he found it... and I hope it was still cold.

Happy Thursday!

I Went To See Bill

I went to see Bill yesterday. With all the rain we have been having lately, he's been a bit like the Scarlet Pimpernel and very hard to find! I had some goodies from my readers to deliver.

Leah sent Bill some beautiful pencils, textas and crayons...

..... and Elaine made Bill a personalised case for his pastels.

Bill was delighted and so touched by your generosity and said to say thank you. 

We sat for ages in the shade of the trees, looking out at the river, discussing life. The birds, that are Bill's friends, were so tame, they sat on my feet. He feeds them well. He has a deal with the local nut supplier...cereal for Bill and seeds for the birds. I said I would try to pop by each week, every Friday if I can. He's going to have a folio of photos for me to look at next week. A local photographer put it together and won first prize for it in something or other. They're all photos of how Bill lives.... with commentary.... a sort of story of his current life. I hope the iPhone captures the photos, as I would like to share the folio with you. I have seen it before. It's very moving.

After Bill, I went and commiserated with the locals that I wasn't a local anymore. Justine's was full of all my favourites. Fridays seem to be the day. I didn't get much work done until they all left. 

The day ended on a happy note... my shed flood insurance payout came through so I can now replace my stock and finish my online facility thingy. I am not into selling things I don't have on hand. Learnt the hard way. This industry is not for the fainted hearted when it comes to supply. My philosophy now is, 'if it's in stock, buy all of it'. Hence the shed.

We're off to explore our new surroundings on our bikes today. There's a bike track starting right at the end of our street. We're going to try to make it to our nearest shopping centre for some sushi. Then we're off to the soccer at Suncorp stadium tonight. Big day.

Happy Saturday!

PS. A big thank you to 'French and English' who saw my post about my tragic sofa yesterday and offered to replace my sofa covers. #greatcustomerservice

PPS. If you have any spare art paper or art materials lying around, that Bill could use, please send it my way. Artists churn through materials and he has pretty much nothing left. When he can't draw, he's sad.

Christmas Cheer

We headed off yesterday to find Bill. 

He was waiting for us in his spot as he knew we were coming. 

He was even wearing a new shirt.

The boys handed over some fresh fruit treats and a Christmas card that little one had painstakingly worked on over the weekend.... an origami masterpiece.... full of little pockets containing little origami surprises.

Bill had told me previously how much he loved chilled Golden Circle pineapple juice. His eyes misted up when he saw his little stash. We had emptied out our ice trays at home and double bagged some ice for the bottom of the box to keep them chilled. He was excited about the ice. He was very excited about the included knife too. He needed a knife. 

The origami was explained in great detail.

Every piece.

Bill had made us a beautiful Christmas Card. 

A Christmas tree by the river that we share, with our city buildings behind it.

We will treasure it. 

As we walked towards the car to head home, Bill called out, "thank you my friends. Christmas of my life". He smiled a rare smile.

As soon as we got in the car, my eldest said, with a great sigh, "gee that felt good". Little one was absolutely beaming. "Did you hear that it is the Christmas of his life. He's really happy. He's going to have a good day". Sure is boys. He's going to be scoffing down that fruit, that's for sure.  My heart was light at my boys' pure reactions.

As we drove away, my youngest said, "look, Bill's holding the pineapple juice up against his cheek". I said "because it's cold and anything cold for Bill is a real treat". I could see the penny drop in his eyes. He got it. We had discussed previously where Bill slept and how he never got a hot shower or a hot meal at night and how he did not have access to everything we take for granted... electricity, running water, a warm bed, fresh, clean clothes, daily cuddles. 

My teenager was pensive last night when we were contemplating the universe before bedtime. "Mum, I know what the meaning of life is". Goodness..... big statement from a 14 year old. He said, "it's what we did for Bill today". 

It's got to be close I reckon. 

Happy Christmas Bill!

Yesterday

I woke up to a gorgeous day. Look at our beautiful river at 5am. I sit on my deck and contemplate it's beauty every morning. It's a millpond until the first rowers carve it up. Just as I took this photo a rattly old dragon boat with loud clunky oars made it's way down the river and disturbed the glassy surface. 

My lease is up soon. I'm going to miss this view.

Adding to the perfection of the morning was this sole remaining cupcake that had my name written on it. The batch lasted one day. Boys!

We took off into town and chained up our bikes in the 'underwhelming square'.

We made a donation to 'Children's Cancer Research' which ensured that we got heavily into the Christmas spirit.

Self conscious teenager soon ditched his....

... but little one bounced around like a flea in his...

... revelling in the delicious "9 days 'til Christmas" feeling...

... garnering support from other 'reindeer antler wearing folk'.... and there were many.

There were no fights over the customary Maltesers purchase this time, as their Mum brought along 2 sandwich bags and divied them up precisely. I was a girl guide you know. 'Be Prepared'.

Ran into Bill on the way home. Little one had a few questions for him, that he had been pondering for a while. Does Bill have somewhere to go when it rains? Does Bill have someone to spend Christmas Day with? What would he like most for Christmas? 

We're getting him what he would like most....fresh fruit... and "those tins of pineapple juice that taste really nice chilled". Do you have an esky Bill? No. Do you want one? "No. It's just stuff to carry around. The fish shop gives me ice and I just chill things in my trolley." 

We got home and little one said, "I am going to make a nice Christmas card for Bill".

That's my boy.

Happy Saturday!

Real Life Lessons

After an 'emergency' trip into town yesterday.... once we discovered that the 16th of October was the last day you could visit an 'EB Games' shop and download a free 'Pokemon Thingy' to help you on your way in the 'big mystery that is Pokemon'....... we took a detour from our normal route home. We found this gorgeous place. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. The fence was too high to get the whole front elevation. This was the best I could do from the street. Look how the white pops against that lovely grey!

In our travels, we also found Bill. 

I almost didn't recognise him in his new hat! 

It was the first time my son had met Bill so he gave him a strong, firm handshake.... which impressed Bill no end. Bill showed us his new artwork and taught my boy all about 'mixed media' and what the word 'versatile' meant. Little one waxed lyrical about his lizards and how good he is at Maths... as one does. 

I also managed to purchase a beautiful Australian themed artwork (above) for 'Lauren', who has been waiting patiently for me to find Bill again. Lauren you were lucky!..... as Bill has changed focus and is doing a lot of angular, modern pieces at the moment as well as a few 'viking/pirate inspired' works thrown in for good measure! 

Look! Bill displays all his work in beautiful (waterproof!) folders now. Thanks to you and your generosity! These drawings are also on beautiful thick card and not the flimsy stuff anymore.... thanks to your donations!

I love this one!

Lots of ships!

We sat with Bill for a while and watched the birds (who love Bill because he feeds them) frolic in roadside puddles. It was such a beautiful day. Bill notices these things and kept telling me how beautiful the day was. He was happy for our visit. I said to my son, as we were driving away, "you know what?.... that time we spent with Bill? ... it just made his day". Little one said, "Yes, he was happy, I could tell... and Mum, I learnt heaps more about art, than I do in Art". 

Yes, that's because it's real life, my son. You just had a real life lesson about lots of 'stuff' then I reckon!

I have my lads home with me today as it is a pupil free day at school. Yay! 

Off to the shed first thing though. I need my big boy's muscles!

Happy Monday!

Yesterday

Finally found Bill again. I had taken to stalking the streets a few days this week, as I thought he'd gone walkabout. I delivered some more gifts from you. He was happy to see me as he had "run out of crayons"! Great to know I am of use to someone! Here he is reading your note, 'Helen from Hobart'.

He was very excited about the beautiful case of pencils he received from Helen and how professional it looked!

And Alison, from Sydney, I think you have started something with the canvas sheets and paints you gave to Bill. He kept stroking the canvas pages muttering about how he had always wanted to get into paint media. He was very impressed that he would be using paints that some "great artist has been using"! The crayons were pounced on too!

I gave him a nice large 'artists' bag to put all his goodies in. These photos were staged by Bill's friend James, who was also passing by. It was hilarious. James arranged everything just so... so you could see some of Bill's work, his new goodies and his daily flowers.

Thank you girls for sending such treasures. If anyone still wants to contribute to Bill's art, he is always in need of crayons.... goodness, he goes through them. I am heading back next week to choose something for Lauren who has purchased one of Bill's pictures. Bill is bringing his portfolio out for me next week. Bill also wanted me to say thank you to Denise, who actually visited him and brought him some flowers from her garden! Girls, look how he is using the plastic sleeves you gave him, to protect his work! He's all sorted now!

It was a flying visit as I had to rush off to 'the shed' to meet a customer who is a new follower of my blog. Hi Hayley! So lovely to me you. That 'Orb Chandelier' is going to look gorgeous over your dining table. Hayley is building a home at present. We swapped horror stories. And we did come to the conclusion....a similar conclusion to what Katrina came to many times during her time on 'The Block'.... that being female is a disadvantage on a building site... at times. We'll leave it at that, just in case any nice tradies (who respect females on building sites) are reading this. There are some out there. I have met them.

I picked up little one from camp. He was so tired, he was still in his pyjamas from the night before. He wore them all day. Look at all the sleeping bodies around him. The teacher was one of them! Oh dear. He made it to 6pm before he crashed. Now I get to do all the washing! Late soccer matches today so first I am firing up that Nespresso machine.

The sun's just coming up. Looks like a beautiful day. 

Happy Saturday!

Good Things

Look at this stash I delivered to Bill this morning. Thank you lovely readers for your generosity. For this lot, a big thank you to Michelle Sc, Kellie Ma and A-Mi. You know who you are as you can see your goody piles! 

I think that is almost a smile! Don't ya love the hat. Bill lost it and went into the West End Salvos to ask them if they would donate him a hat. They said no!!!!!! Hmmm. So he left empty handed and found his hat again on the footpath in the main street. Talk about the universe looking after him. 

So I left Bill to rummage through his goodies while I went for my run and on my way back, as I passed him again, it was nice to see that he had already cracked open a beautiful new book of paper and had started creating with all his new materials! 

Bill has decided to do a bit of 'modern art' so he was keen to show me some of his latest work.

This was his first one...the one that inspired him to take his modern art further. He said it is very special to him as it is his first.... so he gave it to me. Thank you 'Lord Harry', I will treasure it alongside the photograph of your famous floral arrangement that you gave me. Speaking of his famous flowers...his arrangement was totally dead this morning. Slim pickings for wildflowers around here at the moment. We haven't had rain since the flood... that's almost 7 months.

That's Circular Quay! See the Opera House in the middle?!

Don't you love his trees?!

 I said this one has a real 'journey to the centre of the earth' aesthetic. 

He wrote that down. I think I inspired him there for a millisecond.

This was done with the new crayons I gave him a fortnight ago. He has already used them up. 

Not being artistic in the slightest, I had no idea that artists plough through materials that quickly! 

Notice how Bill draws everything to a focal point in his work. The eye is always drawn to a central point. We sat and pondered why this is for a while and then got onto more serious issues such as the best natural cough remedy and what a beautiful morning it was. I could have sat for hours but I had to start my day.... sometime! 

The West End ferry now has a new terminal after the first one washed away in the flood. That means James is back, selling the Big Issue at the ferry terminal. So I am heading in the other direction for my run tomorrow. James one day, Bill the other. As for Ken, I need to get down to see how he is going... his flood repairs are going very very slowly. Stay tuned!