It’s great to be back in an airport.
I normally travel 10 months of the year but this year I’m on Sabbatical working on my books and major project, the Bayeux Tapestry to Quilt.

This is my first travel for the year.

My time off means I’ll only be traveling for 4 months and it seems like and age since I’ve been in this environment.

Sitting in the Qantas club waiting for my flight.

I can hear the coffee machine grinding away in the background.

There is a trick to better coffee,  if you go round the corner, you will have a Barista coffee made for you.!!!
The news is on the TV projecting the happiness and sadness of the day in low tones, and I look up the face of a man in a red outfit looks at me with dull eyes. What crime did he commit to have his photo sent around the world in such a way.

Some  are reading the paper, others eating toast and jam. Some like me, take the opportunity to spend time on the computer.

I’ve had time to think since my last trip away 3 months ago.

In my middling years I guess I need to think of retirement, but it doesn’t seem to work that way. I have so much more to do, so many more ideas.

I’m a wife to one, Mother to thirteen and their extended families and Grandmother to twenty.
Our family lives close by and there is a bond of enjoyment and familiarity that is very special to Keith and I as parents.

I miss all that when I travel but communication is wonderful these days and I don’t miss out on too much of the news.

I feel I loose some of my identity when I’m home, the hype of travel, new places, students who want to learn and the sense of adventure.

My life revolves around my studio, my bad cooking, cleaning the house between housekeeper visits and my family.

So I live two lives and I need to be able to balance them both.

Musings over I'm off on a 9 day adventure.

A short plane ride… a hold up at the airport because the bomb squad were checking a bag.

The shuttle driver was having an argument on the phone with someone close to him and we had to wait for him to finish and open the door to the van.

I'm staying at the Hilton… which is about a km away from the venue, simply because I get all the benefits of breakfast and supper and internet provided.

That means I need to walk to the venue or catch a tram.

I asked directions to the Exhibition building and actually ended up at the 'wrong exhibition place'

Catching a tram is interesting too…..

I as told at the hotel you can buy a ticket on the tram (which is out front of the hotel) BUT he forgot to tell me you need cash not notes. I had cleverly used all my coin yesterday.!!!

A young man, produced a small plastic container from his pocket… he said

"lucky I cleaned out my drawer today" and he assisted me in getting a ticket.

We ended up at the other end of the city and I realized I was in the wrong place.

"There is a city loop tram that is free and will take you right to the venue…." another young guy told me, OK I'll catch that one.

It came about 5 minutes later and was chock a block full. "No room Love" said an invisible voice from the bowels of the tram.

So I ran across the road and caught the same tram that does the loop the other way… (clever, me thought)

An hour later.. I arrived at the venue, just in time to get my passes.

The building the convention is held in is heritage listed  and I will talk about it in later posts.

Ladies waited outside as the sun began to set. They went through their goodie bags as if it was Christmas day. I chatted with lots of people… I don't now them but somehow they seem to know me… but it's so nice to visit and learn more about their lives.

There was a cocktail part that began with pomp and splendor. The organizers really know how to do things.

Phillippa Naylor was the guest speaker and she enthralled the audience with the story of her journey through design and quilting.

I walked home, avoiding the park at night. I stopped off for a delicious Indian dinner and the smell of the food reminded me that I had hardly eaten all day.

Just a mug of miso soup, my stable 'take with you' meal.

It's difficult to put up pictures on the blog because of the internet connection… so I will make a folder each day and add a link.

Photo Link