Creativity Base

I’ve been spending a bit more time on the streets of Adelaide recently (with all the preparations for Lateral Movement) and have taken to taking snapshots with my trusty Skypephone when something piques my interest. I’ve spotted a few peculiar things this last week, and thought I’d share some here at Creativity Base. I’m going to favour pictures over words on this entry, though a little bit of literal context should add to your appreciation of the pictures.

The Coopers cart strolls down Pirie St

I had to lean across my dashboard to take this pic as I drove down Pirie St, one of the commercial arteries of Adelaide’s CBD. It seems Mr Coopers and his famous beer-brewing family have returned to the old ways, and are delivering by horse and cart! No doubt a big part of this is an eye-catching publicity drive, but hey, maybe they’re converting their brewery to run on bio-diesel made from horse manure? Don’t laugh- American dairy farmers are doing it with cow pats…

Mega Dog on Campus

I was wheeling a trolley-load of plinths past the library of UniSA when I spotted this gigantic canine. I never thought I’d ever refer to a dog over 6 feet long as ‘cute’, seeing’s how opposed to dogs I am in the context of Australia’s ecology. Just goes to show there’s an exception to every rule.

The unmistakeable Top Turf van

Someone at Top Turf sure had a brainwave: ‘let’s cover the van head to tail with our premium product!’ Good thing their livelihood is artificial lawn and not chocolate- with the heat we’ve endured this summer, things could have gotten VERY messy. Seriously though- this was probably a very smart business move- not only does their car stick out like the dog’s proverbials, I’m sure it pops up in plenty of conversations and drums up its share of extra business for them. Shame they aren’t promoting Australian native drought-resistant grasses though… planting them is a much better ecological response to our current water shortage than burying good earth under a synthetic blanket.

The night of January 25, I committed myself to starting a new blog; a place to share the things that have inspired me and the things I’ve chosen to dedicate my life’s work to. An early morning phonecall gave this new start added pertinence. My dear grandmother Sally had passed away in the night. After ninety years, the majority through which she demonstrated fierce independence, I am pleased that Grandma is now at peace, and has pulled up a seat at the big bridge table in the sky. I dedicate this blog to her memory.

After the surge of tears, the dull body-ache of grief and heartache, I’m left now with a deep gratitude for the role my grandma played in my life, particularly in my childhood. I will forever cherish memories of playing cards and chinese checkers with her, taking bus rides to town and drawing happily in her loungeroom… the same lounge room in which I now sit, writing. I will remember her fantastic Spanish Cream desserts and spongecakes (those that rose, and those that didn’t) and the occasional spoiling with a serve of sugar-coated strawberries.

An international citizen, my grandmother was Trinidadian, Canadian, English and finally Australian, and consistently fed my imagination with stories of life in Trinidad complete with pet monkey, Tuki. She managed to raise two intelligent and sensitive sons as a single parent in a time when to be one was frowned upon, and that only gives me further cause for admiration.

As the years wore on, dementia, a stroke and the mounting of years slowed grandma down… but she always retained a twinkle in her eye, and was just as capable of surprising us with a witty wise-crack as the rest of my family. Rest in peace, Grandma… I love you.

Christmas, 2008