Towards March

Hello again. As we're in the second month of 2025, I am still piecing myself aiming to move back to the south-east of Melbourne to resume my new life although not everything goes right. I do however learn which is key for everyone to make good differences in our lives. 

There have been things I've done to occupy myself, maybe little projects towards hope to have my own place again under my possession. Speaking of Christmas, I've had considerations of when I'll have my own place again and initiate Christmas lunches but the last Christmas hasn't been too bad. I really liked to have my own Christmas tree especially having my eyes set on some for sale at the Fountain Gate shopping centre. Although I didn't buy one yet, I have little somethings for my initial decorations.

On the left is a Christmas angel with a broken off wing until I prided myself with "Merry Mythmas" tacked onto the angel for some giggle. On the right is something different. As I got my coffee at times from the local cafe where I'm currently living, Christmas themed drawings were made on the lids with this case, the stocking.

So then with 3 more lids collected, they'll be awaiting threads to be tied around and then hung on a Christmas tree. In another way, none were disposed and successfully reused. A case when trash becomes treasure.

Aside from finishing up my Kath & Kim DVD marathon and then resuming Pokemon Shield at the start of January, I've also done some gardening when I've been pulling flat weeds and cape weeds that have plagued the lawns of my parents' house. And then, my parents have assigned me to tackle one thing at the backyard.

What you're seeing is a series of rose and daisy bushes that have grown out of control beside our neighbouring house. I went through trimming back one of the rose bushes although prickly thanks to its thorns but I got there in the end. When I worked on the daisy bush, this is a process. Let me show you.

As I've pruned back the bushes, it has uncovered a series of bare twigs chaotic in a way but with a pruning saw, the task of pruning back this bush is accomplishable.

With this bush trimmed back, the overgrown bit of lawn can be mowed. Whilst the big task was under way, I've done other things.

I've unearthed one of my drawings but sections of tape have peeled off at the back of the frame.

Firstly, I got out my masking tape along with some PVA glue I bought and a little wooden spoon to spread some glue out on sections where some tape has peeled off.

In principle, the PVA glue and masking tape should be a good fix until strands of masking tape have torn off bits. With that, I've decided to use postal tape to finish off the repair job.

With that done, now will be the time to reveal my past artworks a long time ago.

This drawing titled Ford Symmetry is a cross section of an EA series Ford Falcon that I've recreated. And then, there was another task.

This is my grandmother's Mitsubishi Lancer. Whilst she had her cataract removal surgery, her car was left at our house until she's all good to drive again. In the meantime, I gave the car a good comprehensive wash. It was greatly grotty but with my snow foam spray, it's done a tremendous job. What also helped was brushing gaps with the layer of snow foam to get the dirt out and even took the hub caps and comprehensively clean the wheels which had a good layer of brake dust.

With a good hand wash using the 2-bucket method, the Lancer looked spectacular from when it looked like a barn find. Also, me along with my parents topped up with more oil, coolant, some more power steering fluid and blowing its air filter out of dust and the car is all good for a drive.

And late January, back to some more gardening work. I'm not just trimming back the bushes, there are a set of agapanthus plants my parents and I must tackle.

So this is the rear footpath but invaded with those agapanthus plants. First poisoned, I've been summoned to cut down those plants that have partly covered the footpath.

And this is the end result. We're able to reclaim the footpath. There are other agapanthus out which we also need to tackle and hopefully stamp out.

These are another set of agapanthus we're up against. One was successfully pulled out as you can see here with as much of it's roots pulled out as possible. Back to the bushes.

This is another set of bushes to tackle.

Here lied an interesting discovery. This daisy bush was under siege by the two rose bushes until I've trimmed them down which left me wandering how I'll go around trimming down this daisy bush. That'll be best to work this out with my dad but after all this, the heavy work has pretty much been accomplished.

With this set of bushes trimmed down and countless times the greenwaste bin got full, it's been a success. What'll be needed is a mow down and eventually, the back lawn will reclaim the bottom areas below the bushes.

Another thing to work on is my current employment situation which hasn't been great. With my work hours reduced, that threw the spanner in the works hoping to move out again. I've been looking at going into an employment agency as I'm needing more help and more directions. I've ruled out going on a disability employment service as I can only register when I'm unemployed and only work up to 8 hours a week which isn't enough. I do however have years of work experience despite having hard times getting work and then comes a time I do need help.

Like I'm saying, I'm staying at my parents to sort out myself from difficulties last year. The key element in order to move out again I've decided to get a permanent part time job 2 to 3 days a week depending on the hourly rate. In a way, an employment agency can be useful if I get too drained as I currently live with autism.

Something random and more odd than my workings to get into some employment agency is this jar of probiotic tablets. There lied a twist with 30 capsules but with decent room in the jar. That led me into thinking of potential shrinkflation. However, my mum mentioned although there are exactly 30 capsules, it is more economics. More standard sizes as anything outside would be too costly to manufacture.

And to finally wrap all this up, here are some two drawings with neurodivergent influences such as this Dimetrodon holding the Australian flag and wearing an Akubra hat. This titled an Aussie Dimetrodon is a reference when Australians whinge about weather.

And finally, this gazelle drawing. It happened when I was a boy and after coming across a copy of The Gazette newspaper, I've modified the two Ts to Ls using a red texta. So what I've done was change The Gazette to The Gazelle and that is the reference of this drawing.

Also, I've made a start on my eleventh art project which I'll title A Rich Swagman and assigned myself with the task of research and a series of sketches before I'll commence painting. All this work until it's complete.

See you next time!