Aren’t hand written letters just great? I think we will regret their loss as one of the best most informative and genuine forms of communication in human history. The hand written letter was the gold standard for every successful job application once upon a time. In these days of computer generated templates for CVs and Resume’s… no wonder employers find it so hard to sort out the right person for the job. Handwriting says more about a person than any other factor in a person’s presentation… and is now a sadly overlooked art form. I wonder if this will be one of the virtues (described above in Anita’s post) that will eventually in time return to us. Somehow I doubt it. We are now altogether too lazy. LOL

It is very sad to see standards dropping so far and so fast. I am shocked to hear about the food poisoning… there are simply no excuses when it comes to food safety. I can see why people want to grown their own… but practically… I can’t see it happening on too wide a scale unless something major happens to the world food supply (which I sincerely hope it doesn’t!)

People seem to have lost the will (and the skills) to grow their own or make their own. We’ve all been too busy trying to make ends meet out there in the marketplace… instead of staying close and nurturing the skills that got us kicked off in the first place.

We’ve outsourced pretty much everything to China (especially in this country). I hate to think what’s going to happen if and when we can no longer afford to buy their products. Another aussie icon (Bonds underwear) went off shore recently. The CEO walked away with a gazzillion dollars and the employees all walked off with a pink slip and a kick in the pants.

The world situation is of course ridiculous. But I guess we can insulate ourselves in some way by not playing the game if we can at all help it. We need to get back to basics and clean up our act… but it’s going to have to happen from the top end down. Changes made at the grassroots can make a difference… but not soon enough.

I hope something constructive comes out of the G20 and that it’s not just another feel good back slap. It’s serious times. We need serious solutions. Hey hasn’t someone said that before? LOL

Thanks for stopping by Anita… always good to see you!

Seems to me that the economic downturn has brought lots of people to their senses. As Spring arrives, I’m hearing that sales of garden seeds is booming in the stores as people more and more are planning to grow their own foods. Recent outbreaks of foods poisoning so many people and pets are making us more aware that many people have become lazy and greedy, abandoning necessary safety standards. “Back to the Future” is such a perfect title.

Another thing I have been noticing is the return of Knitting as a popular passtime. More and more of the people I know are now working on new sweaters, scarves, etc. and quilting is almost an epidemic! It’s exciting to me to see the old ways returning. The desire to create something original seems to be waking up in so many people.

Change will always be with us–I still don’t have an I-pod, but no doubt one day I will. I’ve been amazed over and over at changes I have seen in my lifetime–I can’t remember when I last heard someone suggest that a topic be looked up in an encyclopedia!!! This computer age is amazing and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I believe that people will still have the urge to dig their hands into the soil and bake their own bread no matter what new innovations are available. What was old will become new again–over and over again.

Incidentally the original drawing for this was done around the middle of last year. I unearthed it the other day unpainted… and decided to rework it into a new style. It’s amazing to compare the two. They really are quite different. The need for a rework goes some way to confirm in my mind that creative concepts only come into reality in their own good time. There was a reason why I didn’t paint it back then. It seemed to be waiting somehow for me to catch up. (If that makes any sense at all!) LOL

My family’s humble little beach house provided years of fun experiences for my family. Even before there WAS a house! We had an outhouse and bush shower over the creek bank that Dad had built out of saplings from the bush and old corrugated iron. I swear that outhouse had the best views around… albeit the snakes and spiders thought so too! Back then before the house was built and the electricity connected we had carbide lights which used to bubble and pop. Life was pretty simple and good. Years later I took my own children there. They still talk about the sense of realness they got from staying there. I think it’s pretty important to stay in touch with what’s real.