Colourful in Quairading

Sunday Blog 145 - 21st July 2024

I’ve been so very lucky to have had the chance to facilitate a Writers Weekend in Quairading, a town just over two hours east of my home city of Perth. Convened at The Makers Keep, six of us gathered to ignite and re-ignite our writing momentum. Warmed in the marinade of the generous words of writers like Linda Sivertsen - “If you have the ache [to write], you’ve got what it takes!” For me, I left the weekend carrying the commitment of spending at least fifteen minutes a day on the mammoth task of revising my memoir like a tender flame.

Generally I don’t do writing workshops as I still feel I have so much to learn. But I couldn’t resist the opportunity to go back to Quairading at the invitation of Janine from Makers Keep. We first met at a workshop in Margaret River in the south west of WA in 2021 in 2021. She shared her love of her town so convincingly that six of us from the retreat visited in 2022 (as noted in my 2022 Love Note to Quairading blog.) I promised to visit again soon, but two years passed in a blink.

In 2022 when I visited, I jagged World Labyrinth Day. They have a lovely labyrinth and it had been all lit up for the occasion. This year I jagged the full moon, and once again the lights were on. Oh how I love a labyrinth, the walking meditation opportunity it offers. Into the centre and out. Full moon an extra bonus.

And now, onto the Sunday blog!

Sunday Blog - Colourful in Quairading

There's nothing like hitting the open road, leaving the city behind. After much longer than I'd planned, I was back in the Q. Quairading. The previous visit was May 2022 when I managed to jag World Labyrinth Day. Did I mention Quairading has a labyrinth? Were you already aware I am labyrinth-obsessed?

Pulling up into the main drag of Quairading, I felt myself to be a little ostentatiously dressed in my acid-trip pants. To be fair, they are quite loud in my home city of Perth. But still, I had the sneaking sense I was over-reaching myself as out of place townee.

Had I been more conservative in my outfit choice however, I would have missed this conversation in the grocery store.

"You're admiring my pants" I addressed the woman next to me at the cashier. More than twice she'd stolen looks at their multi-coloured magnificence.

"Hmm. Not something I would wear. Out of the house." Well, I never. Who wears flared pyjama pants? Oh, wait-

Or this exchange as I pulled up in front of The Makers Keep where six of us were enjoying a Writer's Weekend.

"If your pants are having a litter, I want a pup" she said, expertly manoeuvring her dust-covered ute back out onto the main road, giving me no time to retort. But indeed, what could I have come back with to match that.

Classic. I should definitely get out of the city more!