09.03.26 One sunny summer many eons ago......

I used to fit a size ten dress. The one I'm wearing in this photo was a gift from my flatmates in Australia for my 18th birthday in Albury NSW. I went out shopping and took a friend with me and we couldn't agree which dress to buy. So she secretly bought this while I bought another! At the party I wore my pick (apricot ensemble) but this dress had a lot of outings until I grew out of it many years later....

I'm packing up my possessions right now, getting ready to go away in the Van. It needs a name which will come to me as I drive down the road heading North to Nelson and a place called Golden Bay.

Autumn approaches and this year I will avoid the huge windfall  that occurs in my backyard covering my lawn and garden, two feet thick with leaves. There are three large trees here which I just love (except in Autumn). The new green waste bins have arrived,so the tenants at No 24 will have somewhere to deposit them all.  

Back to work and boxes of books and clothes.. Far too many clothes.....So what happened to the 4 inch high sequined shoes? Still got them. All the way from Paris. My neighbour Tracey declared them Tranny shoes!!

Coming to a space near you soon.....

On Wednesday the 4th of February I chose my home away from home. It's a 1984 Daihatsu V.54B deisel engine that has done 149,574 kms
It's got a double bed ( or two singles and a table ) a sink, a fridge, and a two burner gas stove.
It has plenty of space inside as it has a pop-top that , according to the records was worth as much as I paid for the whole van.










On Waitangi Weekend ( February 6th, 2009)
Alan and I took the van on its maiden journey down to the Waihi Bush Music Festival in Woodbury near Geraldine ( 170 kms south of Christchurch) .
Alan and I were guest artists featuring on each of the 3 days in concert and we each held workshops on guitar playing and songwriting respectively.









On stage with Sue Galvin and Tony Keisenovsky performing 'One Voice'









Jambo mbwana !
On Safari !
Back doors open and the top pops up.
Note the windows in the pop-top.

Canterbuy New Zealand today it's 32 degress in the shade!!!

A Hard Day in the City Ditty

I am at the Art Gallery remembering what it was like to have endless time on your hands. A Hard Day in the City is all about getting to my friends Laura and Ben's wedding on time and every where you turn and everything you do is hampered by every imaginable scenario blocking your progress. It's also about the magic of writing a song on the way and it having a beginning, a middle and an end and then singing it at the folk club and everyone joins in on the chorus and it works!!
Jon Hooker said ha ha it's a ditty and I said no its a real song- and it is.

Walking

Words and music by Jan Elliott ( copyright June 2005 )
Jan plays in Standard tuning with Capo on 2nd Fret. First chord is a funny half baked 'F'

Chords below transcribed by Alan Preston (so you don't have to use a capo).
=========================================
First Verse:
Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
Walking down the road in my pink stockings

D Dmaj D
Ponsonby on Sunday’s could be shocking

Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
If someone were to ask, what that girl’s doing

D Dmaj7 D
She’s singing to the wind and laughing to the sky
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bm
She’s sixteen it doesn’t matter where she’s going

Em Em6
Has no sense of time but inside she’s growing

A7 Fm Bm
Any moment now her feet will touch the ground

Fm Bm
without a sound

==============================================
2nd Verse:
Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
If I came to town would you come to listen?

D Dmaj D
I would sing for you and your eyes would glisten

Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
Then I’d see you smile it would come from deep within

D Dmaj D
A smile to light my life twisting and turning
Bm
Because I have this crush my heart’s on fire

Em Em6
You’re the one for me, my heart’s desire

A7 Fm Bm
Just wanna stop the world and say I do

Fm Bm
Love you .

3rd Verse:

Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
When you hold me close I can feel the love

D Dmaj D
There’s no spoken word it just comes from above

Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
You’re the one to see it and now I"m trembling

D Dmaj D
It took you to free it my heart’s resembling
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bm
A jewel box of stars spilling and falling

Em Em6
In this velvet night our hearts are calling

A7 Fm Bm
In a timeless space forever and yet free

Fm Bm Fm Bm

Hey hey hey hey yeah yeah. Ooh oo oo ooh
=========================================
4th Verse:

Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
It’s the same this morning as it was last night

D Dmaj D
I’ll never let you go I will always treat you right

Gmaj9 Gmaj9#11(no6th) Gmaj9
We’ll go to sleep together and wake up to the light

D Dmaj D
Our love's an endless ocean never-ending in our sight
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bm
We are together at your place by the sea

Em Em6
I can feel you and you can feel me

A7 Fm Bm
Its a place I'll never, want to leave

Fm Bm
Please believe