Living in the moment.The ever changing scenes of a week gone.
A Diary of sorts

31 May being the last day of Autumn.
Remnants of Roses. A fleeting glimpse of Summer gone.

1 June the first day of Winter.
Braving the cold wind in the garden

2 June
Mending day with 60 year old faithful

3 June Saturday
Grey skies so I always go looking for colour in the garden

4 June. Sunday
Sharing Birthday lunch with family and friends.
Boys…Friends and cousins showing off their trampoline skills
Then hurrying off to fish in the dam over the hill

Driving home through the always beautiful countryside.
Worrombi and Cobbity- my favourites
Observing the low sun created shadows as it hastes to bed amongst the hills


5 June Monday
Taking deep into the soul brilliant blue skies and warm hued Autumn leaves
Finding sunny nooks amongst Winter shadows for a slow morning tea
Sitting in a warm sunroom before dusk approaches
Seeing a molten gold sun slip silently behind the western hills

6 June Tuesday
A mending, bed linen washing, soup making kind of day.
Starting off clear and windy for line drying but changing to cold and wet. Needing a cheerful fire and happy flowers kind of day recently enjoyed at our friends home.

7 June
My beloveds birthday
Wet and cold. Double bar gas heating start to damp morning
Boys in school uniforms to be picked up
Happy birthday to be sung to grandpa….we love our grandchildren. Big and small.

I love these sorts of weeks
The plain, the mundane, the grey, the ordinary mixed with the extraordinary
Find exquisite beauty where you can
However small or humble

Linking up with What Joy is mine

Winter is on its way

Wishing with all my heart that I could paint…
Longing to paint and capture that emotion

Holding our youngest grandson recently

At one with the calm Australian bush scene before me

Quietly standing sheltered from the rain
Under the pattering metal roofed verandah

Falling big plops of rain
Dripping from the corrugated iron roof edge
Splashing on the bottom step
One footstep away

Little fingers outstretched and reaching
Little brain processing that new-found sensation
Cold rain in an endless stream of splashing
Splashing on a tiny hand

Watching
Escapee hens enjoying new-found freedom
Speckled, black, white
Iridescent red with browns
Leading endlessly long charmed lives
For now
No fox getting near enough for a taste

Escapee Long Legs

In the rain
Sparkling orbs of reflected light
Rain drops on lush green grass

Clucking hens pecking merrily away
Beady eyes endlessly searching
Then darting for that perfect morsel
Around and under and over
an abandoned for now toy car
Brightest of primary hues
Yellow, red and blue,
Little Tykes, a pedal powered car

Like a artists paint palette before us
Those vibrant and clashing hues
Eye popping in the ozone charged air

Nature versus man-made
It’s own tapestry creating

My arms were full of a sweet munchy little boy
…so precious

With no room for camera
…so sad

No candid shots today

Memory snap shots will have to suffice
So too that all surrounding Earthy, clean washed and lingering remembered scent

No “wow” for all the world to exclaim over

But

A simple still moment

Try it

Savour it

Food for the soul

Balm

Savour that moment today because these ever rolling years have wings and stop for none…they run without a pause button

Time is like a child, it runs

Indeed wings as I found.
This draft was prepared near a year ago and only published now

It was a time of rain

As the Flower of the field, it toils not nor spins…

Cherish each day

A last burst of summer sunshine to gladden the heart

Embrace the seasons and stages of life
Finding joy and beauty where you may

#savour-the-moment

Courtesy chelle@morgueFile free photos

Whilst having a quiet day home today I came upon an interesting article.
It made me think.
About life, people and things.

But let’s take a few steps back some years to when my son and his wife came visiting from Texas.

Texas shares it’s border with Mexico, so naturally there is quite a connection with its food and culture.

There is beautiful pottery. Colourful designs and patterns. So many differing styles. Rich earthy or clashing hues.

Courtesy hotblack@morgueFile free photos

Courtesy hotblack@morgueFile free photos

Courtesy rosevita@morgueFile free photos

Our loved ones brought over two bowls ever so carefully wrapped. One smallish bowl in earthy hues survived intact and still now sits facing me as I type today.

The other larger bowl sadly was in a few big pieces plus slivers!

Yet I still held onto it wrapped in plastic, for an age.

One day I decided that there would be no harm in trying to glue it back together.
Needless to say it took me a long time needing much patience.

Because many of the pieces were slivers it was impossible to make a perfect join. There were sections where I could see through. Gaps. Dots of glue holding this fragile beauty in place.

But I had my thing of beauty.
Imperfect.
Fragile
A labour of love twice
A tenuous connection with family far away

I looked at this dish often when I walked past, even more so as it had a real emotional hands on tug at my heart .

It was not to be a perfect gift, instead there was a better gift.
Lasting through many years of fragility it finally died, but it made an impression which when reading this article brought it all back to mind.

Thank you Mike and Denise

Perfectness does not make us.

Now go and follow the link and read the article by Tim Willard
“Beauty in brokenness”

IBOT Linking with Essentially Jess

Courtesy Peonia@morgueFile free photos

Australia is indeed a spacious land. A safe Haven mainly, where we can explore and wander and discover, if we are so inclined.

Courtesy pshubert@morgue file free photos

In the 1950′s Australia was billed as a Land of Milk and Honey to migrants. A land of untapped wealth and needing workers. So they came, to help build the infrastructure and to discover. In a way they were pioneers with sight, prepared to make a better life, learn and work hard in a strange land. They were from all walks of life and prepared to take any work.

Courtesy taliesin@morgueFile free photos

Look at a few of these examples. Migrant City folk who had to learn about the land, agriculture, livestock, farming, animal husbandry. Or farming folk, homesteaders in their own country having to adapt to an extremely different climate. Australia being a land of flood AND drought. A vast land. Then the labourers, brick layers, hardy men on their own hoping to bring family to this new country and working hard to save.

Old Photo courtesy BThomas

Old Photo courtesy BThomas

We were privileged because our family was befriended by kind and generous Australians who taught my parents about the new country. My mother was a city girl and my father knew or had learnt tool making. Both longed for a new safe place to call home, raise a family and were prepared to work for it. So thanks to the family of Mr Malthouse a hard working farmer near Bradbury, South Australia our family started their life in a new country. I feel sad though because as happens in life we lost contact, and this is my mother’s constant regret in her age where she has time to reflect.

I was a child in a strange land and it was only later as adults did we truly realise the blessings we had and have around us. The abundance, even when making do. We knew no different. There was freedom of space to discover and learn.

Courtesy stweedlie@morgueFile free photos

We also learnt that if it rained and we missed the bus to school we had to walk in the rain. There was no car! Instead, with raincoats and gum boots on we set off remembering to beware one particular bend on that narrow road near a Beech Forest in Stirling. A dip in the road where a monstrously long puddle formed next to the footpath. You see we had to strategically plan this stretch because if we didn’t take it at a run from one end to the next we were bound to get drenched. I know I got soaked at least once when I didn’t see a truck approaching the bends. A snaking road past ancient, dark and looming trees on a huge property. Huge and menacing to a child and it hasn’t really changed much now.

Courtesy gracey@ morgueFile free photos

So now a few generations on as my little grandson and I take a walk…

I have learnt how to go walking with toddlers
I have learnt how a grandmother can alleviate cabin fever
I have discovered exercise can be fun

…to be continued in Part 2

Joining in with Our World Tuesdays

Today I have just a few little lines on “to remember”

From Webster Dictionary
re·mem·ber verb
: to cause (something) to come back into your mind
: to keep (information) in your mind : to not forget (something)

Today I remember
Those who would love to feel the dew on the grass again
To walk on their own into the fresh air
To go outside and feel the air brush the face
…whenever they want
To look at the sky but not through a window
To sit by the ocean but not just dream the murmur of the waves
…whenever they want

Remember them, whoever they may be.
You may know them or of them.
Remember them and be thankful that you maybe can
Whenever you want
Feel the dew on the grass
Walk in the fresh air
Look up at the sky
Sit by the ocean

May they be surrounded by love, find inner strength and peace.

Photographs untouched and all taken by my trusty iPad
Joining in with a Essentially Jess for IBOT

Today I share with you an email received from our son in Texas

Mum

Thought you’d like this time lapse video of the plant called the Rose of Jericho. With water it goes from a dried up tumbleweed to a beautiful fern over a couple of hours. I watched it and was thinking that people are the same. They can appear dried up and withered and hopeless, when all they need to get smiling and happy is some love and attention

Here’s more about the plant here:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selaginella_lepidophylla

Love
Mike

Red tap photo courtesy oOoOxmodsOoOo@
morgueFile free photos

Joining with Grace and FYBF

Courtesy anitapeppers@morgueFile free photos

Thoughts from this day
Yesterday the shortest day for us Down Under
Today a grey and dismal dawning
Yet…Later graced by sun to warm and skies of blue

Hearing of dear old friend passing
Yet…Remembering about his many deeds and kindnesses
Realizing that the years roll on for all, young and old alike
One moment we are young and rushing yet in a flash we are old

Courtesy click@ morgueFile free photos

A motivational quote I read this week…

“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to respond…”

Then at Worship being reminded to bear one another. Be kind, be useful, sympathetic, to listen and be patient. These too being the building blocks of family life.

Then being cheered by memories of little children, their laughter, their chatter and exuberance of a life . Their innate inquisitiveness….being brave when a jumpy cricket appears dead…touching it …but it gave a little hop…startled little chappy then bounding in one leap with both feet into my lap and us just about ending in a pile on the floor in laughter. Acrobatic little boy on scooter showing how it’s done with ease.

Run with me, read me a story, stand THERE and throw the Frisbee, kick the ball, watch me, see me, catch me, hello, I’m here, you’re back! Can I come in YOUR car, I want MY bed, where’s MY pillow, I can do it!

Family is precious. Embrace them and keep them close….
Yes?

Courtesy jdurham@morgueFilefree photos

Change…
“To make something different. You can cause something to change, or you can bring change upon yourself.”… Google Business Dictionary

Change
When change is as good as a holiday
Dust out those gorgeous china cups and use them more
Change enlightens the spirit

You are aching for a holiday, a change to the everyday dreary, where can we go, but have little funds, I need a break moment of madness.

Staycation…have you ever indulged?
Now isn’t that a good word, indulged. It makes it sound so much better than we went, or we did

Plan. Give thought. Try and make the main part of home really inviting and fresh with nothing but a little time and elbow grease….or do it later with everyone pitching in after a refreshing recharge out.

Stay based at home but…

Enjoy a myriad of little trips
Search out
Visit new places for
a snack
a coffee
a catchup
a picnic
a new communal meeting point with friends
Time and connection with loved one
Time and connection with children

So instead of a few hundred dollars just on accommodation for at best a couple of nights you have the pleasure to indulge many little occasions spread over time. You can spend nothing by bringing from home, or treating for this occasion. Again it doesn’t need to cost a heap. New surroundings, pleasant views all add to the special ambience….give it a little thought and do some homework or ask acquaintances.

Courtesy greyerbaby@morgueFile free photos

I was reminded of our staycation whilst looking for a particular photo. Well I didn’t find it as it’s on my phone and I have yet to be able to download them. But it gave me a germ of an idea for a topic:)

We did staycation last year because all the accommodation we looked at was just so unrealistic. I think of it as “the end of winter, need to lift the blues.” We had amazingly beautiful weather crowning OUR day.

Leaving home without breakfast we drove to somewhere and as I don’t know that part of Sydney hence no name. It was a beach….hubby just corrected me, it was somewhere in Collaroy. Here we enjoyed brunch right on the seashore with a slow coffee. We lingered and savoured the moment. A little walk was included.

Then onwards to Palm Beach enjoying the ocean road. I know that name as I love the area though we have hardly ever been there. We found a nice bench on the edge of the sand and got our respective books out to peruse, to watch the ocean perchance to snooze. Another walk to a park for more chatting , reading and hubby snoozing. A few steps found another lovely eatery for a very late afternoon snack which actually became our evening meal as we didn’t eat that night.

Thence home unfortunately through traffic but that’s part of going on a Friday….our day off.

One long spread out gorgeous, decadent indulgence which I would love to repeat and hope to. Kill the winter blues sounds a good idea I think and something to look forward too. But maybe with a bit of careful budgeting as hubby is the proud new owner of a Pension Concession Card….he’s worked hard and now counting down with just under two weeks to him retiring and new adventures on the horizon….Retirement being a journey and not a destination.

Do you have little indulgences?

It doesn’t take much, does it,to change a hopeless want into reality if we just think about it differently.

Joining in with Essentially Jess for IBOT

Courtesy ‘xenia’@morgueFile free photos

The power of networking
Sharing, supporting each other, extending oneself, opening new horizons, searching out new ways to help yourself by connecting with another

My example of networking came to me randomly as I was reading about the struggles farmers go through.

Courtesy ‘click’@morgueFile free photos

We support a butcher who is I guess is semi rural. When I drive to visit one daughter I always have to go past him so I decided to get bulk meat for the family on the way through for daughter or on the way home when buying for myself. I always SMS daughter before I come over to check if she needs meat as she doesn’t drive this way in business hours. We would mainly purchase chicken breast, amazingly cheap legs of lamb and if asked he will butterfly the meat by carving out the bone which I then use for soup. At times bulk mince, bulk rump steak and lamb chops. All are way cheaper than the big supermarkets….and his legs of lamb are THE best…so delicious and tender.

Courtesy ‘Kakisky’@morgueFilefree photos

Now the networking connection I learnt recently is that this butcher has a contact at a country farm quite a few Kms away, maybe a five-hour drive. So he has cut out the middle man and is helping himself AND the farmer.

Courtesy ‘Richcd’@morgueFile free photos

Then we learnt of the next networking connection. Our daughter’s local semi rural IGA independent grocery store now sells meat from this butcher….again a plus for everyone.

Times are tough but people can work together for the benefit of all.

We can help each other just by being there for someone, or we know that mummy X is really good at doing Y so she can help mummy O….so many ways of social interaction to provide needs whether of succour, support, deeds or things.

Let’s find ways to network with those who need or find ways for our own needs. In return hopefully we will find a mutual benefit.

Help is more than just caring….
Do more than care, help
William Arthur Ward

Courtesy ‘Hotblack’@morguefile free photo

In real life situations
Young and older together
Family, friends and acquaintances
Helping and learning and laughing together
At camp Staycation…the best

Linking in with Essentially Jess at #IBOT
PS…this post was scheduled to load after midnight for Tuesday…well the technology didn’t work as I discovered on coming home from a day out…Oh well…I had fun anyway today

Lavender is one of my favourite flowers and once established in a friendly spot is as tough as old boots, as you can see in my photo!

Lavender a symbol of an old worldy age, a simple life.

From Wikipedia…
“Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, southern Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to southeast …are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of essential oils.”

It make me think of when times were slower, when seasons were followed, when thought was given how everything could be used wisely.

No waste and carelessness, but a time of learning , how to make do, work hard but enjoy the fruits of ones labours. Of helping and supporting one another. Of time to ponder instead of always having to race around or wanting to try something new. Of being content.

The story to my hedge stared over two years ago. My garden was and is getting to be like a very aged person who needs lots of loving care and rejuvenation, but with not too much time I wanted to spruce it up a bit…it is a slow work in progress.

Where I wanted to plant this hedge was a long bed which had a lot of overgrown old plants which needed ripping out and poisoning, a very slow process which I undertook over time. Then had to wait for the Nandina Bamboo and ivy to really die and with a pick dig out the roots…needless to say it was hard work. The soil needed to be enriched a little so I just dug and turned it over where each cutting was going in. Once everything was planted and watered I put down cane mulch of which I had a bale needing to be used up from the shed….it broke down beautifully to feed the soil over time. With sunshine and rain and day following day.

Let’s start some new plants…by harvesting cuttings from my proud “Mother” plant. A large scruffy old bush which I had been tempted to rip out but kept. I have grown so new many plants from this one bush

In July last year I just took soft cuttings and stuck them straight in the ground. I put in excess cuttings knowing I would loose some. Water was applied to keep them moist over summer. A lot of going out everyday to cheer them on and watch as they grew from drooping cuttings. By September the cuttings had “taken” and were well growing with new shoots by October.

I cut off their first flower buds in sacrifice to give strength to the newly grown plants. Once the next flush of smallish flowers had finished I thought I’d better trim the whole hedge to make it even…after some days I thought I’d killed it and was so very upset. But by mid January there was re growth much to my joy.

Now in mid May which is the next year I have a lovely hedge which soon I must prune again to remove spent flowers and let the plants regenerate and so the process goes on. Time after time.

A beautiful sight for me every day out my back door and windows. A lesson in time and patience. To keep going even if it gets tough…hard work never killed anyone , except for the aches in muscles I forgot I had

I love my hedge bordering my herb garden as do the bees and can watch and admire it for an age standing with my back to the sun….and now the lavender is sheltering new cuttings which when a little bigger I will transplant for another type of hedge …a Japanese Box

….and in between loving the sprinkles of joy and sun shine some of our little grandsons bring when we visit their homes x