Inspiration | 1000 Fields of Roses

From The Sublime To The Ridiculous….

Today has been a tiring, but wonderful day… I went into Brisbane to meet up with some lovely friends, and took the opportunity to have a wander round Brisbane. I don’t often get the chance 😀

So… met up with everybody at South Bank for breakfast… there was lots of talking, laughter, and philosophical discussion 😀 We had an international guest, the beautiful Jane, to add to the radiance…
I love to laugh. I love to have people I can laugh with. And I loved this morning!
Not all my photos turned out, so I’ll just share what I have 😀

Lisa and Belinda

Jane and Donna

Belinda and Short One 😀

Meg

Jane

Sisters? 😀

Rainbow socks!

I started out by writing “beautiful” before each name, but it looked a bit funny one after the other… besides, I think it’s pretty obvious they’re all beautiful…. 😀
We first met up as a group at South Bank (different restaurant) a few years ago… deja vu…
Before we left, Bel gave us some amazing little rainbow jumpers (or, possibly, mouse coats…) that she had made –

With a 20c piece to show scale…
Look at that TEENY TINY COAT HANGER!
*ahem*
moving on….

We all drifted off to ordinary life again after that… I had a look round the South Bank Markets for a bit (while bumping in to Donna from time to time… 😀 ) Had a look round the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art… saw some works “in the flesh” that I had only previously seen in books (a Picasso and a Degas) Hiked up to St John’s Cathedral in Ann Street because I’d heard there was a concert, but it was way out of my price range (i.e not free…)

Back to Post Office Square, where I had a chat with some people from Occupy Brisbane…

… and, finally, got to see the Zombie March!

Every so often they would all scream/howl… creepy…
I watched for a little while, but had to start on my way home… went up the escalator to Central Station, with the screams of (apparently) 10000 zombies pursuing me…

And, finally, home! I decided the perfect place for my newest jumper was on my inspirational notice board 😀

And so, to sleep… perchance to dream….

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Inspiration

on October 23, 2011 at 10:07 pm Comments (2)

Everyday Art

I’m reading a book at the moment (and apparently there’s a blog as well… 😀 ) – Living Artfully – Sandra Magsamen

It’s about creativity in everyday life; about how we box creativity up as only relating to “artists” or “musicians”, or whatever else you envision when you think “art”. She states that the root word for “create” means “grow” – that anything we do in a day that is growth is creativity.

I had thought that I would skim through the book, get a few ideas, take it back to the library… I’m enjoying actually reading it….

So far, there have been three stories that have been interesting to me…

The first is about a woman called Mierle Laderman Ukeles , an artist known for her feminist and service-oriented work .
From 1978- 1984, she travelled across New York City, shaking hands with 8500 sanitation workers (then still called “garbage men”) and thanking them for keeping the city clean. She documented her activities and conversations, including the workers’ stories, fears and humiliations associated with public perception of their job, in an attempt to challenge negative stereotypes. She believed that sanitation is not the same as garbage, and that “Sanitation creates order out of chaos, and in that way, it’s artlike.”

The second “artist” 😀 was a woman called Tressa “Grandma” Prisbey, who, at the age of 60, began transforming her home in California into what is now called “The Bottle Village” Over the next 30 years she completed 15 structures in and around her home from bottles and found objects secured with mortar. She created a whimsical, slightly odd, and often beautiful home that many others have enjoyed over the years.

Finally, a man named Samuel Mockbee, who worked with his architectural students to create houses made from materials discarded by local companies in Georgia. They built beautiful, but inexpensive, homes for people in poverty from old bricks, carpet samples, and used tyres. His work has been called “an architecture of decency”.

Where does that leave me? I believe we are all creative – after all, we are made in the image of the Great Creator! And if that is so, then I can “create” everyday, whether it’s a painting, or a recipe, or a great way to make a bed…..

What can you create today? 😀

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on October 22, 2011 at 10:37 pm Leave a Comment

Inspirational

Today, we tried singing rounds. That was… interesting…. I think it could do with more work 😀

I had been reading the paper, and came across an article about the inclusion of famous inspirational speeches in the school curriculum. Off to YouTube we went….
We first listened to Winston Churchill’s wartime “We shall fight them on the beaches” speech..

Not an overwhelming success – the sound is not that good, and it was a bit difficult to understand. Worth the effort, though, and lead to a few discussions. We watched a Time Team (Shooters Hill) not too long ago, so we’d already discussed the mood in England at the time, and the threat of invasion.
One of the recommended videos after that was this one…

That one resonated with the sweet beans! I was primarily trying to get them to look at the characteristics of an inspirational speech – the tone, imagery etc, but we inevitably ended up discussing the issues involved. It’s instructive for them to be able to see what a different world we live in now – good and bad.
This last one provoked the most discussion. It doesn’t really need much introduction…

Again, a little difficult to hear… we watched another one (which should be on the right panel) that had subtitles… the blog wouldn’t let me upload it 😦 Have a listen!

Be inspired! 😀

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on October 11, 2011 at 12:02 pm Leave a Comment

Each One Matters

… do I?

Monday night Hubby and I went to a fundraising dinner for Queensland chaplaincy – the above was the tagline for the evening. We were invited for a (free) dinner (donations were taken during the evening), with entertainment… we had a great time!
Throughout the evening we heard about the work chaplains do in schools, and heard from kids who had been helped through tough situations. I’m glad I got to hear, and have a greater understanding of the roles and difficulties – and rewards! of chaplaincy… if you want more information, go to –
http://www.chappy.org.au/

It was a fun evening – good food, meeting new people… the entertainment for the evening was Marcia Hines… I tried to find a YouTube to post here, but they were all from old (70s) concerts, or badly taped. You probably had to be there 😀 I almost got up to dance….
Deep Blue 7 also played… here’s a clip from Australia’s Got Talent –

They also have a Young Blue programme, where they hold workshops for kids…I wish they’d been around when I was a kid learning violin 😀

One of the fun things… two of the people who were supposed to come couldn’t make it, and their food was organised anyway…. the friend who invited us, and my hubby, decided that it would be a shame to let it go to waste, so they went out onto the street (we were at South Bank Convention Centre) and invited a couple of blokes, on their way home from karate class, in for a free meal. They had a great evening… and a better meal than they were expecting 😀
Lots of fun, interesting conversations… and we got to nick abandoned chocolates off the tables on our way out (shh – don’t tell anyone!) What more could you ask for?

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on October 6, 2011 at 12:31 am Leave a Comment

Dream…

… sunrise

( via 5 Minute Getaway)

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Inspiration

on October 1, 2011 at 8:25 pm Leave a Comment

Random Song/Revelation

I can post videos! How did I not know this?????
Went on a Youtube Magical Mystery Tour last night.. here’s one I liked…
will now have to figure out how to use this new power for the greater good…..

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on September 29, 2011 at 12:07 am Leave a Comment

Bloom….

… where you’re planted..

… grow where you’re sown! 😀

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on September 25, 2011 at 7:26 pm Leave a Comment

Tirra Lirra!

…is the name of the cafe I checked out today! It’s where Word Of Mouth used to be – Bell St, near the corner…

Lovely… I will go back (sometime 😀 )

Here’s the main part of the interior –

Here’s my corner…

I had apple pie, and a lavender milkshake –

Here’s a close up of some chairs near me… painted seats –

random floor decoration…

… and the atmospheric window next to where I was sitting 😀

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on September 23, 2011 at 9:01 pm Leave a Comment

Rainbow Cake!

It’s been such a wonderful weekend!

Here’s a bright cheerful cake 😀

see more Must Have Cute

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Inspiration

on September 18, 2011 at 10:13 pm Leave a Comment

It Makes My Heart Happy…..

Yesterday I found a link on another blog, and clicked… I’ve heard this before, and loved it, but today/last night, I’ve really been listening with my heart…. here’s the link –

Playing For Change

Here’s the philosophy behind it….

“Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world.”
(Find out more here – http://www.playingforchange.com/journey/introduction

Here’s some more songs – check out the rest! 😀 –

One Love – seems to encompass what they’re about 😀

War/No More Trouble – Spot the famous face! 😀

Redemption Song – No, it’s not all Bob Marley!

Don’t Worry – An original song

Check it out… let’s get together and feel alright…. 😀

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on September 17, 2011 at 3:11 pm Leave a Comment