Music | 1000 Fields of Roses

An Angel On My Side(Table)

It’s so good to be able to enjoy a day without overheating!
I’ve still had the fan on, but today has felt like a taste of…not quite winter. Maybe autumn? My toes are a little bit chilly at the moment 🙂
This week coming, I start my course for the year. I’ve been writing out notes from the last year I was on the course (2021), and trying to keep my hand from cramping up.
Although I wrote up the majority of my notes at the time, there are still a lot to go. It’s easy to feel a bit guilty for leaving them for so long, but I’m also finding that I’m getting more out of them with the gap than I might have got at the time. It’s at least been quite interesting, and ignited my curiosity for what’s to come in the year ahead.

The weather has made my garden a bit straggly. I’ve left the flowers where they are, for the most part, but still get the nice ones inside where I can appreciate them.

It won’t be long before they’re too bedraggled to display, I think.

As for that angel in the title…
My Babe found a little angel in a vintage shop that he thought I might like.
It wasn’t even a birthday present – just a “me” present ❤
Here she is!

Not exactly on my side table – more my chest of drawers 😀
She’ll eventually go to the glass display case downstairs, but I’ll enjoy her up here for a while.
She’s the Angel of Freedom.
Something to look forward to this year!

(and just in case you need to smile…)

Published in:

on February 10, 2024 at 10:05 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Arimura Taishi, Blue HamHam

Sparrows And Wildflowers

It’s not been too hot today.
Lovely! 🙂
We’ve had varying amounts of rain, but no flooding here. The place we’ve moved to is near a river, though, and the water comes up from there. While our house has been dry(ish!), the lower bridge into town has been cut off a couple of times, and we’ve been able to see the flooding over the paddock behind the house. It hasn’t affected us, or our ability to get to town, but it’s good to keep an eye on it…

The garden is green, and needs a good weeding. The roses are slowing down considerably, but I did get a nice one from one of the smaller bushes.

❤

It’s been another day trying to deal with government bureaucracy without my head exploding…
I have been enjoying writing up some old notes.
A few years ago I did an online course, which at that time only had one year’s curriculum. They’ve just added a second year’s curriculum, and I was invited back as an alumni 🙂
One of the things I’d been wanting to do these last years is to catch up on my notes from the previous lessons and seminars. I had copied out quite a lot (more than I’d thought I had), but I stalled in the middle of one set of lessons because I couldn’t find my notes, and I didn’t want to continue with something else before finishing that class.
I have searched through my bits of paper many times, both here and in the previous two addresses. I eventually came to the conclusion that the last two lessons of that class were gone, and I would just have to move on.

When I got the invitation to sign up again for the course, I wasn’t sure at first. The cost was discounted (as an alumni, and also because I think we’re guinea pigs for Year 2 😆 ), but it’s still an extra expense to factor in.
We prayed about it, and I didn’t have any clarity, until about an hour or so before the cut off time to enrol. I still wasn’t completely sure (probably because of the money), but decided to go for it… and then I started to get excited about it.

The zoom calls start in a couple of weeks, so I took out all my previous notes to sort them out, and get them finished as much as possible.
…and, after all the searching, and all the methodical sorting into each set of lessons…
there they were.
The two missing lessons, not only clear and easy to read (i.e. not in tatters from moving from place to place), but also in an exercise book, folded back to the right page, ready to be copied out.
I think Someone’s looking out for me.
And I think I might be supposed to do this year’s curriculum.

Published in:

on February 1, 2024 at 8:55 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Jess Ray, Phil Wickham

Catching The Heat

What a week!
Monday was so hot, I felt like I might spontaneously combust. I eventually put the air conditioner on, but first tried to cool down with an ice pack. It worked OK for a while, but you know it’s hot when the ice cubes in your ice pack feel like they’re simmering on the way to boiling…
Thankfully, it’s been cooler on other days, although still not comfortable from time to time.
My week has been up and down in other ways as well…
Another visit to the government-department-which-shall-not-be named, after a highly frustrating appointment at an affiliated department, where the “help” seems to come in the form of saying they can’t help with questions, while also maintaining that they have answered those questions. I did eventually find a human (two, actually!) who took me through the process I should be following now, so that helped a lot.
I feel like I have more direction (I tend to need things explained to me in steps to take), although I have also come out of this week feeling a fair bit older.

What’s been good?
I have a new bedside table 🙂
It’s colourful, and large enough to hold all sorts of things.

…with lovely, although mismatched, drawer handles.

The drawers stick a bit, but I think I’m getting used to them.

With the heat the way it’s been, my roses have looked a bit sad.
I have lots of different flowers inside, though.

🙂
It’s Australia Day here, although we don’t tend to do much different in our house.
I’m not going to stray into controversy in this post.
Except to say – I think it’s quite possible to want to “change the day” and still be Australian.
And also, to listen to this song.

Published in:

on January 26, 2024 at 11:30 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Australia, The Seekers

All Is New

May this year bring
peace,
love,
and joy in your living.
❤

Published in:

Music

on January 1, 2024 at 1:00 am Leave a Comment
Tags: House Project, New Year, Nomads + Natives

Behold!

Deep peace
Unconstrained joy
To all hearts, today.
❤

Published in:

on December 25, 2023 at 7:00 am Leave a Comment
Tags: Anne Wilson, Celtic Worship, Christmas, Phil Wickham

Looking Towards Daylight

It’s Christmas Eve
– and we wait, remembering the coming of the Light.

Published in:

on December 24, 2023 at 7:06 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Christmas, Lauren Daigle, We The Kingdom

Content

…or, “how I’m feeling right now” 🙂

We’re on a mad dash to Christmas, although most things are bought or done. There’s just the cleaning, and a visit to the markets, to go.
I am feeling contentment, looking round at all the beautiful things around me.
This time last year, we had pretty much put Christmas (at least the glitzy trappings) on hold. We were unsure of the future, and maybe a bit tired…
This year, we are settled, and with more space than I could have dreamed of last year.
Wandering around the place this morning, it struck me that this vast, weedy garden of ours has provided gifts I knew I wanted, but didn’t think to ask for.
I have wanted roses for a long time, but I’m not much good at plants until they’re fairly well established (and able to look after themselves to a large extent). Here, there are at least five rose bushes, in various sizes, from my big, prolific rose bush at the back –

…to the little, straggly plant at the front, which I can see is a miniature rose bush!

They all seem to be pink, and nicely scented.

Not only that – we also have scented flowers here that we had in the house we lost, and I had thought would not have again. The hedge plants have sweetly scented white flowers, the same plant we had in the old house (I can never remember the name), and we also have “Geisha Girl” plants (trees?).

My frangipanis are exploding (not literally…)

We have had time lately to go out for a cuppa, and spend some time talking.

“The Still Life Of Contentment” 😀

My nativity scene is still not complete. I’ve had some ideas, but they haven’t worked out – there’s always next year!
I’ve added a donkey, though.

Maybe life is not perfect.
Maybe it never will be.
I am content (and maybe even quietly happy…)
I hope you are too!

If you need a bit of cheering up, here is Pub Choir‘s new collaboration.

Or maybe you’re in need of quietness and peace, in which case – have a silent night ❤

Published in:

on December 21, 2023 at 8:29 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: pentatonix, Pub Choir

Behind The Sparkles

We went to a Christmas service Saturday night.
It was sparkly, jingly, bright…all the Christmassy things.
I got to belt out some carols (I do love carols!), and enjoyed the littlies dancing with abandon (both on the stage and in the aisles – do children come equipped with springs and a battery pack?).
We got home and I went looking for new Christmas songs. YouTube threw this one into the mix.

I love the twinkly lights and baubles, the memory of snow and freezing churches, the family lunches and cold after dinner walks to settle the abundance of food.
But for all the glitz that the ads and movies show as the Christmas experience, there is just as much darkness and pain.
The ones who are broken, whether in body or mind (or both), who find it hard to jump into the glittery fantasy.
The ones who are trying to pay the rent and the bills and still feed the family.
The ones who don’t have family, or have lost someone loved this year.

For all the different stories out there, it’s good to remember that the first Christmas Day wasn’t neat and tidy, wasn’t sweet-smelling and photo-ready.
It was about a small baby, born into chaos and scorn, who came just for us. Who sees past our shiny facades, and looks for the lost and weeping.
That Christmas story embraces everyone who looks past the sparkles, to search for the real gift of Christmas.

Published in:

on December 11, 2023 at 6:47 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Christmas, Eclipse 6

Decking The Hall

…or, at least, that weird little section of the house that’s part dining nook, part kitchen extension.

The tree’s up, and snuggled into its little corner quite nicely.

My angel, who has been topping the tree for nearly 30 years.

The boys haven’t been feeling the Christmas cheer, so I put up some decorations for them.

I don’t think it helped.

As we’re in a new space, I’ve been able to change things around. Also spread them out – there’s so much space!

I did take some more rose photos, but I’ll share another anticipatory flowering…

Christmas frangipanis!
🙂

I don’t know how you’re feeling about the season.
Maybe this can help you…get your jingle on 😆

Cause Baby it’s Christmas!

(nearly)

Published in:

on December 8, 2023 at 9:31 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Christmas, Get Your Jingle On, KJ & The Backliners

Thinking About The Tree

December is here!
Christmas songs are sneaking into my head at odd moments, and I’m contemplating putting up the tree next week.
Last year the tree stayed in its box under the bed. We didn’t know if we were moving, there were boxes everywhere, not much room…we decided to take year off decorating.
I don’t know what it is about the last few days, but I’ve suddenly leapt into Christmas mode! Christmas Day itself is just over three weeks away, so I can’t say it’s too early 🙂
Perhaps it’s because we feel settled here. Perhaps we just needed a rest last year. I’m excited to see how our decorations fit in this house.

I’ve been looking for a Nativity set lately. I couldn’t find anything in our budget that I liked, but then my Mum gave me some bits towards putting one together. Until I figure out how to make the rest of the figures, they’ll be here.

There’s even a cat in attendance!

We went to a wedding today, which was beautiful ❤
We were outside for lunch afterwards, and this was our view.

As trees go, these were quite majestic.

I’ll still enjoy my little fake tree with nearly thirty years of accumulated baubles…

Just to start off the Christmassy season with a smile – and an acknowledgement that Christmas here is considerably hotter than some other parts of the world (even if we’re not in LA).