Succulence

Or – finding the juiciness in life 😀

The car is fixed!
YAY!

We are planning to be out and about in the next few days – there are things we have neglected, and need to get done.
But I have to say – it’s been nice to be stuck at home 🙂
I’ve enjoyed stillness.
Silence, and thought.
Finding a richness in the enforced at-homeness…

We’ve been on partial storm alert since last weekend’s hail.
The blinds have been down a lot, and towels within easy reach.
The rain has been of the soaking kind, not the flooding variety 🙂

This was our sunset last night.

We put the pot plants in the shed on Saturday. Just in case.
I just got them out this arvo, and – I don’t know whether it’s the heat, or the humidity, but they’ve sprouted a bit. One has thrown out thin tendrils with tiny flowers, from all angles.

Unassuming beauty…

This lovely house-warming plant is contemplating blooming again, after getting a bit battered in the storms.

❤

And the frangipanis are sending out new bright greenness.

I’m not even sure, anymore, what’s growing in this pot!

I think it started with the aloe vera, but other plants have moved in.

We’ve been in this house just on three months now.
We’re breathing in. Stretching out. And finding the succulence in this life…

…as are my pot plants!

❤

Published in: on November 3, 2025 at 7:38 pm  Leave a Comment  

Piecing Things Together

The car’s still not operational.
We thought, initially, that it was the battery.
Got a new one, put it in. Nope.
Then we thought it was the alternator.
Got a new one, put it in. Nope.
Trying for a starter motor now…
Hopefully we’ll be up and running some time early next week 🙂

Since I haven’t been out of the house for a bit, I’ve been steadily working my way through my papers. I’ve accomplished quite a lot. It took me a while to work out how to sort things (and there are still some anomalies), but a couple of days ago, things seemed to fall into place!
Yay!

I’ve been sitting in my art room, with a cuppa and the fan on…listening to Enya, or Loreena McKennitt.
Just browsing through my history, finding things I’d forgotten I’d written over the years.

I’ll be glad when we’re mobile again.
But I’m enjoying my little creative oasis.
Piecing together papers, and cars…
And a cute mashup of cats and bugs!

❤

Published in: on October 30, 2025 at 11:48 pm  Leave a Comment  

Aftermath

We had a weekend of mishaps – car stopped working (just before going to do the weekly shop), and the storm yesterday turned into big hailstones…no critical damage, but things that need fixing.

I was watching the lightning yesterday afternoon through my bedroom window – big flashy strikes, straight down to the ground, and looking like they weren’t very far away.
Decided to film a bit, although the rain was coming down in sheets by the time I started filming.

I had to cut this short so we could plug the leaks…
It doesn’t seem to be as bad as our last house. Pretty sure it was the fierceness of this particular storm that made things leak. That, and maybe the fact that the windows are old, the putty holding the glass in is brittle and largely missing, and the wood of the frames looks like it’s rotting.
Still better than we’ve had before. Certainly more manageable.

Here’s a view of the hail towards the end of the storm.

We had a look outside after the storm.
The yard looked a bit bedraggled.

Those dark patches on the pot are not dirt or leaves that have been kicked up. That’s where the hail punched through.
Here’s a better view –

Might need to repot that.
I’m absolutely amazed (and pleased 🙂 ) that my plants made it through so well, though!

The power went out for a time.
We got a bit hot and uncomfortable in the humidity, but it was only a few hours before we got power back.
And it gave us time to play trivia questions by candlelight with the boys ❤

Published in: on October 27, 2025 at 8:41 pm  Leave a Comment  

Libraries I Have Known

I think that anyone who knows me knows that –
I love books!

I enjoy reading – stories that take me into other worlds, texts that show me things I never knew, words of comfort or inspiration…
But I also love the feel of (actual) books – the paper, the covers, the illustrations. Physically flipping pages, not quite sure what might be on the other side.
I don’t think I’ve ever been quite this fanatical.
(warning – there are flashing lights in parts of this video, in case that affects you)

He made that for you…

I have full bookcases, and will continue finding spaces for newly acquired books, but I still love the library!
I have browsed the stacks in many libraries in my lifetime.
In my childhood, I remember them being caverns of wonder, even if the spaces were, perhaps, smaller than my imagination made them. Both my primary and high school had their own library, which is as it should be. Useful for study, but also introducing us to literature we might not have come across otherwise.

I also used to ride my bike to the public library on a Saturday. I would sit and read – in my memory, until closing time. Then I would collect my bike, and hurtle down the spiral concrete ramp outside. Reach the bottom, and go back up again.
The freedom of the 70s…

When my oldest was born, we signed him up for a free book programme, and also a library card. That library was in a run down estate, and consisted of one small room in a parade of shops. We always found books to read, though, and stories to sink into!
My youngest was born after we came back to Australia to live. Our library has gone through changes over all the years we’ve been here, but the boys were always in and out – for storytime, or creative workshops, or just sitting with a book, enjoying the air conditioning. It was a great place to go to in all our homeschooling years.

They said, way back in time, that some day we would be a paperless society.
Doesn’t seem to have happened…
Libraries do a lot more now. Computers with internet access – wonderful for those who can’t afford it at home, or need help in some way. There are frequent workshop or training options. Places to hold meetings, or just be alone for a bit.
And above all – books!
Yay!! 😀
Our library has the facility to request purchase of books they don’t have. I’ve just requested three, which have been accepted and ordered. I read a wide range of topics, fiction and non-fiction. Some book series have been so enjoyable, I’ve started collecting them for my home library (especially since some older books are taken out of circulation, due to space constraints 😦 ).
And it’s all free!

Go find your public library!
Take out books!
Support your librarians!

I am aware that libraries are not, globally, available to all. It’s worth looking for literacy projects to support, if you can.
Don’t run the risk of losing a great resource from lack of use.
Go – read a book!
You’ll be glad you did 🙂

Published in: on October 25, 2025 at 9:06 pm  Leave a Comment  
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On Salad Bowls, And The Coming Of The Light

I’ve been trying to ramp up my leafy green consumption lately.
Summer seems like a good time to do it.

Isn’t it pretty!
More pink than I’d expected.
(And yes – it’s not just salad…)

I could say “Sumer Is Icumen In”, but it’s more like summer has come barrelling in, flattening all before it.
Still, the days have become brighter, and the sun picks out flashes of colour and light.
I have (finally) got around to displaying some of my jewellery – including a new “cat” badge.

Can you tell which one it is? 😀

I don’t really wear jewellery much. I prefer to decorate with it.
The different metals catch the light, and glow contentedly in their space.

Glass sparkles on the shelf…

Even seemingly plain feathers find their colour in the light!

A shy little glass flower reflects…

And the rainbows continue to sing – sometimes captured…

Sometimes on their own, dreaming.

Summer is here, and we can bask/dream/sing in the sun.
We were made to live in the light!
❤

Published in: on October 23, 2025 at 10:06 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Cats, Cappuccinos, And Two Happy Feet!

It’s been a busy week – out on the town a few times, and feeling energetic as well! I even went out last night, for the first time in weeks 🙂
Today came crashing down a bit. Pain, so couldn’t sleep (finished off a book, though…). Lethargic and slow moving today.

Overall, I am doing well.
Getting hit with the pain, after a good day or two, can sometimes feel harder – the contrast feels greater. But I just have to look at the wider picture, and see how much more I’ve done this week 😀

Yesterday, we went out for a cuppa – another thing that’s been infrequent for quite a while.
I enjoyed the cappuccino break I had the other day so much, I decided to reprise it…

Different place – back to our regular cafe!
We sat on the sofa, with a cute little plant pot beside us –

and surrounded by leather and leaves.

We talked of many things…
❤

Of course, because I haven’t been out much these last few weeks, I had so much to check out at the charity shops around town. I found some things that I have needed for a bit, which is always helpful.
I also found things that I hadn’t realised I needed… 😆

I’ve had the blue-flower cat for a long time, and it has held some of my rings. I can only put so many on its tail before it starts to tip over. The new cat will help out, when I find where I packed the rest of my rings 🙂
There was also another cat, who will hold my favourite rings.

Today has been a bit hard, and the level of discomfort hard to take. Ideally, of course, every day would be full of energy and ability. But if this season has to include the pain, for some reason, then I am glad for the Very Good days!
One thing that I caught up with this week was replacing some worn out or missing items – the things you don’t need right away, so they just keep getting put on the back burner. My unicorn slippers have steadily been getting shredded, to the point where the holes in the sides are so big, I have to grab the slippers with my toes when I walk. Otherwise my feet stick out in all the wrong places…
So, I got myself some new slippers. Yay!
I know it’s getting hotter, but these floors can be hard, especially first thing in the morning. I need a bit of padding sometimes.
Behold – my happy feet!

And now…
let us dance.
❤

Published in: on October 16, 2025 at 10:02 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Date With An Artist

Me!
❤

Went into town this morning.
Sweet Bean had an appointment, so we all piled in the car to do whatever we were doing, until he was ready to come home.

I have, over the years, tried out some of the exercises from Julia Cameron‘s book “The Artist’s Way”. The only one I’ve (sort of) kept up with has been going out on an artist’s date, although I haven’t been able to lately…
Today, I was feeling out of sorts. There was a shop I wanted to check out. It turned out to be disappointing, but in the process, I found myself sitting with a cappuccino, in the open air.

There was a musician playing in the corner.
Singing “Dancing in the Dark”, which was a bit odd, considering it was full sunshine.

It took me ages to figure out that I was looking at a mirror image.
I thought the building just…stopped suddenly.

Here’s the real one!

With oddly spherical cloud above.

Here is what was right above me, which I discovered because I just felt like tipping my head back as far as it could go.

I don’t get out much.

I wandered towards the library (always a good place to go!), and browsed through a few colourful, fun places on the way.
And – my grumpy day became an impromptu artist’s date. Refreshing. Sparking a few creative thoughts. Just clearing out the grey, really.

Also – my heart (cloud) for today – right in the middle of my cappuccino-brightened sky!

❤

Published in: on October 10, 2025 at 9:57 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Adrift, On A Sea Of Paper

I have finally, after holding out as long as I could, succumbed to the call of the air conditioner. It took a while to figure out how to work the remote, and I only had it on long enough to chill the air for the fan to then circulate it, but…
worth it!

Another “not well” day, which is very annoying.
I’ve been doing so well, and even got back into a bit of an exercise routine.
Today – not so much.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but the last few weeks have felt like a bit of a rollercoaster. Not overtly. Just some sort of shift in the air. Part of this has been a lightening of expectation – both put on me from outside voices, and absorbed from my own self imposed schedules.
I have also been hearing a lot about the importance of being still.
Very refreshing 🙂

Outside, the heat has been draining.
The plovers have been squawking when we go near the backyard, but as long as we don’t venture past the washing line, we seem to be able to share.
We’re keeping an eye on a rogue tomato bush.

Who knows where it came from?
It pretty much just appeared, and is fruiting merrily, with abandon.
We shall see what we end up with, and what else in the garden likes tomatoes 😀

One of the things I have been feeling called to do in this season is to sort through my papers. Not so much “paperwork” papers (although that could do with a clean-up), but the random notepads. exercise books, and scraps of paper I have used over the years to write things down. I have transferred some scraps to books, but have also had a bad habit of forgetting what I’ve put where, and starting on another book.

Time to sail the ephemera seas, till I reach the safe harbour of documental organisation.

Or something…

Making some sense of (partially catalogued) chaos, is what I mean.

Another thing I’ve taken time for lately is reading library books. I get the cosies, and sometimes art/craft books, but also the ones that make me think.
This world, as it stands, makes me want to exercise my thinking ability.
Here’s what I’ve read lately.

And there’s more where that came from!!
(seriously – get to your local library. You never know what you’ll find.)

Books. Papers.
Who knows where my ship will land?

In the meantime, I will settle in my comfy chair, and broaden my mind.

Accompanied by a happy little unicorn.
❤

Published in: on October 8, 2025 at 6:57 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Dolly In Springtime

…Parton, that is.
I’ve had a lovely day of catching up with this and that, enjoying the (slightly) cool day, and reminiscing with music. One of those CDs was a Dolly Parton “Greatest Hits” – I don’t know all her songs, but there are some I remember from many years ago (my first cassette tape was a country hits tape 🙂 )
Her voice is distinctive, and comforting. She seems like someone you’d like to meet, too!

I popped in to a bakery down the road this morning.
Indulged in a BBQ pork bánh mì, then saw some Neenish tarts in the display case.

Haven’t had one in ages!
I remember my Dad liked them. I don’t remember the ones he had being quite so violently pink, though.
It was an experience 🙂
The icing was hard (it cracked, rather than behaving as icing should…) The filling is mock cream, with a base of jam, so – a bit richer than I like these days. It also seemed to be a lot bigger than I remember.

But – that was my day.
Bimbling (mentally 🙂 )
Listening to Dolly.
Eating a Neenish tart.

Reminiscing.

It’s not the way I thought my day would go, but that’s OK.

(and if you want to reminisce along with me, as well as feeling the springtime vibe…)

❤

Published in: on October 4, 2025 at 8:21 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Finding The New

Not sure what’s happening to spring.
Bit too summery for me.

We tried out a new (to us) cafe today. It was nice…a bit small. There was one tiny table inside, and some more outside. I can see it would be nice in the cool of the morning, but it was too hot by the time we got there. We had to huddle round the table inside, trying not to knock the pot plants off.
I got to eat this, though.

Pistachio and raspberry croissant.
Yum!!

We checked out a “free shop” after – it’s not far from us, and we’ve passed it quite a few times. Seems like a good place to drop off some food from time to time.

I had a look through what was there, tidied some things, read the various signs.
I will definitely be getting supplies for this.

There was a time, a few years back, when we spent some months homeless.
Food was available, if a bit sparse, but there were other things we had to do without. One of the things that I found difficult to source (and very expensive) was sanitary items. Such a necessary thing, and provides that extra dignity that shouldn’t be so hard to come by.

So – a day of new things.
In this season of renewal, I had expected to find a bit more colour in the natural landscape. There are new things growing, but I was mostly seeing the remains of winter.
This pretty pot plant in the cafe was lovely 🙂

Stripy! And curly!

The fence by the free shop had the remnants of some sort of plant peeking through.

Dead. Papery. But still beautiful.

I had to spend some time outside our house this arvo.
We’ve had issues with the smoke alarms since we moved in – randomly going off for no reason, a couple of times at 2ish in the morning. Today they decided to scream at us every 8-10 minutes for about three hours, until the electrician came and (temporarily) fixed it. It finally got a bit much, so biggest boy and I escaped to the driveway for a bit.
I’d hoped to find some fresh flowers or leaves while I was out there…but there were just more dead ones.
This one was a leaf I picked up on our travels this morning.

Still colourful, and a lovely crisp texture in the light.

In our yard there was a life cycle of leaves…

On another day, I will go out and see new shoots and bright flowers.
Today I will appreciate what I see.
Because a recognition of the beauty that can hide in the corners is another chance to grasp new joy.
❤

Published in: on October 1, 2025 at 10:39 pm  Leave a Comment  
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