Out And About

I had a “big” day in town the other day – I wanted to vote early (and avoid the crowds), so I went to some other places I hadn’t been to for a while. It felt a bit strange being outside for so long! 😆

Another frangipani!
This one was outside my favourite cafe, where I was waiting for my takeaway order – not quite ready to spend too much time sitting inside yet…

I did better than I thought I would. Still had to go home to bed for a bit.
I miss being able to walk wherever I want to, for as long as I want to – to go somewhere without having to formulate plans B, C etc, depending on how I am.
It was back to the doctor today, another course of antibiotics and another round of tests, for something different this time. Still, I’m feeling better than a month, or even a couple of weeks, ago! 🙂

The flowers are still blooming.
And there are still songs to sing.

Published in: on May 20, 2022 at 9:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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‘Tis The Last Frangipani Of Summer…

…not quite blooming alone 🙂

Not so much rain today, but it’s certainly getting to the wintry part of the year…having said that, I have the air conditioner on at the moment. Not sure if that’s varying temperatures, or just me!
It’s been just over five weeks since I first had Covid, and I’m still not doing too well. I have managed to get out of the house (book sale on Friday 🙂 ), and have done a bit of cleaning and washing. Everything is still punctuated by resting, but I’m better than I was.
Winter can be a time of slowing down and being more creative, of taking stock of what was and looking towards what could be. Even so, the time will go faster than I want it to, and I want to use it well.
Here’s to more breath in my body, inspiration in my psyche, and improvements all round!

Published in: on May 17, 2022 at 4:12 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Long Ago, Now

Lest We Forget

And for those often left out of the story…

Published in: on April 25, 2022 at 12:03 am  Leave a Comment  
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Languid

I’m into the second week of Covid now. The rest of the family tested negative, so they’ve been out and about today. I tested positive again… we rang the number for info. It seems that it’s not uncommon to test positive for a while, but not be actually contagious. It comes down to symptoms – there appear to be contagious and non-contagious symptoms. I still have a bad cough, which means I should stay inside and rest for a few days more.
Caught up with some TV today. It’s the first day since last Tuesday that I’ve been downstairs for any length of time, and it was quite tiring. Most of my days have been stuck in the bedroom, which limits the scenic inspiration 😆
I took some photos of domestic details…

The sunset I could see from the window a few days ago… I’ve enhanced the colour, but it’s still not as beautiful as what I could actually see.

A hair clip I got many years ago. I don’t have enough hair to wear it now…

Random anklets.
Also, evidence of a lack of dusting.

The feather that guards my jewellery box.

Detail from the head of a muslin angel.

Heart sachets.

Bracelets…

…and my crumpled sheets.
I’ve been seeing a lot of them, so they may as well be bright.
🙂

We’ll see what tomorrow brings!

Published in: on April 21, 2022 at 9:35 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Wondering About Wandering

So, my Biggest Boy and I have tested positive for Covid. Thankfully, my Babe and Sweetest Bean are negative, but our household is in quarantine.
We don’t seem to be too badly affected – just cough/sore throat/fever – and hopefully it won’t last too long.
I don’t get out much. This means that I tend to feel a bit useless – all the things that other people are doing are often things I can’t do anymore. I suppose the up side of today was that I spent the day reading without feeling like I should be doing something, but without the ability to do it. Lethargy and fever tend to reduce the day to just the basics.
When I was younger, I travelled to various places, and had the energy to pursue pretty much whatever I wanted to. These days, my travelling is mostly in my head. I still want to find out about the world! That’s why I read so much 🙂
Here’s a mug I got last week, to remind me of the journeys still to travel.

Published in: on April 13, 2022 at 10:33 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Waking Up In Different Ways

This week seems to have flown by – is time actually speeding up or am I just getting older?
I’ve had a few bouts of feeling down, and have been finding it hard to get stuff done. It’s all a bit blah sometimes… feels hard to create something new or innovative. It’s good to remember that sometimes, rejuvenating, revamping or repurposing an already existing structure can be enough. We all put our own stamp on things. Sometimes, that creates something amazing!
I’ve been watching lots of music “reaction” videos (fun!), and have seen lots of variations on original songs.
Here are three versions of one song – all amazing renditions, all showing the personalities of the artists.

Here’s the original.

Perhaps a bit of country acapella?

Or just a romp through time.
With cellos.

Whichever one you choose (and you can even choose all of them!), I hope you wake up with a sense of purpose, and knowing how you can make your mark on your world.
❤

Published in: on April 8, 2022 at 12:16 am  Comments (2)  
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PlayLaughJoy

Went out for breakfast the other day – this was the sign on the wall as I sat drinking my coffee.

It’s a bit simplistic – sometimes there are a lot of other factors in healing, and the lack of health. The sentiment’s not wrong, though – laughter and the ability to play, to enjoy life, are important. It’s just that some days it can be hard to dredge up the energy…
I try to get out of the house on my own at least once a week. This evening I even went to a party – the first time in a while that I can remember being out at night! It was fun, but it does mean I might be a bit restricted tomorrow.
Coffee and cake are not essential to life.
I just find that they can make it a bit brighter for a while!
🙂

Published in: on April 2, 2022 at 9:20 pm  Leave a Comment  

Medals, Ukraine And Hidden Books

I am enjoying a bit of cool weather at the moment, while listening to a CD of lost songs of St Kilda (the island, not the suburb/team…). We’re apparently in line for storms later on, so I’ll enjoy having the windows open for as long as I can! The heat we’ve been having has knocked me around a bit – I’ve generally felt like a weary, expanding ball of inflammation. I have not been able to do too much, so I was pleased to receive some more medals from the virtual races I’ve been doing. These were for shorter routes, which I used for various exercise activity.

Here are the backs –

And the bits that come apart –

At the moment they’re doing a Ukraine challenge. This one has no medal, so that all proceeds can go to help NGOs that are already working there.
I’ve also just signed up to another GISH (mini)Hunt, with proceeds once again going to Ukraine. It’s also a “book bash” hunt, a scavenger hunt for readers and writers – yay! 😀

What about the hidden books, I hear you ask?
I’ve been doing a bit of tidying and rearranging, in fits and starts…
For some reason this place gets dusty pretty much as soon as you look at it. I’ve tacked up some curtains over my bookcases in the bedroom. Hopefully that will keep the dust off my books for a bit. They hide my books, but they’re pretty. 🙂

I’ve got some hospital procedures next week that I’m (not) looking forward to. There are various preparations involved, but one of those will be making sure I have a substantial stack of (non-dusty!) books within easy reach during recovery. I’ll have to get to the library soon, and there’s a whole lot of books I’ve acquired recently but not had the time to read.
What more could I want?
😀

Published in: on March 9, 2022 at 11:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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Waiting In The Sun

Sun’s out.
The torrential rain has finished for the time being, at least round our way. We’re still waiting to see what will happen later in the week.
Our house was fine – we had to dig some trenches and redirect water, but that was more a drainage problem than a flooding issue. There’s a sort of a lull at the moment. There are still roads flooded in town, making essential shopping a bit harder. Supplies in the shops were running low over the weekend, and restocking might be a problem. We’re fine. There are many who aren’t, so we’re waiting to see what’s needed once the waters recede enough to be able to do something. We’re not much good these days for heavy lifting, but we can do meals/groceries, and we still have a bed and sofa for anyone needing them. 🙂

Last week I sent in my part for the latest Couch Choir. Not sure when it will all be put together, but here’s a Pub Choir clip (pre-Covid!) that seems to be appropriate. It’s probably been appropriate for at least the last three years or so!

It might seem like cold comfort to someone surveying the wreckage of everything they own, and of course there are long term effects that will need to be addressed. But we can all still pitch in as a community.
One of the good things I’ve found over the last few years (at least for me) is a sense of connection to places and people I would never have met or seen otherwise. It feels almost like we could go anywhere and see anyone we wanted to pre-Covid, but had got into the habit of not connecting. Perhaps we didn’t feel the need for community quite so much, and so were careless about it building and maintaining it…
I hope that in our future we can remember to maintain the nourishing things, and continue to keep away from the unhelpful things.

Speaking of futures – here’s a possible one!
Who knows? 😆

Published in: on March 1, 2022 at 12:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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People All Over The World

It’s pouring outside – good to see the rain, but it’s meant a bit of digging to prevent flooding.
Elsewhere, it seems like the world is on fire.
Apart from global events, there are also personal losses and worries seemingly everywhere you look…

I’ve been looking for cheerful songs that make me feel like dancing. Here’s one –

Seem a bit flippant?
I think it’s important to remember there’s still the possibility of love.
Of course, targeted action is important, too – we all have a voice, in some capacity.

We also need to remind ourselves to see the ordinary people. The ones that are dissenting, even at great cost. The ones that are just like us, only in a dangerous situation not of their own making.
In my lifetime I have seen people causing pain and horror, whether for nations, families, or individuals. I still believe that the majority of people tend towards kindness. It doesn’t matter what someone else believes; it certainly doesn’t matter what they look like. We’re all people. We can look into each other’s eyes and see family. And we can care for and encourage each other.

Even so, this day may just be too much for you.
Sleep.
Wake up to another day.
Those of us who are able to can hold things up (in prayer, practice, encouragement) when you just can’t in this moment.
❤

Published in: on February 25, 2022 at 3:47 pm  Leave a Comment  
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