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Another year round the sun, and another day out in the Big City!
Every year my Babe gets me to decide on an itinerary, then chauffeurs (and bankrolls ๐Ÿ˜€ ) me through the day.

I decided to start this birthday with breakfast at a place I haven’t been to in many years. The Pancake Manor has been around since 1979, but I didn’t get there until the early 90s. It’s open 24 hours (as it was then), so we got there early to miss the rush hour traffic into Brisbane. Back in the Old Days ๐Ÿ™‚ , I used to sometimes go after a night shift – lingering over fluffy pancakes, in all sorts of flavours, at 2 or 3am. The building used to be a church, and it’s still got that sort of style. The life size knights are still at the door as you come in, but I couldn’t see the huge throne-like chairs that used to be in the centre of the room. We sat in the pews against the wall…

โค

These days, my journeys tend to be planned around fatigue, so we didn’t plan to stay long. We had a look around New Farm – browsed (and bought from) a charity shop there, then picked up a Hero panini for lunch from the New Farm Deli – another place I went to 30 years ago. I lived just up the road, so I was a more frequent visitor there than at the Pancake Manor. The food is still amazing, and the Deli has grown considerably since then. Definitely worth a visit! ๐Ÿ˜€

By this time I was running out of steam, but so pleased to have made it that far! We got home about lunch time, and I’ve not been doing much since.
My sweet boys both got me pressies, which they went out of their way to find for me. I love how they put such thought into it, and how their choices reflect who they are โค
I didn’t really feel like eating a lot of cake, so we picked up some Unicorn (fondant) Fancies. Just big enough for a candle, and a taste of birthday cake…

Yay for today!

…and now there’s only one thing left to say.

๐Ÿ™‚

Published in: on February 4, 2022 at 11:01 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Picking Flowers

…or photos of them, anyway ๐Ÿ˜†

I’m back on the Centrelink treadmill, supposedly trying to find work. There’s lots of jobs for doctors. Or Uber drivers. Or maybe labouring of some sort…
I’m not much good anymore for 8 hour days, especially when you figure in travelling time as well. When I was younger I could work 16 hour days/6 days a week, hauling mail bags that were sometimes up to 25-30ish kilos. That was a long time ago.
When I told my job provider that I would find it difficult to do full time hours, they sent me back to Centrelink, who sent me off with medical forms for disability. Turns out I have a chance ๐Ÿ˜† , although I’ve heard from others about how difficult it is to qualify.
I now have a (double) appointment for the doctor to go over the form with me. This is separate to the appointment I had already made with the doctor over something different, which meant I had to reschedule the appointment with Centrelink to discuss the form that would not have been filled in before the appointment that had been made initially. That rescheduling was surprisingly easy. Turns out Centrelink are more flexible than my doctor!
This morning I had another appointment added, this time for a hospital check up that’s been working its way up a referral list somewhere – I can’t even remember how many referral lists I’m on now.
I’m hoping to go out for my birthday next Friday, but we’ll see how much energy I have left!

Anyway – while I’m in a sort of holding pattern, I have time to share some photos of flowers that I’ve taken over the last few months ๐Ÿ™‚

More flowers, but this time on the wall ๐Ÿ™‚
(sometimes, this is how I feel…)

Hopefully in a few weeks I’ll start to see what’s growing…
โค

Published in: on January 28, 2022 at 5:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
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On The Road Again!

After some weeks of being off road (the car suddenly decided not to cooperate), and thanks to some lovely family โค , we are back on the road…
Say hello to the new car (who still hasn’t been named –
any ideas? ๐Ÿ˜€ )

Published in: on January 8, 2022 at 10:18 pm  Comments (2)  
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Freckles And Wildflowers

So, Betty White died the other day.
I mostly remember her from The Golden Girls, and from her internet presence over these later years. She seemed like someone who it would have been fun to know, a role model for living (and aging) joyously. As I’ve read a couple of times lately – it says something about your life and legacy that you could die at 99 years of age and people are still saying it was too soon…
If I look at her age, and others who are in their mid to late 90s, I can literally think of myself as middle aged! It’s a time of life when you start to ponder your own mortality, though – especially when your health is not great. I’ve been reading an anthology of Mary Oliver‘s poems, and it has been interesting to read some of what she was writing when she was around my age. The two anthologies written around the age I am now are “Dream Work” and “House of Light“; they each contain one of her more well known poems. Maybe getting closer to death triggers a greater introspection; maybe it’s because there are often big life changes in these years. Or maybe some people are just more naturally thinkers…

I want this year to count, and I am aware that I have less time to do that with each passing day. Probably a good idea to get on with things then! ๐Ÿ˜€

Here is a song that I enjoyed listening to. It does come across a bit as focusing on those who have health and families to enjoy in their old age, but the sentiment is still applicable to those who are struggling with brokenness. Yes, you are still beautiful, and you can still learn how to be settled in your own skin!
May your path this year be paved with wildflowers, and your heart be soothed by oceans โค

Published in: on January 3, 2022 at 10:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Best Foot Forward

…walking straight ahead,

In this year, when our routines will change, I thought it might be a good idea to sing about what heals my heart โค

…and here’s one for all the sadnesses of the past year.

Published in: on January 1, 2022 at 2:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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What Has Never Been Before

As we turn towards this new year, there’s an element of… trepidation. And anticipation.
I don’t know what’s coming.


But I pray for beauty, peace, and that feeling of knowing you are in just the right place, at just the right time – that you have come through the “space between” with at least some idea of your path for where you’re going.
Happy and glorious New Year to you all!
โค

Published in: on December 31, 2021 at 11:59 am  Leave a Comment  
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(Not) Stuck In The Middle

Once again we’re in that middle week between Christmas and New Year. My plan was to do a lot of nothing, except reading…
I’ve stuck with that pretty well, but sometimes you have to do something!
Tidying, mostly.
Computer files. Cupboards. My mind? ๐Ÿ˜†
Next year seems like it might be interesting. Guess I’ll start finding out in a couple of days!

I hope your week has been beautiful โค
It’s time to look ahead, but since Christmas is not necessarily just for, well, Christmas…
here’s a clip I only just found the other day.

Published in: on December 30, 2021 at 2:11 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Contemplating The Inconceivable

This is one of my favourite Christmas songs.
I’ve loved it since I first heard it many years ago.
Lately I’ve noticed that it gets some criticism, which I don’t believe is warranted – accusations that it treats Mary as ignorant, or that the writers must have never read the Bible…
Let’s face it – of course she knew!
She was told of what was to come by an angel; that word was confirmed by Elizabeth. She was inspired to sing a prophetic song of what God was doing, and then received further prophecy from Simeon and Anna!
Mary was far from ignorant, and she thought deeply.

If the intent of the song were to mock Mary for her perceived ignorance, then I could understand the criticisms. I have never heard it that way. To me, it seems like someone in awe of the unfolding magnificence of the story, asking Mary how it was possible to conceive of such a truth. It invites us to really enter the story, and marvel. There’s a line that says, “When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God”…and – I just don’t know what to do with that! Every time I hear it, it feels new and amazing – God in flesh, helpless and vulnerable, in the arms of a young first time mother. Surrounded by animals and shepherds, tired and hungry and probably a bit bewildered.
All for us.

A song not born from a lack of Bible reading.
Just a writer (and listener) struggling to really take in all of the good news!

Published in: on December 20, 2021 at 4:40 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Crisp And Cool…

The air conditioner’s on, the sheets are freshly changed, and I’ve done my heavy cleaning for the inspection on Monday.
You know that feeling when you’ve been dreading something, but you’ve finally done that something, and you feel all light and giddy with achievement? That’s me right now ๐Ÿ˜€
Also – chilled and comfy!

Still have the pressies to wrap, but that can be a fun thing for later.
There’s been a fair few “must do” things lately, but I still found time for a sit down in front of the Christmas tree the other day, with a mug of gingerbread milk and an Elf DVD.

Also, a cup of mocha and a muffin, before doing some Christmas shopping. It’s been a bit harder without a car, so I needed my caffeine…
Here’s my little nook in the cafe.

Here are the forest friends that shared the space with me…

I’m looking forward to a peaceful evening. ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope you are too!
Maybe this will help…
not specifically a Christmas song, but something to reflect on.

The Best Laid Plans…

I originally chose this clip to bring some cheer… which of course it does.
Just not the way I thought it would ๐Ÿ˜†

We were entering the finish line for Christmas, before the wheels came off.
Or, the car broke down.
Last week, just before a block of events and obligations that had to be reassessed to find other methods of transport. We hoped it was a minor fix, but it seems that fixing the faults would cost more than the car is worth. So, here we are. Looking for a value priced, reliable, not too old car. Just before Christmas.

This year seems to have gone very quickly.
Good things happened; bad things did as well. I had hoped to overhaul my health issues and get them on the way to “better”, but that still needs work!
My boys are both adults now, though, and Sweet Bean has been forging ahead into becoming a grown up – changing accounts, looking for work, basically separating himself from us as much as possible (in a good way – not emotionally ๐Ÿ™‚ )
We will have a good Christmas, whatever happens.
Life still has many beautiful surprises in store.
โค

But here is a song for the sad places in our hearts, where we feel lonely and unheard.

Be blessed.
Be merry.
And know that there is still the possibility of light.

Published in: on December 15, 2021 at 1:04 pm  Leave a Comment  
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