Thinking…. | 1000 Fields of Roses

Shining In The Dark

When terrible things happen, we bow our heads to mourn and pray, as is only right.
We can also remember that this world still has beauty, and the majority of its people want to love and show kindness.
Walk lightly.
Be kind.
Love.
Morning is coming.

God’s Grandeur
by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1877)

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

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on March 16, 2019 at 5:46 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Gerard Manley Hopkins, God's Grandeur

Hear Us Roar!

It was International Women’s Day yesterday, and I was reminded of this song…

I didn’t spend any time with other women yesterday, although I talked with Sweet Bean about women in history, and globally today.
Today I went to a breakfast for the Women’s Ministry at church, where we talked together, heard inspirational stories, and gained strength in worship.

This afternoon I caught up with some great friends who I haven’t seen enough of recently. We talked, and laughed, and ate black forest scones…

I am happy when I’m alone – I like my own company. But we are made for community, and women are generally quite good at that. Together we can bring healing, encouragement, and inspiration. And yes – we can roar!

And we can do all that in the context of beauty 😀

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on March 9, 2019 at 8:39 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: I Am Woman, International Women's Day

Good Things Come In Variable Sized Packages

…not just small packages!

A recent windfall meant that we are now the proud owner of a brand new, pillow top, properly sprung mattress! Yay!!
This may not sound earth shattering, but when your sleep is punctured (or withheld) by deep hollows in the bed that cause the spine to sag, or rogue springs making ominous noises when rolling over, a new mattress is a cause for celebration.
Here it is!

Our shopping foray also uncovered a bargain in a pawn shop – series 2 of Doctor Who (new version) for just under a fiver… I’ve been resisting getting these box sets because of cost – there’s a lot of them to catch up on, and I have seen them before. Seemed too good a deal to miss…

Is this a sign that I need to lounge in bed and watch a bit of sci-fi goodness?
Seems like it to me! 😀

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Thinking....

on March 7, 2019 at 12:25 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: dOCTOR Who

Fragrant Ephemera

Most mornings lately we’ve been going down to the pool for an early exercise session – a good way to start the day, but it’s been getting a little chilly…
There are two frangipani bushes by the pool, and there are often fallen flowers. They have brown edges and spots, and don’t last long, but they spread a sweet fragrance long after they’ve completely browned and shrivelled. Such a small thing, to give such joy… on days when everything else seems to be falling, a tiny flower in a miniature vase lifts the heart and raises the spirits…

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Thinking....

on March 1, 2019 at 10:08 pm Leave a Comment

My Onion Heart

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I’ve had this photo hanging round for a few days, waiting for me to use it. My plan was to write a poem to go with it – and I have most of one. I’m struggling with a line that just won’t go right…
PROCRASTINATION!
(which means that nothing gets done if not perfectly…)

Here is my onion heart. Without poem.
I’ve written before about the hearts God leaves for me – clouds, leaves, various places. This was one that was left on the floor after a trip to the markets – a random onion skin proclaiming love.
I wanted to share it in a perfect setting, but that often means it just doesn’t get done.
Here is love, in imperfection, amongst the cares and responsibilities of the day!

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on February 20, 2019 at 3:27 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: hearts

The Passionate Life

❤ Valentine's Day! ❤
Went out with my Babe this morning for a cuppa…

I didn’t have breakfast beforehand, so I could really enjoy the white chocolate cheesecake 😀
We love going out, chatting about whatever. Remembering the past…looking to the future. It seems that advertising for Valentine’s Day wants us to buy flowers and chocolates – to adhere to a version of “passion” that is narrowly related to romance. We did discuss running off to Paris for the weekend…

😀
A passionate life can include extravagant gestures and wild departures from the everyday, but it needn’t be defined by the big things. The word “passion” has a few different meanings, one of which is “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something”. Why can’t we feel that about plain, basic life? Every day is an opportunity for wonder – for taking the ordinary and infusing it with light…

On another note, I treated myself to a new Bible this year – the Passion translation of the New Testament with Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Songs.

Isn’t it lovely?
I know it’s about what’s inside, but I don’t see why I can’t also have a beautiful outside…
I’m enjoying using this in my devotional time, although it benefits from having another translation (NIV, NKJ etc) available to check understanding of texts. It jolts me into seeing certain passages afresh, but I have also had years of reading the other translations, so can pick up where there’s something that’s a bit different… as in the Message translation, I would not recommend using it as the sole study source, but in combination with others. Still, it’s good to be jolted out of complacency 😀 .

I’d still like to go back to Paris (and Rome, Venice, Tuscany…) some day, to have a proper look round. I was there in the summer 25 years ago; the sky brown with pollution, and not enough money to eat properly (three days on water and a bag of pain au chocolat). I’m glad I got the chance, even if the experience was budget rather than extravagant…

Let’s go forward with passion, cheesecake, and love! ❤

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on February 14, 2019 at 2:55 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Edif Piaf, Paris in the Spring, Passion translation, valentines day

Journeying Back To Forwards

On this wet, grey day, I will look back on my day out on Tuesday (also wettish, but interspersed with sunlight). I had decided to visit some of my old haunts, something I’ve done a couple of times since we came back to Australia sixteen years ago.
It’s never the same. The places I remember were colourful, eclectic, full of people… the places I encountered were quiet and mostly devoted to commercial blandness. There were a few bright spots, but the old places seem to have aged along with me! I enjoyed going back, and was happy to have my coffee and remember…

I travelled further than I thought I’d have the energy for. Made up for it yesterday with a very un-energetic day…
Took the train to the Valley, then the “buz” to New Farm.

Sunlight through the trees…

Treated myself to a scarf from the RSPCA shop with some of my birthday money – pink butterflies, which seemed appropriate. Had an iced coffee at the New Farm Deli, but didn’t linger… got on the bus to the ferry terminal, but got off just before so I could walk down Hazlewood Street, where I used to live. This is where I found my favourite “gift” to myself – a polished stone of green and pink, found on the footpath in the long grass, not far from where my old house used to be.

You can’t really see the colours here… this is my scarf, and a sleep mask as well 🙂
Here’s a bit of my walk… I had to pick up some frangipani flowers as well along the way for my hair and buttonhole.

Enjoyed the ferry, although it’s a very short journey. The ferry attendant was quite cheerful, as well!

On my way to the Mall I stopped at St Stephen’s Cathedral to have a look.

I was just in time for the start of mass, so stayed for that. I hadn’t realised that I needed a service sheet, so I had no idea what the responses were. It was quite echoey as well, so I couldn’t hear very well. If I concentrated, though, on the readings, I could hear them – probably because it was one voice rather than many. It was the feast day for St Agatha on Tuesday, and there were also prayers said for the people of Townsville.

I didn’t spend long in the Mall, so there was time to stop at Milton on the way home. Had a cappucino at La Dolce Vita, which also seems quite different to my memories of 25 years ago… the mini Eiffel Tower is still there (the metal outside the window).

It rained fairly heavily while I had my coffee, so I lingered a bit longer than I thought I would. Still got back on the train early enough to go in to Ipswich to look around before going home. A good day, all in all… enjoyed visiting the past for a bit, but it’s back to walking forward now!

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on February 7, 2019 at 6:36 pm Leave a Comment

Staring Down The Century

Today is the central day of my personal century… I can look back with kind assessment on the previous half, before squaring my shoulders and facing forward to the unknown years.
I also realised today that I have just entered my sixth decade. That feels both scary and oddly liberating!
It’s been quite a while since I cared much about how others see me. As I get older I’m more able to be “me”, without pretence. There’s scope for fun and frolic – singing randomly in the supermarket, dancing down the street – as well as the serious adult business of life. I’m unsure what I’ll be doing this year, but the possibilities are endless!
It’s a little odd to realise I’m now eligible for all sorts of “over 50s” opportunities, and I’ll have to remember to pick the next age group on the drop down menus on surveys…

Celebrated this morning with my Babe, having breakfast at our favourite cafe.

I asked my Babe to take a photo of me… didn’t like the first one, so asked him to take another.

I look like I’m about to cry!
This called for a selfie…

I ended up looking slightly terrified of… something. (Look at my lovely necklace, though – it’s a sonic screwdriver, a gift from Sweet Bean 🙂 )
I ended up taking a selfie while laughing at the previous attempts. This shall be my official birthday portrait!

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Here’s breakfast – bacon, avocado, haloumi, poached egg, sweet potato rosti and greens. Yum!

❤

On the way out, beautiful fragrant flowers. It had been raining earlier.

Spent the rest of the morning reading my Bible and listening to worship songs.

I plan to continue celebrations tomorrow by taking a trip in to the big city. We’ll see how it goes!

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on February 4, 2019 at 10:58 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: rafter and rose

An Unexpected Windfall

We’re relaxing under the fan on this hot, hot day… we’ve watched the cricket (yay Brisbane Heat!), had lots of cool drinks, had a small walk through our part of the country. We’re not really ones for the beer and barbie. It was nice to stroll with my Sweet Bean, even if it was just to a garage sale up the road, which had closed by the time we got there…
I enjoy my part of Australia, both the wider walking paths and our ecosystem in the back yard. This only really exists because we don’t mow as often as we are supposed to, but we do have various insects and inquisitive cats roaming through from time to time. It’s peaceful, and often interesting.

The weather station hasn’t been much use as a rain gauge or weather vane for a while, but the thermometer still works. I just checked it and it’s hit 50C, which is as far as it goes (it is in full sun, though). Did I mention it’s hot?
My unexpected windfall today was being able to gather Queensland nuts from the tree down the road.

I was surprised to see them, as it seems a bit early in the year. Nevertheless, we’ll sample them to see what they’re like 🙂 .
Back to school Tuesday. A new year, with new challenges.
Bring ’em on!

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on January 26, 2019 at 3:09 pm Leave a Comment

BOOKS!!!

It’s been a busy weekend. Yesterday I went to the markets, which meant an early start. After that I took the train to South Brisbane, where the Lifeline Bookfest is on at the Convention Centre. It’s on for just over a week – go and buy books! There’s a $1 section, a $2.50 section, and a High Quality section with varying prices. I hadn’t been for a few years, so I was excited to get there this time. It can be a bit daunting – books are laid out on tables and tend to be in some sort of order (there are different genres) but there are SO MANY!! You need to have a good amount of time to browse properly.
I spent more than I’d planned, but was happy. Went out towards South Bank, stopping to revive with an iced coffee on the way.

Had a look at the South Bank markets. Enjoyed the shade under the bougainvillea arbour.

I thought about going in to Brisbane, but standing for hours looking at books, then dragging them around in a shopping trolley wore me out a bit. Got home and laid out my bounty…

On the left there is a t-square – I found it under the stationery table in the $2.50 section. The elbows up the top belong to Sweet Bean, who had started reading soon after I unpacked (The complete scripts for Fawlty Towers). There were quite a few books I would have bought, but I was trying not to spend too much.
Also on the stationery table were these. I thought I could use one and give the other to Sweet Bean – we both have a streak of perfectionism, and I thought this might help…