All That (And A Bowl Of Cherries)

It’s hard to believe that it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow.
It’s just as hard to believe that Christmas Day was less than a week ago!

We’ve had the lights on a few times this week.

Reindeer flying around the world!

This Christmas we decided to hold back on the cakes and bikkies. I still had some chocolates, but I think my favourite indulgence was a bag of cherries. Some meals this week have just consisted of a bowl of cherries, with a bit of cream. Yum!
It was cheaper to get the chocolates than the cherries, though…

I’ve been out and about for a couple of weeks – getting to church a few weeks running, going to the Rocklea Markets, even visiting friends or having friends over 🙂

The view from the car window on the way home from our friends’ place.
It’s not often these days that I see the sunset from outside the house!
Unfortunately, this gadding about has come with a bit of a crash…I’ve had a cough thingy the last few days, so haven’t been up to much. Caught up on the washing, though, on the first hot sunny day this week. Otherwise – books and YouTube 😀

There have been storms here, although we haven’t had the damage that other places have had. Some spectacular lightning out the back…

…which is pretty hard to capture on the phone.

My roses are still blooming, although the storms have beaten them about a bit. I’ve left them on the bushes up until now, but decided to enjoy them more inside and save them from the weather.

I’ve even got some yellow roses growing.

I have to keep culling them, as they get older and petals start falling off.
Today I have a good mixture of the old and the new.

A bit like the years, really.

Published in: on December 30, 2023 at 11:15 pm  Leave a Comment  

Behold!

Deep peace
Unconstrained joy
To all hearts, today.
❤

Published in: on December 25, 2023 at 7:00 am  Leave a Comment  
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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  
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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  
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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  
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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  
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Bringing The Sweetness In

Yes, it’s another rose centred post!
😆

Hello! 😀

I’ve been leaving the roses on the bush, and just letting the petals drift away when they want to.
Today we were cleaning for an inspection tomorrow, so I decided to pick some and brighten up our lounge room.

I’m so glad we have roses that are beautiful and smell sweet.
The sunshine has been pouring through the windows, sweeping dinginess before it. We’ve even been able to open the windows without fear of rain, so the perfumes of the various flowers in our garden can mingle with the scent of grass being mown by neighbours.

It’s hard to believe we’ve been here just over three months now. It seems longer than that!
We’ll get through the inspection tomorrow, then – onward to Christmas…the tree will go up and I’ll see how the decorations look in our home.
❤

Published in: on December 6, 2023 at 8:33 pm  Leave a Comment  

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).

And a bonus – this is more of a “winter” song than a “Christmas” song, but we’ve had the air conditioner on, and this made me (happy) cry.

Published in: on December 2, 2023 at 10:39 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Now The Song Is Over

Another of my favourite singers gone – Shane MacGowan, who died yesterday.
I have to say, I didn’t quite keep up with his post-Pogues career, but a handful of Pogues albums were among the CDs I carted around Europe and the UK when I was travelling in the mid-90s. I had one of those big zip up CD holders, and a portable CD player that chewed up the batteries, but kept me company on my travels.
I haven’t listened to them lately.
Fairytale Of New York is one of my favourite Christmas songs. It’s possibly not for the fainthearted, but it is oddly…romantic? Optimistic?
Pogues songs seem to me to have been a mixture of drunken Irish ditties, romantic ballads, and some deep thoughts on life, death, and society and its inequities. For a supposed punk band, there are a lot of beautiful songs.
Shane’s voice is part of the soundtrack of my youth.


Thank you for travelling with me.
Down all the years. Down all the days.

Published in: on December 1, 2023 at 8:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Let The Storm Rage On…

At least for a couple more minutes!
We’ve had a few bucketloads of water dumped on us, but it seems to have disappeared now.
The skies were brooding, and there was some spectacular lightning, but now it’s all sunset and light.
Still, the rain we have had has made the grass shoot up a bit. Also this –

I’m not sure what it is, but I’m thinking something in the gourd family? I shall let it grow and see what happens.
My rose bush is still throwing out flowers, seemingly from nowhere. I have so many photos I could bore you with. I’ll just choose some 🙂

Abundance!

So delicate, and so beautifully formed.

Little living works of art.
❤

This is from today, complete with raindrops!
Of course, my other plants are loving the rain.

The frangipani seems to have settled in.

This last couple of weeks have had their ups and downs.
I’ve done more around the house lately – even got the linen cupboard sorted today.
Had a clinic visit last week to look at some stuff – nothing major, but niggly. Have you ever been to one of those doctors who talk over you, never seem to hear what you’ve actually said, speak like they’re trying to catch you out – as though you’re being sick “wrong”.
Yeah.
Felt quite discouraged for a few days.
Still, maybe I should just – let it go…
I’ve taken some things on board, and have also decided to put some things back in place that I’ve let slide.
And there’s always the chance to have a cuppa out.
Went to our usual place last week. It’s been rearranged a bit.

There’s treasure to be found!

We usually try to sit on the sofa, but that’s suddenly moved to the window.

Think I’ll try for that rocking chair next time 🙂
Wherever the chairs are, I will still enjoy my hot chocolate.

…and continue to muse on beauty, even in the storm.

Published in: on November 29, 2023 at 6:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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