1000 Fields of Roses

Love Outside My Window

I’m starting to feel human again.

Well…as much as I usually do 😆

I’ve had a cold/virus of some sort since last weekend. I had a go at one of those 4-in-1 tests from the chemist on Sunday, so – not covid, RSV, or flu 1 or 2. Yay?
It’s been a drifty, in-and-out week mostly, although the last couple of days have been easier. I’m able to sleep a bit better now – which is what I was doing yesterday when I opened my eyes to a big heart-cloud outside my window!

I think I took the photo, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

I’ve lost my voice, as well, which always feels odd.
Lots of hot, strong tea helps immensely.

I have been reading, but it took a few days to feel up to doing anything much.
I feel like I haven’t been here in a while (probably because…I haven’t been here in a while), so I don’t have a lot of sparkly, witty things to say.
But I do have flowers.
Lots of lovely flower photos, taken over a month or more, but not finding a space here yet.
This is their time to shine!
So to speak.

Wrapped flowers at Aldi. Probably for Mothers’ Day.

Also – some random street flowers.

So pretty!

And just to round off the evening…a song that found me this week.

😀

Published in:

Health
Music

on May 15, 2025 at 11:25 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Jon Reddick

A Drop Of Blood (For The Holidays?)

Well, public holidays…
There’ve been a lot lately.
This is good for rest and relaxation – not so good for organising appointments!
I have finished my course now, although I haven’t yet got my final transcript (or “testamur”, apparently) Because of all the holidays I’ve found it difficult to find out what I’m supposed to do next. I have an appointment on Wednesday that should sort it out 🙂

I’ve had a request form for some blood tests hanging around. They were due in May (presumably anytime in May) so I got those done yesterday. It was one of a few different errands that had to be accomplished, so it was easier to go to a different place than my normal one.
The phlebotomist was great 🙂 Quick, no pain (apart from the initial scratch – don’t think they can do much about that), and got the vein first time! That’s not always the case – sometimes they have to wiggle the needle around a bit. Then take it out and use the other arm 😆
She was cheerful as well. And there was a hand crocheted drop of blood in the corner to cheer me up.

They were both smiling encouragingly at me.
❤

Published in:

on May 3, 2025 at 10:53 pm Leave a Comment

Exercising Democracy

We voted today.
The actual election day is Saturday, but we like to get in early… our area has a lot of independents running (the senate paper overflowed the voting booth), so it took a bit of research to figure out who was running for what.
A friend posted a link to Build a Ballot, which we found helpful in sorting out preferences.
Have a go! 🙂
There are also links there to the various parties’ sites – you can check out what their actual policies are. We didn’t want to waste our vote by not knowing who we were choosing. Sweet Bean spent ages weighing up different parties and policies – he’s happy to have made his choice 🙂

Although we usually go for a coffee on a Wednesday, there’s an appointment to stay home for tomorrow.
So we indulged in a Tuesday coffee!

(… and cake! ❤ )

And, speaking of democracy –
what great things can people do when they get together!
I have never been to a Pub Choir evening in person (I will one day!), but I did a few Couch Choirs in lockdown. Over the last few years they have been recording a phrase or line from Bohemian Rhapsody in every place they go. Here is the end result.

Go forth and vote!

And sing.
With coffee.
😀

Published in:

on April 29, 2025 at 10:11 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Pub Choir, rafter and rose

A Chosen Day

My Babe and I go out for a cuppa together every fortnight or so, but we tend to get any shopping we need after, and then go home.
Because of some lovely people, we were able to go out on an Actual Date today 🙂
We had wanted to see “The Chosen:Last Supper”, but hadn’t managed to before Easter. It’s still on at Hoyts in town, though, so – yay! 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon – we were the only ones there. We’d looked at the daybeds, but decided against them – too close to the screen, and the danger of falling asleep… So we chose recliners.

Leaning back, with a footrest and plenty of space to stretch out.
No, we didn’t fall asleep 😆
It was very comfortable.

As for the movie – loved it!
(Go and see it!)
It was only part 1 (it ends with Jesus turning over the tables in the temple courts), so we’ll go and see part 2 mid-Mayish.

Afterwards we had a look at a pop-up gallery in Booval Fair, then back to town to pick up some proper curry (i.e. not the cheapest option) at Indian Mehfil – another recommendation for a great day out. We got there just as they opened, so had to wait outside for a bit, as the sun went down.

A lovely day out, and one I’m glad we got to choose!
❤

Published in:

on April 22, 2025 at 11:10 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: ArtsConnect, Indian Mehfil, The Chosen:Last Supper

Overwhelmed

He is risen!

And our lives
Our hearts
Our minds
Our spirits
Are forever changed.

Published in:

on April 20, 2025 at 7:00 am Leave a Comment
Tags: Cory Asbury, Easter Sunday

What Love Looks Like

It has been a good Friday 🙂

On my way in to the Good Friday service today I was feeling a bit despondent about the state of the world…reading news reports at the moment can do that to you.
I don’t know what I can do to help (except to pray, which is the first and best option).
There’s deceit and misinformation and cruelty and apathy abounding these days.
And I’m just me…but still with a responsibility to stretch, and dare, where I can to speak God’s love and hope into hurt and darkness.
I can get a bit tangled up in knots trying to make sense of what that means in the everyday.

But today is a day to remember that God so loved the world…and Jesus came to save it, rather than condemn.
Good to know the fate of the world is not on my shoulders!
I still need to offer my hands, and feet, and voice.
But I know where to go to ask the whys and hows, and where to start on the path to a new day.

This was released 16 years ago.
Still relevant.

❤

Published in:

on April 18, 2025 at 10:47 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Carolyn Arends, Easter, Good Friday

I’ve Been Framed!

Well, my self-portraits have…
I can’t say I’ve done an amazing job of framing, but they’re done. I’m working through the written assessment tonight and tomorrow, and then I’m pretty much done!
As often happens, the things I think will be easy…aren’t.
But the things I think will be hard sometimes aren’t, either! 🙂
I had frames and bits and pieces strewn around the lounge room yesterday.
Biggest Boy was a bit nonplussed to walk in the door, only to be confronted by me(s) frowning at him from the big lounge chair.

😀

On a foray into town today to look for some framing bits (unsuccessfully), I came across a new footstool.

A comfy unicorn, but it needs a bit of spot cleaning.
I seem to have gathered myself a bit of a menagerie 🙂

I’m nearly there.
Starting to feel the satisfaction of accomplishment…
I’ve got some work framed and up on the shelves.
I’ll have time for reading (yay!) over the break.
…and, of course –
Don’t forget my unicorn!

🙂

Published in:

on April 16, 2025 at 10:24 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: The Irish Rovers

Showing My Face

Seems like I forgot to post this week.
I’ve finally reached the last bits of my course, and have been working to get the last assessment finished.
I have just over a week to go.
Cool. Nearly time to move on to the next stage of my life. Exciting.
But also –
I HAVE JUST OVER A WEEK TO GO!!!

I’m sure it will be fine.

My last task is to put on an “exhibition”.
This won’t be an actual exhibition – I just have to show that I can decide a theme, curate works to fit the theme, frame those works in a professional way, and label them as they would be were they to, actually, be exhibited.

I am allowed to use pieces other people have done, but as I was having a look through my old catalogue, I realised I had a good number of self-portraits.

So – my theme is…
“Retro-Perspective”!

Yes, I know that’s not really a word.
It’s to do with looking back on how I portrayed myself then, and how I see myself now.
I appear to be more wrinkly, and probably crankier, now.
Anyway, here are the choices…

Untitled, and not sure of the date – maybe 1986/87?
Me, looking into the big TV we had then.

I’ve always liked this one.
1987, charcoal and white conté on mulberry paper.

“Removed”, pen and ink on paper, 1988
And I think I still have that marble somewhere…

Untitled, drypoint and (fairly unsuccessful) mezzotint on rag paper, 1988
This one was just me drawing my reflection in the etching plate with an etching needle.

“Ya Reckon?”, linoprint on rice paper, 2025

“I like this spoon”, graphite and watercolour on paper, 2025

And yes, I do like that spoon.

I have frames. Still have to get all the other bits and pieces for framing.

Well, at least I’ve still got (just over) a week…

Published in:

Creating

on April 10, 2025 at 11:05 pm Leave a Comment

Nightmare Kitty And The Fruit Of The Tree

Somewhere, in the not too distant past, I read of someone who liked to “rescue” people’s handmade trinkets from charity shops.
I thought of that when I saw this.

Cute?
I think so.
It does seem to have strange deep pools for eyes, though.
I wonder what it’s seen?

Here’s a side view.

Why?
I don’t know…
Feeding Kitty obviously wasn’t a high priority for its previous owner.
Nor, apparently, was a sense of proportion.

This week saw the mowing of the grass (yay!) after recent rain kept the ground too soggy for a while. Not only do we have a lovely short lawn, we also have fruit on the tree near the fence! 🙂

We think they’re guavas.

It was a bit of a surprise. I hadn’t even seen flowers!
There was a wasp buzzing around, so not sure if the fruit is any good.

Autumn is wandering in, and fruit is appearing randomly.
Maybe it’s the start of a metaphor…

Published in:

Thinking....

on April 5, 2025 at 9:26 pm Leave a Comment

Her Story

After I found the song that had been sung at the Women’s Conference (my previous post) I started listening to some of the other songs by this group of women.
And got lost in the beauty of the stories of women in the Bible, retold.

So – if you’re hanging by a thread