Watched Over and Busy

Life is pretty busy at the moment.  I've recently had to replace my car due to a catastrophic failure of two major components of my X-trail. Other than sounding a little different (which is why I took it to the mechanic), nothing seemed wrong.  I was quite shocked when the manager came out and told me that it was unsafe to drive and it's a miracle that I hadn't been killed or badly injured.  Thanking my lucky stars there. The lady in the waiting room with me remarked that 'someone was watching over you', and she may well be right. Within 3 days I had a new-to-me little car that I'm actually really loving.  It is so easy to get Sophie into as well so getting her to the vet is easier and taking her out to the dog park or beach is possible again. Further to my good fortune, my little car was 7 years old with 41000kms on the odometer.  How awesome is that!

Sophie has been spending her days lying in the sun sleeping...

You can see her industriously dug holes behind her. Grrrr.

She has also been licking her paw constantly so I've resorted to making her wear a sock, which seems to be working so far.  The cone of shame stops her licking but she can only walk backwards in it which is hilarious but not great for her.  She's getting older but still as cute as a button.

 

Uni is entering the stage of semester where assessments all seem to come due at once and class content seems to increase simultaneously.  At present I'm researching the efficacy of using art therapy to promote positive mental health outcomes for children hospitalised in paediatric wards.  It's a very interesting area and is something that I may be able to do my Masters and PhD research on.  In addition to my Masters I am also studying to be a Clinical Play Therapist.  This is done through a private training organisation and will be completed by November.  Having a background in education I am loving this are of therapeutic intervention.  I have three full days of training this week as well as a written assessment for uni.  I seem to read, write and nap at present with very little in between! :) 

I made a huge pot of vegetable and herb soup on the weekend to help get me through the busy week.  Most of the veggies came from either my garden or my Mum's which I love.  I don't know why I was surprised but the soup was delicious.  

My brother and I faced the cold winds and went to the local markets on Sunday morning.  We were both after seedlings for our vegetable gardens.  It was a beautiful day even though it was chilly and I particularly loved how quiet the markets were. I managed to get a good assortment of seedlings for $9 and came home and filled the empty spots in my veggie garden as well as underplanting my potted dwarf citrus trees with the remaining herbs and chinese vegetables.  At least Sophie and I won't starve.

There are so many very healthy plants at the market and for such good prices.  My garden is already well landscaped and easy to care for. It needs no more ornamental or landscaping plants so for now I am focusing on growing food in pots and in a raised garden.  Growing your own food is such a pleasurable thing to do. It is such a joy to be able to provide food for yourself and to be able to generously share with neighbours and loved ones, even if you have little money.  People always leave here with a posy of herbs and a few cherry tomatoes or whatever else is ready from the garden.  Such a good feeling.  My garden gives me such feelings of peace, happiness, security and abundance.

Stay well and happy everyone and if you don't hear from me over the next week or so it's because I am sitting here with my head in the books.  :)

Sandy xx

A Morning Out

On Friday I had a serious case of cabin fever so I decided to head out.  Keeping in mind our recent heavy rain and localised flooding I decided to stick to areas where I was pretty sure that the roads would be open.  I headed up to Buderim and went for a walk in the park near the Arts Cottage.

 

The grevillias were in full bloom.  I've not seen this beautiful yellow before.

 The buckinghamias are in full bloom wherever you see them. I have one in my front yard and it has been heavy with flowers for weeks. So pretty. 

Buckinhamias are often called Curl Curls. You can see from this close up of the flower why this is so.

I then picked up my friend Jodi and we went to see the Endeavour Prize Home.  It was accessed by a steep winding road which if left unsealed would have resembled a goat track.  It was nice enough.  I am happy to see that prize homes have become just a nice, normal house rather than the mansions of old.  Far more livable and easier to rent or onsell.  The house itself was built over 3 levels and made the most of the views out over the trees.  

I arrived home to find my crucifix orchid has finally flowered. Yay!  I brought it with me, one of the few plants that I was able to save from my old garden.  I had begun to think it would never flower.  So happy.

A Morning Out

I was off in search of concrete cleaner today and decided to visit the Bunnings at Caloundra so I could swing by the beach and take in the view.

 This is Pumicestone Passage at Golden Beach, Caloundra.  The land in the distance is the top end of Bribie Island.

 It was so still and perfect today.  A very gentle breeze and the temperature in the shade was just perfect.

 I remember a huge container ship - the Anro Asia - running aground on the end of Bribie when we were kids.  Mum and Dad took us down to Caloundra to see it while eating a treat of fish and chips from Bullcock Beach.  It seemed that half of our hinterland community had the same idea that night and I remember playing with many of our school mates on the beach with a giant ship just off shore.

 I wandered along through the parks for awile and then sat in the shade of a tree just watching the world go by for awhile.  I could have stayed all day but unfortunately had to make tracks to the hardware - which was crazy busy I have to say.  Insane!

I saw an outdoor bench that I liked.  It was very comfy and made from Eucalyptus.  It's in my mental wish list for the verandah area I've cleaned up....or maybe the front verandah...

I came home with some lovely pink dahlias.  I have some deep maroon dahlias that have been thriving in my garden and I've been delighted by their prolific flowering, so I decided to add a new colour.  Hopefully they'll be as happy in the garden.

Staying on track with my efforts to do something creative each day.  Today I added colour to the little drawings I did yesterday.  I'm thinking ahead to what I want to do tomorrow and I'm hoping I have time to do it.....it involves paint.  My time is rather full tomorrow with my meditation group and then I tutor in the afternoon.  I suppose I can paint small to match my time restraints.

A Day out With Mum

Today I took my Mum out for a belated Mother's Day jaunt.  We started our day in search of plants for her garden so headed up to Buderim to Manawhee Plant Nursery.

There were a great many plants that we were interested in but none that suited Mum's specific purpose unfotunately so we left empty handed.  I was sorely tempted by the herbs but held myself together.  We've had tradies working on replacing all of our gutters (130m in all) this week so my money has been spent elsewhere....

From the nursery we headed off to have morning tea at my friend Jodi's.  We've been friends since we were children and Jodi considers Mum to be her second mum.  We had a lovely visit and enjoyed tea and snacks on Jodi's lovely verandah - sorry was so busy chatting I forgot to take photos!

Our next stop was the latest Endeavour Prize home at Maleny.  It was very busy both in Maleny and out at the prize home.  I really liked this house.  It is in traditional Queenslander style as was their last one up here.  The views were lovely and the home was sensibly set out and I could imagine myself living here as it was lovely without being too grand as some prize homes can be.  The garden was gorgeous too - sorry forgot to take photos of that too.  Lots of purple in the plantings with tibuchinas, pentas, salvias etc.

Our final stop was the Peachester Hall where oh so many moments of our lives are entwined.  Peachester dances, fetes, birthdays, anniversaries and the like.  The same ladies, the cornerstones of my life, involved there in every celebration and event.   All these ladies are in their 70's and 80's now and are still making cakes and sandwiches and pouring tea from vast pots....They've known me my whole life. What will I do when they are gone? I shall miss them.

Our purpose in being there today was to see the annual quilt show.

 After looking at the quilts we wandered outside for tea and sandwiches and chose a table in the shade. 

 Flowers handpicked from the ladies gardens and arranged in jam jars on all the tables.  This makes me endlessly happy and nostalgic.  I've enjoyed variations of these flowers from the same gardens for nearly 50 years. 

So simple and sweet and comforting.  As were the tea and sandwiches - egg and lettuce; ham, cheese and tomato; ham and sweet mustart pickles....  Oh I love you country ladies.

The Gift of Fog

On Sunday evening I was on my way home from dropping my niece off when I came upon this scene.

I had to stop and take a photo as I rarely have the gift of seeing fog.  Perhaps because it is a rarity for me it always seems precious and special.

The city of York in England will always be entwined in my memories with the magical, mystical presence of fog.  It was January, incredibly cold and shrouded with thick, pea soup fog.  I walked down the shambles and felt like I'd inexplicably travelled back in time.  I remember dark coated figures materialising before us, becoming clearer and more whole with each step. It felt to me, perhaps fancifully, that the past and present all existed simultaneously in that time and place.

I took my photo then stood, savouring the moment as the light faded.  The air was blissfully cool after such a long hot summer.  I have passed this paddock surely a million times in my life and I opened myself to the memories it holds and the gift of fog.  I returned to the car, heartfilled and grateful for a life filled with such gifts.

Just a Random Post

A rainbow in my coffee on Tuesday morning as I waited for our car to have it's airconditioning compressor replaced.

 My favourite breakfast from Jamaica Blue....vegetarian breakfast with fried haloumi and poached eggs with pesto.  I never need lunch after eating this as it is generous but not as gargantuan as this image makes out.

What I read while drinking rainbow coffee and eating breaky.....you have got to be kidding me.  What ever happened with looking out the window or up at the sky and using your own brain and senses to monitor the clothes on the good ol' hill's hoyst??  Seriously!

 I loved the colours of the fish at the pet shop and took a ridiculous amount of photographs.  I shall spare you the rest!

Seeing tanks full of fish had NOTHING to do with me cooking fish for dinner - that was preplanned.  Basa fillet with couscous and veg and handful of mixed green salad leaves for dinner.  Little bowl of sweet grapes for afters.  I love how the small plate made the meal look enormous.

A Lovely Day Out

Today, my friends Katya and Roslyn took me out for a belated birthday celebration.  I do not remember a time in my life when I didn't know these girls.  We grew up on farms in a small rural location, attended kindy together from age 3, so we've been part of each other's lives in some way for 44 years.  Incredible. Here they are....

Roslyn suggested that we go to 'The Garden' at Maleny.  We go here each Tuesday night for meditation (in an outbuilding at the back), so we'd not seen it in the daylight.  We were amazed at how big it was.  The premises are very deceptive when seen at night!  It's a combination nursery, gift shop and cafe/coffee shop.

There is a cottagy type feel to the front garden by the entrance.

 I loved these rusty floral decorations. 

 Seeing rosellas in fruit reminded me that I'd forgotten to plant any this year so I'll not be making jam.  I suppose I could go back and buy a bush becasue a cupboard without rosella jam is a sad cupboard indeed.

 After walking around the yard we entered the cafe section of the building and all gasped with delight when we saw this ENORMOUS (it looks smaller in the photo) fire place.  We decided we'd have to head up the hill in winter to enjoy coffee by the fire.  We enjoyed good coffee and Ros had a yummy looking piece of cake.  Then Katya suggested we head off to check out a nursery recently opened by a friend of ours from high school.  Oh, it was wonderful.  Spencer and I had been such good friends at high school and through my years at university.  Then I went bush teaching and with numerous moves between us we lost contact.  We'd run into each other a few times over the years and today I sat with him and chatted in the shade while the girls shopped for plants.  It was beyond lovely to see him. Lovely to see him successful and happy.  I am just so happy to have seen him and promise myself to go and visiit him more often. 

We finished our morning by lunching at a local Thai restaurant.  We only ordered entrees which was a good move as they were very generous in size.  A main meal would have been too much for us, particularly on a hot day.  Although when my sister and I were in Thailand it was hot and we NEVER let that interfere with our eating!  We ate our way around Thailand. The food and menu's were incredible.

I'm home now, crashed on the couch.  Ready to rest once I finish sharing my day with you.  What a special day.  How luck I am.....

A Special Outing.

Angel, the lovely lady who runs our Tuesday night meditation group invited me to accompany her on a special day out.  We left early and headed far to the south. Down the many laned road. Across not one but two rivers. Past the busy, bustling airport and into the outskirts of the big city.  A shady tree in the parking lot of a very ordinary looking building was found and we had reached our destination.  The crystal warehouse.

Now those who know me, know that I am ALWAYS picking up rocks, seed pods, feathers, interesting leaves and bringing them home to draw, gaze at, decorate with, fill vases with etc.  So imagine my delight to find myself in a huge industrial shed full of rocks, geodes, crystals, and fossils.  Oh my the fossils.  Swoon.  I probably walked the aisles at least three times (with my notebook and pen - organised thing that I am), before I started to do my shopping.  I was just delighted to be there but very calm.  I had expected to be giddy with excitement.

Would you like to see....?

Can you believe it???  Just trying to give an idea of the size of the place.

 An enormous amethyst geode near the front entry.  It was probably 2m tall.

A small section of the geode room.

These were facinating and found in all sizes throughout the building.  They are shiva lingam stones, a sacred stone in the Hindu religion sourced from the Narmada River in Western India (thank you google on my phone).  I thought they rather looked like dinosaur eggs. Wouldn't it be great fun to get some ones in the size of those at right of picture and hide them in the garden?  I could send the kids hunting for dinosaur eggs.  What fun!  I bought two small ones instead.

Heart shaped stones of a great many varieties.  There were also pyramids, animal and angel shapes, obelisks, skulls - you name it they had it.

Two very long tables full of tumbled stones.  Oh my.  So many to touch, run your hands through, ponder over.  So many I had never seen or heard of which was great.  I love learning new things.

Then the fossils.  They are waiting for me to come back and make another trip.  They were incredible. 

Finally, my haul for the day.....

I picked up six clear quartz generators (the pillar things at the back).   An ocean jasper and a fossil coral egg (both at back right).  Two Shiva lingams and three Mookaite tumble stones (row in front of quartz). A lovely palm sized piece of labradorite (mid right).  Some tree agate (3), a mini quartz cluster,  amazonite (4), banded agate (blue), black obsidian and four pieces of picture jasper tumble stone.  Across the front are red coral chips. I'm not sure why I bought those other than I loved them for no explicable reason.

And the playing begins.......

Oh, and I came in way under budget.  As it was a wholesalers I had far underestimated what ended up being affordable.  Yay!!