Monday, 30 August 2010
Sunday Scribblings "Faith".
G'Day,
This week from my beloved Sunday Scribblings prompt site the prompt word is "Faith". I have decided to tackle this one Meme style.
Faith in future?
Yes I have one, but don't know what it holds.
Faith in friends?
Precious people , but I have more acquaintances than friends, so in true Linda style don't know who I have faith in there. There are a few, but old ones, whom I have moved away from, who know me warts and all and I think they still like me.
Faith in family?
Yeah I guess I do....yeah I do. Have had a shake up here a few years ago that I am not over fully as yet. My children; Love 'em to bits, but I know one day they are going to leave me, as they should of course. I pray they keep coming back and are always there within my existence for ever. Some of my family that I adore are not the ones who spend time with me as they are out living their own lives, like my siblings and cousins etc. I have faith that if I called on them they would be there for me.
Faith in my Car?
I have a cute car. My old car was nearly dead and I have recently replaced her with a new baby. Yes it is a baby. A Honda Jazz. Almost as small as you can get in size. I have faith that she will be reliable for years to come. She better be, I have to keep paying for her for quite a while yet.Lol. She is capable of zipping in and out of the traffic and into tiny parking spots and she is quite economical on fuel too. 6.5 liters/100km.
Faith in the presence of the floor in the morning?
Well I guess it is strong enough to hold me up. My legs though may not be that strong. The floor in the morning when I first put foot on it causes me much pain due to arthritis. Please send me some warm weather soon so it goes away. But. If the floor should fall away from underneath me I guess I know I will survive that too. See I am getting stronger as I write.
Faith in Religion?
My beliefs have taken a battering. I have decided I am here just because I am, not because of a religious figure or idol of some sort. Many of you have read about about this so I am not going to dwell on this subject. I was bought up as an Anglican christian and have learned much of my ideals from there however. Religion is a good thing and .....a bad thing. This stems from individual interpretation of their religions. One of the things that has turned me away is the often heard statement "God is on our side". Bull....t. They go out with god on their side and are excused for killing and conquering, against the teachings of love thy neighbors. Yeah Right.
Faith in the Sunrise?
Yes. Yes. I like this one. Sunrise. A chance to have a new beginning each and every day.
Sunrises, seasons change, years pass, people come and go, and mother earth keeps turning.
I can honestly say I have faith in that.
*********************************
This week from my beloved Sunday Scribblings prompt site the prompt word is "Faith". I have decided to tackle this one Meme style.
Faith in future?
Yes I have one, but don't know what it holds.
Faith in friends?
Precious people , but I have more acquaintances than friends, so in true Linda style don't know who I have faith in there. There are a few, but old ones, whom I have moved away from, who know me warts and all and I think they still like me.
Faith in family?
Yeah I guess I do....yeah I do. Have had a shake up here a few years ago that I am not over fully as yet. My children; Love 'em to bits, but I know one day they are going to leave me, as they should of course. I pray they keep coming back and are always there within my existence for ever. Some of my family that I adore are not the ones who spend time with me as they are out living their own lives, like my siblings and cousins etc. I have faith that if I called on them they would be there for me.
Faith in my Car?
I have a cute car. My old car was nearly dead and I have recently replaced her with a new baby. Yes it is a baby. A Honda Jazz. Almost as small as you can get in size. I have faith that she will be reliable for years to come. She better be, I have to keep paying for her for quite a while yet.Lol. She is capable of zipping in and out of the traffic and into tiny parking spots and she is quite economical on fuel too. 6.5 liters/100km.
Faith in the presence of the floor in the morning?
Well I guess it is strong enough to hold me up. My legs though may not be that strong. The floor in the morning when I first put foot on it causes me much pain due to arthritis. Please send me some warm weather soon so it goes away. But. If the floor should fall away from underneath me I guess I know I will survive that too. See I am getting stronger as I write.
Faith in Religion?
My beliefs have taken a battering. I have decided I am here just because I am, not because of a religious figure or idol of some sort. Many of you have read about about this so I am not going to dwell on this subject. I was bought up as an Anglican christian and have learned much of my ideals from there however. Religion is a good thing and .....a bad thing. This stems from individual interpretation of their religions. One of the things that has turned me away is the often heard statement "God is on our side". Bull....t. They go out with god on their side and are excused for killing and conquering, against the teachings of love thy neighbors. Yeah Right.
Faith in the Sunrise?
Yes. Yes. I like this one. Sunrise. A chance to have a new beginning each and every day.
Sunrises, seasons change, years pass, people come and go, and mother earth keeps turning.
I can honestly say I have faith in that.
*********************************
My week. I started the new house this week. The people seem nice, and it is a very nice house. They must (by my judgment) have had quite good cleaners prior to me as the quality of the cleaning in the house is good. They have a Russian blue cat that I know I am going to love. He follows me around and watches me and sneaks up to give me a cuddle when he gets a chance,very cute.
The aches and pains in my lower back , feet and knees are really annoying. My hand is sore too. I know cleaning work is not good for me, but it will have to do. Things will improve as the weather warms up.
We cleaned a bit more at the offices we were working on recently that were being refurbished. We ran out of time so I am expecting another call back as I wasn't happy with how it was finished off. I was so annoyed though, I just finished detailing the bathrooms and getting them right when more tradesmen came in and made another mess, dirty buggers didn't even bother to flush. So I locked them out. Arrrrgh!
I have finished pruning the roses in my yard. As well as half a dozen or so for the lady next door. Not too many scratches on me, bonus.
This weekend has been a perfect textbook late winter weekend. Sunny and bright, and perfect for staying outside in the sunshine and weeding, trimming, fertilizing, planting, around the yard. I planted several pots full of Shirley poppies in the front yard as well as a pot of rocket out the back. For some reason I haven't had any luck with Shirley poppies each time I have tried them. I do so love their flowers. The old man who lives around the corner near the shops, whose flowers I was admiring, gave me some of his seeds which I planted but they never came up. I have heard that they don't like to be transplanted either , but I guess the seedlings I bought are still worth the try. Lets hope. I have daffodils, jonquils, erica, camellia, a few snow drops, and weeds all in flower at the moment.
Pete and I were thinking about going for a drive up to the snow on Sunday. They have had 2 meters of snow this month and were saying on the radio about how great it was all looking up there. I later heard that they were having a police blitz up there and traffic was gridlocked for 2 hours because of it. So I am glad we changed our minds. We don't ski anyway and would have just been going as sightseers.
My son went out to listen to some bands on Friday night at Erindale and a biker attacked him. He was outside the club having a smoke and the guy accused him of trying to listen in on a conversation he was having, (he wasn't) so decided he would give him a few punches. Nice man eh?. The security people stopped the attack and threw the biker out. My son is O.K. just sore, I am waiting to see if his sore tooth settles down, I hope so.
I finished off a few other projects on the weekend. I made a pattern from a shopping bag that I bought while at The Rocks craft market in Sydney recently and finished off the copy of it. My sister wanted me to do it so I guess she was dropping hints for one for Christmas. Done. It is not as well done as the original I bought, but it is quite good and I made it for about 1/3rd of the price I paid for mine. I also finished a pot I had made and bought home with me last week. I mean literally finished. I spent about 1 &1/2 hours carving it and was nearly finished when I put my finger through it. It is now in tiny pieces in the recycling bucket. Oh well it was a nice idea anyway. My mind is turning towards Christmas presents which I will have to take with me when I go to Q.L.D. later this year for my sister's wedding.
Sorry to anyone who has come for a visit from Sunday Scribblings lately . I know that my link is playing up and not directing you to the correct post. I have tried to fix it but..... I will try again. My apologies.
That's about all.
Bye
Love Linda.
The aches and pains in my lower back , feet and knees are really annoying. My hand is sore too. I know cleaning work is not good for me, but it will have to do. Things will improve as the weather warms up.
We cleaned a bit more at the offices we were working on recently that were being refurbished. We ran out of time so I am expecting another call back as I wasn't happy with how it was finished off. I was so annoyed though, I just finished detailing the bathrooms and getting them right when more tradesmen came in and made another mess, dirty buggers didn't even bother to flush. So I locked them out. Arrrrgh!
I have finished pruning the roses in my yard. As well as half a dozen or so for the lady next door. Not too many scratches on me, bonus.
This weekend has been a perfect textbook late winter weekend. Sunny and bright, and perfect for staying outside in the sunshine and weeding, trimming, fertilizing, planting, around the yard. I planted several pots full of Shirley poppies in the front yard as well as a pot of rocket out the back. For some reason I haven't had any luck with Shirley poppies each time I have tried them. I do so love their flowers. The old man who lives around the corner near the shops, whose flowers I was admiring, gave me some of his seeds which I planted but they never came up. I have heard that they don't like to be transplanted either , but I guess the seedlings I bought are still worth the try. Lets hope. I have daffodils, jonquils, erica, camellia, a few snow drops, and weeds all in flower at the moment.
Pete and I were thinking about going for a drive up to the snow on Sunday. They have had 2 meters of snow this month and were saying on the radio about how great it was all looking up there. I later heard that they were having a police blitz up there and traffic was gridlocked for 2 hours because of it. So I am glad we changed our minds. We don't ski anyway and would have just been going as sightseers.
My son went out to listen to some bands on Friday night at Erindale and a biker attacked him. He was outside the club having a smoke and the guy accused him of trying to listen in on a conversation he was having, (he wasn't) so decided he would give him a few punches. Nice man eh?. The security people stopped the attack and threw the biker out. My son is O.K. just sore, I am waiting to see if his sore tooth settles down, I hope so.
I finished off a few other projects on the weekend. I made a pattern from a shopping bag that I bought while at The Rocks craft market in Sydney recently and finished off the copy of it. My sister wanted me to do it so I guess she was dropping hints for one for Christmas. Done. It is not as well done as the original I bought, but it is quite good and I made it for about 1/3rd of the price I paid for mine. I also finished a pot I had made and bought home with me last week. I mean literally finished. I spent about 1 &1/2 hours carving it and was nearly finished when I put my finger through it. It is now in tiny pieces in the recycling bucket. Oh well it was a nice idea anyway. My mind is turning towards Christmas presents which I will have to take with me when I go to Q.L.D. later this year for my sister's wedding.
Sorry to anyone who has come for a visit from Sunday Scribblings lately . I know that my link is playing up and not directing you to the correct post. I have tried to fix it but..... I will try again. My apologies.
That's about all.
Bye
Love Linda.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Sunday Scribblings "Dangerous"
G'Day,
It is Sunday Scribblings time again. This week we are asked to write about the word "Dangerous".
Dangerous to me, in fact all wimps like me is procrastination and the fear of what might happen. Dangerous to me is the result of sitting on your hands for fear of what stepping up to the plate will bring and the eventual result of that fear .......missing out.
I have always been a timid person. I know it has held me back and now I see the consequences of my fear. I am living in a city that I have come to love. I should have moved here years ago but I was scared. Now because of fear I have no home. Well....yes I have a home but it is not mine. No patch of dirt to dig in that belongs to me, to plant and mold and personalize to the way I would love it to be.
I had that once. In a small town. I planted and dug and grew and made and molded it and loved the way I got to choose to feed my earth with organic food and minimal chemicals. I was looking after my own little patch of dirt and keeping it healthy. But the town was holding back others in my family. I have written in here before about how my son has moved forwards from his depression since we moved here. It has been magic for him.
We were split about moving as my daughter was still in school and didn't want to start all over again at a new school. So we stayed. House prices went up, and up in the city. Went up to absolutely ridiculous levels and priced us out of the market. Up 19% just this year. Now we are too close to retirement age to pay anything off and still have money to live on for everyday needs. So no house in Canberra. No patch of dirt to dig in, I so miss that. Getting my hands into the earth is an important thing for me, a part of me. My gardening and my pottery.
I often look through websites at the prices of houses and going backwards to that little town seems an affordable alternative, but then I will not have the services and opportunities that I enjoy here in Canberra. My son wants to stay here too.
My husband is a procrastinator like me. We don't know what to do, we know what we want but not how. I am scared to stick my neck out and get it chopped off. Scared to lose the money that we have from the sale of our old house. Scared to miss out.
All of our dreams of the life we would like to lead after retirement are going down the gurgler. I have had quite a few kicks in the gut since moving here but I really do like the place.
Our original idea for retirement was to have a base of operations, a modest home paid up , so that we could take our caravan and go out to experience the wonderful places this country has to offer. We wanted to be grey nomads, but with a home to return to. There are so many alternatives and ideas, but the danger is in sitting back and waiting and not jumping in while the iron is hot. Guilty. Guilty as charged. Scary dangerous stuff.
****************************
It is Sunday Scribblings time again. This week we are asked to write about the word "Dangerous".
Dangerous to me, in fact all wimps like me is procrastination and the fear of what might happen. Dangerous to me is the result of sitting on your hands for fear of what stepping up to the plate will bring and the eventual result of that fear .......missing out.
I have always been a timid person. I know it has held me back and now I see the consequences of my fear. I am living in a city that I have come to love. I should have moved here years ago but I was scared. Now because of fear I have no home. Well....yes I have a home but it is not mine. No patch of dirt to dig in that belongs to me, to plant and mold and personalize to the way I would love it to be.
I had that once. In a small town. I planted and dug and grew and made and molded it and loved the way I got to choose to feed my earth with organic food and minimal chemicals. I was looking after my own little patch of dirt and keeping it healthy. But the town was holding back others in my family. I have written in here before about how my son has moved forwards from his depression since we moved here. It has been magic for him.
We were split about moving as my daughter was still in school and didn't want to start all over again at a new school. So we stayed. House prices went up, and up in the city. Went up to absolutely ridiculous levels and priced us out of the market. Up 19% just this year. Now we are too close to retirement age to pay anything off and still have money to live on for everyday needs. So no house in Canberra. No patch of dirt to dig in, I so miss that. Getting my hands into the earth is an important thing for me, a part of me. My gardening and my pottery.
I often look through websites at the prices of houses and going backwards to that little town seems an affordable alternative, but then I will not have the services and opportunities that I enjoy here in Canberra. My son wants to stay here too.
My husband is a procrastinator like me. We don't know what to do, we know what we want but not how. I am scared to stick my neck out and get it chopped off. Scared to lose the money that we have from the sale of our old house. Scared to miss out.
All of our dreams of the life we would like to lead after retirement are going down the gurgler. I have had quite a few kicks in the gut since moving here but I really do like the place.
Our original idea for retirement was to have a base of operations, a modest home paid up , so that we could take our caravan and go out to experience the wonderful places this country has to offer. We wanted to be grey nomads, but with a home to return to. There are so many alternatives and ideas, but the danger is in sitting back and waiting and not jumping in while the iron is hot. Guilty. Guilty as charged. Scary dangerous stuff.
****************************
Other stuff this week.
In my rented house I have flowers again. The daffodils and jonquils are opening their pretty faces and looking towards to sun. The Daphne is all in bud and ready to burst open with its lively fragranced flowers. There are more camellias open on the bushes around the yard and all but the most stubborn of the leaves on the big oak tree on our block in Parker street are gone. The sulfur crested cockatoos are giving what is left a helping hand, but that tree is so big. I have most of the roses pruned. But not the ones that flowered the best, at the front right hand side of the house. I heard on the gardening show on the radio at the weekend that it is time to do them now. So I must get to it and finish them off. Not a chore a pleasure for me.
We had a bright sunny weekend, but the clouds are back today. The board at the side of the main road near here says that the water storage level in now over 62% Woo Hoo! Love it, and we are officially out of drought after ten years. Keep that rain coming mother earth, but please, please warm me up between showers with warm sunshine.
I had a nice morning on Friday. I met up for a talk and cuppa at the botanic gardens with an old work colleague who has moved to Canberra. I didn't know him that well before but liked him, I think he will be better here where he can be with people that are more like himself and accepting of his sexuality. He has a new partner and is happy.
The federal election was held over the weekend. As yet we don't know the final result. It looks as though Australia may have a hung parliament. Interesting stuff. And a big slap in the face from the voting public to the 2 leading parties. They were talking (as you would imagine) on the radio this morning and saying that there are a record number of informal votes this time. Deliberate of course. Yep! a BIG slap in the face for Julia Gillard and Tony Abbot the leaders of those 2 parties.
We got our electricity , gas and water bills last week. Adding up to $1700.00 bloody hell! Not nice. Especially as I am trying to save money to get up to Queensland for my sisters wedding at the end of October. I have already paid for the accommodation and have the money for the plane tickets for the 5 of us. Now the rest of what I can save is spending/play money. I can be determined when I want to. Just not brave.
I start cleaning another house next week so that will add a little to the coffers. Wednesday mornings are now full. Tuesday mornings, Marg's house to clean, Thursday morning Pottery at Watson Art center. So Monday mornings Sunday Scribblings time. Grins me. Hahaha.
That's all Folks!
Bye 'till next week.
Love Linda.
In my rented house I have flowers again. The daffodils and jonquils are opening their pretty faces and looking towards to sun. The Daphne is all in bud and ready to burst open with its lively fragranced flowers. There are more camellias open on the bushes around the yard and all but the most stubborn of the leaves on the big oak tree on our block in Parker street are gone. The sulfur crested cockatoos are giving what is left a helping hand, but that tree is so big. I have most of the roses pruned. But not the ones that flowered the best, at the front right hand side of the house. I heard on the gardening show on the radio at the weekend that it is time to do them now. So I must get to it and finish them off. Not a chore a pleasure for me.
We had a bright sunny weekend, but the clouds are back today. The board at the side of the main road near here says that the water storage level in now over 62% Woo Hoo! Love it, and we are officially out of drought after ten years. Keep that rain coming mother earth, but please, please warm me up between showers with warm sunshine.
I had a nice morning on Friday. I met up for a talk and cuppa at the botanic gardens with an old work colleague who has moved to Canberra. I didn't know him that well before but liked him, I think he will be better here where he can be with people that are more like himself and accepting of his sexuality. He has a new partner and is happy.
The federal election was held over the weekend. As yet we don't know the final result. It looks as though Australia may have a hung parliament. Interesting stuff. And a big slap in the face from the voting public to the 2 leading parties. They were talking (as you would imagine) on the radio this morning and saying that there are a record number of informal votes this time. Deliberate of course. Yep! a BIG slap in the face for Julia Gillard and Tony Abbot the leaders of those 2 parties.
We got our electricity , gas and water bills last week. Adding up to $1700.00 bloody hell! Not nice. Especially as I am trying to save money to get up to Queensland for my sisters wedding at the end of October. I have already paid for the accommodation and have the money for the plane tickets for the 5 of us. Now the rest of what I can save is spending/play money. I can be determined when I want to. Just not brave.
I start cleaning another house next week so that will add a little to the coffers. Wednesday mornings are now full. Tuesday mornings, Marg's house to clean, Thursday morning Pottery at Watson Art center. So Monday mornings Sunday Scribblings time. Grins me. Hahaha.
That's all Folks!
Bye 'till next week.
Love Linda.
Monday, 16 August 2010
Sunday scribblings "View"
G'day,
I am back this week for the Sunday Scribblings prompt. Last week I gave it a miss. Just couldn't think of anything.
This week the prompt word is View.
Well I couldn't think of anything for that either. So I will bore anyone who chooses to read this entry with my exact view at this very moment, what is right in front of me, visually, as I sit here at my puter on a Monday night here in the land of Oz.
First up the computer. A black keyboard, blue and white screen, black and gray box of a case lights remote control.
To my right is another black and gray box that is supposed to print, fax and scan but I can't work the silly bloody thing. Who is silly anyway.Then there is the red leather belt I took off this afternoon. It has a silver buckle. Why do they never make jeans to fit we women. They should be higher on my waist so they don't slip down when I move and bend and why do they have that annoying gap at the back that shows skin if you don't wear a long enough top with them, I hate seeing that little bit of skin on others so I don't want anyone else to see that bit of skin on me.
There is a corelle plate beside me. I ate a nashi pear for my dessert and the plate is sitting there watching me and waiting for me to wash it. Under the plate is some propaganda that ACTEW the electricity company here, sent today with their exorbitant electricity bill. I guess they need to try to tell me what a great job they are doing for me after slapping that bill on me. OUCH!. Beside that is a stack of papers. There is the Potter's society news letter, and a scrap of paper with an address on it. Then there is my friends and family organizer with all their addresses and birthdays etc in it. Followed by an A5 notepad then topped off with a bunch of keys, a blue pen and a lime green tape measure. Pete's wallet and sunnies and a hot pink stick on notepad.
On my left is my camera, the cord thing that plugs it into the computer, 2 lithium batteries, a stapler, my tax assessment notice, 2 old mobile phones, Pete's phone, a doggie doo disposal bag, unused of course, from the dispenser in the park down town, 2 hair clasps, 2 eye glass cases, a pottery tumbler I made with assorted pencils that need sharpening and pens that probably don't work. A black fabric covered cardboard box full of photographs. 2 red embroidered cushion covers that I use as doilies, just because I like them. A folder with computer disks. A oil burner, made by me with a post fired reduction raku lustre glaze on it, purple and copper red.
At the back of the desk are some cream colored curtains that came with the house. You can't touch them for fear of them falling to pieces and I would be scared to wash them for the same reason. God only knows how old they are.Then there are the heavier curtains in front of them. I think they are cotton, not attractive but functional in the case of privacy I guess. They didn't save me any money off my winter electricity bill though.
The table that I am sitting at is quite interesting. It is very old. I found it in the back of the garden shed at the last house we lived in. It had a bench vice attached to a wooden plank on one end and a split down the center of it. We asked the old land lord if he wanted it and he said no so we set about restoring it. Pete thinks it looks like an old teacher's desk. It is made from pine. It has turned legs and two very long draws in the front with metal pull handles. We spent many many hours stripping the old layers of varnish from it and many more hours sanding it back. I reckon by the old glue we removed from the top and the recessed top , it must have been covered with leather or similar. It has real character with lots of old ink stains and scratches and writing cut into it. Lots of dints and bangs over the surface of its top and that split never did close up too well. But it is solid, as solid as the day it was made and still standing proud, restored to it's original use once again. Useful and used daily. Imagine the stories it could tell if it could talk. The little people who hid underneath it. The old tartar who sat stiff backed over looking her charges, or the bully man who sat watching his young charges with his cane at the ready. Then maybe it was recommissioned as an art desk when it wasn't so fashionable anymore and sent to the art room. Sloshed with paint and clay, cut with blades and bits of paper stuck to it from errant blobs of glue. It has earned its cuts and letters and stains and it would have been a shame to remove all of them, if indeed that had ever been possible.
Its sturdiness giving rise to its next life, a table out on the back veranda where grandpa sat with his daily newspaper and read in the morning sunshine. And grandma potted up her begonias and pansies. Then one of their children decided it was still strong enough to go out the back into the tool shed and put his bench vice on the side of it.
Who knows, who knows what stories it could tell. Until our view saw it differently and we saw its beauty and potential. It is now in our lounge room in daily use again. I love the look of it, with its scars and stains and golden glowing wood.
Right now I am dreaming of another view. It is late and I really should try to view the wrong side of my eye lids instead of this computer screen.
Good night.
Love Linda.
I am back this week for the Sunday Scribblings prompt. Last week I gave it a miss. Just couldn't think of anything.
This week the prompt word is View.
Well I couldn't think of anything for that either. So I will bore anyone who chooses to read this entry with my exact view at this very moment, what is right in front of me, visually, as I sit here at my puter on a Monday night here in the land of Oz.
First up the computer. A black keyboard, blue and white screen, black and gray box of a case lights remote control.
To my right is another black and gray box that is supposed to print, fax and scan but I can't work the silly bloody thing. Who is silly anyway.Then there is the red leather belt I took off this afternoon. It has a silver buckle. Why do they never make jeans to fit we women. They should be higher on my waist so they don't slip down when I move and bend and why do they have that annoying gap at the back that shows skin if you don't wear a long enough top with them, I hate seeing that little bit of skin on others so I don't want anyone else to see that bit of skin on me.
There is a corelle plate beside me. I ate a nashi pear for my dessert and the plate is sitting there watching me and waiting for me to wash it. Under the plate is some propaganda that ACTEW the electricity company here, sent today with their exorbitant electricity bill. I guess they need to try to tell me what a great job they are doing for me after slapping that bill on me. OUCH!. Beside that is a stack of papers. There is the Potter's society news letter, and a scrap of paper with an address on it. Then there is my friends and family organizer with all their addresses and birthdays etc in it. Followed by an A5 notepad then topped off with a bunch of keys, a blue pen and a lime green tape measure. Pete's wallet and sunnies and a hot pink stick on notepad.
On my left is my camera, the cord thing that plugs it into the computer, 2 lithium batteries, a stapler, my tax assessment notice, 2 old mobile phones, Pete's phone, a doggie doo disposal bag, unused of course, from the dispenser in the park down town, 2 hair clasps, 2 eye glass cases, a pottery tumbler I made with assorted pencils that need sharpening and pens that probably don't work. A black fabric covered cardboard box full of photographs. 2 red embroidered cushion covers that I use as doilies, just because I like them. A folder with computer disks. A oil burner, made by me with a post fired reduction raku lustre glaze on it, purple and copper red.
At the back of the desk are some cream colored curtains that came with the house. You can't touch them for fear of them falling to pieces and I would be scared to wash them for the same reason. God only knows how old they are.Then there are the heavier curtains in front of them. I think they are cotton, not attractive but functional in the case of privacy I guess. They didn't save me any money off my winter electricity bill though.
The table that I am sitting at is quite interesting. It is very old. I found it in the back of the garden shed at the last house we lived in. It had a bench vice attached to a wooden plank on one end and a split down the center of it. We asked the old land lord if he wanted it and he said no so we set about restoring it. Pete thinks it looks like an old teacher's desk. It is made from pine. It has turned legs and two very long draws in the front with metal pull handles. We spent many many hours stripping the old layers of varnish from it and many more hours sanding it back. I reckon by the old glue we removed from the top and the recessed top , it must have been covered with leather or similar. It has real character with lots of old ink stains and scratches and writing cut into it. Lots of dints and bangs over the surface of its top and that split never did close up too well. But it is solid, as solid as the day it was made and still standing proud, restored to it's original use once again. Useful and used daily. Imagine the stories it could tell if it could talk. The little people who hid underneath it. The old tartar who sat stiff backed over looking her charges, or the bully man who sat watching his young charges with his cane at the ready. Then maybe it was recommissioned as an art desk when it wasn't so fashionable anymore and sent to the art room. Sloshed with paint and clay, cut with blades and bits of paper stuck to it from errant blobs of glue. It has earned its cuts and letters and stains and it would have been a shame to remove all of them, if indeed that had ever been possible.
Its sturdiness giving rise to its next life, a table out on the back veranda where grandpa sat with his daily newspaper and read in the morning sunshine. And grandma potted up her begonias and pansies. Then one of their children decided it was still strong enough to go out the back into the tool shed and put his bench vice on the side of it.
Who knows, who knows what stories it could tell. Until our view saw it differently and we saw its beauty and potential. It is now in our lounge room in daily use again. I love the look of it, with its scars and stains and golden glowing wood.
Right now I am dreaming of another view. It is late and I really should try to view the wrong side of my eye lids instead of this computer screen.
Good night.
Love Linda.
Monday, 2 August 2010
Sunday scribblings "Thank You Speech"
G'Day,
This weeks Sunday Scribblings prompt asks us who we are grateful to and what has made us the us we are today.
I went to the hair dressers today and I have stripey hair. Hahaha. While I was sitting waiting for the changes to be finished and to see what it would look like I was thinking about the prompt and my mind went in this direction. I guess it is a direction in which I have traveled before in my blog, but here goes anyway.
I reckon the thing that we should be most grateful for, which gives us everything we need and has given birth to all of the animals and plants that were ever made is our great Mother Earth. She is why we are here, not some idol or some scientist or even another being of the same species, Mother Earth. We are she and she is us. Everything we have, are, and are able to make comes from her. She has been here longer than anything else we have and will be here long after we as a species are gone. She feeds us, she shelters us, she builds us and knocks us down again when it is our time to make room for the new. We are just a tiny tiny speck of dust in the universe, and our lives are due to her magical survival and renewal. Just a part of the big picture and her cycles. The cycles of birth and death. The cycle of heat and cold and water and fire that is essential to our being. It all comes from her.
I find it shocking that our species can be so destructive to our mother and to each other. But I also hate that at the moment the alternatives to those things that are so destructive to our planet have no viable alternatives to them that are within the costs of everyday people to access. We do have solar power and wind power and others, they are being developed but are not in common use due to their costs at the present. Another issue here is the backing of big businesses on the traditional sources of the power that we use. This is holding back alternate methods of power production that we depend on now days for our survival, as the money that these companies make from the power that we now use is vital to their survival, and it is not in their financial interest to move away from them. For example,we all know the trouble our present dependence has caused with our use of oil in the world today.
So in the meantime please excuse us silly people who choose to wander off and smell the flowers and revel in the other species that inhabit this planet and marvel at our planet's beauty, instead of going to one of the many churches and worshiping one of the myriad of gods. Made in our image, made by man to control our behavior as a society. I am not knocking that because I believe our society stems from being able to live together and love each other to get along and that is what religion tries to teach us. It is all part of the cycle.
(Desiderata) I just looked up a bit of history on that . Do you remember that was put to music a few decades ago.
"You are a child of the universe, No less than the sea or the stars you have a right to be free etc,etc, "or something like that.... Each to his own beliefs.
But I choose to worship Mother Earth. Our maker.
Thank You Mother Earth.
We are trying, we really are.
Bye for now.
Love Linda.
This weeks Sunday Scribblings prompt asks us who we are grateful to and what has made us the us we are today.
I went to the hair dressers today and I have stripey hair. Hahaha. While I was sitting waiting for the changes to be finished and to see what it would look like I was thinking about the prompt and my mind went in this direction. I guess it is a direction in which I have traveled before in my blog, but here goes anyway.
I reckon the thing that we should be most grateful for, which gives us everything we need and has given birth to all of the animals and plants that were ever made is our great Mother Earth. She is why we are here, not some idol or some scientist or even another being of the same species, Mother Earth. We are she and she is us. Everything we have, are, and are able to make comes from her. She has been here longer than anything else we have and will be here long after we as a species are gone. She feeds us, she shelters us, she builds us and knocks us down again when it is our time to make room for the new. We are just a tiny tiny speck of dust in the universe, and our lives are due to her magical survival and renewal. Just a part of the big picture and her cycles. The cycles of birth and death. The cycle of heat and cold and water and fire that is essential to our being. It all comes from her.
I find it shocking that our species can be so destructive to our mother and to each other. But I also hate that at the moment the alternatives to those things that are so destructive to our planet have no viable alternatives to them that are within the costs of everyday people to access. We do have solar power and wind power and others, they are being developed but are not in common use due to their costs at the present. Another issue here is the backing of big businesses on the traditional sources of the power that we use. This is holding back alternate methods of power production that we depend on now days for our survival, as the money that these companies make from the power that we now use is vital to their survival, and it is not in their financial interest to move away from them. For example,we all know the trouble our present dependence has caused with our use of oil in the world today.
So in the meantime please excuse us silly people who choose to wander off and smell the flowers and revel in the other species that inhabit this planet and marvel at our planet's beauty, instead of going to one of the many churches and worshiping one of the myriad of gods. Made in our image, made by man to control our behavior as a society. I am not knocking that because I believe our society stems from being able to live together and love each other to get along and that is what religion tries to teach us. It is all part of the cycle.
(Desiderata) I just looked up a bit of history on that . Do you remember that was put to music a few decades ago.
"You are a child of the universe, No less than the sea or the stars you have a right to be free etc,etc, "or something like that.... Each to his own beliefs.
But I choose to worship Mother Earth. Our maker.
Thank You Mother Earth.
We are trying, we really are.
Bye for now.
Love Linda.
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