...just sometimes

Just sometimes

the silence is so deafening
that no sound can penetrate it

First love and memories

They are playing April Love and
Pat Boone is singing

I am 14
it is the Christmas School holidays
and we are staying at our beach house

There is a boy
his name is Morton
(don't remember his last name!!!)
he invites me to the pictures

My first real date with a boy
we watch April Love
we share jaffas
we hold hands

Ohh the excitement!!!

My parents sit directly behind us two rows back!!!!!!!

They walk home behind us!!!!

The next day we go back home
heart is broken!


Do you remember your first date?
do certain songs bring back memories for you?

A book, chocolates and miserable weather.....!

Freezing wind and falling rain
so
 I sit here with these

But it is very hard to read
when your face is awash with tears

and they have been flowing almost since I opened the first page of this
incredible, amazing, beautiful book!

I have also giggled,
 climbed barbed wire fences to grab an apple or two
and tasted every bite

I have learned about fear, anger, bigotry and hate
I have learned about friendship, love, honesty and decency

I have indulged in words, wonderful, magical words
I have drowned in words that made my heart sing
I have walked with death for 584 pages
and I could not stop!

I honestly do not know what else to say about this book
except that I loved every word

"It was Monday and they walked
on a tightrope to the sun"
                               Markus Zusak

Have you read it?


*I do like to recommend books if I love them
but I don't know if you like my taste
and if you don't it is rather a waste of time and I will find something else!!!!!


So

If you haven't and you do because of this post
please come back and let me know what you thought

I will not Covet.....!

I will not covet......

I will not covet.......

I truly will not covet.....

I wonder....

do you think I could whip them of her feet without her knowing?

perhaps not!!!!

I wonder....

will she sell them to me when
she gets sick of them?

I .......will....not....covet

Oh, who am I kidding
you all know I just

 WANT THEM!!!!!!!!!

Where do you find your inspiration....?

Every day for a fortnight I have started this post
and every day for a fortnight it has ended up as a draft!!!!!

Do you have times when you just can't seem to make it work?
no matter how hard you try
In fact that just seems to make it harder!!!!

So looking for inspiration I went to the newspaper
(That was a suggestion I heard at Blogopolis!)

Oh dear that would have led to a post of such vitriol and violence I thought perhaps not!!!

Something gentler and prettier was needed to give me a little push
NOTHING!!!!!!

So once more it went to draft
 and I wandered off to Tumblr
to visit a friend who had moved from Blogger

Imagine what a shock it was to discover that
I...ME....YOURS TRULY
has a Tumblr blog!!!!

I have no idea when I set this up and it only has two posts
(now three)
and it has one follower
bless her!!!

How can icing sugar, almond meal
and a bit of colouring and flavour
become something quite so pretty and delicious?

Tim Walker......
This man has the most amazing mind...it is so far outside the box
I don't believe he can even see the edges!!!!
I love his work

So those are my two Tumblr posts

Now what to do with it?
Do I continue or do I toss it?

Whichever
it got me back here and I must be grateful for that
now I am going to have a look at those other drafts and see if they can be rescued!!!

Do you have times when it doesn't work for you?
Where do you find your inspiration?

Painting with words.......what joy!!!!

I have just been on the most amazing
tour of paintings

They are nearly all in black and white
where colour appears it is
mostly a lush and vibrant
scarlet and
the textures are
sensual and silky

each painting is connected to the next
by a storyline
which, whilst compelling,
is incidental
to the sheer beauty of each of these
magical paintings

What amazes me beyond words is that not a drop of paint
not a hair of a paintbrush has been used
to create these wonderful images

Every single one has been created with words
every perfect stroke has been used to deliver
the perfect picture in my mind
and it was all done
by Erin Morgenstern
in her brilliant book

The Night Circus



I have read some good, and some bad reviews, and to the bad I can only say
'how sad that you could not see
 what was so beautifully and dramatically painted and laid before you

For those who haven't read it yet
I suggest you go and find a copy
(my daughter lent me hers but I am going to buy my own copy so I can visit these amazing images again and again!)

Source: edenclareartfulfairytales.tumblr.com via onepinkchair on Pinterest

                                                                This would be my artist of choice


and for the first time in my life I am truly, truly disappointed
that I cannot paint, because, if I could
my 68' hallway would become a gallery in truth
for the
Night Circus!

Thank you Erin Morgenstern for the viewing into
your incredible mind.


Have you read it?
Do you want it to set up near you, tonight, so you can go visit?

How Bride to be was born....!

Many years ago
I was sitting at my desk
putting together
a monthly magazine for
the Water board
sitting beside me was the file for the Quantity surveyor magazine
and the RSPCA journal amongst half a dozen similar titles
every one important

but hardly inspiring for a 22 year old
who dreamt of flowing white dresses, a white iced cake, a handsome groom standing at her side and honeymoons on exotic islands!
as lunch rolled round out came
the American Bridal magazine
and as the pages were leafed through
a mad idea started to form in my fertile young mind

Why could we not have a Bridal Magazine in Australia?

so research was done
editors contacted
advertising staff spoken to

the Boss, David Boyce, was approached

could we?

YES we could as long as it didn't cost any money!!!!

it didn't!!!

and so

Now you're Engaged
was born

the illustrations for your trousseaux were drawn by a close friend

the going away outfit rather dates me

but not nearly as much as the metal Oroton which was a must have

and you could have your wedding on film and in colour!!!

but as one does at the age of 22
I wandered off to Melbourne to
Georges Advertising Department
and so was not on board when
those very important but technical magazines found homes with other publishers

and this one became the centre piece of Warwick Boyce Publishing and changed its name to

BRIDE TO BE!!!

and it branched out
to become the biggest selling Bridal Magazine in Australia

Would I like to have still been there when this happened
Yes

Am I glad I wasn't?

 oh Yes

Because in Melbourne I met that handsome young groom and
two years later I had the white dress...but not the cake!

Have you ever walked away from something that might have been?

What's your direction your niche as a blogger...?

After my lovely day at Blogopolis I came home and looked at my blog,
it appeared I needed to have a direction!

but what direction

could I be a 'mummy blogger'
if my children have left home and have children of their own

perhaps an interiors blogger,
who has run out of puff

not, a photographic blogger
with my lousy photos

could I be a travel blogger,
maybe, if you count travelling a 100 kilometres travelling!

perhaps a fashion blogger
and perhaps not, with only one post!!!!

Well hey what about a cooking blogger
Nup, won't work, I don't cook any more!

It is quite obvious that none of these fit me

I am what I am

I am


a dreamer of dreams,
a weaver of words,
a teller of tales

both happy, and sad,
 long and short
of parents and children,
of houses, all old,
of horses and dogs
of people and ghosts

the tales are all true
and make what you will
they are mine to be told
so I invite you along
for the ride of my life
so come, join me,
keep me afloat,
give me a reason for being and
engage me
with comment
add your life to mine
and  together we'll weave,
our story!!!




Do you have a direction, a niche or do you just ramble like me?

Nuffnang Blogopolis and twitter....!!!!!

on Saturday
I strode up the stairs with great confidence
and ran straight into a crowd of young women!

and wondered, not for the first time
what on earth I was doing here

and when I left nearly 10 hours later
I still wondered
what I was doing there!!

Where was I?

I was at the Nuffnang Blogopolis
with nearly 300 other bloggers!

           one of the most photographed plates of the day

Now don't get me wrong
I loved the day
I met up with the lovely A-M
 and she is as beautiful in real life as she is on her blog


I did love the morning tea
but I am a Twinings tea girl anyway
and I collect old cups and saucers


I signed up to Twitter!!!!
Don't understand it but I am there and I have tweeted
of course I may never do it again!!!!

What I didn't understand was the awe in which
some bloggers were held
I didn't know the star bloggers
I don't want to make money out of my blog
(though I like the Nuffnang community so may join them!)
I didn't go to the photography session (should have)

But on the Sunday I got some upsetting family news and
that, along with the arrangements for Souk,
appear to have dried up my blogging abilities for the moment

I promise to come back soon
but at the moment my energies, such as they are,
are needed elsewhere.

I will still be reading and visiting

and  I will see you soon

*and for those who were there on Saturday my finger has hovered over the publish button for the last 4 days!!!!!

Once we were six

but as time went by we became
5
and then we became
4
and now we are
 3

this one has been the most affected and has been on Prozac
for separation anxiety.
She goes every where with me and follows me from room to room
then

into our lives came this young man
Jack
he lives next door
he just won't stay next door



and so this

went to this as he took over the household
I even woke one morning to find him in bed with me!!!!

Jack is a very social friendly little fella and
they shared everything, Souk went of her tablets

 and they played with such joy
until coming in here was not enough for Jack
He had a wider world to discover
which was fine with me
until he took Souk with him!!!

One dog attacked
1 child given a fright (but not bitten)
2 car accidents only narrowly averted

2 dog runs built
2 dog runs escaped from

so
next week
we will be only
2
as Souk is re homed by Saluki Rescue

and my heart is breaking

classic fashion always in style...!!!

I have not posted fashion before
but with the loss of 26 kilos (57 lbs)
     i am finding clothes rather appealing again
and have put away the larger sizes
(in case I grow into them again!)
and am dressing in my now vintage pieces I had put away
a few years ago!!!!!

when it came time to buy a new wardrobe I trotted of to Country Road

only to discover that it no longer carried the classic clothing that I had always loved

but
and I always have a BUT!!!!!!

the lovely young salesgirl suggested I might like their other store!

and so I discovered trenery 
and there was my style!

I suppose I could try to style up a bit
but it is these classic lines that seem to suit me
and that I feel comfortable in so
I did have a lovely time playing
and walked off with quite a bit!

It is rather fun being a size 10 (Aust) again!!!!

Do you like the classic look?
or do you like to play with your fashion choices?

Have you tried to talk to someone in Authority recently...?

I come from a time
when
if you wanted to speak to the Managing Director of  BHP
you rang the switchboard,
you went through to his secretary and she would listen to your reason for calling
and would either put you straight through
or, she would answer your request or, he would ring you back.

True!
I did it once as a schoolchild with a project
and the response from the man himself
 was nothing short of amazing,
and
I got an A+!!!!

Today I received a letter of offer
from one of the big mobile companies
it was signed by the director  - Customer Lifecycle and Retention
(you just gotta love the title!!!!)

The offer asks me to sign up for 24 months
and will give me 6 frequent flyer points for every dollar spent
(that is, if, I am already a member of said frequent flyer company!!)

I have not been offered any way to renew my current contract
so naively I thought I would ring this director
and mention that I have been with this particular company
for more than 20 years...
the first 10 without any contract

I have remained with this company
because they have been good to me, in my good and bad times
I thought he might like to know
that some of us stay without bribes
that we actually have company loyalty
and we don't need to be tied into contracts
(hey good for an ad maybe?)

But, could I get through to this man who signs the letter?

NO

Could I find out the phone number that leads to their head office switchboard?

NO

Could I leave my name and number so he could ring me

NO

Were they interested
that I had been with them that long
(I was the 14 customer to buy the NEC P5 the smallest mobile in 1992!!)
and it is just possible that
I am their oldest continuous mobile customer!!

NO

Am I going to stay with them?

I DON"T KNOW

But I am grateful for the whole thing
because with the inability to speak to the signatory of a letter that they sent to me
(Really why bother signing it at all if you are not going to be available!!)
got me mad enough to break this vicious cycle of lethargy
that has hung about me like a black cloud for the last month.

The black cloud that flung me back 12 months
(I truly wasn't expecting that!)

So with a bit of luck my little episode
with said mobile company may get me back to posting again!!!

Sorry for the whinge!!!!!!

BUT

Have any of you found it difficult 
to get past the operator, in some far flung country,
 to speak to someone in authority? 

What did you read in April....?

Sitting comfortably on my
absolutely must keep bookshelves
are names we are all familiar with
the classics old and new
thrillers, literature, adventure
Many are rather on the aged side most are hard bound
but sneaking in there

are two battered old paperback books



They are nothing flash, they are not new,
 in fact both
were published in the early 80's
I would not, necessarily, recommend them as must reads
but they are easy reads
the stories are simple in their complications
 and they would probably both fit into the
romance genre
but

Catherine Nicolson says this is the only book for which she wrote a happy ending
and

This is the only book Jane Sandford wrote

Why are these two books on those shelves?
Because for some reason they connect with me
they speak to me!
They are not the best books I have ever read
they are not my favourite books
they are just two little books that
in some strange way speak to something in my soul
and I have absolutely no idea why!!!!

but

When I have trouble reading, as I do at the moment,
I will take one of these down and before I know it
I am totally involved with the characters,
 I am believing in them
and suddenly I am reading again
and for this reason they will remain forever on my special shelves!!

They both came down last month to be  read again!

and now I am deep into this
written in the early 60's by Dymphna Cusack
it takes place in an era I remember and a town I could have grown up in
 so I am having a lovely romp through its pages!

 April was a month for older books
written in a time before computers and mobile phones!!!!

Do you have a book that speaks to you?





P.S. I am sharing my books this month with Felicity and vive le livre

who would have thought....!

I read somewhere that
every word we speak
every move we make
will have an effect

but

who would have thought
that two years ago
 a whispered aside

'I follow a blog!'
in a slightly embarrassed manner,

would lead me
to following
one blog
and then another
and another.

Would lead me to
step out and
start a blog

who would have thought
that that original whispered aside
would lead me down a track
that two and a half years later
would lead to a weekend
that I was not looking forward to
would lead to a
weekend of laughter
and love

Souk actually allowing the beautiful Kerry to hold her!!!!!!!!!

of too much wine....me!!
too much words for friends....not me!!!
(sorry inside joke!!!!)


who would have thought
that that whispered aside
would lead to me meeting
the beautiful Kerry
from a tranquil townhouse,

Thank you Kerry for giving me your time
on this weekend
that I was dreading
for making me laugh
for making me think
for reminding me that there is
still joy out there
because

tomorrow it is
one year

for Kerry
with love
xxx

My Town Part III

Last the people…

it is the people who make this town.

Source: thatkindofwoman.tumblr.com via onepinkchair on Pinterest

Country towns have a reputation for being cliquey, 

for groups not mixing; not integrating…that is not the case here! 

My friends, and they are amazing friends, 

come from town and out of town. 

They are married and single. 

They are young, middling and aged. 

They are university educated and they left school at 12 

to help raise their families.

They are many and varied but without exception they are kind and caring, 

they are generous with their time and their emotions.

Source: rocks-of-all-colors.tumblr.com via onepinkchair on Pinterest

When I lost my best friend, my partner 

suddenly and totally unexpectedly 

and really, really needed them recently,
they came. 

They came
bearing food, lawn mowers, mops and polishing cloths. 

I was fed, whether I wanted to be or not, 

my house gleamed from top to toe 

and when it became necessary
they dressed me in the clothes they no longer fitted into, 

though in truth they received the ones that were now falling off me!

They planted vegetable gardens, they weeded vegetable gardens, 

they just sat and held my hand when I needed someone, 

they found the oddest jobs to keep me busy!

Source: google.com via onepinkchair on Pinterest

Months later,
when you would expect them all to go back to their own families and lives 

I wake to the phone ringing 

and have to leap out of bed 

to make sure the dogs are locked away as the lawn is about to be mown. 

I wake to the phone 

and leap out of bed 

to be told that I have half a table to fill at the local market tomorrow. 

I wake to the phone 

and leap out of bed 

to hear that it’s a good day to play scrabble they will be around in an hour 

(It’s the first anniversary  of an important day, 

it’s Australia day, his birthday) 

but they come with lunch and dinner, some happy music and nobody mentions what day it is…where are their families, 

why at home of course!

Like all towns and suburbs this one has its problems, 

its uncontrollable kids, its petty thieves, bad language 

but that doesn’t detract from the sheer thoughtfulness, 

kindness and deep friendship 

that I have found here

And it is a pretty town to drive through  

and its positioning as the hub of the circle 

that consists of five major towns
and many smaller towns all within an hours drive

 means that everything you could wish for is within reach!

Will I leave this town now?

I still don’t know.

But I cannot think that I will ever find 

a better place to live out the rest of my days.

Thank you for listening to my story

and the images?......just because I liked them!!!!!!

xxxxx