soul food friday ~ finding our place in the world, and a birthday

Please excuse the indulgence, but today's soul food friday is for my youngest child...makes me sound like I've got lots...but no...just the two!  The 'soon-to-be 22 year old' can no longer be called that, because today is my son's 22nd birthday. Crumbs, the 'long time until he turns 23 year old' just doesn't have the same ring to it! I chose this quote because it's sometimes been rough for this lovely and talented young man. But I've watched and quietly cheered as he's pulled himself up by the bootlaces and kept on trying...and while he would say he's still finding his way in the world...I say that he has all that is needed...compassion, kindness, and courage. With those things we will always have a place (even if it's back with your mother...how long did you say you were staying??) Joking, joking!

This is my all time favourite photo of my boy...hmmm, silver cleaning required I see...and so, unfortunately, can you. Never mind, just gaze at his cuteness.

We love you Ben. Happy Birthday xxx

image 1 from here; image 2 captured by me - twice!

whimsical or what!

So...(get scared when I say that)... I was at a client's yesterday morning and on my way back to the office at lunchtime I just happened to drive past a large Salvos op shop (alright, I took a very minor detour but let's not get all factual)...and I found this painting...

The woman who sold it to me....for $4 bloggy peeps, $4...said "you'll be painting over that then". Ah, no... I won't.  

I was much more polite than that of course, my mother will be pleased to know...not that she reads this blog...she doesn't even have a computer. Give her a break, she's 81 and resistant! Ok, stubborn.

It's a little bit Salvador (without the creepiness), a little bit Alice, I'm sensing a possible Day of the Triffids moment...perhaps a touch of Dorothy. 

No matter what...I love it! 

And then, downstairs in the bargain basement...this...for $1!  

And the lovely man took my money and said "there you go...take the world with you". He understood.

So I was pretty chuffed by my very brief lunchtime excursion. But not as chuffed as I was to notch up 102 bloggy friends who have chosen to show a 'tranquil sign of support' for my silly (and sometimes serious!) carry-ons by clicking on that follow button (yes, yes I know I forced some of you, but just the ones I'm related to or drink with). 

It was a dream for me to reach 100 and now I have a few more and I couldn't be more excited. The MGM and I are working on a little giveaway in celebration...you'll be able to have a piece of him (ok, his glass art...he's all mine) but we are both the most disorganised people so it might take a bit of time to get our act together.  You reading this darling?? 

So until tomorrow...thank you, thank you, thank you...each and all...you're too wonderful for words. Truly.
all images by the one holding the camera...that would be me. except for the last one, that would be here

a side trip to the newsagents

Those who know me well understand tolerate my addiction to magazines and the written word in general. I'm sure my long-held magazine buying habit has something to do with the fact that the first born also has a love of them...so much so that she now works for one...lucky thing! I managed to get the grocery shopping done after work and before the newsagent closed...a minor miracle...so of course I couldn't disappoint now could I?

I spotted this new magazine/book by the clever people at Home Beautiful called Colour (yes, yes I know...you can see that's what it's called!)

(the colour of the granite on my kitchen bench although it's a wonderful surface, is not to my taste...but it's in such good condition...what do I do!?!)

I photographed a few of my favourite pages...and hmmm...methinks I spy a few images that may have been seen before! But no probs...you'll love them this time around too I'm sure...it really is a great little publication...whimsical...I love that word.

And don't you love the oversize cup and saucer my gorgeous daughter gave me as an early Mothers Day present when she was here on the weekend? I certainly do.

...that last one reminds me a bit of the new rug in my study...here it is with the vampire slayer lying over the heating vent...not sure whether that means she's really clever or really, really dumb! Depends how high the temperature is set I guess. My watercolour waiting to be reframed after I pinched its frame to put the InsideOut teatowel in.

And I never tire of seeing this room...the living room of Australian movie royalty, Catherine Martin and Baz Lurhmann...

...and whenever I see that amazing portrait, I think of my own wonderful piece of photographic art from Broome, the pearl capital of Australia...isn't it beautiful?

And perhaps I also bought the latest edition of my favourite overseas magazine Livingetc (alas, it was not this one...we are a month behind being so far away 'n all)...but it's usually worth the wait. You'll know where to find me for the next few nights...sitting on the vent with a magazine and a huge cup of tea!!

And wow, I couldn't believe it when I got up this morning to find 99 followers...thank you so much everyone, and what a great number...so perfectly formed!!

all magazine images by me of images by others in the Home Beautiful Colour magazine...where I'm sure all the credits are appropriately made...go buy a copy...it's good.

bemused by garden stools

I have two garden stools...just like this one...

...but I'm thinking: why are they called garden stools?

Garden: a piece of ground or other space commonly with ornamental trees, plants etc, used as a place of recreation
Stool: a seat, either low or high, without arms or a back, usually for a single person..

...when you hardly ever find them in the garden and I've never seen anyone actually sit on one...

Just wondering...

Confession: ok...maybe, just maybe I did find a few images of garden stools outdoors, but no way was I going to let the facts get in the way of a blog post now was I?? Oh all right then..but just the one!

 images 1-10 and 14 from here; others from here

family and the start of a project

Day 3 of a long weekend which alas must be spent doing some real work...but that's ok...the last two days were lovely with my grown-up kids both here and their dad (my ex) visiting with his family. His daughter stayed over with her big brother and sister last night as well so that was nice. And for those who've been wondering...yes, our dinner on saturday night was a great success...but no...they wouldn't let me post photos of them...well the first-born wouldn't and she's not one to be messed with I can tell you!! Love you Jess :) So a few photos of the table setting will have to suffice...as you can see I didn't actually go all-out...it was casual after all...didn't want to look like I was trying too hard...obviously achieved that. In my defence, I did use the good china and crystal!

The soon to be 22 year old sang us some of the music he writes after dinner...he's very clever and very talented.  Strictly speaking he didn't say I couldn't post a photo of him (probably because I may not have actually asked) so if this photo disappears at some stage...you'll know I've been caught out!

and of course it's not an event without the vampire slayer now is it...looking docile...ha!

Sorry about the slight fuzziness of the pictures, although I am amazed that my new camera takes indoor night time shots without the flash on!

Next day, as promised...I made ANZAC biscuits. They're easy to make, but honestly it would have been just as easy to pop down to the shops and buy some from Woollies...but a bit of guilt tripping goes a loooong way (i.e. mum, whenever my friends go home for a visit their mothers bake for them...sigh)...so here they are cooling...

...and here they are being carried to the table by the first born...this I was allowed to post because you can't really see her...she's so beautiful too. Kids...honestly...one day!

Yesterday I started on this project and wished I hadn't...

This is...without doubt...the...most...tedious project I've been dumb, confident brave enough to try.  Why oh why didn't I go for something with flat surfaces for my first attempt at silver leafing hmmm??? It may be a while before you see this finished dear bloggy people...but I'm banking on it being pretty flash once it is!

Ok, must must must go off now and do some work. Hope you all have a lovely start to your week.

all images good, bad and indifferent by me.

ANZAC memories

My family has a military tradition as do many Australian families. My childhood memories are strong with attendances at ANZAC Day parades and dawn services. As an adult living in Canberra my best memory of a dawn service was around this reflection pool at the Australian War Memorial..

That was in the days when only a few hundred people turned up. Now there are thousands and it has to be held outside.

I grew up knowing the excerpt from the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943), that is always recited on this day that commemorates Australian and New Zealand soldiers who landed on the beach at Gallipolli in Turkey on 25 April 1915...

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

...which always ends with everyone saying 'lest we forget'. 
I have my mother's photo album that she lovingly compiled when her father returned from the Middle East at the end of World War 2. 

It's old and battered just like it should be. My father served in the Army enlisting as a very young man and fought in Papua New Guinea...he still suffers from recurring bouts of malaria.  My sister was in the Army, her husband served in Vietnam...twice, I was in the Army but thankfully long before the time women were allowed to serve in combat zones. I wouldn't want either of my children placed in harm's way like that but I honour and respect those who do, today, yesterday and unfortunately tomorrow. 

But...I need to put that outside and go and clean up from last night's dinner party...oh you should see the mess... and make some ANZAC biscuits for the first born...she insists and who am I to argue!