Peter n me

one of my best friends is Peter. I have known him for over 17 years. He is 74. Last night we went to black and white dinner dance to raise money for one of his charities. Just a country dance, nothing fancy but had alot of fun. Peter is a stickler for doing everything right and is known for his amazing dinner parties - often cooking 3 courses for over 20 or so of his friends. We celebrate New Year with him every year. He is a florist & a chef by trade - having travelled to London when he was young and at one stage did floristry work for the Palace.

both photos were taken by Joe - who is not a professional photographer as you can see, but I love the one above - it captures both of us so well.

out n about in Coffs Harbour

While we were at Dorrigo - I started to put some hand cream on and noticed that my wedding ring was missing - then I realized that I had left it on the bedside table back in the Bendemeer Pub - I was distraught - bursting into tears. Joe of course was so comforting saying we could get another one if we didn't get it back - but I was so upset, saying that this ring had been through alot with me - the birth of our child, the death of my dad, the cancer treatments and many more. So a quick phone call to the publican and it was found - they are sending it by mail back to me.

We arrived and settled into our room and the phone rang - our bank was questioning purchases that had been made over the past week on our business card. It had gone over the limit! We assured them we were nowhere near the area that it had been used and that our credit card had been skimmed somewhere while purchasing petrol and the scum bags had a party - spending over $20,000 in a week. So now the fraud squad is involved. Thankfully our bank will be refunding all the money.

after that fiasco - we had a cup of tea and a little siesta.

The next few days were spent with friends, just cruising around. On Saturday morning we had to muster at the local football field for the grand parade - what an absolutely amazing experience that was - over 4000 bikes riding through the town. The streets were lined by locals, waving flags - they even had the elderly from nursing homes, out in their wheel chairs ~ to sit and watch. So I sat on the back waving like the Queen!

I asked Joe to take a photo of my leather jacket - my hair is no where near that colour - it must have been the sun shining on all that chrome - reflecting onto my hair.

below is a photo I took of a guy on his bike - I thought he looked pretty cool.

and you have to laugh - my daughters think I am going through some mid-life crisis. When I saw air brush tatoos - I decided to get one - and messaged Sophie, telling her I had just had a rose tatooed onto my arm. A few seconds later, she called and asked me what the hell I was doing. To which I replied - ' hey, that's nothing, Dad had his nipple piereced' ....

(he didn't really) but her reaction was hilarious !!!!!

the tatoo washed - off after much scrubbing - I am not really a tat girl.

although I do have my radiation tatoos - three tiny dots - that absolutely killed when they were done... so that turned me off for life.

on the way up

what an adventure! 1400 klms on the back of a bike - a Harley, no less - cruising some of the most picturesque areas of our country.
we left at the 6.30 am on Thursday - the day winter started for us - a cold 5 deg C. A heavy, heavy frost. Up through the Putty Valley where the sun never hits during winter - me hanging on for grim death hoping that there was no black ice on the road. I had angels at each corner of the bike. Bill the guy we were travelling with is in his '60's and what a maniac. He left us for dead. I am grateful that Joe is a safe rider and keeps to the speed limits.... up hill and down dale we went - til I tapped him on the shoulder and said it was time for a break. I was absolutely freezing ~ even though I had thermals on, two pairs of socks and multiple scarves. It was damn cold. When I hopped off my feet felt like blocks of ice.... continuing on until it was morning tea time.. a quick cup of hot coffee and some toast and off again... we tried to stop about every hour and a half just to stretch. Lunch was at a pub in Tamworth - Joe and I shared fish n chips.. as we were leaving, an old man came up to me and told me that I looked stunning on the back of the bike, then he continued on to tell me of how his dear departed wife and himself were bikers back 'then'. I felt so sorry for him, they had been married 35 years and she had died a year or so ago. He was lost - as we rode out, he blew kisses and yelled out - *I love you all* (I think he may have been having a little tipple in the pub). Around 4pm, we arrived at Bendemeer Hotel where we were spending the first night. We went to book in and found there had been a mistake made - we only had one room between the 3 of us ! hmmmmm - I was not impressed but I was told by the barmaid to 'take it or leave it, luv' - so I took it and we spent the night in the same room as Bill.....after dinner the boys had a quick game of pool - lord, my mother would die if she knew what I was up to!

Up for breakfast - the temp was below freezing - minus 4 deg. C - thank heavens the bikes were locked in a shed.... bacon & eggs for breakfast and off we went. It was cold but warmed up quite quickly as we were travelling north. The road from the New England area across to the coast is gorgeous - rainforest. Unfortunately, I haven't yet mastered the art of taking pictures from the back of the bike as we ride along, so no pictures of when we were travelling... but here is a link to a town called Dorrigo where we had morning tea.
DORRIGO
then we continued on to Coffs Harbour - arriving just before lunch.
At this rally there were over 6,000 people and 4,000 bikes registered. The Ulysses group was formed about 25 years ago by 3 australian men over 50, who just wanted to ride for enjoyment. Their motto is "Grow Old Disgracefully" ~ I was amazed and touched by the camaraderie among all of these people - they said hello to us, they waved as we rode in and always a nod as we passed on the road....there is so much more to tell and I will continue tomorrow but here are some photos to show just how many bikes there were!

the photos above and below were taken from a crane that Joe went up in while we were waiting to go in the grand parade! These guys aren't an out-law motorcycle group - just a bunch of old men & women who love to ride

below is a snap I took from the ground - everywhere I turned it was like this. We went for a walk and ended up losing our bike for quite a few minutes - very easy to do in a crowd like this

off we go into the wild blue yonder

yes, Joe & I are off riding for a few days - there is a Ulysses convention up on the north coast of New South Wales in a town called Coffs Harbour.

Originally, Joe was riding up by himself ~ I was going to stay at home with Sophie but have decided to go - on the back of the bike! I admit to suffering separation anxiety when Joe and I are apart.

That and also coming up on June 1st is my yearly oncology checkup - that always puts me into a spin. I woke during the night crying - after a horrid dream of re-living the whole cancer story of mine. It is something that happens periodically, I have learnt to deal with it best I can and that is all I can do.

this is our new bike - a Harley Davidson Road King - we bought it a few weeks back!

I would like also to thank those of you who have continued to comment here while I go through my reflective period - I know it has been a one-sided blogging friendship lately and I am truly sorry.. I have been having email discussions with a very, very good friend who has helped me tremendously and when I feel I can share - I will post the story.

so with that, as well as this on-line course with Starhawk, I have been going through a period of change, so to speak....

the autumn ball

the faeries are busy in my garden getting the trees ready for their autumn ball. They have started to dress the trees in the autumn finery - leaves of gold, russet, burgundy and copper. over the weekend, they told me to get off my behind and get on with my job as 'official faery photographer' - they have been doing their work and were a little peeved that I had not being doing mine - they didn't take my search for my cornish roots seriously....

so I went for a wander in Leura and snapped away. . .

above is an avenue of trees - the faeries are having a hard time getting this family to decid just what colour to go with this year. . some are being difficult, they just don't want to shed their comfortable summer clothes..
as you see below, at least these twins have decided to go to the ball in matching burgundy gowns - making my faery friends job alot easier. . .

this gorgeous golden colour seems to be quite popular with many trees this year. . .

and another view of the trees in the autumn ball gowns - the faeries certainly have their job cut out for them this year with the array of colours available!

I have opened a can of worms

yes ! - this family tree search has me like a woman possessed - or is that obsessed?

I think both!

I started with the Tregilgas that lead me to the Curnow family - not happy with knowing that I have real cornish blood flowing through my veins - oh no! I then decided to find out what happened to my ancestors - some seemed to disappear between census years. Of course there is no way of knowing what happened, I guess...

then I decided to start on my Nan's side of the family - big mistake! it takes me right back to Tennessee, Kentucky both in the US and also into Surrey in England.

if you don't hear from me, I am lost somewhere in Cornwall, in the 17th century.........

like a duck to water

sorry if I haven't been to visit over the past few days - I have a life. Yes! I have been riding on the back of the Harley twice this weekend and I tell you, I love, love, love it! like a duckling taking to water. up hills and down dales, hanging on for dear life, sometimes gritting my teeth, but what fun. I tell ya, I am a regular dare devil. Of course, I was well protected.. in my pockets I had rosary beads, crystals, my lucky talisman. I blessed myself before I got on the bike and said a few hail marys when I got scared. I called out to any dead relative I could think of to come and help me be safe. I tell you, that bike was pretty crowded at some stages of our rides. But I lived to tell the tale and I am going again! Plus, each time I go, I get a reward for being brave.

Between bike rides, I have been ancestor hunting again and with the help of super sleuth Daisy Lupin, I have found some more relatives - in Cornwall of course - surname - Curnow....

if I go far enough back, maybe I will find myself in a previous incarnation.....

could this be me?. . .

please someone tell me I am going to be ok !

the other day, I believe I had a severe blood rush to the head. either that or I lost so much blood in THE MISHAP that I wasn't thinking straight.

you see, I went in a town parade on the back of Joe's Harley. THEN, I was so excited - I decided that I loved it and we went out yesterday and bought: one helmet, a Harley leather jacket, protective jeans, leather gloves AND a pair of Dr Martins so that I can go on the back of the bike with Joe.

Am I insane? I am scared of motor bikes, scared that I am going to be maimed or injured or worse, left paralysed in some way. if you want to know why I am so scared - you can go here:

my child hood memories of bikes

I am obviously going through some kind of mid-life crisis because, believe me - this IS NOT NORMAL - it is not a normal thing for me to do.
I am 'worried' about changing - I still want to be a peaceful hedgewitch, not some leather wearing biker chick. Joe assures me that being a pillion will not change my personality in any way.

the kids are shaking their heads, wondering about the sanity of their mother - my mum will never know, cause I am not going to tell her, my friends think it is hilarious. Yes, I am the laughing stock of Woodford right now.

if there are any biker chicks out there, please, PLEASE - tell me I am going to be ok. That I am going to be safe....... tomorrow I am off to buy myself a few protective medals, charms, runes, I will ask the angels to sit with my on the back

- anything, anything that will keep me safe.

my last walk before 'scissor day'

before THE MISHAP, I had taken a walk in Leura and snapped some more of the local homes... the air was crisp and I felt so alive. I am sure times like this must do wonderful things to our souls....

the house above was surrounded by wild gardens - I am sure there must be faeries in there! alot of people say that Australia doesn't have faeries - but I am sure, no, make that postive there are faeries here - I am one! I have seen my faery friend lately too.. isn't that just wonderful. They don't look like you imagine ..

the next house below, was just so sweet, most of these homes were built in the early 1900's. we have wide verandahs around many of our homes, to keep the hot Australian sun out of our homes.

I love this house below, sometimes on my way to shopping, I drive past and sigh. the colours, the garden......it is worth around a million dollars....

and isn't the house below so sweet. In the 1900's alot of homes had very ornate fretwork to decorate the outside of the home.... alot of these homes were holiday or weekend 'cottages'. Owned by people in the city of Sydney who would travel to the mountains on the weekends...people still travel here for the weekends, staying in guest houses or bed & breakfasts..... I am LUCKY to live here (no, no - not in the house below - however mine is just as gorgeous... I will take some photos over the weekend)

dot, dot * comma, comma

off to art class I went yesterday - idea in mind, canvas under arm, paints in box...... sat down and proceeded to 'gesso' my canvas *because that is what you must do* - then I sat and watched it dry..... and while I was doing that I showed the class my mixed media piece that I had done, explaining that it wasn't finished yet... my teacher just looked and said 'oh' - and it wasn't "OH!!!!" as in how wonderful - but 'oh' in a flat, dull, no tone voice... she didn't like it... it hadn't been sealed, it didn't have depth.... for heaven's sake - this will probably end up in a garage sale when I die - it isn't going to be hanging in the national art gallery, believe me.

and then she proceeded to tell me that she had art in a woman's exhibition and there was a piece done by an artist much like I was trying to achieve... so does that mean that I haven't achieved yet?

then I explained what I wanted to do with my canvas and she told me that I must sketch my idea on paper until I get it right... but I don't want it 'right' !!!

so I grabbed my oil pastels and sketched...

it is awful , nothing like I want to create as my mixed media *goddesses in my life* - nothing at all like it......but at least I was constructive and my inner child had fun creating...

please don't get me wrong, this teacher is a nice person and she is talented and I am grateful that she is trying hard to help me, she really is... but the class is too restrictive for me...the rest of the class are still doing dots and commas on cardboard!

I don't think I am going back....

the Sacred Lotus......my new home away from home

come with me......

as we walk down the path.... a white feather wafts down on an invisible wind..... seemingly from nowhere..look up... not a bird to be seen.

YES! this happened to me this morning while I was walking down the path.. a white feather for me from the angels......

welcome to my new find.... the sacred lotus.... the hippy shop that I 'discovered' a few weekends ago.. now one of my favourite haunts.
the place that inspired *the Hippy swap*

step back in time, to those peace & love days.... the days of our youth.

bells & elephants...

Buddha, Kwan Yin and tibetan peace flags....

light shades, bangles & incense

my home is starting to look very much like this... I love it!!!!

purchases today included faery & geranium incense, a black & white rose skirt & a batik light shade.... gawd knows where it is going....

a Friday in the life of miss*R

I woke this morning with the thought of driving to Katoomba to a second hand book shop to look for an old book to use for my altered book - soul journey. This book shop is two stories high.. full of books - old and new - all used.
so off I toddled - and looked & looked and looked.. touching, feeling, trying to find the perfect book. You know, one that 'spoke' to me -- I found a couple of art books for $5 each with some great prints in them and then I found MY book. It is perfect...

SWEET THAMES RUN SOFTLY by Robert Gibbings ~ with engravings by the author.
It is a delightful book, it really is.
The man who owns the shop, sits in his arm chair all day, reading. He is old, white haired and wears glasses. He has a knee rug on his knees... even in summer. When I went to pay for MY book - he let out a loud sigh of exclamation(if you can do that) and said to me " oh this is a delightful book, a collectors item and only $5!" ~ " did you see the sketches in them?" ~ well, yes I did, that is why I was buying it... I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wanted to alter it, tear pages out, stick pictures in...... but NOW ~ I am not. I just cannot bring myself to destroy this book, if it means so much to a little old man who sits in a chair all day long. One who lives for and loves his books. No siree, I am using a new art journal.....

In the back of MY book is a postscript. He talks about his travels, trying to find solitude & the world. an excerpt:

Admittedly there is cruelty and illness and poverty, but there is also abundance of kindness, good health, and richness of spirit. For every child that cries by the roadway there are fifty who are laughing in the fields; for every bird that is taken by a hawk there are a hundred still singing in the trees. Even in these days when hell bursts upon our world, like boiling lava from a volcano, let us remember that for every insult offered to humanity there are a hundred deeds of heroism.......
that, was written in 1940

my 'art' class part deux

continuing on from yesterdays post ~ I forgot to tell you this: I think I am going to be the 'problem' child in this art class. I am sure I already exasperate the teacher. In two short hours !

First of all, I had all the 'wrong' things - I had an old table cloth to protect the table instead of the obligatory bath towel.

I had all my art 'stuff' in an old whicker basket instead of the plastic crate that every one else had.

I wanted a blue background but didn't have the correct blue, so she suggested I mix some of my gesso (which I bought because I liked the name - gesso - sounds very arty, me thinks) - so I started mixing, dolloping and dolloping gesso onto my plastic icecream lid (other ladies use a porcelain plate covered in gladwrap so that they can use it again) & I got some cobalt blue and happily mixed away, it was looking very much like fondant by this time - she looked at it and said ' my, you have certainly mixed alot of blue' - and yep! I had enough to paint the opera house - twice !!!

the other students suggested that I save it in a plastic container so I could use it again, they were even kind enough to give me a plastic jar, so I did what they suggested and promptly through it in the bin when I got home. I mean, how much blue paint does one need?

I have noticed that my blue background is showing signs of not being 'perfect', there are white marks where I missed. My teacher told me, that I may have to give it two coats but

1. I don't want it to be a plain blue canvas - I want to put other colours as well

and

2. I don't have any blue paint because it is in the bin!

I think that both Colette & Shell should fly quickly down here & show my teacher how they did their art. She doesn't know how Colette got all the colours on her backgroun and she is baffled over what techniques Shell has used

Oh ! and my teacher also teaches a childs class on Thursday after school & while I was painting my blue background, I asked if I could change to that class - they all looked at me like I was off the planet! but - the kids class does papier mache, finger painting, splatter painting and they make fun stuff - my inner child's dream!

don't get me wrong, my teacher is a nice lady and helpful but I am beyond her wildest nightmares.

outside the box, ladies, out side the box

sometimes, we do the dumbest things

last Saturday, I went and enrolled in a mixed media class - or so I thought - on the class list it was definately listed as Mixed Media art/folk art. My first class was yesterday. I turned up, with canvas board, large paint brushes, a copy of a photo of my nan when she was a little girl and various other bits n pieces that would result in me, creating an idea that is in my head. so I sat down - arranged all my bits much like MR Bean and noticed that we were being given a sheet of paper with instructions for folk-art. my class is a folk-art class - where ladies learn how to do commas and dots which will then be turned into flowers and other things. where they use expensive sable brushes with names like deer foot and feather brush......not my cup of tea - definately not, I told my teacher. This is what I want to create: producing two pieces of art - one made by Colette & another by Shell. Both gorgeous. Both, definately my cup of tea. THIS is what mixed media is, I informed my teacher. THIS is what I want to create - I need techniques - can you teach me? so we sat down and talked about what I wanted to do..... I am now the proud owner of a light blue background, ready to be 'techniqued' next week - all I need now are some vintage lockets.....

one person's junk. . .

yesterday Joe went to an auction. I was on my way to have my massage and thought I would call in to see if there was anything I HAD TO HAVE. a few boxes of ephemera but nothing much else caught my eye. I took some photos ~ alot of junk but alot of possibilties....

I am so glad that Joe didn't get auction fever. He has been known to bid on stuff 'cause it is cheap and I am trying to declutter. but he did well - one box of paper rubbish & a pair of plaster cocker spaniels - one for me and one for my sister

I wanted to buy this doll, to alter but it went for too much money - obviously a collectable. I loved the little watch pinned to her chest. I had a chair just like that one - when I was little

"junque or junk or just plain rubbish?"



another doll that I wanted to buy but it went for a ridiculous sum of money. So, I have to be content with the box of cards and other paper 'rubbish' as it was described in the auction.

In the afternoon, I spent time between my garden - *spreading 8 bags of mushroom compost & 2 bales of lucerne, watering my citrus trees and making up some more comfrey tea* & my 'art' room - playing with an altered book that I am making for a swap, trying to work out who I have sent teenie tiny shells too and getting the last of my valentines swap together.

MY bounty from the sea

One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach, one can collect only a few.
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

*this quote was found on Pretty Lady's blog - I had never read it before but it was so perfect for my post today

I love to walk along the beach, if I lived by the sea-side, I would surely do it every day. I am not a water sign - being a double Capricorn, I am as earthy as you can get. BUT something about the seaside, stirs my soul. quietens my mind. While we were away, our car broke down so unfortunately I couldn't get to the beach as often as I would have liked - but the universe knows best and I did get to contemplate, to just be & to notice all the other beauty around me - the elderly man who went for a walk each day, despite his disability from a stroke, the men in their fishing boats, the pelicans, the sunrise.........AND even though I didn't get to the beach as often as I would have liked - I still managed to collect some shells & sea treasures. The walk to the shell graveyard must be done at low tide..so we had to get our timing right. This time it was around 7pm - so off I went..bucket in hand. over the sand and across the rocks til I found my first treasure - a rock!

a simple thing.

the collection of rocks that I collected on my walk


then I came across the shells, and like a child in an icecream parlour, I began to choose - there were millions! really. so I gathered some shells with my friends in mind and gathered some others to make myself a shell wreath to hang on my garden gate. And I gathered some shells just because.

and if you look really closely you will see my two pieces of sea glass - I wonder if they were a mermaids mirror?

Then I sat and watched the rock pool. I love to just sit and watch an entirely different world beneath the water. anenomes, little fish, crabs scurrying away....a goreous carpet of sand and the pool decorated with sea glass. Just lovely. Just perfect.

a gift from the sea. . .

She sells seashells on the seashore;
The shells that she sells are seashells I'm sure.
So if she sells seashells on the seashore,
I'm sure that the shells are seashore shells.

well, I am not actually selling them. these are some shells that I found. I love these! they are not fancy smancy shells, just little worn and weathered shells. they look like little coins, sea money, used by mermaids, I am sure! last time that I went to the beach I gathered a lot of these and they now sit in a little dish on my altar. So, I gathered more of these this time - to share, not to sell. I thought, that if each of us had a shell from the same beach, it would connect each of us. what do you think? if you would like one, please email me. I will send you one with pleasure - my gift from the sea, to you.

honeys ~ I'm home!

yes, I returned home today. What a fun time we had - just relaxing, watching dvd's, walking, journalling & contemplating, sewing (yes, I made 3 dolls, one for etsy!) ~ eating icecream & I had the best garlic king prawn pizza ~ it was to die for! had one mishap - with our car breaking down - long story and very expensive but it all worked out ok ~ I was proud of myself, I handled myself in a very calm & serene manner when we had to be towed and then catch a taxi that cost $140 to get back to Sussex and although we only got to the beach once, I had the time of my life - it was a 2 hour walk to the rock pools and I found buckets of shells, stones & driftwood. Our cottage was darling...here are some photos.
this is the little cottage where we stayed, well not exactly the same one but the photo of ours wasn't so clear. Our cottage looked out onto the inlet & had views across the water. So perfect to sit and contemplate!

below is the co-op where you can hire boats to go out fishing on the inlet - I love it! so quaint ~ like stepping back in time. No one rushes here.

and the jetty below belongs to the co-op

below is the jetty which was outside our cottage - along with the view ~ isn't it just perfect? so serene! and that is exactly what it was - serene, good for my soul!

our cottage was actually situated right on the edge of the lake, with a path along the edge for about 2 kilometres, we walked every morning and night. this is a view from along our walk

and two more views along our walk

this absolutely gorgeous home was actually a permanent residence - it reminded me of On Golden Pond - the garden was delightful!

and the sweet little cinema - looks like it is straight out of the 60's - the whole town is like this ~ people riding bikes, no one rushes, ice-cream parlours, Love it!

I have lots of shells to take photos of and a special surprise for Kai! will post tomorrow. I am still in sea-side mode and it will probably take a little while to stop by all your blogs to catch up..but I will, I promise xo

sea-side here I come!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside,
I do like to be beside the sea,
I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom,
Where the brassbands play
Tiddley-om-pom-pom!
So just let me be beside the seaside,
I'll be beside myself with glee;

yes ~ I am off to the seaside tomorrow! - it's our summer here and we found a little cottage right on the water - a cottage for two - all to ourselves, to read, to nap, watch movies. lobster and prawns. icecream cones. I cannot wait. Sussex Inlet is a little seaside village - we had our own holiday home there a few years back and I discovered an amazing little bay with millions & trillions of shells - we called it a shell graveyard. I cannot wait to go there and collect them in my bucket and after that, I want to go to the rock pool where the water comes up over my knees - and sometimes when the wave is big it comes up to my chest - but ..... in that rock pool is a collection of sea glass. I bend over to pick a piece up and over comes a wave - I jump up, spluttering and gasping - my inner child is free at last! Maybe, just maybe I will see a mermaid!

See you all when I get home!