DIGGING UP THE FOOTPATH

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vintage image of butterflies

My footpath is a terrible mess at the moment.

My footpath

 Sydney Water are digging up all the pipes down the street.

We have an alternate water supply in the white pipes.

Alternate water supply in white pipes

There is plenty of machinery around. This is a view of my house from across the road.

Sydney water outside my house viewed from across the road.

Every now and then my pipes seem to spontaneously make a whining sound. I woke up to it this morning. I hope it stops once they finish all the work.

Yesterday was my mother's 80th birthday. Some of us took her to the Illawarra Yacht Club for tea.

View from the Illawarra Yacht Club

We had a lovely evening. Her main party will be on Saturday, when most of the family will celebrate.



Interesting sites

 1.

Photo credit

 Click here to checkout this eco POD hotel in Switzerland.

2.

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 Click here to read about the pothole gardener.

3.

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Recycled artichoke pendant lamps made from scrap material. Click here to read more.

READ AND STRETCH YOUR MIND

Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own.
Charles Scribner, Jr.

Where would we be without reading? There is nothing like starting a new book. Most of my books come via Amazon UK or Amazon USA. It is lovely when a package arrives on my doorstep and I know there is plenty of reading inside. Because postage is cheaper with a few books, most of my packages contain more than one book. Sometimes I have forgotten what I have purchased and get a lovely surprise when I open my package.

My other source of books is second hand. The first thing I look at in a thrift shop is the books. I love craft books. I buy them with great optimism - but I seldom have the time to make much. One day when I retire I will have a treasure trove of things to make.

Much of my reading is on the internet. Browsing the internet has taken the place of magazines for me. I am still tempted to buy the occasional magazine, especially at Christmas time when they contain Christmas crafts. I love reading blogs and feel I know many of the people who write them.

Some favourite blogs.

Attic 24

Henhouse

Rowdy Kittens

Gleeful

Creative DIYers Club

Nostalgia at the Stone House

In My Wild Eden

Julia Crossland: Colorful stories from this bright life

Umberdove

Vintage ad

It is P:-)'s sister's birthday on 5th March. We plan to see her tomorrow for an early celebration and I bought a beautiful card. I just had to take a photo.

Picture on card

For some reason Sydney Water has set up a pipe up our street so the water supply can bypass the usual pipes.

The pipe goes along my footpath and links into the fire hydrant.

 

The pipe goes straight across my drive way. I had a letter explaining the reason for this. I cannot find it now but it said something about checking for electricity in the pipes. This does seem a little strange to me. I wish I could find the letter.

The main thing is that I still have water - hot and cold. I have had my water off so much recently, I would hate to have it off again. Apparently it was off for an hour on Friday but since I wasn't home it made no difference to me.

 Interesting sites
1.

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 This article shows 8 houses built on roof tops. Click here to view. 

2.

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  Click here to see some interesting pictures of a miniature desert in Siberia.

3.  

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Click here  to read about the tiny green pea car.

 

CONSISTANCY TO PURPOSE

The secret to success is constancy to purpose. 

Benjamin Disraeli 

It was good for me to read this quote today. It beamed out like a beacon.I am back at school. We have had 11 kids start and I am in bit of a quandary as to where to start with my lessons. I guess the main thing to go back to is the purpose of what I am doing and who am I trying to please. My purpose is the welfare and learning of my students. I need to be consistent with this and not let the politics of the workplace get to me.

Thunder has been rumbling much of the day and this is the view through the window of my computer room.

It is raining lightly. A bird has just landed in a tree outside. it is difficult to get a good view of it through the rain.

 

I had always called these Wonga pigeons or Wood pigeons, but after much hunting in Neville Cayley's What Bird Is That ? and on the internet I finally decided it must be a  Brown Cuckoo Dove, otherwise known as a Brown Pigeon - Macropygia amboinesis.

 Looking up through the trees on my front footpath the sky is grey.

 

 But as soon the sun is out again and I can just about see the grass on my front footpath growing before my eyes. It loves this weather in summer.

I need to get out and cut it but I have an electric whipper-snipper and I don't like to use that unless it is completely dry.

With school issues and some personal issues, life is just a bit hectic at the moment, so I may not get as many posts out for a short time. Hopefully things will calm down soon.

Interesting sites
1.

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  I just love this house - both the inside and the outside. Click here to view it.



 2.

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 Click here to see some beautiful macro photography.


3.

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 Click here to visit a blog called Bohemian Pages and see some beautiful pictures of tress.

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS

Leaf in my garden

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Every day when I first get into my car and start driving I think of 5 things I am thankful for. I try to make it a habit. I am usually in my car at the start of the day. There is very seldom a day when I am not in my car at some stage. The five things I am thankful for today are:

1. I am thankful that I am on holidays and have some time to relax.
2. I am thankful for my family - my daughters, mother and brother.
3. I am thankful that I have P:-) and will be seeing him today
4.I am thankful that I have my house I love
5.I am thankful for my health.

Today it is fairly general things. Sometimes it is more specific things. Sometimes it is hard to be thankful. I do not feel like going to work. Or I may just be a bit angry. It is good practice to turn my thoughts from something negative to positive and despite the uncertainties of the future, be thankful for what I have now.

I am thankful to God of course, but even if there is no God in your life, just the attitude of thankfulness will help you to appreciate what you have.

Sky at P:-)'s place

Last night we bought takeaway dinner and went to the Berkeley boat ramp. The child in me still loves to feed the seagulls.

Seagulls at Berkeley boat ramp

These are just a few seagulls left after the main feeding frenzy. My daughter's partner B has a sister K who has set up a new takeaway food business with her husband. They are having a hard time of it. So P:-) and I are patronizing it every week. K doesn't know who we are. I feel sorry for her - she always looks so sad and tired. I know they have sacrificed a lot to get this business underway. They are only in their late twenties. You have admire them for giving it a go. I hope things work out for them.

Today I gave my footpath a bit more of a haircut. But first I had to pull the whipper-snipper apart -AGAIN. I am quite good at pulling it apart, but tired of doing it just about every time a do the grass. The plastic cord always seems to disappear down inside. I'm sure I do everything right - tapping it on the ground as I go. But to no avail.

Whiiper-snipper insides

It was only very cheap -$37 a few years ago. I bought it because it was electric and very light. Maybe I need to go up a version or 2 to get something that works a bit smoother. I end up not clipping the grass enough because I know I have to pull the thing apart first.

My front footpath

Actually I think my front footpath is looking rather good for my front footpath. I even raked up a lot of the leaves and broken bark. That will make good mulch for the garden. That is the next line of attack. Pruning, weeding and mulching. Watch this space.

Interesting sites

1.

 Click here to learn how to make a terrarium necklace for yourself or a friend.


2.

Jim Duran's mini dioramas are found in sardine tines. Click here to see more of his art.

3. 

Rolling Homes

Click here to see some great photos of rolling homes.