AND THERE SHALL COME SOFT RAINS

 Imagination is the highest form of research.  

Albert Einstein

After a long dry spell it is at last raining. I love to see the raindrops shining on the eucalyptus leaves. The greens and browns of the bush come alive.

A  grevillea Robyn Gordon struggles through the undergrowth of my front garden, towards the sun.

This is a cultivar - a cross between 2 native species and it seems to be very long lasting for a grevillea. 

When we first began our native garden we used to think that if flowers were native they didn't need any care. What we failed to recognise is that many so-called 'natives' are cultivars, and that as well as that, Australia has a diverse climate and soils. Hence the Geraldton Wax  which prefers  a well-drained sandy soil was doomed from the beginning when we planted it in clay. And the Blackboy and the Kangaroo Paw just couldn't cope.



 My wonderful P:-) has been putting skirting board in my entry hall. I never ask him. These things just appear. It looks much better.

My darling little grand-dog Jasper will go home on Friday.

He is a five year old Miniature Foxie. I have had him for four weeks and I will miss him when he goes. My daughter R and husband B have been in New Zealand. Jasper will be so excited to see them. It has been lovely having him in the house. He is great company. I would love a little dog but my future is too uncertain at the moment. I'm not sure I will be somewhere dog friendly in a few years time. So I will just have to share Jasper.

I have been made redundant from my job of 15 years so I am selling up and moving in with my mother. But this will only be as long as my mother of 81 stays well enough to live at home. Luckily she could pass for someone of 71 so prospects look good for another 20 years!

I don't mind really. I am ready to retire. It is just that divorce and retirement do not sit well together financially.



Interesting sites
1.

 

Photo credit

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) was an Austrian painter, architect, and sculptor best known for his architecture characterized by colorful, ornamental, and biomorphic shapes. He is often compared to Gaudi    Click here to read more about him.


2.

Photo credit

Deep sea garbage endangers Marine ecosystem. Click here to read all about it.


3.

Photo credit

This article is about the movie Blackfish, which focuses on the serious mental issues experienced by killer whales in captivity. The trailer at the end off the article is really worth looking at. Click here to read more.

A BOWL OF PINECONES

Life is like a recycling center, where all the dramas of humankind get recycled back and forth across the universe. But what you have to offer is your own sensibility, maybe your own sense of humor or insider pathos or meaning.

 Anne Lamott,  Bird by Bird p.181

It has been another sunny day and I am writing this as the sun goes down.

View from computer as sun goes down

I was very pleased with a big glass bowl I bought at the Salvation Army store for $5. It had been sitting in my entry hall since I had unloaded it from the car a few days before.

Big glass bowl

It made interesting  light patterns against the wall when the sun was in the right place.

Light pattern on wall

I filled it with pine cones I have collected on my morning walks.

Bowl of pine cones

I decided I liked it in the entry hall  where it had been sitting so I left it there.

Bowl of pine cones at end of hall

Bowl of pine cones at end of hall

I will add some Christmas baubles to it on the 1st December.

I came across this piece on a blog called.Homemaker On A Dime. The writer was named as The University Presbyterian.

It talks about the things that make life rich and fulfilling and don't necessarily cost any money.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by beauty and harmony, truth and goodness, work and recreation, affection and friendship, aspiration and worship.

Not by bread alone, but by the splendor of the firmament at night, the glory of the heavens at dawn, the blending of colors at sunset, the loveliness of magnolia trees, the magnificence of mountains.

Not by bread alone, but by the majesty of ocean breakers, the shimmer of moonlight on a calm lake, the flashing silver of a mountain torrent, the exquisite patterns of snow crystals, the creations of artists.

Not by bread alone, but by the sweet song of a mockingbird, the rustle of the wind in the trees, the magic of a violin, the sublimity of a softly lighted cathedral.

Not by bread alone, but by the fragrance of roses, the scent of orange blossoms, the smell of new-mown hay, the clasp of a friend's hand, the tenderness of a mother's kiss.

Not by bread alone, but by the lyrics of poets, the wisdom of sages, the holiness of saints, the biographies of great souls.

Not by bread alone, but by comradeship and high adventure, seeking and finding, serving and sharing, loving and being loved.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by being faithful in prayer, responding to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, finding and doing the loving will of God now and eternally.

The University Presbyterian

Interesting sites

1.

 Click here to checkout some Ana Teresa Fernandez oil paintings.

2.

image via: brocha

Click here to see pictures of 50 strange buildings from all over the world.

3.

  Why do people reject science? Click here to find out.

BRIGHT NEW FLOOR

Newly painted hall floor

The three coats of paint on my hall floor are finished. There are still quite a few details to finish in the hall, but it will be possible to finish them without too much trouble, so I am going to concentrate on those things and try and  complete the hall. I do plan to put a floating floor in there but this gives me a bit of a reprieve.

Hall before floor was painted

When I actually thought about it I hadn't painted my hall floor for a number of years. It was always meant to be temporary.

Hall with newly painted floor facing East

The lighter pale color lightens the hall.

Hall with newly painted floor facing west.

As you can see I still need some skirting boards and some of the architraves need another coat of paint, as does the back of the door. I am a great believer in form follows function so I am happy with the brick wall.

I have P:-) to thank for painting the floor. He did the three coats and he makes NO mess. No extra drips anywhere. No paint on his hands. I am very impressed!

A great step

The step looks great. This was the step before P:-) fixed it and painted it.

Step before being fixed and painted

The step had been like this for many years.

Finished step.

Now the step looks great. I have been so embarrassed about the entry of my house for many years and it does look a lot better. Keep posted for more improvements

Flowers out the back door

Outside my back door I found a double headed Bird Of Paradise flower, other wise known as Strelitzia Reginae.

Double Bird of Paradise flower.

Bird of Paradise plant.

The photo above is looking out across my neighbor's back yard from my back door. Now that P:-) has fixed my back door and I can use it I notice so many things I had forgotten about.

This lemon scented geranium, otherwise known as Pelargonium Crispum has been outside my backdoor for 30 years. It is very pretty, but I am so used to seeing it I barely notice it any more, even when I am looking for flowers to put inside, of which I have few.

Lemon scented geranium

I tried to take a photo of a flower with a bee on it. It was impossible in just a minute or so. The bee just kept moving. My admiration will now increase for photographers when I see photos of bees on flowers.


Art around the house

Carved flower

This carved flower was done by my mother many years ago. It was one of the first things she carved. She subsequently completed a number carvings, some of them quite intricate. I shall show you some more in further blogs.

.
Interesting sites

1.                        

A superconducting disc is set above or below a set of permanent magnets. It appears to be flying. Check it out here. Don't let a lack of scientific knowledge stop you. It is fascinating to watch.

2.

 I love old caravans. This one has really been done up inside.  Click here to see its spectacular interior.

3.

This is a beautiful office in Spain, sunken into the ground, giving a lovely view of the Autumn forest floor. Click here to read more.

View from my window 

As I sit at my computer it is a sunny day but quite cool. I'm not quite sure where the warm weather has gone. There are only a few days of school holidays left. Where have they gone?

I visited P:-) this morning and could not help taking some pictures of the flowers in his back lawn. They are not supposed to be there but they look very pretty.

Native Violet

Dandelion seed head

Dandelion flower

Below is the view from P:-)'s house toward the mountain. These mountains are part of the Great Dividing Range that runs up the east coast of Australia. It is the third longest mountain range in the world.

 

I was lucky to receive a late birthday present from Daughter J and Partner F . They gave me a beautiful book on clouds.

It is full of double page cloud pictures with smatterings of scientific information throughout. There are some really beautiful images.

They also gave me a dragonfly which they found at the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne. It is made of light metal and balances on its nose.

As you can see it is just balancing on the edge of the rock.

I have been watching a TV program called The Renovators . I have loved it, although it hasn't done well in the ratings. I have found it fascinating as well as inspiring. It has spurred me on to picking up a paint chart from Bunnings so I can paint the floor of my entry hall. There are so many things in my house that need finishing, but I think sprucing up the entry hall would be a good idea. So now I have to decide which color.

I can choose from the 3 heavy duty colors in the lower left hand corner. Or should I choose from the wider palette?

 

I must admit when I took a photo of my hall facing the front door it appeared very drab.

I want to keep the walls the color they are, but the door needs some new paint. And I need some skirting boards to finish off the walls. Eventually I will put down a floating floor, but just a quick coat of paint could make all the difference. But what color? Blue? Brown? A light heavy duty color? It is so hard to decide.


Interesting sites   

I came across some interesting sites in the last day or so. I have listed them below.


1.

This little bird is made from scraps of material by Abigail Brown. If you visit her page you will find many different birds that she has made. They are all based on actual existing birds.


2.

 This is a living bridge in Meghalaya, India. Read about them at http://www.livbit.com/article/2010/12/17/amazing-living-bridges-in-meghalaya-india/