A LAZY DAY

 

Optimism is true moral courage.

Ernest Shakelton

I see myself as fairly optimistic - either that or I just don't care enough to worry too much. Actually I believe that ultimately God will look after me. I am quite optimistic about my job. If I get it or I don't - either way I can see the good side. Today I had a day with nothing too much to do - a real luxury. I think how nice it would be to really get to the house and yard if I didn't go to work, even if I would be very poor. And then I think how nice it will be if I get the job and I can see about fixing up a few things around the house that I need to pay people to do.

On the other hand there are some times when I just want to crawl into a ball and not think about anything - and sometimes I allow myself 5 minutes here and there to do just that.

Vintage image - lily of the valley

It was good today to have a chance to clean up my front entry hall. I tend to throw mail and papers down there and it becomes a bit of a filing cabinet on the floor. So I gave it a bit of a clean and sweep and tidy and thought about how I can give it a good wash in my holidays, three weeks away.

My front hall

Window of front hall

I also bought a book, Editing Digital Photos for Dummies - The Pocket Version.

I hope there will soon be an improvement in the photos on this blog.

Of course this means getting rid of 2 books. The books I have chosen are Garlic and 50 Fabulous Chocolate Cakes.

I shall give these to my mother as she loves recipe books of all sorts.

Yesterday I noticed my wattle tree in my front yard is flowering.

Wattle tree

Wattle blossom

It is the first day of winter - 1st June. It isn't Wattle Day for another 3 months. I have an early blooming variety. Wattle is Australia's national flower.



Interesting sites

1.

Photo source

Click here to read about this tiny house.


2.

Photo source

  Click here to see some great paper sculptures.

3.

Photo source

  These lavender fields are really worth viewing. Click here to view them

EVENING LIGHT

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. 

Aesop (c.620-564 BC)

Sometimes there seems to be so much wrong with the world and so much injustice, that it all seems insurmountable.
 Most of us can only do small things but they are still important, especially to those to whom the kindnesses  are given.
When my husband left me, a member of my bible study group - not a close friend - invited me to dinner at her place once a week. This meant so much to me at the time. I have since lost touch with the friend but look back on her kindness with great appreciation. It was one of those small things that helped get me through that terrible time. She had been through a similar experience so I expect she understood.

Thankful

I have 2 things to be thankful for today. This morning I had no hot water. I thought I was going to have to ring a plumber but it turned out it only needed a flick of a switch in my meter box. A big relief.

The second thing was that I had a checkup at the dentist and all I needed was the one filling I was already aware of. Now I don't have to see the dentist for another 6 to 12 months. Another big relief.

Picture Hanging

I decided to hang this picture that I bought at the Salvo's for $3 in my front hallway. Originally I was only going to use the frame but decided to hang it intact - at least temporarily.

Oil painting from Salvo's

This was written on the back.

Back of painting

The painting seems to have been done in New Zealand and be called Evening Light. I wish it had a date on it.

I hung Evening Light next to a larger picture my daughter R had painted in acrylics a number of years ago.

Paintings in hall

Front hall

Front hall

Hallway 4 moths ago.

Hallway today

My front hall still needs a lot done to it in the way of painting, but I am pleased with the way it is coming along.

Interesting sites

1.

Photo credit

This is a container used as an artist's loft. Click here to read all about it.



2.

Photo credit

 Click here to see more pictures of this building in Japan with an expressway through the bottom of it. 

3.

Photo credit

Click here to see more pictures of this incredible library parking station in Kansas. 

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.

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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.

WATCH YOUR STEP

Today I bought some paint to do the floor of my front hall. (I shall leave the color as a surprise.) The front door of the house has been moved and never quite finished. As a result there is an untidy step where the porch used to be. P:-) very kindly offered to neaten it up before I painted it, so we popped in to Bunnings for supplies.

P:-) removing old mortar from step.

P:-) chipped away at the untidy mortar along the edge. Then he set up a piece of timber as form-work to make a new tidy edge for the step. It will certainly look a lot tidier.

New edge for step.

The board will come off in a few days when P:-) returns.

From the garden  

I have some straggly geraniums in my garden which really need pulling out but the flowers are pretty.

geranium

Here is a native iris from my front garden.

Native Iris

 These are very hardy and have popped up in a couple of places in the front and back yard.



I just love this 'trook'  below.

Trook

It gives me some ideas of some things to do with all the wood around the place.

These little pins below are also cute.

Push pins

If you are interested in making some there is a tutorial at http://www.designsponge.com/2010/04/diy-project-twig-push-pins-and-wall-hooks.html




Interesting sites

1.

 Have a look at this site where a man has decorated his room with black sharpies.


2.

I love these teardrop caravans. Click here to have a look at this one.


3.

 

Barbie now has an ecologically sound and sustainable house. Check it out at http://www.inhabitots.com/miniio-modern-dollhouses-are-green-dream-homes-for-barbie-and-other-dolls/wkuchni/?extend=1