Category: blessings

blessings · ducks · friends · gratitude

Quiet Sunday Morning.

Joanne11 Comments

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It is around 8 am Sunday morning, as I linger over my beloved computer, amid the messy desk where I have dropped opened mail for over a week now. I’m stealing just a few moments, catching up with a few blogging friends, knowing that soon I must leave again.

Work beckons. I thought I had completed making most of the school uniforms (that is my business, I make school uniforms for a few local schools) for the children starting the new school year at the end of January. Apparently not. Sales of school uniforms this year have increased drastically from the last few years. Schools have under-estimated the quantities they would be needing. Which is a good thing really, as it suggests that the economy has improved in my area.

“Quack!” What was that I heard? Am I going quackers? Being so engrossed in reading about snow storms on the other side of the world, I almost missed the visitor I had in my own back garden!

"Is anyone awake yet? Where is everyone?"
“Is anyone awake yet? Where is everyone?”

Mr and Mrs Duck disappeared a few months ago. I’m positive that somewhere out there, they now have a cute little family of ducklings. I haven’t seen their family, but I have seen other Australian Wood Ducks around, who have cute little ducklings trailing behind. I see them often, toddling along the banks of the creek, which I pass on my way to work.

My own ducky friends returned at the end of last month. Both Mr and Mrs have been here a couple of times, but this morning it was just Mrs Duck, perched upon the side fence, quacking away to….who exactly was she quacking to? She didn’t say….

The day has begun so quietly, everyone in my house is having a Sunday morning sleep-in, and even the birds are quiet. It seems that in the bird-world, as well as in the people-world, one or the other is having a sleep in. Mr Magpie came for a visit, Mrs Magpie was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's my breakfast?"
“Where’s my breakfast?”

The sun is shining, the air is still, and I must leave for work again.

It will be a productive day. I know that. How could it be anything other, when I started the day so beautifully? 🙂

Australia · blessings · ducks · enchanting · gratitude

In January ~ An absurdly beautiful sight.

Joanne12 Comments

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“There was no sign of anybody, no sound of voices or feet. Tubs of arum lilies stood about on the stone floor, and on a table flamed a huge bunch of fierce nasturtiums. Spacious, flowery, silent, with the wide window at the end opening into the garden, and the Judas tree absurdly beautiful in the sunshine, it seemed….too good to be true.” ~ The Enchanted April.

On the last day of January I wanted, no, needed, to remember the joys of this month, as this, the middle month of the most harsh season of the year draws to a close.

I had spent the day alone, at home, with not a soul in sight; no sound of voices or feet. I don’t know why I looked outside when I did. I am so glad I did though, for there, just outside the door of my home, were my two old friends the Australian Wood Ducks, regular visitors to my garden who I haven’t seen since early September.

In that moment, all of the heat, rain, floods and cyclones of January didn’t seem to matter any more. Seeing these two creatures, so absurdly beautiful, having returned to my garden at long last, was truly enchanting. I had almost forgotten how beautiful they are, but only almost.

January is the month the ducks returned; January will remain in my memory as being an enchanting month.

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blessings · Changes · enchanting · happiness

Summer’s Enchanting Changes

Joanne13 Comments

flowering pony tails

“And meanwhile the beautiful golden days were dropping gently from the second week one by one, equal in beauty with those of the first, and the scent of beanfields in flower on the hillside beyond the village came across to San Salvatore whenever the air moved.” ~ The Enchanted April.

The year is a whole two weeks old and summer, although slow to start in my corner of the sub-tropics, has made up for the previous lack of hot summer’s days during the past week.

The highest temperature we have reached has only been around 34 degrees Celsius, which is easy to cope with, if it wasn’t for the humidity. During days of humidity there is nothing else to do other than to lazy around, drinking cold glasses of water, windows opened wide, trying to catch just a hint of a breeze wafting through, even if only for a moment or two.

Change can be such a fickle little creature though. Never become resolved to expecting almost intolerable heat for the next few weeks, once it seems to have set in. You may be surprised by the cool winds of change, gentle rain, cool breezes, and temperatures dropping by ten degrees within a few hours….

wet web

Ahhhhh, the relief the cooler air, the ever so slight chill on my arms and promises of a night of sweet dreams, unhindered by the heat, after I have finished reading the last chapter of “The Enchanted April”.

Oh how I have enjoyed reading this book, taking virtual walks through the gardens of the Italian castle on the shores of the Mediterranean Ocean, with Rose, Lotty, Lady Caroline and old Mrs Fisher, each in their own time experiencing the bewitching spell which is cast over them by the beauty and magic surrounding the castle by the sea.

This place, this time, has changed all of their lives, forever.

purple

I am completely and thoroughly besotted by this book. It has touched my heart with its simplicity. The old world charm of the text is simply delightful. Moments of dry humour are dotted throughout the story. Each chapter holds within its pages the promise of magic and love, happiness and wonder, and gardens filled with the fragrances and colours of the season.

“In the garden that second week the poet’s eyed narcissus disappeared out of the long grass at the edge of the zigzag path, and wild gladiolus, slender and rose-coloured, came in their stead, white pinks bloomed in the borders, filling the whole place with their smoky-sweet smell, and a bush nobody had noticed burst into glory and fragrance, and it was a purple lilac bush.”

Simply enchanting….

blessings · challenges · friends · gardening · new beginnings · photography

Weekly Photo Challenge ~ My 2012 in Pictures

Joanne20 Comments

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The people at WordPress have challenged bloggers to search through their photographic archives for the last Weekly Photo Challenge for the year and for me, it hasn’t been easy to decide on which photos to choose for my final post of the year. I wonder how other bloggers have made their final choices and what has tilted the scales in favour of one photo, against another?

My main deciding factor has been to try to choose photos that I haven’t published this year, something perhaps just a tad different, although I must admit that I am a creature of habit. Nearly all of my photos could be filed under perhaps six headings ~ birds, my pets, my garden, sunsets, natural views and my family!

January
January

When I searched back to January, I had forgotten about the floods during that month! With the humidity of our Australian summer in our sub-tropical climate always present, January is not one of my favoured months weather wise, although the flood waters in our valley do make for a different view.

February
February

When the sun took a peek at the garden in February the flowers were thrilled, breaking out in bloom all over the place! I love these little trailing violets, a beautiful ground cover between the larger shrubs.

March
March

The humidity continued into March and the day I took a drive to Tyalgum, a small village about an hours drive from my home (and away from the coastal breezes!) the heat was almost unbearable! Some beautiful scenery along the way made up for the heat and it turned out to be a very pleasant trip after all.

April
April

During April, a visit to Fingal Beach was definitely a highlight of the month. This small child also appears to be enjoying himself, exploring the rock pool between the volcanic rocks along the beach.

May
May

This is one of my favourite photos of my Indian Ring Neck parrot, Charlie. When we brought Charlie home to live with us we had no idea whether Charlie was a he or a she, so he or she needed a name suited to either sex. I have recently reached the grand conclusion that Charlie is a she, as I’m sure she would have developed a brightly coloured ring around her neck by now, if she were a he. I love Charlie regardless, although the rest of my family don’t share my love for her. I seem to be Charlie’s “chosen person”, so she coos are tweets at me, allowing me to pat her and tickle her neck. It’s another story if another member of the family gets too close for comfort though! My little angel can be quite the devil at times!

June
June

During May, the photo-bug had set in big time for me and I had become the proud owner of my new “best friend”, a wonderful new Canon Powershot SX40 camera. The camera went with me everywhere (and usually still does!) and I enjoyed many an hour at the beach, taking photos of anything and everything. I love the simplicity of this long-legged bird walking through the ripples in the water.

July
July

Like I said, mid year I would photograph anything! I loved experimenting with anything that may (or may not) look good in a photo, trying out different angles, in varying light throughout the day. Standing between a clump of palm trees in the middle of the day, blue sky above, seed pods shimmering in the sunlight, turned out to be one of my successful photos!

August
August

Through experimenting with photos I have also discovered that certain birds are very photogenic, with our beautiful kookaburras being some of my favourite subjects. I’m sure they pose for me when they see the camera!

September
September

And speaking of posers, here is my adorable little garden helper. She also helps around the house, with the washing, making the bed, washing the dishes….but even an enthusiastic little helper needs to take a break some times!

October
October

My gorgeous friends the magpies are another photogenic subject. Not a day goes by without they visit my garden for some scraps of food and I am always rewarded with their happy, chortling song.

November
November

This little Butcher Bird is a fairly new visitor to my garden and he and his little mate have made themselves right at home during the latter part of this year.

December
December

How did the year come to an end so quickly? As I finish writing, it is a mere twenty minutes to midnight and I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! May 2013 bring you many blessings, happiness, good friends, loving family, and prosperity in everything you do.

Australia · birthdays · blessings · Changes · gratitude

Happy 100th, Joe!

Joanne22 Comments

It was on this day, one-hundred years ago, that the first child was born to Percy and Esther Kelly, exactly nine months to the day after the young couple were married.

Today, Andrew Edward Joseph Kelly, better known as Joe, turns 100 years of age.

After Joe, Percy and Esther went on to have another eleven children. They had eight sons and four daughters, and Joe has outlived them all, except for one.

Joe’s youngest sister, Irene, is twenty-one years younger than Joe, and along with other members of the family and some longtime friends, celebrated his birthday with him last Saturday night in Sydney.

My husband wouldn’t have missed his uncle’s one-hundredth birthday for anything. Let’s face it, it’s not often in one’s lifetime you have the privilege of knowing a person who has reached such a grand age!

The year of 1912 is well remembered as the year of the sinking of the “Titanic”. George V was the King of England and the Commonwealth of Australia was a mere baby of only eleven years old.

It was in 1912 that Australia saw its first air crash. The Commonwealth Bank was established with Australia’s Prime Minister of the day, Andrew Fisher, being the first account holder at the bank.

The Maternity Allowance was granted to new mothers in 1912, giving them a five-pound “Baby Bonus” upon the birth of a child. I guess Joe’s mum just missed out, with him being born on October 2, and the allowance being introduced on October 10!

Uncle Joe would have seen many changes during his one-hundred years; the progression of cars through the years, aeroplanes becoming common place in the skies, the opening of The Sydney Harbour Bridge, the introduction of television and so many other wild and wonderful inventions that have changed the world!

And speaking of cars, Joe still has his driver’s licence! I was very surprised to learn also that he has only had his licence for the last fifty years. Driving around the streets of Sydney is not for the faint-hearted, so he is doing very well indeed!

Before my husband headed off to Sydney for the birthday celebrations, I asked him to find out if Joe had received a “telegram from the Queen”, as I recall that being a highlight for those who reach this wonderful age.

What Joe did received was a letter from the Queen, and the Governor General, the Prime Minister, the State Premier, the Federal Member of Parliament and the Local Member also!

He even received an O.B.E! ~ Old But Everlasting, signed by Father Time and Mother Nature….how wonderful!

You’ll have to excuse the poor quality of the photos of the letters, as they were taken with a mobile phone, but I’m sure they will be clear enough for you to see the mail you can expect when you also reach one-hundred!

In a lovely gesture, to mark the occasion himself, Joe presented each of his five children, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren with a 1912 Australian penny.

I don’t know what everyone else thinks, but I believe that to reach the age of one-hundred, in a fit and healthy state, still living in your own home, and having the independence to drive yourself about is something to strive for!

Happy birthday, Uncle Joe, and wishing you many more years of good health to come!! 🙂