“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us.” ~ Hal Borland
“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.” ~ Ellen Goodman
Three hundred and sixty-five days have passed us by since we waved a cheery good-bye to the old year. We promised ourselves that we would do better next year; improve our diet, exercise more, save more money, show kindness to one and all, learn to play that musical instrument, write that novel, clean out the wardrobes….etc., etc., etc….
How did you go with last year’s New Year’s Resolutions? Hmm…
If you’re anything like me, and probably the majority of the world’s population, the plans you made on New Year’s Day last year went right out the window on January 2nd!
I’ve realised the reason for my plans, or New Year’s Resolutions, all going pear-shaped so quickly ~ I make too many plans, to do too many things! (Message to Self: There are only so many hours in a day, you know!)
A few days ago I came across a quote, which for me says it all. I’d like to share it here, as it may also have the same profound impact on another person as it had on me. This New Year, this quote is my New Year’s Resolution ~
“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.” ~ Denis Waitley.
Tomorrow is just another day on the calendar, yet a day of new beginnings.
As you begin the New Year of 2012, my friends, I wish you well in everything you wish to achieve in your life, good health, wonderful friends and the love of family.
“The more enlightened our houses are, the more their walls ooze ghosts”. ~ Italo Calvino
When I had the chance to wander freely around the home and garden of one of my best friends from my childhood, I did not want to miss the chance to take photos, lots of photos. Who knew when I would have an opportunity like this again, if ever?
It surprised me just how many features of this old house, built in 1915, had remained with me for all of these years, and upon seeing them again were just how my memory had remembered them. Now, I wouldn’t have to leave my memories to chance, I would have photographs to remind me.
As we didn’t have access to the inside of the house (yes, we checked every door!), my photos were taken mostly through both windows and flyscreens, so please excuse the poor quality of most of them. You will, however, be able to make out some of the features, such as the old fireplaces and wooden floors.
Neglected Features
It was an absolute stroke of luck when I aimed my camera at one of the windows to take an inside photo, when I happened to notice I had a “person” also in my photo. Can you see them, on the left hand side this shot?
Ghostly Image?
The light of the day shone at just the right angle to pick up Adam’s reflection in the glass. With all of his worries about the old house being spooky, he got a kick out of seeing his own “ghostly” image in one of the photos!
Back in the days when this old home had been loved and cared for by my friend’s family, there had been a lovely old piano in one of the rooms. I had asked my friend’s father during one of my visits if I could “play” the piano. I explained to him that I didn’t really mean I could play the piano, I just liked mucking around on them, because I loved them so much.
He asked if I would like to learn a tune. Of course, I said yes!
During each of my visits from then on, we would have a “lesson”, and true to his word he taught me how to play my first tune on the piano.
My own children have heard this story for years and I have taught each of them how to play my song. To this day, that tune is the only one I can play, although I have an old piano of my own and two of my children can play, one of them being Adam. I wish I could tell you what the tune is called, but I haven’t got a clue!
Of course, I had told Adam that this was thee house where I had learned how to “play piano”, showing him exactly where it had been in the house back then.
With the old house now being unoccupied the rooms were bare, so you can imagine my doubt when Adam went ahead of me, peered through a window, and announced, “Mum, here’s your piano”!
Ghosts of the Past
How could that be? What were the odds, that within this old empty home, the one piece of furniture remaining would be a piano?
Can you see it there, all alone against the wall?
Who knows whether it was “my” original piano or not, but it was indeed a piano!
Maybe Adam was right, maybe the home and garden did have spooks in it. But one thing I know without a shadow of a doubt, I wasn’t afraid, just filled with the joy of revisiting my old memories and resurrecting some ghosts of the past.
“Apparitions are often confused with hauntings. The difference is that apparitions are “live” (intelligent consciousness) and hauntings are “recordings.” ~ Loyd Auerbach
During my recent visit to the Blue Mountains, the area in which I spent my earliest years, I paid a visit to a number of homes throughout the area that had played a significant role in my childhood days.
At one of the homes I found more than I had bargained for, as the home had a huge “AUCTION” sign attached to the front fence.
This home had belonged to the family of my best friend in fourth grade, Christine. Standing outside of the front gate of the house, after all of these years, the memories of childhood playtime came flooding back.
Christine’s house had seemed very old when I was a child; now the old house sat among the uncared for gardens looking for all the world as it had the last time I had played there, baring the neglect.
A quick visit to the real estate agent confirmed the house was vacant and I was given permission to explore the property.
Thirteen year old Adam (who accompanied me on the trip) was a tad wary of the old home, proclaiming it to be “spooky”. I assured him that the home was indeed old, although one of the friendliest homes you could ever wish for. No bad vibes at this property!
Adam and I, with my trusty camera in hand, explored the front back and both sides of the garden, which to my amazement looked almost exactly as I remembered it.
Had anyone cared for this home at all since Christine’s family had moved away, I wondered?
Stairs to the Back Door
The rickety old stairs, leading up to the back door looked the same. The wide verandas around three sides of the home, where Christine and I would play together on rainy days hadn’t changed a bit.
Would you use this tub?
Underneath the back of the house we located an old laundry room, complete with cement wash tub.
Potting Shed
To the right hand side of the house I was delighted to find a lovely little building, which I imagine would have been a potting shed in its day. Funny, I didn’t remember the little shed, although perhaps it had been off-limits to us children, or overgrown with vines, which had recently been cleared away, no doubt in an effort to spruce up the property for its sale.
Too Spooky!
By the time the potting shed discovery was made, Adam had begun to ask if we could leave. The potting shed really gave him the spooks! But I loved it!
Lucky horseshoes in the potting shed
With a bit of encouragement I convinced Adam that it was completely safe to go onto the verandas to peer inside the windows, just to get a glimpse of the rooms with the high ceilings, fireplaces and wooden floors that I remembered.
“A birthday is just the first day of another 365 day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip”. ~ Author Unknown.
It was my birthday a couple of day ago. I don’t like to think of how old I am these days. A wise person once said, “You are only as old as you feel”. If I keep on reminding myself how old I really am, I may start to feel old! It’s better to forget your age, I have decided.
Having said that, I quite like having a birthday. It’s a day for me, just me, when I indulge myself by doing whatever I feel like doing. If I don’t feel like cleaning the kitchen I have a great excuse, “It’s my birthday”! If I want to watch a particular programme on TV, the same applies, if one of the kids wants to watch their shows. I remind them, it’s my birthday.
I guess it could be called emotional blackmail, or even a guilt trip. So what? I only get one day a year when I can do this, which is totally out of character for me. Funnily enough, I get my way.
“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional”. ~ Chili Davis.
After an incredibly delicious meal on the night (which I had organised but the family cooked) it was too late to clean up the kitchen. We stacked the dishwasher and went to bed, leaving the unwashed pans and the “not suitable for the dishwasher” crockery sitting dirty on the kitchen bench.
Did the cleaning fairies appear overnight and clean up the mess? Ha…ha…ha…as if they would!
So, before leaving for work the next morning I cleaned up the kitchen. Isn’t their always a price to pay? That’s what I get for using emotional blackmail on my family ‘coz it was my birthday!
On a brighter note, I had a great long list of “Happy Birthday” messages left on my Facebook page. Now, that was really, really nice! Some messages came from family and friends, but many of them were from my blogger friends. After I have been given so much by these people, in their sharing of their thoughts, ideas, photographs and wisdom, I am further rewarded by their kind words on my birthday. It doesn’t get much better than that!
“Friendship isn’t a big thing, it’s a million little things”. ~ Author Unknown.
I really must check the birthday announcements on Facebook more often. I just, well, forget to look! The birthdays column really isn’t in the most eye-catching position. Perhaps those in Facebook Land should look at making the birthday notices more prominent.
After the warmth I received from my friends wishes, I really must make an extra effort to check those birthday announcements.
Or, even better still, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all remembered to send our friends and family warm wishes every time we have contact with them? Why wait until it’s their birthday? 🙂
“Three things of life that are most valuable – Love, self-confidence and friends”. ~ Author Unknown.
QuinnCreative and I have engaged in a comment chat recently, discussing the spiritual nature of the area around Tucson, Arizona.
Time stands still for me when reading Quinn’s stories. My son nearly missed the school bus a couple of mornings ago, as I had become so enthralled in reading Quinn’s blog posts!
When Quinn made mention of the Australian Aborigines in her post “Dreaming Your Life Awake”, I simply had to mention my Magical Mountain, which I admire daily from the back of my home.
The Aboriginal name for my Magical Mountain is “Wollumbin”. The European name, given to the mountain by Captain James Cook in 1770 is “Mount Warning”.
Looking across sugar cane fields
Regular visitors will no doubt remember my waxing lyrical over the mountain on many occasions. I find myself staring at the mountain regularly, in an almost hypnotic state.
The closer I drive towards the mountain, the stronger I feel the “pull” towards it, as the folds within the rocky face of the mountain and the gigantic trees become clearer and clearer.
The “feel” of Mount Warning is both hypnotic and tranquil. I’m sure that the spirits of the local Aboriginals smile upon those who admire their “Wollumbin”.
Mount Warning from Lyon's Lookout, Murwillumbah
Quinn asked for a list of posts I have written on Mount Warning. I discovered five posts in total, although two of those posts are mostly about landmarks in my area, named by Captain James Cook.
Thank you, Quinn, for giving me the opportunity to show off the beautiful area where I live yet again. I constantly complain about the humidity during the summer months ( sorry, patient readers!) but apart from the heat, we really do have the most magical scenery.
There are quite a few links here to explore, so grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, and explore a part of my world!
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us.” ~ Hal Borland
“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.” ~ Ellen Goodman
In My World 