The things you find under the carpet!

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 Joanne9 Comments

*Mr Magpie Lark disappeared from my garden for a while, but he’s returned for the new year.*

As this is my first post for 2022, first of all, I would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year. Hopefully, this will be the year that the world regains some form of normality. But let’s not talk about that.

I made a very interesting discovery yesterday which I would like to share.

Since the last of my children moved out of home (then moved back again – twice – with promises that it was definitely his last move home,) we have progressively renovated the house. Last year, the old kitchen was completely ripped out and replaced. We have also repainted rooms, replaced the old, worn carpet with wood-style planks, and installed deeper, older style skirting boards in each room.

The latest room to have a spruce up is the lounge room. Over the years when the children were little, I told them the lounge room is otherwise known as the quiet room, and they have all adhered to the rules – no boisterous playing and no food in the room. It is in this room I have French polished furniture which I bought many years ago when we lived in Sydney. It is also the room with the most bookshelves, so could also be known as the library. The antique piano lives in this room, so if anyone feels inclined to make a noise, they are welcome to play the piano, gently.

Before Christmas, we repainted the lounge room, so all the room needed was new floor coverings, and yesterday was the day the installers arrived to continue the wood-style flooring into the last living area of the house. Exciting!

*The bare cement slab after the old carpet was removed.*

One installer, Zac, had been to my house before, to replace the floor coverings in my office. They had only been here long enough yesterday to remove the old carpet when Zac asked, “was this house built in 1994?” I told Zac that we had built the house then and had lived here ever since. He told me he had found some newspaper under the carpet, dated March 1994.

Apparently, before real newspapers were mostly replaced by online news subscriptions, it was common practice for carpet installers to put a current piece of newspaper under the new carpet so future occupants of the house knew either when the house was built, or when the last floor coverings were laid.

The carpets were laid throughout our house before we moved in, therefore, I hadn’t known the installers had slipped a tiny piece of history under the flooring, to be found at a later date. But of course, I insisted Zac leave our find in place!

We now have a new, tightly secured floor, except for just one plank. Zac left the fifth plank along the north-eastern wall loose. If he had glued the plank in place it would have destroyed the paper, and that just wouldn’t do!

Australia · autumn · garden flowers · in my garden · Mount Warning · pets · Tweed Valley

A shady corner, a pink carpet, and moss!

May 3, 2021 Joanne10 Comments

After a few days of rain, the sun returned today. Occasionally it disappears behind a cloud, but for the most part, the day has been sunny, but cool.

The light today is ideal for taking photos, so I took advantage of the day and photographed a shady area in my back garden. Husband built this retaining wall from volcanic rocks – our soil is full of them! – many years ago. I love the “aged” look the rocks have now, even though they would have been tens of thousands of years old when the wall was built. They seem to have melded into their surroundings over the years.

The wall faces south, our cool aspect, and moss happily clings to the rocks all year round. We also have a few plants growing amid the moss and rocks, although we didn’t plant them. Maybe birds have dropped seeds in the ideal place for these lovely plants to germinate.

I suspect some of the plants are staghorns, and others elkorns, but I don’t know for sure. Regardless, they look very much at home where they are.

These tiny plants seem to be growing in the moss, rather than in the gaps between the rocks. Only time will tell if their position is secure, or if their increased weight as they grow will cause them to fall.

Can you see the movement in Bronte’s tail? She was a very happy girl when she found her missing yellow ball. 🙂

Just a few steps away from the moss covered retaining wall is another small retaining wall, also built by husband many years ago. This is where the oldest camellia tree in my garden is in full bloom.

And beneath the tree, beautifully contrasted against the green grass, is a carpet of pretty pink petals.

Right next to the camellia is the shadiest corner of my garden. This area is the coolest place in my garden during our hot summer months. Even though it is shady for most of the day, all year round, the agapanthus always flower late in the year, just before the hottest days of summer arrive.

For now though, I am enjoying the cool sunny autumn days in my garden. 🙂

Australia · autumn · garden flowers · pets · rain

Cuddling Weather

April 30, 2021 Joanne2 Comments

These two fury girls often sit cuddled up together, regardless of the temperature. This week, however, they have taken to sharing the dog bed, and I don’t blame them. It’s been quite cold, and the rain has returned as well. I haven’t seen a good photo opportunity looking over the valley and Mount Warning for a couple of days now.

Just over a week ago, we had beautiful blue skies and I took a few photos around the garden. A couple I didn’t add to last week’s posts have been waiting patiently on my desktop for a rainy day, when they could add a spot of brightness to an otherwise grey day. Today is that day!

Australia · authenticity · basics · clouds · family · grandson · In My World · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · pets · summer · Tweed Valley

Back to Basics … AKA “In My World”

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021 Joanne8 Comments

On a day when far too many people expressed far too many biased opinions on (political) matters which were once regarded as a personal matter, on a biased public forum (social media) which I have considered leaving many times during recent weeks, I will share some photos of realities. This is what is happening In My World.

A drastic change in the weather provided a reprieve from the heat of the last two days. Mount Warning, however, remained in hiding all day. (Perhaps I should have done the same.)

In the distance, I spotted a tree containing many beautiful song birds. When I magnified the photo, I was able to identify the birds as both male and female Figbirds.

I had a visit from four-month-old Eli, who has worked out how to roll over onto his tummy. He was mesmerised by Brontë, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. Brontë was completely besotted with Eli.

When you take away all of the B.S. in the world, isn’t love and caring the most important thing?

Australia · blessings · cakes · Changes · clouds · farewell · garden flowers · granddaughter · gratitude · In My World · memories · Mount Warning · new beginnings · new year · pets · photography · rain · subtropical weather · summer · Tweed Valley

Goodbye, 2020.

December 31, 2020December 31, 2020 Joanne17 Comments

Words seem to escape me tonight. What does one say as the year 2020 draws to a close?

I could state the obvious, that this year has been an extremely difficult year for many people, but we all know that. It’s hardly a profound statement.

It has definitely been a year of change – we all know that as well.

So I will tell you all some new news, about my day filled with magical moments. 🙂

It rained overnight, washing away the dusty air in the valley. I awoke to a crystal clear – picture perfect, I would say – scene of Mount Warning.

As always, when Forrest and Brontë enjoyed some time in the sun, it was my Labrador, Brontë, who kept watch.

Raindrops from our overnight shower clung to my potted Petunias. I love these colours so much! Pink and purple flowers in my garden make my heart sing!

Inside the house, Bowie boy posed beautifully for the camera. ❤

And when my little granddaughter came to visit, she was very excited to finally try a piece of the Christmas cake she has been eyeing off every time she has visited since Christmas Day.

While I had my camera out, Aurora told her Mummy and Daddy to say “cheese,” then she took her own photo. Don’t you just love the imagination of children? And Aurora’s curls? ❤

Miss Tibbs prefers to hide when visitors arrive. I found her after my visitors had left, in her usual place on my sewing table.

Around sunset, a sudden noise alerted me to a change in the weather. It had remained sunny most of the day – the sun was still shining – but a sudden gush of rain fell from a huge unexpected cloud that had rolled in from the coast.

We had the most spectacular sunshower. I took a few photos from my veranda, as the rain really was quite heavy, and had whipped up a windy squall from the south.

So the day that began crystal-clear-perfect ended with a brilliant sunshower. Two incredibly stunning, yet totally different views of Mount Warning. What a way to end the year!

I feel a tad sorry for the year 2020. It has taken a bad rap, particularly since March. But was it the fault of the year that so many things went awry? I don’t believe it was. Every year, we experience the good and the bad situations that life offers, and we can’t claim 2020 to be all “bad” can we?

For me, 2020 was the year my grandson, Eli, was born. It is also the year I learned that I have two more grandsons on the way. The units I completed at university were two of my most enjoyable units so far, and I was graded with a high distinction for both units. I have had the opportunity to spend more time at home, therefore more time in my garden. Since July, I have blogged every day and made more friends in the blogging community.

No, 2020 wasn’t all bad, not for me at least.

As we welcome in the New Year of 2021, we are presented with a brand new opportunity to begin again, with a clean slate. No mistakes, no problems, just a choice of how we will react to the good moments, and the bad, that 2021 presents us with. ❤