sweet retreat

Saturday midday, left the boys happily doing their thang....


and fetched the gorgeous Bridge to head for these ....


for some of this....



and one of these....


in between lying around like this....

(what is it about a pristinely clean, white toweling bath robe?)

consuming yet more of this.....

(Please note presence of books indicating periods of time spent in, (as were termed the 15 minutes immediately following lunch break at my High School...) U.S.S.R or Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading....)

And then driving back to the city after more than 24 hours of adult conversation, a good night's sleep, a belly full of home-made treats, some looking at and some discussion of art, and the pleasurable thought of coming home to our boys, refreshed. Thanks sweet Bridge, what a joy!

K's view o us today....`

Another painting afternoon. Finished two books; Deathly Hallows (ready to start from number one again!) and The Divided Heart. Definitely not getting enough sleep but when there's a good book (or two) on the go, sleep takes a back seat.

K and Beau went out on a bit of a journey today, on a ferry to Williamstown, in the wind and rain. Beau was exhilarated on return. I think it was the first time he's ever been on a boat!

A beautiful thing to remember....

'Everyone dies but no one is dead'.

(quote from 'the Cave of the Yellow Dog')

I got lost in Ikea yesterday, looking for a shower curtain and of course then emerged 2 hours later with tea light holders, heart-shaped and star-shaped ice cube trays, a new dyne cover for Beau, the shower curtain, and this very popular Twin Share Dog Bed. Bookings essential.

Today a blissful day by the river in the winter sun, with a thermos of tea and snacks and camera and plenty of time. I bought a bargain pile of books for Beau from the local second hand bookshop. I realise my growing addiction to children’s’ books may be our one obstacle in actually getting all the way to WA…

Beau did a spectacular flip off a piece of playground equipment half way through the day and won himself a doozie of an egg on his forehead, which smearings and sprayings of arnica seem to have eased somewhat.


We went to visit the beautiful, about- to –birth- any- moment Ms T; pantry fully stocked and lounge room all warm and womb-like, birth pool awaiting water, candles lining the mantle, fire wood stacked, so organised and peaceful with the air of anticipation, so delicious to be reminded. Blessings T, M and T!


Now if you will excuse me I have to go and find out what happens when Lupin and Bill go to redeem Mad Eye Moody's body....

memoires

Msaims, Esti, Fifi re your comments; It's as if we can't help ourselves isn't it! From diaries to blogs, writing and recording, photographing and painting. Catching memories and moments before they fly off, for our children,ourselves, far away family. I never would have shared my diaries, but this blog is different. It's because of other people that it exists. With my diaries there was always the threat of exposure yet here I can't wait to find out that someone has read my thoughts and seen into my life. We share what we can and the rest is happily left on the inside or positioned ambiguously on a painting or a song or such like. I have all my visual diaries from art school and I still keep a diary, sporadically, often i write when I just need to sort out my thoughts or a chunk of time has passed and Beau has moved into a new realm and I want to describe it all. I followed pregnancy and his birth and I've kept aside photos and ultrasound and god lord even the pregnancy test??!! So that one day I can make a little book that will be the prelude to this. Amanda had the contents of her blog turned into a book at one point which I thought was a wonderful idea. I wonder how long we will all keep this up?

Beau at 3 months

The other night I went to dinner with 6 of my mama friends (and sadly forgot to take my camera!!!). We all had kids around the same time and started our own little playgroup. They are gorgeous women, beautiful, youthful, loving mamas, talented and easy to be with. It's been nearly 4 years since we had a gathering without children by our sides and we spent the night eating, drinking tea, talking intensely and laughing. So much laughing! We were the last to leave and parted wearily but reluctantly and with the promise to do it again soon. I will miss these women. We have been through the biggest times of our lives. But I realised too that these experiences connect all mothers in some way or another and that on the other side of the country there will be friends with whom I might pick up where I left off here. And the joy of blogging friendships is that you can take them wherever you go! So I'm sad and excited all at once!

Super 8 Date

Back to the country to visit L and M, where they set up the Super 8 projector so that we could watch the film of us all 35 years ago! Amazing. I'd forgotten how much hair Dad had, how groovy Mum's red flairs were, how small we once were, how wide and quiet our street, how 'Country Town' Perth truly was.....so many things in 10 minutes. Many memories for us all, a big history, many miles crossed to see each other over many years. A slight tinge of regret at burning my 30 odd diaries 9 years ago. I'd been keeping them since i was 13 and one night in Byron Bay I made a fire in the back yard of the house I was sitting, and burned them all one by one. At the time it felt like a very important shedding. Now and then though I think there have been times like that where I have been too hasty to 'liberate' certain objects from my possession. But you just never know how you will feel in the future, as a parent, with paths converging and vague memories surfacing , and the backdrop of that past about to become the present once more!

One day when all our things are in the one place again, out of boxes and in my hands, I will post some old photos.Perhaps you might like to post some of yours! I think there has been a Flashback Friday thang going on around the blogosphere.

What the sky gave us #2

Yesterday afternoon, one of those 'blink and you'll miss it' moments. The brightest, clearest piece of rainbow.


Sock yarn from Suse finally untangled (took me two tangled skeins to work out that one should wind into ball first. Not real yarn smart..) Think I will try a size smaller needles. They is gonna be awful purdy.

And slow but sure progress on this painting; I now have two days a week to work, paint, have my own space...now that K is working from home. Found a warm sunny spot in the laundry to prop up the canvas and hang out with Tara. It's great to have the time though I really miss Beau. One day could almost be enough. But he gets to have those days with K which is bliss for them and I get to make head way in my work (and break to have coffee with the lovely Bridget, both of us sans children) so really everyone is happy. And that's what we hope for!