Sunday 26 June 2011

A long time between posts ...

It's been a long time between posts. I guess life takes over more than we realise. I was prompted to write this post because of a post a dear online friend wrote that stirred up memories and emotions. I was remembering my brother singing Morning Has Broken at the top of his somewhat less than melodic voice. Despite his definite lack of pitch one can't help but smile at the exuberance and joy he had for life. This memory led me to thinking about life growing up in a large family and the noise of just being together. Funny how your path in life takes you to places you never thought you would be. I always imagined growing old among my siblings, being an aunt and a great aunt. Having shared memories to reminisce about in our golden years. Now I live on the other side of the world to the majority of my family and have seen them once in seventeen years. Is life lonely? I would be a lier if I said no but I am making memories with my family to pass onto my grandchildren and great grandchildren and I will tell them about life in a far off land where as a girl I went for picnics in woodland with carpets of bluebells and played helicopters with sycamore seeds. I will tell them about their Uncle who used to sing after a fashion and their other Uncle who would sleep walk and once went next door to ask if they had seen his cat despite the fact we never had a cat! Silly things that won't mean much to them but to me remind me that my childhood was filled with love, laughter and yes some very dubious singing.

Thursday 26 May 2011

Winter approaches...

Although the days are getting shorter and the mornings and evenings are definitely cooler I love this time of year. It's the time of year when you can have comfort food, casseroles, soups and winter stews. It's the time of year when we can light the chimenea and watch the flames flickering. It's warming glow reflecting on mugs of hot cocoa and marshmallows. When you can snuggle under the covers with the children and say "just a few minutes" in order to delay the inevitable cold chill of the tiles on your feet. I still long for the winters of my childhood. There is something special about crisp frosty mornings where the grass crunches underfoot. To see a spider web wet with dew is a vision but when that dew is frozen it is even more magic. To feel snow ticking your nose as it falls and to try to catch snowflakes just to check out whether they are all different or not. These are the things I miss living in the tropics but as the days draws to an end I will fire up the chimenea, sit and watch the flames and be grateful for another day.

Sunday 22 May 2011

The journey continues ....

So much for the intention of writing daily. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. A wedding that was the epitome of pomp and grandeur but at the same time an intimate personal bonding of a beautiful young lady to a handsome prince. The images will stay with me for a life time filed away alongside the images of another such day when a shy young woman married her prince and began a journey in life that would ultimately end in tragedy in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Within my own world I have seen a picture of my grandnephew/grandniece to be. Isnt techology a wonderful thing that parents to be are able to witness the stages of their baby's growth through imagery that clearly shows a little person and not just the physical "bump" that is on show to the world. We are blessed to be expecting three new little people into our family over the coming months. Three sets of people who's will become first time parents and who's lives will be changed forever.
We also mourn the loss of some we knew and many that we didn't. From politicians to actors to terrorists, we may not mourn the loss as personal but we acknowledge a life that has ended. For those who have lost loved ones be it recently or many moons ago my wish for you is that eventually the pain will lessen to reveal the love and beauty of memories that may comfort you and bring you warmth on a cool winters night.
While I may not have written daily as you can see the journey of life has continued on along it's own predestined path.

Wednesday 27 April 2011

What is it about Wednesday

For those who work it is "hump day" and all down hill from there. You know half the week is gone and there is still half a week to go. Hmmmm one could almost relate it to whether you see the cup half full or half empty scenario. Are we happy because half the week has gone or disgruntled because there is still half a week to go. For all of us who claim the title of Domestic Godess it is of course just another day in the week.
If you research Wednesday you will find lots of interesting and forgetable facts but basically it boils down to being referenced to the Norse God Odin (who was also know as Woden or Wotan). There is some conjecture about him being the same deity known by the romans as Mercury thus we have Wednesday also known as Mercury day (Mercredi in French, other languages also have variables on this theme).

Of course who could forget the inevitable reference to "Wacky Wednesday". Wacky Wednesday is a book by Theo. LeSeig (aka Dr. Seuss). A quick synopsis of the book is that a boy wakes up and realizes that everything is not as it should be ie it is all "wacky". From shoes on hands to bananas in apple trees to airplanes on the road. A very wacky scene for sure.

So whether you are having a "hump day", a wacky day or just another day of the week have a wonderful day and remember a smile is a gift you can give everyday.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

“All of life is a journey which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there.”

My journey to this point has been a long and varied path.  Some good, some bad and some indifferent.  This journey has made me the person I am today.  A little stronger, a little wiser and a lot older!!  I look forward to the continuence of this journey and hope you will accompany me to share the joy, the sadness and the creativity.