20th December: "From My Window"

"The book is an attempt to express a point of view. What does life look like when one tried to observe it calmly yet eagerly, and sometimes with (I hope) a good-natured smile, from the window?
For each of us has a window behind which he may withdraw and look on for a little while. To do this implies a degree of leisure and detachment; and perhaps some of you who may read this book are too absorbed and involved in daily living to find either the opportunity or the mood.
Nevertheless, a man who makes a journey in difficult country will do all the better if he has a map; the successful fisherman is he who knows and studies the stream in which he angles; and a golfer may save a stroke of two on his round if he is familiar with the general lie of the land. So that it may be interesting to you, perhaps (though I shrink from the presumption of this) even helpful to you, to see how like looks from somebody else's window."
-Taken from the first chaper of "From my window" by 'Philemon'- (Bought on our trip to the southern highlands)

I like the very idea he puts forth, that of taking time to see what is going on around you before rushing into the busyness blindly.

The view from my window...


And the dog that has been barking at me from underneath my window...

19th December: Concert!

Today was the end of year concert my piano teacher likes to put together. It was not a very big one, there were 8 of us performing, and ten of us all up. So small, and (hopefully) meant to be a relaxing kind of concert.

I was ok while sitting listening to my fellow students play their pieces. It is always encouraging listening to others who are in the same boat as you; still learning, and being a little nervous at having to get up, tell what it is they are about to play, and then proceed to the playing there of.

When it was my turn at the keys, suddenly my body decided to start shaking all over. With knees knocking, and goose bumps all down my arms I played my first pieces. Tchaikovsky's 'October', true to form a beautifully romantic tune.
I also performed (for the very first time) a little song of my own that I have been working on for the last couple of months. It was a very delightful feeling being able to share a song with people that you have written yourself, like you are sharing a little part of who you are, a little part of your soul.

All round it was a lovely couple of hours. After all is said (played) and done, you feel such a fool for being so nervous. What better ordiance could be asked for then those who love music, and are learning it along with you?!

18th December: Out and About

Drives are always exciting, often because you are rewarded for sitting patiently still for a number of hours by arriving somewhere you may not visit all that much.

My reward was a 'girls'(Grandma, Mother, Sister) day out in the Southern Highlands.
Over the years we have learnt that taking Brother, (and if for too long Father), is considered in their eyes a kind of bitter-sweet torture. Bitter, having to go from shop to shop; Sweet, getting to stop at numerous cafe's for coffees and cakes.

One shop that has been a family favourite over the years, (Yes even the men), is Peppergreen in Berrima. There is one (or hundreds) of everything and anything in there.

Cabinets of vintage ribbons, cottons, buckles, and thousands of buttons.


Old estate jewelery, (I could not resist taking this photo!)


Bone china plates, bowls, rolling-pins, thimbles, and many other china items...


Walls full of antique quilts, sheets, fabric, napkins.


Old kitchen utensils of all kinds...


Tins, and books, glassware, the list could go on. Before I knew it I had taken near on thirty pictures in that one shop alone!

Lunch was consumed at the charming Elephant Boy Cafe in Bowral. What a delightful little spot! I found my food (Which was Divine) going down in lumps, as I was too curiously looking around. There's a lot to be seen there.


All up the day brought many smiles, and laughs, and long talks. Me getting way too excited entering some shops, not knowing which way to point first!


The heavens opened up, closing the day quite fittingly for the drive home. That is with each of us getting wet as we walked back to the car from the other end of town.

17th December: An Epic Search

During the excitement of the weekend, I have mislaid my purse.
This has brought about a few realisations.

Firstly, as I have had that same purse for a good 5 odd years, I did not realised that I had reached the age that loosing it caused quite a bit of upset. (Or rather complications at having to get a lift into town for a new licence.)

Secondly, how personal the item is. Its not the cards, or the money, rather the fact that someone somewhere might be going through YOUR purse.

And Thirdly, I just had to giggle at some of the places I thought it necessary to look... Through the pantry, in the hair-goodies draw, through the workshop, the medicine cupboard. (The fridge did cross my mind)...

But I know me, I can wait for a week before canceling and replacing cards, after which within ten minutes I will find it. Or I can cut out the week.
What's a girl to do?!

16th December: Dear Garden

The wind has brought with it, what I consider to be the Australian version of tumble weed.
(I am unsure of its proper name.)

It doesn't matter if it has only just been blown in, it has a wonderful way of making the place look abandoned.

My poor garden has been looking after itself this past month. As time is already spread thinly between working on the shop, normal house cleaning and meal making, and a few festive events.

My lily is hiding in there...








The weeds are higher and thicker than the plants. (I've wondered at the speed those weeds can grow at. All other plants take so long to establish to a degree that they can withstand the weather conditions.)
Soon dear garden, soon I will give you the attention you deserve!

15th December: Shop Talk

Day of busyness,
Sanding window frames for the shop-to-be.
I only just realised that I have not mentioned much about our shop.

We are still working on the building. With hopes of getting a lick of paint on the outside walls this coming week (into the weekend).

At this stage Feburary is still the desired (and reachable) time to open up the doors to the public.
It will be wonderful to open those doors for the first time too.

I find it very easy to get lost in the lists of things to be made, fixed, finished, research ect. Yet I have great faith that all these things will find their way to getting ready in time. The reality of life is that everything HAS to be ready.

As that is what I spend most of my time doing these days, I will be writing about the shop a lot more from now on. (Pictures coming soon!)

14th December: Reflections

I have always believed that life at this moment is what we see before us. That to change those things in our lives we do not like, one must find a different place to view life from.


How different things can be in a reflection,turned round, and now behind us.


Maybe understanding life, is looking in the mirror and understanding yourself.

13th December: A Poem

The wind blows strong against these four walls.
How I trust on their strengh to withstand the force thrust up on them.
I watch through my walls of glass the trees bending,
Leaves holding on for their dear life.

There is no end to the blowing,
Make it stop.
Tears running down my cheek,
Eyes puffy, in the stinging.

Goodbye my almost lover.
Did you come and go with the wind.
When did I make it that easy to walk straight in and out,
Of my life.

Where did my four walls disappear to?
Did I have too much faith in you?

I have wondered so far,
That the wondering turned into lostness.
Is there anyone here with me,
Where did my hometown go...

Time has seen me here before,
When did he become a friend of mine.
So fast he is taken away,
No matter how fast I chase, I miss him.

Do they run because of me
These two fast and uncatchable forces?
Why is there a desire within my heart
To be free as they have become.

Could I escape these four walls,
That from a refuge turned into my cell.
What was once glass,
Now houses iron bars.

Fear the ruler of my heart.
Fear of singing, of seeing, of believing,
Of living, of finding happiness,
Without you in it.

You became the aurora of my world,
Colours that let me smile,
Music to make me dance.
Shows that we were united.

Each day my soul cries to dance again with you,
My eyes long for your glow.
To be rid of this tyrant of fear,
I'm ready to breath in the sun again with you.

Let this wind take me with it,
The girl I once was is now the ghost.

12th December: There's Plenty of Room...

It says everything there is to say.



By Christopher David Ryan.

11th December: Time to Practice

It never fails to amaze me how large a part music is to my soul.
That is the playing there of, as well as the listening.
There is nothing greater than having a few hours to spend in front of those black and white keys.
And how fast those hours dissapear in the tunes that fill them.


It was always my dream to one day be a music teacher.
The way I see it, is that I want to be able to teach others
the 'thing' that has given me such happiness
and forfilling enjoyment.

10th December: Soccer!

Tonight was the second week of community soccer. There are many things I like about living in a small community, and the 'local's' soccer game is one of them.

There is no age limit of who can play, it doesn't matter if you're a boy or girl. These games are all about... WINNING! (Ok, I know I should be saying they are about having fun, getting some exercise, building community spirit etc, but let's be honest, who doesn't play to win??)

This is the game many people dream of playing, neighbour v's neighbour, friend v's friend, brother v's sister. Everyone has their moment of glory, (or plain luck). The luck part comes in if they have managed to come out of a tackle by me without being kicked in the shins, totally not intended on my behalf.

Of all sports soccer has always been my favourite. I even amaze myself with how excited I can become chasing a ball of air around a field. Just to clear one thing up, when I say field, I mean, long(ish) grass, some pot holes, clumps of dirt, oh yeah and goal post either end.

This evening I found myself a little out numbered; I was the only girl to show up. Though I guess someone needs to bring along the team encouragement speaker. And the goaly!

9th December: Oh My!

When first coming up with this (insane) idea/challenge to write a blog post every day, I had no idea it would be as hard as I have been finding it to be.

-Having days when the Internet isn't working and it will not let me up load it in time doesn't help either.-

I feel a little ashamed of myself. It hasn't even been ten days yet.

Though I find sometimes when you have been busy all day, it is very hard to put into words what it was that has kept you busy. (Sometimes you do not even know yourself what you've been up to all day.)

Yet there are also the days when I cannot wait to be able to share something. Thinking all day how I shall write it.

Hopefully I shall have many more days with lovely things to share!

8th December: Maggie Alarm

I have a new alarm clock. He is black and white, with grey fluffy feathers under his body. He sits in the tree by my window, the branch not two meters away.

Early in the morning (about the time of the sparrow's fart) as the sun turns the sky a glow; He starts, beak open - screaming at his mother till she finds something to put in there. The snippet of food only keeping him quiet for a moment.

There is no longer any peace in the morning. Instead there is a nervous wreck of a mother bird frantically searching for something to stop the cry of her little one. She must be tired.


As I have been unsuccessful in getting a picture of my own menace, while looking around for one I found this image. What a classic shot hey??!

7th December: Lazy day

The day which I woke to with the best intentions of getting things done.
A morning that saw that motivation soon dwindle.
An afternoon that brought many unexpected activities.

#Reading through the 'Epoch Times' my grandpa dropped of early in the morning for me. (My favourite news paper)
#Watching some episodes of season two Doctor Who - thank you A!
#Long talk with a friend, many laughs
#Drive into town, and back
#Treats of ice cream and chocolate

Now I enjoy cool summer air through my window as I settle in for a good read.
Oh how I love the lazy December days! (They come so few and far between.)

6th December: Meme 6x2.3

The lovely Karli has tagged me in the Meme 6x3. So without further ado...

Six things that I value, love, and am thankful for:

1) Grace, the mercy God has given to me. (And the world)
2) My loving family
3) The beauty that can be found in life
4) Music of all kinds
5) Books, books, books
6) A good steak

Six things that I do not stand for, support or simply do not like:

1) Hypocrisy
2) Greed for wealth
3) Mushrooms
4) Cruelty to animals
5) Dishonesty
6) Selfishness in people

I will do my best to keep this going by tagging the two people I can think of at the moment.
The talented Emily (and) the Machinists Wife.

5th December: Decorations Part Two

This year I decided to try putting everything out in groups.
Sidetable a glow with lights, and candles:

We have collected a few glass domes, which I put little things under.
What time? Christmas time!:

The tree looks very much like it does every year.
Oh Christmas Tree:

I started making each of us stockings a few years ago. I never ended up making as many as I had hoped. I was rather proud of these three though.
Stockings:

Our lounge room has a high ceiling on the one side. So to make the most of this I have tied baubles from string right across the top of the room.
Bauble garland:

With the left over baubles, I love how delightful they look in glass bowls.

This little silver tree does not get packed away with all the other Christmas things.(It brings us too much pleasure to hide away.) How sweet are the little mirrors all over it. And how they make the light dance.

Another shot of the grouping of candles and lights. How that part of the room shines with all the different types of light.

A much needed reminder of how it might be if Christmas was to be white. I just love snow globes!

It took me two days to getting it looking as I had hoped it might. Now, as I have been saying to my Mam, we just need the get the house smelling of Christmas. (For me the Christmas smell is cinnamon.) There are a few other photos up here.

4th December: NaNoWriMo

I would like to share some of the words I got down during my attempt at NaNoWriMo this year. I did not make it to the goal of 50,000 words. I did get half way, with hopes of doing better next year.
My title for the unfinished work is "The Reason".

-This is how I introduced one of the main characters.-

"I loved Charlotte without ever being jealous of her. She held a childlike faith in the world, along with the belief in the magical power of books, and music. She would say that a story told well, or a piece of music played from the soul of who we are, could turn the most cynical into a loving, caring romantic.
Music is her thousand sunsets.
It is impossible to talk with her without wondering if the world really did look different from behind those long lashes, where her deep brown eyes stared back at you. Sometimes I had the strangest inkling that she would try to hide behind those lashes, as many of us used our fringe to disappear behind."

- This is what turned out to be the theme of the whole story-

"When did the world become so small? I use to look at the globe in my Mother’s office space and I could not fathom how many different people there must be if within that tiny black spot -where there had been pinned a little plastic flag- fitted all of us, all the way to the next big town and then some more. Such a tiny spot has so many people in it, and there were hundreds (if not thousands) of those tiny spots.
Now that I have explored a few of those black dots I cannot believe how the world has shrunk in the years it has taken me to arrive here. Yes, the world is filled with many different types of people, and there is none of us the same, but for the most part we do want the same thing. We want our families to be safe, and healthy and happy. We want to find someone to love, and who will love us back. We want to feel like we are here for a reason, and hopefully we for-fill that purpose."

Ok, so it is not the next best seller. I have also to decide on it's ending. And then spend many hours editing the mess of words that I typed in a desperate attempt to reach a nice (high) word count. It was a very exiting challenge to be a part of.

3rd December: Encounters With the Strange

While browsing through the selves of the library this morning I discovered (and had to admit to) my ability to attract the strange sorts of people.

The crazy man who follows you around every corner, and stops only feet away each time. At first I pretended that it was coincident. "Avoid eye contact Sarah", I was telling myself. I did not mean to be rude in any way, though after this had been going on for well over ten minutes I decided that the book I so desperately wanted to borrow could wait till next time. I made my leave.

But this small incident is just the fraction of how things like that always seem to happen to me. It is almost as though I have a homing beacon strapped to the top of my head calling all to the mother ship of crazy, weird, and slightly creepy to hang out with me.

Ironically I also have a great knack of talking to anyone, anytime. So feeling so uncomfortable was a bit of a shock to me.
Have you ever had something similar happen, without knowing why, you feel rather venerable?

2nd December: Decorations Part 1

One thing that I like to do early in December is get the Christmas decorations out of their boxes and wrappings, (out of hiding), and onto the tree and about the house. The way I see it is that we slowly collect these beautiful things, and they are only to be around for one month of the year.

It is always a bit of a job getting the boxes down from the mezzanine where they are stored for the better half of the year. Dust on top, I wonder what could have made a home inside during the past eleven months.

After unwrapping baubles, stars, little figurines, I sorted them into different piles. (While trying not to get distracted on the headlines of the News papers from years ago)




I got the tree standing, and in some form of resemblance to a tree.


I also spent a good hour fighting with Christmas ('fairy') lights and strings of coloured beads that were refusing to come untangled.


I couldn't believe how excited I was getting with each little treasure I uncovered.

'Tis the season to be jolly,
Trula lala laa la la la la!

1st December

Yesterday was my 20th birthday. Goodbye teen years. My family showered me with beautiful gifts.

Orange earrings that dangle against your cheeks,


Lovely silk scarf,


Purely delightful fragrance of fig and olive,


Much desired CD by Imogen Heap,



Book filled with the musings of love and music,


An outfit of linen pants with a silk sash and matching coloured cap sleeved top.


My Grandparents gave me a dazzling charm braclet, upon which hangs a heeled boot, key, purse, heart, lock, and lovely purple/mushroom coloured pearl finish beads.


I truly am a lucky girl.

(Due to the lack of Internet access, this is the 1st December post)