fresh garden glory

My Illustration Friday entry for 'fresh'.

The smell of freshly cut grass is a new sensation in our household (or gardenhold). We moved into our house just before Winter kicked in this year. Out the back where a patch of grass may have been at one point, were a series of mini replica WW1 bunkers dug into the dirt, with not a sprout of grass to be seen.

When the previous tenants came back to pick some stuff up not long after we'd moved in, the cute little girl of the family asked "Do you have a dog?"
"No, do you?" (living in a rental house we're not suppose to have pets)
"Yes" she replied chirpily
"Oh, is that who dug the holes in the back garden?"
"No, that was our bunny"

Our Winter gardening efforts consisted of flattening the dirt patch out, and filling in the bunny-burrows. Once the worst of the Winter chill had passed we sprinkled some grass seed (which the birds were most delighted about), and lo-and-behold we now have a lovely delicate spindly lawn! It's like magic!

This is the first time we've lived in a place with a garden, so the whole magic of Spring is a very new novelty. Each time I go outside I discover yet another plant has un-expectantly burst into bloom, even ones I thought were nearly dead.
And who knew the tree out the back would transform into an amazing constellation of tiny white flowers?

a cup of tea instead

One of my favourite desk decorations is a card I got from the art gallery some time ago. Accompanied by an adorable illustration, it says:
"Unable to make a decision Cecily made a cup of tea instead".

If I ever had to sum myself up in 50 words or less, this is what I'd write.

(is that the kettle boiling I hear? excuse me a minute...)

with added plumpness

So, I’m not the most girly of girls when it comes to the regimes of beauty, skin care, hair care and fancy nails. I’ll admit I dye my hair, have more products than I need for this and that, and I can’t remember the last time I left the house without at least a quick lashing of mascara, but I like to think I don’t fall for gimmicks.

I maintain a healthy cynicism when those ads come on t.v. touting the newest “technologies” from the “institutes”.

t.v.: “…noticeably lengthens your lashes up to 3 times”
me: “HA! And how, prey-tell does it do that?”

t.v.: “…a new ultra shine lip gloss with actual diamond shine particles, for real diamond shine”
me: “ Real diamond shine particles? What is a diamond shine particle exactly? Who’d fall for that?”

t.v.: “…new foundation with added caffeine to wake up your skin!”
me: “Marketing team comes to the rescue after Beryl spills her coffee in the mixing cylinder.”

But every now and then, in a moment of weakness (usually after accruing a new wrinkle), I get sucked in…

… BIG TIME!

It’s mega. It’s plump. It’s hot. It’s pouting. According to Jonni on the packet “Plump lips are soooo sexy”, AND claims “…to keep you healthy looking and beautiful forever”.

And I tell you, it really works!
Well, it sort of works… …it might work.
Okay okay, I can’t see any difference… at all.
So I’m a mega, plump, hot, pouting sucker.

Mr You couldn’t believe I put it on for the first time yesterday morning, he thought he could notice plumpness already. “You’re crazy! You should have tried it on a weekend first. What if it kicks in half way through the day while you’re at work, and something hideous occurs!? Like on The Nutty Professor.”

He ogled my lips intently, waiting for some kind of sudden movement. Then, as I attempted to kiss him goodbye, he held me at arms length with all his might.
“Stay away, I don’t want that stuff on my lips!”
There was a struggle and then some chasing, but eventually I landed a kiss square on his forehead.

Then I headed off to work feeling “sooooo sexy”, leaving him fearing the sudden onset of a plump luscious lump in the middle of his forehead for the rest of the day. Worth every cent I tell you.

weekend escape

My Illustration Friday entry for 'escape'.

Just this last weekend we had an escape of our very own. We spent the weekend moseying through the Blue Mountains. I spent my high school years there, so it was a bit reminiscent for me. We had a great weekend and managed to do so many things without feeling like we were rushed or cramming things in and it was all very relaxing.

I took Mr You to a spot I remembered from back then called the Mushroom Tunnel. It’s an old disused railway line that leads into a tunnel right in the side of a hill, and you have to walk through the bush to find it. I was amazed how I was able to remember the way after all these years, just from a visual map somewhere in the depths of my memory. I remembered the creek, and the hill, but also subtle things like a fallen log, and the flatness of a certain area. It’s an amazing sight: a railway tunnel entrance made from large sandstone blocks, that hasn’t been used in close to 100 years, buried deep in the bush.

We also managed to go to an incredible lookout, we happened upon a craft market with fresh strawberries the size of golf balls, bumped into some dear old friends, looked at lots of little galleries and craft shops, and had coffee and bread and butter pudding in a quaint café in one of the many cute villages.

The next morning we got up bright and early and headed down out of the mountains to the ‘Trash & Treasure’ markets in the suburbs. We packed our car until it bulged, and we’re thinking of going back for another go in the not too distant future.
I tell you, only the deep suburbs can do ‘Trash & Treasure’ markets like they can!

(OOPSY! I gave it away there. Yes, unfortunately, we were actually travelling in a green car, not a purple patchwork balloon. There’s always a next time.)

riveting

Have you seen this Ex Girlfriend Project thing yet? I'm so hooked, I can't explain it yet, it's just compelling.

It's like all the things you've always wanted to tell people but never have.
And at the same time hearing all the truths you always wished people would have just told you, but never did.

Remember blog etiquette though, especially with this one, I'd die if he had to stop before the end. Like I said, I'm hooked.

(Tip: There's a "read this first" on the right, to give it all better context).

just before the dawn

One of my favourite passages from The Alchemist comes at a point in the book when the boy and the alchemist have been riding through the desert for four long days, and have been speaking about the quest to realising your dreams:


"So what should I do now?" the boy asked.
"Continue in the direction of the Pyramids," said the alchemist. "And continue to pay heed to the omens. Your heart is still capable of showing you where your treasure is."
"Is that the one thing I still needed to know?"
"No," the alchemist answered. "What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realised, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realising our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'
"Every search begins with beginners luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severly tested."
The boy remembered an old proverb from his country. It said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.


Dreams come every day, some are small and can be achieved in a few moments, some dreams last years, some a lifetime. The darkest hour could last a blink, or much longer, it's all proportional. Holding out for the dawn is what makes it worth while.

depth

My Illustration Friday entry for 'depth'.

The journey, while delving into your psyche, sometimes seems endless…
The deeper you go, the more depth you uncover, and the deeper you need to reach. The depths are daunting, and right now I feel like I’m running out of air. Dizzy and desperately wanting to gasp.
But eventually the pressure will fade, and you’ll reach a place to breath again.