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It's the tail end of romantic February, so I'm cutting it fine. In saying that, we can always extend any celebration be it Valentines, kindness, gratitude, mothers and fathers, earth day, happiness, birthdays...let's keep the giving energies flowing to infinity!  As I drove home, listening to Kate Morton's The Clockmaker's Daughter, my gaze was drawn upwards to the sky, filled with masses of clouds catching the afternoon sunlight...spectacular! This is a region full of wide open spaces and breathtaking sky-scapes. Nature always overflows my being with wonder, awe and gratitude. My week was a fulfilling mix of work and play, conversations with friends, little treats and quiet achievement. What more could I hope for?
I find Pentacles soothing, though they represent material aspects of life, their earthy grounded energy help keep us secure and upright. Circles are a symbol of beginnings and endings, of continuity and steady motion. Enjoy the fruits of your labour, the harmony of success, you deserve it! Quite befitting as 9 is all about busi-ness and activity, leading to fruition and fulfilment.
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Because I let time get away, I'm catching up! Wrapping up 2020 and still quietly contemplating my intentions for 2021. I stuck this together, in a kind attempt to not overload your inbox, though I've more to ponder, more to say, so please excuse the spurt of activity... it will pan out and find a rhythm soon! This is me keeping track of myself. Seems I'm a mixed media human too! Focused, unfocused, sometimes lumpy, with peculiar consistency, slow and steady, full of wonder and dreaminess, overwhelmed with happy-sad emotions, inspiration and desire, wishing to do everything and nothing! contradictory and nonsensical, and yet, content. I am me.  It got way too hot, too soon! counting down school weeks going through the motions introspective sleepiness books series bingeing pottery glazing banksia picking baking making books sewing painting furniture staying up late  Before I knew it, 2020 was gone!
December was a blur even though it felt slow. School finished. I headed to the coast. I caught a summer cold and got my first covid test. Grey days and regular rain have been glorious. I stretched myself out, continuing some pottery glazing and helping friends at their native plant nursery. It is a crazy month for making as the days fill up with end of year stuff, so there will be catch up to do. I tend to get quiet and reflective this time of year. It certainly has been ripe with emotional upheavals! Last months heat has evened out and the festive season was cooler and wetter than it has been for years, so refreshing. As it is almost half way through September, last months overview is already old news!  07/08
As the laptop does it’s internal thing, I’m surrounded by the hum of the fireplace, (old, noisy, yet efficient), radio tunes and the ever succulent thrum of wind and rain. Sounds soaking down, through and within, bringing green transformations, future abundance and ease to the farmer’s mind. Three faithful furry companions curl up beside me. My eye is caught by reflections of birds flitting, enjoying the winter shower outside. My mind wanders, nothing unusual there. I’m prone to distraction and grey, wet skies make me pensive. Natural cleansing and replenishing as nature washes and refreshes her pores, she extends her transformative energy out to us. 14/08/2020 I head to my backyard studio with thoughts of flowing medieval dresses and everyday costume wearing in my head, there was plenty of umming and ahhing and not so much sewing... My attempts to match patterns to fabric weren’t happening, not to mention choosing sizes. In sewing pattern terms, this means my measurements are equivalent to 3 different sizes...damn, in my mind I seemed to be the same shape as I ever was! Some days aren’t made for starting or finishing. Some days are only for pottering, tinkering, wondering, beginning, testing, trying, experimenting, fiddling. Some days, despite inspiration and intention, it just doesn’t come together how you imagined it would. I did start a skirt! 24/08/2020 Weekend baking. Staring meditatively as the hand mixer combined butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk. Watching, contemplating as all these separate ingredients slowly began to merge together. Words, thoughts and connections mixed and merged in my head, correlations - cooking to life, manipulating things, butter in my hands...I had a word, a phrase and then it was gone! The essence of the idea remains though the word escapes me. Reminder to myself (again) always write down words and thoughts immediately!
Incredibly we have not melted, though the daily sweating makes it feel like we are as we endure the oppressive heat and dryness. I upgraded the air-conditioning but try to take advantage of any breezes, letting light and air flow in rather than close everything up.
Not only a year, a whole decade has whizzed by! (though I'm told 2020 is actually the last year of the decade, I'm going to start at zero). It has been full of surprises, travel and adventure, unexpected changes, emotional challenges, work and play, routines, learning, rituals, understanding, creativity, goals and achievements. socially Most of my mingling was at work as well as book club, embassy arts, creative workshops, travel and visits. I seem to spend most of my home time alone especially now A&A have moved. emotionally exhausting roller coaster, unexpected situations and outcomes, uncertainty, hesitation, upset, hurt, release, freedom, awe, elation, the whole mix! spiritually I have been exploring where my curiosity leads me, delving into and enjoying renewing old esoteric interests in tarot, astrology, numerology and meditation. Asking questions and feeling fascinated by the connectedness of everything. creatively How would I cope without it? A focus on bookbinding, I love the process as much as the finished result. My daily weekly monthly goals and journaling/blogging continued slowly and steadily, with a definite energy shift, which is more of a self discipline issue and despite regularity, I've not been well placed emotionally this year - much worry and distraction and feeling like I let myself get caught up in these spaces. Overall, reading, bookbinding, monthly adventures and RAK have flowed fairly consistently. Poetry, sewing, letter writing and my unfinished pile barely have a don't in them! Clean outs and improved routines needed, goal setting and list making good, motivation fluctuating, inspiration overloaded, action and energy needed. gratitude Health, safety, comfort, work, support - family and friends, creativity, opportunity, possibilities, travel, freedom. Feeling blessed. It's already 6 months since we left!
Instead of kooky Christmas pics, you'll have to make do with quirky new year shots. Only 18 days into 2017 and I'm already behind! Before 2016 becomes a total blur, this is roughly some of what we achieved:
And for the in between stuff... Not yet being able to work enables me to hone my budgeting skills and gives me lots of time for reflexion, mmmmm. What to do with all this time? Walk, read, ponder, take photos, read, explore, visit libraries, museums, villages, roam, write, read, learn, appreciate, watch life float along and I can do housework all day! Haha. As if. I am currently a true flâneur. (Loosely translated, I'm doing a whole lot of nothing in particular!) Artemis and Armand have slinked into the moody and difficult teenager mode with the greatest of ease, while I've been wondering what planet I was on when I decided to bring two 13/now 14 year olds to France for a year. I'm not sure if they totally grasp the wonder and possibilities of this adventure...and the different struggles related to adjusting to a new life are enough to get us all down on some days! Am going for a record in the longest delay to open a bank account, 5 months and counting! I think I finally got it! Surely the most frustrating thing is it takes ages to get anything done here, administrative tasks in particular, so I feel like I'm in a permanent state of limbo. Have already had a few car hiccups. Secondary School blues - college here is somewhat more demanding than the relatively laid back day of high school in Australia. It seems less human, with long days, strict teaching methods and teachers, no replacement teachers! Students just get free/study/home time? Is there such a thing as too long a lunch break? Surprisingly, yes. So far Artemis and Armand don't like it, not sure if I do either! Missing friends and family, our heartstrings are getting a good work out. Regardless, we continue to enjoy the simple pleasures and wish the same for our beloved friends and family. You add sparkle to our days and wellness to our being! love Tina Artemis Armand |
AuthorFor me, it seems there is not much difference between wondering and wandering. It has always helped me find inspiration. Creative dabbling is good for the soul, I couldn't imagine life without it and often surprise myself by what I come up with. Archives
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