Recovering new ground

I haven't blogged for so long. I sort of had a turn at using tumblr, and so I started blogging there, but even that was quite short lived. For, maybe, nine months or so I even stopped reading my line up of favourite blogs regularly. It seems that now I am coming back so many of them have closed themselves off and made themselves 'private'. Maybe this is because they have stopped writing and no longer want their blogs just resting out in the inter-verse for just anyone to wander across. Maybe they only want people they know and love, and trust, invited into these spaces now. Maybe they are still writing (I hope so), but no longer want an unidentified audience. Both of these options make sense, and are understandable. Especially when there are so many personal stories and views shared; when friends and family are interwoven within.

While I can only respect and understand why these decisions must be made it does still leave me a little sad. I have enjoyed being let in by the dozens of amazing people... actually... yes, yes they are all women. By the dozens of amazing women who I read. I cherish these writers, often photographers and sharers, and so thank-you. I hope you don't all take off, and I hope more of you will come along.

That all being said, and I don't know how diligent I'll be, but my plan is to start blogging regularly again. To keep a record of my life I guess. A place to put down thoughts and observations, events, and to help better hold on to memories. I want to use this as a place to store some of my artistic expressions, and as a way to connect with others. Like I said before, I don't know how consistent I will be, but I hope to make this space somewhat constant in my life.

I included this photo because it is from a really happy day when I was in Sydney (Bondi in this photo) and got to see my sister. I live in Melbourne, so it's not often that I get up to see her, or the rest of my family who also live there. This is her. We tucked her dress into her undies so that it wouldn't get wet, as you can see, it kept coming out and the hem got well and truly soaked! We spent most of the time standing with our legs in the surf and I would lift her up, swinging her into the air, every time a big wave came to claim us. We both thought that this was great fun! She would shriek in delight and would wander around always expecting to be saved from the waves, which she always was, and this was actually fun for me too. A nice feeling to hold her close and rescue her just in time while we both laughed away together. I love this cheeky-monkey-girl so much! It is with her sense of joy and spirit that I began again here. :)

Treats from Around the City

Wandering through this neighbourhood, sometimes you can come across some pretty cool things. Lately a whole heap of fruits have been popping up. Heres's some from around the place.

This is the grape vine about a month ago.

And now here it is roughly a week ago.

The tree at the end of the fence...

What's that there?! :)

Happy adventuring! Xxx.

Connecting on Different Levels

Still sick, but determined to be with friends tomorrow for dancing and laughing. I'll just sleep lots tonight and not drink. I haven't really drunk alcohol all year, opting instead for mineral water, but recently I've not been so good. Just this last month I haven't been good.

Next door my neighbours at the 'groove pad' are playing T. Rex and it's making me jealous! I want to go knock on their door and ask to join in. One of the great things that my mum passed on to me was freedom through dance. To turn up the music and loose yourself in it. Music is so completely connected to emotion, and for me it's a spiritual thing. Like entering a new level feeling. Throughout my life my mum and I have danced together; as a baby she would hold me in her arms. As a toddler, coming back to her after staying with my dad, one of the first things we would do was play music, dance and just laugh together. Happiness, sharing the joy, and our love.

Have you noticed that when you dance with someone completely freely you become closer? Form a sort of bond. I have a few friendships that I can say have been strengthened through dance, haha!

Some of my friends say I dance like a 'hippy', but I don't think they really know what a 'hippy' is. Hippy is just a word that a lot of people say, and I think capitalism has stereotyped what 'hippy' is. Its become a brand that people use to sell, and to conveniently segregate a set of beliefs. I just dance how my mum taught me to. With no reservations.

The times I feel most alive are when in nature or when dancing.

Now my favourite T. Rex song, which I feel is strangely perfect for this post. :D

The Joys of a Train Station

Tonight I sit sick in bed, but the other day, on the weekend, I wandered gleefully around in the spring brilliance.

Off to meet my team-mates (friends) for the 48 hour film contest, (a project that is now done and dusted!) I walked to the station to be met with this glorious sight.

The station had come alive with flowers and greenery!

I love this contrast of the ordinary and mundane with the beautiful and overgrown poking out.

And cacti! I don't know how they got there, but they were extraordinary and covered a whole portion on the hill!

Even lavender, which the bees were getting in on, and why wouldn't they? Such a lovely plant.

Getting down with the growth.

There was just so much of it. :)

Used to have some of these in my garden growing up, such great plants to play with and make all sorts of made-up witch's potions...

There's something about palm trees. So exotic, we don't have them in Canberra (too cold!) and they still strike me with their outlandish structure.

Oh here comes the train!

Last glimpse of the spectacle.

And off I go to the city! Thank-you world for this little, blissful, pick-up.

Warm days, Cold Days, Birthdays and The moon

So, here's catching up with a few photos taken over some time. Documentation of my life, but one's that haven't made it into a post of their own!

A last minute decision to go to a dress-up birthday meant that I got dressed in 30mins and rushed out into the night (to a bowls club)! Having recently watched the 5th season of Mad Men I was a little bit sixties inspired and, although it's not that standout, I was happy with what I was able to pull together.

dress: my housemate's

boots: my mum's old boots, which she got from e-bay

necklace: made from the chain of a necklace given to me, and a bracelet given to me by my nanna, many years ago

bead bracelet: bough from a market in America (originally bought it for my cousin, but fell in love with it and got her something different)

I feel the need to point out that this is not my room and hence, not my mess. ;)

Me trying to smile and take a picture. Evidently I find it hard to multitask.

The party was fun, but took ages to get to! I'm glad I ended up going. I had some good talks and caught up with a different crowd.

The weather is, as always, unsettled. It seems that it wants to be sunny and warm one day, and then the complete opposite the next.

The mid-morning sun streaming into my room!

And making it's way into the bathroom too!

The afternoon sun calls for lazy sun beam watching on the couch.

But then! The storm clouds come...

And I guess you saw the full moon a while back, it kept me up all night.

A bright guiding light. Safe adventures to all!

Seeds and Light

As is usual for most weekend mornings, I went into my flatmates room to sit on her bed and talk about, oh, nothing in particular. This is what greeted me as I looked out the window. Sun, shining through the new green leaves. I love that bright, fresh colour of new growth, it's magical! With clumps of seeds hanging all over the tree, the promise of life.

Here I was tired and wanting to be home already, but I looked up and noticed one of the things I love about living in Melbourne. It's wide (low rise) streets. You can't really see it here, but many of the buildings are actually quite lovely. The light was perfect for the mood of the street. I think places have moods, don't they?

The sky! The colours! The light!

I just like the top of this building. I love copper. It defies the idea of new always being best. As it ages and weathers it only gets more beautiful, in a different way.

When tired and grumpy, I must remember to look around. :)

Skype-ing with Friends

Us. Laughing. Brightening up my day. :)