“My heart spread rainbow in the room like colours of youth and lilts of life's melodies.” ― Suman Pokhrel

GRATITUDE:  I am grateful for all my groups having Christmas parties - not so much for the festive fun but it's a great way to catch up with a lot of friends at once. People seem to make the effort to attend (as in they somehow have less conflicting commitments, which is weird that it's at such a busy time.

LOVE:  The great clear out continues. A lot of our stuffed toys are making their way to Thailand and the fence stock is constantly changing. The books are almost all gone now, replenishing the street libraries daily. A man came and asked if he could leave their vaccuum cleaner at my fence because they got an old one and the new one still works. I saw a woman with foster kids slow down in her car as she drove past to see if there was anything she wanted for them. I'm sure I drive the neoughbours mad but I love that the 'stuff' finds new homes. Unopenned toiletries, candles, toys, coloured pencils - you name it, it goes....I am also ebaying things to pay for my recycling (Banish, Flora & Fauna and Upparel). When ever something goes I feel good because I'm not only recycling the item sold, but I'm covering my costs to return bottles or rasors or to recycle garments.

HEALTH: Not exercising enough. Need to work on it more. Also need to work on stretches (and yoga) as I'm becoming a more inflexible. Mentallly too, now that I write this. Maybe I need to work on my intolernece....

CONNECTION: I dropped off my Reverse Advent Calendar to the Addisson Road Food Pantry and the volunteer was in a Marimekko mask. I'd spied the same one at the Art Gallery and we discussed whether we were at Matisse at the same time - Sydney is big but the Inner West is very small and predominiately like minded people. She put me onto the mask maker, Jinga Designs, who donates the profits to the Food Pantry. I swiftly ordered some and when I picked them up, and I thanked her for her work, we discussed how sad it was an affluent country like Australia needed charities to do the governments job and how so many people were living in poverty and wondering where we had gone wrong. It made me feel good that the people I meet each day are not only thinking along these lines, but actively working to change it. And I got some beautiful masks in the process. We are a strange bubble in the Inner West, but I do love my bubble. I love that I can meet two strangers and feel very connected to my community in the process. The masks are really thick and so comfy! Gorgeous lining too! You can purchase here. 

APPRECIATION: We get invited to this fabulous Christmas party in November at the art gallery for a private viewing. This year was the Matisse exhibition. I adore Matisse and really appreciate the space to view the works without the crowds. We had tickets to a show and I told my husband I'd rather go to the part y (but we managed to do both!). The best bit, is you have a bit of party chit chat, food and drink, and then you hear about the artist and view the exhibition, and then you return for more socialising. It's in November before the Christmas rush. It's a corporate party where they're taken into account their guests.  If nothing else, when talking to strangers, you have the art as a starting point.

CARE: That by the time you read this, my middle child has finsihed school. It has been a rough year for the HSC kids, and now his schoolies has been cancelled due to floods so they are madly tring to find an alternative venue. I have my fingers crossed they do (in probably the first time a parent is desperate their kid goes to schoolies! Ha!) I love that this stage has finished for him, though sad it limped along in such a terrible way and he was robbed of time with friends and that growth they get in year 12. His lasts were completed without us realising it, and the lockdown and covid restrictions meant the 'last week of school' couldn't have any of the usual fun celabratory activities, as it was all about minimising COVID spread. So I am hoping that the next step brings all the good things back for him and life seems doubly exciting as a grown up....

MEMORIES:  In the early '90's, I went to Monaco Grand Prix. A friend came over from london and we went up from Nice to see the Matisse Chapel in St Paul de Vence. It took us ages to get there, but when we did, we discovered it was closed on Tuesday. So all we saw was the works on the outside. It was such a disappointing day, yet we did still have fun and the town is very pretty. I loved seeing the 'recreation' at the exhibition and the memories triggered when I walked into the room housing these works at the exhibition. It was lovely. And a reminder of what I'd missed and the time with an old friend (who I am now prompted to contact, as she lives in Perth). Memories is such a funny beast. The aritist's work is now a reminder of this person and a time shared, all unbeknownst to be until I turned the corner and entered the room.

If you can get to Sydney for the exhibition, it's lovely. He was a master. And my fun fact that I learnt was that Mrs Matisse and her daughter worked for the French Resistance and were caught and tortured. She had left him by then but I still don't know why that isn't a bigger story! How did I get until now and not know this?

"The Human spirit. The Artist must bring all his energie, sincerity and the greatest modesty to push aside the old cliches in his work" (that's my translation so correct me if I'm wrong. I'm very rusty and no offence will be taken). 

I love that art is never just about the picture.

Linking with #Lifwthisweek  #InspireMeMonday