Share Four Somethings - March

Something I loved At lunch, a friend suggested we walk back to the house, an hour away (only 4kms, so not far). I initially said no. Then I said yes but in my head thought it would be too hot and it was a stupid thing to do but I would be a 'team player'. How wrong was I? It was the highlight of the weekend for me. Stunningly beautiful, and she is always good company. It was just that really lovely, relaxed fun. Chicken soup for the soul as they say, So the moral is, as I've written before, not to default to NO.

It's an oldie but a goodie that's made it's way back into my playlist. Loving this song again!

Something I learned Baby corn is just unpollinated corn. Gardeners correct me if I'm wrong but basically the ear of corn is female and the silk threads at the end are male, so you harvest the corn before the silks appear (or just as they appear). Wild, huh? Who knew?

Something that went well I went on a weekend away and one woman was so rude to another, I was really shocked. I immediately made a comment that the rudeness was actually aimed at me, even though it was being said to her and it made her laugh. I was thinking I had playfully made the first woman check her tone but then she unbelievably did it a second time. So I spoke up again. I did make the target smile and feel better, and at least know someone had her back but she was obviously hurt and we were both uncomfortable. We are far too old to behave like that. Even if you don't like someone, on a group weekend you suck it up. Surely the goal is to make everyone welcome? It's a big group so you can pretty much avoid anyone you need to. It really tarnished what could have been an overall lovely day for me and question what I was doing there, because that is not my type of vibe at all. I am putting it down to the speaker having a bad day, and it just coming out wrong, as we all have those moments. I am however now wary.

Something I let go of  This one I need to work on. There was more fall out from that weekend and I honestly wish I hadn't gone. I am so close to saying things I can't walk back from so am just keeping my mouth shut, and not bring past baggage with that group into play. I have to see one of them next week and I really don't want to, but it's too petty if I fail to show. This is not appropriate for an adult and I'm not proud of this at all. I am glad I have a fun weekend planned with other friends, and really glad I'm seeing those pals that have my back next week. I hope in a few days I've moved on. I'm a little ashamed that I'm still carrying it. That says more about me than them, and it is not good. 

Linking with #ShareFourSomethings

The moon was up on my morning walk. Photos are from the walk after lunch and my sunrise walk.

Claris in Paris

My kids didn't really know Claris, as the first book was published in 2018 though the youngest had a little stint with Angelina the ballet mouse books...my question, what is it with fancy girl mice books? Personally I'm a Hello Kitty fan, or Miffy so I don't get the mouse thing at all. Ha!

Claris has apparently taken the world by storm and even Bvlgari and Valentino have done collaborations.

The website is here with all the guff for those that don't know or want to look at the collabs.

We were having friends for lunch from Greece so I headed to The Grounds to pick up a pav, the quintessential Australian dessert.

I got the lasts snaps of the Claris laneway, as it was being dismantled the next day to be set up for Snow White. Not you have to have purchased something to be able to walk through nowadays, due to the crowds.

I have to admit it was very pretty and adorable to see the little girls all dressed up in their Parisian chic. And some of the parents too!

Linking with #WordlessWednesday #HappyTuesday and #HappyNow because it really put a delighted spring in my step!

"Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy"

The title is spoken by the Blue Fairy to Pinocchio.

While we were in Kingscliff, we went to the Tweed Regional Gallery. There is a very life like bronze statue outside, and I decided to make him real...

I brought him to life in the early 1970s...

but in B&W you really couldn't tell he wasn't alive.

And this is literally how my brain works. You're welcome.

Do you think he looks real?

I guess the lesson is we can change what we see if we change the way we look at it....

Linking with #WWWHimsy  #TalkaboutitTuesday #ThruMyLens

#KeithsRamblings

After the cyclone

The cyclone never really hit in full force, just storms and strong winds by the time Alfred reached land. And flooding.

I was surprised at Kingscliff how little damage there was, given the ferocity.

The coastal erosion was the most noticeable damage and some trees down.

Otherwise it was just excessive leaves on the ground and some roads flooded (& detours) were the only signs it had ever been rampaging through.

So Queensland was very lucky!

Linking with #TalkaboutitTuesday #WednesdayAroundtheWorld #MCoW #NaturesNotes and #GardenAffair (nature)

Hopefully this is not the start of Cyclone Season!

#Allseasons linky runs from Thursday to Wednesday each week. 

Link one post that shows something seasonal. Traditional weather wise, a seasonal nature marker or a seasonal celebration. 

Make sure you link back to this  #AllSeasons post. 

Please comment on the post before yours and the host. Don't dump and run. 

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Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us. Boris Pasternak

We had spent the evening at the Recital Hall and were making our way from the auditorium, discussing the talk we'd just listened to.

Suddenly the fire exit doors opened and we followed the trail of people to descent in the plain concrete stairwell....

However, as we entered, we discovered it was adorned with murals all the way down.

"Surprise is key in all art". Oscar Niemeyer

Suddenly I was joyfully snapping away, delighted that we were let in on this secret.

Sometimes I guess the discovery elevates the enjoyment of the thing we find... 

Linking with #TalkaboutitTuesday #MondayMusicMovesMe 

"Time will pass and seasons will come and go."

I'm away this weekend, as my book club takes it's annual road trip. We are heading to a cyclone destroyed beach. Hoping the food makes it back to the supermarkets for the people up there.

So comments may be MIA or not until next week.

I've been given the medical all clear to have the occasional drink - so a magnum with friends was in order! (There were 10 of us, less than 2 glasses each - still being boringly responsible)

Seasonal wild flowers and rainy sunrises are the season we are in it seems. Yet still better than Cyclone season.

Linking with #Skywatch and #GalleriaHimmelsblick

“I am still making order out of chaos by reinvention” ― John le Carre

We are constantly changing. There's a problem if we are not. We should be learning new things and gaining greater understanding and if we are fixed to the knowledge we thought we once had, we never grow.

So we are constantly reinventing ourselves.

Sometimes by choice, think about how your musical taste might have changed over the years?

Sometimes by force, the arrival of children, a divorce, a death. We are forced to reinvent our whole lives, even though we had intellectually nailed that life as our permanent one.

You are allowed to reinvent yourself as often as you need. As I wrote here, these new beginnings slip by unheralded.  You just keep marching forward and look back to see you climbed a mountain.

I saw this quote yesterday, and I think it's the most positive reason to reinvent yourself as you need to. "If you do not swim with the person you are becoming, you will drown under the weight of who you used to be".

If you don't like an aspect of your life, including who you are, work to change it. Reinvent yourself, follow that ridiculous dream, make the world the way it should be.

"At its core, reinvention is inextricably linked to hope: the hope that we can find another way, take another shape.” ― Vivek Shraya, People Change

Linking with #SeniorSalonPitstop #GMALinky #Tellusabout #SundayBest #TheRandom #ThruMyLens #TalkaboutItTuesday

#Skywatch #GaleriaHimmelsblick