Where flowers bloom, so does hope - Lady Bird Johnson

While keeping the kids off public transport, I had to drop one in the city for a medical appointment and wait around. I ducked over to roam the Royal Botanic Gardens and was delighted to discover In Bloom is back at the Calyx. 






A small donation and the stunning display is yours to enjoy.

I was short on time to stroll around the gardens afterwards unfortunately, but that brief burst of sunshine and the beauty of  abundant colourful flowers was enough to make me feel euphoric. 

The best bit, I was inspired to organise lunch in the gardens next week with a friend, so it's almost like back in real life....
What's making you love life this week?

 Linking with #CulturedKids and #FloralFriday

Peephole windows

Mental Health Day

On Tuesday I was very stressed so yesterday I took the day off. After the wonderful day on Cockatoo Island last week, I headed to the MCA to see their offerings for the Biennale of Sydney, Nirin. It's a fabulous exhibition. I wore a mask but was the only one, so bare that in mind. However there weren't a lot of people so it was easy to space and avoid proximity to others.

I finished at the rooftop cafe (use the stairs not the elevator - that's my COVID tip), and took in my beautiful city that I've really missed this year.

After the afternoon kids biz, I headed to the Wednesday Club's Wine & Clay night, the second activity since lockdown eased. I made a planter so will have a pot to grow some herbs in hopefully, if it doesn't explode. It's fun to chat over an activity, with champagne and nibbles (my friend did the nibbles all in individual containers with lids so no aerosol risk, and no cross contamination, though no other groups seemed worried about this).
My husband was out so once home and  the kids in bed, I settled down to finish watching Cancelled. This is a really great webseries (honestly better than half the shows I'm watching on tv at the moment). It's filmed on a phone, in Spain during lockdown. It's all those feelings we felt and a real glimpse into life this year. Though in one episode they blew out the candles on a birthday cake and my first thought was "You can't do that!!". We are changed in so many tiny ways by all this...Anyway, I think they just won an award so definitely worth checking out.

From the chaos, so many wonderful creative things have occurred. The Prism will be dissolved for good at the end of August, so get in quick and have a play around. It's really fantastic with something for everyone. Three levels of music. theatre, circus, puppets and more. You don't want to miss it.

Yesterday was a really wonderful day. We need more of those.
What are you loving?

Linking with #MCoW #OurWorldTuesday  #WordlessWednesday #LovingLifeLinky #Nanahood and #TheRandom 

The Science of Dance

In this brilliant article, Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D talks of the benefits to mental health of dancing. I've really missed the energy of dancing in a crowd but have still lifted my mood by dancing hectically to Timmy Trumpet or with enthusiasm to Bakermat. A quick 15 minute burst will dispel the COVID blues that seem to rear up at odd times.

In the Tomorrowland set, Timmy Trumpet at one point even asks for your craziest dance. As I complied, I felt strangely elated. Sometimes a simple physical shift is enough to change your mood.

I love to dance. I can block the world out when I dance. Or I can share the moment with the people around me who fall into sync. I'm not a good dance but one of the upsides of being old, at a concert, people are more shocked at my age than my moves...the lack of rhythm and strange moves must pass unnoticed 'because she's so old'....

I am hoping we get our concerts and festivals back soon, but for now, any dancing is better than no dancing at all. So by myself, when I can, even in short bursts, will have to do.

Remember as they say in Hawaii, "A’a i ka hula, waiho i ka maka’u i ka hale." Dare to dance, leave shame at home.

If you're having a rough day, blast out this song and dance with as much frenetic energy as you can. I guarantee you'll feel better. I embedded the clip to 911 because the visuals are everything I'm really missing at the moment. More than travel, if you can believe that! But Party til we die is the real mood lifter that gets inside you and pumps you up.

Do you have small tricks to lift your mood?

Linking with #KCACOLS (I still can't get the badges to work! Sorry!) 

Texture

"Indifference is isolation. In difference is texture and wonder."

Edwin Schlossberg

Always embrace the textures around you. That is where the memories lie.

 Linking with #PictorialTuesday #WWOAT  #ThruMyLens #SundayBest #WordlessWednesday

In the grand scheme of things....

 

This was a zoomed in as much as I could. He was very high up but dangling a long way down from the top. Presumably fixing a seal.

It's sort of a metaphor for life. Things will break. We will need to take all the measurements necessary to protect ourselves while we fix them.

Or we feel all alone but there's always a rope somewhere securing us to everything. It might be thin and barely noticeable, but it's there all the same. We just need to stay connected.

Linking with  #AllSeasons

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Every year I take myself off to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. I just love the exceptional photos on display, and this year was no exception (there is a distressing one of a baby hippo being eaten by large male, so you might want to rush young kids past that). They are magnificent, as are the creatures and landscapes depicted in them.
If you haven't been, you have until January so prebook your tickets and head to the Sydney Maritime Museum.
While there, I popped up to the Sea Monsters Exhibition. (You have until October to catch it). Apparently the Plesiosaurs might have had such a long neck so that they could eat small fish without their big body scaring them away.
If got me thinking, if Plesiosaurs survived to live along side Mosaurs, could a rogue family have survived even longer in Loch Ness for the myth to be invented? Imagine if that was where that story began? Obviously the key word is imagine. But if dinosaurs have feathers and the Big Bang was started by the final spark of a previously existing galaxy dying out, why not? (Okay Science peeps, I know it's a long bow, quite probably way off target but I like the idea...I'm sure I have a children's book idea in there somewhere.)

Anyway, if looking for something to do, go and decide for yourself.
Note the Museum Store has a great range of gifts including conservation and plastic reduction items so well worth checking that out too.

Linking with #LovingLifeLinky because it felt SO GREAT to be back in a museum!!! And #TheRandom

Weekend in Black & White. Literally.

I need to write a story but blank for ideas. Hopefully something comes with my second cup of coffee.

Hoping the sun makes it way through the clouds and we have another warm and glorious day.

Linking with  #WordlessWednesday #KeithsRamblings  #WWOT #ThruMyLens #SundayBest & #WeekendinBlackandWhite