48 Hours

It's only 48 hours before the beginning of 2020.

So much has happened in this decade, so many things have gone on. So many great people who have come into our lives have been lost - in our personal lives and in the film and music world. 

I mean, David Bowie, Robin Williams, Prince, Paul Walker, Leonard Nimoy, Luke Perry, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds (one day after her daughter), Elizabeth Taylor, Bill Paxton, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin... and there's so many more of the people who changed the music and movies in our lives. A lot of us loved them, and will always be changed by them and their voices. Many more of them will always be missed by us all, no matter how many years pass. 

This year has been a difficult one for me as I lost another lot of friends who were close to my heart. One of them was my ex-boyfriend, Mark Davey. Even though we didn't date for very long, and I broke it off (because I wasn't ready for a relationship and really didn't want to hurt him - but I did), we did stay friends. However, as he became more sick with cancer, he pulled away from everyone around him. It still hurts to think and talk about him; but it's been only a couple of months. What does hurt the most is that Mark and I share a birthday, and that really will hurt a lot next year; not having him around to celebrate with me. 
I do have quite a few of his paintings in my house now. There's the first one he gave me on our first date - which is in my bedroom. It's the bunch of flowers he gave me, 'because these don't die.' I love them. Then, we bartered when I gave him a book on Frida Kahlo, and I scored on of his sculptures. Then, when his family gave some of his paintings to the LAA, I picked out 'Changing Positions' and wondered if there were any other Hibiscus ones around... and found a good-sized purple hibiscus painting, which nobody wanted. So, I took that one. They are all in my house; and I love them.

I've lost another few friends in my life who were close to my heart. Sue Notary passed away in June here in Brisbane, and I was going to go to visit her the following week. I couldn't make her service. She and I have been friends for some years, and I met her on a Facebook group. What a lovely lady to know. 

But this year, I've been painting and working on my next exhibition next year. It's been something which has been keeping me busy. During this past Winter, I worked on the upkeep of my garden and it's been looking good too. I moved things around, and have begun to throw things out. 
And on Christmas Night, I sat down and filled 6 rubbish bags with junk to throw out in the bin outside! On Boxing Day, I filled another 2 bags and tossed them in the bin outside. Then on 28th, December, I filled another 3 rubbish bags and threw them out in the bin too. Yes, I was on a roll! My bin is almost full, and I'm almost finished in cleaning up house - not quite done, but almost. I still have to clean out things and put things away. There's still so much to get done, and yet, it's just 2 days away from the New Year.

I wonder if I'll make it to before it's the New Year. I'm hoping so. What about you? Are you madly cleaning out the house for the new decade - like me? Or are you still working on getting in and working on the leftovers in the fridge from last week? Only kidding. I don't have any leftovers in my fridge; as on 27th, December, I had to go shopping and pick up some groceries. Well, that's all from me right now, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

It's Christmas!

I'm not going to blame my lack of posts on this. Nope, I'm just damned lazy.

Yeah, that's it. Also I haven't been feeling great lately, either. I've lost a few more friends in the past few months; and just withdrawn a little more - not a good thing to do. But in doing that, I've concentrated on my art, my knitting and my garden.

So, when the time came to head down the coast, I was more than happy to get down there and chill out painting, walking in the early morning sunlight and get some serious photographs. 

It's always good to get your head straight when things aren't going well, isn't it? And the best place for me to do that is away from the city, by the ocean. It's just how I've worked. I got in and read half a good book, started reading another one, and did some painting, finished up knitting something and went out with my Mum to a few places around Brunswick Heads. 
Yep, it was a perfect time away for me. We ate mud crab, had good laughs, watched reruns of 'The X-Files' and Dad thought my night-talking was hilarious (I mumble in my sleep). 

Well, it's coming to the end of the year, and when I came home from the coast, I walked through the door of my house and thought: 'What a completely messy place I live in!' I hadn't unpacked when I started decluttering around my place! I had to, I just can't live like this. There were bags of things I sorted out, a grabbed a box and filled it up and stuck it next to the door and found I was unpacking from the coast and packing other things for the closest charity store at the same time.

I'm really looking at what I want in my house - and it's only days away from Christmas. The good thing is that I've got food in my fridge, the backyard is flourishing, the lawn is finally growing (from seed) and my good friends who looked after my yard for me did a great job. I gave them a lovely box of chocolate for being there when I needed them. And yesterday, I gave away 2 handbags, a set of drawers which sit on the counter, upcycled another set of counter-top drawers and filled a box with old paintings, clothes and other things I no longer need. I'm going to be doing this again this coming week, in readiness for the charity stores opening again. 

And next year? Well, in the first two weeks of January, my house will be cleaned out so fast and well by that time, the place will be unrecognisable. I'm not going to let it get filled up like it has been again. I'm not sure what's happened lately, but I just can't live with the crap around me like I have done in the past two years. 

So, what about you? Are you suddenly cleaning up and throwing things out? Are you doing a big clean out and giving things away? Or is it just me? Well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember I'm always here. Merry Christmas and I'll see you in the coming New Year.