This Month of Busyness

Well, I've been meaning to come in here and write - but well, everytime I do, life has just gotten in the way!

Let's start at the beginning, okay? 

My birthday was in the first week, and I drove to my brother's house with all birthday gifts for him and my niece (as they have birthdays two weeks after mine). Anyway, we had a great day and night together, with plenty of laughs and music. Their dog was just a sweetheart and sat my feet and enjoy the doggy treats I bought for her from Mount Tamborine last month. 

Then the following week, I scored a nice, heavy easel from the LAA. They were giving it away; and it was just perfect for the days where I'm going to sit and do detail work on a painting. So, it's a great piece to own. 
During the month, I worked on my garden, and shopped at Bunnings to get myself a good lot of cheap plants and some mix for the garden. I also moved my plants around to make more space for the Tahitian Lime tree; as it needed the room to grow. 

I had moved the office around a little last month, and so I began to shred a lot of paperwork from the filing cabinet and looked into what kind of new desk I'll be getting for my office - as I'm going to be doing that in the new year. However, the front garden and backyard still have a few little things which needed work on. 

My artwork came along well at the Tuesday Art Group. I finished on painting, and continued with a few others. There were two I'm working on; on called 'The South Arm' while the other is called 'The View' - both oil paintings and both nearing their completion. I can't wait finish them both, and move onto new work. I've decided to not only paint landscapes of the Northern Rivers area of Brunswick Heads, but also Brisbane, Sandgate and around Thorneside and Logan City. It'll give for a wider scheme of projects and I'll be able to work on a better lot of places over the next year or so. 

My beanies are finally in their exhibition at the Logan Art Gallery's Pop-Up Store. They're all for sale and I do take on commission works if you wish. Just tell me what style you're looking at, and the colour you'd like, and I'll work on it over the next few weeks. I'm a fast knitter. 

This month has been a wild ride. I've had some sadness just before my niece's birthday, though. My dear friend, Mark Davey, who lived to paint and draw every day, passed away from cancer. He was suffering from another illness, but that wasn't what took him away from us. He was the best man anyone could call a friend. He encouraged me in my work, pushed me to become a financial member of the Logan Artists Association and showed me ways to paint like I've never thought possible. I will miss him dearly as a friend, a fellow artist and a Birthday Buddy as well (as we shared a birthday together). Rest well, Mark. Paint your part of Heaven in the way you did in life - with every colour on your palette; and more you never saw here.  

Where Do I Start?

Well, so much has gone on this month, and in the past few days that I'm not sure where to start. At the beginning is a good place I guess.

My Little Garden Facelift has come forward in leaps in bounds since I installed the greenhouse; and the things I've been growing in it - and want to grow in it - are great! I've got a flourishing black cherry tomato vine in there and some herbs I'm using all the time. I want to get in a good salad tomato for this Summer - one which isn't acidic (as these things often make me feel sick in the guts from the acid in them) and seeing I'm growing basil, I'll look into growing more than I have now. 
Then, I put down 4 big bags of cheap potting mix on my big dip in the lawn. It just wasn't working out properly and I had to level out the ground before putting down new lawn seed again. I have done that but the seed came up too fine and I found I had to get better seed - which I did, and now it's a waiting game.

Over the month of August, I've been working on shutting down 'Crafty Pegs'... but not in the way people think. Every time I've said I'm closing it down, I'd gotten the look of horror from my friends. I'm attending a market to get rid of excess stock and I'll be working on a commision; so people can order things from me and I can make them as they're ordered. It's easier for me and I'll have more room in my house too! 

Well, it's also been a great month for me to work on not only my house, but also myself. I joined a gym at the beginning of August - and stuck with it - but I'm continuing on with my membership for the next 6 months! I'm feeling wonderful, working out twice a week and enjoying the difference in how the gym is making me feel. 

I did a little op-shopping, cracked my pinky toe on my right foot (and it's still recovering) and then before that I decided to get myself a new toiletries bag from Priceline - and it had to be purple, didn't it? Yep, it did. And it looks just lovely! I'm so happy I bought it! 
And then, my brother and his family were by Mum and Dad's house one Sunday night and I came by too... Ellie, their dog, was there too for a few days and she was just lovely to hang out with and pat. I'm looking at the photos from Project 365 and I had a big month last month; and well, this month started off big too.

We lost two family members - one of them was a lovely lady who had been in our lives for such a long time, I do think it's going to take a long time for us to grieve. Oma, Aunty Helen's step-Mother-In-Law, passed away on Sunday - Father's Day here in Australia - aged 99. What an age to reach, and such a day to leave us so suddenly as well. She fell ill that morning and was gone before the sun set. 

The next day, I found out that my Dad's cousin from up north passed away on Father's Day as well. I didn't know his cousin well, but she wasn't well for a long time with Breast Cancer; and she was around Dad's age. 

So sad over the past few days. I'm only hoping the next month picks up for us all in my family. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Vintage Clothing Day

Today is the first annual event of Vintage Clothing Day. I've created this event to honour my dear, sweet friend, Hannah Northedge, who committed suicide early last month. 

Hannah was right into the vintage era, clothes and lifestyle and so I thought to create an annual event in her memory 'Vintage Clothing Day' and it's today, 5th, June, as it's today she is being laid to rest in the UK. Unfortunately, I'm unable to make it to her service - and this includes a lot of people across the world who knew Hannah in every way. 

Some of us knew her from school, and throughout her life. While others knew her as a teacher, as they were students who took singing lessons from her - and they knew her for only a short time. However, she had this affect on everyone around her, something which was contagious in the way she carried herself.

She must have been in a lot of pain - physical or mental, or both - to have thrown herself off a cliff (the most horrible way to go) and not tell anyone where she was going. None of us, her friends, knew where she was. As far as I knew, she was in London. 
I knew she wasn't well, and I also knew she was begging for any medical help available and getting nowhere with the hospitals and doctors. The NHS and the medical professionals failed my dear friend; and this is horrendous. 

This is what 'Vintage Clothing Day' is all about. It's a day where you wear your best old clothes to show you have lost somebody in your life - to remember them, that they're not of the past or forgotten - to suicide. Sometimes, the causes to suicide isn't diagnosed properly or easily; and when the causes have gone on too long and the person takes their own life, it's too late.

It's the people left behind who are hurt and who are damaged, who are wondering what else they could have done to help - when really they couldn't have done anything more, and it was the what the doctors should have done which would have helped save that person; or in the very least got them talking.

So, do you think 'Vintage Clothing Day' is a good idea? I think so. It commemorates the passing of my dear friend, who should have had the help and assistance from the doctors who she asked to help her, and they didn't give her enough help, just gave her pills... they didn't see the other problems disguised as everyday habits, they didn't recognise the problems she was having with everything in her life. 

And you know, I don't think any of us saw any of the problems until it was far too late either. In a lot of ways I blame myself for not seeing what was wrong with her... but it's too late now, and this is how I'm hoping to help others in the future - as well as myself - and keep this an annual event. 

Even if it doesn't take off as an event across the world, I'll be doing it next year again to keep Hannah's memory alive. 

Grieving And Loss

My last few posts have been all over the place; and for this I must apologise. I've lost a wonderful friend to suicide and it's really thrown me. My life has come to a complete and crashing halt because of it. 

This friend of mine was the bright star, the person who was always out there and doing things, singing gigs at every place in town, recording new music all the time, enjoying life right to the hilt and teaching as well as playing music - notes practically oozed from her pores. But she was in the most immense pain over the past six months; in and out of hospital and undergoing test after test and after all of this, she didn't know what was going on. She was losing weight, feeling as though her head going to implode, and at the same time, she couldn't breath or hold her own body weight - and yet, the doctors told her nothing came up on the tests to say there was anything wrong with her. 

Three weeks ago, she took her own life after going missing from a seaside township near the Devon Cliffs. Her service is next Tuesday - 5th, June - and I wish I could be there in the UK to say goodbye to her, but I can't. I live too far away to attend it. 

It's still very early days where I'll have a few hours where I don't think about her, and I'll be cleaning up around the place and everything will be fine. Then, I'll find the smallest thing she gave me and my whole day will be a mess. Everything I've done for that day will mean nothing to me and I'll fall down that rabbit hole of darkness and grief where I know my dear friend is no longer in my world and she's gone forever.

It's horrible to grieve the death of somebody who's been in your life for so very long that you think they'll always be there. The thing is that I have lost so many friends between my 30's and 40's that I really think it's time I stopped losing them... seriously, it's getting beyond a joke with my lot of friends diminishing as my life goes on; whereas my family's friends seem to keep on living beyond the age of 50. 

Next week is my friend's service - on 5th, June - and I've heard she wanted people attending the service to dress in their best vintage clothing (or bright clothes) for the service. I've thought to make an annual event in her honour: The Vintage Clothing Day. I don't care if there's one already knocking around, this is for my friend... and what's happened to her; which was dreadfully unfair. Her doctors failed her. The hospital failed her. The NHS failed her. This day is for people like her, the ones who felt they had no other way out but to take their own lives when the medical professionals stopped trying and stopped listening. 

Will you join me on this day wherever you are on 5th, June? I hope so.

Goodbye to Everyone's Starman

I don't think the music world will be the same this week after the shock news of the passing away of David Bowie. 

He was Ziggy Stardust.

He was the Thin White Duke.

He was our Starman.

I grew up with his strangeness on the radio and loved every minute of it - even when my friends thought it wasn't the most in music around, and they went off and listened to Bros and other boy-bands. I stuck with my favourites I'd known since I was young:

The Cure
U2
The Police
Pink Floyd
The Who
Queen...

yes the list goes on... but I loved my English bands as well as my Aussie bands and US bands. But David Bowie was a musician who struck a certain chord in me I couldn't tell anyone about. It's like looking at a painting and finding something in it that nobody else can; and yet you're the only one who can see it.

However, I think everyone has this feeling with Bowie's music at some point in their life. 

And David Bowie wasn't just a musician, he was an actor as well. He was the Goblin King in 'Labyrinth' and played a very serious role in 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Laurence'.

However as with any musician or artist, David Bowie's work is what he will be remember by the most, as well as the things people knew about him. He was a left-handed person, who played the guitar right-handed (I noticed this in a film clip from 1972 of 'Starman'). And he wore just about anything in that decade and coloured his hair a collection of colours too. He also had one blue eye and one darker eye - which wasn't really true. The pupil in left eye was permanently open after something happened to it when he was a teenager causing it to stay open like it has for the rest of his life - otherwise he had blue eyes. He also loved to read as well. I will miss him horribly, as we all will. But he's joined the other great legends up there in the clouds - Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and any others who have left us here too soon. But the difference with David was that his work was completed; and he was ready to go there. Listen to his work, enjoy is music and remember how great he was, and will always be. 

Colleen McCollough's Obituary Sums Her Up Badly

Colleen McCollough has passed away.  What a brilliant writer, a great asset to what it means to be Australian, here in her home country as well as across the world.

However, how her obit was written, you'd think whoever wrote it wasn't thinking of her as a person, as a writer, as one of the world's best literary people of this generation - as well as the past generation - has ever seen.  No, I read her obituary and thought it was disgusting to find she was judged in the first paragraph to be a man-hunter, to be worrying about her figure to be ... shallow... and that she 'had not problems attracting men'.

This is not how you write an obituary.  

Please find in the link below the article which has started me writing this post:

Colleen McCollough's Obituary Written Badly

Captain, My Captain!

I haven't written a tribute to this great man yet because I honestly don't know what to say about him. 

I loved him... I loved his humour, his wonderful, childlike ways on 'Mork & Mindy'.  I loved that he was so uninhibited and yet, he took on roles in movies that were so totally and completely opposite to his personality; just to show us all he had depth.  He wanted to show us that he could freak us out, make us cry, take us on a journey and make us feel love, want to go along on that path with him and yet... when the show was over, his voice played on in our minds for days afterward unlike anyone else's.

There will never be anyone quite like Robin Williams - not in my lifetime - and if another person does come along with similar characteristics, they will have massive huge clown shoes to fill... and a spacesuit which has a personality of its own too, as well as Orsan; but then, let's not digress too much, eh?

Robin Williams was one of the few people who could honestly make me laugh.  I can lose myself in a show or a movie and just totally enjoy what he's doing in that role, knowing he loved doing what he did.  He's a unique character - a unicorn - of our times, of our world, and we watched him work so hard and yet we didn't see what may have been happening behind the scenes... this is unfortunate; as the depression and the problems of great actors and comedians often haunt them, leading to other more deeper things they don't wish to admit to; thinking we - their fans and their audience - wouldn't understand.

That Robin was as human as everyone around him.  

This is why I loved him and his movies, his shows... he was totally human - totally himself.

I think this is why his death has hurt us so much more than any other of our times - because he has become such a wonderfully brilliant, lovely, funnyman - we always thought he'd be around.

Rest In Peace Robin... and I hope your Heaven is just like the one you experienced in 'What Dreams May Come'... now, wouldn't that be a blast?

Movie Review... Not Sure If I Should Do This One.

By now, you have all heard about the terrible news of Robin Williams' passing.  I heard about it at my Aunt and Uncle's house while I was visiting them for a few minutes... it was horrible to hear that one of my favourite comedians and actors had been battling with so much in his life and had been going through rehab to work on it all.  And he just couldn't do it anymore...

But the movie I watched - and I'm not sure if I should review - on Saturday night was 'What Dreams May Come'.  This movie is about a man called Chris Nielson, who meets his soulmate in Switzerland and soon after, they get married and live a wonderfully happy life - him a doctor, and her an artist.  They have two gorgeous children, a huge house filled with happiness and love for around fourteen years... until their children are killed in a car accident.  Four quick years later, Chris' death follows from the very same thing.  A year afterwards, his wife kills herself; and the race is on for him to find her in Hell and bring her to place she had created for them both to live after they died together - a place she had painted on a massive canvas.  This place is where he woke up when he decided to walk along the tunnel and to go where his spirit was supposed to go.

However, little did I know that after watching this film this kind of thing would happen to one of the greatest people everyone has loved, laughed with and enjoyed.  There isn't anyone on his planet who doesn't know Robin Williams and his roles in movies, such as this one or 'The Dead Poet's Society', 'Good Morning, Vietnam, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and most of all, his wonderfully hilarious first role as Mork from Ork in 'Mork and Mindy'... I loved him in that show.  

I'm just kind of numb about the news right now... as though it's not real.  I think it's got to sink in before I know for certain, deep down, he's not here.  This man has been so much a part of my life - and I loved his funniness so much - that this news will take time for me to process.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and most of all, if you are suffering from depression, please do not stay silent (thinking it will go away), please, please, do go and talk to somebody about it.  It does help.  Until my next post, remember, I'm always here.

We Lose An Inspirational Man - Nelson Mandela

I first learned of Nelson Mandela in high school when I was learning about Apartheid in South Africa.  He was the first person our teachers told us about and that his words, his teachings and his protests for equality amongst the common man - who was every man, woman and child no matter what colour they were in every country around the world - was to something to be reached.  However, when I was high school, Nelson Mandela was also in prison for wishing this for his people.  The very reason for his inprisonment?  It was because he was of the colour of his skin.  Everyone knew this wasn't right, however he stayed in prison in South Africa for 27 years.
When he was released, I thought he would have become a bitter man for what happened to him.  However, I was wrong.  He had so much to teach us about life, about how we can become stronger for the things that have happened to us and to what has happened to others around us too.
And he taught us many things that have kept me wanting to learn more about him as the years wore on.  I found sites about him online.  I found a Facebook page about him and read posts on him and his life and interviews about him as well.  Whenever he was interviewed on 60 Minutes, I watched it.  Nelson Mandela has been a wonderfully interesting man who has inspired me in so many ways and has become a hero for the masses as well.
He has made us see others for who we are instead of the colour of their skin.  He had pulled down cultural walls and helped us live in harmony and dignity.  His presence in a room filled it with light and warmth.  And I wanted to learn so much more from him and so I bought some books on his life and his quotes - both written by himself - and I'm looking forward to reading them next year.

Nelson Mandela has been a hero of mine who I have looked up to over my life.  I have learned to be more open-minded, more happy and learned to take a step back from people before judging them as it does take a little dignity and integrity to take people - no matter where they're from - and yet remember that your own history is also just as chequered too in almost the same ways.  Rest In Peace Nelson Mandela, your work is finished here, but your legacy will most definitely live on for generations to come.

My Grandma's Birthday

Today would have been my Grandma's 95th Birthday - only days after Doris Lessing passed away, aged one year younger, and they had the same first name.  

I miss my Grandmother.  She was the coolest person in my life.  She was funny too and knew how to see the hilarious side of life when things looked really bad.  Grandma always asked me three questions when I was down about something:  'Is the sky going to fall on your head?  Is the earth going to swallow you up?  Is the sun going to stop shining tomorrow?' of course the answer to these would be no... and she's ask me why I was so upset and I'd tell her.  Afterwards, I'd not only feel better but realise my problem was pretty tiny really.
She bought me the coolest presents.  No matter what kind of presents they were, she'd either give me money to go towards it, or buy me something unusual.  I remember one time, she was at Byron Bay and was looking for a birthday present for me.  She brought back a coin purse made from Hemp with a marijuana leaf stitched into the front of it.  At the time I was working full time at RACQ and my boss thought it was funny, but still said it was tasteless.  when he found out my Grandma gave it to me, and knew what it was, he chuckled saying, 'Groovy Grandma.'

Grandma Killips was the best cook too.  Whenever we arrived at her house, and she opened the front door, the place always smelled like the best bakery in the world!  The aroma of cakes, biscuits and sweets wafted from the place all the time; and she'd feed us as though she was feeding an army!  This is because she had had five children!  So, there was always plenty of food to go around.  

Staying at Grandma's house - or hanging out there - was great.  There was the piano to play, the pool table to use or the massive backyard to hang out in.  Or better still, my brother and my cousins would get the home-made go-kart from the back shed, kick off the spiders, Grandpa would spray it with Pee-bo and brush off the dead bodies and we'd go racing down the steep hill of Wonderlost Outlook on the footpath - no helmets, no elbow or knee pads... and most of all... no brakes!  What fun we had!
I loved the side veranda at their house.  It used to be a bedroom for 3 boys:  Uncle Allan, Uncle David and Uncle Iain.  But, when I was young, there were bookcases of books, and a couple of wardrobes in it with an old oval dining room table in it.  I loved hanging out in there looking through the old 'Coles' books and not having a clue what the political jokes meant, but liking the drawing in Indian ink.  Then, I'd wash my hands and play the piano... but only my right hand would work whereas my left hand wouldn't move; or know how to.
I did try but would get the shakes if I tried too hard at making both my hands work on the piano at the same time.  It just wouldn't happen for me; not until recently.

But the things my Grandma taught me over my life was amazing... and I didn't realise exactly what she taught me until I went to high school and put those lessons to use in Home Economics.  Grandma taught me to cook with a wooden spoon - a few of them for different things - instead of a metal one; as the metal one would taint the food if you left it in the pot, whereas the wooden one wouldn't.  That goes the same for a wooden chopping board... but you have to keep it clean and oiled so it doesn't warp (and I have a $15 chopping board which I've owned for over 3 years and it looks brand new!).
She used vinegar in her laundry as a softener instead of regular 'Cuddly' softener; as the ones you buy at the shops caused a rash on her skin.  Well, when I found I was getting itchy from the same problems, I changed my washing softener to vinegar and have had great results.  And then I added Bi-Carb Soda in with my towels and they're fluffier than ever; and they absorb more water than ever before and smell wonderfully fresh.  

I have found that it's the little things that have made a big difference in my life that I have learned from Grandma.  I stayed overnight at her place 4 days before she passed away; and stayed at her house for the whole day the next day instead of going home straight after breakfast.  This is something I have never regreted doing... as I just had a feeling I had to stay with her for the day; and it was the best thing I ever did, because it was the last day I saw my Grandma alive.  Happy Birthday Grandma.  I miss you so much as you taught me so much; and your memory still lives on through your piano which I have in my house, which I'm learning to play - with both hands this time (yay!).  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

25 Years Since World Expo '88

It's been that long since my home city of Brisbane held this wonderful event!  I was 15 years old and in year 10 of high school.  But unlike most kids, my Mum was offered to work there and we got to see behind the scenes before the place opened!  What a great opportunity that was!  
We got to see the rehearsals of the night parades, the monorail in its testing stages, meet the 'Towards 2000' cast and crew - and get autographs.  And I got to meet Bruce Paige.  This man read the news for Channel 9 here in Brisbane then and it wasn't so long ago he retired from there.  He did a piece about the monorail live from the Expo site and - just as they went back to the studio - he turned and saw us all there.  I got to shake hands with him and have a chat with him about what I wanted to do with my life.  Bruce was such a lovely person and he greet my family the same way you saw on the news, just very polite and pleasant.  I found my autograph book recently and found his autograph in it, still looking as new as it did all that time ago.  It brought back that memory so clearly.

But World Expo '88 was a time where Brisbane City itself was opened up to the world.  Our little city went from being tiny, unknown and domestic to international, a tourist attraction and 'grown-up' almost overnight.  
I remember my brother and I both had 3-day passes at first.  We had both come into a little money and asked our folks if we could have season passes; which ate up the whole of the money we had coming to us.  So, Mum and Dad thought it would be a good experience for us.  And so, we got season passes; and I got in and used mine for a good part of my year 10 year.  It was wonderful and I went into Expo most days when I knew there wasn't anything really important going on at school.  
I've got almost 2 passports filled up, a souvenir coin from there, photos I took of the day and night parades, photos of Oz - Expo '88's Platypus mascot - and I also got to meet K.I.T.T the car from the Knight Rider television show.  They had him on display and I just happened to join a line (which wasn't too obscure when you were around the Expo site; as there were many lines going places, you just didn't know where) and I waited around an hour to find out where it went.  By the time I found the end of it, I was looking at the car; and regretting the fact I had forgotten my camera that day!  It was one of my best memories of World Expo '88... to meet and be able to sit in the driver's seat of the famous Trans-am; the original one too!

I couldn't tell you a memory that was the best or worse, but there was a lot about Expo '88 that really did need to be experienced to understand and know it was real.  There were so many pavilions around - and the New Zealand one was the one with the longest lines for some unknown reason - but I did enjoy going there.  However, whether I went there on my own or with family, I had a good time.  It was a safe place because of how much security was around the place and that it was a friendly place to be as well.  It also proved that Brisbane had a long way to go in its growth, development and people power... and as a city, she could do it.
And you know, all these years, later, Brisbane has proven to be a city that has grown bigger than expected.  A couple of years ago, I went to see Sir James Galway in concert.  His last visit here was in 1986 - before World Expo '88 - and he told us that he stayed at the exact same hotel he did the last time he was here; but when he went for a walk, he got lost and had to ask for directions back to his hotel.  The kind people of Brisbane walked him back; and he asked what happened to our city, a lot of people in the audience called out:  'World Expo '88!'.  And you know, I think they're right.     

Boston On My Mind

This morning, I woke to the horrible news that the Boston Marathon was rocked by a dreadful bombing near the end of their marathon.  Many were injured and two people were killed.  I was shocked and it's become something that has become an unshakeable nighmare every few years for the world; that an everyday event is interfered with by people who want to destroy and hurt and kill innocent bystanders.

This really pisses me off. 

Excuse my language but it does get to me that none of this happened when I was young but it happens now.  The global community is closer through technology, and yet it's colder and it's become more dangerous to take part in everyday events such as a marathon in your own city.  I hated hearing about the aftermath of the destruction this left in the hearts of the people of Boston - as well as the rest of the world.  My heart and prayers goes out to anyone who lives in Boston and its surrounding areas.  And I really do hope none of my friends who live in the States were there; and if you were, I hope and pray you didn't get hurt. 

But really, it makes you wonder how somebody could go about doing this kind of thing and think they'd get away with it.  Why would anyone want to cause injury to other people they don't know anything about while they take part in a public race through a city... it's absolutely beyond me.  It's just something that really gets me mad that we have people like this in the world, that we have to share this planet with minds and souls such as this, with people who are walking around with this kind of thought patterns going through their minds.  And the only question I have for them is:  Why?
Now, I know there's no answer to my question (and I don't expect anyone to give me the obvious answer to this in the comments section as I know there's plenty of reasons - whether they're right or wrong).  Honestly, though it doesn't mean anyone has the right to go and hurt anyone just because they have the rights to practice their own religions in most countries; it really doesn't.  The fact that people seem to think they can get away with this kind of thing is sickening and saddening to me.  It makes me also feel very helpless because I can't do anything about what's happened.

So, now it's your turn.  How do you feel about this kind of terrorism?  I know it makes you all angry and mad and seething, however, put it into words and let me know what you think the solution should be for the ones responsible for these kinds of actions - no matter who they are or where they're from.  I don't want an answer for the question I posed in the post as it wasn't aimed at you as the reader... it was just me letting off steam.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember I'm always here.

A Weekend of Sadness

The last 24 hours have been the quietest I've ever experienced.  Normally, today, I would regal you all with what happened over my weekend and what I'm going to do this week.

Not tonight.

Tonight I'm in mourning with the loss of my little bird, Little Miss Stevie.  This little Sky Blue Budgie has been in my life for the last 7 3/4 years and yesterday afternoon, at around 6:30pm, she died in my hands as we sat outside watching the sun disappear in the west.
Her last 10 minutes on this planet were not the easiest as she struggled to breath, panting heavily, and I tried to make her as comfortable as possible in my hands.  I hated seeing her suffer as she did, but I'm sure she was happiest being outside where she had always wanted to join the other birdies where she could hear them singing and screeching around us.
As she lay still in my hand, my heart broke - shattered - because my little blue friend was gone and I didn't have anyone to help me with her.  I called Mum and Dad and they immediately drove up from Brunswick Heads to see me; staying overnight at their house.  

But the one thing I have noticed is that the house is so bloody quiet without her here.  I hated it that this morning I came downstairs and she wasn't t here to greet me, turning around to look at me come and talk to her, to say 'Good morning' in Spanish to her and change her feed and water over after I opened the curtains for her and then the window to let in the breeze to freshen the room for her.  No.  Last night, I had put a cover over her cage to show there was no more bird in residence.  But I've yet to clean it out.  The food is still there from yesterday; so is the water.

I won't lie.  I'm struggling not having her around as company.  I've had her in this house for so long, it's hard to not know me without my little bird by my side; or hear her in the background when you've phoned me as she's tried to include herself in the conversation (believe me, it's funnier still when I use phone banking and she manages to confuse me enough that I have to either go outside or upstairs to do check my bank balance).  

I miss my little bird greatly; and will definitely get another one.  So, if I don't seem like my usual happy self for a little while, this is the reason why.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.      

Sad Friday and Stormy Saturday

Yesterday was a hot sunny day and there was a hot wind that came with it.  We had the prediction of a storm last night, but that never arrived.  However, Mum, Dad and I were off early to attend a funeral of a dear friend of ours.  Ted Lane had been a big part of my life and he passed away early Monday morning from Prostate Cancer in Toowoomba.  However, his service was to be held here in Brisbane.
It was a lovely service and in a massive church too, over at Morningside.  Quite a few friends and all of the family showed up to farewell Ted and it was lovely.  His grandchildren were all there and his youngest ones tried to speak, but were too upset.  I felt horrible they lost their Grandpa so soon in their lives; whereas I lost mine later on in my life.  
The wake was in a nearby hall where we all sat down and chatted about Ted and funny things we remembered about him while we ate some food and drank tea and coffee.  However, I found drinking hot drinks too much in the heat and made myself some ice coffees.  Dad thought that was a really good idea.  At around 11:30am, we were told that the burial was at Hemman Cemetery at midday; so if anyone would like to attend, to go there now.  I thought it would be a good idea to go to the Ladies so I wasn't stuck at a cemetery where - most times - there's no public toilets.  Anyway, I saw one toilet was being used and another toilet had no door handles.  So, I walked into the handle-less toilet and closed the door; not thinking it would be any different than any other toilet.
However, once I used the toilet, washed my hands and unlocked the toilet, I found that I was locked in by the latch of the door.  So, I bashed on the door hard and loud and called out so people could hear me.  Mum heard me and she started laughing at me... how nice she found this funny... and she said she'd go and get Dad.  I heard Dad show up and he asked if there were any door handles on my side of the door (yep there were) and I slotted one onto the end of a spoke sticking out of where the door handle was supposed to be and turned slowly.  Once it was open, I washed my hands again and Dad asked why I used the toilet... well, I had to go.  He said it was dangerous for it to be left that way; seeing I'd use just about any toilet so long it works.  But we were on our way after that funny incident; and back out into the sun.  
I'd never been to a burial before.  And so to see one was a new experience for me; and it has confirmed something about how I want to be farewelled from this life.  I definitely want to be buried and not cremated; it's more dignified and it gives people time to farewell the passed on person.  We got to throw sand onto the casket and place things onto it as well, things that will be buried with it.  And I like that idea.  Ted's burial was a 12 noon; and it was very hot, so we all used umbrellas to keep the sun off us.  I used my Bunnings sun umbrella and had another two people hiding under it with me.  It was a very sad, but yet nice to be able to say goodbye to him day.  I poured sand onto his casket and said, 'Bye Teddles.' because I won't be able to say that again to him.  
We stayed at the cemetery for a little while chatting with Ted's family - as we don't get to see them very much.  And left at around 1pm.  I couldn't wait to get home and into the cool of my townhouse.  But the night was hotter than expected, and yet, it didn't storm or rain.

Today, this morning, we had a storm.  It was a really big one too!  So, with that in mind, I cleaned up the kitchen, cleared away the storm drain outside, put out the rubbish and washed up.  But I was also expecting a friend over on his way to the art gallery for his volunteer work.  Just before the storm hit, I brought in my Gloxinia in case we had hail.  Fortunately for us at Logan City, we didn't get hail (well in my area anyway).  But unfortunately, down near the Bay where my friends live, they had white-outs, lost power and had a huge amount of rain and wind.  This storm terrified my friend's wife and he smsed me and asked if me to call her so she could hear a friendly voice.  However, she told me that there was far too much forked lightning around and would prefer not to talk on the mobile or any other phone until the storm was finished.  Which is fair enough.
Anyway, the sun is out now and sky is nice and blue again... a far cry from what it looked like only hours ago.  And what was I doing during the storm, once I knew everything was secure?  I pulled out my manual typewriter and typed up all my work I had done on my iPod.  I still have a few things to write down, but not much really.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.