177

Gosh, I'm a bit erratic with my posts but that really is how life is feeling at pres.

Never mind things are falling into place slowly but surely...

Finding some more 'energy' for the de-cluttering would be good...

I went really well but it seems to have come to a sudden halt this last week but I have a girlfriend coming to stay so I have to find her a bed & a place to sit in my ArtShed so I have no excuses any more...

Don't you love the nasturtiums... DH has them growing up the back yard & they are looking very pretty... always putting on a lovely show & waving happily... spreading smiles...

I have Crocheted another Art Rock... this is a special rock that my son brought home for me many many years ago when he was working on a station out Winton way [western Queensland].

These rocks are what are supposed to have spewed out of volcanoes and if you crack them open they are said to have crystal rock inside but I just love their roundness so have not had the heart to bust one open, just to see... I bet there is a special name for these rocks.

My rocks are only very small but they can be even too big for man to lift.

Collecting rocks is a heavy job...

The ones he brought me home were excavated out of a dam when it was being cleaned... I'm told this job is called de-slitting of the dams... yes dams do/should be clean every so often apparently so they can hold more of the precious water so needed. This is a specialised job for some people but I'm not sure what they are called, it's gotta have a better name than a 'dam cleaner'... My DH says that larger stations usually get these guys in [during the summer] to maintain the main roads into & around the station & they also do the de-slitting of the dams...

Now that's not just a couple of dams, a lot of stations can have 20+ dams on their properties. One of the stations our son worked on had 45 windmills alone, so full-time work in the windmills & many of these windmills pump into dams for the stock be it sheep or cattle... even goats.

We've noticed that all the dams that we can see traveling to our DD1's place in the last year have all been done - up her end of the track - that means so some contractors must have gone through that way.

Talking about 'de-slitting' of the dams, I had better get to my 'de-cluttering' here cause I can see talking about it is not getting it done. I really have to put some/lots of manual effort into it... so off to work I go....

Angel Message...

Carefully cleanse your mind's eye of the clouds & impurities.

Then, goodness, beauty & truthfulness will be revealed to you...

176

Boy of boy, I'm having to keep my weekly planner[diary] with me all the time to keep up with what's to do next truly... I'm still trying to fit in the de-cluttering/re-organising of my place as well...

Did you notice in my last post I had an extra Crochet Art Rock... here it is again...

Yes I have finally got this little number finished...

The blue at the bottom is to represent the waves at the beach & the up & down waves of the cream is the sand as the sea retracts...

These are some shells, weed & stuff that washes up with the waves...
This is the rock I was trying out the idea on for my girlfriend's big Fingal rock...

Here is her Fingal rock to give you some idea of it's size... think it will have to wait until I have more time... or maybe I need the distraction at the mo...

Angel Message...

Tidy up your surroundings and try to live simply.

Your problems will gradually disappear with the clutter,

allowing you to journey unburdened through life.

[gosh how true is this, especially for the mo...]

175

Ohhh Boy it was a hectic end to the week that is for sure... things are really moving at Mum's house... We're at the stage of getting the last of the furniture out - I believe it was like a beehive yesterday with comings & goings... I now have my old wardrobe back... strange after 40 odd years... My girlfriend is shifting in a week or to too so we're being gifted quite a bit from her place... sooo after 3 or 4 round trips today, we now have lots of more... nice plants, as well...

It's all doing my head in a bit with all the comings & goings as my friend is also having a garage sale next w/e so I am also de-cluttering my place to take to her GS, so everywhere is a hive of activity... just wish the energy could keep up with me...

I'm doing my best to keep my sanity by crocheting whenever I can... my rock collection is growing one by one...

This week is going to be really busy with this & that... something nearly everyday but it will all quieten down in a few weeks I'm sure... that's if Christmas doesn't catch me first... they say it was 10 weeks to Christmas last Friday... ohhh dear I do need to get my skates on...

Angel Message...

Try not to withhold your feelings for fear of getting hurt.

If you express them with love,

you will create an opportunity for better understanding.

174

I'm amazed at how far one large 50gm ball of crochet cotton will go... Jean can you imagine how many Art Rocks I could do with what you gifted me?...

All of these... plus one more that I'm still finishing...

This is my newest 'finished' one...

Been busy at Mum's house one day this week then went over to visit Mum another day...

Love to see Mum & do really believe she is settling in now to the new routine & starting to enjoy the company of others...

The one thing I do really not like is all the traffic I have to contend with going back & forth, just so frustrating but I guess this is the sacrifice I need to make...

Angel Messages...

You can only do as much as you can do now.

Trust the rest to the wisdom of Nature.

173

What a windy, dusty day it has been today but a good day for us all the same... nice to be at home doing our own thing... We did take time-out and went & had a cuppa with my girlfriend & checked out what plants she would like to give me as she is moving over the border and apparently she can't take them with, which is sad[for her], as they are all looking so lovely at present...

I even got in & did some urgent re-plotting this arvo... the wind had blown the bottom outta one of my hanging pots with bromeliads in it... Well it had rusted through, actually was hanging by a promise & a thread as I had used the wire frame-work of an old electric fan [courtesy of some side-walk shopping... council dump pick-up]. I got a heap more frames over Mum's way when they had their pick-up too - seems people had picked over other people's junk, but don't see the value/potential in electric fan frames like I do... ha ha... They make great hanging pots with a bit of wire/chain to hook onto the frames - by the time they have rusted out it is time to re-pot anyway. That can be my "Hint" of the day/month...

Here is another crocheted Rock Art...

My collection is growing...

Angel Message...

To blame others is to blame yourself.

To blame yourself is to blame others.

172

Life has been somewhat more peaceful here lately & I'm feeling more revitalised... I think it might stems from the fact, I feel, Mum is settling in a bit more now at the Shalom.

While I was in Japan I could not find a suitable little gift for Mum so when my sister bought this fold-up mirror to use I asked if I could have it when she had finished with it.

She was pleased to know it going to be transformed as I thought I could decorate it with things we had bought in/or were relevant to Japan. The papers we got off different articles we bought or were gifted, while there & dragonflies were made with paper off the chocolates I had bought my hubby & a dragonfly punch. I did have to stick the gold chocolate paper onto cardstock to give it more body... Mum liked it & I see she is using it as it is always within hands reach in her room.

When our eldest Grandie was here we did some trimming of the the Golden Palms... he was thrilled to find this little wee green frog on one of the branches... it is all of about an 1" long... so he was very quick to grab my camera to take this photo... he is like his Mum she takes lovely photos too...

I have been keeping my hands busy of an evening & here is another Crocheted Rock... I'm working on another at present as a proto-type, as my girlfriend has given me her very special rock from Fingal - it's one of those big enough to hold the door open [doorstop] - & she wants me to crochet around it & I have something special in mind.

Angel Message...

Do not worry about the results of all the efforts you have made.

Be grateful & happy with yourself for having done the best you can.

171

Do you ever wake up & feel today I'm going to start sorting/de-cluttering my home... well for the first time in ages I felt like that this morning... must be something to do with finally getting Mum settled - she's still not a real happy camper but we have done the very best we can for her & she knows that & does appreciate that... so it will only be time that will make her feel more settled.

I can only imagine how dreadful it must be to have lost all your independence in a matter of a couple of months & then not be able to return to your home of 40 odd years...

Anyway back to re-organising/de-cluttering or what ever you want to call it... maybe it's the call of nature... Spring-cleaning time... OK Spring was in Sept here but that's only last month & this month is only new...

so only a short post to show you what else I've been crocheting... running out of rocks so will have to stop that soon but have Christmas items in mind next...

Angel Message... Relax and tune into the harmonious rhythms of Nature.

Impatience and aggressive action may well cause stagnation.

170

Ohh... it's sooo quite here now, with just Hubby, Gilly[our fur baby] & me... the Grandies have gone back to their own homes ready for school this week... We went to the movies one day & saw G-Force in 3D which was fun, even for me... you know how I love the kids movies.

Our eldest Grandie came to give us a hand with a few jobs around our home, so we got some fence painting done, some palm tree trimming, some awning painting & ripped out a whole garden which had been over-run by nut grass. So lots accomplished... plus many trips to the park in the arvo... one playing on the play equipment, the other trying his hand at fishing...
Ohh me... Well, I drank coffee & caught up on the latest goss with my girlfriend

After a quick trip to the shop for the Sunday papers today I noticed that our crucifix orchard was out in flower & knew just what vase I would put it in...

Mum's single flower crystal vase... isn't it a lovely...

I have kept my hands busy & have added to my Crocheted Art Rock collection...

Now this was a bit of fun too... another Crocheted Art Rock. I used a small smooth rock, what you would no doubt call a skimmer rock, then made it into a necklace... lots of fun... & great for my short attention span at the mo...

Angel Message...

As you look up at the sky, be aware of the blanket of benevolence spread above you.

As you gently close your eyes, know that blessings are raining down upon you.

169

I found my little box of rocks I had collected from the high tide mard at beach at Fingal Lighthouse when I visited just before I went to Japan - hate to admit it but I had forgotten about them... I've been busy crocheting a couple into Crocheted Rock Art... it is such fun & I have orders for a few from my just as crazy friends cause I'm sure my hubby thinks I'm a tad crazy... ha ha

I think it's fun to do out of the 'norm' things myself plus it adds beauty to the world....

I didn't realise, until I looked at my photos, but this one is a bit like a heart shaped rock...

I will need to find some more lovely smooth rocks to do some more... ohh how I wish I was in New Zealand, [I have a daughter living there] they do have the loveliest of smooth grey/blue rocks that fit into the palm of your hand...
Jean, Thanks for the crochet cotton thread... it is being used well.

Angel Message... Do not waste your energy on that which is unworthy of you. Live fully in this precious moment with Joy.