Hi Prue - a lovely little look into your world and a reminder to pause and savour the little moments. I'm a little in awe of your ballet classes and how graceful you would be as a consequence. I think I'd be a bit of a clumsy clod in comparison!
Soooooo not graceful, Leanne. Walked the dog down a wet green bank yesterday and almost fell on my backside. Managed to save the day by lurching forward, twisting my ankle slightly and making the old knee angry. Still, imagination and a game of pretend go a long way in the studio!
I am so impressed with you going to ballet classes and I’m sure it helps tremendously with keeping supple and as you said, does wonders for your mental wellbeing as you savour the moments in class. Living in the western hemisphere I am incredibly envious of you being in Spring and seeing those golden daffodils lifted my heart. Summer in England has been cold and wet and already it feels autumnal - in August! I’m not looking forward to the long cold winter ahead, but seeing those beautiful flowers and reading your uplifting piece has given me renewed hope and joy. Thank you Prue.
Thank you, Rosy for your kind words. Until I was ill for three months, I was as supple as 72 and funky ligaments allowed me to be, but I've lost my core and muscle strength in my thighs and calves, so a bit of work to get it back.
The mental stimulation in the studio is as much if not more than the physical side as we're learning new movements and routines every week. I do home quite tired.
And yes, here in the southern hemisphere its becoming warmer and springier daily - very early. So exciting in the garden. I'm down the other end of the cottage and I can actually smell the freesias in the bedroom. So uplifting.
But we know we will get quite a few polar blasts between now and summer, so it pays not to get too cocky.
Such a beautiful time of year. These early warm bursts are great for warming the blood, ready to get through the cold blasts ahead. So many young magpies up here already. Enjoy!
Yes, we're lambing and so would like the lambs to have a bit of strength before the polar blasts hit. Between vacillating weather and our resident wedge-tailed eagles, it's a tough battle out there in the paddocks.
Which has its own beauty, CJ. And your autumns are to die for. Unless we have deciduous trees planted in gardens and parks, the Australian autumn is a never-ending palate of smoky blue-green. And the season itself a mere mild blip as we move to winter. Climate change seems to have shifted our neck of the world to a two-season year: summer and winter.
Ahh...springtime. I'm a bit jealous because as you head into your warm season the days here begin to grow shorter. I enjoy having seasons, but hate the darkness winter brings. I'm always sad to see summer end, which is probably a throwback from childhood. Anyway, savoring the moment is an advantage of growing older. We have more time to do it and less time to waste, so we practice it more efficiently!
I'm remembering how delicious it was to be in Australia in spring. It trips up my head a little to read about it in the absence of direct experience. Our gardens are still bountiful here, but the light comes in differently now, and the evenings are cool enough to enjoy open windows. Fall is upon us.
A friend who lost a friend got a tattoo in remembrance. "Be here now..." I'll work at it for the rest of my days!
What have I done simply because I knew the opportunity wouldn't exist forever? Chicken Scratch, for sure. Standing on a snowy balcony in bare feet. The sailing trip when I met my future spouse. Bought the item that was "more than I ought to spend." Stayed in bed, sipping tea, well beyond when it was "time" to get up.
Glad you're back to dancing, Prue, and hopefully, to swimming.
I loved this piece Prue and how you allow us to flit in and out of your thoughts and life. Feet like "jelly fish" made me laugh - like others here, I do applaud you for doing ballet and know it sustains in a variety of different ways. I took ballet as a child and loved that soft buttery pinkness of my shoes - The Older Girls gravitated to black. I was never on my actual toes though and just as well since I have dinner plate feet lol xo
Thank you, Sue. I do have buttery soft pink shoes but they're very tired and I badly need a new pair. We seniors are always on demi-pointe - anything like a pointe would be dangerous I think. I'd get vertigo! Have you seen the images online of a true ballerina's feet - cringe-worthy. HOW do they dance a whole performance?
Oh! Your description of your garden at the cottage is breathtaking, Prue.
I'm going to take a closer look at the book you've shown us - these words are a much-needed reminder for me: "Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever."
'Must dos' in this house are either called 'shoulds' - which are BANNED - or 'have tos', which are permitted ONLY if they're weighed up against an equal or greater number of 'want tos'.
I love our little townhouse and its littler garden (I've had to through the behemoth of the year thus far) but this strange little cottage with its odd floor levels and ill-fitting windows, sitting slap bang in an almost half acre of garden is my heaven and where I suppose we are really us. We're not city folk and suburban/metro life always sits heavily.
Yes, the must-do's are painfully intrusive as one watches the second hands tick away.
Both sound so lovely, Prue - but I completely understand how one is more ‘you’ than the other. It’s nice to have the contrast, though, is it - like snacking on something savoury followed by something sweet - or vice versa - to have two ‘opposites’ to complement each other? I rather like the sound (and taste!) of that. 😊
Another lovely post to savor, Prue! I loved your passage about “ichigo ichie.” To me, it’s a philosophy that’s perfect for this time of year. Here in the Pacific Northwest USA, I’m feeling the bittersweetness of summer’s end, while you have the gift of all the fresh hopefulness of spring. Yes, let’s enjoy every moment of it!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful springtime pics…and your life! Every week, reading your essays, I always feel calmer—and a deeper sense of life’s possibilities.
We do have quite a show with the native vine maples that turn bright scarlet, and big leaf maples that turn a burnished gold. Unless an early fall windstorm comes along and blows all the pretty leaves down!
The bear(s)…we haven’t seen our neighborhood bear since last month, when we caught him sunning on the grass just beyond our fence. But I have to say, in 18 years, I have *never* seen so much bear scat on our lane! Our apples are ripening, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a break-in, in the near future!
I have to admit to being just a wee bit jelly at the sight of those blossoms, daffodils and other signs that spring is on the way. While I love the Sunny Coast, I truly miss the seasons we don't get - those physical signs in nature of the years passing. I suppose we look for them in other ways up here - the whale migration, the colour of the sunrises, the mackerel skies in September ...
Your climate sounds wonderful, Joanne. I suspect wherever we live is always pretty good.
A very close friend has just moved here from Brisbane, purely for the climate and is in 7 th heaven with the clear, cool air. I will be interested to see what she thinks of our summers compared to Brisbane.
We do have the whale migration here and the Southern Lights, so despite the ghastly weather today and for the rest of this week, we have to remind ourselves of the benefits.
a great reminder to be where the feet are,
thank you
Hi Prue - a lovely little look into your world and a reminder to pause and savour the little moments. I'm a little in awe of your ballet classes and how graceful you would be as a consequence. I think I'd be a bit of a clumsy clod in comparison!
Soooooo not graceful, Leanne. Walked the dog down a wet green bank yesterday and almost fell on my backside. Managed to save the day by lurching forward, twisting my ankle slightly and making the old knee angry. Still, imagination and a game of pretend go a long way in the studio!
Thank you so much for reading.
I am so impressed with you going to ballet classes and I’m sure it helps tremendously with keeping supple and as you said, does wonders for your mental wellbeing as you savour the moments in class. Living in the western hemisphere I am incredibly envious of you being in Spring and seeing those golden daffodils lifted my heart. Summer in England has been cold and wet and already it feels autumnal - in August! I’m not looking forward to the long cold winter ahead, but seeing those beautiful flowers and reading your uplifting piece has given me renewed hope and joy. Thank you Prue.
Thank you, Rosy for your kind words. Until I was ill for three months, I was as supple as 72 and funky ligaments allowed me to be, but I've lost my core and muscle strength in my thighs and calves, so a bit of work to get it back.
The mental stimulation in the studio is as much if not more than the physical side as we're learning new movements and routines every week. I do home quite tired.
And yes, here in the southern hemisphere its becoming warmer and springier daily - very early. So exciting in the garden. I'm down the other end of the cottage and I can actually smell the freesias in the bedroom. So uplifting.
But we know we will get quite a few polar blasts between now and summer, so it pays not to get too cocky.
Cheers.
'Be where the feet are...' That one is going in my journal, Kate. Thank you.
Such a beautiful time of year. These early warm bursts are great for warming the blood, ready to get through the cold blasts ahead. So many young magpies up here already. Enjoy!
Yes, we're lambing and so would like the lambs to have a bit of strength before the polar blasts hit. Between vacillating weather and our resident wedge-tailed eagles, it's a tough battle out there in the paddocks.
Never easy on a farm. Sigh.
Just a touch...
Buried deep in a undamaged forest, plums and willows, swallows...Spring! I'm awaiting colorful leaves falling, fog, pumpkins, and stews! 🌱🍂
Which has its own beauty, CJ. And your autumns are to die for. Unless we have deciduous trees planted in gardens and parks, the Australian autumn is a never-ending palate of smoky blue-green. And the season itself a mere mild blip as we move to winter. Climate change seems to have shifted our neck of the world to a two-season year: summer and winter.
Hi Pru, It sure is nice to see you online again.
Ahh...springtime. I'm a bit jealous because as you head into your warm season the days here begin to grow shorter. I enjoy having seasons, but hate the darkness winter brings. I'm always sad to see summer end, which is probably a throwback from childhood. Anyway, savoring the moment is an advantage of growing older. We have more time to do it and less time to waste, so we practice it more efficiently!
I'm remembering how delicious it was to be in Australia in spring. It trips up my head a little to read about it in the absence of direct experience. Our gardens are still bountiful here, but the light comes in differently now, and the evenings are cool enough to enjoy open windows. Fall is upon us.
A friend who lost a friend got a tattoo in remembrance. "Be here now..." I'll work at it for the rest of my days!
What have I done simply because I knew the opportunity wouldn't exist forever? Chicken Scratch, for sure. Standing on a snowy balcony in bare feet. The sailing trip when I met my future spouse. Bought the item that was "more than I ought to spend." Stayed in bed, sipping tea, well beyond when it was "time" to get up.
Glad you're back to dancing, Prue, and hopefully, to swimming.
It's all about micro-adventures, Elizabeth, isn't it? As our friend ,Rebecca, says. Small is just as good as big...
I loved this piece Prue and how you allow us to flit in and out of your thoughts and life. Feet like "jelly fish" made me laugh - like others here, I do applaud you for doing ballet and know it sustains in a variety of different ways. I took ballet as a child and loved that soft buttery pinkness of my shoes - The Older Girls gravitated to black. I was never on my actual toes though and just as well since I have dinner plate feet lol xo
Thank you, Sue. I do have buttery soft pink shoes but they're very tired and I badly need a new pair. We seniors are always on demi-pointe - anything like a pointe would be dangerous I think. I'd get vertigo! Have you seen the images online of a true ballerina's feet - cringe-worthy. HOW do they dance a whole performance?
Oh! Your description of your garden at the cottage is breathtaking, Prue.
I'm going to take a closer look at the book you've shown us - these words are a much-needed reminder for me: "Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever."
'Must dos' in this house are either called 'shoulds' - which are BANNED - or 'have tos', which are permitted ONLY if they're weighed up against an equal or greater number of 'want tos'.
I love our little townhouse and its littler garden (I've had to through the behemoth of the year thus far) but this strange little cottage with its odd floor levels and ill-fitting windows, sitting slap bang in an almost half acre of garden is my heaven and where I suppose we are really us. We're not city folk and suburban/metro life always sits heavily.
Yes, the must-do's are painfully intrusive as one watches the second hands tick away.
Both sound so lovely, Prue - but I completely understand how one is more ‘you’ than the other. It’s nice to have the contrast, though, is it - like snacking on something savoury followed by something sweet - or vice versa - to have two ‘opposites’ to complement each other? I rather like the sound (and taste!) of that. 😊
Another lovely post to savor, Prue! I loved your passage about “ichigo ichie.” To me, it’s a philosophy that’s perfect for this time of year. Here in the Pacific Northwest USA, I’m feeling the bittersweetness of summer’s end, while you have the gift of all the fresh hopefulness of spring. Yes, let’s enjoy every moment of it!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful springtime pics…and your life! Every week, reading your essays, I always feel calmer—and a deeper sense of life’s possibilities.
I shall be beyond envious of your autumn Susan, with its beautiful colours.
Have you seen bears much this season? Tom Ryan wrote that he has seen less than normal. I wonder why?
We do have quite a show with the native vine maples that turn bright scarlet, and big leaf maples that turn a burnished gold. Unless an early fall windstorm comes along and blows all the pretty leaves down!
The bear(s)…we haven’t seen our neighborhood bear since last month, when we caught him sunning on the grass just beyond our fence. But I have to say, in 18 years, I have *never* seen so much bear scat on our lane! Our apples are ripening, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a break-in, in the near future!
Yikes!!!!!
Exactly!!
I have to admit to being just a wee bit jelly at the sight of those blossoms, daffodils and other signs that spring is on the way. While I love the Sunny Coast, I truly miss the seasons we don't get - those physical signs in nature of the years passing. I suppose we look for them in other ways up here - the whale migration, the colour of the sunrises, the mackerel skies in September ...
Your climate sounds wonderful, Joanne. I suspect wherever we live is always pretty good.
A very close friend has just moved here from Brisbane, purely for the climate and is in 7 th heaven with the clear, cool air. I will be interested to see what she thinks of our summers compared to Brisbane.
We do have the whale migration here and the Southern Lights, so despite the ghastly weather today and for the rest of this week, we have to remind ourselves of the benefits.