MANNERS AND OTHER MATTERS

Cindy and Ruby resplendent in their "winter coats" ready for the cold weather (photo the author) Friday June 1 marks the official start to winter here in Australia.  In Western Australia, our spring and autumn are the very best seasons of the year.  The sky is usually a brilliant blue and the breezes are light and calm, the ocean and the river tranquil. In spring the bulbs pop their heads out expectantly, seeking some light rain and sunshine to encourage their coats of many colours to flourish.  The roses push out their new shoots, usually a light burgundy colour, until the flower buds form and the stems and leaves turn to a rich green to complement the ladies as they emerge. The leaves are turning on the Chinese Tallow trees and the wisteria vine (photo the author) In autumn the leaves turn colour on the trees which are of a European extraction.  I so enjoy the seasonal change, even when  raking the huge piles of leaves which collect on my front lawn.  The cru

An early Mother's Day card from my daughter with one of my favourite quotes: "Dance like no one is watching, Love like you will never be hurt, Sing like no one is listening, Live like its heaven on earth" William Purkey                      Tomorrow is Mother’s Day in Australia and elsewhere…and so to all of you wonderful women reading this post, I wish you a very happy day,  whether you are celebrating with your children – babies, toddlers, children, preteens, teenagers, young adults, and adults – or missing them as they are away from you, living their own lives. To the mothers who have children away at war, I salute you as the daughter of a naval officer.  I have learned that one never stops being a mother.  We ache with our children when they hurt, whether it be in their hearts or their bodies;  we laugh and smile with them when they are happy and proud of themselves;  and we cry with them, in both happy and sad circumstances.  We grieve for them with

White Beach, the Swan River, Perth, Western Australia I have just returned from a lovely walk along the beautiful Swan River foreshore near my home. It’s Wednesday morning, with bright sunshine and lots of people taking advantage of the autumn (fall) warmth to walk with their dogs. My two little dogs, Ruby and Cindy, firmly believe that the foreshore is their territory. They bark with excitement, sniff all newcomers and play with their familiar furry friends. The regular walkers all acknowledge each other with a smile and a greeting before moving on. And most of we same regulars also greet those we don’t recognise with some sort of acknowledgement. Ruby delights in collecting sticks And so it was today when I walked and smiled and said “good morning” to a solitary and unfamiliar walker. He stopped and said “thanks…that’s nice of you”. I must have looked puzzled, because he added “You know, in Sydney no one walking in my area even makes eye contact any more”. It reminded