MANNERS AND OTHER MATTERS

A little hand feeling spring for the first time... This post is not so much about manners but spring...its influences and inspirations.  While I have written about spring and its impact on me previously, somehow this year the burgeoning rose buds, and flourishing new wisteria plumes have meant so much more.   Spring for me has always had a huge influence...the change in the light as the dawn calls me at 5.30 for a walk along the river with my dog...somehow the energy of the light infuses me with enthusiasm.  Ruby and I revel in the dawn light... And this year I have become  a grandmother for the first time; it is an extraordinary experience and can give, if one accepts it, a new view of the life which remains to be lived. The opportunities which are offered are more shiny somehow...the difficulties which were part of the last two or three decades somehow feel now like necessary experiences... I live a modern life.  My grandchild lives ...

The wisteria is in bloom around the pool Finally, after a very long and wet winter here in Western Australia, spring has sprung with full force, reminding us that she is here, encouraging new life and new opportunities.  The blue skies, the scattered rain showers making the heads of the newly emerging rosebuds shine, and the spring in my step as I walk my dog in the morning, remind me of the power of nature and the effect of the seasons on me. Ruby and I love our early morning walks A protracted dose of painful and exhausting shingles overwhelmed me throughout autumn and winter...the cold and wet days, the grey skies and blustery winds all contributed to my malaise.  I realised, again, that I am a "victim" to the brightness of the skies, the calm of the air and the green of the foliage around me. The Chinese Tallow trees are bursting with new leaves But life goes on and some months ago, I was asked to give an interview about the etiquette of...

Cindy and Ruby watching the spring rain overflow, Gingin, WA  I have had a break from blogging for three months for no reasons, other than "blogger's block", and travel opportunities which unfortunately cooincided with my making some rather substantial renovations to my home.  With the arrival of spring and my decision not to "downsize" just yet, a long overdue "cosmetic transformation" was made on my home of 22 years. The "transformation" begins, August 2013 And during the transformation, some changes occurred in my family as well.  I find that each year the arrival of spring tends to bring on not only nature's transformations but life's as well, some welcome, others not. The most important transformation has been for my daughter and her husband. Spring ushered in their news that they are expecting their first child together, and my first grandchild, in autumn next year; already I have a room in newly renovated ...

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 ...

Lucinda in front of the lemon tree The weather today is beautiful.  A mild day of about 18 degrees under a very blue, Western Australian sky.  The jonquils under the Chinese Tallow Tree This morning I noticed that the first of the jonquils had burst into flower underneath the still bare Chinese Tallow tree.  The snowdrops are flowering around the chilli bush, above  the vincas, which have very bravely hung on through a bleak winter and around the roses, only pruned a week ago and still nestling in their very sandy soil.  I will build it up with manure as their leaves start to sprout. The chillies keep the aphids off the roses! And around the pool the bougainvillea and geraniums are bursting into colour to brighten my day.  The bougainvillea is showing off ! In the courtyard Lucinda gazes down on a bare soil which will soon be planted with white primulas, but she is comforted I’m sure by the background lemon tree which is heavy with lemons after the genero...