heart of my hearts Nina has written on her blog (Ornamental) today about the heart wrenching process of watching her parents in the twilight and, in a way that only she can, has captured glimpses of her parents that will be treasures for generations to come. I experienced a similar thing recently 
as we celebrated a family wedding & saw the juxtaposed energy of the ‘babies’ (who are fast growing into small children); and my mother-in-law, now in a wheel chair, unable to get around without help. Despite being frail, she looked lovely, amongst great protestation from the menfolk (her sons) I was determined to try to get some photos of her with them, as no one knows how much sand is left in her glass, or when the last grain will fall. Aging enriches us with one hand, all the while, robbing us with the other. I have mentioned before, but the mobility issues that I now live with daily are making this a harsh reality for me, and I hate it…….but back to ‘mum’… she was shining……
this is her & my DH (her eldest) – and even though neither of them is looking at the lens – I love this shot, I am going to give it to her for Christmas. it’s difficult. She now lives in a nursing home, whiling away her hours, a woman that was so competent, so accomplished, to be reduced to redundancy. How she would hate that her day is so wasted, she has filled her days with hard physical work, loving and caring for her family, and now time is flittered away so dismissively, waiting, waiting, ticking, ticking…… waiting….and ticking….. she hates her days now.
revisiting Generations
fear and joy
I haven’t had a lot of words to share lately – I am busy juggling life – as we all are – but FEAR & JOY are the words of this week. FEAR – YES – this is A HUGE huntsman spider, I found curled up in my bra, when I got out of the shower this morning – just having a little nap! UUURRGHGHH……..yes, still shuddering, remembering!
a sleepy visitor
learning with an insatiable thirst
JOY – as I watched my little Princess discover a tutu, and invent herself into a ‘Ballarina’ – one who ‘ballarines’! It’s a word all of her own making, but we love it. She was here for a sleep over, & the first words out of her mouth in the morning (this pic was taken the night before) – Nonna, it’s morning – now can I ballarine????? – PURE JOY!
Generations
We have, in the last year lived through some interesting experiences and transitions that could be summed up in the statement spoken by
Poppa & Ellie in deep conversation
‘I believe in generations’. It’s not MY word of wisdom, I didn’t say it – and it was said by some one a decade younger than me, taking over an organization who has had the same leader for a 1/4 of a century, who doesn’t happen to have children of his own. (but with THAT sort of appreciation – you know he’s gonna make a great dad someday!) I have experienced that Generations provide the joy, the wonderlust and innocence of childhood. Generations provide the rejuvination, vigor & enthusiasm of youth. Generations provide the strength that comes from relationships that have had the time to reveal their character. Generations provide the calmness and strength of later years. It is easy to let generational relationships disintergrate and like everything worthwhile – takes time and effort to make it work. In our family, we are working at approaching generational differences with interest, not fear or negativity. Being interested in the what makes someone else tick is the thing that makes the difference. You can learn fascinating things about other people if you choose to do so…….for instance, did you know that aeroplanes flying in the night sky are called ’starjets’ and that the reason that our female GSP keeps loosing her collar is that she is really a Princess dog and doesn’t want to wear a chain – she REALLY want’s to wear a ‘tirara’! (no – that’s NOT a spelling error – we are all wearing TIRara’s here!)
Here ‘Poppa’ is ‘learning’ from Miss 3 how Princess’ NEED to wear a dress and glass slippers ’so they can dance with theYselves’. Having had the last 4 nights in a row babysitting our two grandies - alternating the two of them, one night then the next………we have been in fits of laughter as Master 2 & 1/2 and Miss 3 keep us in constant joy with their funny little stories and sayings. I swear its my opportunity to regain my youth!
gen·er·a·tion (j n  -r  shn)n. 1. All of the offspring that are at the same stage of descent from a common ancestor: Mother and daughters represent two generations.2. Biology A form or stage in the life cycle of an organism: asexual generation of a fern.3. The average interval of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their offspring.4. a. A group of individuals born and living about the same time.b. A group of generally contemporaneous individuals regarded as having common cultural or social characteristics and attitudes: “They’re the television generation” (Roger Enrico).5. a. A stage or period of sequential technological development and innovation.b. A class of objects derived from a preceding class: a new generation of computers.6. The formation of a line or geometric figure by the movement of a point or line.7. The act or process of generating; origination, production, or procreation.gen er·ation·al adj.gener·ation·al·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
generation
Noun
1. all the people of approximately the same age: the younger generation 2. a successive stage in descent of people or animals: passed on from generation to generation 3. the average time between two generations of a species, about 35 years for humans: an alliance which has lasted a generation 4. a specified stage of development: the next generation of fighter aircraft 5. production, esp. of electricity or heat
Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
Sparkle
What a funny word – SPARKLE – my life has little sparkles where ever I look right now. A couple of weeks ago, our princess turned 3, and then
glitter, sparkle & pearl cupcakes
in a ‘12th hour’ rush, we packed up and left for an interstate conference we annually attend – so I haven’t had a chance to tell the story. For the couple of days before the big Princess Party, my job was to create 70 ‘Princess Cupcakes’. I used this ‘edible glitter’ powder to add a special ‘Princess look’ to them all, and of course, as glitter does, it has multiplied everywhere. My kitchen floor is polished boards (the old fashioned kind with cracks between them) and of course there is sparkles in the cracks. I stored the cakes on the table in the adjacent dining area & of course in the process, shared the love, as glitter sprinkled off the cakes as I moved them. Then into the car to go to the party, and again, the glitter multiplied in the car. It’s several weeks ago now, but almost everyday, I encounter a little glitter picked up somewhere that it reached in those couple of days. Each time I see some glitter some, it makes me smile and remember a very special day, with some precious memories. Have you seen some sparkle today in your world??? What makes you just involuntarily smile???
I’ll share some of my special ’sparkle stories’ next time.
Noun
- S: (n) sparkle, twinkle, spark, light (merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance) “he had a sparkle in his eye”; “there’s a perpetual twinkle in his eyes”
- S: (n) glitter, sparkle, coruscation (the occurrence of a small flash or spark)
- S: (n) glitter, glister, glisten, scintillation, sparkle (the quality of shining with a bright reflected light)
Verb
- S: (v) sparkle, scintillate, coruscate (reflect brightly) “Unquarried marble sparkled on the hillside”
- S: (v) sparkle, scintillate, coruscate (be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity) “The musical performance sparkled”; “A scintillating conversation”; “his playing coruscated throughout the concert hall”
- S: (v) spark, sparkle (emit or produce sparks) “A high tension wire, brought down by a storm, can continue to spark”
- S: (v) foam, froth, fizz, effervesce, sparkle, form bubbles (become bubbly or frothy or foaming) “The boiling soup was frothing”; “The river was foaming”; “Sparkling water”
internal
how often we take ‘inner workings’ or ‘engine rooms’ for granted. I don’t even think about it. I’m one of those practical kinda gals – a bit of a headliner – I am not interested in the details of how it works – I just want the headlines – IT DOES WORK!! After having come back from the ‘dreaded lurgy’ for only ONE day of wellness, an egg sandwich, hastily grabbed from a city lunch shop left me seriously incapacitated and in hospital for three days. Despite having recovered from the major symptoms of accute bacterial food poisoning, the whole illness has left me still quite sick & sore. And the AMAZING thing in all of this???? I felt an urgency to call the shop as soon as practicable and let them know & to ‘clear out’ the sandwiches to go, so that no one else had to suffer such a terrible fate – and the response????? ‘it’s not our problem – we just buy the sandwiches in, from the completely disinterested store manager!!!!’ I was too sick to be outraged – I just couldn’t believe the lack of care or lack of interest in the outcome. Needless to say – I have been a bit of a couch potato, not very interested in producing anything much, not a photo, not art haven’t even found the words to express my indignation. Mind you, I am still struggling to keep anything down, despite it being a week tomorrow since the offender was consumed. SO - MY NEW ETHOS - my body is an egg free zone!
tech KNOWLEdgeY
ok – I am BACK from the dreaded lurgy & didn’t die – good for me! I DO have another problem though………ahhhhhhhhhhhhh – apple have released a new i-phone (pitty they can’t get simple MMS right – but that’s another story) OH my GOOODness it does great things – I am convinced it can even hang my washing out!!!! I am severely disabled, I am just so easily ‘dazzled’ by techno gadgets - WHAT IS IT ABOUT ME that I get SO sucked in??? Seeking some ‘help’ online – I found this hierachy of needs chart (a la Maslow)
Now you would think after reading all of that – that’d I would be able to sensibly tell myself – you KNOW you don’t NEED it – ah…..but here I am looking up the links – finding out what it can do – fantasizing about owning the new one – I think I am beyond help! Sign me up – here I am – Is there such a thing as TECHIESanon??? LOL! I swear my DH would send me there wrapped in a package if there was!
OH and incase YOU didn’t realise how much YOU needed it – check it
technology
1. the methods and tools that a society has developed in order to facilitate the solution of its practical problems. (SEE – there’s my cue!)
2. any specific application of such. — technological, adj. — technologist, n.
sick
I wish I could smell these amazing lemons!
YUK – our state is over run with fear of ‘Swine Flu’ at the moment – many who are experiencing normal ‘winter bugs’ are imagining that they are one of those that have caught it. DH is convinced it’s all an urban legend & is squeaking ‘bah-humbug’ in a raspy voice all the way to bed. And of course, he has ’generously’ shared his germs – so I am not 100% myself. I am banned from all ‘Nonna’ visits and I miss my babies. So it’s all about the aloe vera tissues, lemons, manuka honey & chicken soup at our house! After 3 days of DH being home – I am wondering how we will fare in retirement – he needs something every minute of the day! Bah Humbug!!! My hat’s off to nurses – I don’t know how they do it.
suddenly
- into the light
SUDDENLY
did you know that once there is light – darkness is dispelled? In an instant – SUDDENLY - it disappears. The presence of light , by default, creates an absence of darkness.
Suddenly is a significant word.
Suddenly is a transitional word, a to and from word.
Suddenly is an action word.
Suddenly, My Life has changed.
Suddenly from Black to White.
Suddenly from Hopeless to Having Hope.
Suddenly from being a Cave Dweller to being one Bathed in Light.
Suddenly from a Place of Lament to a Place of Hope.
Suddenly, I don’t feel sad any more.
Suddenly, it’s ok to have a plan.
Suddenly, I want to live.
sud·den (s
dn)
adj. 1. Happening without warning; unforeseen: a sudden storm.
2. Characterized by hastiness; abrupt or rash: a sudden decision. See Synonyms at impetuous.3. Characterized by rapidity; quick and swift.Idiom:
all of a sudden Very quickly and unexpectedly; suddenly.
[Middle English sodain, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *subitnus, from Latin subitneus, from subitus, from past participle of sub
re, to approach stealthily : sub-, secretly; see sub- + re, to go; see ei- in Indo-European roots.]
sudden·ly adv.
sudden·ness n.
“Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than a whole one.” ~ E.B. White
old
czech glass button c. 1915
- lost time
it’s almost embarrassing to actually say out loud that ’I like old things’. I love old lace and jewellery – I love old books with embossed covers & decorated end papers, I love old ephemera with penmanship by an ordinary clerk, that looks like today’s master calligraphy…..I love old picture frames & furniture, architecture – ……I love vintage buttons – OH MY GOOODNESS – I could spend a fortune on them – I especially love the Czech glass ones – my oh my, don’t get me started (………but here’s a sneak peak of one I bought recently – it’s green – I couldn’t resist it!) – I COULD go on & on…..but I love old things……..
On Roh’s recommendation, I have been listening to this guy recently via podcasts & while he has some amazing things to say, he has left me feeling as though I have passed my use-by date, and the best way I can offer service is to clap and cheer as the young person in front of me comes up with the next brilliant idea. This was reinforced yesterday when I had a meeting with someone to ‘review’ my existing qualifications. I found that all of my hard bought education is basically worth NOUGHT and I need to start again – oh, and the kicker – BECAUSE I AM educated – I have to pay full price for anything I now subsequently study! GREAT INCENTIVE HUH?!?! I am at a cross roads – do I start again, again – or do I become more & more irrelevant. I have embraced the concept of being a ‘life long learner’ however it seems that now only rich people can continue learning – the others slide into obscurity. Henry Ford said Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.‘
I DON’T long for things to be like they were in the past, I DO, however think that there are things about the ages past which are lost ‘treasure’. The most significant one is TIME. We now tap our finger, while waiting the ONE minute it takes to heat our over processed, under nourishing, something in the microwave. Is it any wonder simple, home grown, fresh food has become gourmetized? We now know only in part, as we glean the most relevant headlines from the plethora of information that passes across our eyes in any one given day. Our furniture & hard surfaces are sleek and seamless 1. because no one wants to take the time to clean something with decorative edges, and 2. there aren’t the ‘master craftsman’ any where with the skills to produce that kind of work.
old purfumed rose
Time for meditation, reflection and contemplation has become a luxury we cannot afford. We are content to have flowers that look good, but no longer have the smell associated with REAL flowers – if you stop to smell the roses now, you are more likely to have a reaction to whatever toxin has been used to elongate their life and hasten & multiply their blooms. This ‘buttercup’ coloured rose is from my garden and smells divine. The garden has taken quite a battering the last few years between severe drought & heat & several ‘necessary’ excavations – but a few treasures like this remain & I love them!
P.S. Oak trees don’t start producing acorns until they are 50!
old:
adj., old·er, old·est.-
- Having lived or existed for a relatively long time; far advanced in years or life.
- Relatively advanced in age: Pamela is our oldest child.
- Made long ago; in existence for many years: an old book.
- Of or relating to a long life or to people who have had long lives: a ripe old age.
- Having or exhibiting the physical characteristics of age: a prematurely old face.
- Having or exhibiting the wisdom of age; mature: a child who is old for his years.
- Having lived or existed for a specified length of time: She was 12 years old.
-
- Belonging to a remote or former period in history; ancient: old fossils.
- Belonging to or being of an earlier time: her old classmates.
- often Old Being the earlier or earliest of two or more related objects, stages, versions, or periods.
- Geology.
- Having become slower in flow and less vigorous in action. Used of a river.
- Having become simpler in form and of lower relief. Used of a landform.
- Exhibiting the effects of time or long use; worn: an old coat.
- Known through long acquaintance; long familiar: an old friend.
- Skilled or able through long experience; practiced.
- often ol’ (ōl)
- Used as an intensive: Come back any old time. Don’t give me any ol’ excuse.
- Used to express affection or familiarity: Good ol’ Sam.
n. An individual of a specified age: a five-year-old.
- Old people considered as a group. Used with the: caring for the old.
- Former times; yore: in days of old.
glory
glory (glôr′ē)
noun pl. glories -·ries
-
- great honor and admiration won by doing something important or valuable; fame; renown
- anything bringing this
- worshipful adoration or praise
- the condition of highest achievement, splendor, prosperity, etc. Greece in her glory
- radiant beauty or splendor; magnificence
- heaven or the bliss of heaven
- a halo or its representation in art, any circle of light
Etymology: ME glorie < OFr < L gloria
intransitive verb gloried -·ried, glorying -·ry·ing, to be very proud; rejoice; exult: with in
- glory
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
