Simple Things

Meandered through our paddocks with Trevor last night, just on dusk. The sky was a gorgeous indigo blue and the moon and stars were just starting to appear. We walked down our little lane for a little while, where the holly is still exhibiting gorgeous red berries. Trev wanted me to admire his tractor work - all the clearing and cleaning he's been doing. He's really been doing well, considering he only has weekends really to do anything.

It was lovely walking and discussing our dreams and plans for our future here, with the beautiful possibility of planting a paddock full of peonies!

First we will start small (perhaps 50-100 plants) and simple and see how it goes...but we certainly have the cold climate, similar to Trentham, where peonies thrive. We're not sure if the rascally rabbits will be a problem? Hopefully not...
I'm so pleased that once again we have daylight savings, which somehow lifts our spirits.
I'm really inspired by the UK magazine - "Simple Things" - living and loving the simple life. That's what I'm doing here, living and loving the simple life and always praising and thanking God for it!!
In this magazine, I'm reminded to :
GROW because nothing beats the satisfaction of growing your own...so we are planning our veggie patch, planning our peony paddock and we're already growing fruit trees, olive trees, and elderflower plants. I'm excited that the iris are coming again and will actually flower this year!

COOK because the real joy is in the preparing and sharing...I went back to "an oldie but a goodie" and made Apricot Chicken again and I'd forgotten how lovely it is - everyone enjoyed it! I played with simple, poached pears and I've also shown the boys how to make a cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs on toast and preparing a coffee, so they can make us breakfast in bed in the future!

 DISCOVER because it feels so good to try &/or find something different...so I'm trying more graphic design work and playing with typography, chalkboard designs, photography and Instagram and I'm planning to try more online ideas. I've also been discovering and finding gorgeous birds and their song, early in the morning at dawn.

SHARE because its family and friends that share our lives - the Saturday coffee shops, the Sunday walks, the BBQs in our backyard fire-pit.

After busy days at school, it is important to STOP!...& take a moment - find a quiet place and read (for me that usually means reading a magazine although I wish I had time to read a novel)...as well as take a moment to draw. Ah, simple delights...
I'm loving Spring - the green, green, GREEN everywhere...

...the newborn animals around, watching our boys play football or ride their bikes around, delighting in the bluebells that have appeared, enjoying meals on the verandah, savouring "Spring rains" and I could go on. (Although I'm always sad when the beautiful blossoms disappear and are replaced with green leaves.)

We've been chasing childhood memories, but as "Simple Things" says, "the future too will be full of "Remember when?" days"...The days we did Simple Things!

Simple Things...

Making Beautiful things

I went to one of the Kikki K shops yesterday. I picked up a postcard, which is a piece of advertising for Kikki K, but I just loved the simple, yet effective design of it and most of all the message...

...Since, that is really what I believe too - "I just want to make beautiful things."
I'm constantly inspired by the beauty of God's creation and this has led me to create many paintings, usually I'm inspired by flowers and nature, such as the one below...

This was a peony I painted from a photograph I took whilst visiting Monet's garden in Giverny!

I also try to demonstrate and share my love of creating "beautiful things" at school. Lately I've been taking some photographs, of some of the teaching examples I have created at school, or have created on the whiteboard...

 This was an example I created with a Year 8 Graphics class, exploring Typography.

This was inspired by a you-tube clip I showed students in Graphics and then I drew this on the whiteboard in the art room.
The following painting was also created in front of the students in the art room...

I hope I'm inspiring others to want to create "beautiful things..."

Spring

Spring is here!
Well it has been some time since my last blog post and it is now Spring.
I read somewhere that Robyn Williams said that "Spring is nature's way of saying 'let's party'!"
I believe it is God's way of bringing new life and renewal and with it, such JOY!

These photos of blossom and daffodils share the "party" and celebration of Spring!
& now..."Let's party!"
"Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18.

Take time to smell the roses...

There is the popular expression to "take time and smell the roses," which of course, being a lover of beautiful roses, I've always enjoyed...but I wonder if we do actually take the time to smell the roses? Can you remember the last time you literally did smell a rose? Have you "drunk in their perfume" as Anne of Green Gables most likely would have said?

There are so many glorious roses and scents, some are very perfumed with a distinct, rose floral scent and others smell like lemonade and others again smell very "green"... and they each bring me delight. My favourite roses are those that smell like lemonade, but I do very much enjoy "Double delight" roses with the very strong perfume.
Really this expression to take time and smell the roses goes further though, it really is talking about taking time to enjoy the "little things", the "everyday things" and for me, the things that bring God glory, that I want to praise Him about.
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord..." Psalm 150:6
On the weekend, I took time out to attend a fabulous workshop in Kyenton, to do some flower arranging or artistry, based on French Salon paintings. We looked at French artworks and discussed some of the history of France (with a couple of glasses of French champagne and some delicious treats to go with it,) to then be inspired to create our own "French masterpiece." This was one way that I took time out to really experience and enjoy more of God's provision of beauty for us.
Here's what I created...

Tres magnifique...

May I encourage you to "take time to smell the roses..."

Chicken noodle soup

I'd really like to know, what is it that makes "Chicken noodle soup" such a comfort when you're not feeling well?
My Mum makes the very best homemade chicken noodle soup and perhaps that's part of the idea of it being comforting... it is also associated in my mind, with my Mum caring and looking after me and making beautiful soup.
Mum makes really special, homemade egg noodles, which I'm sad to say I've never tried to do myself. Yet, even in a simple, little, instant "cup-of-soup" (see the photo) I am, at least for a short time, restored in some way.

I'm also reminded of another association with chicken soup - a gorgeous little book Mum used to read to us, by Maurice Sendak, called "Chicken soup with rice." It is a small book from a miniature collection called "The Nutshell Library."

"Each month is gay,
each season nice,
when eating
chicken soup with rice..."
...& it goes on looking at the months of the year...
then it concludes...
"I told you once
I tole you twice
all seasons 
of the year
are nice
for eating 
chicken soup
with rice!"

Happily, one day, I found this "Nutshell Library" collection again in a book shop and I just had to purchase it to read to my boys. I wonder if it will become a fond memory for them too?

A blank page

The other day I had my Year 12 Art class and I gave them a handout, as you do, and on it I included some words about a blank page. Sometimes, you see, the blank page is a problem. It can be a challenge. Infact, it can be a nightmare... At times, I sense my students' struggle, when they are not sure what to do next and they're faced with another blank page.....
A blank page can be an invitation...
"Nothing" has a big part to play...
"Nothing" is often where "something" is hiding...
"Nowhere" may take you to the perfect "somewhere".... I read some points from Stephanie Dowrick's book "Creative Journal Writing" (which I find it to be an excellent book!)
I read a little snippet to "my girls" (the Year 12 Art class) from Christopher Robin & Pooh Bear by A. A. Milne...

 "Where are we going?' said Pooh, hurrying after Christopher Robin...
"Nowhere," said Christopher Robin.
So they began going there and after they had walked a little way Christopher Robin said, "what do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?"
"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best - " and then he had to stop and think about eating honey, visiting Christopher Robin, being with Piglet, humming along...
"I like that too," said Christopher Robin, "but what I like doing best is Nothing."
"How do you do Nothing?" asked Pooh, after he wondered for a long time.
"Well, it's when people call out at you as you're going off to do it, "What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?" and you say, "Oh, nothing," and then you go and do it."
"Oh, I see," said Pooh.
"This is a nothing sort of thing that we're doing now."
"Oh, I see," said Pooh again.
"It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
"Oh!" said Pooh.

 Don't you love it?! So I gave my students a whole lot of possible prompts for annotation and drawing and creating for their visual diaries/sketchbooks...and hopefully the blank page will not be daunting.

Slow down

Sometimes you just have to slow down, its like your body is forcing you to slow down, which I believe is God's way of saying "slow down."  Rest. Rest in Him.
Its like God is saying "hey, remember me. I'm your Maker. I am your Creator. I know you. I knew you before you were born. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. I love you. Come to me..." ...and then when I ponder all of that, I just think "how great is our God!"
Chris Tomlin wrote that amazing song, some time ago now, but I just love it every time. "How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God..."
So right now, I'm very slow - an ear infection and sinus problems and vertigo will do that to you I guess, along with all the medication to go along with that...  I am reminded "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest..." 
Thank-you Father God for time to rest.

So I read a beautiful blog today and found some lovely words, which also mention "slow days".

"Golden glow
Bacon and egg burgers and tea from the thermos
Two peas in a pod on a winter morning adventure
Nature's perfection.
Slow days and match box cars.
A paper daisy she placed "just so" for me..."

Beautiful words. Simple moments and cherished little treasures from a day...a slow day!

I thank God for each day and each slow day!