Gladsome Gladdies

A warm summer's day welcome to all you lovely lovelies♥ Alas, I am waxing lyrical yet again about some pretties that have gracefully popped up in my garden. The reason for my giddy delight this last little while, is the Gladdies. Oh, pardon me, that darn language barrier again.....I mean the Gladiolus, Gladioli etc. etc. Here in the garden these tall, floret-filled spires have pushed onto the stage towering over the other flowers, reaching up to the blue, blue sky. And, the very sight of these gorgeously elegant stems has caused me to bubble over with cheery cheeriness.......and may I say gladful gladsome-ness.

Here in Australia Gladdies became synonymous with Dame Edna Everage (the alter ego of comedian Barry Humphries)  who was rarely seen without a few stems clutched in her hand and indeed often felt the need to share these lovely flowers with her stage audience by tossing them to her adoring fans at the end of each performance. 'She' has retired from the stage now but these striking old fashioned flowers will bloom forevermore.

Last Spring a beautiful friend of mine (actually....she is one of this sweet life's treasures) gifted my husband and I with corm after corm of these gorgeous flowers. She had dug what seemed to be hundreds up from her garden and asked if I would like some. On second thought, I cannot remember if she asked me or if I dived  onto the ground where the Gladdies lay, clutching them to my chest asking, pleading.....if I could perhaps have a 'few'. Whichever way the story goes, they came on home with my good husband and my good self and are now showing off in spectacular fashion in the garden. My husband dotted a few here and there throughout the garden but he decided they would strut their stuff better if they were planted en masse  in a garden by the pond. Flowers planted en masse always dazzle.

We have a variety of colours.....the brightest of shades; red, orange, yellow to the softer spectrum; lemon, pink, mauve, apricot. I have never thought about Gladdies in the garden before but seeing their elegance in the garden I will definitely be purchasing more colours next Spring.

Magical reflections mirrored in the pond.

As the sun sets on yet another week, I sit here in the garden watching the fading sun cast a suffused glow on the pond  with rain drops gently puddling  on the water. The end of another magic Summer's day. Another Summer's day drifting into a balmy Summer's evening. Another Summer's day sprinkled with magic moments spent in the garden enjoying the bounty of flowers..........the gladsome Gladdies. Enjoy a beautiful weekend. May you find delight and a little beauty in your days.♥

Until the next time.........

Summertime, and the livin' is easy.

Happy New Year all you lovely lovelies♥ Another new year has slipped quietly in. Down here at the bottom of the world I am enjoying summertime and the easiness of it. It is Summer holidays here. Each day rolls lazily into another. Days where the order of each day is an easy one. Days beginning with sleep-ins, a cup of tea in the early mornings, a little reading (if I am to be truthful...a lot actually), watching movies, playing with my camera, walks in the garden, snoozing by the pond, a little stitching (just a little), visiting friends, country drives............and a lot of the time.......not much 'doings' at all.....just dreaming, imagining.......bliss! I love kicking back and not having to be anywhere, do anything in particular, prepare any sewing lessons, no tyranny of a timetable that has to be kept. Love, love, love long casual, Summer days that slip into balmy, starry nights.

Though I suppose  there was a whole lot of shebang and fireworks in many corners of the world to usher in a new year,  here in my humble abode my husband and I greeted the brand new year rather quietly.  Me and my good husband sat in the swinging seat by the pond....just the two of us and a gazillion, scintillating stars twinkling in the inky black sky. Not a soul in sight, not a sound to be heard; a most perfectly wonderful entry into a new year. You can have your fireworks, you can have your parties......as for me the theatre of the heavenly realms at night will always surpass anything that man can produce; indeed saying hello to the new year with the night sky above will always be my fancied choice. Sitting under the umbrella of a moonless  and cloudless night sky, marvelling at the magnificence of its beauty is profoundly satisfying to me.  Sitting quietly, listening to the whispers of God through nature, is a most splendid thing.

As I sat quietly with the sky winking at me, reflecting upon the beauty that encompassed me I wondered what words will be written on the pages of my book this year. I wondered and still wonder what words, sentences, paragraphs........chapters will be written in my book titled '2019'. I suppose the narrative that inks onto each page will  tell  multitudinous stories. Joyful stories, funny stories dripping with facetiousness, sad stories, exciting stories, stories with twists and turns,  simple every day stories wrapped in a little beauty and simplicity, stories that perhaps I would rather not be written......some stories that have never been. As I pen the words of my stories this year, regardless of what may come my way, I want each page to be underlined with thankfulness, gentleness, beauty, kindness, patience, faith, love....to find the joy in the ordinary....the simple things in life. I want each page to have the nuance of God's love for me invisibly threaded throughout.

As I am a gal who adores illustrations in my books (yes I still purchase children picture books, even though my girls are all 'growed') I can only imagine the illustrations that will be sketched in this book of mine. I know there will be many illustrations of pretties fashioned by my hands......quilts (finished ones, I hope), bags, cushions, the tarting up of a chair or two, the gussying up of many a corner in my humble abode, probably too many photos of the garden (sorry), a vintage find at a market or op shop.......so many colourful pictures to enhance my book.

Now.............enough of my reflections upon what may be and those unwritten stories swirling around and around in the future, if you please, may I begin my fresh, new book with some illustrations. My lovely husband gifted me with this sweet present for Christmas. Three little clouds with vintage pages of a book resting within. Those of you who like me, were a child of the sixties....do you remember the ubiquitous three ducks or three pigs flying up the wall?? Considered kitsch in some circles but it appears these days they are highly sought after. Here is my representation of that theme. 

Love these sweet little illustrations. I cannot help but be reminded of my two girls when they were little. Many a delightful hour was spent with the three of us huddled together on plumped, squishy squashy pillows........me reading with them and to them, escaping on a magic carpet ride to the land of make believe.

Remember how I said there would be a 'few' illustrations of a flower or two......or indeed of the garden.............well.......let the camera roll.

As it is Summer the Roses are blooming beautifully at the moment and are basking in the warm Summer sun.

Soft, frothy Roses♥ Ballerina pinks, rosy reds, creamy whites, buttery yellows, soft mauves, peachy tangerines, voluptuous apricots.........all are beautiful, not to mention the heavenly scents.

One vase of roses is enough to make a room sing the most beautifully scented song.

It is nearly but a week into the new year and already there are many stories to pen and even more illustrations to 'draw' with my camera. I cannot wait to write those stories. I too, cannot wait to visit your lovely places......to read your stories and to ooh and aah over your beautiful and glorious illustrations you capture with your cameras. A visit with each one of you is truly a most splendid thing.

From my li'l humble abode to yours......may your new year be a beautiful one♥

Until the next time..................

Once Upon a Christmas Tree

Hello all you lovelies, oh my goodness it's been a while since I last chatted. I don't know why; I enjoyed the most wonderful time away with my family and upon returning home I suppose the days just slipped by. Anyway, before Christmas comes aknocking on my bright pink, front door I thought I might pop by quickly.

It's that time of the year again. Unless you have been living on a deserted island with no telecommunication connection......it's Christmas time. Yes indeedy everyone everywhere is busily preparing for the season of goodwill to all men (and ladies). Even here in my humble abode there is an air of sparkling and twinkling Christmas cheer.

Do you remember my Christmas tree of old?? I wrote about my oh-so-beautifully-elegant tree waxing lyrically about it here, if indeed you are interested in a rollicking Christmas tree tale of  my rather idiosyncratic tendencies of 'must-having' the perfect tree. Well, my oh-so-beautifully-elegant Christmas tree is no more. No it hasn't been banished to some dark, hidey hole......it is standing tall and ever so elegantly in some other family's home. Last Christmas I sold it together with all the decorations that bedecked it. I know, I know, 'tis a demented gal that I am........but you know what, for the last few years I had become weary of clambering up and down the 9ft tree over and over; and over again, precariously teetering on a ladder with garlands and lights in hand, risking life and limb. For the last forty years or so my tree decorations were red, green, white, silver and gold so I decided now is the time for a different look, a different aesthetic. My home is oozing with all things coloured pastel, so I threw caution to the winds and at the risk of my daughters never talking to me ever again, I just did it! Yes indeedy, I posted the whole kit and kaboodle on one of the local selling sites here and before I could change my mind somebody bought it. As soon as I posted the advertisement a big and bold SOLD sign appeared in less than a minute!!

"Oh dear, what have I done!!!" It was the quickest sale ever in the annals of the 'Sharman's Wares to Flog'. I must say I was shocked, even a little depressed that my beautiful tree with the ethereal angel looking down upon me from on high was never going to grace the parlour ever, ever again. Sorry for the histrionics........but I was rather attached to my tree. But you need not worry, I am okay, I am rather loving the parlour's new pastel Christmassy look.

Over the last few years I have searched high and low for a lovely white, elegant tree but could not find one to suit my persnickety sensibilities.....at least one that would not require a mortgage on my very little humble abode. Last week, quite by accident I happened upon a tree that I love. Believe it or not there is not a leaf nor a pine needle to be seen, clinging to the naked branches.....it is actually a bare tree with LED lights. Shock!! Horror!! Quite a change for me but you know what I love it! I love this new look of simplicity and it is more suited to my white and silver and pastel aesthetic. No ladders needed, no moving furniture around the entire house to fit the tree and the new tree decorated within a couple of hours....I can't tell you how deliriously happy I am about that!! AND.....I might say my good husband is beside himself with great joy at the prospect of never, never having to help me unwind blasted lights and garlands and wind them around and around the tree, ever, ever again! Why, me thinks our happy marital union might just well last for a few more Christmases!

Quite a change from the the heavily decorated, BIG tree. BUT.....I am rather enamoured with my little 'bare' tree.

Starry, starry night.

Though the sprinkling of Christmas lustre throughout my humble abode is definitely less this year, nevertheless it is always joyous to sprinkle some shimmer and sparkles here and there.

As my pretty, embroidered curtains draw closed on yet another year, I would love to say thank you to each one of you whom has visited my little place throughout the year. Thank you for the gift of your visits and for blessing me with your sweet comments each time. I know I have said it before but you all truly make my heart sing! May your Christmas be filled with wonderful wonderment as you celebrate with your family and friends. May your Christmas shimmer and sparkle as your joy touches and brightens others' lives. I for one will be cherishing the peace I am blessed with as I reflect upon the real spirit of the joyousness of Christmas......Jesus'  'Birth'day, the miracle of Christmas.♥

Until the new year........