Earrings & life lessons combined...

I've been meaning to show you these!  

They were my birthday present from Jamie.  And unlike my other fabulously sublime and oversizably ridiculous earrings, of which I have many, (some seen here in one of my first posts on this here blog!) they're real gold!  18 carrot or some such like it!  And the jewels are really emeralds.  Really.

They are different to my usual earring-ish tastes, but feel very me, all the same.  It is quite wonderful to wear something that was chosen for you as a surprise, as a show of love, from a very best of friends.

He is to go away again soon to another far off place in service to their country, and ours...  I am to support him, and to miss him all at once.  To get on with the chores, and the children raising in his short absence, and also to work hard in my own head - on my own thoughts...  In that I mean, I don't want to just wish the time away - but rather to spend my days wisely, as though they were precious jewels.

I feel very much today, the sense that our days here on earth are meant to count towards a cumulative something?!  Our varying gifts, and situations dictate the direction, and our will to live as well as possible  dictates how well, we will achieve it.

I'm off now, to do a little dancing in the kitchen, a little playing my piano, a lot of living, thanking, loving.  In short, I'm not going to waste a moment!

Shell xx

Phone. Purse. Baby..?

...Check!

I'm trying to think of a clever way to phrase that I feel as though I'm running to stand still this week - that I might've forgotten my head if it weren't screwed on, etc?  meh, you get the idea!

So how are you?  Sorry I've been a little quiet - you've been in my thoughts and there are many posts I should have posted but haven't found or made the time...

Life in my little corner is lovely.  I just have to keep remembering not to sweat over the small things and keep the big picture in mind.  Enjoy the sunshine while I had out the washing, and sing while I sweep the floors (and often instead of)!

And that's really what I sometimes struggle with - feeling as though there isn't the time in a day to make art, to sing, play and go for my famous up hill walks.  To keep on preparing for my upcoming album of new songs - and to write the new ones swirling around my consciousness before I forget them.  You hear a lot of people say that if you don't make time for yourself then you're no good for helping others - and in lots of ways I can see the method in this.  So I'm going to make it happen!

And I'm going to share the fruits of it here, much more blooming often!

Have a blessed weekend!

Shell xx

Four~Hundred Short Stories...

{...and I still feel young!}

{The first photo taken from this wee blog!}

Hello my wonderful friends,

I am overwhelmed, and excited to announce that this is officially my 400th blog post!

A place I created to share my heart, and aspects of what I considered to be an interesting, challenging, wonderful, often weird, and always poetic life...

I wish to link to, and give thanks to a kindred spirit, whose friendship did lead to me starting this blog - a beloved friend whom I met in a paper shop once in Sydney... Our meeting was at first brief, and "chance" - as chance as the Lord's careful workings in His purposeful tapestry -that we call our lives...

I speak of my meeting Miss Emily, in said paper shop, in said Australian city, because as the Lord did sew it with his careful thread - an awakening was to occur inside of me, through this befriending.

I guess I had just become too busy, lapsed into being inwardly anxious, digressed into being outwardly unconscious... In short, I loved the Lord, but had seemingly forgotten - in the preciousness of the every day - how to engage with Him.

And this is sort of how I became, More Than Twelve Short Stories...

My band had just finished recording, and was about to release an album which I had written and named Twelve Short Stories. It was a pretty exciting time, and I did nothing but talk about and promote the album to the ends of the Earth (as it was our own indie release).

So I needed this place to be just for my thoughts, my sometimes fears, my poems, my walks, my family, my faith, my recipes, my photos: my short stories - more than Twelve Short Stories...

And then, before long, without ado, like a small still voice, came a flow of new inspiration! A flourish of new friends and kindred spirits! Possibilities, and new ways to explore my artistry!

And I began writing new songs, and found a place to share them, from their birth, with my readers.

And through this all, I have grown so entirely.

But I would have had no-one to talk with, had it not been for you.

Your comments have surprised and delighted, charmed and enlightened me! I am humbled by the success of this blog, and ever so very thankful! For paper shops, and tapestries, and blue blogs, and bookmarks, and zucchini soup, and friendship, and honesty, the Holy Spirit, and heart songs, and little birds...

For being woken up from a deepest sleep, I didn't know I was in...

I pray dear reader,

That some sense can be made of my heartfelt ramblings this night! And that you will stay with me? I promise I will remain awake with you to grow, and discover new parts of the tapestry which is by no means a "chance" or a random thing - but is our lives!

And I intend to go on and share the poetic, and the meaningful aspects of it all, here with you.

Shell xx